Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Drinking a Bell's Oberon as we speak. I love the cloudiness. Not big into wheat beers, but this one drinks nicely. I love Two Hearted. It'll be nice to have a consistent supply of Bell's in MD now. Also got 2 bombers of [url=http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/898/176016/]Heavy Seas/Yards Philtimore[/url]. English style Pale Ale. It'll be a nice change of pace from the hoppy beers I've been sucking down lately.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=RedskinMike;1114670]Lunch is brewed every 3 months. They were only sending it our way every 6 but it has been bumped into regular circulation. I don't for see Dinner anytime soon but who knows.[/quote]

thanks for the info Mike. good the know. where do you hear/learn all this stuff?

BD - yes, its nice to have bells and 2 hearted around now. maybe founders and deschutes will come to MD next? they dist in DC like bells.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1114682]BD - yes, its nice to have bells and 2 hearted around now. maybe founders and deschutes will come to MD next? they dist in DC like bells.[/quote]
Supposedly Founders will be in MD by year's end. There is another "big" brewery (Might have been Three Floyds) that was supposed to be here around the time Founders is coming. From my understanding, it was a package deal for those 3 to come to MD.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Here in Va my beer store guy and I were talking Saturday about the awesomeness which is Avery Brewery, specifically this: [url=http://averybrewing.com/maharaja/]The Maharaja - Avery Brewing Company[/url] and this: [url=http://averybrewing.com/dugana/]duganA - Avery Brewing Company[/url].

He was mentioning how Maharaja didnt show up this last round due to his store to distribution disputes. I dont understand all of it but he was saying that Avery distribution company had recently been sold and Avery might have to pull out the market here.

I really hate stuff like this and this isnt the first time. We have loss Great Divide and Sweetwater for years, only for them to return at a later date.

Its beer, its important, i need it available to me. Im willing to go 15 miles away from where I reside to get a 6 pack of something I can only find there and pay $14.00 or $10 for a bomber in some cases. Im certainly not the only one in doing this, so there is demand. So WTF?

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=BDBohnzie;1114683]Supposedly Founders will be in MD by year's end. There is another "big" brewery (Might have been Three Floyds) that was supposed to be here around the time Founders is coming. From my understanding, it was a package deal for those 3 to come to MD.[/quote]

Founders has been working on MD for years now. They have wanted more control to be able to deal with freshness and price gouging on their special beers and the distributors here have told them to fuck off. I don't think the other brewery is Three Floyds. They are only available in 5 states(IL, IN, KY, OH and WI) I just can't see MD as the next in line.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1114682]thanks for the info Mike. good the know. where do you hear/learn all this stuff?

BD - yes, its nice to have bells and 2 hearted around now. maybe founders and deschutes will come to MD next? they dist in DC like bells.[/quote]

I am quite serious about drinking beer.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=RedskinMike;1114690]I am quite serious about drinking beer.[/quote]

you are ahead of the intel game my friend. i just show up to one of my craft beer stores friday after work and throw my money at them.

I would love to see founders in MD. ive never tried any of their selections.

i understand founders wanting controls on having their beer be fresh ... magruders on conn ave in dc had founders beer brewed in 2014 sitting on the shelf when i went a few weeks ago.

----------------------------

does anyone home brew?

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1114701]you are ahead of the intel game my friend. i just show up to one of my craft beer stores friday after work and throw my money at them.

I would love to see founders in MD. ive never tried any of their selections.

i understand founders wanting controls on having their beer be fresh ... magruders on conn ave in dc had founders beer brewed in 2014 sitting on the shelf when i went a few weeks ago.

