What Was the Last Beer You Drank?

[DerekRx]

^Sweet stuff, Soren! Love seeing random beers from around the world.

 

This past weekend was closing day at Dorney and as such the last farewell for Laser. Since it was the best coaster at Dorney, there was a good turnout to say goodbye and while there, we decided to try out one of the newer places in the area that we've been avoiding for the past couple of years.

and we'll end with one last shot of Laser

overall not a bad brew. Nice citrus up front then some good sweet caramel malts and grain with a nice earthy and floral hop bitter finish. Very drinkable, bravo Lakefront!

let's see how Lakefront takes on the whole Oktoberfest style

quite a nice hop profile to accompany the malts

time to enjoy a tried and true good Oktoberfest from Great Lakes

trying Tom's pumpkin ale before I got one, I decided on the Oktoberfest instead. It wasn't much better, also kinda sour and lots of nuttiness and roasted malt. More like a bad nut brown to me

these old beer thread veterans all enjoy some Pumpkin Ale. Some enjoyed it, but Tom and myself thought it was a little too sour in the finish

ABW is in what used to be an old department store

for lunch it was off to Allentown Brew Works, about 3 miles down the road from Dorney in center city Allentown

The coaster itself shall remain

Voodoo is right there with you, at least its name

farewell Laser, looks like you'll be honored every year here in the rides graveyard, but you're not alone

we even managed a rare backseat ride

and to say goodbye to an old friend

off to Dorney to close out their season

Not very beer-like in flavor, but packing in plenty of pumpkin pie spices

First, a perfect beer for Halloween, Shipyard's Pumpkinhead Ale

[ParkTrips]

^ best beer thread post ever

 

So much so I think I'll post some more pics!

This one made the night much better - deliciously sweet, smooth and malty.. some mild fruitiness and hidden alcohol.. a fine example of a barleywine

Tonight, to drown out my conservative sorrows, I went big with the Nils Oscar Barleywine from Sweden

I still think its too hoppy to be a true brown ale but appreciate Terrapin's creativity and like it more than most other brown ales

Last night I broke out the Terrapin India Brown for refreshment

[FlyerACE1]

Ok, so it's been quite a long time since I posted to the Beer Thread although I have appeared in a couple of Derek's posts as of late. Two things prompted this post. One, I drank a beer this week that was a gift from Derek and two, after several months Ellen and I returned to one of our favorite local breweries, High Point, brewers of Ramstein German Style Lagers and Weizens. And here we go...

One last look at the open house crowd inside the brewhouse. Another great time at High Point!

A piece of brewing equipment engraved with the Ramstein logo. By the way, we found out that a 30 bbl beer tank costs around 18k. Just a bit of interesting brewery info.

Here they are hourding Greg Zaccardi. No joke, they were part of some ridiculous beer club from Princeton. Ugh!

See the dorks in the jackets. They're part of the Ivy League Douche Tool Beer Club!

November is a great month for the open house due to this- free food! This German casserole consisting of bratwurst, cabbage, spaetzle, and more was especially yummy.

A better look at the barrel. We were able to get 3 awesome samples before the barrel kicked.

Brian Boaks (High Point brewer and proprieter of the upstart Boaks Brewing) gives a verbal tour and history of the brewery.

The Ramstein Winter Wheat is highly ranked among beer enthusiasts but the barrel aged takes it to a new level. Smooth like it's on nitro with strong notes of chocolate and smoke at the finish. Wish I could have gotten a growler.

Ellen is in heaven! This stuff is amazing.

Eine, zwei, drei...the barrel is tapped and the Winter Wheat is flowing! (all followed by traditional German song)

Greg Zaccardi, owner and brewmaster of High Point, welcomes everyone and prepares for the tapping of the barrel, a German tradition.

Back to the bar for another sample. This time, their Classic Wheat, an excellent dark wheat.

Each open house celebrates the release of one of their seasonals. November is my favorite with the release of their Winter Wheat and for the first time ever, Barrel Aged Winter Wheat!

I too go with the Blonde. This one benefits from the exclusive German yeast. Lots of notes of clove, banana and smoke. Excellent!

Free admission gets you 4 samples and first up for Ellen is their Ramstein Blonde.

On Saturday, it was time to return to High Point Brewing Company in Butler, NJ for their monthly open house.

