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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Beer Thread

I like the beer emoji rating system Dan seems to have adopted. We should make it standard for beer ratings on Cyburbia.

I had a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale this past weekend. One can definitely taste the bourbon come through. This beer may appeal to those who love good bourbon, but I found the bourbon flavor to be so pronounced and assertive to the point I could scarcely taste or detect any other subtleties the beer might have to offer. Frankly, if I want the experience of drinking bourbon....I'll drink bourbon. Don't get me wrong, this was a good bourbon, but I felt existed outside the plane of what should be beer drinking. I give it 5/10 pints

:stout::stout::stout::stout::stout:
 
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Maister said:
I like the beer emoji rating system Dan seems to have adopted. We should make it standard for beer ratings on Cyburbia.

I had a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale this past weekend. One can definitely taste the bourbon come through. This beer may appeal to those who love good bourbon, but I found the bourbon flavor to be so pronounced and assertive to the point I could scarcely taste or detect any other subtleties the beer might have to offer. Frankly, if I want the experience of drinking bourbon....I'll drink bourbon. Don't get me wrong, this was a good bourbon, but I felt existed outside the plane of what should be beer drinking. I give it 5/10 pints

:stout::stout::stout::stout::stout:
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This has been my experience with bourbon-barrel beers as well. The bourbon infusion far, far outweighs the beer. It's off-putting to me.
 
I just saw an article that reminded me about the Superbowl commercial I intended to discuss here.
In a nutshell, Anheuser Busch-Inbev ran an ad that said Busch doesn't use high fructose corn syrup in making their beer, and accused Coors, Miller and others of using HFCS in making their beer.

As a home brewer and beer aficionado, I have to laugh at this. My reaction was...SO WHAT? It's not like A-B is on any moral high ground here as they've used adjuncts (namely rice - says so proudly on their own labels) for years. If you've ever read the label on a bottle of Bud you'll have noted the larger script that says: "Brewed by our original all natural process using the Choicest Hops, Rice, and Best Barley Malt." Rice is what brewers call an 'adjunct'. That is, something intended to supplement barley malt giving the little yeasties a bit more inexpensive sugar to convert into alcohol.

If A-B's angle is to get all reinheitsgebotty on us by claiming some sort of 'purity', it's falling woefully short, as rice serves the same purpose as corn - they're BOTH adjuncts which, strictly speaking, don't belong in traditional beer.

The macrobrew industry fretting that consumers might get turned off to their beer because it uses 'unhealthy' HFCS is, well, amusing on several levels.
 
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Steelbound Brewing, Ellicottville NY - Subabrew double dry hopped IPA

I'm not a huge IPA fan. New England IPAs, maybe I'll nom nom nom, but it seems like half of the craft/micro six-packs on store shelves around here are IPAs of some kind. Double IPAs. Triple IPAs. Extra hoppy IPAs. East Coast IPAs. West Coast IPAs. Session IPAs. Barrel-aged IPAs. Mosaic IPAs. Pakistani IPAs. It gets boring after a while. Anyhow, this isn't too bad. 6/10 mugs. Now IP, eh?

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::ny:
 
This was just released yesterday:

Untappd, the world’s largest beer app with over seven million users globally, and Bank of America Stadium have partnered to host the inaugural Untappd Beer Festival May 4, 2019 in Charlotte, N.C.

Beer enthusiasts and brewers from around the world will assemble on the field at the stadium to celebrate beer and breweries from across the United States. Over 100 brewers will pour samples of between two and four beers at booths stationed on the field at Bank of America Stadium. The event will highlight dozens of Charlotte-area and North Carolina and South Carolina breweries, as well as a strong contingent of brewers from around the country.

https://www.panthers.com/news/bank-of-america-stadium-to-host-inaugural-untappd-beer-festival

Tickets go on same March 1st.
 
^ If I wasn't taking time off to fly out to Denver the next week I'd try to head down to Charlotte to check that out. I have a buddy who's gone out to the Great American Beer Fest a few times and he's going to try to go to this one from Untapped as well.
 
