some damn good IPA's out there

[glademaster]

You drink some really interesting beers, but I have to ask: do you post a week or two's worth of beer tastings in a single day, or are you getting absolutely shithoused this afternoon? NTTAWT.

Also, nice woodstove. Those Country stoves were some of the better heaters in their era of stove design.

[dookeyXXX]

You drink some really interesting beers, but I have to ask: do you post a week or two's worth of beer tastings in a single day, or are you getting absolutely shithoused this afternoon? NTTAWT.

Also, nice woodstove. Those Country stoves were some of the better heaters in their era of stove design.

This is more like a month's worth of beers that I am catching up on! Still have 8 more pix to upload.

[dookeyXXX]

Yay! Sayer West Coast India Pale Ale
Common Space, Hawthorne, CA
ABV: 6.7%
Hops: Idaho 7, Amarillo, Cryo Amarillo
Grist: Rahr Pale
Yeast: BSI Barbarian Ale

[retirwntm]

Get SoMe!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[The AD]

Pretty solid NW style IPA. Not going to blow you away, but nice balance and very drinkable. I've consumed lots of beer brewed in Bend, but not sure I've ever had anything from Worthy before.

[GiBo]

A little annoyed at myself. Second time I purchased an IPA at the corner store that was too old. The Blaker was from December, which is past it's prime, but was still good. The New Glory was from November and was undrinkable. Poured it out. Check the dates!

[dookeyXXX]

A little annoyed at myself. Second time I purchased an IPA at the corner store that was too old. The Blaker was from December, which is past it's prime, but was still good. The New Glory was from November and was undrinkable. Poured it out. Check the dates!

For truth!
I am a full-on date Nazi. 30 days, max is my rule.
But my local has an insane selection of single cans from across the country and I often get screwed on old beers. For example, when I was in there last week I found cans from August and Sept 2020!
I have given to only buying West Coast stuff as I figure it travels less.
I have also had better luck with bottles, too (less air leakage than cans from what I have been told).

That said, I have discussed when an IPA goes bad with the owner/brewer of one of outrTahoe breweries many times. He has told me that the day they can an IPA it is no longer the same beer they brewed and each day after canning changes the flavor profile. He said 30 days after canning was a good measure, with 3 months being the outside (i.e. probably hitting the undrinkable phase).
As such I try to buy straight from the brewery as much as possible, cuz few things in life suck as much as dropping upwards of $7 for an IPA that is past it's prime.

FWIW, that Ubahdank is primo when fresh...

[dookeyXXX]

Structural Damage Hazy India Pale Ale
Ronin Fermentation Project, Graeagle, CA
ABV: 6.5%
Hops: DDH with Rakau & Idaho 7

I have been kinda underwhelmed with a lot of the hazes that are saturating the market lately, especially here in Cali. Yet every once in awhile somebody cranks out one with an interesting hop profile. This is one of those.

[dookeyXXX]

Phantom Time
Henhouse Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, CA
ABV: 6.3%
Hops: Belma, Mosaic & El Dorado

[dookeyXXX]

The Time Warp Dank IPA (Beer #79)
Gigantic Brewing Company, Portland, OR
ABV: 6.3%

[evdog]

Found more Societe man-packs at Costco yesterday.

The Bachelor is standard fare. The other one, Agreeable Folk, was very agreeable.







Tonight's beer is the latest Stone Enjoy By. I'm not a huge Stone fan but these change each batch and are usually pretty good. Not the usual unnecessarily bitter stone hop bomb.

[glademaster]

I was pretty impressed by Stone FML IPA. I don't usually buy many of their beers either, but I gave it a try on a whim and I think I've picked up two more sixers since then. Definitely more quaff-able than it's 8.5% ABV would indicate.

Plus, it's one of the better deals I've found recently for good craft beer. A 6-pack of 16 ounce cans was $12.99 at the local liquor store.

I'm a pretty big fresh-beer nut, but as with all things craft beer, it's been taken too far by some people. Other than hazy IPA's(which do have a very short shelf life, but also generally suck) I'm of the opinion that most IPA's have a 60-90 day lifespan before they're "off" and for other styles of beer, it's more like 120 days.

Light is a bigger enemy than air, so while I enjoy drinking a beer out of a bottle more than a can, cans are the superior vessel for beer storage. I hardly pour a beer into a glass to drink it, because I don't have a dishwasher in my current domicile, and I hate doing dishes.

[dookeyXXX]

Not that any of y'all give a squat, but I find Stone beers to be hella syrupy.
I also did not gibe with the owner going after every small brewery with the word "Stone" in their name. Smacked of that Backcountry.com fiasco.
But I digress.
Drink what you like, makes no nevermind to me.
Such is the joy of beer: to each their own taste(buds)...

[dookeyXXX]

Speaking of IPA's...

The Future Is Fluid
Almanac Beer Co., Alameda, CA
ABV: 6.0%
Hops: dry-hopped with Simcoe, Mosaic, Cashmere, and Sabro.

From the can: "This beer was created by the womxn of Almanac Beer in support of the Pink Boots Society, a nonprofit that creates training and educational opportunities for womxn working in beer! Cheers to a more inclusive, equitable, and fluid future."

[The AD]

Tried out the new Great Notion taproom in Ballard today. I'm a little wishy-washy on hazy IPAs, but I know that's what this brewery is known for so I got one: Journey to Nectaron. "Loaded with intense citrus and fruit aromas, this New Zealand hop variety showcases everything we love about hops." 7% ABV. This was a good one. This is going to be a nice addition to the Ballard brewery scene. Right across the street from Reuben's.

