If you have had a good (or bad) beer recently report the results here

[indeedproceed]

Bud Light!!!  Always good.

Sorry, beer snobs. 

I did try some of the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale the other day on a whim, and found it to be enjoyable.  Very surprised, as normally I hate just about any type of ale or stout (IPAs are the worst-if I wanted bitter beer, I'd just buy some Keystones and save the cash).  Just always preferred lagers and pilsners.

To me, someone saying they love Bud Light, but hate all the IPAs or stouts they've tried (with the justification you made) is like someone saying they love fast food cheeseburgers but hate a good medium rare steak because 'if I wanted bloody meat I'd just eat it raw'.

I'm from a poor rural area of NY, one that doesn't have a brewery within 100 miles, and traditionally hasn't shown any real interest in microbrews. The most exotic you're likely to find in most bars is Guinness, and be thankful if you find that. Your view of beer is something most of my friends echo, and not one they'll likely ever change (and trust me, I've tried).

But here's my advice if you ever want to give weird beers a try:

1) start with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It costs about as much as SAMs, it's pretty much everywhere, and as far as hopped ales go, it's pretty mild. Buy a sixer of that next time instead of Bud Light an see where it goes.

2) Next, try Harpoon's IPA if you're based in NE, (because it again is everywhere, and pretty cheap as far as micros go). It is a little hoppier, a little more 'bold'

3) after that, try Racer 5 IPA.

If you still don't like IPA's after that, give up and make fun of beer snobs, and do so knowing you gave it a college try. Beer is like wine, you need a pallette. If you're not used to the taste, trying it here or there is just going to remind you how different it is. It's like swimming in a river when you're used to the high school pool. If you just get in once, you'll be like. 'Its colder, and there is seaweed, and fish screw in it. I don't like it.' You need a full camping trip with bbqs and fishing to appreciate everything the river has to offer.

Hope that makes some sense, and good hunting.

[indeedproceed]

Do not buy the Southern Tier Imperial Oatmeal Stout. It is terrible. Didn't even want to finish it.

[KGs Knee]

Bud Light!!!  Always good.

Sorry, beer snobs. 

I did try some of the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale the other day on a whim, and found it to be enjoyable.  Very surprised, as normally I hate just about any type of ale or stout (IPAs are the worst-if I wanted bitter beer, I'd just buy some Keystones and save the cash).  Just always preferred lagers and pilsners.

To me, someone saying they love Bud Light, but hate all the IPAs or stouts they've tried (with the justification you made) is like someone saying they love fast food cheeseburgers but hate a good medium rare steak because 'if I wanted bloody meat I'd just eat it raw'.

I'm from a poor rural area of NY, one that doesn't have a brewery within 100 miles, and traditionally hasn't shown any real interest in microbrews. The most exotic you're likely to find in most bars is Guinness, and be thankful if you find that. Your view of beer is something most of my friends echo, and not one they'll likely ever change (and trust me, I've tried).

But here's my advice if you ever want to give weird beers a try:

1) start with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It costs about as much as SAMs, it's pretty much everywhere, and as far as hopped ales go, it's pretty mild. Buy a sixer of that next time instead of Bud Light an see where it goes.

2) Next, try Harpoon's IPA if you're based in NE, (because it again is everywhere, and pretty cheap as far as micros go). It is a little hoppier, a little more 'bold'

3) after that, try Racer 5 IPA.

If you still don't like IPA's after that, give up and make fun of beer snobs, and do so knowing you gave it a college try. Beer is like wine, you need a pallette. If you're not used to the taste, trying it here or there is just going to remind you how different it is. It's like swimming in a river when you're used to the high school pool. If you just get in once, you'll be like. 'Its colder, and there is seaweed, and fish screw in it. I don't like it.' You need a full camping trip with bbqs and fishing to appreciate everything the river has to offer.

Hope that makes some sense, and good hunting.

