527 replies to this topic

[Anthony Bonner]

I've been walking by the new Beer Table kiosk at GCT quite a bit lately. I'm sure I'm paying a huge premia, but I've picked up some absolutely outstanding Italian craft beers from them. A Birra del Borgo thing brewed with Gentian that was IPA'ish with a slightly more herbal taste to it than traditional hops. It was 6% alcohol but it was delicate enough I would have sworn it was more like 4.5%. I also picked up a Red Sour ale that was aged in Barrique that was just spectacular, and at 8% could easily have passed for 5%.

Unlike some of the US stuff that I don't love these managed to stay balanced despite high alchohol levels for the style and had none of the sweetness I can pick up elsewhere.

I really enjoyed them, but they are really wine drinkers beers I think, and on balance they are expensive enough I can drink very good wine for the same price.

[AaronS]

Their bar is definitely worth going to, they usually have that kind of stuff on tap. I think both the beers you mentioned are imported by B United who import a lot of high quality stuff that fits your description of wine drinkers beer. BFM Abbaye de Saint Bon Chein is a great example of that kind of beer. You can get B United stuff for less at the Whole Foods on Houston or New Beer on Chrystie street.

Gingerman and DBGB are other places you can find that stuff on tap, but they're both a lot less pleasant than Beer Table.

[StephanieL]

Bellhaven Scotch Ale (draft). Robust but not too heavy, with very little bitterness.

[Wilfrid]

Ice cold Bud with a creamy head from clean taps; out of a huge polystyrene cup.

[AaronS]

A few things from last weekend:

Firestone Walker Double Jack - I thought this was a great example of a double IPA with a lot of citrusy grapefruit notes that worked well with the apparent alcohol. a really bright, crisp bottle of beer.

Emelisse Rauchbier - pretty high in alcohol for this style at 6.5%, which allowed a nice hop flavor to balance out the bacon flavor that's usually more prominent in the german rauchbiers I've had. not quite as deep as the good german ones but it came across as a really well made "americanized" version of the style.

Emelisse Double Ipa - not as strong as the Firestone Walker with more prominent malt flavor and a nice slightly resinous bitter finish. a nicely balanced high quality beer.

Founders Old Curmudgeon - this was a little disappointing, the alcohol was a little too apparent. I liked the overall flavor profile, but it was not nearly as good as some of their other beers. probably would have been better in about six months.

Grand Divid Titan IPA - this tasted like a slightly hopped up version of stale Brooklyn Lager served with dirty equipment at alibi on dekalb. I bought it because I'd enjoyed a pint of their 16th anniversary ale at beertable and had a generally good impression of their beer from a few years ago. blech.

[StephanieL]

Brooklyn Monster Ale 2010. A great way to end a lousy day. Lots of caramel and raisin notes, and not overly heavy for a barley wine.

[AaronS]

Two dark/black IPAs:

Emiliesse Black IPA - this is about as dark as a stout would be, but with a much thinner body and the dominant note is hops with the kind of roasted or carmelized notes you would normally find in a beer this color present in the background. not as good as other things I've had from this brewery but well made and quaffable for an 8% beer.

Victory Yakima Twilight - not nearly as dark as the Emiliesse. this was a cloudy brown and tasted strongly of malt offset with a strong dose of hops. I bought this because a friend insisted that it was great and this year's batch is much better than last year's.

Two Double IPAs:

Founders Double Trouble - the bottles I had were brewed in april and the hops were less apparent than they would have been back then. very thick and viscous with a slightly sweet taste that STRONGLY suggested pot to me. doesn't hide the 9.4% ABV well.

Southern Tier 2XIPA - very light bodied for the style, with the 8% ABV not very apparent. short finish with a nicely lemony hop taste. a good value.

Triple IPA:

Devil Dancer Triple IPA - this was disappointing, a very big beer but not an especially good one. one of the few things this brewery makes that I don't like.

Ale:

Evil Twin Brewing Williamsburg Hipter Ale - first couple sips had a really nice hop finish that quickly faded leaving a decent pale ale behind.

[StephanieL]

Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout from Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, CA). Dark and malty, with a slight bitterness.

BTW, there's a new beer store in the EV called Good Beer (East 9th between 1st & A). They have a large, mostly American selection of bottles, plus a rotating series of beers in growlers. Prices are much better than I expected--on a par with my neighborhood stores.

[mitchells]

My new favorite is Victory HopDevil Ale. Very hoppy and delicious.

[Daniel]

I like the founders Dirty Bastard though, I am in love with these super strong beers.. You drink 2 and you are done. Miss A loves her Aventinus

[StephanieL]

A rare dud: Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, an ale brewed with vanilla beans. It had an unpleasant bitterness with a strange, artificial aftertaste. I could only get through a quarter of the bottle.

[Eatmywords]

Had a couple Blue Point Toasted Lagers during the game. Very nicely balanced with a honey nut profile, light on the hops and a clean finish. I liked it very much.

[Sneakeater]

I find Blue Point Toasted Lager extremely drinkable.

[StephanieL]

New Grist, a gluten-free beer made by Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee. It's brewed from sorghum and rice. It's a pale yellow color with a very light taste--it's meant to be a session beer--but I honestly thought it was just a very weak beer. It didn't even have that corn/rice aftertaste associated with Bud/Miller/etc. I suppose it's a good option for those who are gluten-free, but I have no desire to try it again.

[AaronS]

my quasi brother in law has been unable to find a gluten free beer he likes.