The Beer Thread

[Mark]

OK, many of you already know I'm really a wine guy (and some Patrón also ), but I have to admit I found a beer that completely turned me into liking this more than ever.

Yes, as you may have already guessed, since I'm a wine guy I tend to like dark beers, and among my all-time favorites are Guinness Drought and many others, yet this one is the one that made me start the thread: Breckenridge Vanilla Porter.

It's like a slightly softer version of Guinness Drought with vanilla beans blended in! I'm really sold on this one! To the extend now I'd love to go on a trip to Colorado just to visit their brewery! (and hit the slopes if possible as well ).

So here it is, the beer thread! All beers welcome! Let your fellow members know what you like, dislike, what's your best brew; tap or bottle? Tips, etc! Let's hear it!

I'll entertain you with some images of this hidden jewel from Breckenridge, CO, enjoy!

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter (http://www.breckbrew.com/)
It's a dark ale style porter, with some complex flavors and aromas. You can taste dark chocolates, root beer, butterscotch, and vanilla, all blended together with a nice sweet aroma.
The finish is rather dry, though, and there's a hint of bitterness probably from hops hidden in the background.
Overall, how they managed to blend in real vanilla beans without the overcrowding vanilla flavor makes for quite a remarkable and interesting beer.
Hard to find, not all taverns and pubs carry them though..

(and this is a German Car Forum!, tell us about those thousand year-old perfected German beers too!! )

 

[Giannis]

Ah, beer is one of my most favourite topics, even more than cars. After all, you know what they say: Beer is good, but beers are better

From the US, I like Miller. It's not easy to find an american beer here, apart from Bud/Budweiser that I don't really like. Miller is actually VERY hard to find, but I really like it.

From Germany, I was very impressed with Münchner Weiß, but I need to travel to Munich again to remind myself how good it was. From the mass-production german beers, I prefer Warsteiner Pils or Weiss, or when I can find it, Franziskaner Weiss.

From the local (greek) market, a micro-brewery called Craft is making a small series of great beers. Even though the production is limited, they do make many types: Pils, weis, red alle, lager and smoked. My personal favourite is the red ale.

 

[Giannis]

I also like to collect beer bottles, which I store in my bookcase



In that crappy picture taken with my old and crappy Nokia, you can see a McFarland (red ale), the limited production greek Craft (Black lager), a Murphy's (irish red) and an old time classic Bud.

Behind the beer bottles you can see some old books: Basic university physics, some Statistics and Probabilities, Applied Maths, Introduction to Mathematica, some Geodesy and some other books I have never used.

 

[NarutoRamen]

Lately I've been trying different kinds of Belgian beers.

So far my favorite is Chimay Grand Reserve. But I also like the Chimay Ale (Red label). I tried Trappistes Rochefort #8, but I wasn't as impressed with it. Sometimes, even as a man, you just gotta ddrink something that tastes damn good, so I had some Framboise Lambic. Still need to find more good Belgian beers, but I'm also in the market for some good old Hard Cider.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

NSL, this is a genius thread, and when I think about it, long over-due. Kudos getting the ball rolling.

Ah, when I used to like (more like obsess) over Belgians, I was very partial to the Chimays. There was this other one called Trappist something-or-another...I'll have to ask my buddy for the name,

Fat Tire is one of my favorite micro-brews as well as anything from Stone Brewery. I used to live 40 miles from their brewery and went on an extended tour there as I knew an intern there. It was kind of like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but you know, with beer. Tasty tasy beer.

Amongst the Germans (GCF, afterall) I'm a big fan of Spaten and Franziskaner....nothing like a good Hefe on a warm summer's day.

My poison of choice as of late are India Pale Ales. I remember have one for the first time and being disgusted by it, but it grows on you and grabs you. Racer 5 IPA is the bee's knees.

Porters, especially coffee porters are just so tasty. Usually I'm not to fond of alot of additives to my beer (i.e. orange, coriander, etc.) but I'll make an exception espresso/coffee porters. The aforementioned brewing intern also personally concocted this vanilla porter....it was one of the most delicious and addictive beers I've had

For run of the mill beer, Corona and Pabst Blue Ribbon really hit the spot.

 

[Human]

Non-alcoholic for me BUT my country, The REPUBLIC of SOUTH-AFRICA is home to SAB-Miller. We bought Millers and make some of the world's best beers, lagers etc.

Examples of SAB-Miller products:

SABMILLER Other:

 

[martinbo]

Mmmm, Beer!

So many different beers, so little time and money! A beer that sticks in my mind as being exceptional (I last had it some 20 years ago) is Radegast from the Czech Republic.

Down in sunny SA, Windhoek Draught is a favourite of mine at the moment.

 

[Zafiro]

I only drink light beer, not into dark colored beer.

