Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:26 am
Kevin's Watch
Official Discussion Forum for the works of Stephen R. Donaldson
https://kevinswatch.com/phpBB3/
BEER
Page 23 of 36
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 2:08 am
38%
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 3:12 am
67% 
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 2:30 pm
71%.
Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2014 2:54 pm
67%
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:05 pm
86%.
I picked Germany instead of Czech Republic, and 38 million barrels craft beer production instead of 15.6 million, but I hesitated on each one, considering the correct answer as my 2nd choice. If only I'd listened to my gut, I could have pulled off 95%. The only one I absolutely disagree with is that malty sweetness can tame a spicy meal. I would have went with hop bitterness (not a choice) or high carbonation. There's no way I'd want a thick, sweet, malty beer with spicy food.
I picked Germany instead of Czech Republic, and 38 million barrels craft beer production instead of 15.6 million, but I hesitated on each one, considering the correct answer as my 2nd choice. If only I'd listened to my gut, I could have pulled off 95%. The only one I absolutely disagree with is that malty sweetness can tame a spicy meal. I would have went with hop bitterness (not a choice) or high carbonation. There's no way I'd want a thick, sweet, malty beer with spicy food.
Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:39 pm
I'm curently on vacation in the Netherlands. Had a hot pizza with chili and peppers and thought a beer would go better with that than wine. So I ordered a beer from Belgium: Grimbergen Dubbel Bruin, a dark beer with 6.5%. Usually I'm not a beer drinker and if I prefer German Pils, but this one went down amazingly well. Tried another Grimbergen (Tripel Blond) with even 9%, but was rather disappointed. Way too sweet for my taste.
Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2014 7:49 pm
I won a raffle at the local bar and have the bartender there as well as a brewmaster from one of the local craft breweries coming over in a few weeks to teach me how to brew. Should be interesting.
Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2014 4:50 pm
Cail, excellent! Keep us updated on how it goes.
I'm upgrading my equipment next year, and I'm considering going from 5 gallon batches to 10. It takes about the same amount of work on brew day (though bottling will take twice as long ... I really need to get into kegging).
I've brewed hundreds of gallons over the last decade, nearly all of them better than most beer I can buy. It's a rewarding hobby, with many levels of ease/complexity, depending on how deep you get into it.
Are you a craft beer enthusiast? It's a lot of hard work. Loving beer is essential for the long haul.
I'm upgrading my equipment next year, and I'm considering going from 5 gallon batches to 10. It takes about the same amount of work on brew day (though bottling will take twice as long ... I really need to get into kegging).
I've brewed hundreds of gallons over the last decade, nearly all of them better than most beer I can buy. It's a rewarding hobby, with many levels of ease/complexity, depending on how deep you get into it.
Are you a craft beer enthusiast? It's a lot of hard work. Loving beer is essential for the long haul.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 10:07 am
The local bar keeps roughly 60 or so various craft beers in stock, and has tap takeovers regularly from local breweries. I'm hooked.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 4:42 pm
I've been fortunate enough to sample one of Z's brew. I hope yours turns out as well, Cail.
Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2014 4:58 pm
I probably buy more Stone brews than any other brewer's, but Deschutes Chasin' Freshies (fresh hop IPA) is my current favorite of the week. I love those Mosaic hops.
My smallish hometown now has 4 craft brewers! I'm pretty amazed, when I think back on how far we've come since I started getting into craft beer. I wish I'd opened up a brewery about 5 years ago. West Sixth is really taking off with their canned products being distributed to more and more places. I've noticed them tightening up the recipe (or their brewing process) over the last few years into a solid IPA.
My smallish hometown now has 4 craft brewers! I'm pretty amazed, when I think back on how far we've come since I started getting into craft beer. I wish I'd opened up a brewery about 5 years ago. West Sixth is really taking off with their canned products being distributed to more and more places. I've noticed them tightening up the recipe (or their brewing process) over the last few years into a solid IPA.
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 2:39 pm
Over the Holiday I stopped and had a few beers with some friends. I typically like to order things I haven't tried before. So I tried a Rogue Dead Guy ale. If you have a chance, try this one out. It wasn't bitter, it had a nice maltness (is that a word?) to it. Good color and drinks smooth.
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Well it took me a while but I read this entire thread. Very educational. My nephew was brewing his own dark beers for a few years and brought some over to taste (this was probably 5 years ago). At the time my only experience with dark beer was Guiness. So I was expecting to not really like it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that his beer was rich, malty, the hops were there but not so much that it tasted bitter. Well balanced for my personal taste and incredibly good. I was disappointed to find that was the last of his brew and we could only enjoy a couple of glasses each.
