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Author Topic: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?  (Read 36322 times)

Bondo

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #130 on: January 29, 2014, 01:59:14 AM »
I'm not a big hops fan and Sierra Nevada's IPA is very hoppy, as could be expected. Last week I tasted a black IPA (well, I'd had it before) and a white IPA that balance the hop flavors with coffee and fruit notes respectively in very nice ways.

But yeah, a while back I had a Sam Adams pumpkin beer that was probably my least favorite of the 10-15 pumpkins I had during the season, tonight it was their Double Bock, again, usually a style I appreciate. It was just poor. And these are specialty line beers from them, not cheap. Need to learn my lesson already.

¡Keith!

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #131 on: February 22, 2014, 11:46:39 PM »
Just finished submitting a ballot for the American Homebrewers Association Best Beers (available) in America survey:

PlaceBreweryBeerStyleABV
20Dogfish Head Craft Brewery75 Minute IPAAmerican IPA7.5
19Founders Brewing Co.Frangelic Mountain BrownImperial / Double Brown Ale9
18Brouwerij BosteelsTripel KarmelietBelgian Tripel8.4
17Lancaster Brewing CompanyDouble Chocolate Milk StoutCream Stout6.8
16Brasserie DupontPosca RusticaGruit / Ancient Herbed Ale8
15Firestone Walker Brewing Company§ucabaAmerican Barleywine12.5
14Weisses Bräuhaus G. Schneider & Sohn (Schneider Weiss)Mein Nelson Sauvin (TAPX)Weizenbock7.3
13Tröegs Brewing CompanyMad ElfBelgian Strong Dark Ale11
12Cisco Brewers Inc.Lady of the WoodsAmerican Wild Ale5
11Firestone Walker Brewing CompanyVelvet MerkinOatmeal Stout8.5
10Allagash Brewing CompanyConfluenceAmerican Wild Ale7.5
9Founders Brewing Co.Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS)American Imperial / Double Stout11.2
8Ballast Point Brewing & SpiritsVictory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Imperial PorterImperial / Double Porter10
7Goose Island Beer Co.Bourbon County Cherry RyeAmerican Imperial / Double Stout13.7
6Russian River Brewing CompanyConsecrationAmerican Wild Ale10
5BrewDogTokyo*American Imperial / Double Stout18.2
4Russian River Brewing CompanySupplicationAmerican Wild Ale7
3The BrueryTart of DarknessSour Ale5.6
2Bell's Brewery, Inc.Black Note StoutAmerican Imperial / Double Stout11.5
1Boston Beer Company (Samuel Adams)Samuel Adams UtopiasAmerican Strong Ale27

Bondo

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #132 on: February 23, 2014, 12:38:59 AM »
I should print that and take it to my local bottle shop.

I generally find I don't like margaritas but make one at home using lime juice and simple syrup (even if I use rum rather than tequila) and damn if it isn't tasty.

¡Keith!

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #133 on: February 23, 2014, 01:12:13 AM »
I should print that and take it to my local bottle shop.

have you had any of 'em?

Bondo

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #134 on: February 23, 2014, 08:27:33 AM »
I don't believe so, though I know I've had Goose Island and Bell's, and maybe Dogfish (and obviously Sam Adams) before, just not these particular ones.

Monty

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #135 on: February 23, 2014, 08:44:31 AM »
Haha, look at the ABV ratings for some of those beers. The strongest beer I ever had was called 'Roger & Out' at the 'Frog & Parrot' pub in Sheffield. That had an ABV rating of 12.9 I think and was served in 1/3 of a pint glass and you got a certificate for each completed glass.

I'd be interested to know what the stronger beers taste like, from my recollection 'Roger & Out' tasted very sugary and treacly, not really all that nice.


"And then it just becomes an industry of...cool."

¡Keith!

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #136 on: February 24, 2014, 12:18:49 PM »
Haha, look at the ABV ratings for some of those beers. The strongest beer I ever had was called 'Roger & Out' at the 'Frog & Parrot' pub in Sheffield. That had an ABV rating of 12.9 I think and was served in 1/3 of a pint glass and you got a certificate for each completed glass.

I'd be interested to know what the stronger beers taste like, from my recollection 'Roger & Out' tasted very sugary and treacly, not really all that nice.

The imperial stout can be a thing of beauty. The Utopias in particular is indeed a deep brown thick molasses like syrup on the sweet side but not cloyingly. Its rounded out by years in various barrels (its a blended brew with portions aged in Scotch, Cognac and Port casks) that impart a complex flavor profile - vanilla, caramel, oak, currants, prunes, smoke... and of course a healthy burn to be expected from the ABV. Others on the list slide more toward the bourbon-y side of things - an american thing.



An American barley-wine on the other hand often tastes more like toffee with some earthy spice hops in the mix (American, in general = stronger hop profile when discussing beer... except for "American Adjunct Lager" which refers to the shit that comes out of Golden, Milwaukee and St. Louis among other places.) Its sweet (a lot of malt is needed to get that high an ABV) with toffee and cherry notes and either grassy, musty or spicy depending on the hops used.



Mad Elf is a holiday release from a brewery that I get a 1/6 keg of every year. Its a clear and deep ruby color and made with a lot of malt, honey and cherries and fermented with a spice imparting yeast. Its like drinking christmas dessert!



The wild and sour ales are a different beast all together with some combination of brettanomyces, lactobacillus and/or  pediococcus to impart sour and tart flavors. A Belgian creation and called wild because are ferment in open tanks or even thin slabs so that these wild yeasts and bacteria can settle into the brew from the nearby farms and orchards (well, its more controlled now-a-days). You often see a lot of fruitier flavors in these but can also vary from mild and refeshingly tart to a supper-pucker sour that coats your mouth for days (Birrificio Del Ducato's My Blueberry Nightmare for instance).



If I could suggest - pop into the new BrewDog Bar set to open in the Spring in Sheffield - they will likely carry a strong array of international craft brews with some great flavors to try.

Dave the Necrobumper

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #137 on: February 24, 2014, 01:19:36 PM »
I do not like beer, but those seem really interesting.

smirnoff

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #138 on: February 24, 2014, 03:54:53 PM »
I'm jealous.

verbALs

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Re: Favorite Alcoholic Drink?
« Reply #139 on: March 10, 2014, 07:48:34 AM »
I don't do this anymore, but Saturday, I went out with five guys from University that i hadn't seen since..... c.1995/6.

This is how it went down, in drink;

1 Becks
1 Gin & Tonic
1 Budweiser
1 G&T
1 Bottle of Pinot Grigio (not shared)

Then the champagne started appearing in my glass....a big glass. Moet et Chandon.

Plus two more G&Ts.

I didn't get drunk, which I appreciate is more of a problem than a talent. I didn't get a hangover.

I have very dangerous friends.
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