Tonight's choice from the beer fridge is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I wasn't a fan at first but now I have come around and understand why this brew is so highly touted.
Tonight's choice from the beer fridge is Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I wasn't a fan at first but now I have come around and understand why this brew is so highly touted.
BoxheadTim wrote:Salanis wrote:I had a look on their website, doesn't look like I'd stand a chance getting it up here. That said, the SN Kellerweiss is pretty decent, too.BoxheadTim wrote: Yep, as someone from Southern Germany (hefeweizen is a Bavarian thing, they didn't use to drink that further North), I do like the Widmer one - it's quite good and 'almost' there. Paulaner is a bit so-so compared to some of the other Bavarian ones but most of them seem to be really hard to get over here. If you can, try to get some of the Weihenstephan ones.Weihenstephan and Ayinger are both excellent but tough to find. Best one I've found produced in the US came from Lightning Brewing in San Diego. It was very faithfully German style. They're too small to have much distributorship though.
Looks like Weihenstephan and Ayinger are distributed in Nevada. They are distributed by Southern Wine and Spirits of NV. A distributor is very different from a retailer. They are probably tough to find, but should be at whatever your equivalent of BevMo is.
According to what I found here http://www.merchantduvin.com/find-our-beer.php Looks like in Gardnerville, NV... Ayinger Brau-Weiss is at Carson Valley Country Club or Roundhill Beverage in Zephyr Cove. You might also find interesting imports at Ranchos Liquor or PJs Liquor.
For a good American Hefeweissen, check out North Coast Blue Star.
Salanis wrote:keethrax wrote: I'm digging the New Belgium seasonal Hoptober. It's the stone soup of beer. 5 varieties of hops but still moderate in bitterness. Barley (duh), wheat, rye, oats.Just finished one. Mixed feelings. My issue is it tasted light-struck / skunked (hop oils react with UV to create skunky flavor). Not as bad as a lot of beers, but tasted slightly off. I don't think I've had a New Belgium brew that wasn't. Getting past that, there was a really nice beer under there. It was like a lighter version of a Belgian IPA.
Hmm.. I've had a few lightly skunked but not a lot from them.
EDIT: and one Fat Tire that was like they stuffed an entire skunk in the bottle. It was nasty.
In reply to keethrax:
The sensory lab tasters at Sierra Nevada actually commented on it. They said they got the opportunity to try New Belgium's stuff canned and it was a night and day difference in quality. Something is up with how their bottles get handled.
Skunking can happen to any beer. Too much light, a slight ding on the crown cap, letting the product get too hot (leaving it in the car during the summer for example) or a hundred other things can skunk the beer.
It's why things on draught are a billion times better most times.
In reply to Brett_Murphy:
Its also why I buy beer in dark bottles in dark boxes.
Brett_Murphy wrote: Skunking can happen to any beer. Too much light, a slight ding on the crown cap, letting the product get too hot (leaving it in the car during the summer for example) or a hundred other things can skunk the beer.
Nope. Skunking is only caused by light.
There are lots of other flaws that can develop in beer for other reasons, e.g. oxidation, too much heat or too much cold, brewing or fermentation mistakes. But skunking is sunlight.
Brown bottles slow things down, but don't prevent it entirely. It doesn't take long for a beer to become skunked, either.
I had a Busch (not light) at a party a couple of weeks ago, and it tasted like mineral water. Is that normal, or maybe because I have been drinking stouts lately.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that's had a fairly consistent stream of skunky beers from New Belgium. Their stuff usually doesn't suit me anyway.
Go-to is Sierra Nevada. Pale Ale or Old Chico, Torpedo if I'm feeling like an IPA.
All-time favorite is Racer 5. Best beer ever. Only had bad ones on the East Coast, probably due to age/shipping/storage. Fixed that problem by moving back West.
speedblind wrote: All-time favorite is Racer 5. Best beer ever. Only had bad ones on the East Coast, probably due to age/shipping/storage. Fixed that problem by moving back West.
