OT: Beer Thread

[nobody important]

Good rant though nobody. Good brewers and good breweries provide good beer. Trendy places may or may not be good, it may be more marketing than substance and it's relevant. I won't shoot anyone down until I've tried their product and I won't reproach anyone for innovation. But so much today is about style over substance (not just the beer world, everywhere) and everyone thinks "well I read on the internet..." without realizing that the internet has absolutely zero vetting process.

Ultimately time will tell. The good ones will survive. Much as it's not trendy, Bud and Bud light still dominate the beer world in the U.S. (along with their relative competitors). Are those consumers uneducated? Perhaps but don't expect them to disappear anytime soon. I still always have a pale yellow beer in the house; I also always have an assortment of different beers in the house (the pale stuff is for BBQing and guests predominantly). But I always try something new. It's a simple pass/fail test. If I like it, it will return, if not, I don't really care what a bunch of bearded, plaid-wearing trendoids have to say about it. And I really like some beers that others absolutely hate. Quality, consistent product that appeals to your taste is really all anyone should be after. If that's Bud light, well, so be it. Not my stream to swim in but if we're doing things democratically...

Me too. I generally strive to have one of my homebrew taps dedicated to a golden ale or lager of moderate bitterness. I have a Koelsch currently finishing off and awaiting its gelatin treatment (sorry Hannu ). Have you tried the Munich Gold Helles? That's my go to golden lager at the moment. Beautiful malt finish.

 

[buggs]

Me too. I generally strive to have one of my homebrew taps dedicated to a golden ale or lager of moderate bitterness. I have a Koelsch currently finishing off and awaiting its gelatin treatment (sorry Hannu ). Have you tried the Munich Gold Helles? That's my go to golden lager at the moment. Beautiful malt finish.

Nope but I will. So long as it's available via MLCC I'll pick some up tonight.

 

[surixon]

I will be spending much of the weekend on a patio. What are some suggestions for a good lazy outdoor beer? I'm always looking to try new stuff.

 

[nobody important]

I will be spending much of the weekend on a patio. What are some suggestions for a good lazy outdoor beer? I'm always looking to try new stuff.

There are a variety of summer mix packs available, perhaps one of those might have the selection that strikes your fancy. Torque just released a new one, although I can't personally vouch for it.

http://www.canadianbeernews.com/2017/07/27/torque-brewing-releases-summer-sessions-variety-pack/

Personally, I'm not really a sit out on the patio kind of guy but if I was, I would probably be drinking a good apple cider. Magner's is my favorite.

 

[ps241]

Me too. I generally strive to have one of my homebrew taps dedicated to a golden ale or lager of moderate bitterness. I have a Koelsch currently finishing off and awaiting its gelatin treatment (sorry Hannu ). Have you tried the Munich Gold Helles? That's my go to golden lager at the moment. Beautiful malt finish.

Nope but I will. So long as it's available via MLCC I'll pick some up tonight.

I will put this on my hit list with along with HannuJ's recommendation of Duvel.

 

[Ducky10]

The new Torque mixer pack is pretty good. The gose included is a nice change of pace and pretty refreshing.

 

[Arthur Fonzarelli]

There are a variety of summer mix packs available, perhaps one of those might have the selection that strikes your fancy. Torque just released a new one, although I can't personally vouch for it.

http://www.canadianbeernews.com/2017/07/27/torque-brewing-releases-summer-sessions-variety-pack/

Personally, I'm not really a sit out on the patio kind of guy but if I was, I would probably be drinking a good apple cider. Magner's is my favorite.

I like Torques "What The Helle's." Defined as a lager, to me it's more of a Pilsner..light & refreshing.

 

[buggs]

The new Torque mixer pack is pretty good. The gose included is a nice change of pace and pretty refreshing.

