Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Alright. I figured it's about time to contribute to my own thread [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. As a follow up to KBZ's Ommegang post, I figured I'd review another of their beers, the Three Philosophers. This beer is a quadrupel blended with a cherry lambic, which is a pretty intriguing combination. When I saw this at Beers of the World, I knew I had to try it, considering how much I enjoyed Ommegang's namesake beer and Rare Vos. Not to be outdone by KBZ, here's a picture of the bottle:


http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/344...sbottlelg7.jpg

This ran me $6.69 for a 750 mL bottle and was the most expensive beer put out by this brewery. Additionally, it was their strongest, at 9.8% ABV. Here's a picture of it right after I poured it into my glass:

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/213...ersbeerww2.jpg


Taking a sniff, it has a great but not overly strong smell. You catch a hint of cherries mixed in with the malt. I also smell apple with hints of some other fruit. Upon first sip, though, this beer is surprisingly subtle. The cherry flavor is there, but it's not dominant. It's also a lot less sweet than other quadrupels I've tried. For a 9.8% beer, I don't taste the alcohol at all. You could tell me this was 4-5%, and I'd believe you. The apple flavor comes through pretty well, although I'm not sure where it came from. Now that I think about it, this would be a fantastic beer for cider lovers. It's a little sweet, but not overly so. It's not at all bitter, and the maltiness is mild. Unfortunately, I was expecting something with very strong flavor -- sweet, cherry, malty, rich, and thick -- so I must say I'm a little disappointed by the fact that this is somewhat lighter in flavor. However, if you go into it as a cider lover looking to change things up a bit, you might be pleasantly surprised. This is definitely a fantastic beer to get yourself or your girlfrend (this doesn't have many of the characteristics that make non-beer drinkers cringe) drunk off of. As I said earlier, I don't taste any alcohol, and the lack of hops or overpowering sweetness make it easy to drink. I think, though, that I'm going to be picking up other varieties from this brewery the next time I go shopping, because I really dig stronger flavors. This prevents me from giving it a higher rating.

I give it a [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] out of 5. It's good, but I'd prefer a heavy, rich beer if I'm going to spend this kind of cash. However, it's a fantastic beer for people looking for something a little lighter. This is definitely the kind of beer I'd give to people who say they don't like beer.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Nice review Mr.Wookie! Now I got to give it a go!

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

nice report. I have a fantastic beer store near me, so I'll snoop around for a blend like this to see if I can post a re-follow up

(MA has no beer delivery services)

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Alright, I figured I'd do another beer review tonight. Originally, I had intended to review the Chimay blue tonight instead of the Three Philosophers, but I saw that I hadn't put it in my fridge yet. My solution? Put the Chimay in the fridge, drink the 3P, and THEN drink the Chimay! Anyway, here's a picture of the bottle:

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/764...ebottlekz9.jpg

This ran me $10.89 for a 750 mL, so it was pretty costly. It is not quite as strong as the 3P, weighing in at 9% ABV. This bottle was under considerably more pressure than the 3P. The cork nearly flew off after merely twisting it gently. Not surprisingly, it had a larger head than the 3P:

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/4...luebeerxn3.jpg

The Chimay is similar in color to the 3P, but not in smell. I smell a little wood, plum, apple, a little more sweetness, and a few other things my olfactory isn't sufficiently trained to identify. Taking a sip, this is markedly sweeter than the Ommegang 3P, but not so much as to dominate. I definitely taste the plum and apple with the malt. The plum flavor is not like the reddish purple plums with the orange flesh. It's the Italian plums like I had growing in my backyard as a kid: purple with yellow-green flesh, and that my fat dog loved to eat as they fell off the tree. Now for the important part: how do I rate this relative to other trappists I've had? Well, this is strictly better than the Orval. It has much more flavor in all areas. Relative to the Rochefort 10, though, this tastes like a different sort of beer. The Rochefort was somewhat dry and very earthy, whereas the Chimay blue is somewhat sweet and a little fruity. I might say that the Rochefort is the trappist for people who love good Scotch, and Chimay blue is the trappist for people who love fine brandy/Cognac/Armagnac. Again, this beer wasn't quite in line with what I expected, having tried the Orval and the Rochefort, but it was in line with what I like -- Fairly strong flavor, good sweetness without being too much, and I like the fruit and malt. I'm going to go ahead and give this [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and a half [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. The flavor is great, but not quite so rich as to be ideal. This is not quite as good of a beer for people looking to find an in-road for non-beer drinkers as the 3P, but as a veteran beer drinker looking for new pleasures, I like this better. As far as value goes, I'd consdier this beer slightly overpriced. It's not outrageous for an import of this caliber to cost almost $11 from the store I was shopping at, but $11 is still a lot of money for a 750 of beer.

