Let's talk beer

[tgrwulf]

Couldn't find a thread for this if there already is one.

Basically self explanatory. What types of beers do you like? What are some of your favorite brands? Etc.

I'm majorly a self admitted beer snob. I love dark, hoppy beers, especially ales. If it's strong and bitter then I probably like it, though I do like some smoother beers. Most of my favorite imports come from places like Ireland and Germany

Some of my favorite brands:
Guinness
Arrogant Bastard / Stone
Sam Adams
Newcastle
Moose Drool
Pete's Wicked

[MaybeNever]

I don't really drink beer, although I do like Blue Moon.

I'm curious about Tactical Nuclear Penguin, mostly because of the name. I suspect I'd hate it.

[gyeonghwa]

I'm not much of a beer drinker.

For beer pong, I generally use Bud Light.

For college parties I drink Guinness, but I don't usually drink it straight. Rather I mix it with Bailey. It's fucking awsome and tastes like chocolate.

At Khmer parties, the staple is Heineken or Corona.

Tried Tsingtao, it was meh. But I really want to try Singha and Kirin.

[tgrwulf]

Most things mixed with Bailey's taste awesome.

[Shane for Wax]

I really only like Kriek Bier. But sometimes I'll be in the mood for a good German beer or a Japanese beer.

[Shano]

Chimay Grand Reserve. So totally outclassing anything else I like that I just won't mention the others.

[wolfgangravenna]

GOD RED OR GO HOME, AMERICANS! 5% OR NOTHING! *goosesteps with Molson Canadian banners*

Hah, i'm kidding. Molson sucks. RICKARDS RED, OR GO HOME!!

[shadowpanther]

Jan 5, 2011 23:48:33 GMT -5 tgrwulf said:

Newcastle

Newcastle Brown Ale I presume? Love that stuff.

My list comprises:
Spitfire
Lancaster Bomber
Hobgoblin
King Goblin
Bombardier
Guinness
Crabbie's Alcoholic Ginger Beer
Newcastle Brown Ale
Oyster Stout
Oktoberfest

Darker stouts are always a good thing as well as ales that have subtle chocolaty after-tastes (King Goblin, Lancaster and Oktoberfest do this). I suppose I'm lucky I go to uni in a city resplendent with ale serving pubs as virtually all my fellow students seem to be filthy lager-boys. I suspect they're scared that they might taste something.

That reminds me, beer festival in two months.

[tgrwulf]

Yeah, I was talking about Newcastle Brown Ale. That has got to be one of the smoothest ales I've ever tasted.

It's funny with me because most of my friends/coworkers like good beers like Arrogant Bastard Ale or Guinness. However all my relatives for the most part drink stuff like Bud Light, Miller, Coors, etc. At my cousin's wedding in PA on New Years all they had was Miller Lite, Bud Light, and some local knock off of Heineken. It makes me feel like a beer snob, but I couldn't bring myself to even be polite and drink any of those beers. I only had Bud Light once, and it made me sick to my stomach. Not like hungover sick, just nauseous sick.

[Rime]

I brewed my own way back then. I got into wine, but once the weather warms up, I might give beer brewing another chance.

Storebought brands? Guinness Harp and Extra Stout I like. Once I tasted a beer that's made by brewing all the sugar out of it, most of the domestic brands taste too sweet.

Of course, I got lazy and I have a bottle of Jameson's Irish Whiskey which I'll crack open once a month and sip a shot. New years, 2 or 3 coffee made by dumping a shot in the mug before adding coffee.

Tigr, I think they add some barley malt to the domestic brands so you don't crave carbs while you're drinking. That might be what makes you feel sick. I could be wrong, however.

