What BEER are you drinking?

[Mike Maguire]

Had the 2018 BCS and BCS coffee stout on tap, both were excellent, as well as The BCS from bottle.I thought this years version was a big step up from last years.

[ClarkstonMark]

Had the 2018 BCS and BCS coffee stout on tap, both were excellent, as well as The BCS from bottle.I thought this years version was a big step up from last years.

the coffee was barleywine or a previous vintage?

[Mike Maguire]

Had the 2018 BCS and BCS coffee stout on tap, both were excellent, as well as The BCS from bottle.I thought this years version was a big step up from last years.

the coffee was barleywine or a previous vintage?

Mark
I assumed it was this years release, it was on tap at a local restaurant in Crystal Lake but I didn’t pay attention to the vintage, it was really good though.

[JeromeHan]

I thought this years version was a big step up from last years.

Interesting. I do think that this year's is more balanced than last year's, but I also think it is a little thinner. I cracked one of last years last night and it was drinking very nicely. I remember the 2017 being very boozy upon release, but a lot of that is gone now. With the 2018 being so thin, I don't know if I would lay any down.

[Mike Maguire]

I thought this years version was a big step up from last years.

Interesting. I do think that this year's is more balanced than last year's, but I also think it is a little thinner. I cracked one of last years last night and it was drinking very nicely. I remember the 2017 being very boozy upon release, but a lot of that is gone now. With the 2018 being so thin, I don't know if I would lay any down.

That’s a good point, balance was probably behind my reasoning. It is really good right out of the gate, especially
With 15.2% abv

[BRhoades]

Modern Times Beer. Weather Control. DIPA. 7.5% ABV. Hopped with Amarillo,Denali, Mosaic and Simcoe hops.

2018 has been THE year for Modern Times Beer. IMHO nobody produces this high of quality across such a broad range of beer styles with production volumes not seen before for a craft brewery. This is from the November on-line release and is a DIPA packed full of juicy tropical fruit flavors like pineapple, passion fruit and papaya as well as ripe sweet citrus. This opens with a pop of sweet mandarine orange before transitioning to those juicy tropical fruits and is delivered on a medium soft body that finishes with a nice bitter orange pith bite that makes this actually crushable despite the 7.5% ABV. I'm really looking forward to the colder wet weather ahead to dip into my stash of their amazing BA beers that I've accumulated over the past several months.

Highly Recommended,

Cheers,

Bud

[BRhoades]

Beachwood Brewing. 28 Haze Later. IPA. 6.8% ABV. Hopped with Galaxy Mosaic and Citra hops. Of the few NE styled IPAs Julian Shrago has brewed I have always preferred this over all others, I often wished they would can this but knowing Beachwood like I do it was a pipe-dream. Then on the day before Thanksgiving they unleashed this gorgeous IPA to the masses. I guess then theoretically this could be considered a " shelfy " and in the year of the shelfy this has to be considered as one of the best. It has the holy trilogy of hops to start with, it's ABV is right in my wheel house and it has one of the most explosively delicious noses on ANY NEIPA I've reviewed this year, and it is utterly delicious. Layers of complex flavors and aromatics are the showcase of this amazing IPA. Oranges, pineapple, berries and stone fruits abound and are all delivered on a beautifully balanced body that is full yet crisp and spritzy. This is a beer that you can sit down and crush multiples of while watching a great game with all types of food from pizza's to burgers and everything in between, an amazing food beer, we taste tested this in depth over the long Thanksgiving weekend with a smorgasbord of different types of foods. This just hit distro at better bottle shops that carry Beachwood cans and is also available at their three locations.

Highly Recommended,

Cheers,

Bud

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Oooh!! I looooove that Beachwood! Thanks for the heads-up, Bud.

[BRhoades]

Oooh!! I looooove that Beachwood! Thanks for the heads-up, Bud.

It's even better out of can Brian, don't miss this one buddy.

Cheers,

Bud

[Jorge Henriquez]

Hate to admit it but 2018 BCBS reg is legitimately great! No Coffee this year right?

[Andrew Kotowski]

Hate to admit it but 2018 BCBS reg is legitimately great! No Coffee this year right?

*sigh* Picked up two bottles because of the hype on this thread and got gouged $14.99.

Tried a 2016 Deschutes Abyss on tap last night. Don’t think it was stored well, as it was pretty mediocre.

[JeromeHan]

Hate to admit it but 2018 BCBS reg is legitimately great! No Coffee this year right?

No coffee stout this year, only a coffee barleywine.

[Andrew Kotowski]

Saw this (Modern Times Bedrock) on the shelf, had to pick-up as I could hear Bud whispering in my ear, “Andrew, it has coffee and coconut... and it’s Highly Recommended!”

Toffee-caramel color, with a nitro-head, clear coconut on the nose with light coffee on the back end. Nice stout, but man I’ve anchored on Barrel-aged beers, so it feels a bit on the lighter side.

[Paul Miller]

Hate to admit it but 2018 BCBS reg is legitimately great! No Coffee this year right?

