TLDR Beer Club

[MaxxDaddy]

That looks like a practically perfect beer run to me [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. Lots of different tastes there, so I'm sure you'll find something you really like. Is there much of a craft beer scene up in Buffalo?

[mosuavea]

[ QUOTE ]
That looks like a practically perfect beer run to me [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. Lots of different tastes there, so I'm sure you'll find something you really like. Is there much of a craft beer scene up in Buffalo?

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats not a question for me, more for my friends who are pretty hardcore into beer.

There are some good pubs in the area that offer a good variety of beer. My buddy told me there was a tasting event coming up that I might get in on with them. As for places to purchase stuff, there isn't much aside from the place I went today AFAIK, which isn't much [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I actually drove by a Home Brew store right down the street I never knew existed, too bad I don't have the room/time to get into that.

[MrWookie]

Yeah, that's a pretty sweet assortment, all stuff I give 4 or higher. You'll be running the gamut of great beer, although the Ommegang and Chimay Blue are pretty similar. I prefer the Old Rasputin to the Yeti (it's cheaper, too), but if you can't find the OR, I'd never dream of turning down a bottle of Yeti. It's a great beer.

[MrWookie]

Tonight's beer is Schneider's Weisen Edel-Weisse. I liked Schneider's Hefeweisse, and I was curious about this one. I wasn't sure if it was a different variety, or if it was merely an organic version of the original. I paid $3.49 for a half liter, a little more than the original, for a 6.2% ABV beer, which is also a little more than the original.



The beer pours a little lighter in color than the other Hefes I've tried, and the head isn't as persistent. There's still a lot of carbonation, though.



The beer smells different from most of the hefes. It smells citrusy, and it doesn't have the banana and clove smells. Sipping, it's pretty acidic, and it's not as sweet as most Hefes. The wheat malt flavor comes through a little stronger, though, as do the hops. I think I like this beer a little less as I'm going through it. At first the malt was enjoyable, but later, the citrus sharpness was a little grating. I was thinking 3.5, but 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]. This is a somewhat different beer than a traditional Bavarian hefeweizen. The malt, hops, and citrus flavors are nice, but it's not as rich as the regular versions. I think this is the first organic beer I've tried, and it doesn't do much to convince me that organic beer is all a marketing gimmick.

[MrWookie]

Well, I've got another beer review for tonight. This was another impulse buy where I didn't know what I was getting into. I bought Rogue's Smoke Ale for $5.69 for a 22 oz. I don't know the ABV. It's advertised as an amber ale with a strong flavor of smoke and hops. Smoke is a flavor usually reserved for stouts and porters, so I decided to give it a go.



The beer pours a cloudy light brown with a decent head that doesn't hang out all that long.



Even as I'm pouring the beer I can smell the smoke. The hops come through somewhat, too. Unsurprisingly, smoke is the first thing on my tongue, too. It's quite strong. The hops are in the finish, and the malt is in between. The smoke dominates, though, and it kinda drowns out all the rest. This beer isn't at all sweet. It took me a while to settle on just how much I liked this beer because such a dominant smoke flavor is unusual. 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] and a half [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]. The balance isn't all that great, but the flavors are good. It's also something that's difficult to find in any other beer. Scotch lovers could consider giving it a whirl. It's pretty expensive, though, and I don't think it comes in 6 packs. I don't know how much of this beer I'll be buying, but it was cool to try.

[MrWookie]

With dinner tonight, I had a bottle of Yuengling's Porter. Having found a great budget porter in the JW Dundee's, I figured I'd give another a try. As far as I can tell, I paid $0 for this beer. I tried to pay for it, but it's nowhere on my receipt. Oh well. We'll call it a good customer discount. It normally costs somewhere between $1.50 and $2 for a 2 oz bottle.

I'm not going to bother with pics because this is going to turn out to be a negative review. The beer pours a lighter shade of dark than most porters, with the typically minimal head. It smells of very little, and it tastes that way too. This is a poor, hollow shell of a beer. The dominant flavor is a little bit of acidity. I think I actually prefer their regular lager. I'm going to give this beer just [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img], although some of it is spite. Had a pale lager tasted like this, I wouldn't have been as hard on it since I wouldn't have my hopes up. Don't bother with this beer.

[blackize]

Agreed on the Yuengling Porter. I had opportunity to try it recently and it is far from good. "Hollow shell" is a very apt description.

[MrWookie]

My liver got the night off last night, but I'm back for more tonight. Tonight's beer is Rogue's Monk Madness Ale. When I bought this, I was thinking it might be a Belgian attempt from Rogue, which I'd be very curious about. Reading the bottle now, it seems they're going more for traditional malt and hops. Not that that's a bad thing [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]. I paid $5.69 for a 22 oz. I went poking around Rogue's website to see if I could find the ABV, but it's not there. The bottle says it's 68 IBUs, and the website 108. I'm not sure which is right. Apparently this beer is new, is only available in the winter, and only comes in 22's. Heh. It looks like I should also review the hazelnut brown nectar, which looks to be sponsored by David Sklansky:



Anyway, on to the review.



The beer pours a nice medium brown color with a good but not excessive head. It laces my glass nicely.



This beer smells, well, of malt and hops. I was pretty solidly wrong about it being a Belgian imitation. The taste is great, though. It's just slightly sweet, and it's got a good dose of the floral hop flavor I love. The beer I've reviewed here that's most similar to this one is Stone's Arrogant Bastard, and I'd say I like this one slightly better. I think the hops are just a little bolder, and the malt slightly darker. 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]. It's a shame it's only going to be a winter seasonal and that it won't come in sixers. I could see myself drinking a lot of this beer.

[Lonhro]

If ever in Australia, try Carlton Draught. It has overtaken Victoria Bitter and is now the number 1 beer over here, yet as far as I know you can't buy it overseas through retail.

[MrWookie]

I think I'll do two reviews tonight. For my first, I'll do another from Rogue, this time their XS Imperial Stout. I paid $13.79 for a 750 mL bottle. Damn is Rogue beer expensive out here. It packs a hearty 11% ABV, though. At least this Rogue brew tells me its strength.



Rogue certainly gets the nod for good bottling. I like the seriousness of the bottle. It pours just a hair lighter and clearer than other imperial stouts I've had, but it still has a nice thick bubbly head.



The beer has the usual smells of imperial stouts: hops, coffee, dark malt, dark fruit, a little bit of caramel sweetness. Its flavor, though, isn't quite as complex. The hops come through nicely. There's a little bit of coffee. The malt, though, isn't as rich as some, and I'm missing some of the caramel and smoke flavors. Imperial stouts are generally outstanding beers, but this doesn't do much to separate itself from the pack. I prefer Great Divide's Yeti and the Old Rasputin. I award 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]. Eh, maybe the pleasure I get from drinking it is on a par with some of the 4 [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] beers I've had, but I still can't recommend buying this one. It's too expensive, and I preferred others.