- Jun 17, 2014
- 354
- 5
Founding Member
I'm not familiar with the Chimay, but do you think it would go ok with Elvis' "Blue Christmas" or the Boss' "Merry Christmas Baby?"In regards to Belgium, buy yourself a bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve for the holidays. Sit under your Christmas tree, put on some Vincent Guaraldi and sip your way into a Christmas nirvana.
I'm not familiar with the Chimay, but do you think it would go ok with Elvis' "Blue Christmas" or the Boss' "Merry Christmas Baby?"
Seriously, my quick research shows it to be a pretty good ale. Just kinda hard to find this label here in the panhandle, if you can believe that.
Another question...what German darks would be suggested? There was one on the menu at the place in Helen where I had the Erdinger that I was going to try until I realized that the Erdinger glass was about the size of three bottles. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be a problem and I'd have ordered several more, but with the family in tow I'd hate for the kids to have to see me pull my shirt off and brawl with three or four cats wearing lederhosen.
The Belgium StandardIn regards to Belgium, buy yourself a bottle of Chimay Grand Reserve for the holidays. Sit under your Christmas tree, put on some Vincent Guaraldi and sip your way into a Christmas nirvana.
The Belgium Standard
The best Belgium beer? Well, my brother and I used to have these beer battles a few years back and we'd invite friends to help us taste all the beers we would accumulate, especially the Belgians since they're so strong, come in big bottles, and we tried 22 different ones. Here's our top 10 (note, this battle was held March 30, 2002 and was dubbed "The Battle in Seattle - Masters of Belgium").
1. Westvleteren 12 - Trappist Ale (Westvkleteren Abbey)
2. Rochefort 10 - Trappist Ale (Rochefort)
The Westie 12 has no rival. The Rochefort 10 is a nice substitute and it is available (some beer snob friends of mine prefer it), and I agree that it's definitely the runner up, but there ain't nothing like the Westie. Just good luck finding it for a reasonable price.
Off topic and maybe a bridge too far, but, Cover, you don't have to go all the way to Germany for a good beer, as there are some incredible craft american beers out there, especially IPAs. My personal faves are Ballast Point Sculpin and Bell's Two Hearted, both of which are available at Total Wine and Whole Foods (at least in my hood). That said, German Beers are mostly excellent across the board - very clean yet full of flavor.
Now I'll go back to the sports board, where instead of enjoying beer, we're all just crying in it.
I'm not a big fan of cat piss so I stay away from IPAs.Yeah, those Westi's were costing close to $15 for a 12-ounce bottle, and that was 13 years ago.
Funny thing is I don't really like Belgian beers, again, being too sweet, and generally too carbonated, for my taste.
I prefer IPAs and agree that Ballast Point Sculpin and Bell's Two-Hearted are both solid choices. There's so many IPAs out there anymore with different hop varieties and profiles, it really comes down to what you have a taste for (some hops are more hoppy than others, some more bitter, some more aromatic, some more flavorful). San Deigo County is probably IPA heaven with Ballast Point, Green Flash, Alpine, Stone, Port, Alesmith......all making spectacular varieties of IPA.
To each his own - it's an acquired taste for sure. The first time I had a Racer 5 IPA from Bear Republic about 15 years ago, I thought they way over did it with the hops and remember telling my brother that I may not be able to drink more than one - now it's a middle of the road, but still solid, IPA, IMO, and I would gladly drink more than one.I'm not a big fan of cat piss so I stay away from IPAs.
I'm sorry Nav, I have to retract that like. I couldn't see the PBR pic on my phone I guess.
I'm sorry Nav, I have to retract that like. I couldn't see the PBR pic on my phone I guess.
No offense.
No matter how many things we disagree on, we'll always have Pink Floyd and a severe hatred of IPAs.Drinking a very hoppy beer reminds me of when we got busy at the college bar back in the day and sometimes the glasses didn't get cleaned enough. Soapy water in them.
Hops tastes like shyt. I would never pay a penny for one of those. And I wouldn't drink a free one.
It's funny because the history of IPA is that it was designed to keep from getting funky on long trips to from England to India aboard ship. No one actually liked the taste. I doubt anyone does now either but to be hip you have to drink beer that tastes like stale shyt. It's part of the uniform, along with $7 Starbucks bitter burnt coffee and Ieverythings.
Hops is cheap. Malt is expensive. So a hoppy beer can be sold much more cheaply than some shytty IPA.
