What're you drinking right now?

robinvboyer · Post by **robinvboyer** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:22 pm

ola dubh 16 year old
oerbier reserva

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:55 pm

I pretty much inhaled a Czechvar when I got home tonight from coaching, and at the moment I'm enjoying matt7215's HB'd Ass-over Kettle double IPA, which is freaking delicious. Probably will feel it in a few minutes, but it's so damn drinkable!

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:24 am

thanks for the shout out jesse! tonight ive had a Durham Signature Ale, a Muskoka Dark and Im now enjoying a snifter of Empire Royal Mead

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:23 pm

I did a blind tasting of 5 brown ales last night. Its not my favourite style, but I figured that having 5 different offerings would give me a better appreciation of what its trying to aim at. The overall shock winner was Hockley Dark, which I feel is more of a dark mild (the brewery site lists it as a cross between that and a brown ale). I thought it was alright (on BA I gave it a B-), but my wife really liked the chocolate flavours going on.

Here's how I ranked my choices:

1) Scotch Irish Bitter Brown
2) Real Ale Brewing Co. Brewhouse Brown
3) Hockley Dark
3) Black Sheep Riggwelter
5) Mount Begbie Tall Timber Ale

I really enjoyed doing a blind style tasting like that, and I actually feel I learned something. I now know that in general I don't enjoy brown ales enough to make a regular purchase of them. I've always found them boring in the past, and with the exception of the corporal's I still do. It was neat to see similar flavours across the style though, and to see each brewer's twist. I think next time we might do one as a minature bracket tourney... prehaps a hefe-off.

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:53 pm

I've actually developed quite a liking for Brown Ales over the past few months. Some examples are generic and boring, but then others are just awesome. I'm confused by the including of the Riggwelter on your list though given that it's technically an Old Ale rather than brown, but I guess it's related.

Enjoying some Rogue Kells Irish Lager at the moment, tasty, a little odd, but a good one. Give it a chance people, accept it for what it is, it's not an Imperial Stout or IPA, just a well done lager, simplicity can be good sometimes too. ONE store in my area did in fact get a few of the seasonals in now. Still waiting on the Weltenberger though.

schomberger · Post by **schomberger** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:55 pm

Re- Bobsy brown ale tasting

Actually, I'm not surprised at all. Hockley dark is quite similar to Sam Smith Nut Brown (which is currently at some LCBOs). I'm not sure about the Black Sheep as a typical "brown" ale...(too strong?) Two browns I would definitely want to include in such a tasting would be Black Oak's Nut Brown and Neustadt 10w30, both absolutely delicious in my humble opinion.

Oh, and (in keeping with the thread) I'm drinking a couple of Southern Tier IPA now before dinner, a Westmalle Dubbel with my poulet roti au beurre, and perhaps a Thomas Hardy or Fuller's Vintage this evening. Cheers!

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:35 pm

JesseM wrote:I've actually developed quite a liking for Brown Ales over the past few months......

.....it's not an Imperial Stout or IPA, just a well done lager, simplicity can be good sometimes too.

The kid has perspective, LOL! Nice having you around, Jesse.

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:45 pm

JesseM wrote: Enjoying some Rogue Kells Irish Lager at the moment, tasty, a little odd, but a good one. Give it a chance people, accept it for what it is...

But what is it?

http://www.rogue.com/beers/kells-irish-lager.php

7 Ingredients:
Malts: Great Western Pale, Crystal -15, Wheat & Acidulated Malts.
Hops: Sterling.
Yeast & Water: Czech Pils Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

Specs:
12º PLATO
28 IBU
75 AA
9.8º Lovibond

Seriously... it does sound really odd!

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:36 pm

Jesse - The Riggwelter is listed as a brown ale on BA, but I suppose its open to interpretation. However, I would say that it didn't stand out from a lineup of brown ales as something radically different, and it did seem a close match to the style. I guess I just don't dig brown ales that much. I like the Rogue Hazelnut , the Corporal's, Black Oak and the DFH India Brown, but that's about it. I'm always open to recommendations though.

