The Beer Thread

[stevewizzle]

i've managed to make it to 9 of the 100.  not bad.  churchkey still wins, and bier baron's appeal doesn't seem to be there for me.

[Yada]

i've managed to make it to 9 of the 100.  not bad.  churchkey still wins, and bier baron's appeal doesn't seem to be there for me.

I'm at the same number.

[sweetcell]

selection of taps where i'll be having dinner tonight:

Troubadour Stout
Southern Star Le Mort Vivant
Maui Double Overhead IPA
Lagunitas Doppleweizen
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Unibroue Maudite
Rahr Iron Thistle
Victory Storm King CASK
St. Arnold's Winter Stout
Avery New World Porter
Avery Hog Heaven
Avery Maharaja

to boot, tonight is "rare tap night" and they'll be tapping Avery's Beast.  i'll def be getting on on that, as well as the maharaja.  any others y'all recommend? 

correction: nevermind, the above list are their new arrivals only.  they've got a ton more regular taps.  tough decisions ahead.

[Jaguar]

Sweets, gettin' drunk for the cause. 

[James Ford]

wow went to the website and saw the complete list. f'ing amazing. of of the list below, I'd pick the Bigfoot and the Maharaja. Though I get barleywines and imperial ipa's aren't your thing.

selection of taps where i'll be having dinner tonight:

Troubadour Stout
Southern Star Le Mort Vivant
Maui Double Overhead IPA
Lagunitas Doppleweizen
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Unibroue Maudite
Rahr Iron Thistle
Victory Storm King CASK
St. Arnold's Winter Stout
Avery New World Porter
Avery Hog Heaven
Avery Maharaja

to boot, tonight is "rare tap night" and they'll be tapping Avery's Beast.  i'll def be getting on on that, as well as the maharaja.  any others y'all recommend? 

correction: nevermind, the above list are their new arrivals only.  they've got a ton more regular taps.  tough decisions ahead.

[sweetcell]

wow went to the website and saw the complete list. f'ing amazing. of of the list below, I'd pick the Bigfoot and the Maharaja. Though I get barleywines and imperial ipa's aren't your thing.

i can definitely get down to a good barleywine, and i'll entertain an IIPA for at least one glass.  i have increased my appreciation (tolerance? ) for hops, but i still think 100+ IBU beers are crimes again palates.  it's the beer equivalent of "suicide wings".  anyone can over-do it, it's not subtle, it's not fancy.

anyhoo, ended up having a great time at the flying saucer.  they have have a make-your-own-flight deal which allowed me to taste all sorts of goodness.  the bartender even let me choose all premium beers, even though the rules state that you're only supposed to pick on.  here's what i tasted, from least to most liked:
- avery beast: i'm sure a bottle of this would be amazing once cellared for 3+ years, but fresh it's not enjoyable.  it starts off as a deep complex belgian but that's quickly bulldozed by sharp alcohol/paint thinner.  it's a small piece of candy followed by a shot of 100-proof grain alcohol.  a total tease.  would not order again.
- troubador stout: disappointing.  burnt caramel flavors resulted in an unpleasant tang.
- st arnold winter stout: eh.  kinda watery and too smooth.
- great divide chocolate yeti: menu said this one would be spicy, but other than some hints of licorice i didn't get much in that direction.  fairly strong alcohol taste.  t'was ok overall.  this was the last beer i tasted so my palate was likely shot by then.
- bigfoot, per mr. ford's recommendation: had a nice creamy feel to it but not as hoppy as i had expected.  quite enjoyable.
- lagunitas dopplweizen: a very nice hoppy & malty wheat.  really liked it.
- avery maharaja: the "perfect" IPA?  (yes, i know it's a IIPA).  seemed to embody the style in a classic way.  very tasty, complex, although i don't know if i'd be able to enjoy more than a pint at a time (i only had a 4 oz taster).

Sweets, gettin' drunk for the cause. 

the things i do for my art... <insert dramatic sigh>

[James Ford]

Barleywine Festival
Mad Fox, Falls Church
2012 Festival Hours
February 11 11AM-Midnight

Featuring our own Barleywines as well as the best barleywines brewed by our favorite breweries. Beers will rotate through the festival on draught and cask, while they last. Serving sizes are 4 oz. sample glasses. No admission, price per serving.

Beer List
We'll update our beer list as Barleywines arrive. See last year's beer list for examples of our offerings.

