[elrod-tom]

  @elrod-tom, you've given me something else to find and drink this weekend while I transfer my homebrews to secondary fermenters. 
 
While I do enjoy dark beer, I've been enjoying the heck out of Flying Dog's Hefeweizen, and Bell's Oarsman Ale.

Joe, man, I had a car full of this stuff one day and was going to stop by your office.  Tell your "boss" that we all still need to get together sometime soon.  

 
Haven't tried either of those, but I do have a stash of Bell's Hopslam that's still sitting around.

 

[joe]

I have a lot of friends still trying to get their hands on Hopslam.  I'm not a hop head, though, so IPAs rarely enter my fridge.

 

[santacore]

Lately I've been really digging the Firestone brews. In California this 12 pack is widely available and has some solid brews.
 


I really enjoy all of them. The heavy IPA's and Stouts are great, but I tend to move into some lighter stuff, such as these, as the weather gets hot.

 

[santacore]

Another from a 12 pack sampler. Anchor Brewing Wheat. A really nice take on a wheat with a classic Anchor profile.
 

 

[Proglover]

Just another Britisch ale, but one with a cool context
 
I'm happily surrounded here, living in the Netherlands: our surrounding countries are the best beer countries in the world: Belgium, Germany, England. Although we also make a couple of very nice onces ourselve here in Holland.
 
Coming back to this topic once and a while shows me that the US is producing more and more 'Belgian type Beers' (I think that's how it's called in US, I mean 'specialty Beers' as opposed to normal 'pilseners') plus they have megacool bars for it.
 
I sincerely regret the day from which our importer here cannot get the Sierra Nevada Pale Ales anymore
 

 

[Proglover]

  Another from a 12 pack sampler. Anchor Brewing Wheat. A really nice take on a wheat with a classic Anchor profile.
 

 
That's one of the US beers I can get in my shop hier locally; bought it several times. They also make a very decent porter if I remember correctly.

 

[MD1032]

  Just cracked a Magic Hat #9. Pretty lame. The label says "not quite a pale ale". Yeah well, to my palate it's miles away from a pale ale. This is lame fruity beer which I'm ashamed that I bought. Maybe a bourbon chaser will take cleanse my palate. Ugh....
 

 
Magic Hat #9 is terrible. The worst part is that Magic Hat themselves seem to be very enamored with it even though their brewery produces many beers which are far better. The marketing on it only adds insult to injury, "A beer cloaked in secrecy. An ale whose mysterious and unusual palate will swirl across your tongue and ask more questions than it answers. A sort of dry, crisp, refreshing, not-quite pale ale. #9 is really impossible to describe because there's never been anything else quite like it." - yeah, there's never been anything else quite like it because most breweries would throw out a batch that turned out that poorly.
 
So, here's my contribution for the day. I haven't had it yet, but my friend in Winchester, VA got his hands on the new Two Hearted Ale in cans from Bell's. That's right, one of their best beers, and my personal favorite IPA of all time, now available in cans. It seems to me that Bells historically has always found a way to ramp up production in the past in a way that doesn't sacrifice quality, but unfortunately from what he tells me, that is not the case here. He said it tasted more bitter and slightly flavorless compared to bottled/on-tap. Overall, he thought it was terrible. I was very sorry to hear that. Can anyone confirm? It's amazing how some brews taste so much better in one form compared to another (for example Old Rasputin is brilliant on-tap and terrible in bottles).

 

[elrod-tom]

Bells Two Hearted in cans > bottles. It's surprising to me, but apparently they have done a lot with cans recently.

Have you ever had Bells Hopslam?

 

[santacore]

   
That's one of the US beers I can get in my shop hier locally; bought it several times. They also make a very decent porter if I remember correctly.

Yeah, the their regular "Steam Ale" is unique and tasty, but the Porter and Liberty Ale are my favorite. Good stuff from one of the oldest breweries in California(I know that's not saying much).

 

[santacore]

MD1032, thanks for support. Magic Hat #9 should go away or be marketed different. I find there is very little ale to the special ale.
 
The Bells stuff is very hard to find in California. I've been hearing good things and hope to try it soon.

 

[Proglover]

 
Yeah, the their regular "Steam Ale" is unique and tasty, but the Porter and Liberty Ale are my favorite. Good stuff from one of the oldest breweries in California(I know that's not saying much).

 
think I had them all three, all above average to my taste, if I remember correctly, I enjoyed the porter most. Couple of years ago.
Hmmm, will pick them up again when at the local beershop, good idea, thanks!

 

[FullPuku]

 
Ballast Point Victory at Sea Coffee Vanilla Stout - one of the "50 Beers to try before you die" according to RateBeer,com 

 

[santacore]

I've heard that "Victory At Sea" is great, but still haven't noticed it locally. Ballast Point makes some good stuff.
 
My favorite dark brews lately are the Firestone-Velvet Merlin(love it!) and a local(to me) Smog City Brewing-Groundwork Coffee Porter(delicious!!!).

 

[FullPuku]

Ballast Point is so good, I had another.
 
Indra Kanindra Curry Export Stout. (How appropriate) Includes Madras Curry, Cumin, Cayenne, Coconut, & Kaffir Lime leaf
 

 

[warubozu]

Ballast Point makes some excellent brews, including their Black Marlin Porter, Sculpin IPA, and Sea Monster Imperial Stout.