18 New Beers! : A Newbie's Adventure

[Golfanatic]

Another awesome review. I feel the same way about this one and basically everything Victory creates.

 

[calhounhusker]

2) Sam Adams Cherry Wheat - Combines the two things that should never be in a beer... fruit and wheat...

Plenty of good, world-class beers are made with wheat:

• Three Floyds Gumballhead
• Bells Oberon
• Southern Tier HopSun
• Troegs Dreamweaver
• Smuttynose Wheat Wine
• Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
• Aventinus Weizenbock

In addition, there are plenty of excellent beers made with fruit as well:

• Founders Blushing Monk
• Dogfish Head Fort
• Lindemans Framboise
• Cantillon Saint Lamvinus

SO, I think we should let our friend try what he bought and make up his own mind on the merits of each particular beer. I'm sure that many of the more seasoned malthead/hopheads who have been hanging around this corner of CP for awhile had their own opinions on a handful of the beers smokintexas selected when this thread started, but none of us have tried to dissuade him from trying any of them. We all have different tastes, so while you and Greg may not think highly of the Sam Adams beer, he may in fact like it, so don't tell him he shouldn't before he tries it. This exercise will also give him an opportunity to learn a little more about different styles, expand his palate a bit, and develop a better appreciation of beer in general.

Part of spreading the word about something you're passionate about (beer, in this case) involves touting what you like and explaining why you like it without disparaging that which you may not care for. Look at it this way; breweries are a business first and foremost. If EVERYONE thought a particular product was "horrible" and didn't buy it, said breweries would likely stop producing it. The fact that smokintexas was able to buy all 18 of these beers means SOMEONE enjoys them enough and in large enough quantities to make producing them profitable.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out.

I was more or less being a smartass about throwing them out as I have no issue with people wanting to expand their beer taste and knowledge. I was just warning him Lol.

As for world class wheat and fruit beers, I personally would disagree. Theres only one maybe two wheat beers I can even mildy enjoy, and I haven't had a good fruited beer(And I have tried PLENTY). To each their own, but I applaud smokin for trying new stuff

btw... my favorite beer style are Oktoberfests, dry irish stouts and Belgian trappist ales.

 

[Martin2D]

Storm King...welcome to the world of real beer

Congrats!

 

[smellysell]

Storm King was one of, if not the first big stout I ever had. It's a great beer and I have the start of a little vertical of it going down in the cellar.

Love the bottle opener by the way. Does it mangle the caps? I'm curious because I plan on doing the top of my bar with bottle caps under epoxy and am getting tired of using a bic to get them off without messing them up.

 

[Phlicker]

As for world class wheat and fruit beers, I personally would disagree. Theres only one maybe two wheat beers I can even mildy enjoy, and I haven't had a good fruited beer(And I have tried PLENTY). To each their own, but I applaud smokin for trying new stuff

Ah, but there's so much you have left to try, my young friend. I will now make it my goal to find styles of these beers you will like. At 22 you can't possibly have tried everything yet!

And smokin', great review of the Storm King. I have to admit, I was a bit worried when you queued this one up 2nd, but you seem to have nailed it pretty well. Some style-appropriate glassware would have made the nose open up even more. There was a thread in this room awhile back about it...see if you can track it down. Now you're making me want to go and dig into some of my aged Storm King! Living as close as I do to Victory, I have a bit of a bias towards them, but Storm King IMO "reawakened" the RIS category in craft brewing.

 

[calhounhusker]

As for world class wheat and fruit beers, I personally would disagree. Theres only one maybe two wheat beers I can even mildy enjoy, and I haven't had a good fruited beer(And I have tried PLENTY). To each their own, but I applaud smokin for trying new stuff

Ah, but there's so much you have left to try, my young friend. I will now make it my goal to find styles of these beers you will like. At 22 you can't possibly have tried everything yet!

Do I smell a ... beer trade? I'm sure I can find some local brews you can get to send your way.

Well, considering how many beers there actually are in the world it would be difficult to try them ALL, but I am up to the challenge. I started drinking beer at 21 and started off with SA Oktoberfest and Guinness.

And Smokin, good review on the Storm King. I have enjoyed that beer quite a bit on the few occasions that I have had it.

 

[The Black Cloud]

I too was worried that you were going with a stout very soon, but it seems you really liked it. Awesome. Now, I just hope I can find that beer all the way out here in L.A. It does look very delicious!

 

[Phlicker]

I too was worried that you were going with a stout very soon, but it seems you really liked it. Awesome. Now, I just hope I can find that beer all the way out here in L.A. It does look very delicious!

