yes, the newcastle i had was in the bottle.. my wife and i are going to outback on saturday for lunch, so i will see if they have it on tap and try that. thanks for the heads up.

i thought the beer was good, but it sure wasnt the best beer i have ever had. that night i was at little 'yuppie' bar here in town, and it was $3.75 a bottle.. just a little high for me.. i am used to $1.75 lone stars...

you and tom got me wanting to try that corsenkonk.. i will see if it is avail at the grocery or liquor store.. and maybe the czekvar(budvar) also..

after all.. a million drunk germans cant be wrong!!!

bigjohn

Uh oh...WARNING...Belgians can get quite expensive, but I find that their worth every penny. The Corsendonk was about $4 per 11.2 oz. bottle. I'm sure Chess can give some great suggestions as well, but here's a few that you could look for.

Hoegaarden - it's one beer that I could drink ANY time. I don't think that there's anything out there that can beat it's drinkability. Wheat beer with orange peel, SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!
Lucifer Golden Ale
Duvel Golden
Chimay (Red White or Blue label, they're all great)

Best of luck. Oh and Peter, thanks for the heads up on the Corsendonk. It sounds like I'll really enjoy it.

oops...I meant Tom...sorry

Who, me? You mean Tom, right? [oops, I see you caught the error yourself]

Anyway, I bought a sixer of Czechvar about a month ago and enjoyed it. I wouldn't go so far as to call it the best beer in the world -- I prefer darker brews, myself -- but it was very balanced and drinkable.

Bigjohn, I don't know if you'll love the Corsendonk. Like most big Belgian beers, it's a breed apart. If you're used to domestic pale lagers, it is going to be quite a departure for you.

Try the Hoegaarden or the Czechvar instead. Or any of the German pilsners from the big Bavarian breweries (Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrauhaus, Paulaner, Spaten, etc.).

If you do have an interest in the Belgian beers, you might try something from New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado first. Much cheaper. Not quite as good as the original, but certainly true to style. Try the Abbey or the Fat Tire (Amber). If you find that the yeast/alcohol profile of those beers is something you enjoy, then savor a bottle of Chimay, Duvel, Corsendonk, La Chouffe, etc.

Everything is better on draught, especially British beers.

Peter, I like darker beers too, but there is just no place to hide any flaws in a beer as sublimely nuanced as Czechvar. It is much more difficult to make a perfect pilsner than a robust porter. My favorite beer is the one I'm drinking at any given moment. But man, that Czechvar was really good.

In reply to:

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My favorite beer is the one I'm drinking at any given moment.

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That's a great way to look at it, but have you ever not been able to finish a beer due to revolting flavor?

Of course.

I'm a beer judge. I've sampled more revolting beer than you can imagine. And I know you have a great imagination.

Here's a tip - you want to decline the opportunity to judge the "Fruit and Vegetable" category at any competition.

But in those cases, that beer is not in front of me for very long

Yes! I'm glad to find another New Belgium fan. I just had a couple of Abbey Ale's tonight when I was setting up my brand new M60s. I've been reading the posts for a while now, and now I know what everyone was talking about - love at first listen. (I also recommend New Belgium "Trippel" - tasty and packs a wallop at 8.5% alcohol content - big bang for your buck - sort of like Axiom.) I can also heartily recommend the New Belgium brewery tour if you are ever in Fort Collins, and wife and me went on it last summer, you leave with a nice buzz, and it doesn't cost a pennny. Can't wait to get home from work tomorrow and listen to more music!

One of the stranger Fall seasonal brews you can find is Pumpkin Ale. Tastes like liquified pumpkin bread. It wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.

I've seen a lot of homebrew recipes for pumpkin ale. They call for a can or two of pumpkin pie filling in the boil (or in the primary?). Never made one of those, but I do have about 6 quarts of awful 4 year old homebrew at home that you are welcome to.
I think I finally found its name - "Revolting Ale".