Okay, is it possible to enjoy good beer on a budget? Of course! Everyone has their go-to beer and keeps their fridge stocked with a couple dozen of them. If you take a look into my fridge right now, you'll find a bomber or St. Bernardus, one of Chimay Blue, a bomber of Sam Adams Thirteenth Hour, and of course, 23 bottles of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Im working on the 24th right now). Guess what my budget beer of choice is?
Okay, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is an incredible APA and can be acquired for $25 a 24 pack at my local store. It is my ultimate budget beer. But wait, theres more!
This one is a little out of budget, but worth it. Terrapin Hopsecutioner can be had for roughly $9 per 6. If I'm in the mood for an IPA, it'll probably be one of these.
For a stout, I choose Guinness Foreign Extra. Im a little tired of the typical Canadian brewed Guinness so I've moved to Guinness Foreign Extra. Notice the Foreign, that means Ireland, not Canada. Its a Guinness, so it can be found cheap in bulk but not by the 6 pack.
If I bring beer to a party of people who only drink beer to get drunk, It'll be Yuengling or Michelob Amber Bock. Truly, they aren't very good but they are cheap and everyone likes them.
Don't forget Sam Adams, Bass, Newcastle, Killians, and many others... They just didn't hit my top three.
There are endless styles with great cheap beers, I've only listed my favorites here. These are by no means the finest beers ever conceived but you will certainly get your dollars worth. Scratch that, Sierra Nevada Pale might just be one of the best ever.
-If God intended us to filter our beer he wouldn't have given us livers.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Hopslam Dunk.
Contrary to the title, there were no doughnuts involved. However, there was Hopslam and March Madness! Sounds like a killer combo to me!
Ive been waiting for a Hopslam for what seemed like ages. I've heard from everyone and their brother that it is the greatest beer ever conceived and that I needed to try it. Every time it hits Taco Mac (A restaurant I frequent with 300 beers that are somehow always fresh), it is gone before I even get a chance to see the bottle. This beer certainly gets the award for most elusive beer I've heard of, I'd swear it's the Loch Ness Beer.
Lo and behold, I get to Taco Mac and one of the managers tells me that he has saved a beer specially for me. Of course all of the others sold in no time flat but they managed to keep one from the angry mob of thirsty customers with thick wallets. Yeah, its elusive AND pricey, what's new?
My server brings me a bottle with what appears to be a guy flattened by a giant hop from heaven on it and after a quick trial whif, I pour it into a room temperature glass. The smell is of citrus, hops, honey, and a slight floral edge.
To the tongue, it is extremely smooth for a 10% imperial IPA and I can taste grapefruit and honey behind the wall of hops. The hop profile is very good, it comes in, takes a powerful presence, and leaves you with a nice bitter reminder that it is lord of this beer.
So far, so good, right? Not really. After all this hype, price, and difficulty finding this beer, I expected God Himself to bless it with holy water. It wasn't THAT great, especially for $8.50 (restaurant price) for the bottle. I'll certainly put it in my top 10 IPAs and definitely buy one next time I see it, but I'll probably meet bigfoot first. Overall, its an 89 on my beer scale. Frankly, for the price, I'll take two Hopsecutioners or Loose Cannons.
-Brew long and prosper
Ive been waiting for a Hopslam for what seemed like ages. I've heard from everyone and their brother that it is the greatest beer ever conceived and that I needed to try it. Every time it hits Taco Mac (A restaurant I frequent with 300 beers that are somehow always fresh), it is gone before I even get a chance to see the bottle. This beer certainly gets the award for most elusive beer I've heard of, I'd swear it's the Loch Ness Beer.
Lo and behold, I get to Taco Mac and one of the managers tells me that he has saved a beer specially for me. Of course all of the others sold in no time flat but they managed to keep one from the angry mob of thirsty customers with thick wallets. Yeah, its elusive AND pricey, what's new?
My server brings me a bottle with what appears to be a guy flattened by a giant hop from heaven on it and after a quick trial whif, I pour it into a room temperature glass. The smell is of citrus, hops, honey, and a slight floral edge.
To the tongue, it is extremely smooth for a 10% imperial IPA and I can taste grapefruit and honey behind the wall of hops. The hop profile is very good, it comes in, takes a powerful presence, and leaves you with a nice bitter reminder that it is lord of this beer.
