We have never talked about Beer

Add me to that list. The older I get the less I give a crap about things that don’t really matter, for better or worse. I expect to be in, “get off my lawn,” stage any day now.

Or any game.

Let people enjoy what they’re gonna enjoy dudes.

Unless what they enjoy is Uwe Boll. That’s a hatred everyone can get behind!

I had this the other day:

If you have never tried American style brown ales then they are generally a bit sweeter than a stout or a porter, basically don’t have those bitter undertones.This one goes down really easily which can be dangerous at 7.2% ABV.

You should be able to find it nationwide within the US.

Alex

I live in Vermont, and the store I get beer from (like all the better beer stores, the few we have) have signs up telling folks when Heady Topper and Lawson’s is delivered. Folks sometimes line up before the store opens to get it, though that has declined in recent months as The Alchemist at least ramped up production I think. Anyhow, I agree; it’s a fine IPA, but there are better ones out there, and I remain totally convinced that the majority of people I see buying it have little clue as to what other IPAs are even out there. It’s a herd thing in some ways.

I’m a big fan of brown ales myself. So this is absolutely in my wheelhouse. IPAs are ok, but a good old brown, porter, or dunkel any day.

And as for local vs. hard to obtain and distant, I always felt local meant fresh and that it hadn’t sat in some non-temp controlled trailer on a highway in the Midwest in the summer for three weeks. So, I always try for local stuff if I can, and I’m lucky enough to live where there are a lot of great local and regional brews that are always fresh. Admittedly, beer transport today is a hell of lot better than in the Smoky and the Bandit era, but I still go local when I can. I love me some stuff from all over the country, of course, but I’ve had a lot of supposedly rare or hard to get beers that were meh.

Me too, man. Though @ArmandoPenblade’s advice rings true to me. People obsess over strange things. I’d rather not obsess about beer, there is so much of it to choose from. I did it in the past and even now cringe about it. But hey, here we are on a gaming forum discussing peoples obsession with things. :)

Point well taken, Armando.

My only obsession is trying to decide whether to go with something I know is good, or something I want to try that’s new. This stuff gets expensive, so it’s great that the store I go to sells everything as a single if you want.

Never heard of it, but it sounds like the East Coast version of Pliny the Elder, an Double Imperial IPA made by Russian River Brewing. People line up to by limited quantities at the brewery in Santa Rosa, California.

Having had both, it is very much like it. It has a newer hop profile than Pliny. Pliny is more pine and a little citrus (Simcoe and “C” hops.) Heady Topper is very similar but if I put my finger on it, a touch more citrusy, maybe even floral taste/smell. Like Pliny it’s high alcohol, and tasty.

I have had a bottle of the Pliny, but I honestly think the idea of driving there to buy it is crazy. There are so many good beers out there.

So I figured, when in south Texas, try something local.

I typically drink something a bit darker, but as ambers go it’s not bad. A tad watery, but the taste is good. And it’s local , from Houston where I’m visiting.

Alesmith now has Speedway Stout in pint cans. A little bit of heaven in a quantity that is more reasonable and affordable than the usual 22oz bottles.

Also, Imperial Biscotti Break from Evil Twin is excellent, though not as good as Even More Jesus in my opinion. If you’re into potent stouts at least.

Dumb beer question re: that Ziegenbock: I really like Shiner Bock. It hits a really nice sweet spot of drinkability vs. flavor that I enjoy. I find I can drink it with most meals from a range of cuisines without objection.

Does this mean I probably like the Bock style in general? Should I look for and taste other ones?

I agree with that 100 percent. Also if you can find Evil Twin on tap, look for Bringing a Gun to a Knife Fight. It is an unfiltered IPA with a great citrusy flavor, almost like an orange. Fantastic beer. I honestly love Evil Twin, they make some great stuff.

Yes x 2. Bocks can be (depending) stronger than other lagers. They are usually excellent in smooth malt taste, and not too bitter. We have a brewery here that does only German styles and they make some excellent Bocks. Where are you located, @CLWheeljack?

I’m just outside NYC. My hipster-y fondness for Shiner is because my wife is from Houston, and we tend to drink it when we visit her family. I discovered that our local beer mega-mart stocks it though, so I’ve taken to buying it year round.

Our local is releasing it’s spring bock, Fruh Bock. I’ll see if they are canning/bottling it. If so I’d be happy to send a few your way. The brewery has a series of bocks, one per season.

I don’t go out to bars or restaurants that much, and I’ve never seen Evil Twin on tap, but I’ll be on the lookout for sure.

I’m not sure if they bottle/can it, thus the “on tap” recommendation. Usually they do bottle most of their items though.

Thanks for the offer! Before I do anything fancy, I’ll probably check out what I can get my hands on to hone in a bit on what I like and see how it goes from there.