Beer

[Sprague03]

By the way I got my growler filled with Locust Reign tonight! I might have to purchase this special UConn growler at Bobs next time I go there!


NEBCo also had a special GBot made with mango puree, dry hopped with citra and amarillo to try today. Of course, it was fantastic
UCONN HUSKIES Frosted Growler

 

[8893]

has anyone tried any beer from Other Half in Brooklyn? Outside of New England, I think this brewery might have the next best beer that's somewhat close to us.

Yes. It is excellent. They used to have their IPA on tap regularly at Brooklyn Bowl, but not since the new ownership.

The same friend who brought me the Pliny and Blind Pig brought me two cans from Other Half and they are also waiting in my fridge.

Aaaand, I can happily report that I just shared two of the sours from Hermit Thrush with the guy in my office who brought them for me, and both were excellent. That's probably it for my beer intake tonight though, because, as much as I love them, the acidity of sours tears my stomach apart worse than the hop bombs do.

 

[Waquoit]

How long do you guys go before drinking a beer can rom Treehouse or Trillium or Alchemist, for example, that's been sitting in your fridge? Right now I've got the Triulliums and Treehouses that have been in my fridge for 3 weeks. At the same time, I don't watch the freshness to disappear on me.

I'm sure they are pretty close to being spent. I can be right over to help you get rid of them. You know, for freshness' sake.

 

[8893]

has anyone tried any beer from Other Half in Brooklyn? Outside of New England, I think this brewery might have the next best beer that's somewhat close to us.

Yes. It is excellent. They used to have their IPA on tap regularly at Brooklyn Bowl, but not since the new ownership.

The same friend who brought me the Pliny and Blind Pig brought me two cans from Other Half and they are also waiting in my fridge.

Aaaand, I can happily report that I just shared two of the sours from Hermit Thrush with the guy in my office who brought them for me, and both were excellent. That's probably it for my beer intake tonight though, because, as much as I love them, the acidity of sours tears my stomach apart worse than the hop bombs do.

Ok, so I lied about the last beer for the night thing. Decided to crack the Other Half Stacks on Stacks Imperial IPA to go with my porchetta and broccoli rabe panini and it's very good. The friend who gave it to me was concerned that it might be too old, as he's had it for around two months, but it was still fine. Not optimal age, but still a top notch beer.

 

[HuskyHawk]

has anyone tried any beer from Other Half in Brooklyn? Outside of New England, I think this brewery might have the next best beer that's somewhat close to us.

I hear great things on BA. Singlecut is also NYC and makes some excellent IPAs, as does Grimm

 

[Zionn]

Just another Saturday....

 

[8893]

I hear great things on BA. Singlecut is also NYC and makes some excellent IPAs, as does Grimm

Singlecut is good and available in CT. I think Other Half is a little better. I don't know Grimm but I like the name.

 

[upstater]

Those of you who home brew, this is an interesting discussion about freshness. I make 110 beers when I home brew. They last a long time, several months. I am not going to drink 110 of my own beers in several weeks, especially since they mostly tend to be Belgian Ales and IPAs. I like variety.

 

[Zionn]

Late entry......yum

 

[Zionn]

Can't post pics;

Other Half - Magic Rock
Against the Grain - Citra Ass Down

Hard time posting pics

 

[Zionn]

Alchemist - Broken Spoke

 

[8893]

@Zionn , was there a consensus winner for best beer of the night?

 

[Zionn]

The big standout by far was Haze, but Softly Spoken, Green, and Pieces of Eight all got a lot of chatter.

 

[specialisthusky]

Alchemist - Broken Spoke

How was this? Have yet to get my hands on it.

 

[Zionn]

How was this? Have yet to get my hands on it.

Liked it, but honestly was towards end of the night. Even with unsalted saltines in between, I would not be able to judge fairly.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Neighbor just texted me...and is bringing me some Sap and "Ma" from Treehouse. This is how paying it forward works, since I shared some Julius (his first TH beer) with him a week ago.

 

[pepband99]

Agree 100%. I was at a bottle share several months ago and I brought some wonderful rare beers that had been in my beer fridge for more than ten years, including an early 2000s Stille Nacht from De Dolle and some Cantillion Gueze of a similar vintage. I had confidence that those would still be very good, but the surprise of the night was a beer I brought as an extra to share as a novelty, 3 Floyds Dreadnaught IPA bomber that was around 12 years old. I figured it would be interesting to see if it had any life left, and it was still quite good, shockingly.

*sort of*

When it comes to freshness - LIGHT kills, not temp. The fact it was in your fridge means it stayed in the dark.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5773-preserving-beer-freshness

 

[HuskyHawk]

*sort of*

When it comes to freshness - LIGHT kills, not temp. The fact it was in your fridge means it stayed in the dark.

https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5773-preserving-beer-freshness

It's both really. Light is what will cause a beer to become "skunked" in the old vernacular. Nearly every Heineken I've ever had suffered from light stroke. Pilsner Urquell was about to stop importing it was so bad, but switched to brown bottles with low light packaging and cans instead.

But cold will absolutely slow the breakdown of the hops, oxidation and preserve the flavors in any hoppy beer longer. I've had canned Heady Topper that sat on a warm kitchen floor and canned Heady Topper that sat in a refrigerator, and there's no comparison. No light is getting through that can.

