FlyerACE1

Well, with Derek out of the country for the next few weeks I wanted to make sure and keep the beer thread alive and well. I'm sure between Heath, Wally, Memphish and I, things will be quite ok. Any way, here are a few shots of my beer experiences from this past weekend. Enjoy! This 60 Minute Man loves me more Rail Mail Rye! I bought a growler of the Rye to take home! The Rail Mail Rye! Rye beers are hard to come by but Willimantic makes a great one. So good in fact... Here's the extensive beer menu, usually full of IPA selections. Sadly, many of the selections were sold out. However, they did have my absolute favorite... Mr. Whitman's (Ellen's dad) first appearance on the beer thread. He's drinking the Autobahn Mail Alt. On Saturday I was up in CT and visited one of my favorite brewpubs, Willimantic Brewing Company, with Ellen and her family. Here I am enjoying a Steam Kettle Bier. Smooth and refreshing but light on the hops.

Damn, I have a lot of catching up to do. Been insanely busy with the house and family stuff lately but haven't missed out on the beer-sanity. I'll have some pics in the coming days including my enjoyment of the Double Simcoe IPA from Weyerbacher and one of my all time faves- the Rail Mail Rye from Willimantic Brewing Company in CT. A few comments on recent posts... The boob/naked posts: No comment. Heath with Hopnotic: Seems like you enjoyed it. I know I do. Definitely has more complex flavors towards the finish. Tom Smith: glad to see your mug back on this thread Tom's bar adventure: Derek passed out with a bucket next to his head was priceless! Photo of the year! I also liked the one photo with I assume Kim's middle finger in the background. I swear, I think Kim and Ellen were separated at birth! Tim's 10 Year Alt: The first photo as part of the new BACT beer rotation program. I believe I had an overload of 10 Year from Derek so I was glad to share. Happy to see you enjoyed it! BBW: Stopped there for dinner on the way back from the HW trip. That Red was quite enjoyable and much more hoppy than I expected. Other than that, their beers seem to be going down hill lately. Ellen didn't care for her Cranberry Lambic. Steelgaarden is still one of the best beer bar atmospheres. Janna's post: LOVE it! Don't Stop Believin'! Random Comment: I have to get my ass to DuClaw, if possible on a release party day, one of these days.

Firstly, let me say that Derek's Dogfish Head PTR has me even more excited now about our one day OC/Rehoboth Beach blitz in June! Can't wait! This past weekend Ellen and I made a Brewpub trip of our own. This place is quite possibly the closest brewpub to our house, J.J. Bitting Brewing Company is Woodbridge, NJ. It's about 30 miles door to door. Not super close but not bad either. The best brew they had was the Bitting's Black Magic, a German style dark lager known as a "Schwarzbier". For $25, I was able to take home a growler of it and 4 pint glasses. Not bad. So, on to the photos... Ellen finishes up my sample of X-Duff. She really enjoyed that one. For dinner it was a half rack of Barbecue Ribs. For appetizer we got a dish called Cajun Popcorn which was deep fried crawfish. X-Duff Beer was pretty good but I especially liked the story that Fox Network wouldn't allow them to use the original name- Duff Beer any longer. Here's a close up of the beer description place mat. The best brews in my opinion were the Victoria's Golden Ale, Avenel Amber and Bitting's Black Magic. Ellen tries the Raspberry Wheat Ale. I had to go with the beer sampler, featuring all 6 of the beers they had on top. And I'm excited to go inside! Ellen stands outside J.J. Bitting, the very standard old brick building style brewpub.

Holy mackerel! What a mess! Any way, makes total sense for HP to add a water park. It's LONG overdue and I've been saying for years that they should do it. I'm not crazy about the location though. It'll clutter Midway America in a very big way but it makes sense with the other water rides in the area.

So, Derek, does this mean you're moving to Buffalo? I'll have to ask Ellen if I can grab one of her boobs for a photo on TPR. Seems to be a common theme lately. Where has the innocense gone?

