A New Beer Thread

I'm soooo not a pumpkin beer fan. That is all.

 

I haven't had it in a couple of years, but the Dogfish Punkin was really good.

 

Had that about a week ago. Pretty good.

 

Your wife is smarter than you. Latitude 48 IPA is really flat and boring.

 

It has a decent malt character for an IPA, but the hop profile -- which is supposed to be the signature, with noble hop varieties grown around the 48th parallel -- is a big whiff.

 

All Samuel Adams beers have that same sort of maltiness. My favorite is the Cream Stout.

 

I certainly would prefer a better IPA like Bells Two-Hearted or Cigar City Jai Alai, but for what it is the Latitude isn't too bad, and it's much easier to find.

 

The Hoppin' Helles from Leinie's taint bad. It would be a good gateway beer into IPAs...my wife hates IPAs, but liked this one.

 

If you want easy-to-find IPAs, go with Stone IPA, Smuttynose Finestkind, Lagunitas Maximus, Sierra Nevada Torpedo or New Belgium Ranger.

I can't imagine a beer store where the best IPA available was Latitude 48. It's not horrible, no, but it's just not as good as those. And IPAs are meant to be served as fresh as possible, so going with the local choice usually pays off.

 

I'm in the Tampa area and had a few from Cigar City Brewing. Maduro was an OK brown ale. Have not head the Jai Alai IPA yet.

Brought a six pack of Florida Cracker home. OK, smooth. Belgian White Ale. Named after the Florida Cracker Cowboys of colonial times when Florida was the biggest ranching state in the US (later surpassed by Texas of course).

I was trying to place the taste, and it actually tastes like an unsalted saltine cracker to me.

5% alcohol. Not way up there like the abbey monk ales.

Anyway, it is neat to try locals and learn some history at the same time.

 

Rarely shop at beer stores or places like Total Wine, but if I do I definitely would not be buying Sam Adams. Just saying for what it is, it's not too bad. If I stop at the Circle K on my way home from work, it might be the best they have. Or I don't want to spend the 11 or 12 bucks a sixer that they want for the good stuff. I am very lucky to have a convenience store a few blocks from work that stocks Two-Hearted, some Brooklyn products and several other good beers like Indica and Dogfish Head.

 

Jai Alai IPA is great, one of my 10 or 15 favorite beers.