----------------------------

does anyone home brew?[/quote]

That is the reason I will not buy anything without a bottled on date. A best buy date is passable but not ideal. I've spent alot of money on beer in my time and have dropped 10+ bucks on a bomber only to find its oxidized and skunked.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=RedskinMike;1114703]That is the reason I will not buy anything without a bottled on date. A best buy date is passable but not ideal. I've spent alot of money on beer in my time and have dropped 10+ bucks on a bomber only to find its oxidized and skunked.[/quote]

yeah ive started to only buy beer w born on or best buy dates. burnt too many times. this stuff costs too much money as is.

grapefruit and habernaro sculpin has been on the shelves for the past few weeks in MD but i cant find or figure out the bottle date. regular sculpin has a easy to figure out code printed on each bottle.

[url=http://www.ballastpoint.com/date-stamp-guide/]Date Stamp Guide | Ballast Point[/url]

SC = sculpin
311= batch no.
15=2015
93=93rd day of 2015

but grapefruit doesnt have any such printed on codes. i havent pulled the trigger.

anyone know anything about DOB for grapefruit or hab? their website doesnt help.

fresh beer tastes soo much better. ill drink a 90 day old beer but if i can get 2 hearted that was brewed 14 days ago, its hard to pass up.

i found like a 98 day old duchetes fresh squeeze in the back corner of my fridge and had to pour it out. i felt like such a snobby uppity yuppity bitch .. but it tasted bad.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Born on date is good to see or a date that says best by this date...but ive been screwed before where the bottle date like a month ago and the whole sixer was skunked.

Ive always heard going from warm to cold to warm again (and vice versa) is terrible for beer and will skunk it for sure.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

The saddest thing about skunking is that it is easily prevented. Once you understand the cause of this flaw, you’ll see how:

Almost all of the world’s commercial beers contain hops. In fact, American and German beers are required by law to contain at least a small amount of hops. Hops give the beer bitterness, and can also be used to impart a spicy, fruity sort of aroma best described as “hoppy.” (Obviously, I’ll never be writing a dictionary.)

The hop compounds that are responsible for making beer bitter are called isomerized alpha-acids. These chemicals, along with sulfur compounds found in beer, are also culpable in beer skunking. When light hits beer, it provides the energy necessary to drive a reaction that transforms the iso-alpha-acids into 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol. The “thiol” part of that somewhat cumbersome name indicates that there is sulfur present. Sulfur compounds often have strong, offensive aromas. Some musteline animals, like skunks, have evolved the ability to produce this chemical, and use it for self-defense.

In a sense, the aroma of light-struck beer doesn’t just resemble skunk spray, it is skunk spray! It’s the same stuff!

[B]This photochemical reaction is the only cause of skunked beer. Warm storage, while damaging to the flavor of beer, does not skunk it. Cycling the temperature of beer from warm to cold and back again is also not implicated. Storing beer in the dark is the simple way to prevent skunking.[/B]

Blue light, and to a lesser extent green and a bit of near ultraviolet are the most damaging to beer. Most wavelenghts of ultraviolet light are not a concern because glass blocks them quite effectively (that’s why you don’t get sunburned in your car). The color of glass is the color of the light that it transmits, so green bottles allow the green light though. Similarly, blue light passes unhindered through pretty, cobalt-blue bottles. Clear bottles transmit all of the visible light. That is the reason beer in green, blue, and clear bottles is almost always skunked. Yes, even some very expensive imports.

The photochemical reaction that skunks beer occurs very quickly; a well-hopped beer in clear glass can become noticeably offensive with just 30 seconds of exposure to sunshine. Brown glass transmits less visible light than the previously mentioned colors, and therefore offers some protection from skunking. It does allow some light through, so beer in brown bottles will skunk after a few hours of light exposure.

Since light is an essential ingredient in the skunking process, beers packaged in kegs, cans, and opaque bottles cannot be skunked. Beers with very little hops, like all of the insipid mass-market American lagers, cannot become as skunky as overtly hoppy styles like pale ales, simply because there is less iso-alpha-acid available.

There is a way to skunk-proof beer, and it is used by the Miller Brewing Company. Instead of using hop flowers to bitter their beers, they use a special hop extract called tetra-hop. The isomerized alpha-acids in this product have a slightly different molecular structure than naturally isomerized alpha-acids, and are immune to the effects of light. This extract has the added benefit of greatly increasing the foam retention of a beer.