On hand:

?Mad Fox Slobberknocker Barleywine 2012 Draught 8% ABV
?Mad Fox Oaked Slobberknocker Barleywine 2011 Draught 8% ABV
?Mad Fox Headknocker Barleywine 2012 Draught 8% ABV
?Mad Fox Headknocker Barleywine 2012 Cask 8% ABV
?Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine 2011 Draught 9.2% ABV
?Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine 2010 Draught 15% ABV
?Founders Old Curmudgeon 2011 Draught 9.8% ABV
?Heavy Seas Below Decks English-style Barleywine 2010 Draught 10% ABV
?Heavy Seas Below Decks English-style Barleywine 2011 Draught 10% ABV
?Heavy Seas Below Decks English-style Barleywine - Barrel-aged 2011 Draught 10% ABV
?Hebrew Genesis 2011 Draught
?Hebrew Jewbelation 2011 Cask 11% ABV
?JW Lees Harvest Ale 2010 Cask 11.5% ABV
?Lagunitas Olde GnarleyWine 2011 Draught 10.6% ABV
?Left Hand Widdershins Barleywine Draught 10% ABV
?Schlafly Oak-Aged Barleywine Draught 10.2% ABV
?Schloss Eggenburg Samiclaus 2011 Draught 14% ABV
?Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2010 Draught 9.6% ABV
?Terrapin Beer Company/Brasserie Franches Montagnes Spike & Jeromes Cuvée Délirante, Rum Barrel-Aged Rye Barleywine 2010 Draught 12%+ ABV
?Victory Old Horizontal 2011 Draught 10.5% ABV
Ordered:

?Blue Point Old Howling Bastard Barleywine Draught 10% ABV
?Bluegrass Bearded Pat's Barleywine Draught 11% ABV
?Brooklyn Brewing Monster Ale Draught 10.3% ABV
?Climax Brewing Company Barleywine Draught 10% ABV
?Corp Mort A L'abri De La Tempête Draught 9% ABV
?Duck Rabbit Barleywine Draught 11% ABV
?Green Flash Barleywine Draught 10.9% ABV
?Sierra Nevada Special Limited Release - TBD
?Stone Old Guardian Draught 12% ABV
Food

Mad Fox will have it's usual Menu options with some exciting Barleywine Fest Specials.

Saturday
11AM-11PM - Full Menu
11PM-Midnight - Late night menu with pizzas, sandwiches and salads

[James Ford]

Shhhh. Keep it quiet. A certain much hyped beer is hitting DC and VA store shelves today and tomorrow.

[sweetcell]

does it start with "h" and end with "opslam"?

[slappy]

Personally I think it's become overpriced as well as overhyped. $22/6 pack @ Total and $26 @ Whole Foods!
I saw that and went to pick up the remaining 12 of Suck Leftovers from another store for less.
I'll just catch it on tap somewhere.

They should give discounts on food or something for designated drivers at the Barleywine Fest. That's a lot of high ABV!  The Terrapin joint has piqued my interest. I've always enjoyed their Rye Barleywine.

[James Ford]

I did the same thing...bought two extra sixers of Sucks at less than half the price of hopslam. Cutting down my hopslam purchases from three sixers to one this year.

At least they are doing the barleywine fest in 4 oz pours. Bring your partner to split the pours and you can still try quite a bit!

Personally I think it's become overpriced as well as overhyped. $22/6 pack @ Total and $26 @ Whole Foods!
I saw that and went to pick up the remaining 12 of Suck Leftovers from another store for less.
I'll just catch it on tap somewhere.

They should give discounts on food or something for designated drivers at the Barleywine Fest. That's a lot of high ABV!  The Terrapin joint has piqued my interest. I've always enjoyed their Rye Barleywine.

[nkotb]

It can't be said enough how great Sucks is.  Snagged the last two sixers from Rick's about a week ago.  Love that stuff.

I did the same thing...bought two extra sixers of Sucks at less than half the price of hopslam. Cutting down my hopslam purchases from three sixers to one this year.

[Yada]

It can't be said enough how great Sucks is.  Snagged the last two sixers from Rick's about a week ago.  Love that stuff.

I did the same thing...bought two extra sixers of Sucks at less than half the price of hopslam. Cutting down my hopslam purchases from three sixers to one this year.

I agree... my favorite brew of the season.

[Yada]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/all-we-can-eat/post/parisi-named-head-beermaker-for-nrgs-new-brewery/2012/01/24/gIQAJ9DsNQ_blog.html

[stevewizzle]

They are brewing a second batch of Sucks, aren't they?

I'm a hopslam virgin.  Looking forward to seeing what the hype is all about. 

Also, that barleywine event looks fantastic.  bummer mad fox isn't metro-accessible, will need to find a dd for that one.