Beer!

tohostudios wrote:

Yep.

I don't get it.  I guess some people like that it's "creamier" on the palate.  To me it just tastes like flat beer.

I found this summation on the Deschutes Brewery site:

Quote :

Let’s talk gas. Beer has it…and it shows up visually in the form of bubbles.
When you order a pint at your local watering hole, it will most likely be served using CO2 or carbon dioxide. During fermentation, yeast in the tank/vessel eat sugars from the liquid (called wort or sweet barley tea) and naturally there are two bi-products from this process…alcohol and CO2. Before the beer goes from the fermentation vessels to a brite tank (where the beer settles before bottling), or directly to racking for kegging, it is often force carbonated to give the beer fizz, flavors and aromas.

CO2 is a clear colorless gas that gives oomph to your liquids. Based upon temperature and pressure (psi), you can have a beer that is over carbonated, under carbonated or just right (sounds like Goldilocks and the Three Bears). We recommend serving your beer cool because if it’s too cold, it stifles the CO2 and if it’s too warm, you may get a gusher!
Nitrogenated beer, on the other hand, infuses nitrogen gas into beer and is largely insoluble (hard to dissolve) in the liquid. This gas gives beer a creamy and smooth mouth feel (tiny bubbles – now that song is in our heads). Nitro beers also tend to have less perceived bitterness because CO2 is acidic which adds to bitterness perception. There are mixed opinions on this so you must try a Nitro beer vs a Carbonated beer side by side and see for yourself (you can often get the CO2 version and Nitro version together at our pubs and tasting room).

I've never heard of that either. It doesn't sound too appealing and I'm usually open to trying anything.

I did try several including the Sam Adams series, the Left Hand milk stout and one other one I can't remember.  I didn't like any of them very much even if the flavors were good.  The lack of "fizz" just bugged me and reminded me I was drinking flat beer.

I've has some bad ones on nitro but i've had a couple on tap that were beyond amazing.

Anyways, enjoying a local tonight, a red IPA from Iron Horse Brewery.

Don't think I've ever heard of a red IPA.  I'd try it though now that I've overcome my IPA prejudice.

Has more malt profile then a regular IPA

Followed up by Widmer Steelbridge Porter.

Had two Pelican Brewing Tsunami Stouts on Nitro last night. It's the beer that brought me to the Nitro side.

Found a new one from Schlafly today. Apparently they've started a new series called "From the Ibex Cellar" that features barrel-aged versions of their regular beers. This one is their coffee stout aged in bourbon barrels and it's awesome.

When I got home I looked up this series on their site and apparently they're going to do 6 different varieties of these this year. AND (most importantly) one will be a barrel-aged version of their pumpkin ale.

Can't wait for that!

Another one we don't get but I hear so much about.

007 wrote:

I've never heard of that either. It doesn't sound too appealing and I'm usually open to trying anything.

Doesn't sound good to me either, although I suppose I'd try it once just to say I did it.

Nitros aren't terrible; the flavors are good. But the lack of bubbles just annoys me.

Picked up a local, Peanut Butter Cup Porter. Not the greatest reviews but I can't get the Belching Beaver version locally so i'm hoping I like it.

I've had a few of those peanut butter/chocolate combos. The 4 Hands one was the only one I thought was decent; the rest tasted too artificial.

This one was pretty smooth, the PB flavor wasn't too strong.
Following up with a Son of a Baptist Coffee Stout by Epic Brewing.

It's here!  It's here!

Dogfish Head has finally come to Missouri!

As I mentioned a bunch of posts back the last time I went to my beer megastore across the Missouri River I noticed they'd cleared out a bunch of shelf space and had a sign that said "Dogfish Head coming soon!".

Well it's gone beyond just the beer stores.  Today I picked up a 4 pack of Dogfish Head's "90 Minute IPA" at my usual grocery store.  Tasting it now for the first time and it definitely deserves the rating BeerAdvocate gives it. 

I can't wait to go back over the river and see what other Dogfish Head selections the real beer store has.  I'll probably pickup up at least one of everything.

Nice, they make some great brews. If you can find Flesh and Blood try it.

BTW, tonight I had a Biscotti Break by EvilTwin Brewing. Amazing.

Dark Horseman wrote:

BTW, tonight I had a Biscotti Break by EvilTwin Brewing. Amazing.

Yep!  That's a great one.

Still sticking to Spaten Optimator and tonight is a good night for a few and a few more after that.

Optimator is a good brew. When we lived in Portland I always had a couple at this German restaurant we used to frequent.

Founder's KBS.

Geez, so much hype.  And I didn't realize that reserving a quantity of one using my VIP number literally meant "one bottle"; other stuff I've reserved with a unit of "one" at least meant a 4 pack.  I'd be pissed if I hadn't been planning to go across the river to the beer store anyway to checkout their Dogfish Head selection. 

Anyway, the KBS is undoubtedly great but it's certainly not worth $6 for a 12oz bottle or me driving all the way in there if that was the only reason I was going.  I won't bother reserving any next year. 

I did pick up some other Dogfish Head brews they had that I'm anxious to try.  I also picked up something from Shmaltz Brewery (rapidly climbing my list of favorite brewers) called "Klingon Imperial Porter".  Apparently they have a whole Star Trek series but this is the first one I've seen.

We won't even see KBS but that price is off putting.
Picked up a couple of cans of Cavatica stout. Love this one.

Um...I don't think that's a beer...

http://fortgeorgebrewery.com/beer/cavatica-stout/

In my job I see a lot of bars and resteraunts. I found a place called BFF Asian Grill and they had some beers on tap I want to give a try to sometime:





They also had one on tap I've had (and liked) before:

I'd be interested to taste that mint one.