[Happy Camper]

Best tasting beer I had was from the tap at the A-B Brewery Beer Garden in St. Louis. The beer was fresh and 36 F. Have had some very good beers but the brewery fresh tap had the most flavorful taste. The favorite was Michelob dark. This was before micro brews were introduced.

I had some buddies that worked for A-B in the 70s. They use to get free beer on break and lunch. They also got 2 cases a day (mislabeled, reject). This was common practice. They stopped the program after a few deaths from drunkdrivers leaving work.

I think the nastiest beer was Stag. Of course this was when I was young and aquiring a taste for beer. Today it might not taste bad but I don't think it is made.

 

[spacecoyote]

Better late than never

Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA, 7.7% Al/Vol, 100+ IBU's

On the back of the bottle is a short dissertation about hops, hoppy beer and this beer imparticularly. "If you are not already a confirmed hop head...then this is NOT the place to start", this is the gist of it.
I can tell you, the reader, that from a dozen or more years of tasting beer, a hop head I am not. I do love hops, I love them as much as water, yeast and malt! I just don't define beer by how hoppy it is, some folks do, I say "Cheers!" to them.
So today I decide to broaden my palate, and what better place to start than right where I am told not to

.
Over the years I have brewed close to forty beers, most of them all-grain recipes and all of them using whole flower hops. So I can say without a doubt, I am familiar with the cannabis lupus plant. The smell of a whole flower hop is something to be awed and respected, as is the beer in which it is used. Depending on what stage of the brewing process you add your hops, depending on what type of hop and it's alpha acid content, depending on the temperature, and depending on whether you dry-hop (adding hops to an already brewed beer) all play significant roles on what the hop imparts on your brew.
Now, back to the Ruination of my palate. Amber in color with a dense creamy head, this beer is not nearly as imposing as I expected it to be. Unlike the power of Dogfish Head's 90 or 120 Minute IPA this hopmonster is quite pleasant and mellow. The aroma is very floral, a whiff of pine. The mouthfeel is also not as powerful as I expected, which is a pleasant surprise. Roll it around on your tongue for a while and you will "feel" the hops, here is it's real power. Very assertive, spicy, fruity (granny smith apple?), the hop flavor coats the mouth. This beer is not without a malt backbone, though. The sweetness is there, albeit in the background. At 7.7% alcohol this IPA dances on the fine line that divides everyday or "table" beer and the subclass known as "Big Beers". Highly recommended, to the experienced and green hop head alike.

 

[spacecoyote]

It's all over now, baby brew!

I have found the ultimate club to join, @ beveragebistro.com !
Michael Jackson's Rare Beer Club ,


http://rarebeerclub.beveragebistro.com/

My brother and I are going to split a Platinum membership, which will cost us each $11.63 a week for six 750ml bottles (or 500ml depending) a month of rare beer.
I found this by accident while looking for an online source of Bass No. 1 Barleywine. I suggest anyone with an interest in rare beer check this out.
Now I just need to get some Westvleteren to complete my collection of Trappist Ales!

 

[fat pat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacecoyote /img/forum/go_quote.gif Better late than never Stone Brewing Co. Ruination IPA, 7.7% Al/Vol, 100+ IBU's

100+ ibu? wow...thats a spicy beer. im a newly 21 year old beer fan, but ive made the distinction to lots of my college friends of not being the miller lite guy(unless im running short of cash)
heres some favorites of mine

anything from goose island(chicago microbrewery, actually has some decent distribution, check out their summertime, or oatmeal stout...aslo if you have the money, and its in season their "bourbon county stout" is utter delicious...pours like motor oil 13.2 abv)
guiness draught
dogfish ipa's
pilsner urquell

im still a new guy at beer, since ive only recently been able to go out and purchase it, but im enjoying all it has to offer so far. binnys anyone?(at least chicago people)

 

[FallenAngel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacecoyote /img/forum/go_quote.gif ^I've never seen a real beer with preservatives...all real beers are all natural. Alcohol is a natural preservative, so are hops. I'd be interested to know what beers you've had that have preservatives in them. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm genuinely interested.

It's actually commonly accepted that most, if not all, American beers contain preservatives, and all Scandinavian beers do not. Something to think about next time someone reaches for a Bud

A few sources, just search for "beer preservatives":
http://www.64mm.com/beer.htm
... quality of beers will vary from country to country. For example, in the USA beer is brewed with a lot of preservatives. In my opinion this leads to massive headaches and hang-overs the morning after. However, in countries like Belgium and the Netherlands the beer is brewed sans preservatives allowing for a "fresher" flavor and a hurt free morning after. The Scandinavian countries, although not using many preservatives seem to "poison" their beer with hang-over inducing chemicals to discourage drinking. The beers in South America tend to be on the "light" lager side, and very thirst quenching.

http://www.justhereforthebeer.com/beer%20glossary.htm
Preservatives - Much like pasteurization, preservatives are additives used to increase beer shelf life and freshness. Preservatives are a necessary evil for most beers that have to be transported over long distances or beer that does not remain refrigerated.

http://beeradvocate.com/forum/read/819953
Nice discussion into american-foreign beers

 

[ex0du5]

Molson Canadian.

Yes...I still drink crap beer. I gotta go out and try some different stuff.

 

[Funkmonkey]

Sign me up for Team BEER-fi

Acme IPA, Arogant person, and many many other Hefeweizen's, and IPA's, and yes Rogue breweries makes great beer, so does Stone. Can't forget the old stand by: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. Another brewery that makes consistantly excellent beer is Bell's Brewery from Kalamazoo, MI.

