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Thread: Beer

  1. #101
    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    Pumpkin Ale Derby

    Pumpkin ale - it's one of humanity's oldest dreams. Aristotle wrote that it was known to the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia, but the complex recipe mysteriously disappeared from the pages of history. Leonardo da Vinci made drawings of a gear-driven ale pumpkinizer, but died before he could try to build one. Today it's a reality, thanks to an alliance between elite pumpkin farmers and high tech brewers.

    Pumpkin ales are available at this time of year from coast to coast. If you're persistent and use all the resources available to you, you may find pumpkin ale on tap at a brew pub that's close enough for you to visit. You can almost certainly find some kind of pumpkin ale in bottles on a local retailer's shelves. And depending on where you live, you may be able to order some online via the Internet and have it delivered to your door.

    I've been having pumpkin ales from four different brewers, all from 12-oz. bottles sold as sixpacks. All were fresh, brewed just a few weeks before I drank them. The lineup ...

    First up: Blue Moon "Harvest Moon" Pumpkin Ale. Clove, allspice, nutmeg ... and pumpkin. The pumpkin really comes through - but this was my least favorite one. Needs a better blend of spices - or at least more of the spices.



    Blue Moon beers are brewed in Canada.


    Next up: Shipyard Pumpkinhead. This is a wheat-based ale with pumpkin flavoring. The flavor is subtle and understated. It smacks (just barely) of pumpkin - and little else. The foam head dissipates quickly and the beer is very "light". It might be good at a picnic in the afternoon of a hot day in midsummer or Indian summer. I find it too "dry" and subtle for my liking, but slightly preferable to the Blue Moon (above).



    Shipyard beers are brewed and bottled in Portland, Maine.


    This year's batch of Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale is heartily spiced. I get a lot of "clove". But the pumpkin flavor is more or less overwhelmed by the spices. If it were a blind taste test and I wasn't told what it was, I might think it was just "winter holiday ale". I might not even recognize pumpkin as part of the equation. This ale is made with barley malts and not just wheat, which gives it a little more "depth". I'd take it over the Shipyard and Blue Moon entries (above).



    The Buffalo Bill's brewery and brewpub is in Hayward, California.


    My favorite, but only by a nose: Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale, brewed by Anheuser-Busch at Fort Collins, Colorado. It's spiced in a way that's reminiscent of a run of the mill pumpkin pie (all the ones I've ever had), but with a lighter, defter hand - not as overdone in the spices category as this year's edition of the Buffalo Bill's.



    If you "don't know Jack's ..." then I'm one up on you.


    Are any of these bottled pumpkin ales "great beer" ..? Negatory. But if you could find one drawn fresh from a tap, that could be interesting.

    Dogfish Head Brewery makes a pumpkin ale that might be worth trying, on tap or (more likely for you to find) in a bottle. They're not available in my area yet.
    Last edited by rinselberg; 10-11-2007 at 09:01 AM.

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  2. #102
    Master OptiBoarder optical24/7's Avatar
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    MMMMMmmmmm.....Pumpkin beer...Sounds about as tasty as squash beer.
    :drop:

  3. #103
    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by optigrrl View Post
    Hi Dr N -

    OK - I thougt Dogfish Head was the beer, not the brewery! One of the guys from the brewery was at our store handing out samples of the punkin and the 60 minute IPA. VERY good stuff! He told us the story of the Midas, using original ingredients found in DNA from King Midas' tomb.

    Will have to try it! Are you going to VEW?
    I didn't know that about Midas touch. You are so lucky that you can get samples of this stuff. If you like the 60 minute IPA, then try the 120 Minute IPA. YUM!

  4. #104
    ATO Member HarryChiling's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott R View Post
    Lets plan an April Beer fest around VE East. :cheers:
    I'm in.:cheers:

    Quote Originally Posted by optigirl
    Hi Dr N -

    OK - I thougt Dogfish Head was the beer, not the brewery! One of the guys from the brewery was at our store handing out samples of the punkin and the 60 minute IPA. VERY good stuff! He told us the story of the Midas, using original ingredients found in DNA from King Midas' tomb.

    Will have to try it! Are you going to VEW?
    I saw that on a documetary about beer on the history channel. They also mentioned a beer from the Sam Adams brewery that comes out around the holidays. It's supposed to be as strong as wine.
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  5. #105
    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HarryChiling View Post
    I'm in.:cheers:



    I saw that on a documetary about beer on the history channel. They also mentioned a beer from the Sam Adams brewery that comes out around the holidays. It's supposed to be as strong as wine.

