mikeler
Moderator
I'm close to Portsmouth. Staying in York Beach. May have to make a beer run across the border.
Anybody try Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA?
- Thread starter mikeler
- Start date
I'm close to Portsmouth. Staying in York Beach. May have to make a beer run across the border.
bad_call
Legend
read a short article about Toppling Goliath Brewing. now hope to find a few of their IPAs to try (they make 7).
http://www.tgbrews.com/site/beer/
http://www.tgbrews.com/site/beer/
jhick
Hall of Fame
Hill Farmstead is a brewery in Vermont that has been getting a ton of hype. See if you can spot some in Maine or Vermont if you cross the border.
mikeler
Moderator
That one is over 200 miles away! Does not look like I'll get a chance to get to Portsmouth this trip.
jhick
Hall of Fame
Yeah, the brewery is in the northern part of the state. Perhaps they serve their beers in other parts of the state? Not sure if they bottle.
mikeler
Moderator
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
Well, I was finally able to try a number of the Minnesota beers I read about her on TTW. Sorry to Slap and Douggo but I was in MN for less than 18 hours and couldn't squeeze in the meet up. I met my buddy at the airport just a couple of hours before the Twins game on Friday and hopped on the light rail from the airport to Target Field. First off, Minneapolis is one of the nicer cities I've visited, very clean and new with incredibly nice and helpful people all around. Living in California for years sort of dulls your expectations of your fellow man. 
Target Field is fantastic and as we were staying at the Marriott, an easy couple of blocks walk. On to the beer, of which I consumed too much over the weekend.
1. Surly Furious-I grabbed a can at the airport at Ike's while waiting on my friend arriving from San Diego. Pours dark for an IPA, bready aroma with a hint of vanilla. Nice citrus and hops up front and not nearly as heavy on the back end as the West Coast Doubles. Certainly more malt than I'm accustomed to, as I hold the West Coast IPA and Imperial IPA as my favorite style. Just an excellent beer but not quite as good, IMHO, as the Plinys, Optimums and Lagunitas of the world.
2. Surly Bandwagon-I had to wait until the 3rd inning to get this beer at Target Field...line was always crazy long. So, I unwisely went to the Goose Island stand and purchased one of the worst IPAs I've had in long, long time. I haven't looked it up and maybe they brew more of the English style but I barely tasted hops. Felt like I was drinking an amber. Not my cup of tea. The Bandwagon, however, was fantastic. West Coast in style, nice citrus, hops, bitterness on the back end and very drinkable. I actually liked it better than Furious.
After the game, we hit some local bars (can't even recall the names)
3. Left Hand Milk Stout-this is another beer I've read about here and can't get in California. It's fantastic! Ended up drinking this one 3 times over the weekend. Probably a top 3-4 stout for me. Not quite as heavy as Old Ras but very smooth and flavorful.
4. Bell's Two Hearted-another one I read about often but can't get. I finally tried it in VA summer before last but wasn't a huge fan. This time I got it on tap and liked it much better. I certainly appreciate it for what it is...a very flavorful and drinkable beer. Good stuff.
My friend and I woke up early the next morning to quickly check out St. Paul before heading back to the airport. A guy at a breakfast cafe recommended The Muddy Pig. What a great local bar with an excellent beer list. The following weekend they were holding a tasting with a new Bell's Beer and Town Hall Breakfast Stout. Bummed we were just a little early. Instead, I had another Left Hand Milk Stout and two Summit beers (a St. Paul brewery).
5. Summit Pale Ale-very nice pale ale.
6. Summit IPA-forgettable
After 3 beers in an hour, we hopped in a cab (with a very entertaining driver who kept us in stitches with jokes about belly button rings and elderly gynecologists) for the airport for the quick flight to Milwaukee. Another fine town with incredibly friendly people. Always nice to be back in the *******. We were happy to find out that multiple bars downtown run free shuttles to Miller Park. We stopped in at a place across from our hotel, downed a few Irish Car Bombs and went to the game. Miller Park might be my favorite ball field in America right now. ATT in San Fran is beautiful, Camden in Baltimore holds a lot of good memories for me but Miller is great. The fans are enthusiastic and friendly, dirt cheap prices (compared to the San Fran-esque prices at Target Field) on beer and food, sausage races, Uecker...just all-around a great atmosphere. I reverted back to my favorite Cali beers here, going SN Torpedo (cheaper here than SF or Oakland games). After the game, we hit Water Street Brewery, which brews primarily German-style beers.