Molson Canadian is not crap beer, it is actually a very good macro brew, the american macros suck.

So many great beers so little time.
Life is too short to drink cheap Beer.

Cheers

 

[spacecoyote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FallenAngel /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's actually commonly accepted that most, if not all, American beers contain preservatives, and all Scandinavian beers do not. Something to think about next time someone reaches for a Bud

Dude, no offense, but it's utter nonsense. To say that "most if not all American beers have preservatives" is an uneducated statement, I'm sorry but it is. All the hyperlinks in the world will not convince me, or any educated beer enthusiast, otherwise. The links you provided just give blanket statements that reiterate your claim, with no physical proof.
Most, if not all (American or otherwise), beers DO NOT have preservatives in them, except for the naturally occurring antiseptic qualities of hops and alcohol. What may have preservatives in it are your Mikes Hard This and Smirnoff Twisted That, the FuFu "wine coolers" and flavored hard drinks that often derive their alcohol from a malt mash.
Every one of those links you've provided are general statements made by non-professionals basing their statements on third hand disinformation. The one at Beer Advocate is kind of funny, and the one from "justhereforthebeer_com" is just a definition for the word preservative.
If brewers are secretive about the contents of their brew, it's not to hide the preservatives, it's because of corporate espionage.
Now to be fair, I would not be surprised in the least if beers like "Milwaukee's Beast" or "Black Label" or Keystone" had presrvatives in them, but that hardly qualifies as "most, if not all of American beers".
Like I asked before, show me what beer you've had that has preservatives in it, not just some zealous statement by some right wing beer nut with an agenda. If you can, I'll gladly eat my words. But, Dude, c'mon huh...stop spreading disinformation.

Was that harsh? It should be, since bold claims are being made without a smidgen of physical proof.

 

[spacecoyote]

Now, on to business.
First response wins, what shall I drink tonite?
Schwarzbier, Lambic, or Pale Ale?

 

[HiGHFLYiN9]

I'd like to think I'm a beer connoisseur, only the finest beverages will do. Which is why I'm currently slowly sipping on the much acclaimed Milwaukee's Best Ice, and pondering the exquisiteness and bold, unique flavor. Why a beer this fine would bother to advertise the 5.9% alcohol content on the outside of the 30-pack is beyond me.

All kidding aside, Sam Adams Double Bock is by far my favorite beer. When it's not around, I'll get some Sam Adams Brown Ale, Killian's Irish Red, or if I'm feeling cheap, some Milwaukee's Beast Ice or some Natty Ice. Gets the job done and let's me reminisce about my college days

 

[splaz]

Schwarzbier!

I win, I win... now wheres my prize ?

 

[Quake1028]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacecoyote /img/forum/go_quote.gif I went by the store today to get my schedule and I ended up hanging out with the boss for a while. We're going to be upping our beer selection from 650 to 1000!!! No Westvleteren though, at least, not yet...

As it stands, you will never get that beer here to sell. It's illegal to import it to this country and sell it at retail.

 

[spacecoyote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gloomfire /img/forum/go_quote.gif As it stands, you will never get that beer here to sell. It's illegal to import it to this country and sell it at retail.

Oh, I know. Westvleteren is only sold from the retail "hatch" at the monastery and at the cafe` next door. The beer sells so fast that they ration each car that pulls up to the hatch. A patron can call the monastery to hear a pre-recorded message stating which "color" (referring to the color of the cap, green #6, blue #8 or gold #10) is available. I just need it for my personal collection of Trappist beers. Right now I have Westmalle (Dupel and Tripel), Rochefort (red #6, green #8, and blue #10), Orval, and Chimay (Cinq Cents and Grande Reserve), this is four of the five Trappist monastery breweries left in the world, all in Belgium. One particular brewery still gives me pause, Koningshoeven in Holland. The beers under this label were once brewed by monks and labeled as Latrappe. However, a few years ago the label changed to Koningshoeven, and I'm pretty sure it is not brewed by monks any longer. The monks may indeed be conjuring their own spirits for mass, but if they are they're no longer selling it to the public.

 

[spacecoyote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by splaz /img/forum/go_quote.gif Schwarzbier! I win, I win... now wheres my prize ?

The prize? Oh, the prize. Yes, well, the prize...
You get to read my review when I pop the top a snap a shot for the thread

 

[Quake1028]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacecoyote /img/forum/go_quote.gif Oh, I know. Westvleteren is only sold from the retail "hatch" at the monastery and at the cafe` next door. The beer sells so fast that they ration each car that pulls up to the hatch. A patron can call the monastery to hear a pre-recorded message stating which "color" (referring to the color of the cap, green #6, blue #8 or gold #10) is available. I just need it for my personal collection of Trappist beers. Right now I have Westmalle (Dupel and Tripel), Rochefort (red #6, green #8, and blue #10), Orval, and Chimay (Cinq Cents and Grande Reserve), this is four of the five Trappist monastery breweries left in the world, all in Belgium. One particular brewery still gives me pause, Koningshoeven in Holland. The beers under this label were once brewed by monks and labeled as Latrappe. However, a few years ago the label changed to Koningshoeven, and I'm pretty sure it is not brewed by monks any longer. The monks may indeed be conjuring their own spirits for mass, but if they are they're no longer selling it to the public.

Small corrections.

Westy 6 = Green Cap
Westy 8 = Blue Cap
Westy 12 = Gold Cap

You also forgot the 7th one, Brouwerij de Achelse Kluis. They are probably the least known of the Trappist beers. And Koningshoeven had their official Trappist designation given back to them as of a few years ago.