Gotta say, I think I agree with ya, Derek. The more I think about it, it's hard to come up with a definitive 5. And just like coasters, my Top 10 are probably interchangeable on any given day. Plus I can't rank wood and steel together. Aside from the different styles of beer, I also think they can be put into categories that range in drinkability like session beers, beers you can pound and high alcohol beers. If I had to come up with one beer I'd say is consistently my favorite, it's Sam Adams Boston Lager. With all the unique microbrews I drink, you simply can not beat it for reliability and availability. Sam makes me smile. Pure and simple. For my other all time faves, I have these: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Magic Hat Blind Faith, Victory Hop Wallop and Hop Devil, Pyramid Thunderhead IPA, Troegs Hop Back, Franziskaner Hefeweizen, Allagash White, Shipyard Pumpinkead Ale, Stone IPA, Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout, Spaten Optimator and Oktoberfest, Sam Adams OktoberFest, Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold and Sweetwater 420, and Hoegaarden. Any of those beers I can probably sit down to, drink many of and simply be happy. Of course, most beers do that but the above especially do. The list obviously keeps growing. By the way, we need to bring back the annual Hop Olympics. We'll have to think of a good time and venue. Perhaps make it bigger and better than ever!! I'll end this post with a beer I had a while back and never posted the photos to. This was a very nice Belgian brew. I highly recommend it. And my sinister smile tells it all. Combine sweet candy-like Belgian goodness with some bitter hops and we have a winner! Ellen thoroughly enjoys her glass of Hop-It. Urthel Hop-It. I bought this one on a whim based on its description and it surely was a superior hoppy Belgian brew!

Damn, it's gotten quiet around here lately. Derek, you drinking beer any more?? Any way, to re-fuel the Beer Thread, I'm placing a call to post your Top 5 (or more) Beers. This one is going to take some time to think about so I will reply back with mine in a day or two. Curious to hear everyone else's.

Oh, SNAP!! Now I'm even more excited to try. I've also had a bottle of this in my fridge for a few weeks now and I'm looking for the right time to crack it open. Is this like the holy grail for hopheads or what??? Any way, I'll jump in with a couple photos of my own. Another great IPA! However, there was a touch of anticipointment as it didn't deliver in the hops department as much as I had hoped. Still, quite enjoyable with a strong citrus/grapefruit presence at the finish. Thanks Heath! This is one I've been looking forward to trying and thanks to Heath, I was able to get that opportunity.

Man, it's been a while since I posted some photos on this thread. Hasn't meant that I haven't been drinking beer because based on the amount of bottles we recycled last weekend, Ellen and I have been doing pretty good. Any way, I have lots of catching up to do but I'll start with the latest first, from this past weekend. First, we start at Daruma, a Japanese restaurant we love where we met up with my sister. The second group of photos are from afterwards at home where we sampled some beers given to us by Derek and Heath. Thanks guys!! Ellen tries the Apricot Weizen. She liked it but I had my reservations. This thing has the most fragrant fruit smell ever and the apricots are very heavy in this brew. Must be great for the fruit beer fans. Thanks for sparing me the change, Heath. This was a funky tasting wheat beer that smelled like dirty feet and tasted what I imagined would be along those lines as well. Not good! Next up was Magic Hat's newest, Circus Boy, thanks to Heath. Ellen goes with the Pyramid Hefeweizen and lemon, something she enjoyed immensley! Ellen reacts with her own hop face! Not a chance! One of the best and most hop heavy IPA's I've ever had! Here is my best hop face!! For me, it's the Thunderhead IPA. Will it disappoint?? Back at the house it's time for our first ever sampling of Pyramid brews thanks to Derek! Vicky isn't of age yet so she sticks with Bud...ummm...I mean water. Gotta say, I like this brew! Had it at the Beer Fest and didn't care for it back in the fall but the second go around was nice. Very unique flavors in this ale! Ellen is real happy with her sushi platter and a mug of Soba Ale! Daruma does not have a liquor license so we have to bring our own. Since I'm not a fan of actual Japanese beer, I purchased something made with Japanese ingredients and for a Japanese chef, Rogue Morimoto Soba Ale, as shown off by Ellen.

But perhaps you just haven't had the right American beer then? If you're talking Bud (sorry Wally), Miller, Coors or any of the big domestics then I agree with you. However, I'll take American micro-brews over Canadian any day however in many cases Belgium and German beers have the edge over them all. To each is own...

Kick ass, dude! First time I had one of those it was filled with Spaten Oktoberfest (a top 10 in my book) and I was in my glory (it's also quite a work out). Still, I don't think anything can top the German "boot". A friend of my fiancee's once downed one of those on his own. As seen in the Dells at the Essen Haus, it's supposed to be passed around the table and each person takes a sip and passes it. Anyone interested in a Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA Boot Challenge?? Good God!

