GRM beer tasting

I'm not a beer reviewer, so you aren't going to hear me talk like one.

Had a Konig Ludwig Weisbier the other day, on tap. My new favorite wheat beer. I'm usually not a fan of wheat beers, but this one was awesome. Went down way too easy. Had the orange (or lemon? I forget) in it, light citrus flavor to it, and almost a banana like flavor as well. At first it was sweet, then citrusy.

Yuengling that a friend brought back: My favorite beer just for drinking. Not too expensive, tastes good, I'm happy. The Lager is awesome, the Black and Tan pretty good (almost a chocolatey taste to it), but I'm not a fan of that particular style.

Also, had a Labatt on tap. First time I'd ever had one not in a can. It really surprised me with how not-bad it was, I ordered two more over dinner.

Tonight my friends and I have a fridge loaded with Bud and Busch lite. It should be fun, but I'm going to start with a couple Yuenglings first.

mtn wrote: Tonight my friends and I have a fridge loaded with Bud and Busch lite. It should be fun, but I'm going to start with a couple Yuenglings first.

May as well just go to water :P

If you really want to try something a bit out there, mix these two in equal portions.

Young's Double Chocolate Stout and Well's Banana Bread Beer.

Chocolate Banana Bread beer.

Nice for a different little treat. I drink the Youngs all the time on tap at the local pub. I'm a big porter/stout drinker.

Rogue Chocolate stout is awesome with its bitter sweet chocolate and dry like a cab sav finish.

Well... just got back from beer camp, so over the past three days I've had:

Pale Ale, Summerfest, Bigfoot, Ovila Saison, Life and Limb, Limb and Life, Tumbler, Torpedo, Kellerweiss, Cask aged Torpedo, my own and others' home brews, Kolsh, Pliny the Elder, Saison Dupont, Lavender Honey IPA, Rye IPA, Russian Imperial Stout with cocoa and chipotle peppers (Molé inspired), Hoptimum, Hopsichord, and several other Sierra Nevada special releases.

My favorites: I really loved their Kolsch. It's a tough style to find, and my favorite summer beer style. A really light, crisp, ale with a slight hint of spice to it. I'm bummed that they are out of it and probably won't be releasing any for a while. I really want them to make one a regular release. I love Saisons, so the Ovila was great. And the Lavender Honey IPA was really really incredible as well.

We'll see whether or not I'll be up for beer today or if I'm going to need a day or two to detox after all that insanity.

Cameron, I tried a Dogfish Head on your recommendation, but I could only find a Palo Santo Marron, which I must confess is too dark and thick for my tastes. Pleasantly, strong though, and not at all bitter.

Love to hear about your exploits. Sounds like you're right in your element. Congrats, man.

I discovered a 'boutique' liquor store near work the other day. Gonna see if I can find some of the beer you guys are talking about.

In the meantime, here's something from my corner of the world. Little Creatures Pale Ale, brewed in Fremantle, Western Australia, about 30 minutes from my home.

The taste and aroma is overtly fruity. They say grapefruit and citrus, but I wasn't able to pin it down as such until I read the label. Then it was obvious .

Refreshingly sweet, but with a nice bitterness. Goes well with chips.

(photo from the web.)

Im having one of these right now.

Its pretty good. I give it 3.5/5 stars.

The beer is a little heavier than the regular pale ale's that I am usually drinking, but still a good drink.

Okay time for a NEGATIVE beer review: Spaten Oktoberfest Marzen.

At best, it's cold and alcoholic. If really jonesing for a beer, I'd take one. But it's really skunky and slightly catty. The flavors are offensive. I'd rather drink a Bud or possibly even Pabst.

I would be wary of import Marzens for the next couple weeks. Is it really time that we'd be getting the 2011 run imported already, or could an enterprising liquor store owner just be offloading what he didn't sell last year in the few weeks before the new shipments come in? Marzens definitely aren't intended to sit around for a long time.

Do you get Clipper City/Heavy Seas out in CA? I really like their MarzHon marzen, despite the horrifically ugly packaging.

EDIT: Oh good, they changed the name/packaging, now I don't have to be embarrassed to set it on the counter at the beer store anymore: http://www.hsbeer.com/marzen

mtn wrote: Off the top of my head, the following can be found almost anywhere: AB and assorted products, Miller/Coors and assorted, Sierra Nevada, PBR, Leinies, Heinekin, Becks, Carlsburg, Dos Equis, Shiner, Corona, Sam Adams, and Fat Tire. Possibly the following: New Glarus, Great Lakes, Goose Island, more craft beers. I'd suggest starting with one of these, and then figure out what the next few weeks if we want to get into "better" beers that might be harder to find. Between these beers mentioned, we have at least a year of beer, and at least 15 weeks of what I would consider "good" beer.