Racer 5 is probably my favorite IPA. Their Brewmaster is one of us too. He races Factory 5 in the NASA NorCal region.
I love Racer 5, but my favorite is Hop Rod Rye. RyePAs are definitely my favorite style of beer.
In reply to Salanis:
You're right, of course. What I was trying to say is that there are a hundred things that can go wrong with a beer to destroy it's taste.
Salanis wrote:speedblind wrote: All-time favorite is Racer 5. Best beer ever. Only had bad ones on the East Coast, probably due to age/shipping/storage. Fixed that problem by moving back West.Racer 5 is probably my favorite IPA. Their Brewmaster is one of us too. He races Factory 5 in the NASA NorCal region.
So THATS where the default window 95 wallpaper came from.
Is that Thunderhill?
Salanis wrote: According to what I found here http://www.merchantduvin.com/find-our-beer.php Looks like in Gardnerville, NV... Ayinger Brau-Weiss is at Carson Valley Country Club or Roundhill Beverage in Zephyr Cove. You might also find interesting imports at Ranchos Liquor or PJs Liquor.
Roundhill Beverage - if it is the shop I think it is - is about five minutes walk from the office on my way to my PO box. I think I'll be paying them a visit later today, thanks!
Salanis wrote: For a good American Hefeweissen, check out North Coast Blue Star.
I'll give that a try, thanks!
Just had a Speakesy brewing Prohibition Ale. Quite nice. It's like a less-angry version of Arrogant Bastard. More sweet caramely, less roasty and noticeably hopped but not in a big huge kind of way. I approved very much.
imirk wrote: Is that Thunderhill?
Yep. Looks like start of the front strait. I can't tell if it's aimed between 5-6 or between 6-7 in the background.
Tonight, the big winner was Tripel Karmeliet. If you love beer, you owe it to yourself to try this beer. I would say it is quite probably the best Tripel... in the World.
It tastes and smells quite differently. The nose is green and herbal. The taste is honey, lemon, and coriander. It is really an amazing beer.
Salanis, let me know when your camp beer gets into wherever you've had it sent and we can finally grab that beer together.
I drank a beer called Wild Blue.
I just grabbed this and had no idea what it was or who made it.
Do not get this. Do not try to drink this. It is very awful. I can't even convince myself that this is a good hot weather beer or anything.
I'm going to dump the rest out and recycle the bottles. That's about the best thing one can hope for with this beer: to put the glass used to hold it back in circulation.
imirk wrote: Salanis, let me know when your camp beer gets into wherever you've had it sent and we can finally grab that beer together.
Will do. It will probably be about another month. It should be at the Shack and at Samuel Horne's (there was another beer camper from Folsom).
Tried Lost Continent IPA last night. Very, very good. No idea if it's local to Northern CA, but I tried it back-to-back with Racer and it stood up.
Brett_Murphy wrote: I drank a beer called Wild Blue. I just grabbed this and had no idea what it was or who made it. Do not get this. Do not try to drink this. It is very awful. I can't even convince myself that this is a good hot weather beer or anything. I'm going to dump the rest out and recycle the bottles. That's about the best thing one can hope for with this beer: to put the glass used to hold it back in circulation.
+100000000
In reply to Brett_Murphy:
Maybe you wont put your lips on things in which you have no idea where they came, eh?
Had stone levitation at taco mac a couple weeks ago and it rocked my world...but not at SEVENTEEN freaking dollars a six pack. I bought the 'normal' IPA instead. 'Good' but not $10/ sixer good.
Had two excellent beers tonight. First was Delirium Tremens. This is just a really really good, iconic beer.
The real winner was North Coast Grand Cru. Ho. Lee. Crap. This beer rocked my world. I was wowed from the first smell. Tasting it just made it clear how right my nose was. 13%, golden colored, aged in Bourbon barrels. It's... amazing.
You know how some beers you don't buy them for a while, and then you get it again, and you take a sip and think, "Holy crap. This beer is awesome. I forgot how awesome this beer was." That's what every sip is like with this beer.
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