Yeah, the beer snob comment was more of a half-joke, and I say half-joke because it does seem that a lot of people who like the more "robust" beers tend to look down on the Bud Lights of the beer-world.  No harm meant though.

Trust me, I've tried many types of different beers.  Heck, I live about 10 minutes from a Red Hook brewery.  I've had more than my share of Shipyard's as well, and I've tried the other's you mentioned too (except for the Racer 5).  Just don't like them, although every once in a while I do come across a "lighter" ale that is decent.

Ultimately, I just prefer a smoother, more drinkable beer.

[fairweatherfan]

Very surprised, as normally I hate just about any type of ale or stout (IPAs are the worst-if I wanted bitter beer, I'd just buy some Keystones and save the cash). 

Um, Keystone is the NEVER bitter beer.  It's the greatest weapon we have against bitter beer face 

[indeedproceed]

Bud Light!!!  Always good.

Sorry, beer snobs. 

I did try some of the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale the other day on a whim, and found it to be enjoyable.  Very surprised, as normally I hate just about any type of ale or stout (IPAs are the worst-if I wanted bitter beer, I'd just buy some Keystones and save the cash).  Just always preferred lagers and pilsners.

To me, someone saying they love Bud Light, but hate all the IPAs or stouts they've tried (with the justification you made) is like someone saying they love fast food cheeseburgers but hate a good medium rare steak because 'if I wanted bloody meat I'd just eat it raw'.

I'm from a poor rural area of NY, one that doesn't have a brewery within 100 miles, and traditionally hasn't shown any real interest in microbrews. The most exotic you're likely to find in most bars is Guinness, and be thankful if you find that. Your view of beer is something most of my friends echo, and not one they'll likely ever change (and trust me, I've tried).

But here's my advice if you ever want to give weird beers a try:

1) start with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It costs about as much as SAMs, it's pretty much everywhere, and as far as hopped ales go, it's pretty mild. Buy a sixer of that next time instead of Bud Light an see where it goes.

2) Next, try Harpoon's IPA if you're based in NE, (because it again is everywhere, and pretty cheap as far as micros go). It is a little hoppier, a little more 'bold'

3) after that, try Racer 5 IPA.

If you still don't like IPA's after that, give up and make fun of beer snobs, and do so knowing you gave it a college try. Beer is like wine, you need a pallette. If you're not used to the taste, trying it here or there is just going to remind you how different it is. It's like swimming in a river when you're used to the high school pool. If you just get in once, you'll be like. 'Its colder, and there is seaweed, and fish screw in it. I don't like it.' You need a full camping trip with bbqs and fishing to appreciate everything the river has to offer.

Hope that makes some sense, and good hunting.

Yeah, the beer snob comment was more of a half-joke, and I say half-joke because it does seem that a lot of people who like the more "robust" beers tend to look down on the Bud Lights of the beer-world.  No harm meant though.

Trust me, I've tried many types of different beers.  Heck, I live about 10 minutes from a Red Hook brewery.  I've had more than my share of Shipyard's as well, and I've tried the other's you mentioned too (except for the Racer 5).  Just don't like them, although every once in a while I do come across a "lighter" ale that is decent.

Ultimately, I just prefer a smoother, more drinkable beer.

I get it, but I refuse to accept it as a case of full knowledge, with an informed choice. It comes from a place of love, for the making, the drinking, and the sharing of great beer that I have.

And for me, I'd rather just keep pushing weird beers on people. It's patriotic. America has the most robust microbrewing market in the world, literally thousands of beers made by American people, from American ingredients, and with American companies gaining the profit. Anhieser Busch is part of inBev brewing. Shipyard is owned by a guy in Maine, brewed in Maine, and drank by 'Muricans.

'Murrica!!

[Cman]

Bud Light!!!  Always good.

Sorry, beer snobs. 