New Glarus basically doesn't exist outside of Wisconsin. But makes some damn tasty beer.

Salanis wrote: My favorites: I really loved their Kolsch.

Our beer store has a pretty wide selection of Kolshes. Lake Superior's Kayak Kolsch being one of my "usually stocked in the fridge" choices. Schell makes one, and I thikn I've had one from Big Sky as well.

Kolsch is darn near impossible to find out here. Pyramid used to make a Kolsch, but changed it. We do get Big Sky out here. I'm going to have to look for their's.

Salanis wrote: Kolsch is darn near impossible to find out here. Pyramid *used* to make a Kolsch, but changed it. We do get Big Sky out here. I'm going to have to look for their's.

I don't see it on their website. I'm either misremembering the company or they don't make it anymore.

This thread is getting me more excited for the upcoming California Beer Festival in Ventura. 100+ beers on tap and all you can drink from 1 to 5. Smells like a challenge to me

(Sept. 17th for anyone interested.)

Just got back from the local BJ's Brewpub and was pleasantly surprised.

For starters, I found my Kolsch. Their house blonde is a Kolsch, and not the best I've had, but pretty darn enjoyable. Kolsch is a terribly unforgiving style, and this one wasn't perfect but was very good.

At least at the local one, their on-tap selection was great too. Pranqster, Dead Guy, Festina Peche, Duvel Green, and other great stuff on tap. The low end was Blue Moon, Spaten, and Stella.

I drank a few different beers this weekend:

1. Sam Adams Boston Lager-Reaffirmed to me why this is one of my top five favorite beers hands down.
2. Sam Adams Euro Kolsch- First time I have ever had it. It had a good taste to it and I can see this being a good future summer beer.
3. Labatt Light- I'm not a big light beer fan but it did it's job as a good beer to wash down food with.

I have to disagree with Salanis here - Spaten Oktoberfest is something I look forward to on a yearly basis, but the new batch hasn't hit the shelves around here quite yet.

I like to have a seasonal Beer attitude:

Spring: Shorts Hangin Frank
Summer: Bell's Oberon
Fall: Spaten Oktoberfest
Winter: Founders Breakfast Stout

Oh and throw in a tall glass of Old Rasputin at any time.

bastomatic wrote: Oh and throw in a tall glass of Old Rasputin at any time.

Never Say Die!

There are a couple places around here that have it on nitro tap. It was my favorite stout before nitro, and a real thing of beauty with it.

Had another Konig Weiss on Friday. On Saturday, I had my first Dead Guy Rogue Ale. I was disappointed in it, honestly. That probably has more to do with my not liking the style though.

bastomatic wrote: I have to disagree with Salanis here - Spaten Oktoberfest is something I look forward to on a yearly basis, but the new batch hasn't hit the shelves around here quite yet. I like to have a seasonal Beer attitude: Spring: Shorts Hangin Frank Summer: Bell's Oberon Fall: Spaten Oktoberfest Winter: Founders Breakfast Stout

Bells, Founders, that's MI man right thar (disclaimer I went to college in Grand Rapids) and I do miss summers with Oberon.

I'll say something I think will surprise some, but locals will undoubtedly agree with me. Michigan has the best depth and breadth of beer and breweries, perhaps in the world. Founders, Bell's, and now Shorts are brewing beer that knocks the hell out of most others I've tried.

Big up for Bells! Two hearted ale is my daily delight. Just finishing up a half barrel from our annual labor day party this evening. Also Gumball head wheat from some brewery in Indiana made me appreciate wheat beers for the first time.

bastomatic wrote: I'll say something I think will surprise some, but locals will undoubtedly agree with me. Michigan has the best depth and breadth of beer and breweries, perhaps in the world. Founders, Bell's, and now Shorts are brewing beer that knocks the hell out of most others I've tried.

I'm pretty sure either CA or possibly Oregon still hold that distinction for the U.S.. Munich or Belgium probably take the overall win for the world. Just like we don't see all the local beers from Michigan, you don't see all the local beers from CA. I mean, San Diego alone has something like 20 working breweries.

CA has: Sierra Nevada, Stone, Lagunitas, Russian River, North Coast, Anchor, Mendocino, Green Flash, and Lost Abbey. Just off the top of my head. We even have a company brewing with 45 million year old yeast.

mtn wrote: Had another Konig Weiss on Friday. On Saturday, I had my first Dead Guy Rogue Ale. I was disappointed in it, honestly. That probably has more to do with my not liking the style though.

I like a number of Rogue's beers very much, but Dead Guy isn't my favorite.

Their American Amber is excellent. If you're in the mood for it, their Hazelnut Brown is also very good; but you have to be in the mood for a serious hazelnut finish...