Nooo! It is very good. Have a read through of the reviews on RateBeer and you'll see. :)
Printable View
Nooo! It is very good. Have a read through of the reviews on RateBeer and you'll see. :)
Oh, I believe you. And I'll take your word :) I don't have too many places that sell those beers around here. MOST sell local stuff.
I did go to Trinity Brewing company yesterday. We all met at my daughter's house as my son was coming down to do hair cuts (he runs a shop in Castle Rock) and afterward (because we were watching some TV show that was showing BBQ) we decided to all go to a BBQ place across town. We saw the brewing company next door and my wife and I and son and his friend decided to stop there for beer after we ate lunch.
Was definitely worth the stop :)
And the BBQ was pretty awesome too.
BBQ and beer! What, are you kidding me? Doesn't get too much better than that.
:) I wasn't kidding anyone about it. lol
We had half the family in the place (for the BBQ, most had to leave so only four of us found our way to the Brewing place, lol)
Tonight I'm having one I picked up not too long ago, Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow.
http://i40.tinypic.com/33p65v5.jpg
I didn't have any plans on picking this up specifically but saw it at Jungle Jim's listed as "Limit One" so I figured it must be hard to find and grabbed one. Three Floyds brews generally come pretty well regarded so I felt confident in buying it, plus the bottle art is pretty cool. :D
Pour is a slightly hazy gold color with a thick white head that thins out quickly. This one is unmistakeably an IPA with its piney and citrusy smell. This is rated at 100 IBU and it tastes every bit of it! Fairly bitter but it seems to mellow out quickly into a sweetness. Taste is also citrus, creaminess, and a malt aftertaste. It weighs in at a hefty 11% but you don't taste the alcohol.
I'm not a big fan of bitter beers so this isn't going on my favorite list but, it isn't bitter just for the sake of being bitter rather, it has a complex taste overall and is an interesting beer so I'd say it is worth a try.
Interesting color. Seems un-IPA-like. I'm used to a deeper, redder hue.
Tonight I'm having a new one I picked up. I got a notice about this one from Party Source's email newsletter.
The name set the hook and reading about it I decided to give it a try. Plus the folks there tend to be extremely knowledgeable and give good recommendations.
It is The Perfect Crime's Hollow Point brewed at Scheldebrouwerij (yeah, I had to copy/paste that :D) in Belgium.
http://i41.tinypic.com/2djbapy.jpg
It poured an opaque nut brown. The nose on this is pretty faint but it seems like I can smell a little grape/raisin and yeast. It is rated at 10% and it lets you know. Taste is also malt, a sweet plum and grape flavor, as well as a slight bitterness.
Interesting overall but doesn't make a big impression and I don't think it was worth the price of admission ($5 for a 11.2 oz bottle).
One thing it has going for it is the cool label. Here's a close-up:
http://i44.tinypic.com/313fw94.jpg
Also up tonight is another import I've had floating around for a couple weeks that I haven't gotten around to.
It is Black Sheep's Monty Python’s Holy Grail Black Knight’s Reserve (lots of apostrophes!) which is their Riggwelter relabeled.
http://i43.tinypic.com/30sbm6u.jpg
I picked this up as a compliment to the empty bottle of Monty Python’s Holy Grail on my shelf that I had a couple years ago. The original was regarded as fairly average in it's ratings on RateBeer and to be honest, I had it so long ago I don't recall the exact taste so I can't give an honest comparison. This new one, however, is much more well received.
Pours a clear red-brown with a gigantic foamy head. The smell of this one is pretty faint too. I get malt and a little banana though. Taste is strong coffee with a smoky note. It has a definitely thin texture. It comes in at 5.7% so it is pretty mild-mannered. I kind of like this one and at $3.xx a pint, it's a reasonable value.
I decided to open tonight's beer up in honor of Independence Day.
Back in October-November of last year, BeerJobber (RIP) had a couple limited edition beers for sale to have their own Presidential election. One was called Entitlement Porter (Obama) and the other Nobama Brew (Romney). They were going to release the sales results and see who won. To make sure my vote was counted accurately I made sure I bought 1 Entitlement and 2 Nobamas (I wanted to try both :D). Unfortunately, BeerJobber went under before releasing the results. :(
I drank the first Nobama not long after I got them and since it has been several months, I couldn't tell you exactly what it was like.
http://i39.tinypic.com/2lt6ipd.jpg
It pours out a clear reddish-gold with a thick, white, persistent head. Nose is pretty much wheat. Taste is malt, sweet wheat, maybe a little honey. It is 7.5% so it has a little kick to it but it doesn't come through in the taste. Not bad, not great, but okay and I love the name and spirit behind it. :D
Perfect Crime's Hollow Point? LOL Good name.