7. Had a lager at Water St just to say I did. And though it may be blasphemy in Milwaukee, I didn't consume a single Miller product.
Sorry so long-winded but had a great weekend of baseball and beer.
Target Field is fantastic and as we were staying at the Marriott, an easy couple of blocks walk. On to the beer, of which I consumed too much over the weekend. 1. Surly Furious-I grabbed a can at the airport at Ike's while waiting on my friend arriving from San Diego. Pours dark for an IPA, bready aroma with a hint of vanilla. Nice citrus and hops up front and not nearly as heavy on the back end as the West Coast Doubles. Certainly more malt than I'm accustomed to, as I hold the West Coast IPA and Imperial IPA as my favorite style. Just an excellent beer but not quite as good, IMHO, as the Plinys, Optimums and Lagunitas of the world.
2. Surly Bandwagon-I had to wait until the 3rd inning to get this beer at Target Field...line was always crazy long. So, I unwisely went to the Goose Island stand and purchased one of the worst IPAs I've had in long, long time. I haven't looked it up and maybe they brew more of the English style but I barely tasted hops. Felt like I was drinking an amber. Not my cup of tea. The Bandwagon, however, was fantastic. West Coast in style, nice citrus, hops, bitterness on the back end and very drinkable. I actually liked it better than Furious.
After the game, we hit some local bars (can't even recall the names)
3. Left Hand Milk Stout-this is another beer I've read about here and can't get in California. It's fantastic! Ended up drinking this one 3 times over the weekend. Probably a top 3-4 stout for me. Not quite as heavy as Old Ras but very smooth and flavorful.
4. Bell's Two Hearted-another one I read about often but can't get. I finally tried it in VA summer before last but wasn't a huge fan. This time I got it on tap and liked it much better. I certainly appreciate it for what it is...a very flavorful and drinkable beer. Good stuff.
My friend and I woke up early the next morning to quickly check out St. Paul before heading back to the airport. A guy at a breakfast cafe recommended The Muddy Pig. What a great local bar with an excellent beer list. The following weekend they were holding a tasting with a new Bell's Beer and Town Hall Breakfast Stout. Bummed we were just a little early.
Instead, I had another Left Hand Milk Stout and two Summit beers (a St. Paul brewery).5. Summit Pale Ale-very nice pale ale.
6. Summit IPA-forgettable
After 3 beers in an hour, we hopped in a cab (with a very entertaining driver who kept us in stitches with jokes about belly button rings and elderly gynecologists) for the airport for the quick flight to Milwaukee. Another fine town with incredibly friendly people. Always nice to be back in the *******. We were happy to find out that multiple bars downtown run free shuttles to Miller Park. We stopped in at a place across from our hotel, downed a few Irish Car Bombs and went to the game. Miller Park might be my favorite ball field in America right now. ATT in San Fran is beautiful, Camden in Baltimore holds a lot of good memories for me but Miller is great. The fans are enthusiastic and friendly, dirt cheap prices (compared to the San Fran-esque prices at Target Field) on beer and food, sausage races, Uecker...just all-around a great atmosphere. I reverted back to my favorite Cali beers here, going SN Torpedo (cheaper here than SF or Oakland games). After the game, we hit Water Street Brewery, which brews primarily German-style beers.
7. Had a lager at Water St just to say I did. And though it may be blasphemy in Milwaukee, I didn't consume a single Miller product.
Sorry so long-winded but had a great weekend of baseball and beer.
