OT: ~The Beer, Spirits, & Nightlife Thread V5~ Time For Good Beer

[HuskerTornado]

Grabbed these today.
6 pk Avery Old Jubilation Ale
4 pk Evil Twin Christmas Eve in a New York Hotel Room Imperial Stout
1 750ml Affligem Noël

Got these over the weekend.
6 pk Boulevard Nutcracker Ale
6 pk Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale
6 pk Deschutes Jubelale
6 pk Widmer Brothers Brrr Winter Warmer
6 pk Big Sky Powder Hound
12 pk Samuel Adams Winter Collection (Old Fezziwig Ale, Winter Lager, White Christmas

I don't know why SA cut the styles down in these from 6 to 4 this year, like they did in the Fall (cutting one of their best brews, imo, Hazel Brown), taking out Chocolate Bock (this is supposedly only in the 24 packs now) and Holiday Porter was a mistake. All the while keeping their standard Boston Lager in, I don't understand it. These packs should be specialty, seasonal brews only. This pack should have their Old Fezziwig, Black & Brew, Holiday Porter, Chocolate Bock, Cream Stout, and Winter Lager...with a couple trading out each year for something new/different. Sierra Nevada does the same thing, puts their regular Pale Ale in their snow packs when I'm looking for something seasonal, not something I can get everywhere year round.

So with all of this and the other winter beer I already had (Delirium Noel, Carolus Noel, Affligem Noel, 2013 SA Merrymaker Gingerbread Stout), I'm ready to put a mixed case or so together to take up and share for holiday parties out of town.

 

[Retrocity]

Drank this bad boy last evening. An amazing amazing beer, but I still prefer Goose Island's Proprietor's stout. This tasted like toasted marshmallows and went down incredibly smooth for a beer that has an abv of 13.6%. Absolutely insane that a single bottle of this sells for $150 on the secondary market.

That sounds great. Have not had the Goose Island, but I just saw that Sidelines in Sewickley will be having a release event on the 26th for it.

edit: It might be just the regular Bourbon County Stout, not the Proprietor's.

Picked up some mixed packs and such last weekend including:

Anderson Valley Bourbon Barrel Stout
Founder's Rubaeus
21st Amendment Fireside Chat
Kentucky Honey Barrel Ale
McKenzie's Seasonal Reserve Hard Cider
Fathead's Holly Jolly Ale
Abita Christmas Ale
Shipyard GingerbreadHead

 

[HuskerTornado]

I was able to track down some St Bernardus Christmas ales in 11.2oz bottles just before Christmas (so I could keep my 2012 750ml bottle aging) and it was glorious alongside the Delirium, Affligem, and Gouden Carolus Noël brews. The Belgians just blow everything else out of the water at the holidays.

Picked up a 750ml bottle of Kasteel Winter Ale that I'm interested to check out.

Hopefully I will be able to find some Corsendonk Christmas Ale next year.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I couldn't find any St. Bernardus Christmas this time around, but I picked Bevmo clean of their Delirium Noël stock.

 

[Xavier Laflamme*]

Forgive me if its been mentioned already, but when I moved out to Cincinnati over a year ago, my friends and I stopped at a bar down in Newport, Kentucky. I got a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale...it was incredible.

http://www.kentuckyale.com/kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale

 

[JimsDoors]

Any word on when Nectar will be available?

I've seen other seasonal's come out a little earlier this year than before and was wondering if Troegs might do the same?

 

[The Tang]

Forgive me if its been mentioned already, but when I moved out to Cincinnati over a year ago, my friends and I stopped at a bar down in Newport, Kentucky. I got a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale...it was incredible.

http://www.kentuckyale.com/kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale

I've been preaching this for some months. I've found places here and there with it but not consistently as all the places say it goes like wildfire. Apparently the distributer by the waterfront has cases for $75 which I too rich for my blood

 

[Mister Hockey]

I've been preaching this for some months. I've found places here and there with it but not consistently as all the places say it goes like wildfire. Apparently the distributer by the waterfront has cases for $75 which I too rich for my blood

My friend drinks it at the West End Bottle Shop for 3.50 a bottle. You save .50 cents per bottle to go.

 

[Crafton]

rye, especially a young, earthy, hot rye like what your ancestors were drinking when they were drinking Monongahela Rye and pickled okra brine. money drink. thank me later.

 

[The Tang]

My friend drinks it at the West End Bottle Shop for 3.50 a bottle. You save .50 cents per bottle to go.

I've yet to see it cheaper than $6.00 for draft or bottle anywhere. When you break it down per bottle, $3 really isn't bad.

 

[DockEllisExperience]

Any word on when Nectar will be available?

I've seen other seasonal's come out a little earlier this year than before and was wondering if Troegs might do the same?

Early February.

 

[vikingGoalie]

semi related, if anyone is ever out towards hershey pa, the troegg's brewery is worth a visit.

The food is amazing. Of course the beer is good too.

 

[rk50]

Any word on when Nectar will be available?

I've seen other seasonal's come out a little earlier this year than before and was wondering if Troegs might do the same?