What did they take out? Presume it would be the Diesel Fitter and if they did, good on them. I get stouts are legit but it's a pretty small market they're trying to force it into. I'm a huge fan of mixer packs because of the variety in there but I am not a stout fan at all. I also don't drink coffee and so many of the stouts have a coffee undertone (which makes sense since I'm in the vast minority on this one) and then I end up choking the last three bottles, always a stout, down (hey, I'm not wasting it). Kona brewing used to do this in Hawaii with their Pipeline Porter in the 12 pack. When they removed it and replaced it with something far lighter (more mainstream if you will) the sales of the mixer packs skyrocketed. If Halfpints would pull their Stir Stick Stout out of the mixer pack then I'd be all over it because I really enjoy their other beers. I doubt it happens since they consider it one of their flagship beers.

 

[nobody important]

I like Torques "What The Helle's." Defined as a lager, to me it's more of a Pilsner..light & refreshing.

If I may put on my hat that says Beer Geek for a moment...

Lagers are beers that are fermented at colder temperatures (10-15C) with yeast strains that work at those temperatures. And this is usually followed by an extended cold conditioning phase, called lagering hence the name, at even lower temperatures closer to 0C where the yeast continue to work slowly to further eliminate any fermentation by-products that are undesirable. The goal is to produce an extremely clean beer free of esters (think fruity flavours) that will draw attention away from the pure malt flavours.

Pilsners are a type of lager. Helles is another type of lager associated with Bavaria originally but of course brewed anywhere now. Pilsners can vary widely depending on region of origin and sadly by how closely the brewer wants to respect the name. Typically though a true Pilsner will have a noticeable bitterness whereas a Helles will be less bitter, more malt focused. To quantify it, 30-40 IBU for a Pils, 15-20 for a Helles, so about half.

 

[nobody important]

What did they take out? Presume it would be the Diesel Fitter and if they did, good on them. I get stouts are legit but it's a pretty small market they're trying to force it into. I'm a huge fan of mixer packs because of the variety in there but I am not a stout fan at all. I also don't drink coffee and so many of the stouts have a coffee undertone (which makes sense since I'm in the vast minority on this one) and then I end up choking the last three bottles, always a stout, down (hey, I'm not wasting it). Kona brewing used to do this in Hawaii with their Pipeline Porter in the 12 pack. When they removed it and replaced it with something far lighter (more mainstream if you will) the sales of the mixer packs skyrocketed. If Halfpints would pull their Stir Stick Stout out of the mixer pack then I'd be all over it because I really enjoy their other beers. I doubt it happens since they consider it one of their flagship beers.

Don't give up on stouts altogether. It's true that many dry stouts have a coffee-ish character from the use of roasted barley. And Dave Rudge, who unfortunately has never been one for subtlety, only exacerbates that by adding espresso to his Stir Stick Stout. There are stouts that focus more on the chocolaty side with chocolate and carafa malts in the grain bill. Try a Young's Double Chocolate Stout, which also includes actual chocolate additions. A wonderful beer to accompany a decadent chocolate dessert, or just for late night sipping on a cold winter's eve.

 

[Ducky10]

What did they take out? Presume it would be the Diesel Fitter and if they did, good on them. I get stouts are legit but it's a pretty small market they're trying to force it into. I'm a huge fan of mixer packs because of the variety in there but I am not a stout fan at all. I also don't drink coffee and so many of the stouts have a coffee undertone (which makes sense since I'm in the vast minority on this one) and then I end up choking the last three bottles, always a stout, down (hey, I'm not wasting it). Kona brewing used to do this in Hawaii with their Pipeline Porter in the 12 pack. When they removed it and replaced it with something far lighter (more mainstream if you will) the sales of the mixer packs skyrocketed. If Halfpints would pull their Stir Stick Stout out of the mixer pack then I'd be all over it because I really enjoy their other beers. I doubt it happens since they consider it one of their flagship beers.