I did try some of the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale the other day on a whim, and found it to be enjoyable.  Very surprised, as normally I hate just about any type of ale or stout (IPAs are the worst-if I wanted bitter beer, I'd just buy some Keystones and save the cash).  Just always preferred lagers and pilsners.

To me, someone saying they love Bud Light, but hate all the IPAs or stouts they've tried (with the justification you made) is like someone saying they love fast food cheeseburgers but hate a good medium rare steak because 'if I wanted bloody meat I'd just eat it raw'.

I'm from a poor rural area of NY, one that doesn't have a brewery within 100 miles, and traditionally hasn't shown any real interest in microbrews. The most exotic you're likely to find in most bars is Guinness, and be thankful if you find that. Your view of beer is something most of my friends echo, and not one they'll likely ever change (and trust me, I've tried).

But here's my advice if you ever want to give weird beers a try:

1) start with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It costs about as much as SAMs, it's pretty much everywhere, and as far as hopped ales go, it's pretty mild. Buy a sixer of that next time instead of Bud Light an see where it goes.

2) Next, try Harpoon's IPA if you're based in NE, (because it again is everywhere, and pretty cheap as far as micros go). It is a little hoppier, a little more 'bold'

3) after that, try Racer 5 IPA.

If you still don't like IPA's after that, give up and make fun of beer snobs, and do so knowing you gave it a college try. Beer is like wine, you need a pallette. If you're not used to the taste, trying it here or there is just going to remind you how different it is. It's like swimming in a river when you're used to the high school pool. If you just get in once, you'll be like. 'Its colder, and there is seaweed, and fish screw in it. I don't like it.' You need a full camping trip with bbqs and fishing to appreciate everything the river has to offer.

Hope that makes some sense, and good hunting.

Yeah, the beer snob comment was more of a half-joke, and I say half-joke because it does seem that a lot of people who like the more "robust" beers tend to look down on the Bud Lights of the beer-world.  No harm meant though.

Trust me, I've tried many types of different beers.  Heck, I live about 10 minutes from a Red Hook brewery.  I've had more than my share of Shipyard's as well, and I've tried the other's you mentioned too (except for the Racer 5).  Just don't like them, although every once in a while I do come across a "lighter" ale that is decent.

Ultimately, I just prefer a smoother, more drinkable beer.

I get it, but I refuse to accept it as a case of full knowledge, with an informed choice. It comes from a place of love, for the making, the drinking, and the sharing of great beer that I have.

And for me, I'd rather just keep pushing weird beers on people. It's patriotic. America has the most robust microbrewing market in the world, literally thousands of beers made by American people, from American ingredients, and with American companies gaining the profit. Anhieser Busch is part of inBev brewing. Shipyard is owned by a guy in Maine, brewed in Maine, and drank by 'Muricans.

'Murrica!!

I love cracking open a can of or pouring a pint of American craft brew. Makes me happy cuz it's a beer and cuz I'm supporting my country!
Also I love what us craft breweries have done for beer similar to what us wineries did for wine: variety & experimentation.

[crownsy]

Bud Light!!!  Always good.

Sorry, beer snobs. 

I did try some of the Dogfish Head Punkin Ale the other day on a whim, and found it to be enjoyable.  Very surprised, as normally I hate just about any type of ale or stout (IPAs are the worst-if I wanted bitter beer, I'd just buy some Keystones and save the cash).  Just always preferred lagers and pilsners.

To me, someone saying they love Bud Light, but hate all the IPAs or stouts they've tried (with the justification you made) is like someone saying they love fast food cheeseburgers but hate a good medium rare steak because 'if I wanted bloody meat I'd just eat it raw'.

I'm from a poor rural area of NY, one that doesn't have a brewery within 100 miles, and traditionally hasn't shown any real interest in microbrews. The most exotic you're likely to find in most bars is Guinness, and be thankful if you find that. Your view of beer is something most of my friends echo, and not one they'll likely ever change (and trust me, I've tried).