Dan said:
Ommegang Game of Thrones Hand of the Queen Barleywine. It's from Ommegang, and Ommegang doesn't release shitty beers. 11% alcohol, but you knew this wasn't going to be some easygoing Front Range session beer that would barely ping a breathalizer. Enjoy this one at home, folks. 9/10 mugs, and a healthy burp.
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A couple of friends of mine started a brewery; they make Boatman's Barleywine- the smoothest 12%er you'll ever drink. You get about halfway through a draft and realize you'd better slow down!
 
I've noted this myself. I hope the American brewing industry is simply going through some kind of phase, where the novelty of IPA's is being explored and played out (well, nearly exhausted at this point IMHO). Beer admittedly has few ingredients and hops happens to be one them. That fact, however, should not excuse the almost monomaniacal focus the craft brew industry is directing towards this one style. Hops can be added at several different stages in the brewing process, and where/when in that process it gets added produces the character and bitterness flavor profile of a beer. Adding quantities of hops at the end of the process can produce delightfully delicate and intricate notes, but too much and you're left with a curiously overwhelming weedy profile. Maybe that's okay for the novelty factor, but frankly it's already been done to death.

I enjoy a good IPA as well as anyone, but seriously there are many other brewing paths that call for greater exploration. I'm still waiting for the American craft brew industry to wake up to the realization that the American beer drinking public will fall in love with Kölsch style beer as soon as they have the opportunity to try it.
 
Maister said:
I enjoy a good IPA as well as anyone but seriously there are many other brewing paths that call for greater exploration.
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coughcoughSouthernTiercoughcoughenoughIPAsalreadycough

I think one reason why craft breweries produce so much IPA is that it's easy to make, and really difficult to fark up. Ales don't need to ferment at a constant just-below-room temperature. Just about every starter brew-at-home kit has the ingredients for an IPA, and a lot of the homebrew IPAs I've had don't have as much of the telltale "homebrew" flavor as with other ales. It's also easy to cover up mistakes, or create a different flavor profile to add another selection to the taps -- just add more hops, or use a different variety. I'll see beers from one craft brewery take up a lot of space on store shelves, only to find that they're all just IPAs with different hops -- Mosaic IPA, Cascade IPA, Admiral IPA, Citra IPA, Apollo IPA, Horizon IPA, yadda yadda yadda.
 
Maister said:
That fact, however, should not excuse the almost monomaniacal focus the craft brew industry is directing towards this one style.
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...and yet IBUs (International Beer Units) is a measure of hoppiness. There's more to beer than this, but this has become a primary measure of beer taste. Not a good sign.

I go hot and cold on IPAs. Right now I'm sick of them. I don't want bitter, I want smooth, like a nice milk stout.

The other beer style I've never liked is sours. To me they all taste like Squirt that's gone bad. There's a brew pub near me that specializes in sours. When friends go there I try to find an excuse not to.
 
There are still a lot of IPAs (and doubles and triples and all sorts of super-high IBU beers...) on the market but to me it seems like their not quite as prolific as they were maybe 5 or 6 years ago. There was a time when it seemed like every local brewery and brewpub had nothing but various IPAs on the menu. It seems like there is quite a bit more variety today than there was then, but IPAs still dominate. I've noticed there is a trend of more session IPAs recently which is a nice change as they are much more drinkable in my opinion.

I like sours and lambics and similar beers and am glad to see more of them on the menus these days but I will say they are usually much better fresh at the bar than they are in cans/bottles (the high IBUs and extra hops of IPAs make them a great choice for breweries who want to distribute since they have a longer shelf life).

If you like Korean or Vietnamese food with your beer and happen to find yourself in Ann Arbor, I highly recommend HOMES Brewery. The food is fantastic and the beers are definitely something different.
 
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Genesee Brewing, Rochester NY - Genesee Cream Ale.

Green death.

Screamers.

The cream of the crap.

♫ ♬ I've got the cream ale blues! They're running down my leg, and into my shoes! ♫ ♬

One of the best-bang-for-the-buck old man beers out there, and an uncommon regional style. Went down smooth last night, and came out smooth this morning, just as one would expect. Much more effective at its end game than Brown Note. 5/10 mugs, and a plunger.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer: :toilet::daydream::poop::poop::poop::D
 
Props to the photographer, Dan!

