Foo - Favorite ales?

Or lagers, matters not. As long as it's no BMC stuff.

Now that it's summer I have to change my list. Most of my warmer weather usuals include in no particular order:

Halcyon Wheat from Tallgrass
Terapin Rye. Terapin Brewing
Sweetwater 420. Sweetwater Brewing
Rogue Dead Guy. Rogue brewing.
Naked Pig Ale from Back 40 Brewing.
The Velvet Rooster from Tallgrass is a Belgium quad. Very high gravity so it's an occasional treat.
The Maharaja from Avery. It's an Imperial IPA and tasty, but at 10% I can't drink many.

I also brew a very good amber ale that's great for spring and summer quaffing.

Those are at the top of my warmer weather list. Perhaps in the fall we can discuss our cooler weather choices, but that could be at least 2 more threads. :D

Newcastle brown and lagunitas ipa are two of my favorites. Either pabst or busch when i'm feeling cheap. All are good all weather beers imo.

I've been lovin' Founders Red's Rye Pale Ale (http://foundersbrewing.com/the-lineup/reds-rye-pa) for a couple of years now. Easily my fav. I recently moved back to WI from SC. Founders was not available in the south:notamused: But while deep in the bible belt, I enjoyed plenty of Stone's IPA and New Belgium's Dig (also a pale ale). Also had Arrogant Bastard Ale...respectable. Yes, I admit I am a hophead. It doesn't have to be crazy-hopped like Dogfish Head's 120 Min IPA or even their 90 Min. Double and triple IPA-ing a beer isn't necessary to get an excellent pale.

Newcastle mostly, but prefer a good stout.....

1554 Black Ale
Tanner's Jack
Old Speckled Hen
Hen's Tooth

Many others, those are just a few favorites.

Double and triple IPA-ing a beer isn't necessary to get an excellent pale.

I completely agree. It seems some the craft breweries have the attitude that the more hops you pile in the better the beer is. I'm not that big a fan of cascades either and that's what most of them use, and way to many of them. They wind up turning their IPA's into turpentine. Even some brown ales are so over hopped I just don't like them.

I've noticed a return of more malty brews or at least before it started warming up and that's a good thing IMO, there's room for both in my fridge. I pine for cool weather only because I love stouts and porters like no other.

Sometimes a nice light ailment can be a good thing as it's a good excuse to just lay on the couch and watch movies all day, but can't say I have a favorite. Bruised ribs definitely isn't on the list, glad that is now down to just a faint annoyance.

Or lagers, matters not. As long as it's no BMC stuff.

Now that it's summer I have to change my list. Most of my warmer weather usuals include in no particular order:

Halcyon Wheat from Tallgrass
Terapin Rye. Terapin Brewing
Sweetwater 420. Sweetwater Brewing
Rogue Dead Guy. Rogue brewing.
Naked Pig Ale from Back 40 Brewing.
The Velvet Rooster from Tallgrass is a Belgium quad. Very high gravity so it's an occasional treat.
The Maharaja from Avery. It's an Imperial IPA and tasty, but at 10% I can't drink many.

I also brew a very good amber ale that's great for spring and summer quaffing.

Those are at the top of my warmer weather list. Perhaps in the fall we can discuss our cooler weather choices, but that could be at least 2 more threads. :D

Why can't you live closer to me?

from the top of my head:

Boulevard Pale
Boulevard Single-Wide IPA (and Double-Wide)
New Belgium Ranger IPA
Schlafly Dry-Hopped IPA

I haven't really drank much beer since leaving England. When I lived in England I drank real ale(cask ale). On tap only, fullers London pride or ESB or Abbots ale.

Karl Strauss Amber Lager - My favorite San Diego brew (so much better than that Stone crap).
Guinness Black Lager - I really like this stuff.
Hofbrau Original - Munich's Hofbrau House's recipe. This is one of my favorites right now. They have it at BevMo.
Sam Adams Light - I know, who would recommend a light beer? I actually love this and prefer it to regular Sam Adams.
Miller High Life Light - Again, a light beer, but this is great for back yard BBQs or days at the beach.

I haven't really drank much beer since leaving England. When I lived in England I drank real ale(cask ale). On tap only, fullers London pride or ESB or Abbots ale.
I really like ESB.

1554 Special Dark from New Berlin.

Newcastle Brown Ale, too.

so many beers listed here that aren't ales. :p

mine is probably Dragon's Milk, from New Holland.

This is going to turn in to your typical beer thread where people just start naming the most exotic beers they've ever had.

I completely agree. It seems some the craft breweries have the attitude that the more hops you pile in the better the beer is. I'm not that big a fan of cascades either and that's what most of them use, and way to many of them. They wind up turning their IPA's into turpentine. Even some brown ales are so over hopped I just don't like them.



Concur 100%. Stone Brewery is a prime example. I don't know how people drink that pine-tar. The current trend is definitely just making everything over the top and super powerful (they call it "flavorful"). Then they market it at the tough guys who hang out at the microbreweries drinking garbage beer that would peel the paint off of walls. Most craft beers are just bad.

None. I like lagers.

Breckenridge Brewings Avalanche Ale
Odells 90 Shilling
Durango Brewings Dark, Amber, and Golden Ales
Santa Fe Brewings Brown Ale

Firestones Velvet Merlin Oatmeal Stout
Lefthand Brewings Milk Stout
Guinness

New Belgium's 1554 and Blue Paddle Pilsner
Dillon Dam Brewery's Dam Straight Lager

To name a few

Concur 100%. Stone Brewery is a prime example. I don't know how people drink that pine-tar. The current trend is definitely just making everything over the top and super powerful (they call it "flavorful"). Then they market it at the tough guys who hang out at the microbreweries drinking garbage beer that would peel the paint off of walls. Most craft beers are just bad.

