Tremors Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 This is a thread to inspire me and hopefully you, to try some new and exciting beers out there. Why in the HT section? Well, I tend to enjoy a cold one most often while accompanied by great music, listened to on great speakers in my HT. Also, "general" seemed waaaay boring and too off the beaten path. So, which new or new to you beers have YOU recently tried? Tonight I'm enjoying Dogfish Head's - Burton Baton & Bells - Christmas Ale. Both are delicious, but the Dogfish wins outright in comparison. It's an imperial IPA with remarkable complexity, 10.2 ABV, caramel notes and not too hoppy, right up my alley. The Bells - Christmas Ale, while good, is lacking somewhere that I've yet to figure out. Both are definitely worth trying though if available in your neck of the woods. Your turn! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 My seasonal choice this time of year is usually Sam Adams "Octoberfest". It never lets me down. Even though I would not consider this beer a "true" handcrafted microbrew company, the Shock Top(Anheuser- Busch brand) "Pumkin Wheat" is fantastic IMO. The cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a hint of pumpkin blend very well with the malts and barely to give it a rich but light taste that is very drinkable in season and even in the warmer months. Wow, that sounded like a commercial.[] Visited Asheville, NC back in March and sampled a few of it's home brew offerings from some of eleven microbreweries that dot the city's mountain encircled landscape. This city knows how to brew beer. Two of my favorites were the "Gaelic Ale"(wife's favorite) and the "Oatmeal Porter" from the Highlands Brewing Company. Also sampled were the "Dunkelweizen" and the"Chocolate Stout" from the Lexington Avenue Brewer. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drox Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Trev, if you're a beer guy like me, do yourself a favor and take a trip to Pine Ridge Market in Highland, MI. Totally worth the trip. Any beer you can think of, they have, if not, they can get it. Mark (the owner) is an awesome guy and loves to talk beer. He has a large selection of Michigan beers too if you like to try what's made in your home town. Easily one of the best selections in the state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Any offering from the paso robles Firestone Walker company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Traveler Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 This is a thread to inspire me and hopefully you, to try some new and exciting beers out there. Why in the HT section? Well, I tend to enjoy a cold one most often while accompanied by great music, listened to on great speakers in my HT... It's going to be hard to top a cold Belhaven Scottish Ale and a close second would be Smithwick's Irish Ale and I stopped trying after I found they both beat the Homebrew beer I ended up brewing after at least a hundred attempts finding anything better in the public market. Btw, I can totally dig where you are coming from having enjoyed my Library Home Theater in the same way for the last 12 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frzninvt Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Locally brewed Switchback Ale, they have been brewing 10 yrs and just started offering it in 22oz bottles. Anything from the Unibroue brewery in Canada or Schneider & Sohn Germany, preferably Aventinus. Victory Golden Monkey, careful though they are potent. Vermont has alot of breweries per capita and they are very, very good. Our bretheren to the North in Canada also have some incredible beer. If I had to have a Sam Adams which to me has gone too commercial there Dunkelweisen from the assorted pack shame it is not available on its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 So many gret micro-brews now-a-days ... But I agree.... Anything from the Unibroue brewery in Canada or .... Unibroue put out some really nice beer... Favs include Chambly Noire and Don de Dieu... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Opps, double post ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Whenever I consider trying new beers, it is a fleeting thought. Whenever I do drink beer, I "still" prefer Dos Equis... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TasDom Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Whenever I consider trying new beers, it is a fleeting thought. Whenever I do drink beer, I "still" prefer Dos Equis... Stay thirsty my friend....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babadono Posted November 11, 2012 Share Posted November 11, 2012 Dos XX? C'mon try something NEW. Hey Schu, how was the Firestone DBA? Recently I tried Fat Tire Ale from the New Belgum brewery. It's ok but I always go back to my favorite Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. CHEERS! babadono Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremors Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 Trev, if you're a beer guy like me, do yourself a favor and take a trip to Pine Ridge Market in Highland, MI. Totally worth the trip. Any beer you can think of, they have, if not, they can get it. Mark (the owner) is an awesome guy and loves to talk beer. He has a large selection of Michigan beers too if you like to try what's made in your