Their website says it will be distributed to western PA January 19th.

 

[td_ice]

semi related, if anyone is ever out towards hershey pa, the troegg's brewery is worth a visit.

The food is amazing. Of course the beer is good too.

I will have to remember that next time I visit my sister in Mechanicsburg. Thanks for the mention.

 

[Mister Hockey]

The West End Bottle Shop has Goose Island Bourbon County Vanilla Rye on tap. It's only available when the owner Tony is there M to F from ten to six. Five dollars for small pour. It's served with some cheese slices. According to Tony, no one else in the area will be getting it.

 

[Mister Hockey]

The first keg is gone, but he thinks he'll obtain another.

 

[JimsDoors]

Early February.

Thanks man.

Here's one I tried that came out recently. It's a Hoppy Lager

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/140/152542/

I've never tasted that style before (at least I don't think I have) and was very impressed with this one. It was bottled barely 3wks before I first bought it.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

I'm all out of whiskey, and therefore, must go on a whiskey run today.
I have some ideas for what I want to get, but I wanted to know -

Has anyone ever tried this stuff:

If so, how was it?

 

[Allie Kitsune]

semi related, if anyone is ever out towards hershey pa, the troegg's brewery is worth a visit.

The food is amazing. Of course the beer is good too.

Just not a fan of Troegs at all. Being from Harrisburg, it's all over the place here. For a while, I liked Java Head, but I got burnt out on it and nothing else they make has really tasted all that good to me.

Now, the Hershey Brewery and Winery (which is actually in Hummelstown), however, they make good beer. They only sell it on-premises, though.

 

[Crafton]

I'm all out of whiskey, and therefore, must go on a whiskey run today.
I have some ideas for what I want to get, but I wanted to know -

Has anyone ever tried this stuff:

If so, how was it?

I've never seen this in the wild, but i've heard of it. it's from Virginia right? i know there are lot of craft-beer connoisseurs on this board and the movement has been quite successful from what i understand - in my experience, the american craft whiskey movement hasn't been as successful. then again, it's practically nascent. a lot of it is good, even more of it is interesting, but very few bottles (speaking from my experience) justify their cost (the craft american gin movement has, i think been markedly more successful). i've heard this one is pretty good for a small craft whiskey. i believe they use smoked barley as the secondary grain (rye being the primary grain) and that gives it a little bit of an almost islay scotch characteristic. if you pick up a bottle, let us know how it is.

 

[Zero Pucks]

Forgive me if its been mentioned already, but when I moved out to Cincinnati over a year ago, my friends and I stopped at a bar down in Newport, Kentucky. I got a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale...it was incredible.

http://www.kentuckyale.com/kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale

I tried this a few weeks ago. I was a little disappointed. It tasted a bit watered down and a little too fruity for a Bourbon Ale. Maybe it's better on draft.

 

[eXile59]

Forgive me if its been mentioned already, but when I moved out to Cincinnati over a year ago, my friends and I stopped at a bar down in Newport, Kentucky. I got a Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale...it was incredible.

http://www.kentuckyale.com/kentucky-bourbon-barrel-ale

I love this stuff. P&D had it in bottles now has it on draft. A couples places on South Side have it now too.

 

[SaintLouHaintBlue]

I've never seen this in the wild, but i've heard of it. it's from Virginia right? i know there are lot of craft-beer connoisseurs on this board and the movement has been quite successful from what i understand - in my experience, the american craft whiskey movement hasn't been as successful. then again, it's practically nascent. a lot of it is good, even more of it is interesting, but very few bottles (speaking from my experience) justify their cost (the craft american gin movement has, i think been markedly more successful). i've heard this one is pretty good for a small craft whiskey. i believe they use smoked barley as the secondary grain (rye being the primary grain) and that gives it a little bit of an almost islay scotch characteristic. if you pick up a bottle, let us know how it is.

I did get a bottle, here's my assessment:

I think you are spot on when you say that American craft whiskey is a good product but not necessarily worth the cost. I'm pretty new to craft whiskey, so I don't have a whole lot to compare this to.

That being said, rye is probably my favorite grain - in bread, in beer, and in whiskey. I can tell this is rye whiskey - and not a bourbon drinker's rye, but a rye drinker's rye. It's not especially complex, but - (from what I've read) Copper Fox malts their own grain using wood (apple and cherry) instead of peat, and that comes across when I drink it.

I'm not so sure about their aging process (wood chips were added). The flavors are good, but it might have helped with a longer aging, still keeping those same flavors.

In the end, this is a very earthy, rustic, spicy, "raw" tasting rye whiskey, so in that sense, I think this is really good stuff. I paid $43 for the 5th, which I do not regret , although, yes, I do think the price is a tad inflated (big emphasis on the word "tad"). At $35ish I would drink this stuff regularly.

 

[Master Shake*]

This is a decent cheap beer

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/104855/

 

[Mister Hockey]

This is a decent cheap beer

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/29/104855/

I disagree, it's a typical Budweiser attempt of putting a new suit on a pig. But, if like it, enjoy.