Best New Beer You've Tried Recently?

[thebestever]

If this were facebook, I would "like" this photo. I lived in CA my whole life... until 2.5 years ago. I never visited Russian River or any of the Nor Cal breweries. I beat myself up over this all the time.

Also, do you work for GGuitars? I used to work with some of the folks there some time back when I was at TC. Good people.

<3 russian river!!! i would beat myself up too if i were you.

you must know nick, he is/was the owner of g guitars until we closed the store in february 2011. he still has an online store and sells pedals, but the actual g guitars storefront is gone... very sad! i am nick's fiance... and if you chatted with him at namm in the past few years, you probably met me too!

[kryptonik]

The labels make me laugh a little on the inside, too. Especially since they can't even sell these beers in Utah due to the ABV.

Just wanted to let you know that not only can you buy all of their beers, ice cold, from the brewery, but you can also get a lot of their beers in all of the state liquor stores. The Utah liquor laws are not nearly as insane as the rest of the country thinks. You can get almost everything, excluding Bud, Coors, Miller, etc at full strength.

[pat_ernzen]

Just wanted to let you know that not only can you buy all of their beers, ice cold, from the brewery, but you can also get a lot of their beers in all of the state liquor stores. The Utah liquor laws are not nearly as insane as the rest of the country thinks. You can get almost everything, excluding Bud, Coors, Miller, etc at full strength.

Weird. I sweating heard reps from the actual brewery saying that.

[kryptonik]

Nope, completely untrue.
Here is a blog with some pictures of the brewery and the cold cases.
And a pricelist.

http://imperialjosh.blogspot.com/201...c-brewing.html

[Karmanniac]

Just wanted to let you know that not only can you buy all of their beers, ice cold, from the brewery, but you can also get a lot of their beers in all of the state liquor stores. The Utah liquor laws are not nearly as insane as the rest of the country thinks. You can get almost everything, excluding Bud, Coors, Miller, etc at full strength.

IIRC from years ago, the only full-strength beer I could get at a bar was Sierra Nevada. Always wondered why, since they're brewed in CA.

[kryptonik]

IIRC from years ago, the only full-strength beer I could get at a bar was Sierra Nevada. Always wondered why, since they're brewed in CA.

Very weird as well. Not sure why. Maybe the bar sucked?
I've never had anything like this happen to me and I've been out here 4 years now.
We have a place called the beerhive with over 100 beers on their menu, and a place called the Bayou with over 300.

Bayous menu: http://www.utahbayou.com/all-beers

[Karmanniac]

Very weird as well. Not sure why. Maybe the bar sucked?
I've never had anything like this happen to me and I've been out here 4 years now.

Because Provo, I guess. (Army sent me to BYU for a language refresher course.) Anyway, you had to apply for a "membership" to drink in a bar.

[kryptonik]

The membership rules were intact when I moved out here. I actually like them, because once you found a bar or two you liked, you would usually frequent them more often, and you started to form a "camaraderie", if that makes sense.
They have since done away with that as well.

Provo is definitely different than Salt Lake City though.

[rdubVr6]

had one when they first released and it was amazing, now for the 2nd after 8~ months

[GimmieA40]

Current Favorite that I cannot get locally.
http://www.hsbeer.com/marzen

[leitmotif]

Boulevard Rye on Rye. Holy ****! Wish I could have bought more than one.

[thebestever]

Boulevard Rye on Rye. Holy ****! Wish I could have bought more than one.

i heard that is phenomenal... unfortunately we don't get boulevard here BUT i have to buy for a BIF that i'm in which means i will travel to MA this week... and hopefully they have some at table & vine when i go. and i will pick up a **** ton of tank 7.

[leitmotif]

i heard that is phenomenal... unfortunately we don't get boulevard here BUT i have to buy for a BIF that i'm in which means i will travel to MA this week... and hopefully they have some at table & vine when i go. and i will pick up a **** ton of tank 7.

Tank 7 is good stuff! My wife took one sip of the rye on rye and said "we're finding it at another store and buying more tomorrow!" she's a keeper.

[CDub87]

I had this one last night and I'm a fan. I'm new to trying craft beer and specialty stuff, but I'm enjoying it and looking forward to trying more.

[leitmotif]

I had this one last night and I'm a fan. I'm new to trying craft beer and specialty stuff, but I'm enjoying it and looking forward to trying more.

One of my favs!

[CDub87]

Not to hijack the thread, but how big of an impact does the glass have on the beer tasting experience? I saw a few different sets like this one http://www.truebeer.com/True-Beer-Gl...Set_p_104.html that has a variety of glasses for the different types of beer. Is it worth picking something like that up, or are there one or two styles that I should just purchase separately?

If you have any other advice for a noob, I'd be happy to hear it.

[pat_ernzen]

I had this one last night and I'm a fan. I'm new to trying craft beer and specialty stuff, but I'm enjoying it and looking forward to trying more.

There's so very much out there... Has taken me a while to really figure out what I consistently enjoy. Got a 2009 (IIRC) bottle of that in the fridge. Looking forward to it.

[ChrisTaco]

Anyone ever had any beers from Tommyknocker Brewery?

I cannot find any in town and I'd love to try their Amber, Maple nut Brown, and black IPA.