[evdog]

Not that any of y'all give a squat, but I find Stone beers to be hella syrupy.
I also did not gibe with the owner going after every small brewery with the word "Stone" in their name. Smacked of that Backcountry.com fiasco.

I was going to ask what small breweries they've gone after as I'd only heard about Key STONE light lol, but google search showed a small brewery in Kentucky, and then this USPTO office link. Holy shit! Looks like a lot:

https://ttabvue.uspto.gov/ttabvue/v?...C%20%20&page=1

But read the next link, a post from Greg Koch about this which says they've only filed objections to the trademark (name) with USPTO and have almost always resolved with no drama. Hopefully this is true, I know how the media likes to sensationalize stories sometimes. https://www.stonebrewing.com/blog/mi...#ageGatePassed

This article a couple more links down offers some interesting color: https://www.sltrib.com/news/2020/08/...l-brewer-goes/

Interesting they have not "gone after" Firestone Walker. Ultimately looks like the blame may go to MillerCoors for forcing Stone's hand to go after anyone and everyone, even if it is only an objection to similar trademark. Unfortunately patent work is expensive. My last employer often had patent trolls come after us, filing BS patents and then sending demand letters for $millions.

Holystone Distilling in Murray is one of nearly 100 U.S. companies — from small breweries and bars to restaurants and pizza joints — that have been targeted by Stone Brewing Co. for unauthorized use of its trademark.

Earlier this year, the California-based beermaker began issuing trademark cancellation requests against companies that use “stone” for alcohol-related business and products. Stone Brewing, which holds the trademark for its Arrogant Bastard Ales, also is targeting companies that use the word “bastard.”

....


Notably absent from the list, said DeShazo, is Firestone Walker, the 5th largest craft brewery in the country.

DeShazo believes the catalyst for the aggressive legal actions is a larger billion-dollar lawsuit Stone Brewing has against MillerCoors, the makers of Keystone beer.

In February of 2018, Stone Brewing filed suit after MillerCoors tried to rebrand its Colorado Rockies-themed “Keystone” beer as “STONE.” A trial is set for October 2020, where Stone seeks to recover what is says is billions in lost sales because of the infringement.

MillerCoors has countered that the lawsuit is flawed, since Stone Brewing has not gone after dozens of other craft breweries with stone in their name.

Going after these other entities, said DeShazo “bolsters their case” the next time Stone Brewing goes before a judge.

“What it means in the real world,” said DeShazo, “is that people have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to protect their business.”

And, added Barbie, “most of them don’t have it and are going to go under.”

There’s a bit of irony in this David and Goliath story, said Mike DeShazo.

Stone Brewing once was “the little guy taking on the big man,” he said. “Now it is hurting small businesses for no particular gain.”

[dookeyXXX]

Catherine The Wompas
Gigantic Brewing, Portland Oregon collab with De Garde Brewing, Tillamook, Oregon
ABV: 7.6%
Hops: Columbus, Mosaic, Nelson, Simcoe

[dookeyXXX]

Via For Real
Gigantic Brewing (Portland, OR) collab with Ale Apothecary (Bend, OR)
ABV: 7.6%
Hops: Citra, Grungeist, Styrian Dragon, Cascade, Crystal, Nugget
IBU: 65
Malts: Mecca Grade Lamonta

[Ted Striker]

Via For Real
Gigantic Brewing (Portland, OR) collab with Ale Apothecary (Bend, OR)
ABV: 7.6%
Hops: Citra, Grungeist, Styrian Dragon, Cascade, Crystal, Nugget
IBU: 65
Malts: Mecca Grade Lamonta

Grungeist? That's a new one for me, and I'm actually sort of up on this stuff.

I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Gigantic, but I'm a huge fan of Paul Arney aka Ale Apothecary.

[CascadeLuke]

Home brew goals

[dookeyXXX]

Grungeist? That's a new one for me, and I'm actually sort of up on this stuff.

I can't say I'm the biggest fan of Gigantic, but I'm a huge fan of Paul Arney aka Ale Apothecary.

Yeah, I had to Google that one...

FWIW, I really enjoy Gigantic. I have yet to drink anything from them that isn't good or very good.

I dig their label artwork, too.

[dookeyXXX]

Blinding Sunset
Slice Beer Co., Lincoln, CA
ABV: 7%
Hops: Nectaron

[evdog]

Well we can't all be dentists.

Gave this a try. $20 for a flat of 12oz. Not bad at all. Brewed by Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co, San Jose CA. Never heard of it.

Citra hops obviously plus Cascade and Lemmon drop. 4.9%, 41 IBU. Would buy again.

[glademaster]

To stick with the value theme, my LLS had 12 packs of Odell's IPA for $16.99 recently. I've been drinking a lot of Odell's IPA lately. I can't think of another solid, eminently drinkable IPA for ~$8.50/6pack.

Also tried some Melvin 2xThor recently that is worth picking up if you see it. It's their 2x4 DIPA fermented with Kveik yeast. Distressingly quaff-able for being 9.9% ABV.

[Skidog]

Grabbed an old standby yesterday. Harpoon IPA. As I recall it was one of the early mass produced IPA's (at the time) and I always loved it. Been years since I grabbed any. Its still good, though newer IPAs have really kicked up the hops, the Harpoon remains a very balanced drink.