[disgruntledcolonel]

ahh Beer:

My faves are dark stouts and porters: Not Guinness though - it's base level stout if there's nothing else on - i.e if its that or Smoothflow bitter - a shadow of its former self made by a multi-national that couldn't give a shit about it - though the FES is i'm told the business. Also I'm finding myself drinking more of the brewerati beer and less of the generic big brewer beers such as the wychwood ones and newcastle (which frankly i'm astounded does so well in the US and oddly i've never seen someone drink above student age here)

Anyway my faves:

Marble Manchester Bitter & Chocolate Marble
Darkstar Espresso Stout
Bristol Beer Factory Milk Stout
Arbor Ales Oyster Stout - brewed with oyster shells in the boil unlike the marstons version
Fullers London Porter
Kernel Export Stout
Mallinsons Emley Moor Mild
Pretty much anything by Sierra Nevada
Hawkshead Brodie's Prime
Bath Ales Festivity Porter
Brewdog 5am Saint - Tactical Nuclear Penguin FYI is a 32% Imperial Stout made by Brewdog, apparently rather good.

Those are my faves highlights - Stuff I'd really like to drink this year - anything by Hardknott & Thornbridge Breweries (especially jaipur ipa) and Arrogant Bastard - especially the Oak Aged version - anyone had this?

Also, on the beer exploration point for buying a whole range of interesting and smaller breweries output in the UK, I recommend : MyBreweryTap

And for delving into the beer blogosphere (Again with a UK bias), full of interesting writers, as a jumpoff point I recommend Pete Brown's blog and then just click on some of the blogs he follows down the side. One of the most interesting posts of his on the major players in the UK beer scene

[malicious_bloke]

*THIS THREAD IS RELEVANT TO MY INTERESTS*

Particular favourites:
Hunters' Full Bore - Tastes like a perfectly normal session ale, nice and fruity...but after 8 or 9 pints (full Imperial pints, not this 16fl oz nonsense colonials try and pretend is a full pint) you stand up and instantly wonder where your legs have gone.

Dartmoor Brewery's Jail ale - Delicious, hoppy and wonderful. Doesn't travel at all well so getting it anywhere outside the southwest of england is hard.

Ruddles County - Only on draught though, the bottle conditioned variety you get in the shops is manky.

Innis & Gunn - Mainly because oak aged ale with a hint of whiskey to them are a bit different and quite a nice idea.

[disgruntledcolonel]

Ruddles Ale is manky in the bottle mainly because it now has as much to do with the Ruddles Brewery as I do, now being part of the Greene King bland brown beer megalith. Also they insist on using clear glass bottles, so their beers get ruined by the light and such. The cask version is alright, a reliable cheap 'spoons staple.

Never actually had I&G beers - read mixed reviews - do you just drink the whiskey aged beer or the rum one as well?

That looks a rather good beershop btw. Also, could someone be so kind as to refresh me on how you get the links as text? ta muchly.

[malicious_bloke]

Jan 6, 2011 13:44:53 GMT -5 disgruntledcolonel said:

Ruddles Ale is manky in the bottle mainly because it now has as much to do with the Ruddles Brewery as I do, now being part of the Greene King bland brown beer megalith. Also they insist on using clear glass bottles, so their beers get ruined by the light and such. The cask version is alright, a reliable cheap 'spoons staple.

See I know that ale keeps better in brown bottles, you know that, any half-competent homebrewer knows that...why don't greene king?

Never actually had I&G beers - read mixed reviews - do you just drink the whiskey aged beer or the rum one as well?

I've had the rum one, it's nice. I've only ever seen it as part of a presentation pack thingy though. The whiskey cask one is the only one i've ever seen on general sale.

That looks a rather good beershop btw. Also, could someone be so kind as to refresh me on how you get the links as text? ta muchly.

Yeah it's the best place to go for random local microbrews and such.

Also to linkify text use "" and "" around your text (without the cosmetic spaces obviously ).

[The Lazy One]

Before this holiday season I'd only ever had Bud Light and that tastes like ass, so I was hesitant to try any more beer. I tried Magic Hat this holiday.

I now know not all beer tastes disgusting.