Tetra-hop extract is only used for bittering; it has no aroma. If one brews with any hop constituent other than tetra-hop, the beer will no longer be light-proof, so any beer with hop aroma is subject to skunking. Hop aroma is not desired by Miller’s marketing department, but clear glass bottles are, so tetra-hop works nicely for them.

The marketers that sell Corona figured out a different way to skunk-proof their product: they advise shoving a lime wedge or three into the bottle, and consuming the beverage directly from the package. The strong aroma of the citrus fruit serves to mask the inevitable skunkiness, while the narrow mouth of the bottle prevents the drinker from actually smelling the liquid.

It is easy to skunk a beer for educational purposes, but almost impossible to find beer packaged in green, blue or clear glass that is not already skunked. Homebrewers can simply put some of their beer into clear bottles, expose one to sunlight light for one-half hour while keeping the other in the dark, and then comparing their aromas.

[url=http://www.professorbeer.com/articles/skunked_beer.html]Professor_Beer_Skunked_Beer[/url]


basically keep it away from light and store cold if possible. why a lot of craft beer is coming in cans and moving from brown glass.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1114716]The saddest thing about skunking is that it is easily prevented. Once you understand the cause of this flaw, you’ll see how:

Almost all of the world’s commercial beers contain hops. In fact, American and German beers are required by law to contain at least a small amount of hops. Hops give the beer bitterness, and can also be used to impart a spicy, fruity sort of aroma best described as “hoppy.” (Obviously, I’ll never be writing a dictionary.)

The hop compounds that are responsible for making beer bitter are called isomerized alpha-acids. These chemicals, along with sulfur compounds found in beer, are also culpable in beer skunking. When light hits beer, it provides the energy necessary to drive a reaction that transforms the iso-alpha-acids into 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol. The “thiol” part of that somewhat cumbersome name indicates that there is sulfur present. Sulfur compounds often have strong, offensive aromas. Some musteline animals, like skunks, have evolved the ability to produce this chemical, and use it for self-defense.

In a sense, the aroma of light-struck beer doesn’t just resemble skunk spray, it is skunk spray! It’s the same stuff!

[B]This photochemical reaction is the only cause of skunked beer. Warm storage, while damaging to the flavor of beer, does not skunk it. Cycling the temperature of beer from warm to cold and back again is also not implicated. Storing beer in the dark is the simple way to prevent skunking.[/B]

Blue light, and to a lesser extent green and a bit of near ultraviolet are the most damaging to beer. Most wavelenghts of ultraviolet light are not a concern because glass blocks them quite effectively (that’s why you don’t get sunburned in your car). The color of glass is the color of the light that it transmits, so green bottles allow the green light though. Similarly, blue light passes unhindered through pretty, cobalt-blue bottles. Clear bottles transmit all of the visible light. That is the reason beer in green, blue, and clear bottles is almost always skunked. Yes, even some very expensive imports.

The photochemical reaction that skunks beer occurs very quickly; a well-hopped beer in clear glass can become noticeably offensive with just 30 seconds of exposure to sunshine. Brown glass transmits less visible light than the previously mentioned colors, and therefore offers some protection from skunking. It does allow some light through, so beer in brown bottles will skunk after a few hours of light exposure.

Since light is an essential ingredient in the skunking process, beers packaged in kegs, cans, and opaque bottles cannot be skunked. Beers with very little hops, like all of the insipid mass-market American lagers, cannot become as skunky as overtly hoppy styles like pale ales, simply because there is less iso-alpha-acid available.

There is a way to skunk-proof beer, and it is used by the Miller Brewing Company. Instead of using hop flowers to bitter their beers, they use a special hop extract called tetra-hop. The isomerized alpha-acids in this product have a slightly different molecular structure than naturally isomerized alpha-acids, and are immune to the effects of light. This extract has the added benefit of greatly increasing the foam retention of a beer.

