The OFFICIAL Craft Beer Thread

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 8:26 pm

govmentchedda wrote:Picked up a Bourbon Barrel Quad from Boulevard at Whole Foods the other day. Anyone ever had it?

Have a bottle in the cellar, but haven't tried it yet. It is aged with cherries, not sure if it always is, or just that batch. Meant to say about the Rye-on-Rye, I can't imagine why they bothered with the Rye-on-Rye-on-Rye. It surely doesn't need a second barreling. Seems too gimmicky.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Tue Mar 15, 2016 9:40 pm

The Sybian wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:Picked up a Bourbon Barrel Quad from Boulevard at Whole Foods the other day. Anyone ever had it?
Have a bottle in the cellar, but haven't tried it yet. It is aged with cherries, not sure if it always is, or just that batch. Meant to say about the Rye-on-Rye, I can't imagine why they bothered with the Rye-on-Rye-on-Rye. It surely doesn't need a second barreling. Seems too gimmicky.

Bourbon Barrel Quad is one of their best smokestacks, though I'm not sure how I'd rank them because they've killed it lately. Save for the Chocolate Ale. That stuff is gross.

I believe it's always aged with cherries. I have not tried the R-R-R yet again and the more I think about it, the more I'm not sure I want to.

Irish Ale is a great red ale if anyone needs to get in the St. Pat's spirit this weekend. That + Funky Pumpkin are my favorite seasonals.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 6:38 am

Looks like Boulevard only finalized the deal to distribute in KY on 3/8, so it makes sense that it isn't all around yet. I bet I will begin to see some trickling in soon.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:11 am

A_B wrote:Looks like Boulevard only finalized the deal to distribute in KY on 3/8, so it makes sense that it isn't all around yet. I bet I will begin to see some trickling in soon.

I heard Boulevard is expanding their brewery or building a new one, so it should be more available. They hit NJ last year, and were immediately in just about every store, but not much variety or stock. Now, there is as much Boulevard as any other craft. I bought probably half of their Smokestack series, glad I passed on Chocolate. Coffee Stout was great, Aztec Stout, good, but doesn't touch other Mexican hot chocolate beers. Most of the seasonal releases haven't interested me. The coffee porter was good.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 9:51 am

How many of these Brewhub places (or their ilk) are there? It's basically a factory set up to brew from a multitude of different breweries. We've got one here in Lakeland, and they have a tasting room with kegs on tap of things that they brew there. They've had Green Man Brewing from Asheville there before, and they've got Toppling Goliath now. (Speaking of which, I've got to get to Decorah next time I'm in Iowa).

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:04 am

govmentchedda wrote:...Toppling Goliath now. (Speaking of which, I've got to get to Decorah next time I'm in Iowa).

This might be the best littler brewery in America. I've had 3 of their offerings and they've all been superb.

Post by **brian** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:17 am

govmentchedda wrote:How many of these Brewhub places (or their ilk) are there? It's basically a factory set up to brew from a multitude of different breweries. We've got one here in Lakeland, and they have a tasting room with kegs on tap of things that they brew there. They've had Green Man Brewing from Asheville there before, and they've got Toppling Goliath now. (Speaking of which, I've got to get to Decorah next time I'm in Iowa).

I didn't realize you lived in Lakeland, but I guess it's not really that far from Tampa. As you might expect I know a lot people who visit that area in March.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:32 am

BSF21 wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:...Toppling Goliath now. (Speaking of which, I've got to get to Decorah next time I'm in Iowa).
This might be the best littler brewery in America. I've had 3 of their offerings and they've all been superb.

Yeah, they had it in bottles in Des Moines when I was there last month. I really liked the 1492 IPA and Dorothy's Lager that I had from them.

govmentchedda · Post by **govmentchedda** » Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:35 am

brian wrote:
govmentchedda wrote:How many of these Brewhub places (or their ilk) are there? It's basically a factory set up to brew from a multitude of different breweries. We've got one here in Lakeland, and they have a tasting room with kegs on tap of things that they brew there. They've had Green Man Brewing from Asheville there before, and they've got Toppling Goliath now. (Speaking of which, I've got to get to Decorah next time I'm in Iowa).
I didn't realize you lived in Lakeland, but I guess it's not really that far from Tampa. As you might expect I know a lot people who visit that area in March.