Sadly he had to stop brewing due to two of his kids having 'death' allergies to... well just about everything, and he couldn't take the chance that he would contaminate his house with ingredients and send his kids to the hospital or worse.
[url]Well it took me a while but I read this entire thread. Very educational. My nephew was brewing his own dark beers for a few years and brought some over to taste (this was probably 5 years ago). At the time my only experience with dark beer was Guiness. So I was expecting to not really like it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that his beer was rich, malty, the hops were there but not so much that it tasted bitter. Well balanced for my personal taste and incredibly good. I was disappointed to find that was the last of his brew and we could only enjoy a couple of glasses each.
Sadly he had to stop brewing due to two of his kids having 'death' allergies to... well just about everything, and he couldn't take the chance that he would contaminate his house with ingredients and send his kids to the hospital or worse.
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 5:33 pm
Dead Guy Ale is a Maibock, a German lager with a malt emphasis (opposed to hops), so "malty" is exactly the right word. 
In Germany it's traditionally a spring beer, but I don't pay attention to seasons when picking a style--unless it's a fresh hop or harvest ale, which must be drank fresh, and the hops are only harvested once a year (well, in this hemisphere at least ... New Zealand hops are starting to catch on).
Lot's of people think there are two basic kinds of beer, "regular" and "dark." But the color doesn't have as much to do with the taste as you'd expect. While a black or brown beer almost always has a bit of roast to it (like coffee/chocolate), they can be sweet, bitter, hoppy, or even fruity. There are dozens (maybe 100s) of different beer styles, and style is the most important indicator of taste. Guinness shouldn't be thought of as definitive of dark beers. It actually has something sour going on that is unpleasant to me, though back in the 90s I did enjoy Guinness before I knew better.
I don't typically drink Rogue beers, but I know they're a respected brewer, and Dead Guy Ale is their big seller. If you can get used to a beer with some bitterness, a fresh IPA is a thing of beauty. Some versions emphasize the aroma and flavor of hops more than the bitterness, which is how I brew my own. But you really must drink them fresh to see what is special about them. Many brewers will put the date on the bottle. I typically don't drink an IPA that's more than a month or 6 weeks old, because the hop aroma/flavor fades with time and becomes stale, leaving mainly bitterness. A good pale ale is one way to work you way up to it, since they are less intense versions of IPA. Three Floyds Alpha King is an excellent pale ale, as well as Stone's Pale Ale.
In Germany it's traditionally a spring beer, but I don't pay attention to seasons when picking a style--unless it's a fresh hop or harvest ale, which must be drank fresh, and the hops are only harvested once a year (well, in this hemisphere at least ... New Zealand hops are starting to catch on). Lot's of people think there are two basic kinds of beer, "regular" and "dark." But the color doesn't have as much to do with the taste as you'd expect. While a black or brown beer almost always has a bit of roast to it (like coffee/chocolate), they can be sweet, bitter, hoppy, or even fruity. There are dozens (maybe 100s) of different beer styles, and style is the most important indicator of taste. Guinness shouldn't be thought of as definitive of dark beers. It actually has something sour going on that is unpleasant to me, though back in the 90s I did enjoy Guinness before I knew better.
I don't typically drink Rogue beers, but I know they're a respected brewer, and Dead Guy Ale is their big seller. If you can get used to a beer with some bitterness, a fresh IPA is a thing of beauty. Some versions emphasize the aroma and flavor of hops more than the bitterness, which is how I brew my own. But you really must drink them fresh to see what is special about them. Many brewers will put the date on the bottle. I typically don't drink an IPA that's more than a month or 6 weeks old, because the hop aroma/flavor fades with time and becomes stale, leaving mainly bitterness. A good pale ale is one way to work you way up to it, since they are less intense versions of IPA. Three Floyds Alpha King is an excellent pale ale, as well as Stone's Pale Ale.