Tetra-hop extract is only used for bittering; it has no aroma. If one brews with any hop constituent other than tetra-hop, the beer will no longer be light-proof, so any beer with hop aroma is subject to skunking. Hop aroma is not desired by Miller’s marketing department, but clear glass bottles are, so tetra-hop works nicely for them.

The marketers that sell Corona figured out a different way to skunk-proof their product: they advise shoving a lime wedge or three into the bottle, and consuming the beverage directly from the package. The strong aroma of the citrus fruit serves to mask the inevitable skunkiness, while the narrow mouth of the bottle prevents the drinker from actually smelling the liquid.

It is easy to skunk a beer for educational purposes, but almost impossible to find beer packaged in green, blue or clear glass that is not already skunked. Homebrewers can simply put some of their beer into clear bottles, expose one to sunlight light for one-half hour while keeping the other in the dark, and then comparing their aromas.

[url=http://www.professorbeer.com/articles/skunked_beer.html]Professor_Beer_Skunked_Beer[/url]


basically keep it away from light and store cold if possible. why a lot of craft beer is coming in cans and moving from brown glass.[/quote]
You sir are correct. Light and specifically uv light are the main issue. Florescent lights which are the normal light sources in stores and coolers will destroy an ipa in no time. I've had beer skunk in my glass outside in july.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

SOON to be available.......

[url=http://www.inquisitr.com/2244091/duff-beer-the-simpsons-beer-coming-to-stores/]Duff Beer: 'The Simpsons' Beer Is Coming To Stores - But Not In The U.S.[/url]

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

A lot of the craft brews I buy though are bottle conditioned, so more age = good thing. Also here in PA you can't buy quantities less than a case (our blue laws are ridiculous). So the beer is almost always stored in cardboard anyway, away from light.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Best beer I ever had was a bottle conditioned imperial stout that was stored in bourbon barrels for a year before bottling. 10.5% alcohol. A case of 12 750mL bottles cost me $300, but it was soo worth it.

Bought it 7 years ago and just drank the last bottle at Thanksgiving. That was the best one of the bunch.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

redskins mike - do you know of a good craft beer store around laurel/odenton?

im looking to try someplace else beside perfect pour in columbia or bo brooks in balt. the place in silver spring price gouges so i dont go there out of principle.

schneed - by the case??? wholly snikies that is a commitment.

Let's talk good beer
 

Got to try Maine Lunch on tap this weekend along with Hill Farmstead Harlan IPA. Both were excellent.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

you tried hill farmstead? doesnt that guy only distribute his beer for a 50 miles radius from the brewery? (i exaggerate but i thought you had to live in the state to get it).

not to dead beat the dob issue but i havent had union jack or sculpin in a long time bc they are always over 70 days or so. i check them every time hoping for a fresh batch but they just get older and older.

i went to perfect pour this friday and they had 2 sixers of union jack w a 5-16-15 dob or something (score) right next to union jack sixers from jan.

amazing how these craft beer stores who pride themselves so much let old beer sit there. dont they have a tacking system?

im convinced bo brooks has the same sixers of sculpin just sitting there for the past few months. im tempted to take a marker and mark the bottom of the sixer and see how long that same sixer juts sits there.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[QUOTE=over the mountain;1114905]you tried hill farmstead? doesnt that guy only distribute his beer for a 50 miles radius from the brewery? (i exaggerate but i thought you had to live in the state to get it).



not to dead beat the dob issue but i havent had union jack or sculpin in a long time bc they are always over 70 days or so. i check them every time hoping for a fresh batch but they just get older and older.



i went to perfect pour this friday and they had 2 sixers of union jack w a 5-16-15 dob or something (score) right next to union jack sixers from jan.



amazing how these craft beer stores who pride themselves so much let old beer sit there. dont they have a tacking system?