Nice touch with the Jane Jacobs. Kind of a spoof of vintage beer ads where they depict a glistening bottle of [fill in brand] ale situated among a hunter’s hat, bird dog, shotgun shells, etc. But instead of the tableau of blue collar pursuits, we have the stock & trade of planners. "Genny: the planners' swill of choice."

Cyburbia, how could Dan improve this shot? What is missing from the background in this picture? Suggestions?

My suggestion: the planner’s (green book) Bible should be bookmarked and inauspiciously placed in the background to the left.
 
This showed up in my hand the other day.

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That was might good. Smooth, tasty & not over the top at all. I wish I had had more but this was a special gift.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:+
 
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Kensington Brewing Company, Toronto ON - Market Pils hoppy pilsner. First off, thanks to my brother-in-law and his wife for bringing this back from their recent trip west of the border. Kensington Brewing products aren't distributed in the United States. Really, very few Canadian crafts have made it south of the border, except maybe Collective Arts, and Unibroue if you consider it a craft brewery.

Anyhow ... yup, it's a pilsner, and it's hoppy, so it's not really a lawnmowing kind of beer. 6/10, for not being yet another f'ing IPA, and its "forbidden fruit" novelty. If you're going to get a beer from the Kensington bottle shop, go for the Temper Temper dry stout.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer: :donut:

Saw a locally brewed cream ale at the neighborhood beer store this afternoon. 16 ounce / 475 ml can with a clear plastic label with white printing , showing a reclining woman, with the text "WE LIKE BIG CANS!". I'm no social justice warrior, but it had me thinking the labeling would alienate half of their potential market. I see a lot of women at the beer store, either by themselves, with other women, or a husband/boyfriend/male friend. They're not buying the fruity stuff in pink cans, based on what I see them looking at. They probably won't be buying that cream ale, either.

Yeah, I'll admit to a little bit of virtue signaling for even mentioning it. Really, it’s something that has me wondering “WTF were they thinking?”, especially in today’s social climate. Middle Ages Brewing in Syracuse caught all kinds of hell for their Wailing Wench ales.
 
Dan said:
Saw a locally brewed cream ale at the neighborhood beer store this afternoon. 16 ounce / 475 ml can with a clear plastic label with white printing , showing a reclining woman, with the text "WE LIKE BIG CANS!". I'm no social justice warrior, but it had me thinking the labeling would alienate half of their potential market. I see a lot of women at the beer store, either by themselves, with other women, or a husband/boyfriend/male friend. They're not buying the fruity stuff in pink cans, based on what I see them looking at. They probably won't be buying that cream ale, either.
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There are a couple of beers I see on menus or at the store that have suggestive names that always make me feel uneasy about ordering them. "Bean Flicker" from Odd Side Ales and "The Fluffer" from Kuhnhenn are a couple :mi: beers that come to mind that I feel uneasy about ordering. Atwater has one called Dirty Blonde that over the years has changed the label a few times and isn't as racy looking as it used to be I don't feel uneasy ordering that one because it's trash and I just don't order it.

Hopcat (a Grand Rapids-based bar chain with a huge beer selection) has french fries that are honestly among some of the best I've ever had that were, up until this past December, called "Crack Fries". They started receiving some backlash from somewhere about minimizing addiction and now the fries are called Cosmik Fries. There are some brewers that I feel should take a cue from Hopcat and maybe revisit some of their beer names or the branding.
 
Guess I might have to take some beer pron pics of my own. Looking at the Duvel tulip glass above has made me officially jealous. Do you remember where/how you got that glass?

My beer glass collection looks like this:

