Yeah, but they're not drinking 12 of them.

Yeah, but they're not drinking 12 of them.

because they actually contain alcohol...

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this, but here goes...

 

Overrated and Overpriced Beer - Yuengling

 

I place Yuengling about on the PBR level (not exactly good, but not bad either), but PBR is much cheaper.  Yet people still salivate like rabid dogs over Yuengling like it's an Apple product or something.

 

Oh, I agree completely.  My Mom used to tell me about taking trips to Colorado and everyone asking her to PLEASE bring back some Coors....  I think it's that it wasn't easily attained.

Yuengling is in the midst of a heavy marketing blitz right now, so I'm sure part of the buzz in Ohio is because of that.

I agree that Yuengling is overrated, but it's only $10 for a twelve pack.

lol! how did this turn into the cheap beer thread --- anyone have any great craft beers lately? i did -- great lakes!

 

i randomly wandered into a pub in hoboken after i did the weehawken thread and it turns out the owner is a great lakes brewery fanatic. he had burning river on draft and a range of bottles. he gets them himself as they dont distribute out east yet. they said they had a few kegs of christmas ale recently, but it all went bye-bye in 24hrs. needless to say it was an unexpected treat, so i watched the osu game and hung out. if yr ever in hoboken, nj cork city pub is the place!

 

 

lol! how did this turn into the cheap beer thread --- anyone have any great craft beers lately? i did -- great lakes!

 

Not lately, but we have a Fatheads gift card that I hope to use soon.

Bells Winter White the other night..loved it.

 

Going to have some Indigo IMP winter soul a little later.

I have to admit, the Sam Adams Winter Lager is right up there with GL Christmas Ale for me.  And I have been buying it do to it being a couple bucks cheaper, and less likey to send me into a drunken stuper.

I have to admit, the Sam Adams Winter Lager is right up there with GL Christmas Ale for me.  And I have been buying it do to it being a couple bucks cheaper, and less likey to send me into a drunken stuper.

 

I have heard others say this.

 

The Thirsty Dog 12 Days of Christmas is very good as well.

 

Christmas Ale is far from my favorite Great Lakes beer, though.

wow the best craft beer draft i have had in a long time:

 

Ballast Point Sextant  Oatmeal Stout  CA  6.4%

 

http://www.blindtigeralehouse.com/draught-list/

 

we're definitely into stout drinking weather, yikes if it gets any colder and windier we will have to go straight for the belgians and barleywines... :drunk:

 

after work i had an irish stout draft that i had never heard of before called wrasslers. it was inky black and pretty good - much better than that very popular flavorless irish stout thats for sure!

I have liked almost all of the Magic hat Beers I have tried.  Pretty good stuff. 

Magic Hat isn't the quaint hippie brewery it once was.. Its now part of a bigger conglomerate of brewers.  That said you can still find some good beers from them but the number 9 is not what it once was.    I'm not sure if the batches I get are being 3rd party brewed at Consumers Beverage in Rochester or if they just go crazy with the malts..  It is supposed to be a "not quite pale ale"..  In previous years it was a slightly dry beer with that night hint of apricots to finish.  Today the beer is what I consider a malty mess.

  I was at the free concert series at the Rock Hall this summer and had a canned number 9.  I think I barely finished it.  That was canned in Rochester for Magic Hat and it was definitely the worst example of that beer that I've had. 

  A brewer friend of mine was mixing beers at a bar and came up with what I consider to be most like what I remember Number 9 being like:

1/3 Ithaca Apricot Wheat and 2/3 North Peak Wanderer..  It was quite delish..

Has anyone tried Hudepohl Amber?  It's my new go-to beer, and it's an Ohio product.

 

Yes this is my first post here... of course it would be in the beer thread. 

Has anyone tried Hudepohl Amber?  It's my new go-to beer, and it's an Ohio product.

 

Yes this is my first post here... of course it would be in the beer thread. 

