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I followed the delightful Mermaid Pilsner with my favorite beer over the last year:

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And I'm now finishing off the evening with another spectacular brew - I need to get more of this now since this was my last bottle...

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRvNKg1CN1gUszf8UkAdXK

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^ ebk (Ester, I believe?), I did try that Coney Island Pilsner, yesterday. Honestly, it tasted like Sam Adams. Not a Pilsner, in my book. But I am not an American beer enthusiast, by any means. It pretty much has to be from Europe, preferably Germany or Belgium. Otherwise, I might as well just have Pabst Blue Ribbon.

In saying that, the Terrapin beer's pour and color looks exquisite! Can't read the label, though - can you provide the style and your impressions?

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Hi jimmie ray (yes, it's Esther :) )

Sorry you didn't like the Mermaid Pilsner.  I must admit, I didn't realize the Coney Island beers had been bought by Sam Adams a couple of years ago, but that's probably why you got the SA taste.  

The Terrapin is Midnight Monk, a Belgian black IPA.  In checking the website, I discovered it's a retired beer for them, so now I'm going to run to my local beer emporium and see if they have any left... 

Here's the link to the brewery site:  http://terrapinbeer.com/brew/retired-bee/midnight-monks/

I'm not very good at descriptives, so I'm going to link you to RateBeer.  I pretty much agree with the first few reviews.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/terrapin-midnight-monk/284593/

 

Well, not the first 2, since they're not in a language I understand... :)

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Why do so many great beers get "retired", crappy ones stick around, and "new" is deceptive or weird additions to them? That Terrapin sure is dark for an IPA - I would guess it's not as bitter as most.

Another "retired" beer that I enjoyed the most of any American craft brew was Dock Street's Illuminator, out of Philly. Man, that was tasty!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some recent beers I have imbibed...if these photos go thru...the new site redesign and my computer have been at odds.

Not much weight or body to this one...but it is crazy drinkable on a hot day, as it was on the day I had this 22 oz. Taj Mahal Lager. My first choice from the beer list was unfortunately unavailable that day.

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Watching the Raider game with an Allagash White (similar in vein to Belgian Whites such as Hoegaarden), very easy on the tongue...20150913_151433.thumb.jpg.4c9c2372e61b6d

...and a Milk Stout, the brewer of which escapes me...20150913_160419.thumb.jpg.a9c2bbafab887c

One of my absolutely favourite beers to drink anytime anywhere...Erdinger Weizen Kristal! I have been drinking this for over 30 years since first coming across it in Europe. It never disappoints.20150910_152222.thumb.jpg.c76b122468ddbe

Tried a new one after work recently...St. Peter's Golden Ale. Yummmm. St. Peter's Brewery is located inside St. Peter's Hall in Suffolk, UK. The bottle has an almost flask-like shape and is slightly larger than a pint.20150907_184532.thumb.jpg.1a23447a41f90e

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Some beers more hefty and full-bodied...a meal unto themselves, so-to-speak.

Hofbrau's Hefeweizen Dunkel...not my #1 dunkel, but it'll do in a pinch.20150828_170414-1.thumb.jpg.c557aab8b19c

When I am in the mood for a chocolate stout, I usually go to Young's Double Chocolate...but I reacquainted myself with the equally dark, rich, and chocolate goodness of Samuel Smith's Organic Chocolate Stout...and I might like this better than Young's.20150909_224745.thumb.jpg.a2ce20672ceb76

Samuel Smith's, not to be confused with Samuel Adams, is brewed in Yorkshire, England.20150909_225037.thumb.jpg.098a2653cca155

A good old pint of Guinness Stout from the tap...20150829_211028.thumb.jpg.bbeb388eabea5d

 

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^ Samuel Smith products are soooo good, all of them. My wife's brother usually has their "Winter Welcome" for me, when we visit around the holidays. I do have to have them very cold, which I realize is not the way they are traditionally served.

Hofbrau is also one of my favorites - especially the Dunkels. Just about any brand from Munich never disappoints.

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^ Seems most Octoberfest's are available year round, these days. I can certainly drink them any day. One that I haven't seen in decades is Hacker-Pschorr, from Munich. But I still remember it being the tops. Sierra Nevada now makes one - it's one of the better U.S. brewed attempts at this style, and has a higher ABV than most. But there's a bunch of brands to stay away from - number one being Leinenkugels.

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Spent the afternoon at Port City Brewery in Alexandria (VA).  They make some pretty damn good beer.  The Optimal Wit, Monumental IPA and Porter are 3 of my regular favorites.  Today I sampled the Octoberfest, and 2 of the seasonals - one hopped up Bock (which was fabulous!) and one Imperial Stout (which I'd buy if only they bottled it!).  

 

If any of you are in the mid-Atlantic region, get some of this!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sam adams, octoberfest. It has an orange label and an orange color in a glass and its good. This particular brew will get more and more popular in the future...,its really fall in a beer. 

I've been drinking Sam Adams Octoberfest like water all month...it helps that they've been on sale locally.