    Yes, Sam Adams produces the "Utopias." I think its 25% alcohol. I "sipped" that once. That's all you can do, just sip it.... its crazy.

  6. #106
    Master OptiBoarder optigrrl's Avatar
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    Does it taste good?

  7. #107
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    Quote Originally Posted by optigrrl View Post
    Does it taste good?
    Only if you enjoy motor oil with a strong alcohol bite!


    I've tasted a few "vintages". Lets just say, I won't be buying any cases of it anytime soon.

  8. #108
    Master OptiBoarder DrNeyecare's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by optigrrl View Post
    Does it taste good?

    LOL, give it a try. :) j/k
    Unless they serve it at a party or some kind of tasting event, I would not advice buying a bottle.

    If you want something alittle more tame, with good flavor, yet packs quite a punch, try "The Beast" from Avery Brewery. Its 15% alcohol. They're based in Colorado, so they should distribute in your state. We get them in California. Only about $4.00 a bottle. So very affordable.

  9. #109
    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fezz View Post
    Only if you enjoy motor oil with a strong alcohol bite!

    Make it 10W-30, barkeep ...

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  10. #110
    Master OptiBoarder optigrrl's Avatar
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    Rins - I gotta get a bottle of that!

  11. #111
    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    MMMMMmmmmm.....Pumpkin beer...Sounds about as tasty as squash beer.
    The Great Pumpkin... in a glass

    Pumpkin ale was brewed by George Washington. When not a soldier and statesman, the father of our country was a plantation owner whose family and large workforce grew, bred, and brewed most of what they ate.

    Fast forward 200+ years to the father of American micro-brewery, Bill Owens. Reading in a brewing book how Washington used the squash in his mash, Owens thought it was an idea in need of resurrection. The result, Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale, has become the best-known product of Buffalo Bill’s Brewery. Even those who don’t like traditional beer and ale may warm to this tasty harvest treat. People who flock to the brewery, a pioneer in the American microbrew movement outside of San Francisco, can get it on tap; but you can get it in a bottle at your local retailer, or online from the bottler.

    Although the ale is brewed with fresh roasted pumpkins and flavored with cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg, don’t expect pumpkin pie in a bottle. There’s no obvious pumpkin taste analogous to the pronounced flavors of fruit beers. This ale taps the height of finesse. If you weren’t looking at the pumpkin patch label, you might not be able to articulate exactly what you were tasting. Like some great art, you can't say why—you just know that it speaks to you.

    If you drink Buffalo Bill’s Pumpkin Ale on the warm side, you’ll find ginger and nutmeg on the nose, with all of the spices harmoniously layered on the palate. Drink it cold and the temperature suppresses much of the initial spiciness, giving you rich, full body with long, subtle clove and nutmeg notes on the finish.

    Source: "Somewhere on the Internet ..."


    With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to revisit two of the pumpkin ales that I've tried. I went through another six-pack of Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale and Jack's Pumpkin Spice Ale. I think they're both good - at least for something you can drink "thematically" at this time of year. Jack's is milder and a little more recognizably "pumpkin". As for the Buffalo Bill's, I agree with the review (above).

    If you're fortunate enough to be able to put the Anheuser-Busch Brewery at Fort Collins, Colorado on your current itinerary (visitor tours), you would be able to taste the Jack's in brewery fresh condition, on draft, instead of from a bottle.

    Just keep repeating to yourself: "It's Halloween. I will drink some pumpkin ale ... I will drink some pumpkin ale ... I will drink ..."

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  12. #112
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    Redhot Jumper Statistics Canada..............Lots of Beer

    Quote Originally Posted by For-Life View Post
    We Canadian's don't drink beer






    More alcohol

    Beer use, which makes up about 80% of all alcoholic beverages consumed, rose somewhat to 77 litres per person (over 15 years of age) in 2006. At the same time, the intake of wine has continued to increase over the last ten years reaching 13.9 litres each in 2006. Spirit consumption, at 7 litres per Canadian, remained comparable to a year earlier.
    These levels may be understated since they do not include home made and brew-on-the-premises wine and beer or contraband alcohol.