In summary, it's not quite as ideal as something sufficently rich to get the full 5 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]'s, and it's not a particularly great value, but it's still a great beer. I'll keep searching for the ideal, though, and I'll love every sip [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know if I'd call Ruination a double IPA. To me it doesn't have enough malt to go with the hops. I think of it more as an IPA with double the hops & 40% more malt. Arrogant Bastard is more of a double IPA.


[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed that Ruination is on the lower end of the ABV scale (7.7%) for a double IPA. But Arrogant Bastard only runs at 7.2%, so I don't think it qualifies, either. Double Bastard (10%), on the other hand, is definitely a double.


[ QUOTE ]
Dreadnaught is an awesome beer. I'm glad to hear that they've started bottling it again, but being in Phoenix that doesn't do me much good.


[/ QUOTE ]

I hear ya. They stopped selling Three Floyds beers in NY a few years ago, so I only get to drink it when I visit the midwest. Their Alpha King is one of my all-time favorites.


[ QUOTE ]
Another good double IPA is Stoudt's out of PA. Probably one of the best I've tasted.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've heard raves about many of Stoudt's brews, but I was unimpressed with their pale ale and double IPA. Maybe it was because I tasted them along with other beers, which adversely affected my taste buds. I'll give 'em another shot.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

[ QUOTE ]
Good series of reviews. Last time I went beer shopping, I picked up the Great Divide Barley Wine (at the bottom) and was very pleased with it. I was torn at the time between picking up the double IPA and the barley wine. It looks like it was a decision I couldn't get wrong, and I'll have to pick up the double IPA next time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I tried two more Great Divide beers last night. The first one I tried was the Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout. It was excellent. Not quite as thick/strong as the Rogue Imperial Stout I had the other night, but I still thought it was a little better overall. I'm curious to try just the normal Yeti now though... because I doubt the Oak Aged is worth paying $7.50 vs $5.50 for 22oz...

The Barley Wine I liked but not as much as the Double IPA.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

I have a bottle of the Oaked Yeti in my fridge right now, and I plan on reviewing it tomorrow or Thursday. I had the regular Yeti last winter, and it was a very solid imperial stout. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on both.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Alright. Rather than play on Party's obnoxious Monster tables tonight, I've decided to review more beer. Tonight's was Avery's Maharaja Imperial IPA. My first experiences with the Avery brewery were underwhelming, so I didn't have my hopes up for this beer. After I really wasn't digging their beer when trying my favorite styles, I didn't have my hopes up for their super-IPA, which really has to be something special to impress me. Here's a picture of the bottle:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/1...abottlemd2.jpg

I paid a whopping $7.49 for this beer (22 oz). It weighs in at a hefty 9.9% ABV, though, so the buzz for your buck is still in the right ballpark. Here's a picture of it right after I poured it into my glass:

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/9...ajabeerht6.jpg

It has a nice amber color and a good head. It smells just like I'd expect from an IPA -- hops! I had the first half of this beer with dinner, a rib steak with a great horseradish sauce and a tomato and cucumber salad, and the second half on its own. I thought the hops might be good with the horseradish, but I wasn't sure. Anyway, on my first sip, I was pleasantly surprised. This was clearly the best beer from Avery I've tried. The hops come through with a good citrus and flowery flavor. The beer is a little sweeter than traditional IPAs, as I'd expect, but it's not as sweet as, say, the DFH 90. The flavors are well in line with what I'd expect with beers of this style, although I'd say it's dialed back from the DFH 90. Not quite as much hop flavor, and not quite as sweet. Consequently, I can't give it as good a rating. I give it [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and a half [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. It's definitely the beer from Avery that I'm most likely to buy again, but I don't think it stacks up well compared to the competition. One thing is for sure, though. This beer packs a whallop. I don't taste the alcohol much over the hops, but at this point, having just finished the bottle, I'm sure feeling it.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Wookie,
Try the Hog Heaven barleywine. It's very good.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Which brewery is that from?

