The Beer Thread

[G. Keenan]

then I went out and bought a 4 pack to bring home...

Paging Jim. Jim, you are needed in the rants department.

[cards2468]

then I went out and bought a 4 pack to bring home...

Paging Jim. Jim, you are needed in the rants department.

Yea yea yea, I know. For good beer I'll do it. I don't know who in the hell would buy a 4 pack of Budweiser.

[MrSaigon]

I like my Japanese beers: Kirin (malt) and Asahi (super dry lager).

Can anyone recommend a good malt that I might be able to find out here in the PNW?

[JL21]

Last night, I tried the 2nd Shift Brewing Company's Unicorn Killer on draft. It's a farmhouse style. I liked it a ton, but I'm coming to really enjoy the farmhouses. I also tried the Six Row Porter, which I thought was average-ish, nothing special.

Then at the Bottleworks on Friday, I tried their Cocoa Porter, which was fantastic. I also tried their new recipe Christmas Ale and liked it a lot less than previous incarnations. It's much drier. I wasn't a fan.

[jim]

then I went out and bought a 4 pack to bring home...

Paging Jim. Jim, you are needed in the rants department.

Yea yea yea, I know. For good beer I'll do it. I don't know who in the hell would buy a 4 pack of Budweiser.

You got ripped off two beers.

[Freed Roger]

Last night, I tried the 2nd Shift Brewing Company's Unicorn Killer on draft. It's a farmhouse style. I liked it a ton, but I'm coming to really enjoy the farmhouses. I also tried the Six Row Porter, which I thought was average-ish, nothing special.

Then at the Bottleworks on Friday, I tried their Cocoa Porter, which was fantastic. I also tried their new recipe Christmas Ale and liked it a lot less than previous incarnations. It's much drier. I wasn't a fan.

What is the farmhouse style like?

[Freed Roger]

Am hoping to use the schlafly tour and tasting that I bought at a charity auction. Anyone done that tour? in other words, how long do they let you sit there and sample free beers on the tour?

I've been on the Schlafly tour at Bottleworks. It was good. A short tour, compared to AB, of course. But you get to taste whatever you want! My tour only had like 8 other people. We basically sat around the tap room and had whatever we wanted for about an hour. They give you little 8 oz glasses, but didn't seem to have a problem letting me try 5 or so beers, including some Special Reserves they had.

The Schafly Tap Room tour is a good time if you ever get the chance. About 50% brewery talk, 50% beer drinking. A lot of good beer drank in short time.

They had a Brown Ale that was real good. Am enjoying the Kolsch more and more. The APA which was drawn from a fermenter and pretty good. Golden Optic - a lighter beer was excellent. Quadruple, whatever that was-was great. A happy place.

[JL21]

What is the farmhouse style like?

Saisons originated in Belgium as a summer seasonal beer, intending to be both refreshing and firm in flavor and body. The saison typically has a fruity (citrus is common) aroma that can be accompanied by a combination of spicey, hoppy, herbal, earthy, yeasty, even musty aspects. The flavor is moderately malty with an assertive hoppy balance and sometimes has peppery and spicey notes. Frequently, acidic and sour (Lactobacillus) aspects finish out the flavor profile of a saison, which can finish with a dry and highly carbonated finish. The appearance of a saison ranges from yellow-orange to deep amber and distinctively pours with a very generous and fluffy pillowy head that leaves behind some of the best Belgian lacing known to beer. Alcohol strengths are most often in the 5 - 8.5% ABV range, but some examples are stronger. Normally, the alcohol in a saison fills out the flavor profile but is not warming or hot.

Honestly, I don't taste any "fruity" flavor so I have no idea WTF they're talking about there. Same goes for the "sour" description. I've never had one I'd describe as sour. I do, however, taste the pepper and spice. "Pillowy" is a perfect adjective for it. Some saisons/farmhouse styles you can try are Boulevard's Tank 7, which is very dry; Schlafly's Biere de Garde; and the New Glarus Spotted Cow.

[Freed Roger]

What is the farmhouse style like?

Saisons originated in Belgium as a summer seasonal beer, intending to be both refreshing and firm in flavor and body. The saison typically has a fruity (citrus is common) aroma that can be accompanied by a combination of spicey, hoppy, herbal, earthy, yeasty, even musty aspects. The flavor is moderately malty with an assertive hoppy balance and sometimes has peppery and spicey notes. Frequently, acidic and sour (Lactobacillus) aspects finish out the flavor profile of a saison, which can finish with a dry and highly carbonated finish. The appearance of a saison ranges from yellow-orange to deep amber and distinctively pours with a very generous and fluffy pillowy head that leaves behind some of the best Belgian lacing known to beer. Alcohol strengths are most often in the 5 - 8.5% ABV range, but some examples are stronger. Normally, the alcohol in a saison fills out the flavor profile but is not warming or hot.

Honestly, I don't taste any "fruity" flavor so I have no idea WTF they're talking about there. Same goes for the "sour" description. I've never had one I'd describe as sour. I do, however, taste the pepper and spice. "Pillowy" is a perfect adjective for it. Some saisons/farmhouse styles you can try are Boulevard's Tank 7, which is very dry; Schlafly's Biere de Garde; and the New Glarus Spotted Cow.

Is the Farmhouse supposed to be similar to saissons or belgian abbeys? Liked Biere de Garde ok at the tasting, but it was getting blurry by then. New Glarus Spotted Cow is farmhouse style? - to me it's like a lager. and good to me, though its not a favorite New Glarus for me. I had a highly rated Imperial Weizen Saisson from New Glarus that I couldn't finish, so I traded it in for a Moon Man.

I was not a fan of Grand Cru at Schlafly's. What style is that? New Belgiums Abbey is probably the worst beer I've had from a good brewer -and I think that dead flower musty taste description by Saigon is accurate in that regard.

So this is the confusion and dilemna for me - I don't want to miss some good beers, by avoiding certain genres altogether. I seem to like some of this style, but most I have an aversion to .

[lukethedrifter]

In other local beer news, iTap is looking to open a CWE locale.

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/d ... 0f31a.html