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
Z,
Green Flash and Port Brewing are near the top for me and I'm sure you've tried Stone. I'm also a huge fan of Lost Abbey's Belgian-style beers (same company as Port Brewing), particularly Lost and Found and Judgement Day. Their brewery is in San Marcos up in north county, very close to Stone, so you could hit both easily. If you can find Alpine Brewing beers, give them a try. Their brewery is east of San Diego but the beers are pretty readily available. I'm also a big, big fan of Ballast Point Sculpin IPA. If you find yourself in Ocean Beach, go to their Pizza Port for good pies and an excellent tap beer selection a block from the beach. I'm in Norcal for the academic year, otherwise would love to meet up for a beer. Have fun!
datsveryinterestin
Professional
for a while i think i had over-hopped my palate and all of a sudden i couldn't drink any strong beers anymore. don't know wut the deal was but coronas all of a sudden tasted great and dogfish tasted like somebody dumped the spicerack into my beer.
i still haven't fully recovered but i at least found a beer that isn't 99% water that i like a LOT. sierra nevada tumbler autumn brown ale. im lovin this stuff!
i still haven't fully recovered but i at least found a beer that isn't 99% water that i like a LOT. sierra nevada tumbler autumn brown ale. im lovin this stuff!
N
NadalDramaQueen
Guest
for a while i think i had over-hopped my palate and all of a sudden i couldn't drink any strong beers anymore. don't know wut the deal was but coronas all of a sudden tasted great and dogfish tasted like somebody dumped the spicerack into my beer.
i still haven't fully recovered but i at least found a beer that isn't 99% water that i like a LOT. sierra nevada tumbler autumn brown ale. im lovin this stuff!
I picked up some of that earlier. It isn't too bad.
DCaicedo
Rookie
Which will make it a very easy "class" to pass
Took the Allagash White, Flying Fish Oktoberfish, and Hacker Pschorr Oktoberfest off the list.
Bought some sample $1 bottles of Fort Collins Brewery's Major Tom's Pomegranate Wheat and The Kidd Lager. The Lager sucked, but the Wheat wasn't too bad. Some variety from the orange/citrus-coriander monopoly that all the Wheat beers seem to fall privy to.
Also bought a 6-er of Kinnebunkport Pumpkin Ale. Not bad- but I can't take too many pumpkin-flavored beers in quick succession. Flavor gets dull.
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Z-Man
Professional
Having fun in San Diego. Decided to bring the family, which has cut down on beer adventures, but Lego Land and Balboa Park were awesome with the kids. So far, I'm most impressed with Ballast Point. They had the IPA at the zoo, which was a lifesaver. I also had a Karl Strauss Red Trolley, which was OK. I'm kind of surprised the restaurants here around the convention center don't have a better local craft selection. I think that really shows how far craft has to go. Places with 5 pages of wine and mixed drinks don't even have a draught box--and this is a great craft beef town! Will head out to the Gaslight district tomorrow to find some craftier spots.
mikeler
Moderator
San Diego is a great city to visit. I remember being there in August and it never got above 80 degrees.
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
I always hang out in OB and La Jolla, never downtown much. There is a place called Yard House close to you with a great craft beer selection-just looked at their menu and they have Green Flash Imperial IPA and Le Freak, Ballast Point Big Eye and Sculpin, Racer Hop Rod Rye and Bell's Two Hearted-all tasty choices.. Also look for Toronado or Hamilton's Tavern, both on 30th. Agree about Karl Strauss...not a fan of any of their beers. Ballast Point is fantastic but their Sculpin IPA runs ~$8 for a bomber, so I rarely treat myself.
Balboa park is great, as is the zoo. If you have time, head over to Coronado for great beach access. Your kids would also love Sea World or Belmont Amusement Park on Mission Bay. If the kids are old enough, you can also rent kayaks out of Mission Bay which is a great way to see the area.
There's also a Coronado brewing company but their beer is fair at best, IMHO. I know you've been to Pizza Port before but I'll put in a plug for my hometown location in Ocean Beach...the best IMHO.
Great pizza, fantastic beer selection (often have Pliny on tap, as well as special Sierra Nevada offerings), small game area for the kids, big screen TV's, visit the very eclectic/Bohemian/hippy area of Ocean Beach and it's a $15/10 minute cab ride up the hill from downtown. Great beaches, as well as Dog Beach where the locals bring the puppies to play and roam free. There's also Newport Pizza on Newport AVe in OB. The original before The Port came into town, great pies and a number of excellent craft beers on tap. Plus, your pie will likely be crafted by a young hipster in skinny jeans with multiple tatoos, nose, nipple and ear rings. If your better half is with you, there are a ton of little craft/bead/jewelry/clothing shops on Newport Ave. Oh, and I almost forgot...my favorite restaurant in OB...South Beach Tacos!! Great tacos and 10-15 craft beers on tap, right on the beach at the base of the pier. Fish, oyster, shrimp, scallop, you name it tacos. Kids are allowed during the day. OB can look dirty/scary and has a lot of homeless but don't let that fool you...it's an old school beach town and the locals are incrediby friendly and welcoming. Have fun!
