Beer. Beer. And more beer.

[IggytheBorg]

Warsteiner Oktoberfest is the real deal, but I didn't like it as much as I figured I would, seeing as it comes straight from der vaterland. Caramel roasted malt and barely present, restrained hops, as one would expect. But I think the DuClaw Mad Bishop was the best one I've tried this year.

[IggytheBorg]

Also, I had some Trois Monts Biere de garde. According to Garrett, this stuff is THE beverage to have with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings meal. The match is due, mainly, to the herbal qualities of the beer, which meld into the herbal qualities of various Thanksgiving sides, most notably the stuffing. About this, he is right. But he was also right when he pointed out that the beer has a "musty" component. Boy, did it ever. This is NOT a beer I'd ever drink alone, and I doubt very much I'd ever find myself "in the mood for" this one. Definitely an acquired taste.

[B_Metal]

Drinking Heineken because the wife brought it home. I've never been partial to it and I didn't request it but I shan't look a gift horse in the mouth. I will finish this swill!!!!

[IggytheBorg]

Goose Island Autumn Ale is pretty good stuff. A spicy, fruity hop character with a short, dry finish. One would expect a lot of roast flavor from the color of this beer (a russet brown), but such was not present to an overly strong degree. More respect evident for the British style of brewing.

[Martin]

I fucking love Christmas beers.

[IggytheBorg]

peaking of which, a co-worker has been going on endlessly about his favorite X-mas seasonal, Troegs Mad Elf. I had some of this a few years ago, and it was quite tasty. Supposedly, it sells out instantly so one must act with alacrity when it's seen. Gonna have to swing by Shop Rite or Buy Rite, as the local waterin' holes don't seem to have it.

[IggytheBorg]

Goose Island Winter Ale is good stuff. A roasty, caramel hops driven brown ale with just the right touch of hops. This stuff would go well with summer barbecue. I may have to buy another six to keep around for one of the rib fests.

[IggytheBorg]

peaking of which, a co-worker has been going on endlessly about his favorite X-mas seasonal, Troegs Mad Elf. I had some of this a few years ago, and it was quite tasty. Supposedly, it sells out instantly so one must act with alacrity when it's seen. Gonna have to swing by Shop Rite or Buy Rite, as the local waterin' holes don't seem to have it.

Found some. I was also delighted to discover I had two Gurkha Regents left. They have notes of black cherry in their flavor profile, and will go very well with this beer, which is brewed with cherries. I'd like to score some Acid Toast or CI Legends by Drew Estate cigars - both noted for their cherry like flavors as well - to go with it also.

[IggytheBorg]

Went to see a friend's band at a local pub last night. Had a pint of Shiner IPA. Not really that impressed. Flavor wise, I suppose it was perfectly serviceable. Just the right level of hops to let you know it's an IPA w/o being obnoxious. But the body was extremely watery and thin. A real turn off, if you ask me.

[IggytheBorg]

I was busy in Myrtle this year, lemme tell ya. Sampled all kinds of good stuff.

I like to try the local brews whenever I can, so I bought a six of Palmetto Brewing Co's Amber Ale. Just enough hop bitterness to not overbalance the cigar I was smoking, expertly balanced against a slightly roasted malt, replete with caramel like sweetness and roasty flavors that linger on the aftertaste. Well done, Best amber I've had in awhile.

Also tried Highland Brewing Co's Saw-Whet Saison. It was dominated by a tangy, faintly citrus character from the yeast, with hop bitterness revealing itself unobtrusively on the aftertaste. Offbeat, good stuff, but I've had much better saisons.

Stone 6th Anniversary Imperial Smoked Porter (reissued for the 25th Anniversary series). I love the regular smoked porter. one of the most complex, interesting beers I ever tried. And the way it paired with that Padilla Obsidian cigar was nothing short of magical. But this version is so overwhelmed by the roasted malt that everything else got lost. It tasted more like a stout than a porter, and I've never been fond of stouts. The vanilla, cherry and dried berry notes promised by the label were nowhere to be found.

New Belgium Mothership Wit. Spicy, herbal notes of coriander, like a Hoegaarden, but with an added sour element to give it more depth. Most interesting, and perfect accompaniment to a sultry South Carolina night.

Picked up a Sierra Nevada Variety Case and tried: 11.5 Plato Session IPA. The hop forward grapefruity, piney bitterness belies the fact that this is a 4.5 ABV session beer. Had a round, chewy body, too. You really could drink this stuff all day.

SN Hoppy Lager. The hops are rather floral, rather than being predominantly citrus and pine in character. Just how floral seemed to vary from one bottle to the next. At times, very pronounced, others more subdued. It reminded me of Great Lakes Brewing Co's Commodore Perry IPA, which I dislike for the overly floral quality to the hops. Still, crisp and easy drinking, even at 7.0 ABV.

[IggytheBorg]

On a side note: one of my wife's nieces brought her husband to the 4th of July party. She got him a bottle of the Palmetto Amber (without asking, mind you), and he took a sip and declared it crap, saying he couldn't drink it. Whereupon he went out on a beer run and came back with a 12 pack of Miller High Life. I suppose if you're gonna go mass market, you could do a lot worse. But to call the Palmetto crap says all one needs to know about this guy's level of taste.

[IggytheBorg]

I normally have no use for dubbels, finding them overly malty and sweet, often with such a thick, syrupy mouthfeel accompanying them that they make we wanna yark. I bought a Flying Fish Brewing Co. variety pack last week, because I'm all about supporting local NJ brewers lately. I saved these for last, and I was seriously considering giving them to a co-worker. I'm glad I didn't. While these are malty and sweet, they are not so much so that I found them cloying. They were balanced very well by the hops (which were there more for this purpose than to add hoppy bitterness) and were exceptionally smooth and drinkable. If you ever get the chance to try anything by this brewery, do yourself the favor. The red ale, IPA and extra pale ale are all also sensational. They have a couple limited editions in the big bottles that I'm gonna have to try as well.

[IggytheBorg]

So I bought one of the big bottle specials, the Exit 14 Imperial Pilsner (incidentally, I grew up a few blocks from Exit 14A, so Jersey Hometown Pride inna hoooousse!). This is a wonderful beer. Lots of hop bitterness, an undercurrent of biscuity malt, and a slightly floral character (with hints of blackcurrant I admit I may not have picked up on if I hadn't read the tasting notes on the bottle); it was very complex, and as a consequence seemed more like an ale than a pilsner. If you have the means, I strongly suggest picking one up.

[IggytheBorg]

Also tried some Long Trail Sick Day Ale. Extraordinarily well balanced, the hop attack hits you up front, but fades a bit as the malty center takes over; it never quite departs, though, and reasserts itself - albeit a bit muted - on the finish and aftertaste. A perfect cold weather beer, with a little something for everyone.

[BillyG]

I don't really drink beer anymore, but my sister bought my DAS BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT so i gotta chug from it here soon.