1) Pint mugs - I have three classic British 'dimple' style pint mugs. One is currently serving as a pencil holder in the kitchen atop the microwave, but the other two are in steady rotation. Used primarily for American light lagers like Bud, Miller, Natty Ice and the like. Often times one of these will occupy my left hand while my right holds the tv remote.
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2) Pint glasses - there are four standard pint glasses in the cupboard. Some used to have the names of local breweries and pizza places, but the words have long ago worn off. These are often found in use at the dinner table on weekends when serving grilled burgers or chicken.
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3) Pilsners - we've got two sets of 8, one tall and one short set. They're what gets used for social events we're hosting. They could be filled with anything from Shiner Bock to Bell's Best Brown Ale.
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4) tulips - there's only two of these. They're used exclusively for what I consider high quality/high impact beers. These get broken out when opening a bottle conditioned beer, Old Ale, or some intensely aromatic but well balanced IPA. These are for moments when 'savoring' beer counts. The second tulip glass has only been used a relative handful of times. Primarily, when I've had guests over who know something about beer and would appreciate the glass' capacity to capture head foam and aroma.
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5) Plastic mug - I've got a single 20 oz. plastic mug that actually sees fairly frequent use. This is my 'outside mug' and is used almost exclusively on the back patio when grilling. Plastic isn't generally a great material for a beer glass but offers the advantage of durability, which is essential for outdoors. So far this mug has been struck by an errant basketball, knocked over twice by an enthusiastic dog, and carelessly knocked over by its' owner on multiple occasions, and after a dozen years it's still going strong.
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6) beer boot - there's two of these on the dining room buffet shelf. Mostly, they're decorative, but the handful of times they've been pressed into service, have been for those occasions (usually Oktoberfest parties) when I'm serving German beers and a festive atmosphere abounds. Boot full of beer means fun ensues.
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The Genny Cream is still doing its job. It’s a “mixed use” beer, to put it in planner’s terms. 6/10 mugs, for its “drinkable but cheap” character, and it’s potential as a substitute for colonoscopy prep. When you reach an age where you start getting junk mail from AARP, it’s a quality you can really appreciate.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::up:
 
Dan said:
The Genny Cream is still doing its job. It’s a “mixed use” beer, to put it in planner’s terms. 6/10 mugs, for its “drinkable but cheap” character, and it’s potential as a substitute for colonoscopy prep. When you reach an age where you start getting junk mail from AARP, it’s a quality you can really appreciate.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::up:
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Stop. Just stop.:trex: (where's the face palm emoji?)
 
My glass collection is 2 pint glasses. 1 with Phoenix Suns players and 1 with some obscure Maryland town thanks to one of our own ;)

I also have a nice German stein with the words hops and malt are god sent.
 
DVD said:
My glass collection is 2 pint glasses. 1 with Phoenix Suns players and 1 with some obscure Maryland town thanks to one of our own ;)

I also have a nice German stein with the words hops and malt are god sent.
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Were your Phoenix Suns glasses from Arby's?

I have a couple sets of Arby's pint glasses with Red Wings players from when they won the cups in '02 and '08. I've also got a set of Arby's pint glasses commemorating the NHL Winter Classic from 2014 when it was in Ann Arbor.

My parents have some old Arby's glasses from the '80s with cartoon characters on them (they look like the folks from the B.C. comic strip).
 
No, I picked up my Suns "classic player" (Van Aresdale and I forget the other guy - super white boys from the '80s) during the national conference in Phoenix at a Suns game. A friend gladly gave me two tickets because he couldn't make the game and the Suns sucked that year and have for several years.
 
These are the New York State aisles of my favorite beer store in Ithaca. There's nothing from Buffalo among them, except a few cans from the two picobreweries that break the keep-Buffalo's-beer-in-Buffalo tradition.

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This is forbidden fruit for those outside of Erie and Niagara counties.

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Looks like a bunch of beers from various microbreweries, you're thinking. Nope. They're beers from various microbreweries in Buffalo, New York. There's about 30 breweries in Buffalo, and all but two follow the New Glarus distribution model -- by us, for us, no distribution outside the Census-defined Buffalo MSA. Not even Batavia, Dunkirk, Medina, or Jamestown.

You'll never see a made-in-Buffalo craft beer outside the Buffalo area, except a few products from Pressure Drop and Thin Man, both teeny tiny microbreweries. They're small, but Thin Man collaborates with some prominent names in the craft brewing industry, and Pressure Drop's WCIPAs and NEIPAs have a small but growing cult following.

Anyhow, from left to right, top to bottom:

  • Resurgence Brewing - Irish Breakfast Ale
  • Hamburg Brewing - Small Town Saison
  • 42 North Brewing - Asylum Porter
  • Woodcock Brothers Brewing - Niagara Lager
  • Big Ditch Brewing - Low Bridge Golden Ale (one of my favorite Buffalo "forbidden fruit" beers)
  • 12 Gates - Coffee Porter

There's other Buffalo-area breweries that bottle and can, but they weren't available at Whole Foods, where we stopped for lunch. Posts with reviews in the coming days.
 