Fortunately I think that trend is about over and a return of the malty brews is on the horizon along with the more balanced ones. Even Sam Adams with their Long Shot contest had 3 dark very malty beers in it. An imperial stout, an Alt, aaaaannnnnd crap I can't remember the third now. But all were quite good. Along with that there were so many new stouts, porters, bocks and dunkels at our local beerfest. So many more than there have been in the last couple of years. I won't deny being very happy about that.

Why can't you live closer to me?


Here's a little more salt for that wound.

Only 3 kegs of homebrew in it currently. An amber ale, a california cream ale, and a moderately unsuccessful high gravity pale ale. Perfectly drinkable, 8 percent abv, but a little boozy and a bit to sweet.
252401

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/3986/walgreensbigflats1901.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/72/walgreensbigflats1901.jpg/)

I've been enjoying Columbus Scottish Ale. Sam Adams makes a nice scottish ale but they never carry it around here for some reason.

http://www.beer-universe.com/images/uploaded/beer/5064.jpg

...
Miller High Life Light - Again, a light beer, but this is great for back yard BBQs or days at the beach.

This is always in my fridge. I really like it, and it's cheap as hell.

Some of my favorites are Pilsner Urquell, Dead Guy, and Abita Purple Haze (drinking one of those now).

Concur 100%. Stone Brewery is a prime example. I don't know how people drink that pine-tar. The current trend is definitely just making everything over the top and super powerful (they call it "flavorful"). Then they market it at the tough guys who hang out at the microbreweries drinking garbage beer that would peel the paint off of walls. Most craft beers are just bad.

I usually don't go for double or triple IPAs. But once in a while they're a nice eye-opener. I love Stone's IPA. It was definitely one of the best IPAs available on tap in SC. Its traits are very similar to Founders Rye Pale Ale. No wonder I love them both....and neither are uber-IPAs.

To each their own.

On the other end of the spectrum, wheat and fruity beers cannot go away fast enough. And light beer ≠ beer.

Concur 100%. Stone Brewery is a prime example. I don't know how people drink that pine-tar. The current trend is definitely just making everything over the top and super powerful (they call it "flavorful"). Then they market it at the tough guys who hang out at the microbreweries drinking garbage beer that would peel the paint off of walls. Most craft beers are just bad.

I love Stone brews and any highly hopped quality micro. 150 IBUs in a beer? Tastey IMO. But I'll be the first to admit that a modern day American IPA is nothing like the IPAs that originated the trend a couple hundred years ago. Those were high alchohol and high hopped for a reason......preservation. A lot of the hop flavor dissipated while it was shipped.

I'm curious your thoughts on other "extreme" variations in modern brews. Russian Imperial Stouts? Lambics? Saisons (there is a local brewer here in Colorado Springs that does amazing things with Saisons, but I think a lot of people would think them extreme).

Fortunately I think that trend is about over and a return of the malty brews is on the horizon along with the more balanced ones. Even Sam Adams with their Long Shot contest had 3 dark very malty beers in it. An imperial stout, an Alt, aaaaannnnnd crap I can't remember the third now. But all were quite good. Along with that there were so many new stouts, porters, bocks and dunkels at our local beerfest. So many more than there have been in the last couple of years. I won't deny being very happy about that.

That is good news. I can't remember the last time I ordered a local brew and thought it was actually good.

I usually don't go for double or triple IPAs. But once in a while they're a nice eye-opener. I love Stone's IPA. It was definitely one of the best IPAs available on tap in SC. Its traits are very similar to Founders Rye Pale Ale. No wonder I love them both....and neither are uber-IPAs.

To each their own.

On the other end of the spectrum, wheat and fruity beers cannot go away fast enough. And light beer ≠ beer.

I live 7 miles from the Stone Brewery. I never go there. I ride right past it on one of my favorite routes. Can't stand the place. $hit beer and even worse food (it has a huge restaurant). The best part of Stone is that they offer free brewery tours. That part is pretty cool, but the beer and food sucks. At the end of the tour they give you like 5 or 6 samples of different beers. I finished 2 and gave the rest to someone else. Just terrible. Karl Strauss on the other hand, the other San Diego micro-brewery, is absolutely fantastic. Great beer AND great food.

I love Stone brews and any highly hopped quality micro. 150 IBUs in a beer? Tastey IMO. But I'll be the first to admit that a modern day American IPA is nothing like the IPAs that originated the trend a couple hundred years ago. Those were high alchohol and high hopped for a reason......preservation. A lot of the hop flavor dissipated while it was shipped.

I'm curious your thoughts on other "extreme" variations in modern brews. Russian Imperial Stouts? Lambics? Saisons (there is a local brewer here in Colorado Springs that does amazing things with Saisons, but I think a lot of people would think them extreme).

IPA originated as a desperation beer. The English who occupied India couldn't get English beer because it always spoiled in transportation, so they simply added so much hops that it literally couldn't spoil. I wonder if today's IPAs taste like the over-hopped beer that left England or the mellowed-out beer that eventually arrived in India. To me it tastes like nasty asparagus.

I do like a good Imperial Stout, but some of them are over the top as well. Some of them taste more like liquor than beer. Not familiar with Saisons.