What's your poison?

Old Dec 16th 2014, 12:50 pm
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Default What's your poison?

The old beer thread aged out and has been locked, but the craft brew scene is exploding, with new breweries opening in NC most months.

A couple of years ago I made a post and never followed up on it:
Originally Posted by Pulaski
I discovered Stone IPA a couple of weeks ago, and I have just invested in a couple of their 22 oz's - an Arrogant Bastard Ale and a Sublimely Self-righteous Ale. Neither are going to make it beyond 1/1/13, so I'll let y'all know in the New Year what they were like.
Well the Arrogant Bastard Ale is a very well balanced full bodied IPA, smooth and strong, and very enjoyable. I have bought it on a number of occasions since, and although I mostly like to try new and different beers, some Arrogant Bastard is always a good stand by.

The Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale is a black IPA and is very smooth and rich, and almost has porter-like qualities. I think I would take it over an AB, especially in the winter when I lean towards darker beers.

=========================
A few months ago we were talking about Strongbow (WTF thread, I think), and I tried some I found in a local grocery, though for some reason it was marked as having been made in Belgium. It was very nice, but just didn't seem to be quite how I remembered it, perhaps just slightly too sweet, and not quite enough "bite". Still, it went down very nicely, .... some of it into Mrs P who quickly developed a taste for it.

So I was doing a little pre-Christmas re stocking of the beer cellar yesterday in a specialist wine and beer shop, when I noticed they had a single six-pack of "Strongbow Gold". I looked at the packaging, and a bottle, but I didn't see any indication as to where it was made, though the small print said it was made by Bulmers. A "tasting note" label on the shelf said it is English. I will look again when I crack a bottle, but I am hoping that it is closer to the Strongbow I remember from my youth.

Last edited by Pulaski; Dec 16th 2014 at 1:53 pm.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 1:09 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

I had a bottle of the Stone Enjoy By (12-26-2014) at the weekend and it was fantastic, definitely one of the better IPAs I have tried.

My current go-tos are Founders Breakfast Stout & Terrapin Wake 'N' Bake (Coffee Oatmeal Stout) in these chilly FL winter months () but I always enjoy Cigar City Jai Alai (IPA) and it's easy to get whenever.

Some other great beers I've had lately are Prairie Bomb by Prairie Artisan Ales (double imperial stout) and Sweet Potato Casserole Ale by Funky Buddha.

I've only lived here since June so I don't know a huge amount about the craft beer scene but my fiancée and her friend are pretty obsessed so they always know when our local stores are stocking limited releases etc.

Good luck on your Strongbow mission but I would have to say that is definitely not a drink I miss from the motherland!
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 1:14 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

The new Q residence is 5 minutes walk to the local brew-pub so I am sure we will be sampling a range of their ales over the festive period

Each time one of heads into the US we pick up another bottle from our old house (my daughter is "house-sitting" until she can buy it from us) and transfer it. I think it might be a bottle of Calvados for me this time.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 1:16 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Cider these days, failing that whatever's on offer usually. I'm not really picky anymore, my wallet doesn't like it when I am.

Anyway, around here the craft beer movement has been infiltrated by pretentiously annoying beardo hipsters so I am considering drinking only mass produced beers from now on, just to make a passive aggressive point
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 1:44 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Really depends on what takes my fancy when I'm at the store. I do try some of the weird and wonderful sounding (although I would probably draw the line at Sweet Potato Casserole), but normally end up defaulting to something from St Arnold (Lawnmower or Weedwacker) or No Label Brewery (Ridgeback or 1st Street) or anything out of Shiner. I keep trying different Karbach offerings, because I found one once that was gorgeous, but can't remember what it was called, and everything I've tried since just tastes not quite finished...Of the larger breweries, Sam Adams is about the only one that regularly gets shelf space in the fridge.

Cider makes a showing in the summer, but I've had similar experience to Pulaski - Strongbow doesn't taste like it used to, but still gets drunk because there are few reasonable alternatives.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 1:54 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Slightly OT - there was a brief discussion a while ago about "pints" but can't remember where it was now. I was out last week with a mate at a new sports bar

Server - Hi guys, my names Cindy, and I'll be looking after you tonight - as it's Thursday its $2 pint night all night for any domestic draft, and we even include Shiner in that! ()So, what can I get for you?

Us - Great - we'll have 2 pints of Shiner please.

