What're you drinking right now?

bartle · Post by **bartle** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 7:52 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:
SteelbackGuy wrote:Last night:

Bells Hopslam

I had a Hopslam about 2 months ago and found that it was well past its prime. I can't imagine what yours would have tasted like given that it is about 9-10 months old at this point.

What did you think?

This is an amazing beer for many reasons.

Fresh = you crack the top and it's possible to smell the hop profile from 7 feet away without pouring it out of the bottle.

as it ages, it turns into this honey sweet body, that's thick and silky at the same time... and yet still a tongue bruiser. Bittering hops rarely "fade" simply blend and leave the same acids on your tongue. Senses just start to preceive them differently.

for a 10% ABV beer, it's meant to age, but it'll taste much different.
I will agree, from fresh to 2 months later is a completely different story.

I get more of a barleywine style as it ages and that insane double and a bit IPA-ish type thing when fresh.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:38 pm

bartle wrote:
TheSevenDuffs wrote: Fresh = you crack the top and it's possible to smell the hop profile from 7 feet away without pouring it out of the bottle.

So well put... that is why it is the best DIPA out there... that said, I have never tried Pliny (although I do have one on the way...)

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:39 pm

Just drank a fresh 10 Bitter Years. WOW. This is the first beer that truly made me think that Ontario could one day catch up to everyone else in the world of great bold craft beers.

Just poured a Black Oak Porter to chase it

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 9:41 pm

Hoptical Illusion
County Durham Signature

next up...
Aphrodite

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 10:25 pm

God Damn the Aphrodisiaque is good. Its like magical happiness in a bottle

markaberrant · Post by **markaberrant** » Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:18 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:So well put... that is why it is the best DIPA out there... that said, I have never tried Pliny (although I do have one on the way...)

The only way to properly compare DIPAs are as fresh as possible, they quickly go downhill.

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 12:04 am

TheSevenDuffs wrote:
SteelbackGuy wrote:Last night:

Bells Hopslam

I had a Hopslam about 2 months ago and found that it was well past its prime. I can't imagine what yours would have tasted like given that it is about 9-10 months old at this point.

What did you think?

How would you know how old the bottle I had was?

bartle · Post by **bartle** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 12:52 am

SteelbackGuy wrote:
TheSevenDuffs wrote:
SteelbackGuy wrote:Last night:

Bells Hopslam

I had a Hopslam about 2 months ago and found that it was well past its prime. I can't imagine what yours would have tasted like given that it is about 9-10 months old at this point.

What did you think?
How would you know how old the bottle I had was?

back of the bottle has a code on it. go to the Bell's webpage and it'll tell you the brew date / batch.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 8:06 am

SteelbackGuy wrote:
TheSevenDuffs wrote:
SteelbackGuy wrote:Last night:

Bells Hopslam

I had a Hopslam about 2 months ago and found that it was well past its prime. I can't imagine what yours would have tasted like given that it is about 9-10 months old at this point.

What did you think?
How would you know how old the bottle I had was?

It is brewed once a year In January (might be December actually for a January release) so I assumed you had a bottle from the January 2010 batch, which would make it 9-10 months old now.

As someone else mentioned, you can enter the batch code from the label on the Bell's web site and it will give you an exact date...

Roland + Russell · Post by **Roland + Russell** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 6:20 pm

Poperings Hommel Bier

phat matt · Post by **phat matt** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:00 pm

Drinking my last tumbler brown. Very nice brown ale. The little bit of smoked malt keeps in interesting.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:35 pm

phat matt wrote:Drinking my last tumbler brown. Very nice brown ale. The little bit of smoked malt keeps in interesting.

Had one of those a little while back. Thought it was good but not great.

I have had an Aphrotide and an Equinox Du Printemps tonight ... I think it's time for an IPA...

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:40 pm

Aphrodite and Aphrodisiacque!

Since I have bottles of each to directly compare the two batches, the ones I brought home yesterday seem more hoppy. Perhaps more dry tasting and a touch leaner than the ones I brought back from MTL in July.

Love this beer! I would not even expect every batch to be identical. Now some Derniére Volonte (it means "Final Will" in French.)

Who else is looking forward to getting buzzed on a few Rigor Mortis Abt this Hallowe'en?

Passing out really lame candy & scaring children on the verandah...

Torontoblue · Post by **Torontoblue** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:42 pm

Lagunitas Lucky 13 - real great fresh hop aroma and a lovely, malty citrus bite.

Cleansing my palate after a wonderfully dry, smoky, fruity bottle of 2006 Ex-Nihilo Merlot. Don't usually do Merlot, but this is something quite special; and it's Canadian!!!!!!

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Sep 24, 2010 11:49 pm

Torontoblue wrote:Cleansing my palate after a wonderfully dry, smoky, fruity bottle of 2006 Ex-Nihilo Merlot. Don't usually do Merlot, but this is something quite special; and it's Canadian!!!!!!

Miles Raymond: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot! ...

Ahh poor, abandoned Merlot... of course he was talking about humdrum CALI Merlot, not the good French stuff or equivalent... there are some ripping Chilean ones for example...