But here's my advice if you ever want to give weird beers a try:

1) start with Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It costs about as much as SAMs, it's pretty much everywhere, and as far as hopped ales go, it's pretty mild. Buy a sixer of that next time instead of Bud Light an see where it goes.

2) Next, try Harpoon's IPA if you're based in NE, (because it again is everywhere, and pretty cheap as far as micros go). It is a little hoppier, a little more 'bold'

3) after that, try Racer 5 IPA.

If you still don't like IPA's after that, give up and make fun of beer snobs, and do so knowing you gave it a college try. Beer is like wine, you need a pallette. If you're not used to the taste, trying it here or there is just going to remind you how different it is. It's like swimming in a river when you're used to the high school pool. If you just get in once, you'll be like. 'Its colder, and there is seaweed, and fish screw in it. I don't like it.' You need a full camping trip with bbqs and fishing to appreciate everything the river has to offer.

Hope that makes some sense, and good hunting.

Yeah, the beer snob comment was more of a half-joke, and I say half-joke because it does seem that a lot of people who like the more "robust" beers tend to look down on the Bud Lights of the beer-world.  No harm meant though.

Trust me, I've tried many types of different beers.  Heck, I live about 10 minutes from a Red Hook brewery.  I've had more than my share of Shipyard's as well, and I've tried the other's you mentioned too (except for the Racer 5).  Just don't like them, although every once in a while I do come across a "lighter" ale that is decent.

Ultimately, I just prefer a smoother, more drinkable beer.

I wouldn't say I "look down" on bud lights, I just consider them really watered down beers. They are kinda like flavored water to me.

I mean, I drink bud light all the time at partys, softball, pre gaming at cheap bars before C's games, ect. but they are essentially beers that try to avoid tasting like beer to appeal to the masses.

nothing wrong with Bud light, it's just, as someone already posted, the "fast food" of beer. goes down easy, but dosen't taste like anything memorable.

Anyway, I actually wanted to post on two beers, that I bought myself for my 30th B-day and were pretty good.

I always like to try Blue hills, and was going to pick up my standard "black hops" from them (also delicious) but saw these, which ive never seen before.

http://www.bluehillsbrewery.com/beers_comet.php

given that I just got xcom: enemy unknown I couldn't resist. Anyway, there real good, nice crisp IPA.

The real winner was this though:



Was super pricey, I wouldnt have even got it if it wasen't for the B-day money burning a hole in my pocket, but, man if your a fan of smooth porters, heaven.

highly recommended as a "i wanna try something new" beer

[Jon]

To weigh in on the whole Bud Light debate, I think the whole "flavored water" thing is accurate.  It's really the difference, as IP notes, between a fast food hamburger and a great steak.  It's a quality issue, but it's also an acquired taste issue. 


I think IP's suggestions are spot on.  It's all about acquiring the taste.  I remember the first time I tried light beer in my teenage years.  I thought all light beers were bitter and that Coors, Bud, and Miller were all steps up from Natty, Busch, and other such luminaries as Steel Reserve.

However, after drinking them for a while, your taste buds adjusted, and you were ready for something new.

Then I remember drinking my first IPA, a Smutty Nose IPA in a bar that my girlfriend (now wife) works at.  They gave me free beer there, so I'd just randomly try whatever they had on tap.  I was shocked by the bitterness, but found myself the next time I was there jonesing for more. 

I think that IP's recommendations are pretty perfect for IPAs, the only thing I'd qualify it with is that while they are my favorite types of beers, I have a lot of beer snob friends who don't like them that much.  So I'd also recommend to KG's Knees to expand out in other directions. 

I think the most approachable beer style is likely the wheat beer.  They are all over the place, and often have other flavorings in them to make the adjustment easier. 

Two very easy ones to start with that have flavoring are Blue Moon and Sam Adams's Summer Ale.  Blue Moon has orange and coriander and Sam Adams has lemon zest and grains of paradise (a peppery spice). 