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Alright, I lied. I caved and decided to try out the oak aged Yeti tonight rather than tomorrow. This would be the first beer I've tried that has been aged in oak, so I was looking for something special. Behold the bottle:

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/1...ibottleeu1.jpg

I plunked down $10.39 for this (Wow! I didn't even remember I had paid that much), and it weighs in at 9.5% ABV. That's surprisingly low for a beer this expensive, really. Pouring it into a glass was pretty cool, though. It was noticibly thick, and the brown head took longer to form than for most beers.

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/6510/yetibeerxh4.jpg

It smelled rich and sweet, with a lot of the usual stout smells: coffee, chocolate, and just a hint of the wood it was aged in. Taking a sip, I knew this was a good beer. It had the expected thickness of an imperial stout, and I could taste the sweetness along with the hints of coffee and chocolate. The bottle claimed that I would be able to taste vanilla, but I'm not sure if I'm tasting it or if it's just the power of suggestion. The finish on this beer it what sets it apart. It has the usual hoppy character, but the woodiness, almost like a bourbon, is quite unique. The flavor lingers very well. It is distinct from the regular Yeti most in the finish. In the finish of the regular version, I noticed more caramel, but not the wood. The body of the two beers is pretty similar, however. I think I'm going to give this beer [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and a half [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. It's definitely a great beer, and it's one of the few where you can get the woody finish. At this price, though, I don't think the main body of the beer is as exceptional as some of its peers. If you're a wood-head and a bourbon lover, look this one up. If you're just looking for a solid imperial stout, you'll find a better value in the regular Yeti.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

this thread is making my mouth water.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

This thread is making me feel barbaric for not liking dark beers :/

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

[ QUOTE ]
This thread is making me feel barbaric for not liking dark beers :/

[/ QUOTE ]

there are great tasting beers out there that aren't 'dark'. most of the reviews above have been done on dark beers, but plenty of lighter beers (like Belgian Golden Ales, maybe) have great complex tastes.

now, lots of these beers do have acquired tastes. so if you like Bud Light or whatever, you're not gonna like (at first) anything posted above

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Wookie,
Hog Heaven is an Avery brew.

Victorvdb,
What is it about "dark beers" you don't like? A brown ale, vienna lager, & a stout are all "dark beers" but taste nothing alike.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Good review, pretty much exactly the same thoughts I had on this beer. I only payed $7.50 for the 22oz bottle though [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I'd still like to try the regular Yeti though, because at $5.50 a bottle its probably a pretty good deal.

Also, last night I finished off the barleywine and thought it was a lot better then I did the night before... probably because I didn't drink it right after the Oak Aged Yeti this time. I still think the Double IPA is my favorite one by them so far.

Last night I also tried Bell's Amber Ale. Solid beer... very little to no aftertaste though. I'd say it was a 3.3/5.

/edit oh yeah, and you should get a goblet wookie.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Yeah, I probably should. I used a wine glass for the Belgians, but I should have used it again for the Yeti. Oh well. I need to pick up some brandy snifters, too.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Just a quick announcement: for those in the Nashville/middle TN area, Nashville Brewer's Festival is tomorrow from 2-8. See www.musiccitybrewersfest.com for more info. I'll be posting a trip report in all likelihood.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Alright. It's Saturday night. Time for some beer reviews. All of these beers were on tap at my favorite local bar. I don't have any pictures, but I do have some words.

First up, I tried a pint of Sam Adams Summer Ale. I didn't have my hopes up for this beer, but I wanted to try it. The beer seemed to be about the color of a hefeweizen. It didn't have too much head, though. The flavor was definitely of a wheat beer, but it didn't get much deeper than that. There were some hints of citrus and some of the other flavors that make the German hefes the outstanding beers they are, but it couldn't really stack up. That said, I think this is better than the Pyramid Hefeweizen, and it's pretty inexpensive. If you're looking for a fairly simple, inexpensive beer to enjoy on a hot afternoon, this is a decent pick. I give it [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

The second pint I had was the Cascazilla from the Ithaca brewery, presumably named for its Cascade hops. I'd tried this beer before, but I hadn't had it in a while. I guess you'd classify this beer as something like an ESB. It's brown in color, and strongly hopped. The hop flavor is excellent. It has the familiar citrus and flowers I very much enjoy in this style of beer. The thing I found odd about it was that it wasn't all that bitter. It had a lot of the best part of the hop flavor without the bitterness. I hadn't remembered this about the beer, but it was very pleasant to drink. It had good flavor without being as dry as an IPA or as overpowering as something like the DFH 90. This would be a great beer for someone who's curious about all the fuss over IPAs, but who is put off by the bitterness. The only problem with this beer is that it might be hard to find outside of NY. If you can get it, though, pick it up. I give this beer [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and a half [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