    :cheers:...... .....:cheers:

    :cheers::cheers::cheers:

  13. #113
    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    The Dixie Brewery of New Orleans is putting itself back together after its near total destruction during Hurricane Katrina. Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager is a dark, heavily malted lager with a slightly sugary undertone. Carbonation is on the low side. It's not too different than a stout or a porter, but those are ales, made with top fermenting yeasts. Voodoo Lager (true to its name) is lagered, using a slower, bottom fermenting (lager) yeast, which makes it a little smoother; a little less ostentatious on the taste buds.

    Select ("click") image to enlarge.

    I had one cold from a 12-oz. bottle. It's good, for a bottled beer. If you can find it drawn fresh from a tap then run don't walk to have one. The conclusions of real beer drinkers are systematically archived online ...


    Photo: Tom's Beer Bottle Collection page
    Last edited by rinselberg; 11-19-2007 at 05:14 AM.

  14. #114
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    Cose de stuff made in de South is good.

    One of my favorite beers and as rule I don't like beer.
    Not quite as good as the old Jax Bock, but alas the Jackson Brewery company (in which Dixie Brewery is now located) has passed.
    Also miss Dixie Beer which I think used to be made there.

    Chip

  15. #115
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Gold Supporter DragonLensmanWV's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by chip anderson View Post
    One of my favorite beers and as rule I don't like beer.
    Not quite as good as the old Jax Bock, but alas the Jackson Brewery company (in which Dixie Brewery is now located) has passed.
    Also miss Dixie Beer which I think used to be made there.

    Chip
    How about Billy Beer??
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  16. #116
    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    The Dixie Brewing Company of New Orleans, which brewed the first Dixie Beer in 1907 and more recently, craft beers - Blackened Voodoo Lager, Jazz Amber Light and White Moose (white chocolate flavored dessert beer) - is trying to revive itself after the impact of Hurricane Katrina, which left the brewery building gutted, looted, shuttered and vacated.

    MSNBC reports ...



    The Department of Energy's technical program to reign in global warming recorded an important milestone. OptiBoard has a full report ...
    Last edited by rinselberg; 11-25-2007 at 05:55 AM.

  17. #117
    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    "Beer Signs"; NeonArt! of Nevada.

    "Gimmie an Icky!" That's the right call if you're in the vicinity of Sparks, Nevada (just outside of Reno). Sparks is home to the Great Basin Brewing Company: the world's only source of Ichthyosaur Pale Ale.



    "Gimmie an Icky!" Barely legible in this Great Basin Brewing Company artwork, which is the only such image that I was able to find.

    Unless I missed something, "Icky" isn't bottled. It's only available from a tap, and you probably can't find any of those taps outside of Nevada. But you can make a note to yourself to look for it the next time you're in Las Vegas to attend Vision Expo West. And if you need further motivation, check out this very favorable review from no less an authority than the Beverage Testing Institute.


    The inspiration for this brew (or at least for its name) is Nevada's Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.
    Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park was first established in 1957 to protect and display North America's most abundant concentration and largest known Ichthyosaur fossils. The park also preserves the [Old West] mining town of Berlin, as well as the Diana Mine. The Ichthyosaur fossil area is a Registered Natural Landmark and the historic townsite is on the National Register of Historic Places.

    Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park: A curator narrates the fossil bed which contains the remains of not one, but ten adult-sized ichthyosaurs. Some paleontologists believe that the only logical explanation is that a group of ichthyosaurs, swimming (hunting?) all as one, encountered something toxic; possibly a bloom of red algae. So, in this scenario, ten of the prehistoric reptiles, lethally poisoned, went down to the same depression in the prehistoric ocean bottom and all became fossilized as one. Select ("click") the image to enlarge.

    The Ichthyosaur is Nevada's official state fossil. Does your state of residence has an officially designated state fossil? And do you know what it is? Time to fire up your preferred Internet search engine ...



    This fossil (not an actual fossil, perhaps; but a reproduction by casting ..?) has been enhanced with artwork to reveal more of the animal itself, as paleontologists "see" it. I don't know where this exhibit is located, but I found this photograph on the University of New Hampshire website.

    The largest fossil ichthyosaur uncovered (to date) was found in Canada, near Pink Mountain, in British Columbia. It's in the custody of Canada's Royal Tyrrell Museum and there's a captivating account of this fossil and what it means to science, all of which can be read here. Eons before mammals took to the seas and evolved into modern whales and dolphins, reptiles returned to the oceans (where they first evolved from fish), giving rise to ichthyosaurs. Evolution produced many different Ichthyosaur species before the last one went extinct about 90 million years ago.