From there, you could go to something like Harpoon's UFO Hefeweizen or Troeg's Dreamweaver. 

As you get more sophisticated with them, hitting ones like
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, and even Sierra Nevada's Kellerweis, you'll get slightly funkier notes coming in from a more Belgian style of yeast.  If you like that, you'll be primed to start some Belgian Tripels down the line.

Again, I don't think every beer style is for everyone.  Personally, I'm not a huge fan of stouts and porters (though I do appreciate a good one).  However, I do think there is a style of good beer out there for everyone.

 For my birthday last year we had a beer tasting for about 25 people where we sampled a bunch of exotic beers.  And even my friends who stick to the classic domestics ended up finding at least a few microbrew beers that they really liked. 

[indeedproceed]

Jon, great post.

To beer, for those of us in the blessed state of NY, and those of us who are ballin on a budget, as it were, I have a recommendation:

Saranac's Big Moose Ale. Normally, I wouldn't buy a saranac sampler pack of it was the only case on the rack. It is a terrible brewery, a glorified placeholder for Utica's awful offerings.

But the big moose ale is different. It's a beer. Sounds dumb, but that's what it is, if you get my drift. It's not too heavy, it's sessionable, it's big enough to notice and hoppy enough to notice, and it costs 13 bucks a 12er. I'll be drinking it til February.

[Redz]

Sam Adams Oyster Stout


i think i had my favorite beer ever tonight...it has pretty much everything i like in a beer, plus, apparently some oysters...now I couldn't taste any oysters - maybe a hint of saltiness...lots and lots of dark coffee and chocolate...a really interesting thick foamy brown head, but not so ridiculously heavy a beer that you can't have more than one.

I had a couple of these tonight with some really excellent food.  This brew wade for the Wellfleet Oyster Fest and is only available on tap.  Really glad I randomly stumbled upon it.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/53463

[Chris]

Sam Adams Oyster Stout


i think i had my favorite beer ever tonight...it has pretty much everything i like in a beer, plus, apparently some oysters...now I couldn't taste any oysters - maybe a hint of saltiness...lots and lots of dark coffee and chocolate...a really interesting thick foamy brown head, but not so ridiculously heavy a beer that you can't have more than one.

I had a couple of these tonight with some really excellent food.  This brew wade for the Wellfleet Oyster Fest and is only available on tap.  Really glad I randomly stumbled upon it.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/53463

One thing I discovered when I did the Sam Adams Brewery tour is that their best beers are generally not for sale regularly.  They make some great small batch stuff, that is only or special occasions like that, or just that they are testing out, and give out at the brewery tour.

[Lucky17]

West Coast peeps, if you're someplace where you see Boneyard's Hop Venom Double IPA on tap, do yourself a favor, and try it.

Clocks in at 10% ABV, but you'd never know it. Not the grapefruity hop-bomb you'd expect either. Incredible balance to this beer.

Could well be the best DIPA out there. [Yes, you read that right.]

[Cman]

Brooklyn Blast last night.

A few nights back: Weyerhauser's Imperial Pumpkin
Now, I pretty much dislike all pumpkins (Dogfish Heads is okay), but this was a really good beer. In part bc it didn't taste pumpkinny...

[Donoghus]

Had this stuff in fall of 2010 and hadn't seen it since until came across it at one of the regional liquor stores on Friday night. 

Excellent stuff.  Strongly recommmend.  2 years was worth the wait to have it again.

Dogfish Head Miles Davis B*tches Brew

[Lucky17]

Had this stuff in fall of 2010 and hadn't seen it since until came across it at one of the regional liquor stores on Friday night. 

Excellent stuff.  Strongly recommmend.  2 years was worth the wait to have it again.

Dogfish Head Miles Davis B*tches Brew

Was on tap at the local biercafe on Halloween night, but didn't make it out there, unfortunately.