The best beer I've ever had.
- Thread starter fonseca
- Start date
Mackie said:
Yes that's correct.
I agree wholeheartedly. The best Dollar-to-taste ratio I know of. The true belgians I've tried that I would rate as just as good cost at least double. For that reason I'm singlehandedly responsible for a surge in Dogfish sales in my town.Fathead said:
And I know some friends are hooked on it now as well, since they ask if I have any when at my house. That's the reason I have a strictly limited stock of chilled beer on hand, and the rest gets hidden away. Gotta keep my stash protected. 
neaky:Saranac is a great deal for the price too, which is a good fallback when at a store with limited selection. I picked up a 6er of caramel porter for $4.50 this evening. A good cold weather brew served just slightly chilled.
Yah, I'm trying to limit my "Raison" stock, so I don't drink so much of it. I picked up their "Indian Brown" last night and it is very good too. Definitely a good "sit and watch football" ale.fonseca said:For that reason I'm singlehandedly responsible for a surge in Dogfish sales in my town.
It blows me away that the grocery store on my way home (white-bred suburbs) from work carries this stuff--they even had shelf space for the 90 minute IPA, tho none in stock. When I was first exploring the world of beer we had to drive 30 minutes into Houston to find decent brew.
I forgot to mention: When I was a starving student, it was mooching pals that helped drive me to stouts and Scotch ales. . . I'd keep a couple of cheap malt liquors in the dorm frig for the moochers, and they wouldn't touch my Guinessfonseca said:That's the reason I have a strictly limited stock of chilled beer on hand, and the rest gets hidden away. Gotta keep my stash protected.
Now my buds have tastes like mine. Good thing they have jobs too!
My favorite beers are Australian. They know how to drink down under. Victoria Bitter and Toheys New are my favorites. Havent been able to find any though since I got back to the states.
i will have to try some of the raison d'etre. i've been impressed w/ the other dogfish stuff i've had (w/ the exception of the completely over the top 120 min IPA).
A few of my recent favourites:
Stone Imperial Stout - closest thing to liquid Vegemite I've ever had. Great stuff, if you like Vegemite.
Weyerbacher Old Heathen Imperial Stout - solid, dark, heavy. Makes you want to dance naked in the snow - which, at 10% is understandable.
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout -North Coast Brewery (CA) - (are you seeing the pattern yet?) THIS STUFF RULES THE WHOLE WORLD.
Dogfish World Wide Stout - crazy barlywine stuff. 24%. Mix with water for a "normal" stout. Mix with Old Rasputin for a true kick in the head (and liver) which I affectionately dubbed a "World Wide Conspiracy."
Stone Imperial Stout - closest thing to liquid Vegemite I've ever had. Great stuff, if you like Vegemite.
Weyerbacher Old Heathen Imperial Stout - solid, dark, heavy. Makes you want to dance naked in the snow - which, at 10% is understandable.
Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout -North Coast Brewery (CA) - (are you seeing the pattern yet?) THIS STUFF RULES THE WHOLE WORLD.
Dogfish World Wide Stout - crazy barlywine stuff. 24%. Mix with water for a "normal" stout. Mix with Old Rasputin for a true kick in the head (and liver) which I affectionately dubbed a "World Wide Conspiracy."
how the hell can they get 24%? don't yeast konk out at about 16% or so? they must either fortify or distill it.
I know just about nothing about brewing, but I think the Dogfish is actually a (barley) wine rather than a beer. I don't really know much beyond that, but it sure packs a punch. Going on the smell of the stuff alone, it is well beyond 16%.
More than one yeast, and I'm pretty sure they must use champagne yeast as well. It's not distilled or fortified though...narlus said:
This is interesting. Alcohol without liquid (or a hangover) neaky:
http://www.gizmo.com.au/go/2633/
Never drunk anymore:
neaky: http://www.gizmo.com.au/go/2633/
Never drunk anymore:
24% barleywine...I'm not sure I could stomach that. I've had a few growlers filled with 14% and that's enough to knock me out. On the subject of strong "beers", Sam Adams Triple Bock is something I don't care to ever try again. A few bottles of that left me doubled over in pain. I'll spare everyone the details...
Here's the Dogfish Barleywine page.
I really like the looks of the Immort Ale. Why can't I have a brewery like them near me?
Here's the Dogfish Barleywine page.
I really like the looks of the Immort Ale. Why can't I have a brewery like them near me?
i picked up a 6 of this and victory's golden monkey yesterday, and i was not impressed w/ the raison d'etre (despite the cool name). just not the flavor for me. it had hints of "bockness" and i'm not a bock fan at all. the golden monkey wasn't bad, though.fonseca said:
Aussie mass produced beer is crapola with the notable exception of Coopers.vogey40 said:
i wasn't impressed w/ the bottle of VB i bought from my local store when i was in ireland, but it was probably 1 year old by the time it made the trip.