This was an excellent IPA complete with a nice hop bite and strong citrus flavor. One of the better IPA's I've had in a while! Thanks Derek.

A bomber of Port Brewing's 2nd Anniversary Ale compliments of Derek during a brewpub hop we did a few months back.

[brilinjo]

I loved the guy who wasn't going to stop eating his lunch just because the proprieter was giving a speech. Ahh, to be old and not give a sh1t.

[FlyerACE1]

I loved the guy who wasn't going to stop eating his lunch just because the proprieter was giving a speech. Ahh, to be old and not give a sh1t.

I know! My thoughts exactly. My wife and I were cracking up about that. I'm wondering if he even knew what was going on.

[DerekRx]

This weekend's adventure in the world of beer.

Still holding up nicely since its purchase back in April. Great citrus hop presence and a nice biscuity backbone

and finally we end with glimpse into this week's theme, Crooked Tree IPA from Dark Horse

Miller Lite + Fruity Pebbles = a nice early evening treat

As the sun sets at 5:00, what a better time to have some Sunset Wheat

and let me tell you, the pizzas were so good they didn't even last long enough for me to get a picture of them, so here's another one of the oven

Here's where all the pizza magic happens

While waiting for a table I had the Here's Brucker Alt and then with my dinner the Terra Fume, a smoked wheat, and very interesting

They just had an event for Victory Brewing a few days earlier so a good deal of Victory stuff was on tap for the Philly natives who can't venture 40 minutes outside the city to enjoy. They also had 3 of their own brews on tap

How's it going, Joe

The magic happens downstairs in the basement, but you can see it from the 1st floor. There is also an upstairs bar and more seating

The place was very very popular on a Saturday night, and isn't really as much a brewpub as it is a brewbistro

Then it was off to Philly to visit the newly opened Earth Bread + Brewery, owned and operated by former New Jersey's Heavyweight Brewing

The rest of the year doesn't look that appealing to me, so hopefully the Weizenbock lasts into January

Getting a little tired of Pumpkin Ales for the season, but this'll probably be the last time it's on, so let's grab theirs. Not bad, not amazing, but nice and spicy and tolerable.

On tap we find some pretty good stuff, including 2 seasonals

Saturday would have us adventuring back to the King of Prussia Mall, which is very dangerous on a Saturday afternoon this time of year. After looking for a parking space for 20 minutes, thank god there's a Rock Bottom here

Tasted pretty good for a Red Ale, but I was expecting it to be an Oktoberfest, with a name like Octoberfest and all

I know it's November now, but here's Harpoon's Octoberfest Beer. Oddly, it's not an Oktoberfest beer at all, it's a red ale

Tasted pretty good, but holy crap did its 11% sneak up on me

Started out with a beer I totally forgot I had a bottle of thanks to Heath, Troeg's Scratch 10, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale

[mcjaco]

Wow. I have a lot of catching up to do.

 

Friday was rough, what better way to kick off the weekend, then with some Stone!

Hey look! Matt likes it. He really likes it!

We'll cap off the night with some Ruination.

Heavens to Betsy!

Yum! A little Oaked Arrogant Bastard!

[DerekRx]

Goodies from my IPA themed week:

an awesome tried and true IPA loaded with West Coast flare but a solid malty backbone as well.

Finally we conclude tonight with some Racer 5 from Bear Republic

pretty solid stuff, a nice citrus and spicy hops with a good toast and caramel backing. Easy to enjoy

Wagner Valley's IPA is next, the first beer I've had from this NY brewery

It was supposed to be a British style IPA, meaning more earthy, but this had a decent amount of citrus and grassy notes with a nice caramel malt backbone. Good stuff!

Bring on Boulder's Cold Hop!

It was just all right, in fact a little bit weird. Lots of fruit and flowery notes, along with tea and some citrus. Not really something I'd like to have again anytime soon

Elysian's Avatar Jasmine IPA was consumed earlier in the week

[nay]

My parents visited a few breweries recently and were kind enough to get a few beers for me...

I love pretty much anything pumpkin flavored. Yum!

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale

Eh, a little too fruity.

Ithaca Apricot Wheat

I approve of this one.

Ithaca Pale Ale

[Bubba83]

Hi Soren!

 

Glad you liked Cold Hop Derek, seek out more Boulder, you won't be dissapointed! Hazed and Infused is very good too!