So far, so good, right? Not really. After all this hype, price, and difficulty finding this beer, I expected God Himself to bless it with holy water. It wasn't THAT great, especially for $8.50 (restaurant price) for the bottle. I'll certainly put it in my top 10 IPAs and definitely buy one next time I see it, but I'll probably meet bigfoot first. Overall, its an 89 on my beer scale. Frankly, for the price, I'll take two Hopsecutioners or Loose Cannons.
-Brew long and prosper
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Monks Know How to Brew!
Since my first Trappist beer, I have been fascinated by the quality and complexity of them. Brewed within the walls of one of seven monasteries, they are a very sought after and often pricey beer. At my trip to the local beer store, I met a salesperson with an incredible knowledge of beer who recommended the Orval to me. It was certainly an excellent choice.
First of all, Orval is a bottle-conditioned beer and changes character dramatically over time. From what I've heard, its always just as good up until the end of its shelf life, 5 years down the road. My Orval was bottled on May 20th, 2011, which puts it just over 10 months young.
The Orval hit me before the cap was off as the first breath of air it let out hit my nose immediately with fruits, herbs, spices, hops, malts, and just about everything good blended to an aromatic perfection. Really, the smell is brilliant but that's just the start! The taste is just as complex and well balanced. The presiding flavors are bread, some yeast, and fantastic hoppiness. The most prominent supporting note to me was certainly green apples, joined with a pleasant myriad of spices, pepper, and sweet molasses notes.
If you like Belgian pale ales, this one will take you to a whole new world of flavors. Overall, I'd give it a 96, certainly an A+ in my gradebook.
-When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then sell your product and use the money to buy a good beer.
First of all, Orval is a bottle-conditioned beer and changes character dramatically over time. From what I've heard, its always just as good up until the end of its shelf life, 5 years down the road. My Orval was bottled on May 20th, 2011, which puts it just over 10 months young.
The Orval hit me before the cap was off as the first breath of air it let out hit my nose immediately with fruits, herbs, spices, hops, malts, and just about everything good blended to an aromatic perfection. Really, the smell is brilliant but that's just the start! The taste is just as complex and well balanced. The presiding flavors are bread, some yeast, and fantastic hoppiness. The most prominent supporting note to me was certainly green apples, joined with a pleasant myriad of spices, pepper, and sweet molasses notes.
If you like Belgian pale ales, this one will take you to a whole new world of flavors. Overall, I'd give it a 96, certainly an A+ in my gradebook.
-When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then sell your product and use the money to buy a good beer.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Brew Me Up, Buttercup.
Day 1 begins the blog dedicated to all things brewed.
This blog is to those who enjoy a fine beer, a beer crafted to be enjoyed for its character, not drinkability. You won't find me purchasing a case of Bud Light to play beer pong with, but you might see me sit back and enjoy a goblet of Brooklyn Black Ops on a cool March evening.
Today's occasion: St. Patrick's Day!
So grab a Guinness, preferably a Foreign Extra, and join the party!
Also, I had a fantastic beer this morning, Founders Breakfast Stout. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be drank in the morning but it most certainly fits. At 60 IBUs and 8.3% ABV, it comes across a little heavy at 9:00 am with its rich coffee and dark chocolate notes. It hits you with a brick of Lindt 85% and then a trip through a small town coffee shop before dropping you off in the nuthouse. This is a beer that will certainly wake you up in the morning. It does surprise me how little of the 8.3% ABV shows up under all the rich flavors, it is certainly a finely tuned beer created by the mocha gods themselves.
This blog is to those who enjoy a fine beer, a beer crafted to be enjoyed for its character, not drinkability. You won't find me purchasing a case of Bud Light to play beer pong with, but you might see me sit back and enjoy a goblet of Brooklyn Black Ops on a cool March evening.
Today's occasion: St. Patrick's Day!
So grab a Guinness, preferably a Foreign Extra, and join the party!
Also, I had a fantastic beer this morning, Founders Breakfast Stout. I'm not sure if it is supposed to be drank in the morning but it most certainly fits. At 60 IBUs and 8.3% ABV, it comes across a little heavy at 9:00 am with its rich coffee and dark chocolate notes. It hits you with a brick of Lindt 85% and then a trip through a small town coffee shop before dropping you off in the nuthouse. This is a beer that will certainly wake you up in the morning. It does surprise me how little of the 8.3% ABV shows up under all the rich flavors, it is certainly a finely tuned beer created by the mocha gods themselves.
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