The Barleywine and Coffee are combined this year.

[Paul Miller]

The local Whole Foods near me has a beer bar near the front entrance. On Friday they had their BCBS event. Of course the variants were gone by the time I could get there. That said, my brother in-law lives in one of the far NW suburbs, and found the Bramble at his local Binny's today.

HOWEVER, WFs had ALL of the beers on tap. I've never seen anyone have all of them on tap at one time here in Chicago. I tried the Vanilla and the Bramble. The Vanilla was not as sweet as I was led to believe, and I found it ok. Then I tried the Bramble - loads of sweet berries and some citrus. I really liked this one.

I've had the Original one a few times out of bottle and from draft. It needs time. I drank a half bottle last week and did not care for it. I waited a couple of days and came back to it, and was completely different - chocolate and excellent. I took a bottle to a party last night, and without any time, none of us cared for it. I would say hold onto the Originals.

The Coffee Barleywine is VERY coffee, IMO.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Saw this (Modern Times Bedrock) on the shelf, had to pick-up as I could hear Bud whispering in my ear, “Andrew, it has coffee and coconut... and it’s Highly Recommended!”

Toffee-caramel color, with a nitro-head, clear coconut on the nose with light coffee on the back end. Nice stout, but man I’ve anchored on Barrel-aged beers, so it feels a bit on the lighter side.

I bought a 4 pack of this beer, primarily because the guy helping me at the MT location assured me it wasn't too strong on the coconut ... liar!!

Once I re-adjusted my expectations I found it tolerable, maybe even "likable," but -- really -- it's not my bag.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Stone - FML Unfiltered IPA (surprisingly good for the price; will buy again)
El Segundo - Mayberry IPA
Fair State - Saison
Tilquin - Quetsche lambic (a couple different vintages, poured gratis by a bartender in D.C.. He got tipped very nicely)
Tilquin - Oude Gueuze (same DC bartender)
{various DC/VA brews}
Pizza Port - Swami's
Great Lakes - Edmund Fitzgerald Porter (best regular Porter in the USA, imo).

[Dennis Atick]

Tried some Beared Iris finally this weekend. They are now in the ATL market. I will give them props, some of the better hazy IPAs I've had not directly from the source (distributed out in cans to regional markets).
Tunnel Vision is excellent. Glad I can get them fairly regularly now.

[JeromeHan]

Would appreciate some input from the board here. I am running small beer tasting this week for a few friends (non-beer geeky). I plan on doing a style progression to show the variety beyond the macro styles. My plan was doing a pilsner/lagered style ale, then moving on to a saison, then westcoast vs NE style ipa, then maybe a porter, to a stout, then maybe a barrel aged stout. Thoughts? Am I missing something?

[JeromeHan]

Here is the actual line-up I was considering. The two I am not certain of in terms of placement are the Duchesse De Bourgogne Flanders Red, and the Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half.

1. Hackensack Lager/Gun Hill Pilsner
2. Dupont Saison
3. Duchesse De Bourgogne
4. Carton Brewing Boat Beer (Session Ipa)
5. Sierre Nevada Pale Ale (The OG) vs Foreign Objects Saturn in Scorpio (Juice Bomb)
6. North Coast Brewing PranQster
7. Brasserie Des Rocs Grand Cru
8. Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout
9. Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half
10. CBS/BCBS

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Keep in mind, I haven't had most of these beers, so I'm going off Beer Style more than I am Actual Beer.

With that lineup, I'd be tempted to do the following:

1. Hackensack Lager/Gun Hill Pilsner
2. Dupont Saison
3. North Coast Brewing PranQster
4. Brasserie Des Rocs Grand Cru
5. Duchesse De Bourgogne
6. Carton Brewing Boat Beer (Session Ipa)
7. Sierre Nevada Pale Ale (The OG) vs Foreign Objects Saturn in Scorpio (Juice Bomb)
8. Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout
9. Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half
10. CBS/BCBS

I'd keep the Pilsner, Saison, Golden Strong Ale, and Dark Strong Ale together because their flavor profiles are all more malt-driven. Frankly, starting with the Saison might be a good idea, depending on how malty the Pilsner and Lager are. The Duchesse is a dark sour, and will not only be a good transition from the Dark Strong Ale, but it will also operate as a palate re-set before getting into the beers with hop-driven flavor profiles. I think transitioning from IPA to Stout is perfectly fine (I do it frequently), hence ending with the Stouts. I have not had the Founders Curmudgeon's --- if it's fairly boozy, I'd consider placing that before the CBS, as I find the CBS pleasantly soft/approachable/not boozy for a BBAS. BCBS should definitely be last, unless it has lots of age.

[Andrew Kotowski]

I thought this years version was a big step up from last years.

Interesting. I do think that this year's is more balanced than last year's, but I also think it is a little thinner. I cracked one of last years last night and it was drinking very nicely. I remember the 2017 being very boozy upon release, but a lot of that is gone now. With the 2018 being so thin, I don't know if I would lay any down.