Schomberger - those are excellent picks. The Sam Smith's is the benchmark for the style, and 10w30 os solid. Unfortunately I had to limit the list to 5, which still came to a couple of pints each. Next week we're doing pale ales... I'm open to suggestions on good Ontario examples to go up against some I have from BC and Texas.

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 6:02 pm

Bobsy wrote:Jesse - The Riggwelter is listed as a brown ale on BA, but I suppose its open to interpretation. However, I would say that it didn't stand out from a lineup of brown ales as something radically different, and it did seem a close match to the style. I guess I just don't dig brown ales that much. I like the Rogue Hazelnut , the Corporal's, Black Oak and the DFH India Brown, but that's about it. I'm always open to recommendations though.

Schomberger - those are excellent picks. The Sam Smith's is the benchmark for the style, and 10w30 os solid. Unfortunately I had to limit the list to 5, which still came to a couple of pints each. Next week we're doing pale ales... I'm open to suggestions on good Ontario examples to go up against some I have from BC and Texas.

Try these for your line up Bobsy,

Ontario Pale Ales 101: In no particular order..........

Black Oak Pale Ale
Durham Signature Ale
Magnotta India Pale Ale
Scotch Irish Sgt Majors
Grand River IPA

Hopefully you can get these fresh, as they will be the tastiest at that time. There are many other fine examples, especially a few from Durham, but unfortunately they are only available in cask/keg.

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 7:55 pm

SteelbackGuy wrote: Black Oak Pale Ale
Durham Signature Ale
Magnotta India Pale Ale
Scotch Irish Sgt Majors
Grand River IPA

Thanks! I think I'll go with the Black Oak and the Durham Signature (I already have Tree Cut throat, Real Brewing Full Moon Rye Pale Ale and Whitler Pale in the lineup). Your other suggestions sound like good contributions to an IPA lineup, and after visiting the fridge again I definitely have enough to do a seperate one for those. I really enjoyed the blind tasting... you get a new perspective on things and its kinda fun.

Right now I'm drinking a mediocre riesling (I'll mention it in the other thread), but I may move on to a Great Lakes Imperial Dortmunder or Great Diveide Hercules DIPA.

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 8:33 pm

Derek wrote:
JesseM wrote: Enjoying some Rogue Kells Irish Lager at the moment, tasty, a little odd, but a good one. Give it a chance people, accept it for what it is...
But what is it?

http://www.rogue.com/beers/kells-irish-lager.php

7 Ingredients:
Malts: Great Western Pale, Crystal -15, Wheat & Acidulated Malts.
Hops: Sterling.
Yeast & Water: Czech Pils Yeast & Free Range Coastal Water.

Specs:
12º PLATO
28 IBU
75 AA
9.8º Lovibond

Seriously... it does sound really odd!

Yeah it's a little unique, not really sure why they'd consider it Irish necessarily, but I guess that's just marketing. I think you guys get what I was saying but just to clarify, it's not terribly exciting or 'bold' like some of Rogue's other stuff, but it's just a well done more simple brew.

I had a bottle of the Trafalgar Cedar Cream Ale just a little while ago. Meh, still a huge step up for them, but way too sweet for my tasts.

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:02 pm

I doubt there's anyone here who doesn't recognize the value of aging beers that are suitable for cellaring...but let me preach to the converted.

Tonight I did a side by side tasting of a 2008 Chimay White and a 2005 Chimay White (despite it having "expired" in 2008!).

While the 2008 is wonderful the 2005 is simply divine. There's such an amazing toffee like finish that has crept into the beer. It's layered, lingering and perfectly rounded. What a treat!

kinguy · Post by **kinguy** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 11:06 pm

Started with a canned macro lager I'll decline to name (needed to make room in the fridge for a six pack of Black Oak), followed by a Mill Race Mild and Corporal's Bitter Brown in a nifty Sam Smith's glass I found in the basement. The Corporal was definitely bitter, but I'm glad I only bought one. I like brown ales, but this one not so much.

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Sun Mar 01, 2009 12:09 am

tongiht ive had a Asahi Super Dry ( new rating ), a Lion Stout aka Sinha Stout, and now a True North Cream Ale.