home town. Easily one of the best selections in the state. Do they have Dogfish 120min !?! If so, I'll head there tomorrow as I've been searching for this elusive brew for over a year now. Everywhere has the 60min and 90min including my place of employment but no one ever has the 120min in stock and I really wanna try it. Thanks for the heads up though ill have to check them out. I've got a few really great places by me with approx 1000 different beers between them (Holiday Market in royal oak and 8 degrees Plato in ferndale). So my selection is pretty amazing but I'm always looking for a new place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremors Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 Dos XX? C'mon try something NEW. Hey Schu, how was the Firestone DBA? Recently I tried Fat Tire Ale from the New Belgum brewery. It's ok but I always go back to my favorite Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. CHEERS! babadono Sierra Nevada did a collaboration beer with a Trappist monk brewery recently called "quadruple" if I remember correctly. Outstanding stuff. Sierra Nevada is one of my go to's as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremors Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 Locally brewed Switchback Ale, they have been brewing 10 yrs and just started offering it in 22oz bottles. Anything from the Unibroue brewery in Canada or Schneider & Sohn Germany, preferably Aventinus. Victory Golden Monkey, careful though they are potent. Vermont has alot of breweries per capita and they are very, very good. Our bretheren to the North in Canada also have some incredible beer. If I had to have a Sam Adams which to me has gone too commercial there Dunkelweisen from the assorted pack shame it is not available on its own. I've never tried switchback ill have to keep an eye out for it. I've had nearly every beer unibroue has made but for perhaps a small batch brew here or there. They do make quality stuff. In fact, they make one for Trader Joes exclusively called Vintage Ale, we sell it for $4.99 and its pretty darned outstanding, especially if aged for 2-3 years. I have eight cases of it in my cellar currently and have just recently gotten into the '08 and '09 versions that I've been aging. Delicious. Malty. Worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremors Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 This is a thread to inspire me and hopefully you, to try some new and exciting beers out there. Why in the HT section? Well, I tend to enjoy a cold one most often while accompanied by great music, listened to on great speakers in my HT... It's going to be hard to top a cold Belhaven Scottish Ale and a close second would be Smithwick's Irish Ale and I stopped trying after I found they both beat the Homebrew beer I ended up brewing after at least a hundred attempts finding anything better in the public market. Btw, I can totally dig where you are coming from having enjoyed my Library Home Theater in the same way for the last 12 years. I've never heard of Belhaven, I'll try and track some down. "Smit-icks" is just so so in my book, they've always gotten great word of mouth and I think that this has helped with their popularity but I just don't understand why. Easy drinking? Yes. Complexity and depth? Not to me. I have some on hand right now but still I'm constantly confused by its popularity. Big ups to the brew and listen crowd if that's your gig as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremors Posted November 11, 2012 Author Share Posted November 11, 2012 I've never heard of FirestoneWalker either. I'll check it out as I'm always looking for something new to try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremors Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 My seasonal choice this time of year is usually Sam Adams "Octoberfest". It never lets me down. Even though I would not consider this beer a "true" handcrafted microbrew company, the Shock Top(Anheuser- Busch brand) "Pumkin Wheat" is fantastic IMO. The cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and a hint of pumpkin blend very well with the malts and barely to give it a rich but light taste that is very drinkable in season and even in the warmer months. Wow, that sounded like a commercial. Visited Asheville, NC back in March and sampled a few of it's home brew offerings from some of eleven microbreweries that dot the city's mountain encircled landscape. This city knows how to brew beer. Two of my favorites were the "Gaelic Ale"(wife's favorite) and the "Oatmeal Porter" from the Highlands Brewing Company. Also sampled were the "Dunkelweizen" and the"Chocolate Stout" from the Lexington Avenue Brewer. Bill I've read that Ashville has an up and coming beer scene. Never been a fan of any of the "micro-brew/big name brand" beers out there that I've tried. But I'm intrigued by the pumkin wheat. Michigan has been named the U.S. "beer capital" state in many a review and we've got lots to offer. Some of the breweries around here are now also dabbling into distillation of liquors. I picked up a fifth of gin from new holland brewery a few weeks ago and just the other day also snagged a fifth of "beer bourbon", also from new holland brewery. Where many breweries are aging their beers in liquor casks, these guys took the opposite approach and are aging their bourbon in beer