Cindy - Would you like the tall pint or the short pint?

Us - err, how big is each one?

Cindy - well, the short pint is the $2 one and its about 12oz, and the tall pint is about 22oz and isn't included in the $2 for a pint offer.

Us - so how much is the tall pint?

Cindy - $5.95

Us - err, OK, we'll have 2 short pints each to start with

Cindy - OK - would you like me to put them in the same glass for you?

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Old Dec 16th 2014, 2:32 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

I travel a lot so I like to try local versions of Amber, Pilsner and Kolsch....Yummy...

For some reason I can't stand any of the Sam Adams varieties. To me they always seem to have a strange aftertaste...
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 2:47 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

I had some strongbow a few months back. A bit too sickly sweet for me.
I had some dry cider from the UK in my local frys (kroger) and tried some and it was pretty good, can't for the life of me remember the name of it though.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 2:48 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Originally Posted by Hotscot
I travel a lot so I like to try local versions of Amber, Pilsner and Kolsch....Yummy...

For some reason I can't stand any of the Sam Adams varieties. To me they always seem to have a strange aftertaste...
Isn't Sam Adams too big to be considered a craft beer company?

I used to buy the variety boxes from costsco but found they was always too near their expiry date there.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 2:59 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

I like St Peters organic IPA. Not sure if it qualifies as a craft brew but it has a very clean taste. Quite expensive though.

I don't know if anyone else has this issue but when we go to brew pubs, well it seems to make us more gassy than normal.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 3:02 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Originally Posted by Uncle_Bob
Isn't Sam Adams too big to be considered a craft beer company? .....
That's been debated and not everyone agrees. The roots of SA is definitely craft brewing, and they are still independent, unlike some other smaller craft breweries that have been snapped up by InBev, SA Miller, and Molson Coors, with 10 Barrel and Goose Island recently falling prey. I find it harder to buy a beer that has sold out to the Big Three, which is a shame because I quite like Goose Island's IPA. Ironically "selling out" makes the beers more widely available, and I hate that the Big Three are going to use their marketing might to squeeze the genuine independent brewers out of much of the bar and restaurant market.

I like Sam Adams, and still buy some of their beers sometimes - I like their West Coast IPA at the moment, but mourn the loss of their Black Lager. Sam Adams is craft beer with training wheels, or a gateway beer, and hopefully they will be able to use their size to split off more of the drinkers of the tasteless golden fizz that Bud, Miller, and Coors produce.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 3:22 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Really developed a liking for Russian Imperial Stouts lately.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 3:56 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Every now and then I try one of the pretend craft brews from one of the big breweries (Shock Top, Blue Moon, etc) and always wish I'd got a real craft beer instead. Even a rather dull pale ale with a silly name.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 4:27 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Sam Adams, is generally shit anyway, bar a few of the seasonal's. Fun tour though, even if you have to venture into JP.

Trader Joes, some of their "home" brew at the moment are actually done by Unibroque, so if you're into their beers, it's a great bargain and a decent Arrogant B redux.

I've mostly been drinking home brew lately. Got a nice winter ale with mulled spices, a chocolate orange porter will be ready this weekend. Also been drinking a nice chocolate stout, a coffee stout which turned out okay and I've still got a few pumpkin ales, cherry wheat, peach blonde ale, ginger wheat and a few other random ales and raspberry lambics.

Got a apple lambic ageing now, so should be ready in the summer and plan on brewing another batch after the holidays and perhaps a cranberry saison style as we do have a lot of cranberry's knocking around.

Lambic has been the best value though, works out at a smidge over $1 a bottle when they cost $6+ on the stores.

If I'm buying, I like Opa Opa and especially Berkshire Brewing ales. Goose Island has a lovely porter. John Harvard's, brew a few decent beers so if in Framingham, might check them for lunch and quite a few local brew pubs popping up that sound promising.
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Old Dec 16th 2014, 4:32 pm
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Default Re: What's your poison?

Originally Posted by Anian
Every now and then I try one of the pretend craft brews from one of the big breweries (Shock Top, Blue Moon, etc) and always wish I'd got a real craft beer instead. Even a rather dull pale ale with a silly name.
Agreed. Blue Moon is tolerable in the summer when there is no alternative other than yellow fizz, but I could never drink a Shock Top. Thankfully there are more places stocking some proper craft beers now, at least until the marketing clout of the Big Three takes them over or squeezes them out.
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