 

It's great for the price. Much better than similar beers, like Yeungling.

 

Doesn't stack up well at all to higher priced beers.

 

Welcome to UO, btw.

I hate your avatar.

Has anyone tried Hudepohl Amber?  It's my new go-to beer, and it's an Ohio product.

 

Yes this is my first post here... of course it would be in the beer thread. 

 

It's great for the price. Much better than similar beers, like Yeungling.

 

Doesn't stack up well at all to higher priced beers.

 

Welcome to UO, btw.

I hate your avatar.

 

I agree it doesn't compare to higher priced beers, but it can't be beat at it's price point.  I can't afford to be drinking expensive beer all the time.

 

Why do you hate my avatar?

Can it be had up here in Cleveland?

Can it be had up here in Cleveland?

 

I don't think so... I'm pretty sure it's only sold in the greater Cincinnati area.

Magic Hat isn't the quaint hippie brewery it once was.. Its now part of a bigger conglomerate of brewers.  That said you can still find some good beers from them but the number 9 is not what it once was.    I'm not sure if the batches I get are being 3rd party brewed at Consumers Beverage in Rochester or if they just go crazy with the malts..  It is supposed to be a "not quite pale ale"..  In previous years it was a slightly dry beer with that night hint of apricots to finish.  Today the beer is what I consider a malty mess.

  I was at the free concert series at the Rock Hall this summer and had a canned number 9.  I think I barely finished it.  That was canned in Rochester for Magic Hat and it was definitely the worst example of that beer that I've had. 

  A brewer friend of mine was mixing beers at a bar and came up with what I consider to be most like what I remember Number 9 being like:

1/3 Ithaca Apricot Wheat and 2/3 North Peak Wanderer..  It was quite delish..

 

totally agree about magic hat. wasnt that great to start with, but still the early version was interesting. a shame.

 

interesting about canning. the smaller craft breweries seem to be doing more of it. for example, the newish can version of sixpoint sweet action, a cream ale style, is big around brooklyn, as are their other styles in the can. the sweet action can is even better than the draft version imo.

 

Hudy Amber is good, $5.99 a sixer.

 

I have Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S Oatmeal Imperial Stout. Probably one of the best beers I have had (I like 'em dark)

 

Anyone else here Homebrew?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2013/11/26/beer-entrepreneurs-fuel-comeback-of-struggling-cleveland-neighborhood/

Cleveland's Great Lakes Christmas Ale going for $13.99 +tax for a six pack at the local bodega by my house in Uptown Chicago...Damn! Of course I snagged it..it was the last one! :drunk: Typical imports, like Amstel sell for $6.99 at the same store.

Cleveland's Great Lakes Christmas Ale going for $13.99 +tax for a six pack at the local bodega by my house in Uptown Chicago...Damn! Of course I snagged it..it was the last one! :drunk: Typical imports, like Amstel sell for $6.99 at the same store.

 

They've got CA and Blackout Stout selling at the same time.  IIRC, Blackout used to come out just as CA was winding down.

I'm digging Hop Notch IPA Uinta Brewing Company 8.99 a six pack

Maybe it's just me, but does CA taste a little...plain...this year? In years past, the spices / honey flavor left no confusion as to what I was drinking. I've only had a couple, but this year's batch tastes just like regular beer to me.

I heard New Belgium (Fort Collins, CO) and Deschutes (Bend, OR) are both coming very soon to Ohio.  Both welcome additions.

Should be available in the next week or so.

I got some Cincy beer over the holiday. MadTree's Happy Amber was my favorite. It's pretty hop-forward for an amber ale, which is a-ok in my book.

Maybe it's just me, but does CA taste a little...plain...this year? In years past, the spices / honey flavor left no confusion as to what I was drinking. I've only had a couple, but this year's batch tastes just like regular beer to me.