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Collective Arts, Hamilton, Ontario - Saint of Circumstance. Some kind of white ale with orange peel or whatever. I’m tired. It was alright. 6/10 mugs. Just look for one of their funky cans if you want to try it.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

Let’s see if I can attach a Bitmoji to this.
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Pretty cool, huh? Just pasted it in, like with a text. Let me find one my wife sent me.

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She bought a new purse today.

What does this have to do with beer? Nothing.
 
I'm craving a beer I can no longer find near me. If anybody comes across a beer can "Mr. Candy King" from Swedish brewer Brewski, let me know and I'll happily reimburse you for some or find a reason to take a road trip!
 
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Aurora Ale and Lager Company, Kings Ferry, New York - K.R.E.A.M. (Kolsch Rules Everything Around Me)

This is going to be hard to find outside of the eastern Finger Lakes area. The annual output of the brewery is about 1,000 barrels per year. It's one of those farm picobreweries with a cult following that goes far beyond their range of distribution.

Anyhow, smells like an IPA, but goes down like Molson Canadian. 22 IBUs, according to the can, which seems about right -- the same as Fat Tire. Interesting. Sessonable. It's hard to make a good kolsch, so respeck. If I see it on a restaurant menu or on tap, I'll have it again. 7/10 mugs.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

 
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Stillwater Brewing, Sweden or Brooklyn or Connecticut or wherever - On Fleek.

Damn, that poured dark. Like I was pouring some 10W30 that was running in a Chrysler 225 cubic inch slant six for the past 30,000 miles into the used oil recycling bin. On Fleek makes Guinness seem like Coors Light in comparison.

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Does that say 13%? For the win! When I was a teenager with a fake ID, EKU and Molson Brador were the high gravity champions of beer that wasn't sold in 40 ounce bottles. They were also hard to find. Today, alcohol content of 10% and up is nothing out of the ordinary.

Chocolate, coffee, toasted grains or malt, the usual imperial stout flavors you'll probably see in some online review. "Notes of 70% dark chocolate yadda yadda yadda". I'm feeling it. :rick:

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Just a reminder to those who might drink two or three of these, thinking "Oh, stouts are sessionable! Guinness has only 4% alcohol!" -- always wear a pant.

Eight pints of dark stout.

:stout::stout::stout::stout::stout::stout::stout::stout:

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Dan is developing a devoted following for his beer reviews. Not only do we get a beer review, but a tour of his glassware collection as well as other items of interest that casually find their way into the photo frame.:rofl:

You need a YouTube beer review channel, dude. You could monetize this. The cat alone is worth 6k hits.
 
Dan said:
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I'm just now noticing subtle little things that escaped me previously. On the computer screen in the background is a blurry aerial image showing the confluence of the Detroit and Rouge Rivers. [/geography geek]
 
Maister said:
I'm just now noticing subtle little things that escaped me previously. On the computer screen in the background is a blurry aerial image showing the confluence of the Detroit and Rouge Rivers. [/geography geek]
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I was waiting to see if any of the Michiganders here would recognize Zug Island.

Anyhow, on to ...

6125


Gaffel Becker & Co., Cologne, Germany: Gaffel Kolsch.

It doesn't have the IPA bouquet of K.R.E.A.M.. It tastes similar, but there's a kind of underlying German flavor profile that K.R.E.A.M. doesn't have. What's a German flavor profile? Maybe a little sweet, a little bit yeasty, like it's really "liquid bread". Then again, maybe it's just all in my head.

4.8% alcohol. Sessionable if you need to drop a few kilograms. A good lawnmower beer, but your neighbors will think you're kind of pretentious if you have a bottle with Fraktur lettering on the label in your beer holster, instead of a Bud. Your neighbors will think you're kind of pretentious if you have a beer holster, period. Can't mow and hold a beer at the same time?