im convinced bo brooks has the same sixers of sculpin just sitting there for the past few months. im tempted to take a marker and mark the bottom of the sixer and see how long that same sixer juts sits there.[/QUOTE]


I'm lucky enough to live close to the border of Vt. When a keg of their stuff is available it's like a major event.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Is there honestly a better beer than 2 hearted ale? Tough to beat IMO

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

yeah, 2 hearted is pretty awesome. i love how fresh it is. got a sixer last night that was bottled on 6-26-15.

its is right there w lagunitas sucks, lunch and sculpin (when fresh) as my fav beers you can routinely get in MD. they are all solid 4.5/5 for me.


the beer store in dupont circle (number below) has 3 bottles of pliny .. for 29.99. LOL he sd its fresh, just got it but im not paying 30 bucks a bottle. i told him id take the 3 for 60 bucks but he sd no. if you never tried it, i would drop 30 for a bottle just for the experience and comparison sake. i love drinking good beer but i love tracking down and comparing beers. i think knowing what pliny tastes like, gives you a good ceiling to compare other top notch beers to.

also makes for a good gift to someone who loves good beer.

(202) 293-9463 - dupont beer store

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

I need to try lunch, high on the list. Drinking a 2 heart with a stamp of 6/20, crisp to say the least. Uncanny balance IMO

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1115049]yeah, 2 hearted is pretty awesome. i love how fresh it is. got a sixer last night that was bottled on 6-26-15.

its is right there w lagunitas sucks, lunch and sculpin (when fresh) as my fav beers you can routinely get in MD. they are all solid 4.5/5 for me.


the beer store in dupont circle (number below) has 3 bottles of pliny .. for 29.99. LOL he sd its fresh, just got it but im not paying 30 bucks a bottle. i told him id take the 3 for 60 bucks but he sd no. if you never tried it, i would drop 30 for a bottle just for the experience and comparison sake. i love drinking good beer but i love tracking down and comparing beers. i think knowing what pliny tastes like, gives you a good ceiling to compare other top notch beers to.

also makes for a good gift to someone who loves good beer.

(202) 293-9463 - dupont beer store[/quote]
He is a ripoff. Gets it the same way you did. Thats why its so high in price. Sipping on A Little Sumpin' Extra. Love this stuff as much as Sucks.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

I want to recognize a horrible beer: [url=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/weeping-radish-ipa-25/158221/]Weeping Radish IPA 25[/url]

I bought a 4 pack of this and it litterally made me sick. terrible

I want to recognize a good beer: [url=http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/273/124428/]Sweetwater Take Two Pils | SweetWater Brewing Company | BeerAdvocate[/url]

Sweetwater Pils...was surprised by the solidness of this drinking experience. Easy drink, good taste...good beer for outside summer drinking.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=RedskinMike;1115054]He is a ripoff. Gets it the same way you did. Thats why its so high in price. Sipping on A Little Sumpin' Extra. Love this stuff as much as Sucks.[/quote]

sucks blackwells got black balled.

i think prohibition up in philly currently has pliny on tap. i go up there for cheesesteaks alone so i might venture up there soon.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1115099]sucks blackwells got black balled.

i think prohibition up in philly currently has pliny on tap. i go up there for cheesesteaks alone so i might venture up there soon.[/quote]

If you research and time it right you can get Pliny the Younger in Philly. Its something you need to pay attention to figure out the release parties and where they allow more than one glass per person.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1115099]sucks blackwells got black balled.

i think prohibition up in philly currently has pliny on tap. i go up there for cheesesteaks alone so i might venture up there soon.[/quote]

So do I! Me and neighbor we wait for kids to go to bed kiss the wives and head to Philly for a few hours. We love Pats, usually eat 2 but have done 3 a few times in one sitting.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Got a growler of Flying Dog's Double Dead Rise weekend before last. 2x the amount of Old Bay than Dead Rise, and they used the new Old Bay Hot. It was delicious. Drink it and then steam some crabs or shrimp in it.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=mredskins;1115108]So do I! Me and neighbor we wait for kids to go to bed kiss the wives and head to Philly for a few hours. We love Pats, usually eat 2 but have done 3 a few times in one sitting.[/quote]

lol subtle trolling is the best

im under 200 lbs now .. but no one on the internet seems to notice.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

I brew a lot of my own beer. Been having decent success lately. Two beers that recently impressed me while out were Stoudt's Scarlet Lady and Elliot Ness by Great Lakes.