 

I was thinking the opposite I think I'm noticing the honey and ginger more then ever ... But maybe it's because  it's not a small batch like it used to be 

Maybe it's just me, but does CA taste a little...plain...this year? In years past, the spices / honey flavor left no confusion as to what I was drinking. I've only had a couple, but this year's batch tastes just like regular beer to me.

 

Agreed.  I've long thought 12 Dogs, and a number of others, are better Christmas Ales anyway.  Just tried 3 Floyd's Alpha Claus, which is a Christmas Porter, with a fair hop nose to it.  Excellent.  Treog's Mad Elf is my definite favorite, but a little hard to find. 

I just picked up half a case of Boris - Van Wink from my buddy. Pretty tasty.

when we had a recent cold snap, i snapped and had a couple excellent california imperial ipa's at my old craft beer bar, the blind tiger. it was stone ruination 7.7% and bear republic racer x cask 8.3%. i've had them before and continue to favor the stone version, but both are nice. oh and i had each on separate days, because they will ruin you with all that alcohol!

Speaking of Californian Imperial IPAs, I recently had the pleasure of trying out Firestone Walker's Double Jack.

 

At 9.5%, splitting a growler between myself and my partner had us both pretty well gone, haha. But it was hard to stop drinking...great stuff. I haven't had Stone Ruination in a while, but I dare say DJ was quite a bit better for my taste. Which is saying something.

Maybe it's just me, but does CA taste a little...plain...this year? In years past, the spices / honey flavor left no confusion as to what I was drinking. I've only had a couple, but this year's batch tastes just like regular beer to me.

 

Agreed.  I've long thought 12 Dogs, and a number of others, are better Christmas Ales anyway.  Just tried 3 Floyd's Alpha Claus, which is a Christmas Porter, with a fair hop nose to it.  Excellent.  Treog's Mad Elf is my definite favorite, but a little hard to find. 

 

Mentor Heinen's carried the Elf earlier in the season when I was last there, so they and other branches may still.

First time I saw it this year was at Lizardville in Bedford Heights.  I looked up and down their shelves- all over- and couldn't find it.  I selected a Belgian Trappist Christmas beer, which was excellent, though the name escapes me now.  We took our beer to the counter to be flash chilled and had the hostess seat us.  They took us around a corner and sat us at a table right next to a pallet full of Mad Elf cases.

Hoppin' Frog Frosted Frog isn't cheap, but dang, it's worth it.

 

12 Dogs is an excellent standby, and like some others above, I like it more than the regular Great Lakes Christmas Ale.

 

Southern Tier 2XMas is a new favorite of mine--just had that for the first time last week at a Christmas ale tasting at West Point Market here in Akron.

 

I'll also note that one that I found very good in the past that was surprisingly disappointing to me this year was Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve.  I still gave it 3 stars on Untappd, but I remembered it more fondly than that.

 

Also, backing up a season now, but one that I forgot to mention here earlier that was probably my biggest surprise (considering the somewhat pedestrian source) was Woodchuck's Fall seasonal cider.  Their Winter cider is pretty decent, too, but the Fall release was one of the best ciders I've had in a long while.  Not what I was expecting from the cidery that lots of craft cider drinkers look at the way craft beer drinkers look at Anheuser-Busch.

Hoppin' Frog Frosted Frog isn't cheap, but dang, it's worth it.

 

Ditto for pretty much all their beers!

I think 12 Dogs of Christmas might be my favorite Christmas Ale.

Speaking of Californian Imperial IPAs, I recently had the pleasure of trying out Firestone Walker's Double Jack.

 

At 9.5%, splitting a growler between myself and my partner had us both pretty well gone, haha. But it was hard to stop drinking...great stuff. I haven't had Stone Ruination in a while, but I dare say DJ was quite a bit better for my taste. Which is saying something.

 

i havent seen that one, but thx for the tip. i will definately put in a request for it at the 'ol tiger.

 

I think 12 Dogs of Christmas might be my favorite Christmas Ale.

 

Three words:

 

Troeg's Mad Elf

 

That is all.