Cologne suffered under Nazi rule, Allied bombs, 40-plus years with Trabant smoke and the Stasi on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain, and men who bathe in perfume. Despite all that, it offers its kolsch to the world. Danke, Koln. Seven giant tankards, all carried by a single German barmaid.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:
 
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Ommegang Brewing, Cooperstown, New York (although some stores stock their beers with the Belgians) - Game of Thrones Hand of the Queen Sout Blonde Ale Blend

I'm a sucker. I bought the Game of Thrones beers for the glassware.

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"A beer for Cersei - who reminds us that everyone who isn't us is an enemy." Ouch.

I like most beers from Ommegang. I'm sure this is a good example of a sour. It's drinkable, but I'm not a huge fan. Tastes like a mild Belgian wit from the chain brewpub at the good mall with a real Nordstrom, not a Nordstrom Rack like oh my God I can't even, with half of a Sweet Tart mixed in. Five steins, though your experience will probably vary.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

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Not a trap. Zoe wuvs her bewwy wubs.
 
Trying to figure out a way to segregate likes so I can thumbs up the kitty but not the beer.
:cat: - :up:
:beer: -:poop:

Seems like a standard cat emoticon is called for. Yet, neither a cat nor a dog is to be had.:(
 
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A friend of mine was looking a some pictures on my phone and swiped to see others (I know, bad form) but he said "you have pictures of beers on your phone like me, my wife doesn't understand that"
 
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Brouwerij St. Bernardus, Watou, Belgium - St. Bernardus Wit

How do you know it's a Belgian wit? It says so five times on the can. We get it. It's a wit. Here's some more Belgian wit for you.

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Belgian wit.

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Belgian wit.

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Belgian wit.

I get it. It's a Belgian wit. It's really hazy. The can also says "serve cool and dark". I guess I ruined it because the kitchen lights were on. Not as quaffable as WIttekerke, which is my go-to cheap-but-good Belgian lawnmower beer, but still not bad.

It's a Belgian wit. 5/10 mugs.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

It's a Belgian wit.

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Belgian wit.
 
Note how carefully and attentively Zoe is regarding this Belgian wit. The cat is clearly noting subtleties that Dan missed. The way she's looking UP to the beer suggests that this competent white ale has notes of fresh apple and coriander. From now on I'm taking my beer cues from Zoe. St. Bernardus wit - 6 out of 10 cats :cat::cat::cat::cat::cat::cat:
 
TIme to crack this bad boy open.

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Anyhow, New Holland Brewing, Holland, Michigan - Dragon's Milk. I paired this with barbecue wings from the buffet at Wegmans, America's best supermarket. No, really. It's a historic accident that the small city I live in has a Wegmans. We have to drive an hour to reach the closest traditional department store, but we have a Wegmans.

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Not much of a head on this. I'd describe Deagon's Milk as roasted, malty, and smooth.

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Nine mugs. Kudos to all the people with last names that begin with "Van" who probably came up with this concoction.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

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Dragon's Milk happens to be one of my favorites and is in regular rotation. Boy, talk about a beer that can easily support being paired with something having a powerful flavor, like hot bbq wings, or spicy chana dal. And that 11% ABV is not an idle claim. I'd give it 9 :stout:as well.

I think there's a photo around here somewhere of me drinking a Dragon's Milk with veloise at the Holland Stanfest.
 
Maister said:
Dragon's Milk happens to be one of my favorites and is in regular rotation. Boy, talk about a beer that can easily support being paired with something having a powerful flavor, like hot bbq wings, or spicy chana dal. And that 11% ABV is not an idle claim.
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It's very rare that I find any beer above 8% ABV that I enjoy beyond just a one-off.
 
Planit said:
Dragon's Milk is a fine imperial stout.

The 11% is very subtle...and is very good.
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Good. I don't like being able to taste the alcohol in beer (and that's from a guy who drinks his scotch neat and has a fondness for 'shine).
 
Bubba said:
Good. I don't like being able to taste the alcohol in beer (and that's from a guy who drinks his scotch neat and has a fondness for 'shine).
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Same thing here, and I didn't taste any alcohol in Dragon's Milk. I could tell it was strong, but there wasn't that tinge of alcohol like what I'd encounter in old-school "high gravity" beers.
 