Mate it wouldn't have mattered how fresh it was mate, it still would have been very very ordinary.narlus said:
VB (aka Victoria Bitter, aka Vitamin B) is less than impressive, even when not old. Granted, it can be really nice on a hideously hot day, or if you are looking to just fall down. When I was living in Australia, the guy at the end of my block would have a good half dozen of these things finished by 7 am -EVERY DAY. No kidding, I'd walk to the beach for a surf just after sun up and he'd stumble out onto his crappy little patio in a house coat with a VB (always a VB). By the time I got back from my mornign surf, the crappy little table o his crappy little patio wuld have at least 6 empties sitting on it.
I mean, get a life!
I mean, get a life!
Raison d'etre. Weird but good. The first beer I've had that tastes like white wine.narlus said:
Mike
So how did you like the Delerium Tremens?fonseca said:I agree wholeheartedly. The best Dollar-to-taste ratio I know of. The true belgians I've tried that I would rate as just as good cost at least double. For that reason I'm singlehandedly responsible for a surge in Dogfish sales in my town.
Saranac is a great deal for the price too, which is a good fallback when at a store with limited selection. I picked up a 6er of caramel porter for $4.50 this evening. A good cold weather brew served just slightly chilled.
They also ahve a Noel that is tasty.
If you are ever in Philly, got to Monks Cafe.
They have over 100 belgains.
(I think I've had about 75
)Funny you should ask! Because guess what's going down right now...-BB- said:So how did you like the Delerium Tremens?
They also ahve a Noel that is tasty.
If you are ever in Philly, got to Monks Cafe.
They have over 100 belgains.
(I think I've had about 75
Notes from my beer journal before I started the feel the effects of this stuff:
However, I am curently feeling the pleasant effects of intoxication, as with most of my posts in this thread. So I can't complain. :love:
Hmm, google tells me that:
Yeah...I guess that explains the pink elephants and marching 'gators on the label. Overall, a damned tasty brew, but not the best beer I've ever had by a significant margin. I'd buy it again though. Very unique.
If I'm ever in Philly, I'm sure I will hit that place up.
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It's definitely unique. I remember wondering wtf was going on in my mouth when I took my first sip. But it keeps growing on me. I put it in the top 5 of all time. There's no accounting for taste after all.narlus said:
I really want to get my hands on some of the Dogfish limited brews.
Edit: So do you recommend the Monkey? I've seen that at my natural food store. I think it's $9.
They also have hoegarden, but it's $13 a 6-pack, 4x as much as in Germany. I need to arrange a big shipment of beer from Europe, cut out all the middlemen...
Edit 2:
You need to share some recommendations too Mr. Dart. I know I can get anything you can.Dartman said:
Golden Monkey ain't bad at all. It's a tripel, but a nice one.
Have you tried your Ommegang yet?
Have you tried your Ommegang yet?
I have yet to try Ommegang. It's queued up though. It will have to wait until I kill the big bottle of Chimay in the fridge this weekend. I'll comment on that one for sure. Both of 'em I guess.Silver said:Golden Monkey ain't bad at all. It's a tripel, but a nice one.
Have you tried your Ommegang yet?
I've been looking for Three Philosophers and Hennepin, but have yet to see either anywhere. Just the standard ale.
3 Philosophers is a bit tough to find, but you can't get Hennepin? Heck, it's all over the place here, and I'm on the other side of the country
Ummmm....... there is no Czechoslovakia anymore......DaveW said:Yeah the Belgium stuff is pretty good.
But Cezchlovakian (sp?) beer is the best!
So what's the best - Czech beer or Slovak beer?-S.S.-
the czech rep beer is really good if you like pilsners...for the rest of us, at least it's dirt cheap.
Skunks easy though, it can be hard to find a good one.narlus said:the czech rep beer is really good if you like pilsners...for the rest of us, at least it's dirt cheap.
Alright, no more beer for me. I have no self control whatsoever. 
ink: If there's beer in the house I drink it, the weekly ration idea has been a complete failure.
Except for Christmas and New Year's Eve, I'm going to abstain from alcohol entirely until February. Gotta get in shape for an upcoming ski trip.
So this is it for a while: Chimay. Like Delerium Tremens it's dry (not as dry) and highly carbonated, and a nice fruity flavor, but I prefer a slightly sweeter brew. Like Raison. No yeasty taste despite the layer at the bottom of the bottle. The last glass was much better than the first since it had come closer to room temperature. It's good, not the best: I really enjoyed the Gouden Carolus Noel more than anything else in the last few weeks. I might buy a few of those since they won't be around for long. Save 'em for the holidays.
ink: If there's beer in the house I drink it, the weekly ration idea has been a complete failure.Except for Christmas and New Year's Eve, I'm going to abstain from alcohol entirely until February. Gotta get in shape for an upcoming ski trip.
So this is it for a while: Chimay. Like Delerium Tremens it's dry (not as dry) and highly carbonated, and a nice fruity flavor, but I prefer a slightly sweeter brew. Like Raison.