Actually it's their new Summer Sessions pack, so entirely different and great news for you, no stout! It includes 2 Witty Belgian, Wit beer, 2 Mangoza (a mango Gose), 2 Muster Point APA and 2 Pool Side ISA. All were very nice drinking beers, I really enjoyed the Gose and the Pool Side, which is a pretty nice ISA for those looking for something of that nature without a high IBU, 35 I believe. Also I might add, they come in some new sexy looking cans.

I generally agree with the stout assessment in mixer packs. I'm ok with stouts and have gained quite an affinity for oatmeal stouts, but it's more likely the stout will be my least favourite so I'd rather buy them in singles as opposed to getting stuck with 3 of them in most mixer packs. I also avoid the Half Pints pack for the same reason as you, not a fan of the Stir Stick.

 

[jungles]

Actually it's their new Summer Sessions pack, so entirely different and great news for you, no stout! It includes 2 Witty Belgian, Wit beer, 2 Mangoza (a mango Gose), 2 Muster Point APA and 2 Pool Side ISA. All were very nice drinking beers, I really enjoyed the Gose and the Pool Side, which is a pretty nice ISA for those looking for something of that nature without a high IBU, 35 I believe. Also I might add, they come in some new sexy looking cans.

I generally agree with the stout assessment in mixer packs. I'm ok with stouts and have gained quite an affinity for oatmeal stouts, but it's more likely the stout will be my least favourite so I'd rather buy them in singles as opposed to getting stuck with 3 of them in most mixer packs. I also avoid the Half Pints pack for the same reason as you, not a fan of the Stir Stick.

This pack gets a thumbs up from me as well. I also really enjoyed the Muskoka summer sampler pack. The cucumber one is...interesting, but there is only one of them, so you aren't stuck with more if you hate it.

 

[Evil Little]

If Halfpints would pull their Stir Stick Stout out of the mixer pack then I'd be all over it because I really enjoy their other beers. I doubt it happens since they consider it one of their flagship beers.

I recall this being planned some time ago:

https://www.brandonsun.com/opinion/...r-both-coffee-and-stout-lovers-290314671.html

 

[nobody important]

I recall this being planned some time ago:

https://www.brandonsun.com/opinion/...r-both-coffee-and-stout-lovers-290314671.html

Clearly the vocal stout lobby prevailed. It is still in the mixed pack and listed as a flagship beer.

 

[Boreal]

I desperately try to support local, and while Fort Garry's main lines aren't a tragedy, their promo beer is amongst the worst liquid I have ever ingested, purposefully or by accident.

*Not a beer expert*

 

[nobody important]

I desperately try to support local, and while Fort Garry's main lines aren't a tragedy, their promo beer is amongst the worst liquid I have ever ingested, purposefully or by accident.

*Not a beer expert*

No, you're right. I probably should have said, I would buy it, think it was **** and never buy it again.

Their original brewer Richard Hoeschen was a good brewer. I fondly remember his Fort Garry Dark when it was only available on tap. Then they brought in the bottling line and as we learned when my homebrew club met there one evening, they introduced DE filtration because they felt it was necessary to make it shelf stable. i disagree, but whatever. And it definitely changed the beer. Hop character was diminished. To simplify production, even the stuff destined for keg got filtered.

After Richard passed, they brought in a new brewer and eventually merged with Russell Brewing. Occasionally, I would try their special beers and be disappointed each time. One of them was so bad, I think it might have been one of the early Folklorama beers, most of it went down the drain. Damn shame to see the brewery that started craft brewing in this city go the way it did.

 

[ps241]

No, you're right. I probably should have said, I would buy it, think it was **** and never buy it again.

Their original brewer Richard Hoeschen was a good brewer. I fondly remember his Fort Garry Dark when it was only available on tap. Then they brought in the bottling line and as we learned when my homebrew club met there one evening, they introduced DE filtration because they felt it was necessary to make it shelf stable. i disagree, but whatever. And it definitely changed the beer. Hop character was diminished. To simplify production, even the stuff destined for keg got filtered.