barrels. Interesting concept to say the least. I've yet to crack either of them open but am excited for the possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drox Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Trev, if you're a beer guy like me, do yourself a favor and take a trip to Pine Ridge Market in Highland, MI. Totally worth the trip. Any beer you can think of, they have, if not, they can get it. Mark (the owner) is an awesome guy and loves to talk beer. He has a large selection of Michigan beers too if you like to try what's made in your home town. Easily one of the best selections in the state. Do they have Dogfish 120min !?! If so, I'll head there tomorrow as I've been searching for this elusive brew for over a year now. Everywhere has the 60min and 90min including my place of employment but no one ever has the 120min in stock and I really wanna try it. Thanks for the heads up though ill have to check them out. I've got a few really great places by me with approx 1000 different beers between them (Holiday Market in royal oak and 8 degrees Plato in ferndale). So my selection is pretty amazing but I'm always looking for a new place My company isn't a distributor of dogfish so I'm not 100% sure. I deliver to him on Friday mornings, so I can ask him then. If he doesnt have it, he usually gets right on the phone with the distributor and can usually get it within a weeks time. I'll let you know when I find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tremors Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Trev, if you're a beer guy like me, do yourself a favor and take a trip to Pine Ridge Market in Highland, MI. Totally worth the trip. Any beer you can think of, they have, if not, they can get it. Mark (the owner) is an awesome guy and loves to talk beer. He has a large selection of Michigan beers too if you like to try what's made in your home town. Easily one of the best selections in the state. Do they have Dogfish 120min !?! If so, I'll head there tomorrow as I've been searching for this elusive brew for over a year now. Everywhere has the 60min and 90min including my place of employment but no one ever has the 120min in stock and I really wanna try it. Thanks for the heads up though ill have to check them out. I've got a few really great places by me with approx 1000 different beers between them (Holiday Market in royal oak and 8 degrees Plato in ferndale). So my selection is pretty amazing but I'm always looking for a new place My company isn't a distributor of dogfish so I'm not 100% sure. I deliver to him on Friday mornings, so I can ask him then. If he doesnt have it, he usually gets right on the phone with the distributor and can usually get it within a weeks time. I'll let you know when I find out. The trouble in finding it has been that its brewed tri-annually in small batches. So it comes around in such small spurts that if you're not right on top of it, it's gone, in days typically. I'm pretty well versed in the Michigan distributor rules around these parts. Which sucks a lot I might add when it comes to availability and such. Which one do you work for? We utilize five at my work but we can't just activate skus at our discretion, unfortunately. It's all in the hands of the distributor for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drox Posted November 12, 2012 Share Posted November 12, 2012 Trev, if you're a beer guy like me, do yourself a favor and take a trip to Pine Ridge Market in Highland, MI. Totally worth the trip. Any beer you can think of, they have, if not, they can get it. Mark (the owner) is an awesome guy and loves to talk beer. He has a large selection of Michigan beers too if you like to try what's made in your home town. Easily one of the best selections in the state. Do they have Dogfish 120min !?! If so, I'll head there tomorrow as I've been searching for this elusive brew for over a year now. Everywhere has the 60min and 90min including my place of employment but no one ever has the 120min in stock and I really wanna try it. Thanks for the heads up though ill have to check them out. I've got a few really great places by me with approx 1000 different beers between them (Holiday Market in royal oak and 8 degrees Plato in ferndale). So my selection is pretty amazing but I'm always looking for a new place My company isn't a distributor of dogfish so I'm not 100% sure. I deliver to him on Friday mornings, so I can ask him then. If he doesnt have it, he usually gets right on the phone with the distributor and can usually get it within a weeks time. I'll let you know when I find out. The trouble in finding it has been that its brewed tri-annually in small batches. So it comes around in such small spurts that if you're not right on top of it, it's gone, in days typically. I'm a manager with Trader Joes and am pretty well versed in the Michigan distributor rules around these parts. Which sucks a lot I might add when it comes to availability and such. Which one do you work for? We utilize five at my work but we can't just activate skus at our discretion, unfortunately. It's all in the hands of the distributor for us. I work for Powers Distributing in Lake Orion. We do Oakland and Macomb Counties. It is a pretty rule heavy business but there are always loop holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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