some damn good IPA's out there

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

AWESOME trip! Look me up next time you're out here. I feel like a boozecierge with all my friends as far as brewery/winery recs etc. Drakes is great for local ... if you love Pliny get your hands on Knee Deep Dr. Hoptologist. People call it the "Pliny Killer" and it beat Pliny for gold medal at 2012 DIPA festival.

Knee Deep is poised to become the next hot microbrew from NorCal. I hope Drake's can survive the brewmaster turnover, as I love their specialty ales, but Aroma Coma this year was nothing special ... last year was much much better. Speakeasy XV IIIPA is probably the most stunning recent NorCal beer release that I've had as far as hoppy beers go. If you like the Belgian crossover styles, Almanac is doing really good shit, and Calicraft is another Bay Area up and coming microbrewery poised to become a really special thing.

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Will do Schralp. Should be getting out that way every few years, if not every year. Would love to get back to Beer Revolution and check out some other places as well.

Actually had a Calicraft Pale Ale at Chez Panisse (hit the cafe for lunch) that they were calling 'Chez Panisse Pale'. Was pretty good. Oh and that reminds me, next time I have to make a point to get a pizza from the Cheeseboard. Had a Line 51 Red Death IPA at BR that was more like a hoppy red. Supposedly they are a newer brewery out there too?

edit - just saw Calicraft is out of Walnut Creek which is where we stayed with my in-laws. Doesn't look like he has a taphouse/tasting room though. Maybe by next time....

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Originally Posted by My Pet Powder Goat

I ran a bootlegging mission for a a case of Heady Toppers direct from the cannary and stopped by Montpelier's Three Penny taproom and enjoyed a couple (more) delicious IPAs.

Lawson's jade single-hop (VT)
7.2% abv
Unfiltered citrus-lavender?

Hill Farmstead Simco (VT)
single-hop pale ale
5.4%abv
unfiltered, very citrusy hop

Lawson's Hopzilla (VT)
double ipa 8.7abv
filtered, dark golden in color with a smooth, sweet finish of citrus and pine


I'm starting to think craft beer has finally "arrived"

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Beer isn't meant to taste like pine needles, lavender flowers and fucking grapefruit juice

Do you buy that shit at fucking Bed Bath and Beyond?

Just more proof IPA is pussy beer made by pussies for pussies.

Enjoying your bitchtits yet?

Lemme guess, you drive a Subaru, listen to NPR, are sensitive to women's issues and ride cross country.

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Originally Posted by TheMessenger

Beer isn't meant to taste like pine needles, lavender flowers and fucking grapefruit juice

Do you buy that shit at fucking Bed Bath and Beyond?

Just more proof IPA is pussy beer made by pussies for pussies.

Enjoying your bitchtits yet?

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Most good beers have "note" or "hints" of different flavors, porters are smoky, stouts are sometimes choclolatey, I like IPA that have citrus to smooth out the bitterness,

....but hey keep drinking that Budweiser:rolleyes2

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Originally Posted by TheMessenger

Beer isn't meant to taste like pine needles, lavender flowers and fucking grapefruit juice

Do you buy that shit at fucking Bed Bath and Beyond?

NO

Just more proof IPA is pussy beer made by pussies for pussies.

So stronger beer is for pussies? I bet my dry, almost straight Hendricks gin martini is too, because of the glass it comes in?

Enjoying your bitchtits yet?

Actually we are probably skinnier because we drink one or two real beers while you down a 12 pack of swill

Lemme guess, you drive a Subaru - YES

listen to NPR - NO

are sensitive to women's issues YES, BUT NOT LIKE, THEIR PERIOD AND SHIT. THEY CAN GTFO WITH THAT NOISE

and ride cross country. - HELL NO

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JHGLJHGB

Knee Deep tap takeover at Capitol Beer and Tap Room in Sac in 12/6

The Berryessa Double Tap Imp IPA is really good if you like a hoppy wet taste. I like what Berryessa's been doing of late.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TheMessenger

Beer isn't meant to taste like pine needles, lavender flowers and fucking grapefruit juice

Do you buy that shit at fucking Bed Bath and Beyond?

Just more proof IPA is pussy beer made by pussies for pussies.

Enjoying your bitchtits yet?

Lemme guess, you drive a Subaru, listen to NPR, are sensitive to women's issues and ride cross country.