I'm pretty sure Victory makes its way out there. We have plenty of west coast brothers that could help you find it.

 

[smokintexas]

Next Up: Sierra Nevada Stout (Beer Advocate)

This one looks so good that even Calvin wants to take a sip!

Appearance: Slightly lighter than the Storm King Stout, almost as if it is a dark brown instead of a dark black in color. A thick tan head formed at the top which had a consistency that reminded me of the foam that forms at the top of a root beer float. As the head dissipated, it left some nice lacing.

Aroma: I was yet again a bit let down with the initial smell as I didn’t get much out of it. Slight smells of malt and hops with hints of alcohol coming out as well. After letting it sit for a bit and smelling it again I got a very faint coffee smell which spiked my interest and I knew I was in for something good with this beer. Others have noted a “dark fruit” smell, but I did not get that at all.

First Sip/Taste: I am worried that I didn’t wait long enough after I pulled it out of the fridge as the first sip was a bit muted which I believe can be attributed to how cold the brew was. Despite this I carried on and in the next few sips I would say that this is a hoppier (sp?) beer than the Storm King, which isn’t to say that it is too hoppy, just moreso than the Storm King. The Coffee hints I smelled in the beginning foreshadowed great things because this has a wonderful coffee taste that hit me in the back of the mouth. The increased hopps taste leads to a slightly bitter finish, but the initial creaminess of the sip really balances it out. As I continued on with the beer (and it warmed up a tad) I began to notice the chocolate take on a larger role, with even a very slight taste of caramel on the finish.

Mouthfeel: I don’t have much to compare it to other than the Storm King, and in comparison I would say that this doesn’t feel nearly as thick and is a bit lighter. IMO it feels a bit creamier, it honestly feels like the rootbeer that’s left after you’ve eaten the ice cream from a float.

Drinkability/Overall Impression: Each and every sip from this beer begs you do dive further into it, and after having finished it I was very disappointed I didn’t have another bottle to pop open. This beer didn’t hit me in waves like the Storm King did, but was much more in your face with all of the flavors coming out at once. As with the Storm King, this beer leaves a wonderful aftertaste, and the complexity makes me wonder how these are the first two stouts I’ve ever had. This is a fantastic beer, and one that alongside the Storm King I will have to have a few more of. If you have yet to try this one out I would definitely suggest that you try to grab a bottle or two to see what you think for yourself.

All in All:

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma:6/10
Taste: 9.5/10
Mouthfeel: 9/10
Drinkability: 9/10

Overall: 8.3/10

 

[Phlicker]

You're doing a great job with these reviews! You've already picked up the fact that SN's brews tend to be more hop-forward than other breweries (at least on the East Coast), and that it wasn't as "big" as Storm King. I'll reiterate my suggestion to let these beers warm up a bit and find some more appropriate glassware than a frosted mug (a mug is nice for some styles, but frosted is always a "no-no"). Keep it up, friend!

 

[smokintexas]

You're doing a great job with these reviews! You've already picked up the fact that SN's brews tend to be more hop-forward than other breweries (at least on the East Coast), and that it wasn't as "big" as Storm King. I'll reiterate my suggestion to let these beers warm up a bit and find some more appropriate glassware than a frosted mug (a mug is nice for some styles, but frosted is always a "no-no"). Keep it up, friend!

I'll have to dive into the search function to see if I can find that thread you were talking about a few posts back. Would you suggest to take the bottle out of the fridge and let it sit un-opened for a bit to warm up and then pour it into a room temperature glass? If so how long would you suggest to let it sit at room temperature before pouring?

Thanks!

 

[smokintexas]

Storm King was one of, if not the first big stout I ever had. It's a great beer and I have the start of a little vertical of it going down in the cellar.

Love the bottle opener by the way. Does it mangle the caps? I'm curious because I plan on doing the top of my bar with bottle caps under epoxy and am getting tired of using a bic to get them off without messing them up.

I just now saw your post, I'm sorry for not getting back to you sooner. It doesn't mangle them too badly but it does bend them a bit depending upon how quickly I pop the cap off. Having looked at a few of the caps I've popped off I doubt it would be good enough to make your bar top perfectly even.

 

[Phlicker]

You're doing a great job with these reviews! You've already picked up the fact that SN's brews tend to be more hop-forward than other breweries (at least on the East Coast), and that it wasn't as "big" as Storm King. I'll reiterate my suggestion to let these beers warm up a bit and find some more appropriate glassware than a frosted mug (a mug is nice for some styles, but frosted is always a "no-no"). Keep it up, friend!

