Reply #1000. The Beer Thread Rocks.

Sorry, guys, there is no point in a correspondence course for beer drinkers. Drink what you like and share your joy with others.

I like Bass on draught A LOT. Classic. It is one of many beers that seems to travel poorly due to not only bottling practice (pasteurization and/or filtration) but also the perils of bad handling (extremes of light and temperature).

I had a sixer of Bitburger recently (no, not all at once). I had forgotten how utterly fabulous that beer can be. Crisp yet flavorful. Wonderful German Pils.

I also enjoyed a Pietrus beer from Corsica; an amber ale brewed with chestnut flour. Brown, fizzy and dryish. Interesting, but not compelling enough for the near-Belgian price.

Move the thread, but don't lose the content. Like bigjohn, I sometimes refer to our prior conversations here when needing advice, particularly on spirits from bigwill.

Keep The Thread.....

Even us Bud Light folks get a charge out of reading through this stuff.

I'll have to sample Bitburger again. I haven't had one in many, many years (like since high school). I recall it being a typically hoppy export-style pils, ala Warsteiner, Becks, etc..., no?

This thread shall never die. Well after a good trip to Austin, I have 15 new brews to try. Here's the list:

Cantillon Vigneronne
Orval
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Young's Oatmeal Stout
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
Fuller's London Poter
Rogue Chocolate Stout
Rogue Mocha Porter
Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA
Dogfish Head Raison D Etre
Stone Arrogant Bastard
New Belgium 1554 Brussels Style Black Ale
Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
Anchor Old Foghorn Ale
Weihenstephaner Hefe Weissbier

So far I had the Rogue Mocha Porter. Not bad at all. Faintly sweet start, nice balance on the bitterness with a touch of roast in the finish. It went really well with peanuts. My only gripe is that I would have liked a touch more of the roasted flavor, but that's just me.

Tonight I'm going to enjoy the Cantillon Vigneronne. Should be a very unique brew since it's a fruit lambic made from muscat grapes. I'll write a review as usual.

of that list, i would really like to try the Orval and the Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock. i have heard nothing but great things about those 2 beers. in fact, i have had several people mention the Ayinger by name, and say it was "the best beer i have ever had". when you hear that a few times, it makes you wanna try it and see what all the hype is about.

i can tell by this list, you prefer the dark, stronger beers, so i reckon you will like that new belgium black ale. i find myself liking ALL the beers from the new belgium brewing co. if you can find it, try the trippel and the abbey from them. really great every day drinkers.

EDIT- BTW, where in austin did you go to get these beers..? that i will know next time i am down there..

bigjohn

John, next time you're in Austin, check out Grapevine Market. It's off of 183N. The selection was nice for micro brews and several of the harder to find Germans. On the other hand, I was really disappointed by their Belgian selection. They only stocked 2 of the Trappist brews (Orval and Chimay) which are the most common to my knowledge. I was hoping to find Westvleteren or Westmalle, but no luck there. I also didn't find any other brews by Fantome. The store back here in Louisiana actually has a better Belgian selection, but I can't enjoy any micros. Thank you Abita and Louisiana's stupid taxes.

I really like New Belgium Abbey. Definitely my favorite out of the New Belgium's I've tried. I'll have to look for the Black Ale.

John,

Come back into town and I can show you where Grapevine Market is...not hard to get to...not to mention not having been there in a while myself.

WhatFurrer

I didn't think we should *kill* it, just move it. Does the software behind this board allow threads to be moved? I thought that was pretty standard issue in forum software... and would clearly be the ideal answer.

Edit: Does Amie read this thread?

OK, i have to tell this story, just cause its on my mind, and i havent talked with anyone but my wife and my 10 month old this morning(afternoon, whatever).

so i go to a new guys house, who i have never met, to play poker last night, and there are these frat boys there drinking Michelob Ultra. i come in with my sixer of New Belgium Trippel, and they ask "what ya got there". eager to show them good beer, i volunteer a bottle for them to pass around and have a taste. "pretty good", one guy says, "but its kinda heavy". i say, "yes, its a strong beer, but nothing like a stout or a porter". and then heres the kicker, the kid responds.. "that's what i like about the michelob ultra, you can catch a good buzz, and it aint even like drinking beer"... UUHHHH, THEN WHY BOTHER IDIOT!!! i wanted to go to the store and buy him some wine coolers and shove 'em down his throat. but i couldnt really 'go off' on the kid, cause i didnt know any of these people, and i wasnt about to try and make any enemies.

the real fun came later in the evening, when the frat boys got in a heated conversation about how beer can taste different in bottles/cans/plastic containers/or on tap. now i completely agree with them on this subject, but they had a little different angle. see, one guy was drinking coors light, but it was in those tiny little 7oz cans. i have no idea what the point is in those anyway.. but, he SWORE that the beer in the 'little' cans tasted better than the same beer in the 'bigger' cans. he went on to tell us that he and his buddies did 'blind' taste tests, and he was able to pick the coor light that came from the smaller can, cause it tasted better. .?/!$*@@$%(&){}.. what??? are you kidding me..??!!! an aluminum can is an aluminum can, $hit for brains!!! i think if i would have been a little drunker, i might have slapped him. and to think his parents are wasting thousands of dollars for him to get a college education. i did point out to him though, in accordance with his thoery, if coors light ever came out with beer in 2oz cans, it would be the BEST ever.. he agreed.

BTW- i ended up getting 4th place out of 20 players on the poker game. they were paying 1st-2nd-3rd, so i missed the cut by one. i had pocket 8's on a short stack, and he called me with pocket Jacks.. hey, thats poker...

bigjohn