posh beers and ales and stuff thread

  On 6/26/2020 at 5:51 PM, rhmilo said:

Craft beer was fun when it was just “hey - you know they have different *kinds* of beer?”. Now it’s just ridiculous.

Well, yeah.. When I got back to Finland from Asia a year ago and walked to the supermarket to buy some beer and there were like 50 varieties it was a tad bit overwhelming. But usually there aren't that many stouts or porters here. And I need to go to the government alcohol store to buy the imperial stouts anyway.

  On 6/26/2020 at 11:22 PM, zkom said:

Well, yeah.. When I got back to Finland from Asia a year ago and walked to the supermarket to buy some beer and there were like 50 varieties it was a tad bit overwhelming. But usually there aren't that many stouts or porters here. And I need to go to the government alcohol store to buy the imperial stouts anyway.

fat lizard is like the only good craft brewery i've ever had outside of the US. i was shocked at how good their ipas were. and i love their can tops.

Speaking of Finnish beers the "California Lager" Citra by Pyynikin Panimo is probably the best lager I've tasted. It's a lager made with citra hops and tastes something between a lager and an IPA. And I can find plenty of supermarkets in Finland. I have no idea why it's called California lager though.

Other thing I like to get from the supermarkets is the local liquorice porter. Usually the mild porters are pretty watery but the liquorice gives this one a nice thickness and aftertaste. I can also get this from plenty of places.

  On 5/2/2020 at 12:59 AM, randomsummer said:

From a local brewery, Peach Drips Creamsicle IPA.  Hazy IPA with peach puree, lactose, and vanilla.  Pretty good, kinda strange to taste the hops and vanilla but I think it works well.

 

That is everything that is wrong with modern craft brewery.  Sadly, the IPA has become the 'alternative rock' of beerdom.  Can't figure how to stand out in a crowded market?  Throw some fruit in it, hop it up, call it an 'IPA' and jazz it with punchy graphics.  Can I interest you in some Watermelon beer?

I know I've been slagging off craft beer and that lately, but damn I do love a Delerium Tremens.

  On 6/27/2020 at 7:52 PM, BCM said:

I know I've been slagging off craft beer and that lately, but damn I do love a Delerium Tremens.

never a been a fan of this one but it's an ok beer i guess

Geuze boon and Orval are some of the best beers out there, get that shit at any cost

  On 6/27/2020 at 8:14 PM, Ivan Ooze said:

Geuze boon and Orval are some of the best beers out there, get that shit at any cost

Hell yes, couldn't agree more.  Just before the lockdown I went to my local beer store and was pissed that they were out of Orval; I was hoping to stock up.  Went back recently and they had some, but it is very fresh and I need to let it age for a bit in my basement to mature.  It's so hard to resist cracking one open.

Regarding geuze, I think it's my favorite style if I had to pick one.  Similar in style, I recommend Lindemann's Faro lambic, if anyone has yet to try it. 

  On 6/28/2020 at 1:09 AM, randomsummer said:

Similar in style, I recommend Lindemann's Faro lambic, if anyone has yet to try it. 

Isn’t Faro aged lambic or something? Or is that Geuze? Anyway, they’re all related - and all from the same area.

Also +1 for Orval

This is probably more of a boring choice but I actually think that an ice cold Camden Helles is lush.

  On 6/28/2020 at 3:10 PM, rhmilo said:

Isn’t Faro aged lambic or something? Or is that Geuze? Anyway, they’re all related - and all from the same area.

Also +1 for Orval

The Faro is a lambic with brown sugar added I think, supposedly it was a more traditional style in the past, but it's definitely separate from a gueze.  Just making a suggestion that people who like geuze will probably also like lambic and they should try this relatively rare type of lambic.

  On 6/29/2020 at 1:32 PM, randomsummer said:

The Faro is a lambic with brown sugar added I think, supposedly it was a more traditional style in the past, but it's definitely separate from a gueze.  Just making a suggestion that people who like geuze will probably also like lambic and they should try this relatively rare type of lambic.

Ah, yes, you're right.

So I looked it up and:

- Lambiek / Lambic is the spontaneously fermented base beer.

- Geuze is a mix of both old and new lambiek.

- And Faro, like you say, is lambiek with brown sugar.

If you're interested in this stuff, there's also "Kriek", meaning "Cherry" beer: geuze (or lambiek) with tart cherries. Not all of the available varieties are good. Most are too sweet - but a well made one is not. Lindemans makes a very good one, IIRC.