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Lemme guess, you don't ski, still live with your parents, and weigh over 250 lbs. When not trolling TGR, you are playing World of Warcraft, eating hot pockets, and drinking Code Red Mountain Dew.

Beer isn't meant to taste like urine, but since the taste brings back memories of those golden showers the guys at band camp used to give you, then hey, to each his own.

good beer CAN taste like spruce needles - one of my best homebrews ever was an IPA with spruce tips in the last boil (5min) and dry hopped with spruce tips - fucking delicious

any good Truckee beer stores?
or do I have to go to Road Runner in Meyers?

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Originally Posted by telemike

any good Truckee beer stores?
or do I have to go to Road Runner in Meyers?

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you'd drive from Truckee to Meyers for beer rather than the shorter trip to Reno and visit Craft?

No. Coming from west Sierra foothills. Can travel through Carson Pass or Donner Pass. Thanks for the Reno beta!

Picked up a couple bottles of Dogfish 90 minute IPA today.
Stupidly stoked to try them when I get a chance.
Attachment 126922

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8206/8...0341fc80_z.jpg
craft by chadbro, on Flickr

Any non-jong want to trade a few Plinys for a 750 ml of Goose Island's King Henry? I've got a few Henry's left that have been stored for about a year.

That shit is really good. My beer store guy had one sitting in the back for me for a year that he just gave me. He does that. "Oh, by the way, I've been keeping this cold for you..." Then presents me with a 2 year old Abyss or a year old KH. Best was the 4 pack of 4 year old Alaskan Smoked Porter. That shit gets better with age.

I'd trade, but I can't get Pliney anywhere close to me...

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Originally Posted by telemike

Best was the 4 pack of 4 year old Alaskan Smoked Porter. That shit gets better with age.

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I would hope so, I was not a fan when I tried it pretty fresh. But I may just not be a fan of the smoked flavor. Does it mellow with age?

yes - it is intended to be put aside for a while -

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Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

If you can get the EnjoyBy ... get it. Definitely better than the regular stone
http://www.stonebrewing.com/enjoyby/

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I thought the Enjoy By 12.21.12 was very well crafted, but not my style. All piney hops and very little resin or thick mouthfeel, and virtually no citrus. All pine and flowers, and very smooth. Smells like the Younger and gets better as it warms up, but I feel like a touch of different malt base or something to add a bit more residual sweet/syrup flavor and mouthfeel would go a long way. For me, I like fruits and a touch of residual stickiness in an IPA. Still though, very well crafted.


Hung out with Jeremy Warren from Knee Deep on Wednesday night at Beer Rev - guess what? They are building a brand new facility and tasting room in Auburn, CA, about 2 miles off I80 on Ball Road. Basically, making it way easier to hit it up on the way to/from north shore Tahoe resorts. Too bad I never ski up there ...

And, Knee Deep Simtra triple IPA is the bomb. So worth the $10 for a bomber - 11.3% alcohol!

I may have talked about it before, but Ithaca Flower Power is a pretty solid IPA. Their brewery - while an odd little setup - had (has?) great people working there when I visited. I actually got dinner with them after the beer tour and tasting (in which they just kept giving me their Flower Power, for free, until I had to tell them no due to an empty stomach and a two hour bike ride that morning).
Attachment 127453

Nothing outstanding, but a beer from somewhat near Ithaca, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Attachment 127454

And a very good IPA named "Freckle Belly" made by Back Forty - with a sweet company slogan of "Liquid Folk Art" - out of Birmingham, AL. Don't think it's leaving the state yet, but it's delicious. If any CO mags want AL/GA beer - not that it's famous or anything - let me know and I'll bring some when I move out there in January.
Attachment 127455

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Originally Posted by telemike

I'd trade, but I can't get Pliney anywhere close to me...

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Pliny's all over around Sac right now, most bottle rooms and all the nugget markets have it currently.

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Originally Posted by fool

I may have talked about it before, but Ithaca Flower Power is a pretty solid IPA. Their brewery - while an odd little setup - had (has?) great people working there when I visited. I actually got dinner with them after the beer tour and tasting (in which they just kept giving me their Flower Power, for free, until I had to tell them no due to an empty stomach and a two hour bike ride that morning).
Attachment 127453

Nothing outstanding, but a beer from somewhat near Ithaca, Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Attachment 127454

And a very good IPA named "Freckle Belly" made by Back Forty - with a sweet company slogan of "Liquid Folk Art" - out of Birmingham, AL. Don't think it's leaving the state yet, but it's delicious. If any CO mags want AL/GA beer - not that it's famous or anything - let me know and I'll bring some when I move out there in January.
Attachment 127455

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Hey, I'll take u up on that offer! Pm u later

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

I thought the Enjoy By 12.21.12 was very well crafted, but not my style ... I feel like a touch of different malt base or something to add a bit more residual sweet/syrup flavor and mouthfeel would go a long way.