I'm in Tampa, but Lakeland isn't far, and Brewhub is pretty visible on I-4 as you head east from Tampa. I still haven't been, but I'd really like to go for the out of state breweries. And yes, I imagine you know a ton of people that make their way down for spring training. I always liked Joker Marchant. I believe it's one of the older ST stadia still in use.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:29 am

Had a fun time Tuesday evening at Mikkeller bar in SF with Rush and a friend of his. Consulting my trusty photos of the beer menu, I recall enjoying Prairie Artisan Ales' Bomb! Stout, Libertine's Wild IPA, Clown Shoes' Clementine Witbier, and Cellarmaker's Shoutout Stout. (There may have been another one I can't recall? It was getting a bit foggy at that point.). I liked The Bomb the best.

devilfluff · Post by **devilfluff** » Thu Mar 17, 2016 10:37 am

govmentchedda wrote:I didn't go to Hunahpu, or any of the Beer Week events last week, but Whole Foods did have Last Snow Porter on tap from Funky Buddha. It was a damn fine beer. A coconut and coffee porter, with neither of those tastes overwhelming the beer.

I was at Huna Day.

The 'fest was ok, but the bottle shares with my beer friends from around the country made the weekend for me.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 8:44 pm

They say Hopslam has a short lifespan, but fuck. I drank one last night, hit the shelf 5 or 6 weeks ago, and it already went bad. It's been kept in the cold cellar the entire time, which is about 45 degrees. I have one more in the fridge, it'll be interesting to see if that fared any better. Two month old Nugget Nectar still good. The box has a best by date in May, but last year they went bad quicker than that. I found a hidden bottle 6 months after I bought it. Still haven't opened it. I should crack it open just to see how horrible it is.

All of the Prairie Bomb talk has me ready to open my bottle. Psyched when I found it in Whole Foods in Chelsea. WF in NYC has a tremendous selection.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:22 pm

Really don't understand keeping them around for so long. Unless you know true exact bottle date aren't you losing some shelf time when you buy?

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:31 pm

A_B wrote:Really don't understand keeping them around for so long. Unless you know true exact bottle date aren't you losing some shelf time when you buy?

Bell's gets Hopslam out to stores within a day or two of canning. I bought it within a week of the canning date. I didn't plan on keeping it around, but I bought 4 or 5 six packs within a few weeks, and I drink at most 4 beers a week. I am an addict when it comes to buying beer, but not when it comes to drinking, so I have way too beers stockpiled. I feel like I should get a token every day I don't buy beer.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:35 pm

Wow. Yeah I don't let anything grow moss!

howard · Post by **howard** » Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:38 pm

The Sybian wrote:…and I drink at most 4 beers a week.

Clearly a mistake

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Sat Mar 19, 2016 8:54 am

howard wrote:
The Sybian wrote:…and I drink at most 4 beers a week.
Clearly a mistake

Right? I need to up my drinking game. Passed on the Bomb when I was distracted by Stone Smoked Porter. Because old beer was on my mind, I looked for a date, and it was 3 months past best by. Tasted great, though.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Sat Mar 19, 2016 12:54 pm

The Sybian wrote:
A_B wrote:Really don't understand keeping them around for so long. Unless you know true exact bottle date aren't you losing some shelf time when you buy?
Bell's gets Hopslam out to stores within a day or two of canning. I bought it within a week of the canning date. I didn't plan on keeping it around, but I bought 4 or 5 six packs within a few weeks, and I drink at most 4 beers a week. I am an addict when it comes to buying beer, but not when it comes to drinking, so I have way too beers stockpiled. I feel like I should get a token every day I don't buy beer.

You sound like me. I will buy a six pack and end up drinking 3 or so before they expire. My love of "screw it I just want a Guinness" overtakes me a lot. I buy it at Costco.

Post by **brian** » Sat Mar 19, 2016 4:25 pm

The Sybian wrote:
A_B wrote:Really don't understand keeping them around for so long. Unless you know true exact bottle date aren't you losing some shelf time when you buy?
Bell's gets Hopslam out to stores within a day or two of canning. I bought it within a week of the canning date. I didn't plan on keeping it around, but I bought 4 or 5 six packs within a few weeks, and I drink at most 4 beers a week. I am an addict when it comes to buying beer, but not when it comes to drinking, so I have way too beers stockpiled. I feel like I should get a token every day I don't buy beer.

Same. But we have parties a lot in the summer so they usually end up getting drunk. Just not by me.

travzilla · Post by **travzilla** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:17 pm

Anyone have any recommendations for an Upstate NY brewery?
My wife and I will be driving through NY (probably Cleveland-Buffalo-Albany, but could also do I80 through PA) on April 7th (a Thursday) and wouldn't mind doing a brewery tour somewhere. Anywhere any swampers have been worth checking out?