No yeasty taste despite the layer at the bottom of the bottle. The last glass was much better than the first since it had come closer to room temperature. It's good, not the best: I really enjoyed the Gouden Carolus Noel more than anything else in the last few weeks. I might buy a few of those since they won't be around for long. Save 'em for the holidays.That's the biggest problem with buying imported lagers, especially pilsners. By the time they arrive (after months crossing the Atlantic) they are often skunked. I have yet to get a Pilsner Urquell in the US that hasn't been skunked.Silver said:
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Go to the Bull-n-Bush. Oh, and if you can find it, Great Divide brewing has a brewpub somewhere............fonseca said:
-S.S.-
I live in Germany via US military and I can get .33 liter glasses of Grimbergen for 50 cents on Thursdays at the Belgium NCO club on base. Good beer, sure hurts in the morning though.
OMG. Maybe I need to join the military.sayndesyn said:
I'm fluent in German after all, probably a good chance I'd be stationed there. Or would I end up in Iraq...I'm alover not a fighter. :love: It'd be worth it just for the beer!
I'll look for 'em. I have one day and night in Denver with no skiing, and I've already told friends going with me that we will be searching out brewpubs.SkaredShtles said:
: More Golden Monkey is going down right now. I may have found a new short term favorite.
If you're lucky the Bull-n-Bush will have their Royal Arms IPA in a cask conditioned variety....fonseca said:<snip>
I'll look for 'em. I have one day and night in Denver with no skiing, and I've already told friends going with me that we will be searching out brewpubs.
Another good pub to seek out is Golden City Brewery in, ummmmm..., well, Golden.
Their hours are a bit freaky, though. Something like 11:30-18:30.-S.S.-
I'm currently in Winter Park, CO, skipping a week of school for skiing. I don't think I'll ever want to ski on the east coast again after being spoiled like this. I'm wondering if five days of skiing is enough time to even hit all the runs here. I'm gonna try...
Plenty of excellent brews to be had in the area. Moffat Station brags that they are the only microbrewery in town. That doesn't mean they have good beer, unfortunately. They had one passable scottish ale, and two not so passable lagers. Cheap, but I won't be going there again.
Dinos in town, on the other hand, is great, nice atmosphere and much better service. Lots of great beers on tap, but last night I stuck with Flying Dog's K-9 Cruiser High Altitude Ale. A really nice dark ale with a touch of hops. A really great beer, I highly recommend it to those who like strong ales. Flying Dog is available in VA, but there's no comparison with a fresh draught. I hope to visit their brewery in Denver.
Other samplings include Grand Lake Brewing COs Red Ale, which was quite tasty, and their Plaid Bastard, an 8% ABV scottish Ale which was way too smokey tasting for me to enjoy. Yuck.
Fat Tire ale signs are everywhere here.
Plenty of excellent brews to be had in the area. Moffat Station brags that they are the only microbrewery in town. That doesn't mean they have good beer, unfortunately. They had one passable scottish ale, and two not so passable lagers. Cheap, but I won't be going there again.
Dinos in town, on the other hand, is great, nice atmosphere and much better service. Lots of great beers on tap, but last night I stuck with Flying Dog's K-9 Cruiser High Altitude Ale. A really nice dark ale with a touch of hops. A really great beer, I highly recommend it to those who like strong ales. Flying Dog is available in VA, but there's no comparison with a fresh draught. I hope to visit their brewery in Denver.
Other samplings include Grand Lake Brewing COs Red Ale, which was quite tasty, and their Plaid Bastard, an 8% ABV scottish Ale which was way too smokey tasting for me to enjoy. Yuck.
Fat Tire ale signs are everywhere here.
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the only reason i know flying dog is their eye-catching labels done by ralph steadman.
i'd love a steadman original, but don't want to be destitute.
i'd love a steadman original, but don't want to be destitute.
Man...so many great selections of beers here, and to me, they all sound good!!
I'll add a few of my faves, too:
cold weather-Old Rasputin Russian Imperial.
Summer/all day beer-Magic Hat Fat Angel
Regular beer-after-work beer-Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager
Dessert/once in awhile beer-Rogue breweries Shakespeare Stout.
Those are ones I am kind of hung up on right now..Always subject to change!
I'll add a few of my faves, too:
cold weather-Old Rasputin Russian Imperial.
Summer/all day beer-Magic Hat Fat Angel
Regular beer-after-work beer-Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Lager
Dessert/once in awhile beer-Rogue breweries Shakespeare Stout.
Those are ones I am kind of hung up on right now..Always subject to change!
The best beer I'll ever have is always the next one I'll have.
I don't know. Sometimes the next one I have turns out to be pretty crappy. But maybe you look to the future and I look to the past. I can't remember the terminology for those mindsets...too much beer (New Belgium Abbey Ale, a good example of not the best beer I've ever had. I feel let down, considering how good fat tire is.).Westy said: