The Beer Thread

[James Ford]

Another reason to go hang out with Julian down in Richmond.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/entertainment-life/food-dining/an-bui-has-the-answer-a-new-brewpub/article_ff003abc-19b0-50e2-81af-23172cd01184.html

[Julian, Bespoke SEXPERT]

Another reason to go hang out with Julian down in Richmond.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/entertainment-life/food-dining/an-bui-has-the-answer-a-new-brewpub/article_ff003abc-19b0-50e2-81af-23172cd01184.html

I know that guy. Not a beer guy but Mekong has surprisingly good food.

[James Ford]

Been there once. Loved the beer AND the food.

Another reason to go hang out with Julian down in Richmond.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/entertainment-life/food-dining/an-bui-has-the-answer-a-new-brewpub/article_ff003abc-19b0-50e2-81af-23172cd01184.html

I know that guy. Not a beer guy but Mekong has surprisingly good food.

[Yada]

Has anybody had Victory Hop Ranch yet?

Apparently they have it at Total Wine in Sterling. But the $15.99/four pack price isn't going to make me jump through hoops to get it, especially when Victory DirtWolf goes for $8.49/four pack at Total Wine.

I'm too busy drinking Abrasive and Sucks to try that right now. I did see it for $48 a case in Pittsburgh, so that seems outrageously over priced for a four pack.

[stevewizzle]

Has anybody had Victory Hop Ranch yet?

Apparently they have it at Total Wine in Sterling. But the $15.99/four pack price isn't going to make me jump through hoops to get it, especially when Victory DirtWolf goes for $8.49/four pack at Total Wine.

I'm too busy drinking Abrasive and Sucks to try that right now. I did see it for $48 a case in Pittsburgh, so that seems outrageously over priced for a four pack.

im too busy drinking pliny and blind pig to care about you being busy.

[stevewizzle]

Your take on the Midnight Brett as a little different than mine and Brennser's.

Started by James Ford, Message by brennser:
Midnight Brett is disgusting - it smells like vomit and tastes only marginally better

Quote from: James Ford on January 01, 2014, 10:58:04 PM

6. Allagash Midnight Brett.. 4.5/10. like cherry cola And I hate cherry cola.

Allagash Midnight Brett Ale. Kinda expensive but damn tasty. Reminded me a bit of the Clutch Dark Sour Ale. If you see it give it a try.

but the same as mine.  i thought midnight brett was fantastic. very drinkable. black sours or wild ales seem to be polarizing.

[James Ford]

They are indeed. I didn't care much more Tart of Darkness either. Though I found it more drinkable thank Midnight Brett.

Your take on the Midnight Brett as a little different than mine and Brennser's.

Started by James Ford, Message by brennser:
Midnight Brett is disgusting - it smells like vomit and tastes only marginally better

Quote from: James Ford on January 01, 2014, 10:58:04 PM

6. Allagash Midnight Brett.. 4.5/10. like cherry cola And I hate cherry cola.

Allagash Midnight Brett Ale. Kinda expensive but damn tasty. Reminded me a bit of the Clutch Dark Sour Ale. If you see it give it a try.

but the same as mine.  i thought midnight brett was fantastic. very drinkable. black sours or wild ales seem to be polarizing.

[James Ford]

So we had another bottle share, and though I don't have a complete log of what was shared, I can report on the blind vertical tasting of Midwest IPA's we did. We had eight people tasting six different unnamed IPA's. Everyone made a list, from first (1) to last (6). Here are the results. The number is the average (place) score:

1. The Brew Kettle White Rajah 1.75
2. FatHeads Headhunter 1.875
3. Half Acre Heyoka 3.375
4. Three Floyds Zombie Dust 3.875
5. Three Floyds Alpha King 4.625
6. Columbus IPA 5.375

So there you have it, the #6 beer in the world on Beer Advocate (Zombie Dust) gets crushed by two other local Midwest beers. Guess hype does have something to do with ratings after all. (All six of those beers have a 92 or above on Beer Advocate).

[Yada]

So we had another bottle share, and though I don't have a complete log of what was shared, I can report on the blind vertical tasting of Midwest IPA's we did. We had eight people tasting six different unnamed IPA's. Everyone made a list, from first (1) to last (6). Here are the results. The number is the average (place) score:

1. The Brew Kettle White Rajah 1.75
2. FatHeads Headhunter 1.875
3. Half Acre Heyoka 3.375
4. Three Floyds Zombie Dust 3.875
5. Three Floyds Alpha King 4.625
6. Columbus IPA 5.375

So there you have it, the #6 beer in the world on Beer Advocate (Zombie Dust) gets crushed by two other local Midwest beers. Guess hype does have something to do with ratings after all. (All six of those beers have a 92 or above on Beer Advocate).

