Drinking 2009

[hatta]

Tonight's tipple

[kcorcoran]

Mt. Tam pale on draught this afternoon.

Just finished a cup of organic Ethiopian Sidamo Dale, roasted by Verve.

Later tonight, revisiting Mad River's John Barleycorn, a winter favorite.

[free math]

at the tail end of 2008 i caught a few of Anchor's Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Ales, in bottle and on draft. *drool*

[ghostargot]

I've been really enjoying Two Brothers' offerings lately, particularly their Hop Juice DIPA and Oh Brother! Tripel. Also enjoying: Stone's Cali-Belgique, North Coast's Old Stock Ale and Old Rasputin Stout, Brooklyn Blast IPA, Victory Storm King Stout.

Always good: Rochefort Trappistes 10, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Stone IPA, 3 Floyd's Dreadnaught IPA

[rlrds]

[surfer]

Zivio!

[nebulabore]

Bacardi 151 because it's highly flammable!

[hatta]

I had this beer tonight, a real honest to goodness Lambic, unfiltered and raw. Great beer, one I've had on tap at a local pub that specializes in importing Belgian beers. This turned out to not be the one I was trying to find (which was more sour, I've really been taken by sour beers of late) but is still a very interesting and great beer. Worth trying if you can find it.

[hatta]

One of the all-time great seasonal beers, Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot Barleywine 2009 is now available: get it while you can. Truly an amazing, strong, rich beer. I've drank a lot of barleywine's during a minor obsessive period and there are few that I've tried that are as drinkable. Sure there are stronger, but there are none stronger that are as drinkable. And it's plenty strong.

[vegetable mind]

bigfoot is one of the most underrated just because sierra nevada pale is so ubiquitous that most don't bother with it even when they see a specialty, which is unfortunate because their seasonals, and hell even the pale still holds up, aren't bad. had the house beer tonight, which tasted like a brooklyn and was free, so i wasn't complaining

[hatta]

Yeah true enough. Their series of Harvest beers from last year was fantastic, a perfect example of higher hopped yet balanced beers. As for the ubiquitous Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, I for one consider that be the definitive American Pale Ale and it remains my go to Pale Ale.

[kcorcoran]

On a similar note, recently picked up Sierra Nevada's Torpedo, an Extra IPA, after hearing folks praise it locally. I guess it's been on tap at the brewery, and just now released in bottle. Sweeter and richer than the definitive pale but with a raspy hop finish. It's okay. Agreed on Bigfoot for the most part, certainly the best Sierra brew for me.

[dave quam]

[Yii]

looks like female perfumes, how's it taste, dave?

[RFKorp]

something tells me dave doesn't have enough money to answer that question.

[NotReallyDamo]

Continuing the Sierra Nevada love, I found their Weizenbock on tap in town recently. I was told only 8 barrels of the stuff had made it to the UK, so I made sure to return as often as I could afford to until it ran out. I've never tried the regular wheat beer they do, so couldn't compare the two, but it was seriously impressive; it was also a hit with a couple of friends who don't even drink beer normally - after I offered them a sip of mine they were actually keen to shell out the eye-watering £5 asking price for a pint of their own!

The shop I work at stocks several of their permanent range and some seasonals (we normally get the seasonals one season late, eg Summerfest arrives in September...) and I really couldn't chose a favourite. The porter stands out, as well as Bigfoot, and the lovely Celebration ale which we'll hopefully be getting back in sometime soon.

[kcorcoran]

last night:
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron - a brown ale aged in Palo Santo wood tanks, 12% abv. I waited so long for Dogfish distro on the west coast, and finally forked over for this brew of theirs. Resinous mouthfeel, sour cherry, brown bread and wet wood flavors. Really wonderful, stands on its own.

Green Flash West Coast IPA - a sticky, syrupy IPA with serious grapefruit flavors going on. Pretty tasty, but dries me out. I simmered trumpet mushrooms and salted butter in this beer the other night, which was really interesting.

tonight:
Gruet Brut Rose NV - sparkling wine from New Mexico, grapefruit, milk, yeast, and limestone going on. Nice but I wouldn't want a whole glass, though I'm not a regular fan of sparkling anything anyway.
Adelaida Schoolhouse Paso Robles Roussanne 07- delicious; creamy mouthfeel with flavors of brown butter and juniper berry.
Mad River Brewing Steelhead Extra Pale Ale - my ultimate session beer, rich, slightly hoppy, a little sweet.

(I don't usually drink three things a night.. was plating appetizers at a wine event tonight)

[dave quam]

yeah twas a joke, thats the most expensive bottle of alcohol you can buy. at 1 million dollars, Diva vodka contains actual emeralds and rubys and diamonds in the bottle. Why? no clue.

[hatta]

One of the best American Stouts.

[nebulabore]

careful, it's flammable...