 

I'll highlight some from my last post that got deleted and then move on to the stuff I've been drinking as of late.

It smelled decent and a small amount of yeastyness was there, but the malt backbone fell way flat and it was hard to taste anything. Aww, poor BevMo guy.

And we'd end the weekend with a Kapuziner Schwarz-Weizen, a suggestion from a BevMo employee who knew his German beers.

My uncle states this is his new favorite Belgian style beer, and it's definitely Top 5 for me.

The end of the world! Oh no!

Perhaps the most well rounded stout out there I've had, all the flavors are there to savor!

Mr. Shakespeare himself will bring you back into the kingdom of awesome, Rogue!

A pretty good amber, great mouthfeel and appearance, but not too special, I want me some Santa's Little Helper instead!

Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve is now out. Christmas came early for us!

It had been a while since I had a saison and I must say, I dig the funk! Good stuff.

Lagunitas' Sonoma Farmhouse series, Saison!

It's a lot more subtle than Harvest Ale, but that's not a bad thing at all. I really like the fact that while the qualities of the wet hops are all there, the malt backbone makes itself known and it's in balance. Very good.

And this year Hop Trip actually made it to a BevMo near me, whoopee! Couldn't wait to try it, as I've only had Sierra Nevada Harvest when it comes to Wet Hopped beers.

Interesting up front with a lot of funk and some mild sourness. I was expecting more sour from the Brett, but the yeasty quality was well done overall. Unfortunately after the initial kick of yeast it fell a little flat in the blackground flavor department for me. Still worth the pickup for sure!

Following Joe's lead, Ommegang's Omegeddon! A farmhouse ale with Brett!

A very tasty little lager with some nice hop presence.

My first time trying Longboard Lager from Kona surprisingly enough.

On the way to the Sharks game in San Jose my Coworkers and I stopped in at Tied House for a few beers. Pictured is the awesome Ironwood, a Strong Brown Ale. I also tried the decent hoppy Oatmeal Stout, and not so malty Oktoberfest.

Okay so not really the right setting or glassware for this beer but it was still very good. My uncle really liked it as well.

Kinda rough not being able to find this anywhere too close by to me, so my dad sent me out a big bottle. St. Bernardus Abt 12.

When I told my uncle I wasn't planning on picking/drying my hop harvest this year since I didn't get many, he picked them himself and put them in a jar! Smells good!

Seems about as good as last year. Which is dang good!

Sierra Nevada's Harvest Ale.

Just as awesome as I remember it being, and my uncle thinks it's the best Imperial Stout he has ever had, so yeah...

Another lovely birthday brew from my dad. The only one I requested as a must. Great Divide's Yeti Imperial Stout, look at that new label!

Great as always, Go Sharks!

And celebrating another Sharks victory with an Obsidian Stout after the game.

Enjoyable but not really special in any way.

Paulaner's Oktoberfest Marzen.

It surprised me. I had tried a couple other Belgian IPAs before, but this one actually worked and achieved a nice balance of yeast and hops.

Another beer from my dad that he sent out from Omaha for my birthday. Urthel's Hop-It!

Very nice up front and then falls a little flat in the malt backbone department where Hacker-Pschorr excels, a little bit grainy. Still good stuff!

Ayinger's Oktoberfest Marzen.

[Rugged One]

^Allright, Hop Trip!

 

Well it's been a while, but I'm hoping to get caught up over the next couple of weeks. I still need to share some Oktoberfest beer pics, I'll save the Pumpkin Ale pics for the week before thanksgiving, and I still need to post the pics from a couple of Pumpkin Ale fest that we were at around Halloween.

 

We'll start out with something local though to get me back into the swing of things...

And then finish up with the first of what will be many mugs of their cask Susquehanna Stout. Good stuff!

The first order of business is to naturally fill it up with some of their seasonal Pennypacker Porter, probably one of my favorites that they offer here.

Complete with a new look and a new name!

...well it's time for him to finally hit the road and come on home with me, because we've got a new mug in town!

Remember my old mug from last year...?

Another quick drive down the street brings up to another favorite local haunt, the Harrisburg location of the Appalachian Brewing Company. It's been a while since I've posted any pics from here!

Naturally, I had to pick up a case for both Derek and I. Good thing to, because it sold out early the next afternoon.