Yep! :D I picked up another one they featured along side that, Perfect Crime's Smoking Gun.
Some of you may remember my purchase of Party Source's "Best Six Pack Ever" which had the Dogfish 120. Well, last week they sent out an email that on Friday they were putting up for sale a "Best Twelve Pack Ever". It included a couple beers on my "Want To Try But Impossible To Find" list (I'll mention them as I get to them ;) ).
The price on the whole 12 pack was $60. Yeah, I know... But I bought one anyway as I figured I'd be killing more than just two birds with one stone.
Party Source had 25 of the 12 packs available. They went on sale online at 12pm ET on Friday. By 12:05 they were sold out. :eek: That's how popular they were.
Decided to open one up tonight. It is the top of my previously mentioned list. It is Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout).
http://i40.tinypic.com/2laalc1.jpg
First, I will say it is every bit deserving of its 100% rating on RateBeer, beats the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, and puts the Kentucky Bourbon Ale in the downright plebeian category.
Poured into a snifter as dark and thick as motor oil that hasn't been changed in forever. Absolutely no head, just a couple of thin patches of bubbles. Smell is heavily bourbon with noticeable alcohol. Taste is thick, almost chewy, smooth and sweet. Unmistakably good bourbon flavor (but not overpowering) along with a nice balance of chocolate and coffee. The alcohol is tame despite this being 11.2%. A pleasant warming just like a good bourbon. WAY too rich to drink a ton of and at 11.2% you don't really need to! Best enjoyed sipping as it warms.
I spend $60 in beer at Rock Bottom in a week. lol Well, that's not completely true. We usually have food too.
Tonight I'm having another one that is at the top of my "Want To Try" list from "The Best 12 Pack Ever", Three Floyds Zombie Dust.
http://i39.tinypic.com/rjgz0g.jpg
Poured a hazy gold with a big, white, persistent head. Very heavy scent of pine and citrus. Taste is creamy, hoppy, with citrus. If you were going by nose alone you'd expect this to have a decent bitter bite but not so. It has a very mild bitterness that really complements the flavor. Not overly loaded with alcohol coming in at 6.5%. This is a pretty good American Pale Ale that is very drinkable! A shame it is so hard to get a hold of or this would be another good hot weather beer to cool off with.
Another from "The Best 12 Pack"...
Tonight it is Dark Horse's Plead The 5th Imperial Stout. This one was another on my list.
http://i40.tinypic.com/15chf7k.jpg
Poured even thicker and blacker than the Founders KBS if you can believe it! Held it up to a light and couldn't see any coming through except around the edges! :lool: Head was dark brown and very thin. Smells of coffee, malt chocolate, and maybe some caramel. This one is rated at 11% and you can taste it but it isn't out of balance. I had a little trouble nailing down exact flavors at first but after continued tasting ( ;) )I could pick out a slightly bitter coffee, some chocolate, and I think I got a hint of black licorice. Very smooth overall. A pretty tasty Imperial Stout!
Tonight is another one from "The Best 12 Pack Ever", Founders Devil Dancer Triple IPA.
http://i42.tinypic.com/ibc7cy.jpg
Pours out a dark red-amber with a thick and long-lasting off-white head. The nose is sweet citrus and hops with a note of alcohol. Taste is heavy pine, big hops, and quite a bitter bite at 112 IBU. Not so bitter as to be overwhelming but rather well balanced with the strong 12% alcohol. A bit creamy too. The head on this lasted all the way until the end!
Pretty good for a rather bitter beer.
I almost forgot to post this beer related story!
The other day I stopped in at Jungle Jim's during lunch to see what was new. While I was walking in I spied two guys strolling around with a six-pack of Three Floyds Gumballhead each. Gumballhead is rumored to be pretty good and I've wanted to give it a try but it is ellusive. So, I headed down to the "Midwest" section of the domestic micro-brews but was unable to find any Three Floyds on the shelves. After my lack of success I headed over to the tasting bar and asked an employee where I might find some Gumballhead since I had just seen the 2 gentlemen with it. The clerk said they might have one six-pack left so she headed to the back to check.
No luck.
