The Bar Towel

maybethewater wrote:

BeerIsGood wrote:

Hoppy's Tavern wrote:Half way through a HopCity Hopbot IPA

Hard to believe but true. I found thirty six bottles of this at a grocery store in Qinhuangdao, China when I was living there. Bought a couple, drank them, then went back and bought the rest. The same store also had Barking Squirrel.

Interesting, any proof?

Not the OP, but I do know Moosehead has been seen in China, and it can't be a far stretch that they would back similar distribution for Hop City. In fact, in Hong Kong I do recall seeing a handful of Canadian brews. If memory serves right, stuff like Unibroue and some BC stuff. But foreign craft beers are usually very small volume on the shelves (eg, 6 singles or so). Not sure if these come in through an agent, or more consumer-like channels.

sofakingdrunk wrote:

seangm wrote:

sofakingdrunk wrote:
I really dig this beer, maybe not quite as good as #5, but for 2$ less it's better bang for buck imo. It actually reminds me a lot of Ransack, although a fair bit juicier with much more restrained bitterness....a lot of the same tropical flavours though. Will need to do a side by side. Definitely a great year round addition(along side the new dry hopped sour) to the already impressive CA portfolio

I'm definitely loving the Life in the Clouds IPA, great stuff. But did anyone else get an almost Gose-like saltiness in the finish of Mash Up the Jam? It seemed very subtle, maybe I'm imagining things. Either way, I thought it was decent but a bit watery.

I didn't get the Gose qualities you did, that being said I've only had the one. I do agree that it's a bit thin feeling. Tasty enough stuff, but not in the same ballpark as, say, Jelly king.

Yeah, it might've been in my head or what I was drinking before. It had quite a bit of lactic sourness at the finish, and it reminded me a bit of lassi/doogh so it could've been subconscious, associating the saltiness from those drinks.

maybethewater wrote:

BeerIsGood wrote:

Hoppy's Tavern wrote:Half way through a HopCity Hopbot IPA

Hard to believe but true. I found thirty six bottles of this at a grocery store in Qinhuangdao, China when I was living there. Bought a couple, drank them, then went back and bought the rest. The same store also had Barking Squirrel.

Interesting, any proof?

Proof? I suppose I could cut and paste the FB post I made regarding same if I was so inclined. However, since it was about two years ago, I'm not so inclined. You can take my word for it...or not. Either is OK.

Napalm Frog. Not sure when you were in Hong Kong, but the situation in mainland China is much different right now. I frequented a bar/store in Qinhuangdao called Wow Beer. They carried I figure between 125-150 different beers at a time and 99% of them were foreign. European, Australian, NZ, America. In fact, the only Chinese beer I recall seeing there was called Baby IPA. Can't recall the brewery right now. This is not where I got the HopBot. That was a grocery store. It was the same in Beijing. Beer bars carried mostly foreign stuff. If you went to a local brewpub such as Great Leap, Slowboat, Panda, etc., it was primarily their taps for sale. Although, Panda did sell foreign bottles and Great Leap usually had one foreign guest tap. Also, international chains such as Tesco and Carrefour have large foreign beer sections. My local Tesco probably had 40-50, mostly European. The local Carrefour probably thirty. Within a twenty minute walking radius of my apartment in Qinhuangdao there were at least a dozen places I could buy quality imported beer. The April's Gourmet I went to in Beijing had a huge foreign beer section.

Was about 2 years ago, but just did some quick research and the beer scene is different in HK than mainland by more than I thought. The mainland Chinese favour the various international imports much more heavily, and HK beer is catered to the Aussie/Brit expat community. When i was in HK, only 3 worthwhile bottle shops. Also, Taiwan seems to have even less availability than HK.

Tried Straffe Hendrik Quad the other night and absolutely loved it. It might be an unpopular opinion but I would place it above St Bernardus and Rochefort 10 (some bottles I've found to be better than others).

Also Collective Arts Life In The Clouds. One of the best IPAs available in the LCBO right now. I found their IPA No. 5 to be too sweet but I can see its appeal. LITC on the other hands hits the spot for a hop forward yet balanced NE IPA.