And you gotta love the new cooler, stocked for the first time now with the Scratch beers too. This cooler is seriously like a dream come true at this place that opens up all kinds of possibilities.

Kim got herself a sample and really enjoyed it as well. Lots of espresso and roasted coffee notes in this but the oatmeal adds some needed silky tones to the flavor and body.

....and it just happens to be the BRAND NEW Scratch #15. A Double Espresso Oatmeal Stout that just went on sale that day. This was brewed with a special espresso blend by a local roaster chain. I'm not sure if I'm smiling because this was very good or because I'm actually drinking a pint at Troegs.

Hmmmm...there seems to be something new added to the Scratch sign up there...

Last Friday, Kim picked me up from work and then basically down the street to everyone's favorite local brewery, Troegs. Why you may ask?

[mcjaco]

Since I've been slacking again....here we go.

Darker than I was expecting, but sweet and refreshing.

Next up was Eishebahn's South American Pale Ale.

It was a strange concoction. Had a bit of ginger hints to it. Abra gave it the evil eye.

Next up was Coney Island's Albino Python.

Both were delicious. Great grapefruit aroma, and a wonderful pineyness. I'll take either!

Abra and I decided to do a side by side of Flossmoor Stations IPA. One green, one blue. Each brewed with a different single hop.

[65skylark]

Alright, Derek and Heath always seem to have a theme going with about half of their posts, so I figure it's time I joined in. My overall theme for this post will simply be......"The Abyss".

 

You will all have to bear with me, as I just can't seem to do a BTR without pictures of waterfalls and rivers and such. I freakin' live in Oregon, OK! It's not my fault this is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth.

 

 

 

 

So, the weekend starts with the local Deschutes pub here in Portland throwing a release party for The Abyss. This is one of maybe 5 days out of the entire year you can get The Abyss on tap, so naturally, we were there.

And we leave with this very sad picture.

 

Next stop............Full Sail Brewery.

Gaze into.......THE ABYSS.

'07 on the right, '08 on the left. I have to admit the '07 has aged very well. I actually preferred it over the '08 unlike last year where I preferred the new release of the '07 over the '06.

Sandi got a snifter of the '07 on tap just for this event.

Amazing. By far my favorite beer to date. Just so much going on and smooth as silk.

But I was just here for what was on tap.

The view from our corner of the restaurant. There was a line around half of the inside of this place of peole waiting to get bottles of The Abyss. Maybe 1/3rd of them ended up getting some bottles befor it was all sold out.

Lots of cinnamony spiceyness. Not really my favorite style of beer but worth a try a few times every fall.

Still another 30 minutes before The Abyss is ready so I thought I'd try their Oktoberfest before it was gone for the year.

while I got the insanely good fish and chips.

Sandi got the garden burger.......

Sandi got some hot tea. Yeah.......what the mug says.

I absolutely love this beer. I can't seem to make a trip hear without getting a pint. If you like a good ESB, then this beer is for you.

and some Batchelor Bitter.

After finally getting seated we start out with some steamer clams....

Started the night with some Hop Trip. Very drinkable beer with a nice subtle amount of citrus/pine flavour. Not as hoppy as I would expect from a beer called Hop Trip, but still very good.

You can see where some of the magic happens from the bar.

It was about a 50 minute wait for a table, so we hung out with a few thousand other people in the bar.

A few hours later we find ourselves in the heart of Portland's Pearl District at our favorite pub.

As if this weekend wasn't going to be good enough, I see this sitting in my desk chair as I walk into the living room upon returning home from work. Those goodies will have to wait for another day, though.

[65skylark]

So on Saturday, we decide to make a short little hour long drive down the Columbia River Gorge to Full Sail Brewery. I had never been here before and have had it on my list of places to visit for some time now. They actually have a pub in Portland but I thought it would be a fun evening for the family to take a nice drive to Hood River and visit the actual brewery.

[65skylark]

So now it's Sunday morning and we are on our way to another release party for The Abyss. This time in Bend where I knew I wouldn't have to wait in an insane line of people just to get a few bottles. Plus the day was a perfect sunny fall day and the drive to Bend is always nice. This year we decided to go a different route up the Santiam Pass. We left early so we could make a few stops along the way.

So that wraps up this years beer and waterfall PTR. The Abyss is still holding strong at number one for me. Although........that box in the first picture of this BTR had a little something in it from Three Floyds that just might change that. We shall see...............