She said those guys had bought the last. Empty-handed I headed back over to the beer to grab a couple I had spotted in my search I thought looked interesting: a Stone R & R Coconut IPA and... first of the season Southern Tier Pumking! I figured a small win was something.
After grabbing those I headed to the express checkout that is in the alcohol section of JJ's. As I'm headed up to the register, I see the two guys who had the Gumballhead heading out the exit. I put the beer I had down by the register and asked the clerk to kindly hold on to them for a second (I was the only one at the checkout so I wasn't holding anyone up).
I chased after the guys and got their attention right as they were about to get into their van. I explained to the guys that the clerk informed me they had just bought the last of Gumballhead and asked if either was inclined to part with a bottle, telling them I'd make sure they made up a decent chunk of what they'd paid for their six-packs. The one guy said he didn't want to break up his six-pack but fortunately the other guy was agreeable to selling one! To thank him for doing me a favor, I gladly gave him a $5 for the bottle since he was doing me a big favor. I figure that let him make up 1/3 to 1/2 what he paid for the whole six-pack.
I know, cool story! :D
By the way, the Pumking was promptly consumed last night. Damn, that is some good stuff! Now that fall is right around the corner I again emphatically recommend you all keep a lookout and grab some.
Tonight I'm having the other brew I picked up on the trip, the Stone R & R Coconut IPA.
http://i42.tinypic.com/okrhqr.jpg
Poured out a deep gold with a moderate white head that remained persistent. Smelled of fruity hops and a very slight hint of coconut. Taste is fruity, citrusy hops with only the faintest taste of coconut. Very mild bitterness. This is a really good, solid IPA but to be frank if the coconut wasn't mentioned on the bottle I likely wouldn't have noticed it. The coconut does get a very little more noticeable as it warms. Regardless, this is nowhere near the coconut taste of the Kona Koko Brown or the Quaff Brothers Big Kahuna. If I'm getting a coconut beer, personally, I really prefer to taste it and this does not rate in that regard. Again, a good IPA otherwise. Just don't buy this thinking you're in for a coconut treat.
/chuckles
Only you, Ryan, can come up with a cool beer story.
LOL
Trying a new, rather off the wall brew tonight.
Opened a bottle of Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Ale.
Yes, you read that right. :D
http://i43.tinypic.com/jku7g7.jpg
Pours out a deep red-brown with a thick khaki head. The smell is heavily sweet chocolate with a bit of banana and a slight hint of peanut butter. Taste is very similar to smell with the chocolate being the most pronounced part followed up by the banana and peanut butter. A little bitterness. This is quite a crazy blend of flavors for a beer! It doesn't rate high on RateBeer but I think it is a great experiment in the world of beer brewing that turned out pretty well. In my opinion it tastes good but I probably won't drink again unless someone has some they're offering up. A fun experience and worth giving a try.
Tonight I opened up the previously mentioned Three Floyds Gumballhead.
http://i42.tinypic.com/whcx3q.jpg
First impression after opening the bottle and pouring it into the glass was, "How in the world is this a wheat ale with such a heavy citrus smell? This has to be an IPA with a scent like that!" The smell was so strong it came wafting out of the glass when pouring.
It poured out hazy, light gold with a big white head. Smell, already covered that. :D Taste is fairly complex... I definitely taste the citrus that's smelled but it is paired with a generous wheat flavor. A slight bitterness but overall sweet.
I like this beer. It's very drinkable. Not on my "To Die For" list but if it were on tap at a restaurant, there's a good chance I'd pick it depending on what else is there. That said, even though it is good, I don't know that it necessarily lives up to the hype associated with it though I highly recommend trying it out if you find it.
Tonight I decided to have the bottle of Stone's RuinTen IPA that I picked up recently.
http://i40.tinypic.com/2vc9gqp.jpg
This is a brew celebrating the 2012 10th anniversary of Stone's Ruination IPA. Ruination is a pretty robust IPA and this purports to be even more so.
This poured out a cloudy red-gold with a decent sized off-white head. Head faded fairly quickly. Aroma is piny citrus, not an overwhelming scent. Taste is very interesting. I get a creamy, grapefruit taste. It is very hop heavy and pretty bitter but it comes across as balanced by the 10.8% alcohol and a little bit of a malt taste. It is fairly smooth but the pronounced bitterness does make drinking this challenging for someone like me that doesn't have a preference for bitter beers. Definitely a good pick if you like the challenge of bitter beers.
Also, for someone who doesn't consider himself an IPA drinker, you are downing a pretty fair amount.:) I love the stuff, so keep the assessments coming.