Miller and Corona always work for me.

 

[MikeJ]

I'm not much of a beer drinker, but occasionally I do enjoy one of these after sauna:

 

[NarutoRamen]

Yo Hoff, get me the name of that Belgian if you can. Btw, if you like IPA try Sierra Nevada. They're local to me and delicious!! I'm also an IPA drinker.

Btw, give me a name of a good German brewery that I could get in US. I had a hef by something that started with Brau something or other. Was not impressed at all.

Also it's weird, just like my pops, drinking something like bud, miller, Coors gives me a headache only after a few bottles. The good stuff I can go all night with.

 

[klier]

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

Yo Hoff, get me the name of that Belgian if you can. Btw, if you like IPA try Sierra Nevada. They're local to me and delicious!! I'm also an IPA drinker.

Btw, give me a name of a good German brewery that I could get in US. I had a hef by something that started with Brau something or other. Was not impressed at all.

Also it's weird, just like my pops, drinking something like bud, miller, Coors gives me a headache only after a few bottles. The good stuff I can go all night with.

Yes, Sierra Nevada is a 6-pack of deliciousness, back in my Cali days, those were a staple of my beer-drinking. Regarding a good German Hefe, you can't go wrong with Franziskaner (it's got a monk on the label, so you know it's good), it's nothing fancy in the sense that it doesn't have any weird fruit flavor additives. Once I get a hold of my buddy, I'll get back to regarding the Belgian.

Another good one is Fin de Monde. Also Grolsch is pretty tasty.

 

[Zonda]

I'm a big sucker for Innis & Gunn

Apart from I&G I don't have much preferences but I'm definitely drawn more towards British and Belgian beers.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

^Zonda, never had one, but just looking at it is making me salivate.

 

[Zonda]

You have to!
Highland Cask for leisure, and Rum Cask for dinner. You'll love them!

 

[Giannis]

Right now I'm drinking a Mythos. It's a greek beer, the name should translate as "legend" in english. Sadly, it's far from a legend, but given that I had souvlakia for dinner, anything better would be wasted.

 

[skbmw]

I have many favorites depending on where I am in the world: Lapin Kulta (Finland), Leffe Blonde (Belgium), Grolsch (Netherlands), Mythos (Greece), Coors Light (USA) and Kronenburg 1664 (France) just to name a few. Since I am from Finland I am attaching a picture of Lapin Kulta, which means Gold of Lapland and Lapland being the northern part of Finland.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

The one beer that I will not drink is Heineken. Been disappointed one too many times.

 

[Giannis]

Mythos (Greece)

I wouldn't call Mythos a beer that stands out from what a country produces. Ok, it's a 100% greek product, as opposed to locally produced under license Kaiser, for instance. But I would say that Craft is by far the best. Vergina is also a 100% greek product and it's a quite good beer. It's a lager, but for a lager it's quite good. There's also B29, an organic beer, but it tastes like @%$#.

Recently another greek beer came up, called Fix. Fix was one of the first greek breweries that was closed down in the 60's if I am not mistaken. It was revived a few years ago and I have to admit that they created a very respectable product. Their black lager is very good and their lager is far better than the mass produced Mythos and Alpha (Alpha is another historic greek brewery, but their recent products don't live up to their name), but a step down from Vergina.

 

[NarutoRamen]

I'm a big sucker for Innis & Gunn


Apart from I&G I don't have much preferences but I'm definitely drawn more towards British and Belgian beers.

Dammit man, that pic makes me want that so bad. I just checked online at some of my local stores, no one carries it. Bitches!! I must find it!

Yes, Sierra Nevada is a 6-pack of deliciousness, back in my Cali days, those were a staple of my beer-drinking. Regarding a good German Hefe, you can't go wrong with Franziskaner (it's got a monk on the label, so you know it's good), it's nothing fancy in the sense that it doesn't have any weird fruit flavor additives. Once I get a hold of my buddy, I'll get back to regarding the Belgian.

Another good one is Fin de Monde. Also Grolsch is pretty tasty.

You can't go wrong with Sierra Nevada.

Also, yeah. I've tried some Leffe Blonde, that stuff is smoothness. Love it. I'll give Franziskaner a chance if I can find it. That's part of what sucks about being a beer drinker is that some of the best stuff is local and hard to find. I have a local brewery, I mean VERY local, that only sells out of their restaurant (AFAIK) and it's probably the best IPA ever (IMO). Anyway, I'll try to find Fin De Monde and Grolsch if I can.

Another good brew, especially if some of you guys think Coors or Miller is good, is Sam Adams. Try ANY of their beers and you'll like them. I love their seasonal stuff. I had their Winter Lager recently, and it was perfect.

Also, I'm actively trying to fund some of the beers you guys are recommending. Thanks fellas.