I'm a failure.It was supposed to be a joke. I thought you liked it because you "got it". Guess not... :wobble:
I got to give it a like. Drank enough of it in my formative years. Would catch it on sale at one of the Jr stores for about $2 a six. Chase some skirts, dance at the Horseshoe, fight a little, tear some sh!t up, then wake up the next morning with what felt like a broad head ax buried in my skull. "Headache in a can" was what we fondly called PBR. Ah, the good ol' days! I guess this part of my past and what maturity I have acquired are fueling my quest for better beer. One more favor from you knowledgable guys (Sas, Bart, Law, Pines, etc.)...what would you recommend in a good German dark and what are the favorable characteristics? I appreciate you!I'm sorry Nav, I have to retract that like. I couldn't see the PBR pic on my phone I guess.
No offense.
Tallahassee has at least one good brewery (Proof), but I hear they have a couple other good ones too. I've been to Proof a couple of times and had really good beers both times. You could always see if any of the breweries have something you like.Need some specific help from some of the aficionados on here. We went to Helen GA this past weekend and enjoyed their version of Oktoberfest. I tried a couple of German Beers and found one that I really enjoyed...Erdinger Weissbrau. Now, I don't know much about the different types, brewing processes, etc., but I looked this one up and see that it is described as a wheat beer (Hefe-Weizen). Great taste and a really nice aroma. I'd like for it to become my non-domestic choice and as such, would like to know of any other beers of this variety you all could suggest. When trying to find where Erdinger can be purchased, the nearest place I could find is Jax. Luckily, I'm going over for the GA game and will purchase a stock, but if there are any similar favorites that can be bought a little closer to home (Tallahassee area), I'd appreciate the info. Thanks in advance!
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I got to give it a like. Drank enough of it in my formative years. Would catch it on sale at one of the Jr stores for about $2 a six. Chase some skirts, dance at the Horseshoe, fight a little, tear some sh!t up, then wake up the next morning with what felt like a broad head ax buried in my skull. "Headache in a can" was what we fondly called PBR. Ah, the good ol' days! I guess this part of my past and what maturity I have acquired are fueling my quest for better beer. One more favor from you knowledgable guys (Sas, Bart, Law, Pines, etc.)...what would you recommend in a good German dark and what are the favorable characteristics? I appreciate you!
One quick PBR story...me and the boys started out one Friday evening at the West End Lounge. Drank up a bunch of PBR on tap before the barkeep, Ms. Nettie B. Gilbert (since departed, God rest her dear old soul), ran us out for being too loud. We made a beeline for the Horseshoe and quickly set up shop and continued with the PBR. as Nav mentioned, I got the need to rid myself of the Vitamin P and went to the head.
Two of my boys and a Mexican chap were already in there and my buddy Andy Gay was punching the big plate glass mirror and trying to break it, to no avail. Of course, my testosterone immediately kicked in and I told Andy to move aside and I'd show him how it's done. So, instead of simply punching it, I walk up and head butt the mirror...and it shattered into about a million pieces. After a few "Well I'll be damned's" and a "Dios Mio" from the Mexican, we hauled ass back into the crowd in the bar. I could see the manager and a deputy sheriff working security head into the bathroom then come out and post up by the door to catch the perpetrator, who they said was bleeding.
It was at that moment I felt something drip on my ear and it wasn't condensation from one of the AC vents. I was bleeding. The mirror had wounded me. I was about to panic, so I found my riding buddy Monk Ford (who lives in Gainesville to this day) and told him I had to get the hell outta there. The front door wasn't an option as they were still blocking it and had called another deputy to start checking the crowd. The only other way out was a side door that was boarded up and nailed shut.
I told monk to go get his jeep and be waiting by the old side door. In 5 minutes, I'd be out to join him. He eased out after answering a few questions from the manager and I nervously waited for the time to lapse. At the 5 minute mark, I backed up from the side door, got a running start, and ran through it like when Lawrence Wright KTFO'd Joey Kent. The door flew off the hinges and hit the ground outside with me on top. I sprang to my feet and jumped in Monk's jeep and we escaped a few steps ahead of the law. I laid low for two weeks, expecting the sheriff to come get me any day, but he never did. I quit PBR after that...but I didn't quit beer altogether. I'm just looking for something a little more sophisticated nowadays.
Im not knowledgeable. I was in your shoes a short time ago.I One more favor from you knowledgable guys (Sas, Bart, Law, Pines, etc.)