[Karmanniac]

Not to hijack the thread, but how big of an impact does the glass have on the beer tasting experience?

Quite a bit, but I'm no expert. What I do know is that Dogfish Head sells a beer glass that has their logo etched into the bottom so that the rising bubbles form a little dogfish shape on the surface of the beer.

[ChrisTaco]

Not to hijack the thread, but how big of an impact does the glass have on the beer tasting experience? I saw a few different sets like this one http://www.truebeer.com/True-Beer-Gl...Set_p_104.html that has a variety of glasses for the different types of beer. Is it worth picking something like that up, or are there one or two styles that I should just purchase separately?

If you have any other advice for a noob, I'd be happy to hear it.

Somewhat. To me, it's not as much as serving a beer at the right temperature. When you go to places where they serve beers out of frozen taps and kegs below freezing temps, it just ruins a beer (some more than others). Certain beers (like wines) should be served at certain temps.

Anyway here's some info on the beeradvocate site about types of glassware: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/101/glassware.php

[CDub87]

Anyone ever had any beers from Tommyknocker Brewery?

I cannot find any in town and I'd love to try their Amber, Maple nut Brown, and black IPA.

The tommyknocker maple nut brown is pretty good. I haven't had the others. I didn't really get a strong maple flavor until I compared it against another beer, so it's pretty subtle.

Thanks for the link on the glasses

I opened up the three philosophers tonight with dinner and I really like it.


I swung by the store and picked up a few more. What should I try next? I bought another gouden carols to age for a while so that one is out for now.

[Techun]

drink the arrogant bastard when you feel like a badass


not my pic, but it's exactly what I would have taken anyway

[pat_ernzen]

I'm not crazy about Arrogant Bastard. Would take Two Hearted any day. Completely different beers, obviously. Just sayin.

Haven't drank much at all int he past two weeks... just finished of a DFH Immort Ale and had a glass of New Belgium's Tart Lechee the other night at a bar. Tasty stuff. Had a little glass that was a mix of Ten Fidy and Hoptimum courtesy of the bartender after that, but it was maybe like four or five ounces. Just a taster glass.

[TwiggyGTI]

I had a great run tonight, started with Adam from the Wood, then Blind Pig, then KBS, finished with Heady Topper, and bought six bottles of Pliny the elder

[thebestever]

I'm not crazy about Arrogant Bastard. Would take Two Hearted any day. Completely different beers, obviously. Just sayin.

totally agree with you.


i got to open my growler of happy hops over the weekend -- i am fairly certain that i love this beer even more than i love blind pig, it is so fruity and light.... i seriously need someone to ship me a growler whenever they have it on tap (who knows if it is a regular or not but i love it)... unfortunately i got this weird 48 hour flu and wasn't able to finish it so i had to drain pour about 1/3 of the growler.



excuse my completely cluttered counter. it's being overcome with bottles of wine and beer that need to migrate to my cellar.

[Heathcliff Huxtable]

Quite a bit, but I'm no expert. What I do know is that Dogfish Head sells a beer glass that has their logo etched into the bottom so that the rising bubbles form a little dogfish shape on the surface of the beer.

i've noticed that quite a few of mine have etching now that Sam Adams did it years ago.

my favorite glass for belgians is this Lost Abbey piece:



any other beer is this Samuel Smith pint glass:




must have unsubscribed from this thread accidentally. picked up 2 750's of Lost Abbey Red Barn Ale in a trade yesterday. also put down a few $3.75 Gulden Draak Quad pints last night, feeling great today

[n0rdicalex.]

drink the arrogant bastard when you feel like a badass


not my pic, but it's exactly what I would have taken anyway

Two-Hearted Ale is great. watch out though, it will kick your ass.

[FBMphil]

Two-Hearted Ale is great. watch out though, it will kick your ass.

My favorite watering hole in college ran six/seven taps of Michigan beers all day every day, and Two Hearted never, ever, ever left the rotation. They have a permanent sign on the wall for $3.50 pints and $2.50 on Tuesdays--needless to say I've played "Let's see if I can drink 9 or so tonight" one or five times

[leitmotif]

Two-Hearted Ale is great. watch out though, it will kick your ass.

You sure you're not referring to HopSlam rather than Two Hearted? Maybe I'm just more numb to hops?

[n0rdicalex.]

no, but both have crept up on me when just sitting around with friends on the weekend drinking some beers. do love me some hopslam though.

both have relatively high ABV content too.

[kweetech]

Yeah...Two Hearted runs mid 7's abv. It'll sneak up on you...

[Karmanniac]

On the subject of growlers...

http://www.growlerman.com/romanick-b...laque-in-blue/

These things.

[MotownSVT]

Yeah...Two Hearted runs mid 7's abv. It'll sneak up on you...

Oh, it certainly will. I've hated life the next morning on more than one occasion after drinking too many of those.

Question: have any of you had the Abita 25th Anniversary Vanilla Doubledog yet? My buddy was down in New Orleans for Jazzfest and he brought 5-6 bottles back and gave me one that is currently sitting in my fridge. I'm excited to crack it open, but I wanna know if I should be getting my hopes up or not.

[leitmotif]

I've thought about picking one up but I'm not a huge Abita fan.

[evosky]

had My Antonia on tap at DFH last night - probably one of my new favorites for a great spring/summer style