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coolblue123
Hall of Fame
speaking of Dogfish, just FYI. They have their swag giveaways days for the next 2 Sundays from 7-9pm. I just got a free beer glass yesterday. Going again this Sunday. They even got the ObaRama beer. I think it's the White House Brew folks were talking about for the past couple of months.
Looking for a lighter beer. I've been drinking Lawnmowers and Pale Ales when I am there. Since they don't do Lawnmowers except for the summer, I need choices.
And at home I've been drinking Light's and Blue Moon's. Any suggestions?
Looking for a lighter beer. I've been drinking Lawnmowers and Pale Ales when I am there. Since they don't do Lawnmowers except for the summer, I need choices.
And at home I've been drinking Light's and Blue Moon's. Any suggestions?
mikeler
Moderator
Douggo
Semi-Pro
Don't forget to hit ChurchKey.
Z-Man
Professional
I always hang out in OB and La Jolla, never downtown much. There is a place called Yard House close to you with a great craft beer selection-just looked at their menu and they have Green Flash Imperial IPA and Le Freak, Ballast Point Big Eye and Sculpin, Racer Hop Rod Rye and Bell's Two Hearted-all tasty choices.. Also look for Toronado or Hamilton's Tavern, both on 30th. Agree about Karl Strauss...not a fan of any of their beers. Ballast Point is fantastic but their Sculpin IPA runs ~$8 for a bomber, so I rarely treat myself.
Balboa park is great, as is the zoo. If you have time, head over to Coronado for great beach access. Your kids would also love Sea World or Belmont Amusement Park on Mission Bay. If the kids are old enough, you can also rent kayaks out of Mission Bay which is a great way to see the area.
There's also a Coronado brewing company but their beer is fair at best, IMHO. I know you've been to Pizza Port before but I'll put in a plug for my hometown location in Ocean Beach...the best IMHO.
Have fun!
Meetings got out a little early today, so we took a cab over to La Jolla. It was beautiful. We walked down to the cove and climbed out on the rocks with the kids. Was super excited to see Little Sumpin Sumpin on the lunch menu, but alas, they were out so I drank some more Green Flash and Ballast Point. Thank God for allopurinol, or I would be hopping around on one foot for the next week.
I'm impressed with the local IPAs--especially Ballast Point. I think both of their IPAs are a little better than Green Flash West Coast, which has too much ethanol up front for me. Stone IPA is also a good one. It's amazing that so much great beer is made in this area.
Great beer and perfect tennis weather 300+ days a year. I could definitely retire here, although Charlottesville probably still tops the list.
bad_call
Legend
mikeler
Moderator
WOB is a beer lover's paradise. I just got into DC and forgot I still had two Brew Free or Die IPAs left in the fridge from last time. Woohoo!
theyhatethecans
New User
on tap tonight
Objects in picture may be closer than they actually appear.
Objects in picture may be closer than they actually appear.
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Kevin T
Hall of Fame
Had this year's Saison Du Buff last night and it was fairly tasty. You really get the sage/rosemary aroma right off the bat. Certainly an interesting beer and a style I don't drink that often. I love DFH, Victory and Stone, so what's not to love about these guys getting together to make beer.
I also shared a Sierra Nevada Estate bomber with a friend. This one goes ~$10 a bomber, so it was quite a treat. It's an organic ale 100% brewed with hops/barley/etc. from the SN property in Chico. Very tasty with nice hops and citrus, almost a lighter/less heavy version of SN Southern Hemisphere, IMHO.
Hoping to find some Pliny on tap tonight. Happy weekend and cheers to all!
I also shared a Sierra Nevada Estate bomber with a friend. This one goes ~$10 a bomber, so it was quite a treat. It's an organic ale 100% brewed with hops/barley/etc. from the SN property in Chico. Very tasty with nice hops and citrus, almost a lighter/less heavy version of SN Southern Hemisphere, IMHO.