Not a big fan of overly hoppy beers. Most micros feel they have to go nuts with the hops for some reason. These 2 are full flavored brews that don't over do it.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Green flash west coast iPa....not the best double ipa, but still brings the goodness. Lotta grapefruitness in this batch...more than I remember last time time i got it. Gives it a very unique taste for a double which I can respect with so many options out there these days

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

I moved to gaithersburg in Montgomery County and there is a craft beer store down the street. The owner is cool so i wont name his store but the prices are eye gouging and the beer is super stale.

sculpin is 24.99 per 6 pack. great divide stuff is 18.99 range.

i decide to buy a sixer lagunitas sucks (bc their beer seems to be always fresh) and at 16.99 its not totally over-priced compared to the normal rate of 11 or 12.99.

i get home and lag sucks taste like shit. i google if they do born on dates and they do, its in black ink along the neck bottle and they use the julian dating - i.e. 071 = 71st day of 2015.

the lag sucks i got was from like March 11th.
-----------------------------

good news, i stopped by perfect pour and picked up a bottle of great divide's yeti - oatmeal imperial stout with a born on date of July 26, 2015. plus a stock load of other fresh good beer.

question - does the freshness date matter as much for non-hoppy beer like an oatmeal stout?

81 - ive been meaning to try great lakes stuff, they sell it in DC so i might swing through the district to get that and some deschutes and founders (if its fresh).

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=over the mountain;1116181]I moved to gaithersburg in Montgomery County and there is a craft beer store down the street. The owner is cool so i wont name his store but the prices are eye gouging and the beer is super stale.

sculpin is 24.99 per 6 pack. great divide stuff is 18.99 range.

i decide to buy a sixer lagunitas sucks (bc their beer seems to be always fresh) and at 16.99 its not totally over-priced compared to the normal rate of 11 or 12.99.


i get home and lag sucks taste like shit. i google if they do born on dates and they do, its in black ink along the neck bottle and they use the julian dating - i.e. 071 = 71st day of 2015.

the lag sucks i got was from like March 11th.
-----------------------------

good news, i stopped by perfect pour and picked up a bottle of great divide's yeti - oatmeal imperial stout with a born on date of July 26, 2015. plus a stock load of other fresh good beer.

question - does the freshness date matter as much for non-hoppy beer like an oatmeal stout?

81 - ive been meaning to try great lakes stuff, they sell it in DC so i might swing through the district to get that and some deschutes and founders (if its fresh).[/quote]
Hoppy beers are where freshness is of the utmost importance. An ipa should be consumed within 90 days of bottling. As for other beers it depends on how ABV and SRM(beer color ). Higher ABV and darker beers have longer shelf lifes. Yeti will actually get better after a year in the bottle.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=RedskinMike;1116383]Hoppy beers are where freshness is of the utmost importance. An ipa should be consumed within 90 days of bottling. As for other beers it depends on how ABV and SRM(beer color ). Higher ABV and darker beers have longer shelf lifes. Yeti will actually get better after a year in the bottle.[/quote]

lol i thought i found a gem with such a close brew date. i googled around and it seems Yeti is not bottle conditioned. ill just let it get lost in the back of the fridge and find it one snowy day.

mike - what beer stores do you go to? i know your in odenton. i need to find a good beer store close to Montgomery county but not actually in the county and driving to perfect pour or balt city is kinda far now.

ive been meaning to head down to the whole foods in NW dc which is supposed to have a good selection.

