The Bar Towel

sprague11 wrote:Over the last little bit thanks to a well-timed Vermont trip:

Draft:
Hill Farmstead Amarillo
Hill Farmstead Twilight of the Idols
Hill Farmstead Edward
Hill Farmstead Double Citra
Hill Farmstead Abner
Jackie O's Wacka Wacka Wacka
Lawsons Spring Fever
Lawsons Double Sunshine
Fiddlehead Hodad
Otter Creek Kind Ryed
Long Trail Limbo
Lost Nation Gose

Cans:
Heady Topper /Swing

"well times" is an understatement! Let me know if you have anything from HF for trade

Last night at home:
Cameron's Rye Pale Ale x 2
Prairie Artisan Ales Prairie Ale

Yesterday while brewing
Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro

then with Dinner/evening movie watching
St. Bernardus Abt 12
Lagunitas Sucks

The Sucks is just so mind blowingly good, massive hopping with a just slightly caramel sweet malt backing.

icemachine wrote: The Sucks is just so mind blowingly good, massive hopping with a just slightly caramel sweet malt backing.

Definitely one of the best DIPAs out there.

Achel 8 Bruin with its slightly bucolic rough edge, mineral & dark fruit flavors and resolute bittering from hops, this may be one of the best Trappist ales. I could get used to this one, so need more...

Last night at barVolo before the Hold Steady concert:
Great Lakes Brewing Thrust! An IPA (draught)
Dieu du Ciel! & The Alchemist Moralité (bottle)

Then crushed a bunch of Keith's while watching HS rock Toronto

ya, I love this stuff. I bought 50 bottles in case it goes away forever

Belgian wrote:Achel 8 Bruin with its slightly bucolic rough edge, mineral & dark fruit flavors and resolute bittering from hops, this may be one of the best Trappist ales. I could get used to this one, so need more...

spinrsx wrote:ya, I love this stuff. I bought 50 bottles in case it goes away forever

Belgian wrote:Achel 8 Bruin with its slightly bucolic rough edge, mineral & dark fruit flavors and resolute bittering from hops, this may be one of the best Trappist ales. I could get used to this one, so need more...

I am an Achel neophyte. In a thread on quads a while back, the Achel Brune Extra was highly praised. But I take it what we have here now (in the LCBO) is the Dubbel. How do they compare? Do you recommend drinking this now or aging? Lastly, the BB appears to be 05/11/15. Does that mean this was brewed in 2012? Seems unlikely.

midlife crisis wrote:the Achel Brune Extra was highly praised. But I take it what we have here now (in the LCBO) is the Dubbel. How do they compare? Do you recommend drinking this now or aging? Lastly, the BB appears to be 05/11/15. Does that mean this was brewed in 2012? Seems unlikely.

For me two entirely different animals, as the Achel Extra is all power and deep fruity richness VS elegant dry-edged drinkability of the Achel 8 Bruin. The Extra is killer. The 8 is probably a much better choice for weeknights! Each has something to offer the other does not - and a good bottle of the Achel 8 Blonde can be something to get excited about too.

If Westmalle Dubbel is any comparison, I won't take the Best By date of 8 Bruin all that seriously. Can anyone talk about how long carefully-aged Achel 8 Bruin keeps past its expiry and how it changes?

Started tonight with the Sam Adams Cold Snap. It'sa very bland witbier but goes down really esy so don't really mind it.

Continued with Ginger Beard. Too sweet and malty for what I prefer in ginger beers. The Phillips from last year my favourite so far and this one doesn't come close to it.

Indie Ale House Instigator was to follow. I think the tap is more carbonated than this one but now sure. I like it, easy drinking IPA for those days when you don't feel like having a hop bomb.

Finished the night with Goudenband. As far as Oud Bruins go this one is pretty meh. The finish is surprisingly weak.

Kingston Brewing Co - L'Erable from Mcauslan, really wonderful dry/toasty/maple-y beer. The Lake Of Bays Spring Maple Belgian Blonde was also pretty decent, and we at the bar all talked about how nice it is not to have to buy the really expensive bottles. Of the two - hate to say it - the Quebec one had a more distinct and integrated maple flavoring note.

I'd just had french toast at Pan Chancho (Apple butter créme fraiche, orange wedges, maple syrup) sided with wonderful sage+maple sausage patties, all which was nice food on this maple-y day.

Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:

liamt07 wrote:
I could care less who makes the beer. Delicious beer is delicious beer.

Such an unfortunate mindset that, much to my chagrin, is becoming more widespread as the popularity of craft beer grows.

For anyone who somehow doesn't see the obvious merit of supporting local breweries:

https://twitter.com/thegoldenhearth/sta ... 0736379904

midlife crisis wrote:

Ale's What Cures Ya wrote:

liamt07 wrote:
I could care less who makes the beer. Delicious beer is delicious beer.

Such an unfortunate mindset that, much to my chagrin, is becoming more widespread as the popularity of craft beer grows.

For anyone who somehow doesn't see the obvious merit of supporting local breweries:

https://twitter.com/thegoldenhearth/sta ... 0736379904

The whole "support local" mindset is a part of much larger ideological argument than just beer, but also includes beer and breweries. It all depends on how the individual structures their own values and principles and how they inform that persons ideological mindset. It's definitely not obvious or objective.

For the record, I do choose to support local, but I understand Liam's argument and could easily play devils advocate.

Last night at home:
Prairie Artisan Ales Eliza5beth - ridiculous
Fantôme de Noël - solid but not as good as I expected

boney wrote:

midlife crisis wrote:

Ale's What Cures Ya wrote: Such an unfortunate mindset that, much to my chagrin, is becoming more widespread as the popularity of craft beer grows.

For anyone who somehow doesn't see the obvious merit of supporting local breweries:

https://twitter.com/thegoldenhearth/sta ... 0736379904

The whole "support local" mindset is a part of much larger ideological argument than just beer, but also includes beer and breweries. It all depends on how the individual structures their own values and principles and how they inform that persons ideological mindset. It's definitely not obvious or objective.

For the record, I do choose to support local, but I understand Liam's argument and could easily play devils advocate.

Well that sounds a bit like denying global warming to me. Yes, we live in a free country and each of us has a choice as to how we apply our values and principles to the consumer decisions that we inevitably make every day. But the benefits of supporting local seem pretty straightforward and obvious. I agree that each of us is free to embrace or ignore those benefits as we choose.