My favorite is "Oude (old) Geuze" by Boon, btw. Expensive, not always easy to find, but very, very good.

Ok. It’s not exactly “posh”, but if you are into “lawnmower beers”, look no further. 
I get the 30 packs of these bad boys and they have been sustaining me through the pandemic. 
I normally have a palette for the finer things but, being unemployed and home-bound has kept me frugal. Also, these are kind of an acceptable beer if you are doing some lawn/housework and decide to have a cold one before noon. If I want a “buzz” I can drink two of these quickly and it does the trick. If I want to get turnt, I just go to a bottle of scotch. 
As far as its palette is concerned, it’s light, clean and refreshing. Doesn’t really have that grainy flavor you get with some other lawnmower beers but it’s crisp and smooth. Dead serious, I’ve actually noticed notes of almond (marzipan, even) when pairing with a bag of plain potato chips. 
 

  On 6/29/2020 at 2:36 PM, rhmilo said:

Ah, yes, you're right.

So I looked it up and:

- Lambiek / Lambic is the spontaneously fermented base beer.

- Geuze is a mix of both old and new lambiek.

- And Faro, like you say, is lambiek with brown sugar.

 

If you're interested in this stuff, there's also "Kriek", meaning "Cherry" beer: geuze (or lambiek) with tart cherries. Not all of the available varieties are good. Most are too sweet - but a well made one is not. Lindemans makes a very good one, IIRC.

 

My favorite is "Oude (old) Geuze" by Boon, btw. Expensive, not always easy to find, but very, very good.

 

Expand  

Yeah I'm familiar with kriek, especially because I love cherries.  My wife loves Kasteel Rouge, but I think it's a little too sweet for my taste.  Lindemann's does make a great kriek, I love their "Oude Kriek Cuvée René".

I do love the oude gueze from Boon.  I actually have a bottle of "Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait" in my cellar that has been waiting for the right occasion.  Lindemann's "Oude Gueuze Cuvée René" is my go-to and I think is perhaps the best quality to price ratio that I've found from the selections that are available around here.

Have you tried Hanssens Artisanaal Oude Geuze?  It's pretty hardcore, not for the faint of heart, but still decent and more on the sharp / sour / funky side.  IIRC, Hanssens buys the leftovers from other lambic breweries like Lindemanns and lets it sit and makes other lambics and guezes out of it.  Some of their other offerings are even more sour and funky, too much so to my taste.  I tried the Oudbeitje and almost vomited, I couldn't finish it.  Unfortunately, I bought two bottles, so one has been sitting in my cellar for 2 years.  I'm hoping it mellows out, but it's got a loooonnngg way to go.  It's funny to read some of the reviews of this lambic.

  On 6/29/2020 at 6:27 PM, randomsummer said:

Have you tried Hanssens Artisanaal Oude Geuze

No, never heard of it. And judging from your description of it, I don't think I wil any time soon  

  On 6/29/2020 at 3:32 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

 “lawnmower beers”

heh...had never heard this term before. this is one of my favorites for summertime:

  On 6/30/2020 at 1:01 AM, zero said:

heh...had never heard this term before. this is one of my favorites for summertime:

Expand  

Haha! Very clever! 
Yeah. I grew up hearing people refer to cheep, canned beers like Miller Light, Budweiser or Coors Light (the kind you can drink all day too keep a buzz on without ever really getting drunk) as “lawnmower beers”.
I always liked the expression. Definitely makes me want a riding lawnmower with a cooler on it. 

At a friend's house for a socially-distant cookout, got to crack open this baby.  It's so spectacular on a hot afternoon.

I tried to share but my friends were not fans, which was surprising because one is German and one is Belgian. 

More for you!

I did drink the whole 750 mL over five hours.

This one is very good.  I had to rate this 4.5/5.  Super juicy, creamy, and pillowy-- exactly what i'm looking for in a Hazy / NEIPA.

Wish i could get more, all I have is a four pack.  Will just have to have one per weekend to make it last a month.

\

your glass looks like a dog's dick wearing multiple cock rings.

  On 7/15/2020 at 3:28 PM, BCM said:

your glass looks like a dog's dick wearing multiple cock rings.

Judging by the level of your humor you will love to hear the name of the brewery i just visited today "Crooked Pecker".

Hot af. And the only thing that’s not black and strong in my fridge is....red and strong. 9% BA Kriek. Wold kill for a pale ale or even lager.