And a few bottles of the new stuff to add to my remaining '07 bottles.

Yep, still the best beer I have ever had.

The last two glasses we'll have on tap until next year.

Sandi isn't a big beer drinker but even she can't pass this up.

Everyone was given free samples for the toast.

Time to toast...

Just enough time to try their Red Chair IPA. Lots of grapefruit citrus flavor in this one. Not bad but nothing special.

Salmon fillet sandwich for dinner.

Very good. Best all around stout out there in my book.

The release was at 5pm and it was just befor 4pm when we got there so I decided to start out the The Abyss' little brother Obsidian since they had it on Nitro today.

Some decent reading material inside.

And here we are, where it all started.

Almost there. That is Black Butte in the distance. Hmmmmm.......Black Butte Porter......

A few miles up the road this is what the lake looked like.

And the much lower than normal Detroit Lake on the other side.

Looking out from on top of the dam along the Santiam River.

Kids were fine, however.

I have to admit, this was really freaking me out.

Another hour up the road we stopped for a minute to let the kids walk across Detroit Dam.

Ladies and gentleman, the back side of water.

You can walk behind the waterfall. Pictures don't really do it justice. This thing is roaring while you are back here.

Another picture a little further down the trail.

South Falls.

Coffee. Lots of coffee flavour with some coffee notes in the background and nice stong coffee finish.

First a quick stop at the lodge for my first beverage of the day.

First stop would be Silver Creek Falls. The South Falls to be exact.

[DerekRx]

^Looks like a sweet time, Justin. Unfortunate that I can't see your middle group of pics, but I'm sure it's all awesome Oregon stuff that I hope to someday enjoy. Glad you managed to enjoy some Abyss on tap, snag some bottles, and receive my shipment unscathed (unlike last year when you managed to get a flat tire on the way to Bend). Maybe sometime soon I'll have a Russian Imperial Stout themed week, or at least finally try a bottle of the Dark Lord I purchased back in April, but until then here's some of my recent activities.

but in the end, the stuff was pretty tasty. A little subdued in the hops, but that's probably because it's about 5 months over freshness, but I could still pick up lots of rye and caramel, some citrus notes, along with some earthy and spicy hop bursts. Not bad at all!

apparently there was!

"Hello?! Is there more still in there?!?!"

well, we will if this head ever subsides...15 minutes later

Finally, we end with a rye ale concoction from Two Brothers, Cane & Ebel

While it's no West Coast, this stuff is pretty hoppy and will hold out nicely until Nugget Nectar is released in a few months

May as well follow with some more hoppy goodness, like Loose Cannon from Clipper City down in harm City AKA Baltimore

Oh yeah, this double IPA is so awesome and sessionable it isn't even funny.

Next on the agenda, a bottle of AleSmith's Yulesmith from July 4th

After last week's IPA and this week's Porter loaded with coffee, chocolate, roasted malt, molasses, oranges, and brown sugar, I may have to look into stopping off here on a trip to Buffalo if I have the chance. So far this place has some good stuff!

next up, something I haven't had yet. The Sugar House Maple Porter from Wagner Valley

This double espresso oatmeal stout is smooth, creamy, and jam packed with coffee and espresso goodness.

Later that night I dove into a bottle of Troeg's Scratch 15 which Heath was nice enough to pick up before it sold out almost immediately. Thanks again, dude, it's no wonder why you're the Best Man!

Over the weekend, we ended up in Arundel Mills at a DuClaw for some Alchemy Oatmeal Stout and Devil's Milk Barleywine, but this is the only picture I took of the situation

This thing is pretty sessionable and packs in a decent amount of bittering grassy hops. Good stuff

Continuing (or ending) on last week's IPA themed week is Hurricane Kitty from Keegan Ales up in Kingston, NY

[mcjaco]

^ I had Loose Cannon on Sunday! I quite enjoyed it.

 

And yea, to Two Brothers. It's never spectacular, but not bad.

[ParkTrips]

just a couple from this week

Definitely my kind of IPA with a nice malt body and hops that have bite but don't bite your head off

A gift from Derek, Weyerbacher Harvest Ale, brewed with their own fresh hops

Simply put: ICK!!!

