I'm back on this shit today:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1356129186

Van Steenberge is probably my favorite brewerij in the world. Every single bottle they make is phenomenal.

BTW, do any of you gays get Franconia Winter Wheat?

I just found this :party:

Everyone has it now, life is good. This time of year calls for Franconia Winter Wheat though.

Michelob Amber Bock in a plastic cup. Classy.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1356197301

whatever this is. sour ale.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1356216618

Mmmmm. Rodenbach. Good stuff.

I just tried this tonight. Very smooth with great aftertaste of mild hops and figs.

I'm on a Great Divide Hibernation Ale right now. A little too malty for my taste.

My favorite winter beer, local, and conveniently enough, the very one I got shithoused on at my boss' daughter's wedding :D

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1356659497

Good ole Olde Meck... I have still yet to go by the brewery despite it not being THAT far from where I live here in the SC. Maybe one day. Nothing too interesting as of late for me except for a Westbrook 100% Brett Lichtenhainer Red Wine Barrel Aged Berliner Weiss.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1356712413

Where did you find the Berliner Weiss? I've always wanted to try that.

Got a bottle from The Greenville Beer Exchange. Not a lot of them made it out of the brewery for sale unfortunately. Twas tasty though.

So upon18 psi's recommendations I'm trying a lagunitas beer. So I bought the limited release Lagunitas cappuccino stout. Wow it sounds like a weird flavor combination but dang is this thing nice.
Learning that something may sound completely foo foo or bizarre but taste absolutely amazing.
I well buy more of this.

Mmmm te Lagunitas Cappuccino is great.
In the past 24 hours I have enjoyed 2 Terrapin Wake N' Bakes, a Southern Tier 2X stout and a Terrapin MooHoo. I new to swim by the store and see I they have Southern Tier Chocolat. The ST Blackwater series are my favorite beers hands down.

lagunitas never disappoints.... especially the cappuccino.

Last time I had one i was in my office at work.

triple season!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1356791901

Had a Bells Kalamazoo stout last night. I really enjoyed it. I had the expedition stout a few weeks ago, and I thought it tasted like it needs to age awhile yet. The Kalamazoo is perfect though.
That's my semi hungover taste note.

IMHO the Bell's porters and stouts are on the strong/taste-the-alcohol side of the spectrum. Still really like them though.

About to go swing by the store to see if they have any Pipeline Porter and/or Southern Tier Choklat

Ever have southern tier Creme brûlée? Or mokah?

I haven't tried the Dunkel, but really like the Copper. Not my picture, drinking cheap beer in quantity tonight.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1356840877

Speakeasy limited series Butchertown black ale. This is pretty good very dark very flavorful very smooth beer.
went great with my prosciutto and coppa sandwich with swiss cheese on sourdough.

Right now...(Yes it's 1:54AM...) I'm drinkin a Firestone Walker Uniom Jack. I saved it for last cause this shit is sofaking.
So Faking good!

Firestone Walker makes some really tasty brews. Their anniversary beers have all been AWESOME in my experience.

I really wish EO2K would go back to his office and touch my package on his desk.

Fuller's London Porter is what I am drinking for the new year's eve. Cheers!

I'm doing my part to prepare for New Year's by preparing a bottle for bottle rocket duty.

Plz excuse crappy (employer provided) cell phone's pic:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1356994304

Well since you guys made such a stink about the cappuccino stout I had to go out and get one even though I don't like stouts . Then I saw the bells and had to get a variety of that too. Got some of the winter solstice which the wife really loved and the Noel which is a holiday classic for us. Now if we can drink it all it will definitely be a happy new year.

stout? imperial of course. aged in bourbon barrels if you please.

this shit is delicious!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357005474

As far as Bells products, the Expedition Stout is my favorite stout.
Y8s...just by looking at that "imperial stout" I am dissapoint.
1) For an "Imperial" it's only 7.85%.
2) Look at the head on it. It looks like Pabst Blue Ribbon tapped on CO2.
3) Pabst Blue Ribbon is delicious and enjoy your son's first new year!

I was surprised it was under 10% too.

But the flavor is solid. Maybe it's not creamy like a guiness, but it's a good beer.

It shouldn't be creamy like Guinness, unless it's tapped on Nitrogen. No stout should ever be compared to Guinness. Not that Guinness is "superior" to other stouts, it's just other stouts have things that Guinness lacks....alcohol and flavoring such as "oak barrel aging" and many more.

I don't think regular Guinness is actually classified as a stout. They do make a stout, but the regular stuff isn't it.

guinness is a stout

and i know it's tapped with nitrogen

i just meant to compare it to the mouthfeel because you were down on the head

<hungover beer nerd rant>

It kinda bugs me that Guinness has become "the" commercial example of a "stout." Back in the 1800's in the UK "stout" was an adjective used to describe a porter. Kinda like calling a beer a "robust" instead of a "robust porter." Ie: porter, single stout porter, double stout porter, export stout porter... you get the idea. As you go up the ladder, bigger versions have more hops bittering and higher gravity. Export versions were monstrosities that had to survive extended shipping times in unfavorable conditions (see Baltic Porter) thus Export grade beer would kinda be like the Imperialized versions of beers we enjoy today. A "stout porter" would almost be like a "mild" version of porter, very much on the low end. I can almost guarantee that most of you beer nerds have had a proper English Mild :giggle:

Guinness is impressive in its consistency and volume of production with such low hop and alcohol rates (both are preservatives) but there are certainly better "stouts" out there. Doesn't stop me from drinking Guiness though.