After Richard passed, they brought in a new brewer and eventually merged with Russell Brewing. Occasionally, I would try their special beers and be disappointed each time. One of them was so bad, I think it might have been one of the early Folklorama beers, most of it went down the drain. Damn shame to see the brewery that started craft brewing in this city go the way it did.

Richard was a bit of a pioneer and slightly ahead of the Market. I admired his ambition and man was he a young guy when he passed away. I use to run into him on the morning coffee circuit and the dude always looked like he had just fallen out of bed . I was really sad when I head of him passing he left way to earlie.

 

[buggs]

Clearly the vocal stout lobby prevailed. It is still in the mixed pack and listed as a flagship beer.

Yup, I bypassed a case today because of the stout. Shame. Grabbed the Red Racer Hops pack; cans are always better around the pool anyway. Their Pale is only ok but I enjoy the IPA/ISA and the Session is surprisingly refreshing.

Anyone know when Surly cans are arriving? They said September and I am looking forward to it a great deal. I'm not sure the Growler market was much of a hit for them though.

 

[nobody important]

Yup, I bypassed a case today because of the stout. Shame. Grabbed the Red Racer Hops pack; cans are always better around the pool anyway. Their Pale is only ok but I enjoy the IPA/ISA and the Session is surprisingly refreshing.

Anyone know when Surly cans are arriving? They said September and I am looking forward to it a great deal. I'm not sure the Growler market was much of a hit for them though.

I've avoided the growler bars up till now. First, I'm expecting the beer to be under-carbonated. Second, I use a foaming no-rinse sanitizer called Star San and I just don't want to have to deal with some twit on every refill telling me he can't put beer in my growler "because I haven't rinsed the soap out".

 

[demok2]

Surly cans will be on sale September 1 at the Quality Inn beer store on Pembina Hwy. However they will not be cheap at $8 for a 16oz can. They will be selling individual cans and not the 4 or 12 packs you can get in North Dakota. The math doesn't support the purchase of cans versus the growlers.

 

[surixon]

This pack gets a thumbs up from me as well. I also really enjoyed the Muskoka summer sampler pack. The cucumber one is...interesting, but there is only one of them, so you aren't stuck with more if you hate it.

It sounds good. I haven't been able to find one at the LC

 

[Ducky10]

Yup, I bypassed a case today because of the stout. Shame. Grabbed the Red Racer Hops pack; cans are always better around the pool anyway. Their Pale is only ok but I enjoy the IPA/ISA and the Session is surprisingly refreshing.

Anyone know when Surly cans are arriving? They said September and I am looking forward to it a great deal. I'm not sure the Growler market was much of a hit for them though.

The Quality Inn and the Dale have done quite well with Surly growler sales, as has my local LC.

 

[nobody important]

It sounds good. I haven't been able to find one at the LC

Not sure if you're looking for the Torque or the Muskoka pack but if you go to these links and click on Store Inventory, it should tell you where one can be found.

https://www.liquormarts.ca/product/muskoka-summer-survival-pack/6-x-473-ml
https://www.liquormarts.ca/product/torque-summer-sessions-pack/8-x-473-ml

 

[surixon]

Not sure if you're looking for the Torque or the Muskoka pack but if you go to these links and click on Store Inventory, it should tell you where one can be found.

https://www.liquormarts.ca/product/muskoka-summer-survival-pack/6-x-473-ml
https://www.liquormarts.ca/product/torque-summer-sessions-pack/8-x-473-ml

Thanks a lot. Looks like there are a few in a LC that's close.

 

[Ducky10]

Surly cans will be on sale September 1 at the Quality Inn beer store on Pembina Hwy. However they will not be cheap at $8 for a 16oz can. They will be selling individual cans and not the 4 or 12 packs you can get in North Dakota. The math doesn't support the purchase of cans versus the growlers.

Furious shows $4.98 at MLCC

https://www.liquormarts.ca/search-products/%/Furious