-----------------------

Good weekend to stop by max's taphouse in fells. these are so freaking packed. lines out the door, when i have gone or intended to go but see the line and just go to blarneys instead.

[url=http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/maxs-taphouse-hopfest-this-weekend.324207/]Max's Taphouse HopFest - this weekend | Community | BeerAdvocate[/url]

anybody on here going? if so, let me know and we can drink one together.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Check out Downtown Crown Beer and Wine on Sam Eig Highway just east of Rio. They have 21 taps and a very good craft selection. (my son runs it so I welcome feedback - thanks)

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=fbirks;1116587]Check out Downtown Crown Beer and Wine on Sam Eig Highway just east of Rio. They have 21 taps and a very good craft selection. (my son runs it so I welcome feedback - thanks)[/quote]

I will name drop Fbirks to see if i can get a discount!

Thanks for the heads up, i look forward to it.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=fbirks;1116587]Check out Downtown Crown Beer and Wine on Sam Eig Highway just east of Rio. They have 21 taps and a very good craft selection. (my son runs it so I welcome feedback - thanks)[/quote]
Downtown Crown is a great store. Just wish it was a bit closer to me. Some great finds there. Your son has a nice set up going. Good luck to him.

OTM - I found the prices at DTC to be reasonable, so you should probably make that your regular store. Grab some beers there, then see my buddy Alberto at Il Porto in the Festival Shopping Center on Muddy Branch Road. Great Italian food, had my rehearsal dinner there. Then fresh Dogfish Head beer at their alehouse on West Diamond Avenue. I'm too far removed from that area to recommend a quality beer store, but will ask around.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=BDBohnzie;1116814]Downtown Crown is a great store. Just wish it was a bit closer to me. Some great finds there. Your son has a nice set up going. Good luck to him.

OTM - I found the prices at DTC to be reasonable, so you should probably make that your regular store. Grab some beers there, then see my buddy Alberto at Il Porto in the Festival Shopping Center on Muddy Branch Road. Great Italian food, had my rehearsal dinner there. Then fresh Dogfish Head beer at their alehouse on West Diamond Avenue. I'm too far removed from that area to recommend a quality beer store, but will ask around.[/quote]

BDB how's the DTF beer scene lately? I haven't been out there much since I moved away (college, life, etc...) but every time I come back I find a nice new interesting spot.

Anything other than Brewers alley thats worth paying a visit?

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

[quote=RobH4413;1116827]BDB how's the DTF beer scene lately? I haven't been out there much since I moved away (college, life, etc...) but every time I come back I find a nice new interesting spot.

Anything other than Brewers alley thats worth paying a visit?[/quote]

The folks that own Brewers opened up [URL="http://monocacybrewing.com/"]Monocacy Brewing[/URL] up the road at The Flying Barrel, so look for their wares in your local liquor store. Their coffee stout is very good. Brewers had moved their tanks out of the restaruant downtown, but I believe they are expanding the restaurant behind them (between them and the parking garage) to bring some of that back in house.

Jojo's and Firestone's both have a nice selection of craft taps. Jojo's has been hosting various breweries, including one of my up & coming faves [URL="http://manorhillbrewing.com/"]Manor Hill[/URL]. Bushwallers is starting to carry more craft, but are still Irish/English centric. Cafe Nola usually has a nice selection of taps and bottles.

Just south of downtown is my fave watering hole [URL="http://www.roasthousepub.com/"]Roasthouse Pub[/URL]. 20 taps (2 nitro) constantly rotating. Barley and Hops is also south of downtown and has a nice selection of their own wares along with some guest taps. BWW and Madrones has a decent selection of craft taps on the north side of town.

Re: Let's talk good beer
 

Last night I drank 3 consecutive bells 2 hearted ales. Then I had 1 lagunatis ipa and I told my buddy that lagunatis tasted like a bud light with no taste. Basically two hearted dominated the pallet that a lagunatis just seemed like a light beer.