Napalm Frog wrote: Not the OP, but I do know Moosehead has been seen in China, and it can't be a far stretch that they would back similar distribution for Hop City. In fact, in Hong Kong I do recall seeing a handful of Canadian brews. If memory serves right, stuff like Unibroue and some BC stuff. But foreign craft beers are usually very small volume on the shelves (eg, 6 singles or so). Not sure if these come in through an agent, or more consumer-like channels.

Thanks for the insight.

BeerIsGood wrote:

maybethewater wrote: Proof? I suppose I could cut and paste the FB post I made regarding same if I was so inclined. However, since it was about two years ago, I'm not so inclined. You can take my word for it...or not. Either is OK.

Fair enough, I didn't necessarily not believe you but for some reason my drunken self wanted proof.

Oud Beersel Oude Geuze, enjoying it a lot & be a good thing if it came back.

At Thirsty & Miserable:
Halo Event Horizon Foreign Export Stout with Sarsparilla
Rainhard Armed N' Secret Dry Hopped Pale Ale
Bellwoods Jelly King Guava Mango Passionfruit Dry Hopped Sour with Tropical Fruit

Cascade Apricot — This one surprised me with massive funk/barnyard and sour levels. Delicate apricot/peachy flavours and bone dry finish. Reminds me of Fou' Foune, but it's been years since I had that. Get a cheese plate out with this one.

Over the week at home:
Brasserie St-Feuillien Cuvée de Noël
Collective Arts Mash Up The Jam
Collective Arts Life In The Clouds IPA
Indie Alehouse Never More
Indie Alehouse & Sawdust City Crack A Window - Experimental Pale Ale
Indie Alehouse Cockpuncher IIPA
Great Lakes & Bar Hop Hanlan's Point
Bellwoods 100% Wheat Pale Ale w/ Simcoe & Citra
Bellwoods Old World Saison
Bellwoods Guava/Mango/Passionfruit Jelly King

beerstodiscover wrote:Cascade Apricot — This one surprised me with massive funk/barnyard and sour levels. Delicate apricot/peachy flavours and bone dry finish. Reminds me of Fou' Foune, but it's been years since I had that. Get a cheese plate out with this one.

Just having the Cascade "Sang du Chene" (means Blood of Oak) which is plenty tasty, sour & full and has interesting barrel funk nuances.
I probably scored it higher than some on RB since it wasn't cold (loving it at room temp.)

The other day I had the Skeleton Key Spiced 2017 Coconut Variant (on tap) to which they added toasted coconut. I could not taste the coconut that well at all or half the noted spices, however the overall effect was kind of herbal-black-licorice resulting from the anise and ginger. An interesting sipper for sure.

Belgian wrote:I probably scored it higher than some on RB since it wasn't cold (loving it at room temp.)

I notice Cascade's Barrel House website says their beers should be served at a chilly 40˚F (4.4˚C). That's not what I would have expected, and I'll definitely let the temperature rise on these while sipping.

beerstodiscover wrote:I notice Cascade's Barrel House website says their beers should be served at a chilly 40˚F (4.4˚C). That's not what I would have expected, and I'll definitely let the temperature rise on these while sipping.

It makes sense that the beer evolves as it warms, worth a try cooling it off more.

Chilling the bottle may also calm the beer for opening I guess.

Did a ski trip to Vermont last week. Had the following:

- Alchemist Focal Banger
- Alchemist Crusher
- Hill Farmstead Edward
- Lawson's SoS
- Frost Junior IPA
- Frost Lush IPA
- Fiddlehead Second Fiddle
- Upper Pass Cloud Drop
- Burlington Beer Elaborate Metaphor
- Foley Brothers Citrennial
- Long Trail Blaze IPA
- Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpan

My lord, all of them were delicious.

Nickel Brook Winey Bastard. Yeah...great...whatever...WGAF. Enough already.

I was really f-ing pissed off when I was drinking this beer. Barrel aging should complement, enhance, augment the taste of the beer, not overwhelm it. If I want a Pinot Noir, there are many available. They screwed up a very good imperial stout with this venture.