My second and third pints were chosen deliberately to be in the same style of beer. The third was the Victory Hop Devil. It was a little darker red in color compared to the Ithaca, and it had a slightly larger and thicker head. However, it's flavor wasn't quite as good. It lacked the flowers, it didn't have as much citrus, but it did have all the bitterness I was expecting. It just wasn't as good as Ithaca's offering. It had the parts of this style of beer that aren't all that great, and it was a little lacking in the flavors I enjoyed most. It wasn't a bad beer per se, but it looked bad next to the Ithaca. I give it [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].

My final beer was a beer I picked just because I knew I'd love it. I picked the Ommegang Rare Vos, a Belgian-style golden ale from the American-Belgian brewery this thread has come to love. It came in a bottle, and I poured it into a pint glass. Really, this is one of my favorite styles of beer, and this is a fine example of it. It's fairly sweet, it has great flavors of cloves, citrus, and a little extra, and it has a great feel with the carbonation. A somewhat more widely available beer in this style is Leffe, a Belgian import, and this is strictly better. I give it a full [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. I'm somewhat tempted to tack on an extra half a [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] for it, but it seems a little weird giving that high a rating to a beer that's not all that expensive and is not from a premium brew process (anything imperial, a barley wine, etc.). Either way, this is an outstanding beer, and I highly recommend it to any fan of Belgian beers, or perhaps hefeweizen fans looking to change things up a bit.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

[ QUOTE ]
The second pint I had was the Cascazilla from the Ithaca brewery, presumably named for its Cascade hops. I'd tried this beer before, but I hadn't had it in a while. I guess you'd classify this beer as something like an ESB. It's brown in color, and strongly hopped. The hop flavor is excellent. It has the familiar citrus and flowers I very much enjoy in this style of beer. The thing I found odd about it was that it wasn't all that bitter. It had a lot of the best part of the hop flavor without the bitterness. I hadn't remembered this about the beer, but it was very pleasant to drink. It had good flavor without being as dry as an IPA or as overpowering as something like the DFH 90. This would be a great beer for someone who's curious about all the fuss over IPAs, but who is put off by the bitterness. The only problem with this beer is that it might be hard to find outside of NY. If you can get it, though, pick it up. I give this beer [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] and a half [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img].


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not a huge fan of the beers made by the hometown brewery, but Cascazilla is by far their best offering. (Though I think it's also worth tracking down their Double IPA -- very smooth for 9-10% ABV, and they use only NY-grown hops.)

You mention a very important point -- the dominance of hop flavor over bitterness. I used to be a crazy hophead who lived for bitter beers, but in the last few years I've come to appreciate the flavors of the various hops much more, and I find that I want the bitterness to get the hell out of the way and let the flavor shine through. That's pretty much my goal now with the pale ales and IPAs I brew, and I look for it in commercial versions as well. Cascazilla is a great example of this.

[ QUOTE ]
My final beer was a beer I picked just because I knew I'd love it. I picked the Ommegang Rare Vos, a Belgian-style golden ale from the American-Belgian brewery this thread has come to love. It came in a bottle, and I poured it into a pint glass. Really, this is one of my favorite styles of beer, and this is a fine example of it. It's fairly sweet, it has great flavors of cloves, citrus, and a little extra, and it has a great feel with the carbonation.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is my favorite Ommegang brew as well. Most of their beers are very strong (7%+ ABV) and very powerful flavor-wise; Rare Vos is more modest in both alcoholic strength and flavor, yet retains plenty of complexity. I dig it.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

One other quick follow-up -- Cascazilla is named for both the copious amount of Cascade hops they use and the Cascadilla Gorge that runs through Ithaca.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

I've just moved to Chicago and discovered that Three Floyds Brewing Co. - maker of 4 of BeerAdvocate.com's "Top 50" - is a few miles from where I work. I'm going to head over there next weekend with my cousin and rock a flight or two. Reviews to follow.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

metro,

I am so jealous.

Re: TLDR Beer Club
 

Beerfest trip report! Website here.

