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General Discussion => The Speakeasy: OOG/Off-topic Discussion => Topic started by: Anslol on 20 Sep 2013, 09:54
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I have no clue if you people know about http://beeradvocate.com/ (http://beeradvocate.com/) but if you don't and have a love of beers, you should take a peek. It's a great resource.
BUT WITH THAT IN MIND, I figured why not see if there are other beer enthusiasts in the community that want to share their finds like beer advocates do. Did you find a trappist ale that was literally like the tears of a God yet it had no review online? Did you try a hyped up abbey ale that fell flat on its face? Or vice-verse, a beer with a bad rep that actually is amazing to you?
SHARE YOUR FINDS! \o/
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This dark, Belgian-style ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22/33) from Quebec is my favorite feel-good beer. Nice, rich and warm in flavor. You can skim some of the reviews for an indication, but I recommend trying for yourself if you enjoy this sort of ale and are able to locate a bottle.
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When I really want to treat myself, a bottle of Chimay Grande Reserve sets me right.
Some snobs tell me there are better, but I still prefer it over all others thus far. I still enjoy trying to find better, the fun is all in the journey.
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It's neither sophisticated nor all that amazing, but I really like Arrogant Bastard on occasion. The rest of the time, it's mostly vodka, scotch, or tequila.
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Flying Dog-Raging Bitch Belgian Style IPA
Living near Maryland makes it hard NOT to hear about two specific brewers out of the plethora of micro brewers in the DMV. Dogfish Head and Flying Dog. I've already determined that Dogfish Head is a favorite brewer of mine just for their unique creations (Midas Touch, Chateau Jiahu, etc). So, I decided to start trying out the other brewer, Flying Dog.
Thus far, I am not impressed.
I heard good things about Raging Bitch and figured it was as good a place to start as any. Rumors and hype of a creamy, smooth golden drink with hints of sour citrus and rich malts tempted my taste buds to seek out and purchase this alleged bottled ambrosia of the Gods. After pouring it and admiring the rather beautiful golden hue of the beverage, I prepared myself to drink the drink that promised to show me the gates of Elysium. As I brought the glass to my lips and took a strong whiff of this alleged liquid gold, all I could think was, "why the hell is this so skunky?" That's where paradise began to crumble.
Traditionally, IPA beers are skunky by nature, but not always to a point that it's undrinkable. Sapporo and Asahi are good examples of IPA done right. A mild skunky flavor mixed with unique grain mixtures and a subtle sweetness. This was not found in Raging Bitch. At all. Like....AT ALL.
The initial taste, while refreshing, simply follows suit with the smell. A whole lot of bitter here. Even the notes of spice are simply a bit more bitter than it should be for something allegedly Belgian in origin. Luckily, the after taste is a bit more pleasant as subtle sweetness of grass, some earthy notes, spices, and malts begin to surface. I have to say though that the beer did go down smooth. However, the flavor just wasn't to my liking. A Belgium like Leffe or New Blegium ale's are the first thing I think about when anyone mentioned a good gold beer. Raging Bitch? Not so much...
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I have a couple of favourites at the moment, although in all honesty, we are absolutely spoilt for choice these days with the explosion of micro breweries and real ale enthusiasm.
Local beer of choice:
Bateman's XXXB
(http://www.sbs-imports.com/images/batemans/label_xxxb.jpg)
A treat from the grim North when I am there:
Wolf
(http://www.corbridgelarder.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/a/largewolf_1.JPG)
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I actually have a bottle of this: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/313/1545 sitting at home for a special occasion. It's # 7 on their list.
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I actually have a bottle of this: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/313/1545 sitting at home for a special occasion. It's # 7 on their list.
WHERE DID YOU FIND IT
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First german beer is #222. <,< This site doesn't Sound legit, though I have to admit IPA is nice.
If any of you beer enthusiasts can get a hold of any of These, I can recommend:
Rothaus Tannenzäpfle
(http://www.nurbier.de/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/sanfamedia-com.jpg)
and
Andechs Doppelbock
(http://www.goumon.de/artikelbilder/33011_x.jpg)
I guess you won't be able to get one of the nice local beers of germany.
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So, I wen't with Mrs N'maro yesterday to a local Chinese restaurant we'd been meaning to try. They didn't have my usual beers, so I just asked if I could try a Chinese beer.
Enter Tsingtao Beer:
(https://www.tsingtaobeer.com/assets/img/bottle-01.png)
Have to say, very enjoyable. If you're one who likes French or Italian lagers, this is definitely one to try. Less sharp on the palate and beautifully smooth.
At first glance, it seems to be stocked in most good Chinese restaurants or food shops.
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Tsingtao is (uncharacteristically for a German) the beer that was the first for me. Incidentally, though, tsingtao was a German protectorate until WWI, and until today tsingtao is brewed by the Deutsche Reinheitgebot. Has not as much 'umph' as the usual German beer though, that's why I like it. My fellow Germans usually say it's easy for them to go by the Reinheitsgebot, as Tsingtao is little more than spring water, if you believe them.
And yah, it's the Chinese export beer #1.