First up, Green's Endeavor, a glutten free dubbel

[Bolliger&Mabillard]

I had a Grand Petron Margarita last night at Chilis. Not bad for 8 bucks.

[DerekRx]

Before heading off for Thanksgiving vacation, I better get these pictures up to make next week's stuff much quicker. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and enjoys much turkey, potatoes, cranberry sauce, and beer.

it's definitely no Russian River "-ation" but it has great sour nose and a little kick of sour to mix with the peppery spices, Belgian yeast, straw, grain, and grassy hop finish. Not bad stuff at all

Finally we end with a Brett beer from De Proef, Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale- A Belgian Strong Pale Ale

and the winner is Scratch 15, the double espresso oatmeal stout. Lucky me, this is the best of the choices with some really nice espresso flavors!

next up, we drink Troegs mystery Scratch, an unspecified bottle, but given its dark color it is narrowed down to 3 possible choices chilling in the basement

Pretty good stuff still, a nice medley of all sorts of hops giving nice fruity, floral, grassy, citrusy, earthy, and spicy notes all with a nice caramel malty backbone. Can't wait for the release party in a few weeks

Before this year's Odyssey is released in a few weeks, I had better drink a bottle from last year

Tastes of maple syrup, hazelnuts, milk chocolate, and vanilla...but it's all artificial tasting mixed with grain, like sticking a Toblerone in Miller Lite and microwaving it

Time to try something new from Leinie's, the Fireside Nut Brown

Awesomeness from a can. Great citrus notes, caramel, brown sugar, and biscuit, and a nice pine and grass finish. Hopefully I'll be able to drink this stuff fresh at the brewpub in the next couple of months

next up, time for an old canned friend, Oskar Blues Gordon, an Imperial IPA

nice and fruity with apricot, lemon, grapefruit, pear, and apple flavors mixed with honey, candy, and Belgiany goodness

We start out vertical, with a bottle of Vertical Epic 08-08-08 that I forgot I had

[DerekRx]

With a nice extended holiday break, we managed to get back up to Buffalo to see Nicole's parents and also partake in more of the beer scene going on up there, along with other local stuff. So before we head out on our next adventure real soon, here's some of what we did during our Thanksgiving vacation, Buffalo style!

Another look at the Canadian side of the falls

From Terrapin Point we could get right up on the US side of the Horseshoe Falls, but the extreme mist made it hard to see or take pictures

Here's a map of the whole Niagara Falls area

We had no passports with us this time, so we stayed in the US and hung out on Goat Island. Not that we wanted to wait in line to cross the border anyway

And here be those Niagara Falls, at least the American side

If you see the giant turtle building, we must be in Niagara Falls, New York

right across the street from Charlies we find another Buffalo staple, Tim Horton's. So much better than Starbucks, and doesn't cost you an organ and your first born

mmmmmm, good!

and here's the end result, roast beef on a bun with sea salt and fennel seeds and some natural juices. Throw on some Horseradish and we're in heaven

A Beef on Weck being made before us

the place is really small, but the food is great. There's Charlie with the hardhat on

some of the menu

don't mind if we do

Saturday we started out with some more Buffalo greatness, Beef on Weck. And what a better place to get it at than one of the best places there is, Charlie the Butcher's Kitchen

Then it was off to Consumer's Beverage to take a nice chunk out of my wallet

as we departed Pizza Plant, it started to feel more like Buffalo

and to wash down the rest of the pie, some Cask Inferno Pod Ale, just as bitter a finish, but a little smoother

This stuff was fantastic, amongst the best pizzas I've ever had

for lunch, some awesome pizza with tomatoes, artichokes, and zucchini.

A look at Inferno's tap

I started out with the Inferno Pod Ale, an IPA brewed by Custom BrewCrafters just for Pizza Plant. Good and bitter!

as well as the tap list

A look at their tap selection

but the bar area here is a lot more open and bigger

This one seemed a lot smaller than the other one

On Black Friday it was time to visit the other Pizza Plant in the greater Buffalo area, just a couple of miles from the one we visited back in May. Doesn't seem very Buffalo-y to me yet, where's all the snow?

"Hop on my back, Atreyu, and I shall take you for some beer consumption," says Falcor

Thanksgiving Day was spent on Grand Island, consuming much varieties of wine with the future in-laws

[DerekRx]

More Buffalo beer adventures

For me, time to enjoy the Organic Stealth Triple. Once again, a winner with nice sweetness, candy and yeasty touches, and a little hint of the 10% alcohol contained inside.