    How to tell when you've strayed (or staggered) into Nevada's Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park. Select ("click") the image to enlarge.


    Get in touch with your inner ichthyosaur ...

    You probably can't resist your "inner ichthyosaur", which is right now urging you to take the Ichthyosaur Quiz. It's multiple choice. When you select the correct answer, the interactive quiz presents you with another question. At the end (if you ever get there), it informs you of your scientifically determined Ichthyosaur IQ.


    Photo credits: CmdrMarkDotCom ... find more posts on the topic of Beer online!
    Last edited by rinselberg; 11-25-2007 at 04:18 AM.

  18. #118
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    Redhot Jumper You have to go to Switzerland for a good one....................


    Hürlimann Hammer: «Man’s best Choice»

    The Hürlimann beer brand is launching a new product: «Hürlimann Hammer» has a golden colour, and a slightly fruity taste. It has an alcohol content of 5 % and will be available in restaurants and bars as from the end of February. With the new Hammer beer, Hürlimann continues to reposition itself in the Swiss beer market as “man’s best choice”. The relaunch of the Hürlimann brand was recently started with a new advertising campaign that focuses with a lot of humour and subtle irony on typical male habits and behaviours.

  19. #119
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Ryser View Post



    More alcohol

    Beer use, which makes up about 80% of all alcoholic beverages consumed, rose somewhat to 77 litres per person (over 15 years of age) in 2006. At the same time, the intake of wine has continued to increase over the last ten years reaching 13.9 litres each in 2006. Spirit consumption, at 7 litres per Canadian, remained comparable to a year earlier.
    These levels may be understated since they do not include home made and brew-on-the-premises wine and beer or contraband alcohol.


    :cheers:...... .....:cheers:

    :cheers::cheers::cheers:
    Interesting enough, at our golf course our beer sales fell with green fees (very rainy summer), but our liquor sales were up 50 percent.

  20. #120
    Master OptiBoarder rinselberg's Avatar
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    San Francisco's Anchor Brewing Company is shipping the 2007 Christmas Ale in magnums, six packs and cartons of 12-oz. bottles. I think it's pretty good cold, poured out from a bottle. Might be even better if you could find it on tap. It's dark and spicy and makes a nice head when poured out nto a glass, but I can't say exactly what it's spiced with. Technically, this kind of beer is called a wassail.


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  21. #121
    Objection! OptiBoard Gold Supporter shanbaum's Avatar
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    Has anyone had any experience with kegerators?

  22. #122
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    Quote Originally Posted by shanbaum View Post
    Has anyone had any experience with kegerators?

    I have had some experience. I have been looking in to buying as well. I want to put a homebrew and commercial line in. Here are two good sites for info. Look in the community or forum areas:

    www.realbeer.com

    www.Northernbrewer.com

    Any specific questions..let me know. The sites above should answer everything you ever wanted and didn't want to know!

    :bbg::cheers::bbg::cheers::bbg::cheers::bbg:

  23. #123
    Objection! OptiBoard Gold Supporter shanbaum's Avatar
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    I would have to fit it into a fairly limited space - I'm looking at the MicroMatic Tap&Serve; its footprint is about 20" square, which would just work.

    http://www.micromatic.com/kegerators...DBE-1-KIT.html

  24. #124
    Master OptiBoarder OptiBoard Silver Supporter rdcoach5's Avatar
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    OK nobody has mentioned Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale or Taddy Porter or Oatmeal Stout.Too expensive to enjoy often but worth every penny.Speaking of Canadian- Molson Brador is very good but not available in the states. For those of you who really only drink one and really like hops, try Carlsberg Elephant Malt. Make sure it's brewed in Denmark. And don't try to drive anywhere. Got to go, I'm getting thirsty.
    Bob Taylor

  25. #125
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    Quote Originally Posted by rdcoach5 View Post
    . For those of you who really only drink one and really like hops, try Carlsberg Elephant Malt.

    I have been called a HopHead a few times. If you really like hops try:
    1.) HopDevil-Victory Brewing Co.
    2.) Hopback-Troegs Brewing Co.
    3.) Anything by Rogue!

    :cheers::cheers::cheers:

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