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I had another bottle on Saturday and this one tasted much smoother in mouthfeel with a bit more residual thickness. Maybe a different boil or whatever, but I take back what I said. Good shit.


I drank a lot of IPAs on Saturday, including Pliny, Port High Tide, Oakland Sticky Zipper ... and Knee Deep Simtra was the #1 standout. Enjoy By, which was fan-fucking-tastic, was a somewhat close second, but Simtra just had that perfect combination of nose, mouthfeel, taste, everything. So fucking good. Makes you start to wonder, since Simtra is a year round release, if waffling about to wait for Pliny the Younger or Hopocalypse Black Label are worth it. Seriously, Simtra is that fucking good.

(disclaimer, I drank a lot of IPAs on Saturday and strained my voice screaming at action/adventure films for 2 hours, so take everything I just wrote with dubious suspicion)

Yes! Health benefits to drinking IPA!!!!

http://www.npr.org/2012/12/10/166858...rd-in-business

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Originally Posted by NPR

A Japanese university says researchers discovered a chemical compound which apparently wards off the virus responsible for respiratory infections such as pneumonia. The compound is found in hops — which means you can drink it up in your beer. But for any benefit, you'd need to drink about 30 beers.

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30 beers?! Sounds like a challenge.

^ that's 30 Sapporos worth of hops. Sapporo funded the study.

For the kind of beers we drink, that's like one glass of Green Flash Palate Wrecker or maybe two or three bottles of Drakes or Avery. Awww yeah!

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

^ that's 30 Sapporos worth of hops. Sapporo funded the study.

For the kind of beers we drink, that's like one glass of Green Flash Palate Wrecker or maybe two or three bottles of Drakes or Avery. Awww yeah!

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I'll gladly drink 30 plineys in the name of science, just not all in one sitting.

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

I drank a lot of IPAs on Saturday, including Pliny, Port High Tide, Oakland Sticky Zipper ... and Knee Deep Simtra was the #1 standout. Enjoy By, which was fan-fucking-tastic, was a somewhat close second, but Simtra just had that perfect combination of nose, mouthfeel, taste, everything. So fucking good. Makes you start to wonder, since Simtra is a year round release, if waffling about to wait for Pliny the Younger or Hopocalypse Black Label are worth it. Seriously, Simtra is that fucking good.

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Unlike their other beers, I have not been too impressed the Port High Tide. Prefer the Anniversary or the Wipeout even. I don't know if I've had a bad batch though, as they've all poured way too foamy out of the bottle. Tried the Sticky Zipper when I was out in your neighborhood too. Not bad.

Enjoyed some hops yesterday. Epic Imperial IPA continues to be a favorite. Had a bomber at a buddy's house. Then followed up with a Blind Pig and an Odell Myrcenary both on draft at dinner. Can't go wrong with either of those, IMO.

I've had similar with recent batches of High Tide, a couple of prior ones suffered from poor handling. Wasn't impressed with the bottle of Sticky Zipper I had

First bottle of High Tide I had a couple of months back was great ... this one was skunked. I think pouring foamy is a separate issue and probably a result of certain oils in the hops? A lot of beers I've had with Nelson hops come out with really soft foam, super foamy.

Agree that Sticky Zipper was unimpressive. But you don't know until you try it, ya know? New beer for me. The 840 Double IPA (I assume this is 420 x 2?) from that brewery was reallllly good on tap at Cato's Alehouse (Piedmont Ave in Oakland) way earlier in the year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by flowtron's ghost

Bromontana, re: Firestone Walker Union Jack

I usually go to the 3300s sto' behind REI, or Sugarhouse. Sometimes Sugarhouse will be out, but 33rd always seems to have it.

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Thanks man - I'll check it out next time I'm in the area.