This was Nashville 5th annual Brewer's Festival, and my third time going. This first time I went, I don't think tickets sold out until about halfway through the event. Last year, they sold out shortly after gates. This year, they were sold out a couple days beforehand. Thankfully I bought my tickets about a month in advance. The day started cloudy and raining, but by the 2pm start time there was no rain, and the sun would eventually come out.

The event is held at a big lawn/small park right in the heart of downtown. There's a big stage on one side of the square for bands, and the brewery's booths are arranged around the outside. This year there were a LOT more breweries, so they sort of had to do two concentric squares of booths.

I arrived with some friends from out of town at about 1:20, as in past years the lines to get in built up very large, very fast. RDH and friends were practically the first people in, and I made a beeline for a murderer's row of Terrapin, Yazoo, North Coast, Highland, Bridgeport, and Sweetwater. These booths were all in a row, so I knew where I'd be hanging out for a while. First disappointment: North Coast only brought one beer, their Red Seal ale. I've had this beer before, and its decent, but they make much more interesting stuff (Old Rasputin, PranQster), so I was pretty bummed they just had the red. Terrapin's rye pale ale was serviceable, with decent hop flavor and some mild bitterness. I liked it more than Yazoo's pale, which I've always thought a little off-balance with all those Amarillo hops they use in it.

I had never had anything from Highland before, although I've seen their beers popping up everywhere lately, so I was excited to check them out. First delight: their selection! They brought their Gaelic Ale (American amber), an Oatmeal Porter, their Kashmir IPA, and a Mocha Stout. I decided to pass on the Gaelic in favor of the more interesting styles, going with the IPA first. Impressions: not bad, but not great. I really think Stone has ruined me by putting me in this "Drown me in hops!" mindset when it comes to IPAs, so I thought this one was a bit too malty. I may have to pick up a sixer sometimes and reevaluate, though. Next I tried their Oatmeal Porter. I was absolutely blown away by this one. Very smooth, great roasted flavor without wandering into stout land, little hints of chocolate, and did I mention the great mouthfeel? I was really happy with this beer and will definitely check the rest of their stuff out. For the time being, though, I moved on and rubbernecked at Sweetwater (only had the 420 Pale and the Blue) both of which I've got at home atm) and Bridgeport, which was another big disappointment since they only brought their IPA, which I've also got at home. What's with these guys coming all the way to Nashville and only bringing one style?

From there, I made sure I went over to the Nashville homebrewer's club before I got too wasted to make sense. I met some nice people, got invited to a brew session in August, and sampled a summer ale which was good (maybe on par with Sam Adams', had a similar flavor). I introduced myself to one older gent with a full gray beard. On a quiet voice with long pauses at the end of each sentence, he said, "Oh, actually, my wife brews. She brewed this honey porter. Sometimes we do medieval reenactments. Y'know, hit each other with sticks." Bizarre, and I took my cue to leave.

I visited just about every brewery there. The highlights:

Alltech's Lexington Kentucky Brewery won my award for worst name and most unusual (unpalatable?) beer, their Bourbon Ale. I've had Oak-aged beers, and beers conditioned with bourbon chips, but this is the only one I've had that tasted EXACTLY like bourbon. It was disconcerting, and I could barely finish my 5oz sample. Chugging carbonated, low-power whiskey? No thanks.

I was incredibly excited to see Schlafly there, since I grew up in St. Louis. Grabbing a pale ale, I talked to a rep from the brewery who said they were working on a distribution deal that should be ready in the next few months. Sweet!

I had never heard of High Falls before, but one of the guys at the booth was an acquiantance from college. It turns out that High Falls is an AB sibsidiary, and he works for AB in marketing. They're apparently using it as a sort of pilot brewery and a way to capture market in the craft brews area. I don't recall much about their beer because I was involved in the conversation and intoxicated.

My favorite beer of the day was Flying Dog's pale. Now, I've had this beer before. I've had most of their others before. I've always thought of them as a decent brewery, but nothing spectacular (with the exception of the Gonzo Imperial Porter). But I was amazed by the pale, and I don't know why it was different this time around. It had incredible hop aroma - really great - without being too bitter. Perfect balance, but with that aroma rising off of it, I was in love. I went into the day expecting an exotic stout (Left Hand's Milk Stout was a bit too much for me) or an in-your-face IPA to be my favorite, but Flying Dog's Doggy Style pale took the cake. The girlfriend also really liked their golden ale, which is a bit bland for my tastes.