Also, will be going to the Indians game on the 6th, so if there's anything in and around Progressive Field worth seeing or eating that'd be cool too.

Thanks!

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:28 pm

Had a great sour from Short's at a bar just off CMU campus tonight per Brian's suggestion. Say what you want about the man but he knows how to find good beer. Fantastic.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 8:52 pm

travzilla wrote:Anyone have any recommendations for an Upstate NY brewery?
My wife and I will be driving through NY (probably Cleveland-Buffalo-Albany, but could also do I80 through PA) on April 7th (a Thursday) and wouldn't mind doing a brewery tour somewhere. Anywhere any swampers have been worth checking out?

Also, will be going to the Indians game on the 6th, so if there's anything in and around Progressive Field worth seeing or eating that'd be cool too.

Thanks!

Never been, but Ithaca Beer Co. does tours. Their Flower Power IPA is really good, never had anything else, though. Southern Tier must have tours, and would probably be a good one. You have Ommegang in Cooperstown, too. The Finger Lakes area has a lot of wineries, but it is kind of early in the year for that. If you are taking your time, avoid I-90, the NYS Thruway. It is the second most boring road to drive on, next to the QEW.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 9:37 am

If you expect to find yourself near Syracuse at any point on that trip (if you're taking the New York State Thruway), let me know. I can probably make some suggestions.

Post by **Sabo** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:17 am

travzilla wrote:Anyone have any recommendations for an Upstate NY brewery?
My wife and I will be driving through NY (probably Cleveland-Buffalo-Albany, but could also do I80 through PA) on April 7th (a Thursday) and wouldn't mind doing a brewery tour somewhere. Anywhere any swampers have been worth checking out?

Also, will be going to the Indians game on the 6th, so if there's anything in and around Progressive Field worth seeing or eating that'd be cool too.

Thanks!

If you're coming to Cleveland, there are a couple of local breweries you can try.

- Great Lakes Brewing Co. is the largest and most well known. They have a brew pub in Ohio City, which is just west of downtown. Ohio City is one of the best places for dining and drinking in the city. If you're there during the day, you can also stop by West Side Market, which is the oldest market in the city. In addition to Great Lakes Brewing Co., Ohio City is also the home to Market Garden Brewery and Nano Brew. I've never been to Nano Brew, but Market Garden and Great Lakes are worth visits.

- If you're coming from the west on I-90, you can check out Fat Heads Brewing in North Olmsted. They make a ton of beers, and they also offer a lot of craft beers from around the state. The food is pretty good too, and the sandwiches are massive.

- You can also head down south a little bit to The Brew Kettle. Mrs. Sabo and I go here for lunch or dinner every so often. If you like flavored stouts, get the Kitka stout, which has coconut and chocolate flavors.

As for around Progressive Field, there are several bars and restaurants. I'd recommend the Winking Lizard, which has a lot of taps and some pretty good wings. Panini's is a local sandwich shop chain, and a lot of the locals like it, but I'm not a fan. If you want to have fine dining before the game, go to one of the many restaurants on East Fourth Street. Celebrity chef Michael Symon has a restaurant there called Lola's, and The Greenhouse Tavern is regarded by many to be the best restaurant in the city. All of these places are within a 10 minute walk of the stadium.

Oh, and one tip about attending the Indians game in early April ... dress VERY warmly. At best, the temps will be in the mid-40s, but it will feel colder than that because Lake Erie's water temperature will be colder than the air. As a rule of thumb, downtown Cleveland feels about 10 degrees colder than the announced temperature, and it gets worse when the wind starts blowing off the lake.

Let me know if you have other questions about your trip to Cleveland.

Nonlinear FC · Post by **Nonlinear FC** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:29 am

Great Lakes is the shit. Their sampler packs are in heavy rotation when I need to grab stuff for a wide range of tastes. High quality in almost all varietals.*

* Is it douchey to say that about beer? Is there are more acceptable/commonly used term?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:38 am

Great Lakes is in the upper echelon of breweries that do everything very, very well but don't get the MAJOR RELEASE hype. Victory, Troegs and Deschutes in there too, off the top of my head.