Dan said:
TIme to crack this bad boy open.

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Panel #1: Zoe gazes longingly at a big bottle of Dragon's Milk. Mmm mmm!
Next panel: inebriated Zoe gets into a cathouse brawl after chugging said bottle. Still licking residual Dragons Milk off her whiskers. :cat:

The alcohol flavor isn't evident in DM because it's completely engulfed by the huge dark malty body.
 
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I worked the judging event for the Carolinas Championship of Beer last Saturday morning. There were 372 beers submitted for judging in all categories - 34 received Gold Medals.

As a steward, I had to bring, describe and serve beers to the 3 judges at my table with the glass only marked by a coded number (3-59 for example). The first number is the code number for the brewery while the second number is the style of beer. We had American Pale & English IPAs...11 in total to taste and score. Also as a steward, I taste the beers and give the judges and overall opinion novice. The big thing to be careful about is judging the beer based on the GABF style guides and NOT what you personally think of like about the beer.

At the end, stewards divide the reserve beers (2nd bottles/cans which were not chosen for gold medal judging) between themselves. I left with about 2 cases. This is always a fun day!
 
A quick beer review.

Barrington Brewery, Great Barrington MA - Hop Brook New England IPA

Or is it Berkshire Mountain Brewers? The place goes by two names, and it makes a big deal about being "solar brewed".

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Not much breeing going on that day, I guess. Anyhow, since I was barely in New England, I thought I'd try a New England IPA.

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Like the skies above Great Barrington, it was hazy, like you'd expect of a NEIPA. Smelled like an IPA. Tasting it, however, it seemed like something was missing. It was juicy, but lacking that creaminess I've experienced with other NEIPAs. That doesn't mean I'm not willing to try some of their other beers -- the place was crowded, so they have to be doing something right. That, or there's a lack of competition. Anyhow ... 4/10 mugs.

:beer::beer::beer::beer:
 
You know those old-timey cartoons you used to watch really early on Saturday morning before the network cartoons came on, where there'd be some old prospector who would polish off a porcelain jug of XXX, and then stumble down a dusty main street of false front saloons and general stores, while hiccuping and singing Oh My Darling Clementine?

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Lough Gill Brewing, Silgo, Ireland / Thin Man Brewing, Buffalo NY / Industrial Arts Brewing, Garnersville NY - No Track Suits. 16 ounce / 475 ml can.

Breweries from Buffalo generally don't distribute outside of the area, but here's one of the area's smallest breweries in a feat. role with a craft brewery in Ireland. Another New York State brewery, Industrial Arts, is also on the label, making this beer the equivalent of a contemporary hip hop song.

Let's take a closer look at the label.

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Oh yeah. Unlike Dragon's Milk, I can taste the alcohol. Or at least really sense it's there -- it's strong, but not quite like Icelandic "real fake beer", a concoction of vodka and near-beer served before that country finally legalized beer. It's like there's a wild party in my mouth. Sweet, salty, malty. What does the brewery say about this?

"For our second collaboration beer with Thin Man Brewery & Industrial Arts Brewery we decided to go big & bold and brew a salted caramel Chocolate stout. We combined the handpicked seaweed from Voya and the sea salt from Achill along with chocolate and our own hand made caramel in the brew. The sweet and saltiness collide to make this beer fit for royalty. We hope that this beer will reflect the passion and hard work that went into making it. Craft Brewed in our independent brewery in Sligo."

Like I said, a party in my mouth. And nobody is leaving anytime soon. One can of No Track Suits packs the same wallop as about 2 to 2 1/2 "normal" beers, or 3 session beers. DO NOT DRIVE AFTER DRINKING THIS.

6/10 mugs.

:beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer:

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By the way, if you ever find yourself in Reykjavik, I highly recommend taking a tour of the Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson brewery on a Friday night. It's not like the tours of American macrobreweries where you get a free sample of some light lager at the end. It's a history lesson of alcohol in Iceland, that you drink your way through. Afterwards, the tour bus dumps you off on Laugavegur (Laundry Street in English), Reykjavik's main street, where you'll probably spend the rest of the night on an Icelandic-style runtur (bar crawl). Done right, a runtur is something you'll both not remember and never forget.
 
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