 

[Dove]

Every Heineken I ever drank from a bottle was skunked. I thought that was the Heineken taste. Then the cool keg cans came out and Heineken was soooo much better.

 

[tzznandrew]

Every Heineken I ever drank from a bottle was skunked. I thought that was the Heineken taste. Then the cool keg cans came out and Heineken was soooo much better.

I was in Amsterdam this summer, and on a canal cruise they offered us beer. The only option was Heineken, so I was upset. Then I cracked one open and realized the crap I'd tasted all these years.

 

[Brownie]

How long do you guys go before drinking a beer can rom Treehouse or Trillium or Alchemist, for example, that's been sitting in your fridge? Right now I've got the Triulliums and Treehouses that have been in my fridge for 3 weeks. At the same time, I don't watch the freshness to disappear on me.

No matter how long you wait to drink a Treehouse beer, it will be better than any other libation you have.

 

[Brownie]

he's full of crap on that part. It's much better from a proper glass. The can beats a shaker pint glass, but not a good IPA glass.

I concur.

 

[Deepster]

So, I'm not a beer aficionado by any means but this weekend, went to a brew pub in South Carolina called Edmunds Oast.

http://edmundsoast.com/content/uploads/2014/01/Draft-Menu-155.pdf

I had their Blackberry Bathos (#14 on the attached list) and it was a "sour ale". I never had a sour ale before and I really liked it. I like dry red wines and don't like hoppy beers or sweet drinks, in general.

Any advice on sour ales I could buy and try over the counter?

 

[HuskyHawk]

I concur.

I wonder if he's really say the same now. Back then, shaker pint glasses were all anyone used. He'll never take the words off the can, but they aren't on the Focal Banger can, I don't think.

 

[HuskyHawk]

So, I'm not a beer aficionado by any means but this weekend, went to a brew pub in South Carolina called Edmunds Oast.

http://edmundsoast.com/content/uploads/2014/01/Draft-Menu-155.pdf

I had their Blackberry Bathos (#14 on the attached list) and it was a "sour ale". I never had a sour ale before and I really liked it. I like dry red wines and don't like hoppy beers or sweet drinks, in general.

Any advice on sour ales I could buy and try over the counter?

Where do you live? I'm not a sour beer fan. It's funny, I started as a wine aficionado, and one of the reasons I don't much like sour or wild fermented beers is because the flavors from the yeast and bacteria are indications of spoilage in wine and would cause the winemaker to dump the whole batch.

Sours are definitely in at the moment.

 

[8893]

So, I'm not a beer aficionado by any means but this weekend, went to a brew pub in South Carolina called Edmunds Oast.

http://edmundsoast.com/content/uploads/2014/01/Draft-Menu-155.pdf

I had their Blackberry Bathos (#14 on the attached list) and it was a "sour ale". I never had a sour ale before and I really liked it. I like dry red wines and don't like hoppy beers or sweet drinks, in general.

Any advice on sour ales I could buy and try over the counter?

Go to OEC in Oxford, probably making the best sours in this country, due in part to their partnership with one of the best importers of sours in the world. Their beers are really off the charts great.

As I mentioned upthread, Hermit Thrush out of Brattleboro, VT is making and canning some very good sours.

New Belgium from Fort Collins, CO has recently become available in CT and they have some great sours, including La Folie and their whole Lips of Faith Series. I have seen them on tap in CT so I imagine you can get them in bottles, too. I would ask for them at your local.

New Glarus out of Wisconsin makes some stunning sours but I don't think you can get them in CT.

It is really something that the Belgians have mastered, and that's where you'll still find the best. Anything from Cantillion will be extraordinary. Also look for Brown Sour Ales like Flanders Oud Bruin and Red Sours like Rodenbach.

The Bruery out of CA is another American brewer making great sours.

You should also try the Saisons from Two Roads and Kent Falls, which tend on the sour side as well, although not as lip-puckering as most of the ones above.

NB: Too many sours in one sitting can cause gastric distress.

 

[Deepster]

Where do you live? I'm not a sour beer fan. It's funny, I started as a wine aficionado, and one of the reasons I don't much like sour or wild fermented beers is because the flavors from the yeast and bacteria are indications of spoilage in wine and would cause the winemaker to dump the whole batch.

Sours are definitely in at the moment.

I'm in CT. Northwestern quadrant. Close to MA.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I'm in CT. Northwestern quadrant. Close to MA.

You might look for some Allagash beers on shelves (most anything with a cork). Nancy is good. Locally, I hear OEC Brewing in Oxford is very good with sours. I don't know if Wicked Weed or Jolly Pumpkin are available there, but they are known for sours as is The Bruery from San Diego (generally sold in New England). That's all domestic stuff. There's plenty from Belgium of course.

 

[Sprague03]

Welp, New England Brewing Company is releasing Fuzzy Baby Ducks today! I'm bringing two of my growlers with me to fill up. easy choice

PS I probably shouldn't have posted this if I want the line to be shorter...

 

[HuskyHawk]

Welp, New England Brewing Company is releasing Fuzzy Baby Ducks today! I'm bringing two of my growlers with me to fill up. easy choice

PS I probably shouldn't have posted this if I want the line to be shorter...

I've still never had it. Never even had GBot