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Re: beer thread
#14586 01/10/06 05:03 AM
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I tried to get him to drink more, but all he would take was water. Sadness...


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Re: beer thread
#14587 01/10/06 12:01 PM
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I've never tried the Guinness they sell locally. A friend of mine visitied Ireland about 5 years ago, and when he returned, he told me it was the worst beer he had ever sampled. And he has sampled many of them. I'll have to give it a try, and I'll let you all know how it is, a week later, once I get over being sick.

Re: beer thread
#14588 01/10/06 04:14 PM
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must just be a personal taste thing. When I was in college(ever so briefly) I used to think Guinness was too bitter and stuck with drinking Murphy's. Now, I can't get enough of the stuff! I'll usually put down about 8 at the pub every Thursday, and maybe throw a Car Bomb into the mix for a little variety.


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Re: beer thread
#14589 01/16/06 10:06 PM
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Sampled some of those clearanced Xmas beers yesterday while playing internet poker (wife and kid went to Camp Snoopy - don't rat me out).

The Anderson Valley Winter Solstice was a nice brown ale based recipe. Started great, soft and nutty, a little hint of chocolate and caramel, but then it went very watery early in the finish. Too bad.
I'm just guessing, but they probably watered down what was originally a very, very high gravity beer (the bottle claimed 6.9%).

Next I cracked open the magnum of Anchor 2005 Xmas ale. OOOOOOOH MAN! Probably based on the Anchor Porter, it is a big , big beer. Prodigous brown head, oodles of chocolate flavors, hint of caramel, excellent - truly excellent - velvety mouthfeel. Monster alcohol content, though the bottle didn't state what it was. I'd guess in excess of 8-9% easy. Great beer.

Between the poker and beer I forgot to have lunch and got pretty trashed.

Re: beer thread
#14590 01/17/06 02:10 AM
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Just remembered, that Anchor Xmas Ale probably has a nice dose of oatmeal, as well. Chewy and resinous. And more honey than caramel flavors. Maybe a wee, wee, wee bit of orange peel, too. Definitely not overdone with the orange flavors - they may have even been non-existent.

Re: beer thread
#14591 01/18/06 03:55 AM
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Not that I've tried that many, but I've found my new favorite local brewery: Old Dominion. From the looks of it, they don't distribute further west than Ohio, though. I bought a pack of their Winter Brew (seasonal) and was very surprised. From what I can tell, it's basically an IPA. It's well rounded, meaning it's not just trying to punish your tongue with hoppy bitterness. Don't get me wrong, I like the occasional hop overload (Bear Republic Racer 5 anyone?), but this beer is fantastic and very drinkable.

The label reads:

"... this winter warmer is a big ale that is lushly hopped with Liberty, Cascade and Centennial hops. Whole leaf Cascade hops are added in the lauter tun."

Re: beer thread
#14592 01/19/06 01:43 AM
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I forgot that you had migrated east. Going well? Not too much culture shock?

I've never heard of anybody putting hops on top of the grain bed during sparging. It's been a while, and I'm not like a total expert or anything, but I doubt that sparge water is hot enough to extract much of the acids in the hops.
OTOH, that brewer clearly knows what he is doing - why would he waste hops?

Re: beer thread
#14593 01/19/06 04:39 PM
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Haven't met enough people for culture shock to set in yet. Our biggest complaint (and if that's the case life must be pretty good) is that there really aren't any places to (legally) let the dog off the leash. Our dog is used to the SF Bay Area lifestyle with plenty of off-leash trails and parks. She gets a little stir crazy if she doesn't get to run around often enough. She has only destroyed one thing so far in frustration, but since it was only a bad of banana chips, she got off with a warning. I wasn't as lucky.

My wife has instituted a morning jog schedule and we now alternate taking the dog for runs. It was my turn today. Had to keep moving to avoid freezing my limbs. There's a wooded and semi-secluded park less than a mile away that gets zero use in the morning and I let her loose there to blow off steam and chase some squirrels.

Re: beer thread
#14594 01/20/06 08:00 AM
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Too bad sending animals across country is such a hassle.

Back to Beer - I found a really interesting beer at BevMo. Gulden Draak Ale, a dark Belgian Triple/barley wine that is very tasty. The link describes it well: "Gulden Draak balances a natural malt toffee-like sweetness with a mellow happiness and some hoppy accents. The aroma is round, sweet and reveals the 10.5 alcohol by volume." Yum!

Re: beer thread
#14595 02/05/06 04:34 AM
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On Ray3's recommendation, I stopped by a local Wegman's supermarket this evening -- and they're not joking when they say super. Among the many fine items I purchased was a bottle of Gouden Carolus Triple, from Het Anker brewery in Belgium. I've had one beer from this brewery before -- Gouden Carolus Noel (seasonal) -- which was perhaps the best beer I've ever tasted.

Needless to say, I can't wait to open this bottle. But not tonight. Ok, so I still might open it.


Damn! I could not resist. Sitting next to me in a Polish-eagle-crest-emblazoned beer glass is a pale orange brew with a tight white lacey head. Faint citrus and mild hoppy notes on the nose. I'm waiting for it to warm up a bit before I taste it....

Ok. Here goes.

Oops! Half the glass is gone and I almost forgot to finish the review. This is the most unique Belgian triple I've tasted. I'm not sure if it's my favorite, but it's definitely up there. It's subtle and complex at the same time. A "whole mouth" exerience. Kinda coats the tongue and excites the sweet, sour, and bitter taste buds all at once. Very smooth mouthfeel, and a bit chewy.

Put this on your shopping list, Belgian lovers.

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