</hungover beer nerd rant>

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357067229

I'm not sure what you all are thinking I'm saying Guinness is or is not, but EVERYONE knows what a guinness is and can use it as a basis of comparison in terms of its obvious features.

I never intended to say it was the end all be all of stouts.

Just cracked this open- 2010 Infinium. Comes from Boston Beer Works and has been aging in the refridgerator for what might be almost 2 years lol. Says it should have been enjoyed before July 2011...and we just opened it for today. It's a champainge-like beer with fine bubbles and a light, slightly sweet flavor. It's pretty good.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357087189


...as for the rest of the stash in the house...

(more to the right that cannot be seen)
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357087189

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357087189

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357087189


Yeah, the 'fridge is nearly empty except for alcohol. Notice the drawers and the top of the 'fridge. And this is after consuming a fair number of beer in the past week lol. The 4 growlers are Southrn Tier Pumpking (which there are 12 of in the cabinet along with a bunch of Creme Bruele, Mokah and Choclat...and a few other mixed in stouts and porters....and cider.

I am very jealous of your southern tier stash.

I might have access to a few bombers of this:
5 Golden Rings - The Bruery - Placentia, CA - BeerAdvocate
Anybody have it or hear of it? Looks pricy but super rare.

Most of the Christmas series by them isn't really that rare as it does see a good bit of distro... Haven't personally had it. I was in their Reserve Society up until this year, so I was guaranteed a bottle. Guess I will be buying/trading for one this year. The barrel aged version is the rare one as it is only available to the Reserve Society members.

I'll give you head!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357229007

Holy crap Y8s! Now that's head!
Looks like I'm getting 5 golden rings for $10 a bomber. I'm buying 4 of them, selling 3 and most likely keeping 1 to age until 2019.

Where are you all doing your selling/trading etc? Is this a formal-ish thing or just among friends?

Ha, I was going to come in here and post about how happy I was to get some Spotted Cow from the gas station while I was on my way up to Milwaukee for Christmas. And here you guys are trading and selling super rare beers.

So I'm pretty tired of drinking lackluster and watered down beers so I think I'm going to go to specs and experiment. Anyone have any advice on what to get?

what do you like? I think anyone starting out with craft brews should just head straight for american style ales and work from there adding and subtracting malt, hops, roastiness, body, etc.

based on specs online store info, they have Alaskan Amber which is a great beer. maybe get that? maybe also pick up some allagash white as an easy to drink contrast and more wintery choice.

Well I mostly drank the cheap beers then I tried shiner and it was better than those. I've had a couple ipa's and they were pretty good, can't remember the type of the top of my head. Enjoyed Newcastle Brown Ale but other than that I'm a beer noob, I'll give what you said a shot though.

Picked up 4 Southern Tier Choklats the other day...drank one last night. Yum.

Try a golden. Try a pale ale. Try an IPA; look for something in the 50ish IBU range if they list it. IBU is International Bittering Unit. IBU's come from hops. The trend in recent years is to make bigger and bigger beers - more alcohol content, more hops. What's tough to tell from the numbers is how much malt was left in the beer to balance the bitter. It can have a high IBU number and still not be bitter to the taste if there's a lot of malt sugars still in it. And none of the numbers reflect finishing hops, which are what give most of the nose to the beer and a lot of the finishing notes.

You can probably get Sierra Navada Pale Ale, try that. Nice and malty. One of my all time favorites for taste and drinkability is Bridgeport IPA. Not super-hoppy, alcohol content reasonable enough to have a few and not get crushed.

EO2K...



https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357362914

Muahahaha! I been busy, sorry mang!

Ok, so several days ago THIS dubious ass package shows up at my office...

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
It has a kitty on it, I'm sure its safe...

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
I need to remember to write something similar on the bottom of my car

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
I'm down for "Super fun happy time"

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
I'm sure that's French for "expensive" (its right)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
My mother was right, I AM special! :yippee:

Let's see what's inside, shall we?

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
Aaaannnnnndddddd that's more like what I was expecting. My coworkers enjoyed it

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
Found these mixed in with the packing :giggle:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
This combined with the drawings is a little unnerving. My co workers were a little more weirded out now. All I can think of is "oh jesus, not glitter!"

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
Turbo kitty is best kitty!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
Bottles and glasses wrapped in multiple layers of tissue paper. All arrived undamaged!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
YESSSSSS! That's what I was looking for!

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1357435365
Indeed I shall!

All items arrived undamaged and in condition as described. Item was well packed. Shipping over the holidays was complicated but communication with seller was spot on. A+++++, would buy from again. :bigtu:

All that for 1 bottle of beer?
Bent wrist city...

6 bottles, 2 glasses :party:

Nice. What did you get??

lol im glad it got there in one piece, I wanted to make sure it was.

Lots of troeggs mad elf is good.

Bad elf is more like it...have fun with the hangover!

Epic packaging. Props to Pen2

Hahahahaha! This might be the best package I have ever witnessed.

I had a Yueng Ling yesterday; it was awful.

I went to a local beer joint yesterday afternoon after lunch and had a few Stone brews. Vertical Epic 04.04.04, Vertical Epic 05.05.05, and Vertical Epic 10.10.10 Aged on French Oak. No big deal.