Well, it definitely was not a big beer weekend as Ellen and I had lots of wedding preps to do. However, we did take the time to check out our favorite German restaurant, Old Heidelberg in Bethel, CT. And German restaurant means great beer and great food so here are a few shots. It took me my entire meal to finish the stein but I did it! Next German experience? Perhaps the Festhaus at BGW in a few weeks? Can't wait! Giant Beer and potato pancakes GOOD!! Apparently Wally shipped one of his Warsteiner glasses to Old Heidelberg. Here you can see the clear separation between beer and syrup. Gotta love the pretty colors! Ellen tries something different- Berliner Weiss mit Schuss. Essentially it's a wheat beer with raspberry syrup added. Gotta say, I absolutely loved it! The Germans love beer in excess and that's why I love the Germans. Here is my giant stein of Schwelmer Bernstein, a German amber ale served on tap.

So it's been a while since I've thrown some photos up on this topic however we have not been short on beer drinking on the weekends while working on the house (it's rare that I imbibe on the weekdays). Here are a few photos from Saturday night. Beer Good! The evening line-up! I think most Barelywine style beers are best enjoyed closer to cellar temperatures so this one got real good, the warmer it got. Another great brew from Brooklyn! At first I wasn't feeling this beer but got better and better with each sip. Thanks to Derek's recommendation, next up was the Brooklyn Monster Ale. Raspberry Wheat goodness!! Ellen was excited that I picked her up a 6-pack of Abita Purple Haze and not surprisingly, she jumped right in. Wow...Adam likes! Hard to explain really but it's a very good tasting, easy to drink brew. 3 for 3 from Heavyweight! Let's give it a taste... First up was Heavyweight Brewing Company's Sticken-Jab alt beer.

Hey all, My fiance and I will be honeymooning at WDW in September 2006 and I need some advice. What are the best days to visit each park? I know there's sort of a formula as to which day certain parks are busiest based on travel habits. Essentially, we'll be arriving on a Monday early afternoon and checking out on Sunday morning. We are staying on property and we will have a car as this is just part of the honeymoon. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Dude, you rule. Kick ass PTR and I'm salivating over all of the Victory beer you bought. That's awesome that you thought of us with that purchase too. Some day we'll have to bring Heath out for a Beer Thread meet at BBW and Weyerbacher, coupled maybe with a trip to Dorney. I had a Molson XXX and a Yuengling today at a cousin's birthday party but yesterday I tried a couple beers based on beer thread recommendations. I'm pleased to say, both were quite good. More on that tomorrow (with photos)!

Usually our tastes are pretty similar, Heath, but I gotta say I'm not a fan of the Otter Creek. I had a Copper Ale about a year ago and haven't finished the 6-pack yet and at the Big E in MA, Otter Creek had a booth set up and I tried their Oktoberfest. Again, not impressed. By the way, awesome PTR on the Victory visit. Damn I'm jealous! Gotta see if the local beer heaven carries the 10th anniversary. If not, I'll just finish up my last Hop Wallop over the weekend. Also, thanks to Derek's stellar review, I'll be trying the one Brooklyn Monster Ale I have. I'll try to contribute some photos after the upcoming weekend too.

Nice choice, man. Glad you enjoyed it too! The smoke is very prominent in this beer and next to a smoked wheat from Bullfrog Brewery that I tried at the Split Rock Festival a few years back, this is my favorite of the style. Not a lot of people enjoy a smoked beer but I love them (especially complimented by some German food). We definitely have similar tastes in beer. The photo of your new beer fridge had me drooling! We're definitely a couple of hop heads for sure. Speaking of hops, I need to make a side by side comparison of the Troegs Nugget Nectar with Victory Hop Wallop. I think I prefer the latter. By the way, I'm really keen on these Heavyweight Brewing guys. So far I've been very impressed with the two I've tried: Cinderbock and Lunacy.

Yeah, I'm realing digging the Naked Fish. It's probably one of my favorite DuClaw selections now. It's so good, that I think I'm going to head down there on Sunday and pick up another growler full. Allrighty, the Troegs Nugget Nectar has finally hit stores, so I picked up a six pack to see how it differed from what I tasted in the brewery sample room the other week. Surprisingly, it was quite different. At the brewery, it had a very citrus taste but was not very hoppy. In the bottle, it is the complete opposite. Some nice citrus accents with a big hop bite. As a matter of fact, this is probably the most hoppy beer I've experienced from Troegs. Which makes me very happy. Just stopped by the local beer heaven and picked myself up a 6-pack of Troegs Nugget Nectar. I'm getting my hop face ready. I just couldn't pass it up! I actually stopped in for a 4-pack of Heavyweight Brewing Company's CinderBock, a favorite of mine from last weekend. Hmmm...what to have on my birthday tomorrow??