Also, best shirt of the day was this one.

Here's me enjoying a tasty italian sausage about four hours into my day.

http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/5...0514imgao1.jpg

And here's one with a not-girlfriend so as to get a general sense of the crowd/atmosphere.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/5315/1050518imgak9.jpg

Re: TLDR Beer Club
 

Great trip report.

Highfalls is from my neck of the woods up here in Rochester. None of their current lines of beer are all that exceptional. The Honey Brown is drinkable, but mostly they're catering to the cheap swill crowd who want to think they're drinking something a little better. Oh, wait, AB = Anheuser Busch? OK, that is interesting. I guess if you told me AB was trying to get into craft brewing, I'd expect something like the JW Dundee line from Highfalls. If you didn't try them, you didn't miss out, but I suppose if it gets more people drinking better beer, that's not a bad thing.

Re: TLDR Beer Club
 

RDH,

Nice trip report. You look nothing like I would've expected. I figured you for some hard ass sorta look. But you're like a giant smirking teddy bear.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

haven't seen this "yeti" on shelves... where are you finding it?

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

I do my shopping for good beer at a local store called Beers of the World. They have just about everything, although they could stand to drop some crappy Bud imitators from Singapore or wherever and pick up some more US micros from the west coast. I also found it at my favorite bar last winter (bottled), but they don't seem to carry it anymore. Where do you live?

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

eh, i'm in jersey now

i guess if it is a west coast thing i'll have trouble finding it... have to wait a couple of weeks until i'm in SD.

that beer does sound very good

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Well, I'm in Rochester, NY. The brewery is in CO, though, so distribution east of the Mississippi is likely limited.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

[ QUOTE ]
Well, I'm in Rochester, NY. The brewery is in CO, though, so distribution east of the Mississippi is likely limited.

[/ QUOTE ]

I live in Minnesota and found it at an MGM liquor warehouse, which is a pretty [censored] store. They only had the regular Yeti though. I got the oak aged one at a store called Surdyks, which is a pretty good store.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Went by the Three Floyds brewery this evening on the way home from work and picked up a few things...

(EDIT: I should note that while I have a wealth of empirical knowledge about beer [in other words, I've drank a great quantity of a number of varieties], I'm not a great descriptor in the classical sense of food/drink reviewing. What I've got here is straight from my notes at the time of consumption...)

ALPHA KING - [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]1/2 (of 5)
Ruby-gold in color, with a hoppy nose. Light and hoppy on the palate. Bitter aftertaste - though not unpleasantly so. Almost a perfect summer brew. Round and lean at first, with a "pointy" finish. Enjoyable.

DREADNAUGHT IPA - [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]1/2
Deep gold in color with a thick, bubbly white head. Strongly hoppy nose. A classic IPA, smooth and hoppy at the same time, medium-bodied and thoroughly delicious. A classically "beery" beer. Tastes of autumn and sunsets. I love it.

COMING UP:
Gumballhead Ale!

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Sound good. How do those stack up compared to other beers of the same variety you've tried?

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

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How do those stack up compared to other beers of the same variety you've tried?

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Hrm... well, I've never sat down and thought too much about what I've drank until now, I've just remembered "this is good, make sure to pick it up again" or "this would go great with ___." I'd say the Alpha King is more bitter in the finish than what I'm used to in the style, and that the Dreadnaught is one of - if not the - best IPA I've ever had.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

GUMBALLHEAD WHEAT BEER [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img][img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] (of 5)
Medium gold in color, with a lightly bubbly head. Thin nose. A solid microbrewery wheat beer, no complaints but no fireworks. Light-to-moderately hoppy on the palate, a hint of hops in the back. Just at the end - just barely - there's the hint of Budweiser-type mass-produced pissbeer. I can see throwing back four or five of these, unlike the previous two Floyds. Linear in flavor. Enjoyable, clean.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

This is brewed in Chicago!? I can't find it here and I really wanna try that Dreadnaught IPA. I might have to find some when I am in Chicago this coming weekend.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Without sounding like a total loon, what is an IPA?

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

Three Floyd's in in Kalamazoo which isn't too far from Chicago.

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

IPA
http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category14.html

Re: Review: Moinette Brune
 

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Three Floyd's in in Kalamazoo which isn't too far from Chicago.

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Bell's is in Kalamazoo. Three Floyds is in Munster, Indiana, which is just outside of Chicago.