The Beer Thread

Saw this on reddit, seemed fitting for this thread:Sverige Beer Collection - Imgur

8,600 or so unique bottles

Tallgrass Vanilla Bean Buffalo Sweat is a damn tasty beer. I'm not a huge fan of their normal Buffalo Sweat, its not bad, but not great either, just "meh", but the Vanilla Bean variety is very, very good. It's actually pretty light for a stout, not even as thick as a guinness. It has a pretty mild flavor with a nice hint of vanilla, enough to notice the flavor but it doesn't overpower the beer itself. Highly recommend it if you can get Tallgrass beers(from Manhattan KS) where you live.

I love most of the rare vanilla bean brews. High Seas had a vanilla bean version of their Siren Noire Chocolate Imperial stout that was amazing.

My girlfriend is heading down to California(Hayward) for work later this month. Any recommendations for IPA's(or other beers if they are particularly good) in the area she should bring back?

Stone: Enjoy By (one of my favorites right now) also Ruination and Subliminally Self-Righteous
Firestone Walker: Union Jack and Double Jack (I think Firestone Walker is one of the best breweries in the country right now)
Ballast Point: Sculpin
Green Flash: West Coast IPA (they have several other IPAs that are also excellent, but a warning, they are very 'proud' of their beers)
Russian River: Blind Pig, Pliney the Elder, and if you are lucky, Pliney the Younger (I personally haven't had these but they are widely considered some of the best IPAs in the country)

Bear Republic Racer 5
Ballast Point Sculpin
Firestone Walker (both mentioned above)

If you get Pliny the Elder, go for it. Pliny the Younger will probably be all dried up by that time (it comes out today).

Russian River will be tough.
Firestone should be easy to acquire, as well as most of the others listed above.

Ameraves_sl said:

I missed the opening weekend of Pliny the Younger (family shit got in the way), but am hoping enough lasts through next weekend. Some places get more than one keg and will tap one per weekend until it is gone. Hoping it works out this weekend.

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I wasn't able to make it to any Russian River events this weekend either. Weather was shitty, but it didn't keep people from going out.

A Japanese brewer, Hitachino Nest, had a tap takeover at a bar last night with some very interesting brews. A couple rice wine based beers and other unique methods. The highlight was probably their Classic Ale. Which isn't really classic at all. It was an IPA aged in cedar barrels. The cedar flavor and aroma was very distinct.



I also managed to try some interesting strong brews (scotch ales, more wine based beers, saisons) at a brunch yesterday with a brewer called Social Kitchen (local to SF). I probably won't make it to another event until Thursday. Ballast Point is having a tap takeover and that sounds delicious.

I tried my first milk stout this weekend, this one:Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout | Elysian Brewing Company | Seattle, WA | BeerAdvocate

It was DISGUSTING. I like stouts, but whatever makes it a "milk stout" grossed me out.

Usually it is lactose that makes them "milk" stouts. Also common in "cream" stouts and I too do not care for either of them.

I finally got around to trying Old Rasputin. Maybe it was all the hype I've heard about it (here and elsewhere), but I thought it was pretty mediocre. It wasn't bad, but I don't understand why people say it's so amazing. I was disappointed.

You're defective. It's amazing.

Duppin_sl said:

I tried my first milk stout this weekend, this one:Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout | Elysian Brewing Company | Seattle, WA | BeerAdvocate

It was DISGUSTING. I like stouts, but whatever makes it a "milk stout" grossed me out.

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Duppin_sl said:

You're defective. It's amazing.

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yep

So the grocery store nearest to me happens to be in New Hampshire (they sell beer/wine at grocery stores) and is a Market Basket.

So basically every 3-4 days I come home with an $11 12 pack of Sierra Nevada Torpedo. Pretty sweet eh?

It still boggles my mind that some states are so conservative to the point of backwardness that they can't sell liquor in a grocery store. kansas is like this as well. There's a lot of people in ks that shop here in MO just because of that if they live near the state line.