Trying something new while watching the Dodger game...a Canadian Ale. Unibroue's Ephemere white ale brewed with apple juice, coriander, orange peel. From Chambly, Quebec in Canada. Very apple-ish. A little sour at first in the nose but pleasing overall taste.

20151013_192015.thumb.jpg.8db3cc348bbe2a

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This Polish Bock beer is so perfect - not just for the taste, but the best bargain I've ever found at $1.50 a 18 ounce bottle. Not as thick and molasses consistency as other Euro Bocks, but very sweet. Seems to be a Polish beer invasion going on locally, as the beer distributor has a whole section for these and Tyskie - even the gas station and supermarket are now carrying them. Can't speak so much for the other Polish brands and styles, but this one is a winner!

Edit: aaaand once again, the image I copied and pasted here disappears when I submit it. The brand is Zyweic.

 

 

Edited by jimmie ray
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This Polish Bock beer is so perfect - not just for the taste, but the best bargain I've ever found at $1.50 a 18 ounce bottle. Not as thick and molasses consistency as other Euro Bocks, but very sweet. Seems to be a Polish beer invasion going on locally, as the beer distributor has a whole section for these and Tyskie - even the gas station and supermarket are now carrying them. Can't speak so much for the other Polish brands and styles, but this one is a winner!

Edit: aaaand once again, the image I copied and pasted here disappears when I submit it. The brand is Zyweic.

 

 

The dissolution of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc allowed all those Russian and Eastern European countries to finally import their goods to the U.S. I cannot vouch for where jimmie ray lives, but I can tell you that from 1991 or 1992 onward, the floodgates really opened here and every liquor market and bar in Los Angeles was filled with all of these beers from Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Romania, etc...all with consonant-heavy names or impossible to decipher Cyrillic script.

Some were pretty good but others were nothing more than the Eastern Bloc equivalent of Budweiser or Lucky Lager. Cheap but rather blah tasting.

Meanwhile...had a very yummy pumpkin ale watching football the other day. Better than the Sam Adams pumpkin and some other pumpkin ales I have tried before. Beautiful colour, taste and aroma....like autumn in a glass. 

It's Elysian Night Owl and it's worth a tipple.

20151018_112544.thumb.jpg.85dba7bfcb2e3f

Edited by Strider
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The dissolution of the USSR and the Eastern Bloc allowed all those Russian and Eastern European countries to finally import their goods to the U.S. I cannot vouch for where jimmie ray lives, but I can tell you that from 1991 or 1992 onward, the floodgates really opened here and every liquor market and bar in Los Angeles was filled with all of these beers from Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Romania, etc...all with consonant-heavy names or impossible to decipher Cyrillic script.

Some were pretty good but others were nothing more than the Eastern Bloc equivalent of Budweiser or Lucky Lager. Cheap but rather blah tasting.

The Polish lagers I've had were not worthwhile. The Polish Bock, Zyweic, I mentioned is absolute top notch, at an amazing price. Even the lacing on the glass is beautiful.

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^ Seems most Octoberfest's are available year round, these days. I can certainly drink them any day. One that I haven't seen in decades is Hacker-Pschorr, from Munich. But I still remember it being the tops. Sierra Nevada now makes one - it's one of the better U.S. brewed attempts at this style, and has a higher ABV than most. But there's a bunch of brands to stay away from - number one being Leinenkugels.

Not a fan of Leinenkugels, either. Most of the ones I have tasted are too sweet...and it's a chemical sweetness not a natural sweetness, so it leaves a bitter aftertaste.

As for Hacker-Pschorr, I don't know if you have BevMo where you live, but the BevMos I shop at usually keep Hacker-Schorr in stock.

Edited by Strider
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  • 1 month later...

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Had this at the local beer store/bar tonight. It's unlike any stout I've had before. Lots going on, but overall, very herb-y. Smooth, but not thick like lots of stouts. I wouldn't turn it down if offered, but I didn't go into the store to buy a bottle afterward. Had to try it - I didn't even know they had been doing a Game of Thrones series until a couple of weeks ago.

Okay, I know...if you quote yourself, you go blind.  But...

 

I was in the store Wednesday and saw a bottle of GoT Take Back the Black Stout.  And I couldn't for the life of me remember if it was the same GoT stout I'd had before, or if it was this year's model.  I thought all of the GoT beers were limited editions, so this had to be new.  So I bought it. It's not new.  However, it is much better than the beer I had on tap 2 years ago.  Which is unusual.  This time, the beer is more the consistency of a a "normal" stout.  And while the herb-yness is still there, it's way more muted than last time.  More chocolate/coffee on the palate this time.  Still not sure I'd buy it again (as long as I remember the name!), but I'm definitely enjoying this more than last time.