I'll have to dive into the search function to see if I can find that thread you were talking about a few posts back. Would you suggest to take the bottle out of the fridge and let it sit un-opened for a bit to warm up and then pour it into a room temperature glass? If so how long would you suggest to let it sit at room temperature before pouring?

Thanks!

It differs depending on the style. Stouts, as you're finding, open up when they get warmer (at least 50 degrees or so), but some german-style lagers do just fine right out of the fridge. Those references I pointed you to on beeradvocate.com will indicate approximate serving temps for each style.

 

[MAS_Puros]

Great reviews .... someone needs to send this man a Globe or Tulip Glass for those stouts :whistling:
Also I would let the stouts come to room temperature before drinking.

After a few reviews you'll need to let us know your favorite style

Actually smokintexas, PM your addy, I will send one your way :thumbs:

 

[smokintexas]

Great reviews .... someone needs to send this man a Globe or Tulip Glass for those stouts :whistling:
Also I would let the stouts come to room temperature before drinking.

After a few reviews you'll need to let us know your favorite style

Actually smokintexas, PM your addy, I will send one your way :thumbs:

Very generous sir, PM sent.

 

[tmoney2007]

2) Sam Adams Cherry Wheat - Combines the two things that should never be in a beer... fruit and wheat...

Plenty of good, world-class beers are made with wheat:

• Three Floyds Gumballhead
• Bells Oberon
• Southern Tier HopSun
• Troegs Dreamweaver
• Smuttynose Wheat Wine
• Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier
• Aventinus Weizenbock

In addition, there are plenty of excellent beers made with fruit as well:

• Founders Blushing Monk
• Dogfish Head Fort
• Lindemans Framboise
• Cantillon Saint Lamvinus

SO, I think we should let our friend try what he bought and make up his own mind on the merits of each particular beer. I'm sure that many of the more seasoned malthead/hopheads who have been hanging around this corner of CP for awhile had their own opinions on a handful of the beers smokintexas selected when this thread started, but none of us have tried to dissuade him from trying any of them. We all have different tastes, so while you and Greg may not think highly of the Sam Adams beer, he may in fact like it, so don't tell him he shouldn't before he tries it. This exercise will also give him an opportunity to learn a little more about different styles, expand his palate a bit, and develop a better appreciation of beer in general.

Part of spreading the word about something you're passionate about (beer, in this case) involves touting what you like and explaining why you like it without disparaging that which you may not care for. Look at it this way; breweries are a business first and foremost. If EVERYONE thought a particular product was "horrible" and didn't buy it, said breweries would likely stop producing it. The fact that smokintexas was able to buy all 18 of these beers means SOMEONE enjoys them enough and in large enough quantities to make producing them profitable.

I'm looking forward to seeing how this pans out.

I was more or less being a smartass about throwing them out as I have no issue with people wanting to expand their beer taste and knowledge. I was just warning him Lol.

As for world class wheat and fruit beers, I personally would disagree. Theres only one maybe two wheat beers I can even mildy enjoy, and I haven't had a good fruited beer(And I have tried PLENTY). To each their own, but I applaud smokin for trying new stuff

btw... my favorite beer style are Oktoberfests, dry irish stouts and Belgian trappist ales.

If you like belgian trappist ales, have you tried Ommegang Three Philosophers? It is a belgian trippel with like 2% kriek (cherry lambic) mixed in.

 

[smellysell]

If you like belgian trappist ales, have you tried Ommegang Three Philosophers? It is a belgian trippel with like 2% kriek (cherry lambic) mixed in.

It's actually a quad. Didn't know it was blended with a kriek though, just thought they brewed it with cherries.

 

[Golfanatic]

Next Up: Sierra Nevada Stout (Beer Advocate)

This one looks so good that even Calvin wants to take a sip!

Even the cat loves it!

 

[amateuraficionado]

If you like belgian trappist ales, have you tried Ommegang Three Philosophers? It is a belgian trippel with like 2% kriek (cherry lambic) mixed in.

It's actually a quad. Didn't know it was blended with a kriek though, just thought they brewed it with cherries.

Yeah I didn't either but one of the guys at a store I was at over the weekend said the same thing. I'm pretty sure it says on the bottle that it's brewed with cherries though. I'll have to double check that one.


Great thread btw! Storm King's the shiznit!!! I think it was probably the first real craft beer I tried also.

 

[MAS_Puros]

Alright Kyle, glass is on its way!

in Mexico right now enjoying a Ruinition IPA, next i think I will be openiing a KBS and lighting up Anejo #48.