We still managed to find some goodies to enjoy. Nicole went with the Organic Shade Mt Stout, good chocolate and roasted malt flavors, very creamy and good on a cold rainy day

At least the hand pumps weren't empty too, containing vertical tastings of their barleywine

WOW, looks like we missed lots of chaos at Selins Grove since we were there earlier in the month. Where did all the beers go!?

on our way home on Sunday, we found some time to stop at Selins Grove, since we drove right by and needed to get away from all the chaos on the roads

one final look at the main bar area, though the place did have a separate dining room on the first floor, a bar, games area, tables, and party room on the second floor, and more party room on the third floor.

I went with the burger with mushrooms, cheese, and a Street Brawler Stout BBQ sauce, very tasty

for dinner, Nicole got a Greek salad

but the Trainwreck was a close second, very sweet and malty

Of them, Street Brawler Stout was my favorite, nice and roasty, good for the winter chill

I wanted to try it all, so I went with the sampler for a taste of mostly everything

Nicole went with the Blue Eyed Blonde blueberry lager and liked it. Only a touch of blueberry, but it was very crisp, clean, and easy to drink. Her friend Ashly (not pictured) went with the Don Cherry Wheat, also very good and refreshing

A look at the tap list

This place was pretty slammin' on a Saturday night, but there was a Sabres game on TV, and it was a holiday weekend (plus there was some disco event about to happen down the street and there was also a class reunion being held there)

For dinner, it was off to Pearl Street Grill and Brewery, FINALLY!

and if you need stuff cold for near immediate consumption, they've got most of it chilling too in the walk in beer freezer

How many people wish they could walk into the grocery store and leave with a bottle of Lindeman's, St. Bernardus ABT 12, or Delirium Tremens?

We were very impressed with a grocery store's selection of beer, and how they categorized it all nicer than a lot of places

so we had to check it out, and boy did it make us hate Pennsylvania and their stupid beer laws

After spending some time at the Falls, we hit up Wegmans. Of course they had to rub it in our faces about New York's awesome beer laws

[Coaster Palooza]

I know it's been a while since I posted. I can't remember where I left off, but I will post some old ones.

Very tasty! That is all for now...

Final beer from the Santa Cruz Ale Works.

I still like my shirt Derek!

I had a couple more beers out in Virginia.

My wife's brother-in-law...does that make him my brother-in-law? and I drinking a pumpking spice ale.

Gyendolynne brought home a couple bottles from Santa Cruz.

[FlyerACE1]

Two weeks ago I attempted to start a theme for the beer thread but only got two beers deep before I started feeling under the weather later in that week. Regardless, I did take photos of the two beers I managed to drink. I call it, "Aging in Adam's Basement" week...

Awesome stuff! This beer is great fresh but the flavors and alcohol presence really come out after aging for a while. I have one bottle left that I think I'll save for 2009. Maybe I'll try a 3 year vertical tasting?

When from? Check out my hand written date. This was a gift from Tom Smith. I believe it was from early 2007. Sweet!

Next up, an aging bottle of Weyerbacher Quad.

Truly amazing stuff! The aging brought out the alcohol bite a bit more but dissapated as it warmed.

Look at that color!

First up, my last bottle of Avery Mephastopheles, purchased in February 2008!

[Philrad71]

^^^ Derek, glad that you guys had a nice time in Buffalo. You should have come about fifty miles South and you would have seen why Buffalo didn't have that much snow - it's all here in Southwestern NY!

 

Have you ever been to the Ellicottville Brewing Company? Great place right in the heart of ski country just South of Buffalo. Very picturesque with a great variety of beer. I see in one of your Wegmans pics that it shows some EBC chillin' on the shelf. They have some good beers, including the ever popular 'Pantius Droppus' - a nice pale ale at about 10% ABV.

 

I also have a good brewery about four minutes from my house - Southern Tier Brewery that makes some good "Unearthly Pale Ale" and 'Old Man Winter' which is good for those cold winter nights. I also have a Wegmans about three minutes from my house so beer runs are easy even in the blizzards!

 

Here in Western NY, there are three things that we love to do in the winter time - eat chicken wings (or beef on weck), drink beer, and watch our pro sports teams go down the toilet!