Hoping to find some Pliny on tap tonight. Happy weekend and cheers to all!
I Heart Thomas Muster
Semi-Pro
I like my Lagunitas beers but in a pinch those Boatswain beers at Trader Joe's will do:
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/...-boatswain-ipa-and-hlv-heavy-lift-vessel.html
Best line: It's not a top-tier beer by any means, but we've all done worse playing "Ooh, cool name, and I've got $9 to gamble!" IPA roulette at the liquor store.
http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2012/...-boatswain-ipa-and-hlv-heavy-lift-vessel.html
Best line: It's not a top-tier beer by any means, but we've all done worse playing "Ooh, cool name, and I've got $9 to gamble!" IPA roulette at the liquor store.
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
Funny article. I've tried the Boatswain IPA (using the same 'what the heck' logic) but didn't like it at all. It's not a bad beer but not hoppy in the least, which is what I want in a IPA. TJ's ambers, lagers and Mexican knock-offs aren't bad at all but you can spend an extra buck fifty or so and get a Stone, Lagunitas or Racer bomber here in California.
I Heart Thomas Muster
Semi-Pro
Yeah the IPA isn't hoppy at all but I thought the HLV was surprisingly good. But for two bucks a bottle I wasn't going to be too hard on it. I live in LA and love Stone and Telegraph breweries. California Ale being one of my favorites. A tavern just opened up two blocks from my work with California Ale on tap. I may be unemployed soon.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
Well, have a toast to the fool who'll let you go
joe sch
Legend
If in the SD area, the Stone brewery is a must visit. I really love the Lost Abbey Port Brewing beers that come from the small Brewer that is in the Shadow of the Stone Complex
Kevin T
Hall of Fame
Me too, Joe. Port is 2nd only to Lagunitas in my book of favorites and Lost Abbey is right up there. I had Port's High Tide fresh hop IPA on Saturday and it was fantastic. Their Wipeout IPA is a top 5 IPA for me. Also a big fan of Lost Abbey Judgement Day and Lost and Found.
joe sch
Legend
All soo good, I use to also love Serpents Stout. Too bad these great beers are not exported to TX.
Ronaldo
Bionic Poster
I Heart Thomas Muster
Semi-Pro
Anybody try this one? It's usually about $20 a bottle and is pretty heavy with a 13% ABV. I enjoy it but I only know one other person who likes it.
http://www.firestonebeer.com/beers/products/parabola
The wine bar I visit now has a $40.00 bottle of beer (which I'm told is actually a good price as most places charge $60-something) but I forgot what it's called. I'll report back next time I'm there. Not sure if I'm worthy of a $40.00 beer but maybe I can talk someone into splitting it with me.
http://www.firestonebeer.com/beers/products/parabola
The wine bar I visit now has a $40.00 bottle of beer (which I'm told is actually a good price as most places charge $60-something) but I forgot what it's called. I'll report back next time I'm there. Not sure if I'm worthy of a $40.00 beer but maybe I can talk someone into splitting it with me.
bad_call
Legend
a smile appears on my face when pkgs like that arrive.
got a home brewed Pliny coming my way next week.
Douggo
Semi-Pro
I can't say I've tasted a better Imperial Stout than Parabola. In fact, I really have enjoyed everything I've had from FW, including Sucaba, Double Jack, Wookey Jack, and Double DBA.
Oh boy. Color me excited for that!
I've got a bottle of this waiting for completion of my corporate finance midterm on Saturday:
http://widmerbrothers.com/beer/#barrel-aged-brrrbon-11
I pretty much love anything bourbon aged, and Brrr is probably one of my favorite winter seasonals, so it's a win on both accounts.
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Kevin T
Hall of Fame
Sorry, Mik.
Lagunitas actually made Brown Shugga this year and I've been wearing it out. Also found out this weekend Lagunitas will bring back Lagunitas Sucks during the holidays with plans to make it year round. That's my fave Lagu beer (tied with Lucky 13), so I'll be a happy man this Christmas.
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mikeler
Moderator
tried a home brewed Pliny. WOW had pronounced grapefruit/citrus taste and not overly bitter...very nice. can see why it's hyped.
I'm a fan of that citrus taste in my beers for some reason. Maybe because I grew up next to an orange grove.