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:00 pm
I dont drink a lot of beer but I like to sit and enjoy a good beer with friends or sometimes sitting in my backyard enjoying a lazy afternoon. That being said, I haven't developed a palette like you have. But that's OK.. its personal tastes and I hadn't thought of Beer being like wine in that your tastes develop with your exposure. I do find that I like IPA's although I know many people do not. There is a brewery local to me (less than 15 miles away) that serves fresh beer at the Brewery. Jailhouse brewers. They have a number of varieties.
https://www.jailhousebrewing.com
One of theirs that I consider dark is "Breakout Stout". I really like that one specifically but I have spoken to others that didn't like it at all. I haven't tried some of their newer brews lately but now that I have posted on this thread I'm feeling a trip to the Jailhouse coming on.
BTW - Great information in this thread. Thanks for taking the time to post all the stuff you have on beer here. I learned alot.
Edit - So I did stop at the brewery and had a couple of IPA's and then a couple of Breakout Stout, which was nice and malty, no bitterness, hints of chocolate.... yummm. Later they mixed me a Stout with about 1/4 IPA and it had the same taste but with the hops on the end....
https://www.jailhousebrewing.com
One of theirs that I consider dark is "Breakout Stout". I really like that one specifically but I have spoken to others that didn't like it at all. I haven't tried some of their newer brews lately but now that I have posted on this thread I'm feeling a trip to the Jailhouse coming on.
BTW - Great information in this thread. Thanks for taking the time to post all the stuff you have on beer here. I learned alot.
Edit - So I did stop at the brewery and had a couple of IPA's and then a couple of Breakout Stout, which was nice and malty, no bitterness, hints of chocolate.... yummm. Later they mixed me a Stout with about 1/4 IPA and it had the same taste but with the hops on the end....
Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 8:31 pm
Tried another local brew "Sweetwater Spinnerbait". I have had some of their IPA's which are good but this one was just bad. No hops except at the very end, had a yeisty....yet earthy taste which I just thought was bad. I ended up pouring half of this out. Could have been better if they had added more hops to it...but even then... Could just be my personal taste but blech.
Swtiched to a "Misdemeanor Ale" from Jailhouse to finish watching the Cowboys/Greenbay game.
Swtiched to a "Misdemeanor Ale" from Jailhouse to finish watching the Cowboys/Greenbay game.
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:35 pm
Just talking to myself in here... LOL
Went to a brewery over the weekend and had a Stout infused with cinnamon and jalapeno. At first you are like.. hmmmm not bad... but then you realize, your throat is burning from the Jalapeno.. LOL
Its been interesting to start drinking some different brews. There is definitely a major difference from brewers to brewers. I also have been paying much closer attention to dates on bottles. The fresher the better.
My local brewery "Jailhouse' just bottled a 'Conjugal Visit" Imperial Red Ale. I think I will pick some up this weekend.
Went to a brewery over the weekend and had a Stout infused with cinnamon and jalapeno. At first you are like.. hmmmm not bad... but then you realize, your throat is burning from the Jalapeno.. LOL
Its been interesting to start drinking some different brews. There is definitely a major difference from brewers to brewers. I also have been paying much closer attention to dates on bottles. The fresher the better.
My local brewery "Jailhouse' just bottled a 'Conjugal Visit" Imperial Red Ale. I think I will pick some up this weekend.
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:46 pm
Interesting about the spicy Stout. One of my local brewers www.hifibrewing.com had a similar Stout as a seasonal offering.
- Amigo Warmer: Inspired by Theo’s Chili chocolate bar, this stout was dosed with chocolate, cinnamon, and Guajillo chili after fermentation. Sweet and chocolatey, with just a touch of warmth, it’s a welcome companion on a winter evening. Try it with the chocolate bar for a great pairing! Alcohol: 6.8% ABV, Bitterness: 46 IBU.
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:10 pm
Did you try it? If so what did you think?Savor Dam wrote:Interesting about the spicy Stout. One of my local brewers www.hifibrewing.com had a similar Stout as a seasonal offering.
- Amigo Warmer: Inspired by Theo’s Chili chocolate bar, this stout was dosed with chocolate, cinnamon, and Guajillo chili after fermentation. Sweet and chocolatey, with just a touch of warmth, it’s a welcome companion on a winter evening. Try it with the chocolate bar for a great pairing! Alcohol: 6.8% ABV, Bitterness: 46 IBU.
Next time Im in Ohio I think I'm gong to look up a Rhinegeist Brewery Ink Imperial Stout. I've heard its incredible.
Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:51 pm
Wait a second... I'm in Ohio! Why have I not heard of this? *looks up the interwebz*SoulBiter wrote: Next time Im in Ohio I think I'm gong to look up a Rhinegeist Brewery Ink Imperial Stout. I've heard its incredible.