Oberon. I can't get that stuff in Colorado. Closest they come is Arizona. It's a good thing there are a bunch of microbreweries here.
That really sucks. :(
Time to start a petition! :D
Yeah! Damn it! I want my Oberon!
Harpoon too. Can't get that either.
http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...0_RS6wG--iuKFw
Losing easily available Oberon will be the one downside of me moving out west.
I WILL have family helping me perform an "Oberon Air Lift" every Summer if I don't end up making trips back east myself. :D
I will not be denied my golden, carbonated, nectar of the gods!
Wow, that must have been an interesting brew.
Ryan, you're moving out west? Where to?
I'm planning on Northern Idaho, hopefully in the next 1.5-2 years if all the pieces fall into place.
I spent some time for work in Kallispell, Montana. I would imagine Idaho, just 80 miles west of there is beautiful country as well.
That area was actually on my short list. From my research, the two areas are fairly similar. Northern Idaho won out because of slightly better (mostly firearms) laws.
Tonight is light drinking because I'm on call this weekend so I'm having a bottle of Rogue's Honey Kolsch (It's only 4.8% :D).
http://i41.tinypic.com/etee4j.jpg
It poured out a very light gold with a moderate white head. My allergies are acting up a bit so my sense of smell isn't fully up to snuff. With a little effort I'm picking up honey and flowers though. With my sense of smell off, my taste might be affected so for what it's worth I'm getting some wheat and a little bit of honey. Not as much of a honey note as the name would indicate. Otherwise it is sweet, dry, and crisp. Very approachable and refreshing but I don't think it is overly memorable.
My normal course of action in the lead up to the cooler months has been to gradually stock up on Oberon clear through October, that way I get the freshest possible bottles up through the end of winter.
Well for some reason Oberon has been getting quite scarce recently! I suspect an increase in popularity. Last week I had picked up a 24 pack (4 6-packs in a single box, sold at a case price discount) from Party Source and had seen they had a good supply remaining. This week I was going to go ahead and pick up another 12 pack since I was near the local Jungle Jim's. They ended up being completely out of 12-packs and mini-kegs with only a few 6-packs left! Last night I decided I had better go back to Party Source (which is helpfully open until midnight on Saturdays) and do my stocking up in one trip lest I be left high and dry (pun intended! :D) right in the middle of Winter. Turns out my order ended up selling Party Source pretty much out of Oberon! :eek:
Here is what 156 bottles of Oberon look like, plus one mini-keg which is about 14 bottles (I have another mini-keg and partial 12-pack in the beer fridge :D ):
http://www.transasianaxis.com/attach...6&d=1378094577
(They only had loose 6ers left after the 4 cases so they stuck them in those Great Lakes boxes. Which is a pretty decent brew on it's own, by the way.)
If I had time and a place to store it, I'd collect a few cases of beer.
As it was my wife and I went to Denver this weekend for a break, stayed in a huge, expensive hotel, walked around and hit all the Rock Bottoms in Colorado (ok, we hit three out of seven, lol) and tried to get over to Bubba Gumps but I ran out of space to fill my belly lol
We ended up stopping and ordering a case of some special mead from a place in Castle Rock (I'll have to drive up to get it this weekend probably).
Haha! Sounds like a good time! :D
I did buy a six pack of "Full Sail Ale" yesterday and the requisite "Shock Top" for the ladies of the household. The six pack was mine. They were drinking the wheat beer.
I hadn't had that particular ale before, but it was pretty decent. Like you I have problems smelling anything (cold for the past 10 or so days) so I can't really give you a good description. I liked the taste (what I could taste of it). Saved a couple for later tonight.
This one's for you MMCO! :D
I'm on vacation and tonight I'm having Harpoon's Imperial Pumpkin Stout.
http://i44.tinypic.com/2u62us1.jpg
Poured into a snifter as recommended because of the 10.5% ABV. It came out as black as Halloween night (:D) with a dark tan head that came and went. This one has a very pronounced nose! Strong pumpkin with a bit of chocolate and a number of spices like ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon (this is very consistent in the other reviews out there). Taste is definitely pumpkin and cinnamon with some malt. The alcohol isn't in your face but gives a nice warming sensation.
I like this beer a lot. It's not as big a contender as Pumking but I'd put it right up there with Dogfish's Punkin, maybe even a slight edge over it. It is also priced very economically at about $5-$6 for a 22oz bomber.
I could easily see this as a beer paired with Thanksgiving dinner.