Had a White IPA (Saranac) while back east last week. Not bad.. definitely mellow for an IPA but an interesting mix with white ale taste up front and a hoppy finish. Certainly not a high grade beer but not too pricey iirc. Good ole Magruders.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SchralphMacchio

I had another bottle on Saturday and this one tasted much smoother in mouthfeel with a bit more residual thickness. Maybe a different boil or whatever, but I take back what I said. Good shit.


I drank a lot of IPAs on Saturday, including Pliny, Port High Tide, Oakland Sticky Zipper ... and Knee Deep Simtra was the #1 standout. Enjoy By, which was fan-fucking-tastic, was a somewhat close second, but Simtra just had that perfect combination of nose, mouthfeel, taste, everything. So fucking good. Makes you start to wonder, since Simtra is a year round release, if waffling about to wait for Pliny the Younger or Hopocalypse Black Label are worth it. Seriously, Simtra is that fucking good.

(disclaimer, I drank a lot of IPAs on Saturday and strained my voice screaming at action/adventure films for 2 hours, so take everything I just wrote with dubious suspicion)

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Scralph, where can you get the Simtra and Enjoy By in the East Bay? Whole Foods? I'd like to pick some up when I'm out there in a few weeks.

Schralph

You had bad luck with Knee Deep a few pages back, too, remember? Now you loves them. Funk happens.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fool

Scralph, where can you get the Simtra and Enjoy By in the East Bay? Whole Foods? I'd like to pick some up when I'm out there in a few weeks.

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Enjoy By is done, but you can get Simtra at Beer Rev or Whole Foods. Preferably, at Beer Rev, and I'll join you for the mission :)

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Originally Posted by telemike

Schralph

You had bad luck with Knee Deep a few pages back, too, remember? Now you loves them. Funk happens.

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Yeah, funk definitely happens. Taints are not that hard to come by. I need to learn more about the operations side of the business to understand how practical it is for better QC. I know we are talking about biological processes, and I've been around winery operations to know that little bits of mouse shit, dead spiders, bird feathers, are getting into even high end wines. Ironically, those are not the things that tend to taint wine!

I love Knee Deep for how they balance hops and malts, and because Jeremy Warren is the shit (really f'ing nice guy too), and because they are BUILDING A NEW TAPROOM IN AUBURN! All you Norf Lake Tahoe skiers can swing by on the way to/from Tahoe now, not to mention while out sport climbing/mountain biking/paddling Auburn.

Russian River Brewing is no longer selling their beer in WA State. Sniffle :(

I understand why though, why bother shipping gold when you can easily sell it at home.

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Originally Posted by Yonder_River

Russian River Brewing is no longer selling their beer in WA State. Sniffle :(

I understand why though, why bother shipping gold when you can easily sell it at home.

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If it makes you feel better it doesn't get shipped to SC anymore either and it isn't real regular in the south bay stores (at least the IPA's aren't). I guess they are considering expansion but unsure of the $$$.

On the bad IPA front: Triple Voodoo Kraken

On the good IPA front: Sante Adairius Brewer's Beard - IPA w/a bit o' Bret

On the we clearly overestimated what we could charge for a bottle front: Gordon Biersch Imperial Pilsener. Was $9, now $4 at the local liquor store. Alright Pilsener.

Anyone get some of the latest Enjoy By? Didn't come to CO this time.

Hmmm good IPAs as of late....Had an Avery Maharaja, Green Flash Palate Wrecker, and Green Flash Triple IPA on draft at dinner on Sunday. My palate is definitely getting wrecked. After laying off the hoppier brews for a few weeks and going with more dark options I'm craving the big, smack you in the face hop bombs. Must be this warm streak we're in.

Speaking of big hops, Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial IPA never fails to disappoint either.

My new favorite beer (the one on the right), until the next one comes along:

http://hopworksbeer.com/wp-content/u...-5-300x200.jpg

I don't know about you guys, but I have a hard time enjoying a beer below 80 IBU's, I guess I should say really liking, not enjoying as I can still enjoy a carona like I do a cup of green tea, but I also don't love any beers below 90 IBU's, and they just seem to get better from there on up.

Isn't Pliny the Elder around 65 or 70 IBU?

Beer Valley Brewing Co.

Leafer Madness Imperial IPA

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Originally Posted by telemike

any good Truckee beer stores?
or do I have to go to Road Runner in Meyers?

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The market in Tahoe Donner used to have a pretty good selection. Bought a few Pliny's there.