You kids sure have strange ideas about drinking alcohol

[elpollodiablo]

I really liked the Sam Adams Noble Pils!  I was rather surprised by this, but it's hella grassy in a very refreshing way.

Yes! I had it first at the bar on my block where they are fond of serving the Sam seasonals, and I can enjoy drinking a number of them even if they aren't my favorite, but that's the only one I've ever then bought a six pack of.

Totally agreed; I was surprised at how much I like that one. But I've also been told that the stuff Boston Beer Co. distributes regionally, to festivals, etc. can be pretty spectacular.

[Thermofusion]

Good Sam Adams beers that are readily available at supermarkets: Cream Stout, Doppelbock, Nobel Pils, Black Lager, hell I even like most of their silly seasonal ales. The only truly gross thing I've had of theirs is their Cherry Wheat, which is a beer so pitifully bad it needs to be taken out into the woods and shot.

I know Sam Adams is the InBev/Microsoft/Borg of craft breweries, but I'll generally take their readily-store-available stuff over a number of other large craft breweries' readily-store-available stuff: such as Harpoon, the aforementioned Brooklyn, Flying Dog, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium etc. Harpoon and Brooklyn, in particular, are pretty shit in my opinion. Maybe they save their good shit for the festivals and local bars, but the stuff they bottle and send down my way is fucking awful.

[elpollodiablo]

Harpoon has some decent brews if I remember correctly, though I never buy it. I'd drink a Sierra Nevada over about 90% of Sam Adams' output; same for Fat Tire & other New Belgium offerings. Flying Dog is terrible, though.

[Thermofusion]

Harpoon's IPA, in particular - which seems to be the craft IPA with the most market penetration in my area - did me the disservice of stunting my ability to appreciate IPAs at a time when I was desperately trying to like them (months later my palate got set straight thanks to Dogfish Head and Stone)

[davy]

For the longest time, I thought I didn't particularly care for Sierra Nevada's stuff, but the past two times I've tried something, I've really liked it. One of them was Glissade Golden Bock, and I can't remember the other. Some sort of pale ale.

[YojimboMonkey]

I'm not a fan of Harpoon IPA either, or at least didn't care for it much the one time I picked it up. 

I can't say I'm too down with Sam Adams in general.

pollo I think Flying Dog puts out a couple of good beers, their Raging Bitch Belgian IPA which I think is one of the 2 best examples of that particular hybrid style that I've had, and I just tried their double dog which I thought was pretty well balanced for a 11.5%ABV smack in the mouth.



I just this morning traded a Dark Lord 2010 and some homebrew for a Dark Lord 2007.  I now have the makings of a pretty epic vertical Dark Lord tasting.  This pleases me

[Thermofusion]

Whoa, never heard of it before but this Dark Lord shit sounds delicious. I do love me 'em licorice-black imperials.

[FreddyKnuckles]

yeah I think we've beat this horse before but flying dog makes like for average/below-average beers.  They also make Raging Bitch which is fantastic, as well as Double Dog, which is very very good.  Oh their barleywine is also nice

[Antero]

For the longest time, I thought I didn't particularly care for Sierra Nevada's stuff, but the past two times I've tried something, I've really liked it. One of them was Glissade Golden Bock, and I can't remember the other. Some sort of pale ale.

I thought the same when all I'd come across was the Pale Ale, but the Glissade and the Kellerweis are both fantastic session beers.  Two of my favorite just-a-fucking-beer beers.

[elpollodiablo]

Have you guys had Two Brothers' Cane & Ebel rye red? It's fantastic. Nice rye spiciness with a wholesome wheat undercurrent, balanced really nicely with a deep maltiness that finishes with some citrusy zest and a bit of a hop bite. Sort of reminiscent of my recent Rye IPA, though it's more balanced. Definitely recommend, though I think it's a bit overpriced at 12.99/sixer.

[ellaguru]

though I think it's a bit overpriced at 12.99/sixer.

I can think of very few reasons to move south of the 49th parallel, but this is high on the list. Can't get anything even remotely drinkable here for less than $12 for six.

[YojimboMonkey]

Cane & Ebel is one of my favorite beers.  I believe I have mentioned it several times in the past. I have a clone in secondary right now, 2nd time I've brewed it. I can share the recipe with you if you want.

If you think it's overpriced now you'd not have liked it when it was that much or more for a 4-pack.

Local Costcos have Two Brothers mixed cases for something like $24.99 a case, and they usually have a 6er of Cane & Ebel along with a 6er of Domaine DuPage & 2 other 6-packs.  An outstanding deal, but I don't know if Costcos outside the Chicagoland area will have the same thing.

[YojimboMonkey]

I mean I'm certain I've told the cat piss story of the first time I ever went to the Map Room and tried Cane & Ebel (not that I expect y'all to memorize everything I've ever posted here).

BANG

[bethany_m]

though I think it's a bit overpriced at 12.99/sixer.

I can think of very few reasons to move south of the 49th parallel, but this is high on the list. Can't get anything even remotely drinkable here for less than $12 for six.

THIS IS SO TRUE.  Also i never feel more American than when I have the urge to complain about how much things cost in Canada.

Still though, $24 for a 12 pack of pretty shitty beer from the Moosehead brewery? Boooooo.

[Lucy]

I LOVE Cane and Ebel, and its one of the first things I look forward to when I get back to Chicago!

[jess]

I LOVE Cane and Ebel, and its one of the first things I look forward to when I get back to Chicago!

Yes! Lucy and I fully intended to pick up some when we were in Cincy (she flew in there when she came to visit the other week), and then forgot, but next time I go up there, I am determined to get some. They distribute to OH, but not KY sadly.

[Greg Nog]

I got all excited when I finally saw it at a bar in NYC recently, but they had just run out before I got there.  I still haven't tried it yet.