Oh, and it's also readily available at Giant Eagle. I'm not sure if they have that grocery chain up in Cleveland?

9 beers we are no longer drinking

 

1.  Michelob Light, down 69 percent

2. Bud Select, down 65 percent

3. Milwaukee's Best Premium, down 58 percent

4. Miller Genuine Draft, down 56 percent

5. Old Milwaukee, down 54 percent

6. Milwaukee's Best Light, down 39 percent

7. Heinekin Premium Light, down 36 percent

8. Budweiser, down 28 percent

9. Labatt Blue, down 28 percent

 

http://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/9-beers-we-are-no-longer-drinking

 

I don't know who's behind Old Milwaukee, but their non-alcoholic is my favorite non-premium non-alcoholic beer.

The 2 biggest Miller guys I knew are dead.

9 beers we are no longer drinking

 

1.  Michelob Light, down 69 percent

2. Bud Select, down 65 percent

3. Milwaukee's Best Premium, down 58 percent

4. Miller Genuine Draft, down 56 percent

5. Old Milwaukee, down 54 percent

6. Milwaukee's Best Light, down 39 percent

7. Heinekin Premium Light, down 36 percent

8. Budweiser, down 28 percent

9. Labatt Blue, down 28 percent

 

http://www.wcpo.com/money/consumer/dont-waste-your-money/9-beers-we-are-no-longer-drinking

 

I don't know who's behind Old Milwaukee, but their non-alcoholic is my favorite non-premium non-alcoholic beer.

The 2 biggest Miller guys I knew are dead.

 

As per the guy who loads the coolers on Saturday (and sometimes Friday) night, our top sellers are:

 

1)  Bud Light (by a big margin)

2)  Miller Lite (by a small margin)

3)  Budweiser (yes, it's dropping)

 

After that it depends on a lot of things.  Coors Light is probably #4 most of the time. 

I kind of like the GLBC Christmas Ale is toned down this year. It's actually nicely balanced this year. I pulled one out of the fridge and was startled to see that it was only 7.5% ABV, I remember when this was extreme.

 

Has anybody had the Southern Tier Double Christmas? I saw it at Barrio and wanted to try it.

 

I kind of like the GLBC Christmas Ale is toned down this year. It's actually nicely balanced this year. I pulled one out of the fridge and was startled to see that it was only 7.5% ABV, I remember when this was extreme.

 

Has anybody had the Southern Tier Double Christmas? I saw it at Barrio and wanted to try it.

 

 

Southern Tier is one of my favorite breweries, but i didnt like the Double XMas.  Too thick, granted i had it last year maybe they adjusted it.

 

 

Southern Tier is one of my favorite breweries, and I loved the 2XMas ... gave it 5 stars on Untappd.  It is indeed thick, but that's exactly what I tend to be in the mood for when it freezing out.  It was thick, warm, and comforting--basically a delicious blanket.  It still wasn't quite on the level with their Pumking or Warlock, but definitely top notch.  Made me want to curl up by the fire and bask.

I think 12 Dogs of Christmas might be my favorite Christmas Ale.

 

Three words:

 

Troeg's Mad Elf

 

That is all.

 

Tried this the other night. I didn't know what to expect from it. In particular, didn't know it was Belgian-style. Didn't like it, but then that is not surprising since I'm rarely a fan of Belgian-style beers. Why do people love them so? I don't get it.

 

Switched to one of the other 3 beers the place had on tap, Ballast Point's Sculpin IPA. Can't get enough of that stuff. Really. So very delicious. Near-perfection.

shiner bock made a big push around ny and i see it on draft all over the place lately. is this a nationwide thing? do you see it around clev or ohio? it was pretty much texas only until now. just wondering. if you havent had it, is nothing special.

 

It's been in Ohio for a while.  Yeah, nothing special.  I put it in the same category as Blue Moon, J.W. Dundee's, Amberbock, etc.