I've said it once and I'll say it again, I find Zombie Dust Three Floyds quite overrated.

P.S. You forgot my invite, brah!

[sweetcell]

So we had another bottle share, and though I don't have a complete log of what was shared

partial list: Element Brewing Dark Element, Crooked Staves Hop Savant and St. Bretta (Summer), Rivertown Brewing Ojos Negros blackberry sour, Jester King Das Uberkind soured saison, Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break Natale Pretty Please with a cherry on top, 3 Floyd's War Mullet.  i believe i'm forgetting a few.

So there you have it, the #6 beer in the world on Beer Advocate (Zombie Dust) gets crushed by two other local Midwest beers. Guess hype does have something to do with ratings after all. (All six of those beers have a 92 or above on Beer Advocate).

i wouldn't draw too many conclusions from this exercise.  n=1 and all that.  some of those beers were bought in grocery stores, so who knows how fresh they were or what conditions they were stored in before being sold.   the beer in last place, columbus IPA, definitely didn't taste like a 92+ beer.  the tasting was the first thing we did at the share and i was thirsty... and i didn't finish my columbus IPA.  based on this one incident, i wouldn't dismiss this beer either.

P.S. You forgot my invite, brah!

didn't know you were still interested...

we'll let you know about the next one.

[Yada]

So we had another bottle share, and though I don't have a complete log of what was shared

partial list: Element Brewing Dark Element, Crooked Staves Hop Savant and St. Bretta (Summer), Rivertown Brewing Ojos Negros blackberry sour, Jester King Das Uberkind soured saison, Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break Natale Pretty Please with a cherry on top, 3 Floyd's War Mullet.  i believe i'm forgetting a few.

So there you have it, the #6 beer in the world on Beer Advocate (Zombie Dust) gets crushed by two other local Midwest beers. Guess hype does have something to do with ratings after all. (All six of those beers have a 92 or above on Beer Advocate).

i wouldn't draw too many conclusions from this exercise.  n=1 and all that.  some of those beers were bought in grocery stores, so who knows how fresh they were or what conditions they were stored in before being sold.   the beer in last place, columbus IPA, definitely didn't taste like a 92+ beer.  the tasting was the first thing we did at the share and i was thirsty... and i didn't finish my columbus IPA.  based on this one incident, i wouldn't dismiss this beer either.

P.S. You forgot my invite, brah!

didn't know you were still interested...

we'll let you know about the next one.

yea... admittedly, I haven't been a good attendee... No exaggeration, we were out of town over half of last year's weekends + baby preparation + work + any other commitment it was tough to do anything else. Anyway... keep me posted, i don' think I'm out of town again until April.

[James Ford]

Four of the six beers were bought in grocery stores.

The #2 finisher, Headhunter, was bought at the brewpub with no bottling date.

The #4 finisher, Zombie Dust, was bought at the brewery on the day it was bottled. It was the freshest of the sixth and still finished a distant fourth!

So we had another bottle share, and though I don't have a complete log of what was shared

partial list: Element Brewing Dark Element, Crooked Staves Hop Savant and St. Bretta (Summer), Rivertown Brewing Ojos Negros blackberry sour, Jester King Das Uberkind soured saison, Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break Natale Pretty Please with a cherry on top, 3 Floyd's War Mullet.  i believe i'm forgetting a few.

So there you have it, the #6 beer in the world on Beer Advocate (Zombie Dust) gets crushed by two other local Midwest beers. Guess hype does have something to do with ratings after all. (All six of those beers have a 92 or above on Beer Advocate).

i wouldn't draw too many conclusions from this exercise.  n=1 and all that.  some of those beers were bought in grocery stores, so who knows how fresh they were or what conditions they were stored in before being sold.   the beer in last place, columbus IPA, definitely didn't taste like a 92+ beer.  the tasting was the first thing we did at the share and i was thirsty... and i didn't finish my columbus IPA.  based on this one incident, i wouldn't dismiss this beer either.

P.S. You forgot my invite, brah!

didn't know you were still interested...

we'll let you know about the next one.

[James Ford]

I've also had White Rajah, Headhunter, and Zombie Dust all on draft and all three are pretty evenly matched on draft...my wife would pick the first two though

[brennser]

yeah but isn't zombie dust a pale ale, not an IPA - is it even a fair comparison?

[James Ford]

Three Floyds calls it a pale ale, but I don't. Hoe many pale ales do you know that are 6.4 abv? And pack that much hop punch?

So why is it the #6 beer in the world? Are people giving it massively high scores because they think it's a pale ale and thus they have lower expectations? If it's truly the #6 beer in the world, it should be able to beat some single IPA's in a blind taste test!

yeah but isn't zombie dust a pale ale, not an IPA - is it even a fair comparison?