Sierra Nevada... that's where I'll be this Saturday. They just released a special batch of Celebration Ale aged in whiskey barrels. You only can get it at the brewery and on tap. Then we fully expect a PTR on Sierra Nevada!! A couple years back Tom was able to order pickled Hop shoots from their website. Sadly, that product is now gone but damn were they yummy! I'm sure Derek and I will have plenty of beer photos to post come next week following the Northampton Beer Festival (aka Post EastCoaster Party) this weekend.

So it's been a crazy few days, closing on our new house on Thursday and then starting the long process of cleaning starting this past Saturday. Of course, the weekend wasn't without some brews so here we go. Again, nothing to write home about here but enjoyable nonetheless. Perhaps slightly better than the White Hawk I think. For me, it was a Snake Dog IPA brewed in Denver, CO. Ellen is exhausted from cleaning but she really is enjoying one of her all time faves! On Sunday, Ellen and I enjoyed our first beers in our new house. Luckily, I hid one Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale away for the winter. Here it is! Gotta say, not bad but not great. A very average IPA that's hoppy but not very complex in taste. I decide on the White Hawk IPA from the Mendocino Brewing Company. Saturday night back at my parents' house, we celebrated with some other new brews. Ellen enjoys a unique Apricot Wheat from Ithaca Beer Company! How about the taste? We have a winner!! Nice taste, heavy on the wheat with some vanilla, clove and a hint of banana notes. Look at the apricot colored greatness. To counter the anticipointment of the Storm King, I did a complete 180 and popped open a promising Ayinger Brau-Weisse from Germany! As you can see from my reaction, I didn't agree. Not a fan of this very dark, coffee in character stout. Perhaps I'm just not fond of the style. First up, Victory Storm King. I had to try this after some good words on here and from Derek and Tom.

Dude, Troegs is a brewery I'm dying to get to! I'm insanely jealous! Thanks for sharing your brewery visit photos. I have some beer updates from this weekend's tastings coming tomorrow.

LOL! I think this thread is turning us all into alcoholics! It's rare I drink at home but lately I've been trying a new brew every couple days or so and sharing my thoughts on the forum. Derek has taken it to the extreme but I look forward to checking the thread every day and see what everyone has sampled lately (even if it *is* only like the same 4 people). Damn, I feel like I've known you all for years and the only two people on the thread I really know is Tom and Derek (well, I should know them, they are my groomsmen after all). Any way, just closed on my house today and Ellen and I celebrated with dinner and beer at Triangle Hofbrau, a German restaurant nearby. No photos to prove it but we both enjoyed a Franziskaner Hefeweisse. Seriously, I do think that's the best Hefeweizen made although I have a 4-pack of Ayinger's offering just begging for a tasting. Keep the thread alive!

I have to say, I'm kind of confused by this project. I mean, I'm looking at those pictures and I'm thinking it's a bunch of park workers standing around pouring some concrete for a small flat ride or something. What is the scale of this project supposed to be? Are we talking a small prototype or is it just that it's going to take a couple years to build and open? I would think the resurrection of the classic Flying Turns would garner a lot more attention in the industry and yet very little is known about the project. I'm also trying to figure out from thos photos where this thing is going. Anyone know? It's rare that Knoebels does anything half ass so I have to believe this will be a great ride but I'm cautiously optimistic.

On Saturday, Ellen and I took a trip to her sister's house near Storrs, CT. There is located one of the greatest liquor stores for beer that I've been to and the best part about it is, they let you put together mixed 6-packs. So, I put together 2 six packs and on Sunday sampled two of the brews I picked. Dark amber in color, I was not too impressed with this brew. It's essentially a winter ale (they call it an English ale) with what appeared to be raisin and prune notes. Still, disappointing I thought for Shipyard, usually a reliable brewery. Later in the day I tried a Shipyard Prelude Special Ale. Clipper City has impressed me very much with the little I've had of theirs. This one was no exception! This was an excellent IPA with a very nice hop taste and not overly bitter. It was actually sort of spicy with floral notes. From start to finish it was First up, Clipper City High Seas Loose Cannon. You'll notice the Hop-cubed on the side. Couldn't pass this up! Which one to choose? Here is the line-up of one of my mixed packs.

On Friday, Ellen and I went out to a Peruvian restaurant in Stamford. It's a place we'd been to before and enjoy very much. Of course, I had to try a Peruvian beer. They have two kinds and this is my favorite. These photos were taken with Ellen's cell phone. Here I am enjoying my Cristal. It's not the greatest beer in the world but still better than the big brewery domestic beers (Bud, Coors, Miller) in our country. Very light and easy to drink with a decent flavor! Cristal, not to be confused with the champagne of the same name.