Sabo: No love for Flannery's? My hotel was like a block away and it was MLB playoff season for a lot of my time in Cleveland so I was there a bunch. For an "irish pub", I remember it being solid.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 10:42 am

Nonlinear FC wrote:Great Lakes is the shit. Their sampler packs are in heavy rotation when I need to grab stuff for a wide range of tastes. High quality in almost all varietals.*

* Is it douchey to say that about beer? Is there are more acceptable/commonly used term?

styles? Agree on Great Lakes. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is great, their seasonal Black Out Stout is top drawer, and Chillwave DIPA is solid. I rarely like lagers, but their Elliot Ness Lager is good.

Post by **Sabo** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 11:09 am

mister d wrote:Sabo: No love for Flannery's? My hotel was like a block away and it was MLB playoff season for a lot of my time in Cleveland so I was there a bunch. For an "irish pub", I remember it being solid.

I've only been there once, and it was for all of 45 minutes. I remember it being very loud and very cramped, which are two things I don't like at all.

The Sybian wrote:styles? Agree on Great Lakes. Edmund Fitzgerald Porter is great, their seasonal Black Out Stout is top drawer, and Chillwave DIPA is solid. I rarely like lagers, but their Elliot Ness Lager is good.

Their current seasonal style is the Conway's Irish Ale, which is pretty good, too. The beer that made them somewhat famous is the Dortmunder Gold, which is probably my favorite lager. I can't think of any of their beers that I truly dislike, although I think the Commodore IPA is average at best. I didn't think their Christmas Ale was all that great at first, but I've done a 180 on that beer. It's fantastic.

ETA: Hey travzilla, one other brewery I forgot to mention is Willoughby Brewing Company, which is east of downtown. They have a peanut butter cup coffee porter that's AMAZING. It's one of the most flavorful beers I've ever had.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 11:57 am

I just built a sixer at Lucky's Market that included the Conways.

Also have:

Oskar Blues IPA
Rivertown Divergent Sour Ale
Moerlein Big Piney IPA
New Holland Cabin Fever Brown
Duclaw Neon Gypsy IPA

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:20 pm

A_B wrote:I just built a sixer at Lucky's Market that included the Conways.

Also have:

Oskar Blues IPA

The Pinner?

Also Deschutes is building a brewery on the east coast, so Chasin' Freshies for everyone!

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:49 pm

Rush2112 wrote:
A_B wrote:I just built a sixer at Lucky's Market that included the Conways.

Also have:

Oskar Blues IPA
The Pinner?

Also Deschutes is building a brewery on the east coast, so Chasin' Freshies for everyone!

Just saw they are opening in Roanoke, VA. I hope they get to NJ soon, as they are one of the breweries I most want to try.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 12:53 pm

Head up 78 to Easton.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 1:23 pm

Rush2112 wrote:
A_B wrote:I just built a sixer at Lucky's Market that included the Conways.

Also have:

Oskar Blues IPA
The Pinner?

Also Deschutes is building a brewery on the east coast, so Chasin' Freshies for everyone!

No, it just says IPA. It's this one. It has a Sturgill Simpson quote on the can!

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 1:27 pm

I think they call it OBIPA or something. Its solid.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 1:30 pm

I am five beers from 500 unique on Untappd. You guys tell me which of those six is the best and it will be #500!

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 2:02 pm

Oh, yes I'd forgotten that they came out with the IPA, I'm a huge fan of the Deviant Dales DIPA.

and what six my link forgetting friend?

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 2:08 pm

Rush2112 wrote:Oh, yes I'd forgotten that they came out with the IPA, I'm a huge fan of the Deviant Dales DIPA.

and what six my link forgetting friend?

The ones I listed above. You quoted it, goofball!

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 2:18 pm

Uh-oh, I know where this ends up ...

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 2:31 pm

A_B wrote:The ones I listed above. You quoted it, goofball!

Sorry, a little pre-occupied with writing a complaint to our department "head."

The Oskar Blues has by far the highest rating, but perhaps you want to go with the most unique for 500?

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 2:55 pm

Sabo wrote:
mister d wrote:Sabo: No love for Flannery's? My hotel was like a block away and it was MLB playoff season for a lot of my time in Cleveland so I was there a bunch. For an "irish pub", I remember it being solid.
I've only been there once, and it was for all of 45 minutes. I remember it being very loud and very cramped, which are two things I don't like at all.

I give Flannery's a thumbs up, as well, but we were attending a birthday party in the private room on a Saturday afternoon before an Indians game. Did step into the main bar to use the restroom, which had a good crowd and still seemed pretty good.