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^ Yeah, I saw this "Game of Thrones" stout at the supermarket, and passed. Even if I was a fan of the show, it seems gimmicky - not sure if that is an established brewery? I did try a local stout on tap - Blue Point Sour Cherry Stout, that was simply out of this world. I've never cared for fruity flavors in beers, but this was definitely an exception. I see the beer place carries it - but at 9 bucks for a (20 ounce?) bottle, that's not something I'll be buying very often.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm trying Saison from St. Feuillien, half of which just ended up all over the floor. I keep forgetting how these Belgians (it's always the Belgians!) explode out of the bottle.  I tried drinking through the eruption to save it (never works, does it? Not a pretty sight lol ). Anyway, from what was left over, it was a tasty, bright, and fruity (slightly citrusy) beer. I like strong beer (this one's 6.5%, so it's just in the bottom end of the range), and will get some more, but for me the the fruit flavoured beers are more for selective sipping now and again (a bit sweet going down, which doesn't last but it's more than enough). 

st_feuillien_saison25oz__65153.137547164

 

http://www.st-feuillien.com/SaisonENG.php

Followed it with a Guinness Blonde American Lager, sort of a chameleon. Blends in with a variety of occasions and meals, but doesn't stand out in a good or bad way. Serviceable.  Tastes better cold (this one's room temperature and I can taste the can, bleh).

 

 

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Speaking of strong beer, this is part of the assortment that was shared during Christmas:

St. Bernardus Mixed Selection

And shared not just because of the giving season, but because if you have it all by yourself, you'll likely pass out. Here's the set:

St. Bernadus Witbier – 5.5% ABV – Slightly tart with orange and lemon zest, phenolic yeast notes, fruity, herb and pepper. Honey and biscuity malt flavours.

(The worst of the lot, to my taste. Not because it's the lowest in ABV, but because it reminds me of horrendous Hoeagaarden).

St. Bernardus Pater 6 – 6.7% ABV – Light and fruity with some rum and raisin flavours initially, followed by cherry and red grape. Nut and toffee. Finishes with some yeasty spice and breadiness.

St. Bernardus Prior 8 – 8.0% ABV – Plenty of dark dried fruit flavour like date and raisin. Some alcohol sweetness; rum, burnt sugar and toffee. Banana and spice. Subtle chocolate.

St Bernardus Tripel – 8.0% ABV – Very well balanced and smooth. Light and bubbly mouthfeel. Bittersweet, with bright fruit flavours, orange, lemon, apple. A little banana. Honey, soft caramel and toffee. Crisp and spicy.

Watou Tripel – 7.5% ABV – Lemon drop candy, herbal, peppery. Well carbonated and refreshing. Fruity, pear and honey. A biscuity malt and vanilla. Finishes somewhat floral.

St. Bernardus Abt 12 – 10.0% ABV – Hey, remember that beer, the one with the $80 six-packs that sold out almost instantaneously at the LCBO a couple years back? It’s called Westvleteren XII and it’s considered by many to be the best beer in the world. Funny story; St. Bernardus was actually contracted by St. Sixtus, the brewery that produces Westvleteren, to brew their beer commercially over a period of 46 years, ending in 1992. When the contract expired, the recipe remained more or less intact and continued to be produced under the name St. Bernardus Abt 12.

St. Bernardus Abt 12 certainly is a world class beer that delivers a huge amount of flavour, balanced so that even at 10% it has a certain delicateness that makes it highly approachable. Dark fruit is abundant, like raisin, date, plum and supported with molasses, rich toffee and brown sugar. There’s an underlying creamy chocolate throughout and a honey sweetness. This fantastic beer finishes with a little spice, pepper and ash.

(^ The best of the lot, and also the most dangerous. Drink responsibly and with people you trust ;)).

 

Some more info here: https://craftbeerlove.wordpress.com/2014/12/12/a-six-pack-of-st-bernie-for-your-stocking/

 

The three best ones (if I recall correctly) are Prior 8, Tripel 8%, and Abt 12.

They're only available during the Christmas season here, which is both a shame and a blessing.

Edited by Patrycja
clarifying Tripel
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I loooove the St. B Abt!!  And the other St B beers I've had.  They do good work!

 

I've found a few breweries here in southern Florida that I may visit over the next couple of days.  Definitely will drop by Funky Buddha up the road in Ft. Lauderdale.  Had the Hefe tonight and it was lovely.  

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  • 2 months later...

A late follow up...  I loved Funky Buddha.  Had 2 samplers there and bought 2 bottles, so all in all, tasted 10 of the beers.  I really wish I could get it here.

 

My friend in SF sent me some pale ale from Cellarmaker (Cast Splitter) and it's phenomenal!  He says it's the new go-to brewery in the city.  If you're there, check it out.  I can't wait for my visit this summer!

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  • 4 months later...

Here you go, Rick...the beer thread!

 

Hello from San Francisco, where I expect to be drinking some fabulous beer this week.  Especially on Thursday when my friend (mentioned in the post above) from Santa Rosa comes down and we do some day-drinking.  Cellarmaker, here we come!!!  :beer:

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  • 2 years later...

Drank some Samuel Adams Oktoberfest beer while watching the football game tonight. I'd give it a 3 on a 5 scale.

chillunpuffer, you are going to love this story. I know you were looking forward to Manchester getting "rednecked up". Hahaha.

https://atlanta.eater.com/2018/9/27/17909344/scofflaw-brewing-atlanta-brewdog-trump-controversy

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