That’s a good point, balance was probably behind my reasoning. It is really good right out of the gate, especially With 15.2% abv

This thing is a beast out of the gates - a medium-bodied, super boozy chocolate bomb with light carbonation. Not sure I’d agree with thin, but it’s not motor oil like a KDS. Alcohol is so strong for me that it reminds me more of a Fifty Fifty Eclipse bottling than other BCBS releases I’ve had. I went and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and I might have found a perfect pairing

[JeromeHan]

Keep in mind, I haven't had most of these beers, so I'm going off Beer Style more than I am Actual Beer.

I'd keep the Pilsner, Saison, Golden Strong Ale, and Dark Strong Ale together because their flavor profiles are all more malt-driven. Frankly, starting with the Saison might be a good idea, depending on how malty the Pilsner and Lager are. The Duchesse is a dark sour, and will not only be a good transition from the Dark Strong Ale, but it will also operate as a palate re-set before getting into the beers with hop-driven flavor profiles. I think transitioning from IPA to Stout is perfectly fine (I do it frequently), hence ending with the Stouts. I have not had the Founders Curmudgeon's --- if it's fairly boozy, I'd consider placing that before the CBS, as I find the CBS pleasantly soft/approachable/not boozy for a BBAS. BCBS should definitely be last, unless it has lots of age.

Interesting... Haven't thought about that. So you are going for kind of two different sets with the Flanders Sour in the middle service as a palate reset. The Founders is fairly boozy, almost 13abv I believe. I think it might work as a transition to the CBS as it is an English Old Ale finished in bourbon maple barrels too.

[JeromeHan]

This thing is a beast out of the gates - a medium-bodied, super boozy chocolate bomb with light carbonation. Not sure I’d agree with thin, but it’s not motor oil like a KDS. Alcohol is so strong for me that it reminds me more of a Fifty Fifty Eclipse bottling than other BCBS releases I’ve had. I went and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and I might have found a perfect pairing

Let me rephrase, I'm not saying thin as an objective statement, I meant thin relative to last year's release.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Keep in mind, I haven't had most of these beers, so I'm going off Beer Style more than I am Actual Beer.

I'd keep the Pilsner, Saison, Golden Strong Ale, and Dark Strong Ale together because their flavor profiles are all more malt-driven. Frankly, starting with the Saison might be a good idea, depending on how malty the Pilsner and Lager are. The Duchesse is a dark sour, and will not only be a good transition from the Dark Strong Ale, but it will also operate as a palate re-set before getting into the beers with hop-driven flavor profiles. I think transitioning from IPA to Stout is perfectly fine (I do it frequently), hence ending with the Stouts. I have not had the Founders Curmudgeon's --- if it's fairly boozy, I'd consider placing that before the CBS, as I find the CBS pleasantly soft/approachable/not boozy for a BBAS. BCBS should definitely be last, unless it has lots of age.

Interesting... Haven't thought about that. So you are going for kind of two different sets with the Flanders Sour in the middle service as a palate reset. The Founders is fairly boozy, almost 13abv I believe. I think it might work as a transition to the CBS as it is an English Old Ale finished in bourbon maple barrels too.

I view groupings like this:

1. Hackensack Lager/Gun Hill Pilsner
2. Dupont Saison

--- break

3. North Coast Brewing PranQster
4. Brasserie Des Rocs Grand Cru

--- break

5. Duchesse De Bourgogne

--- break

6. Carton Brewing Boat Beer (Session Ipa)
7. Sierre Nevada Pale Ale (The OG) vs Foreign Objects Saturn in Scorpio (Juice Bomb)

--- break

8. Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout
9. Founders Curmudgeon's Better Half
10. CBS/BCBS


******************

Hearing that the Founders Curmudgeon is an English Old Ale makes me think it would be better placed after the Pranqster and Des Rocs, but before the Duchesse.

But, again, I cannot emphasize enough the fact that I have not tasted most of these beers. So, if you have, you're better off going with your thoughts than mine.

[BRhoades]

Monkish Brewing Co. Liquid Flows 8.5% DIPA 100% Nelson Sauvin hopped. A couple months ago I reviewed Broadcasting Live, the 100% Nelson hopped DIPA that was absolutely amazing, probably the best Nelson hopped beer I've ever had. Well Saturday Henry unleashed this beast on the world. It's simply a DDH version of BL. So take all the gorgeous traits associated with BL and double them and you have Liquid Flows. Absolutely mind blowing, move over Broadcasting Live your big sibling just arrived. Can's only but at 4 4packs PP there is a lot of it in the trading community. If your a Nelson freek like I am, do anything you can to grab a can of this.

Highly Recommended,

Cheers,

Bud

[Scott Tallman]

Monkish Brewing Co. Liquid Flows 8.5% DIPA 100% Nelson Sauvin hopped. A couple months ago I reviewed Broadcasting Live, the 100% Nelson hopped DIPA that was absolutely amazing, probably the best Nelson hopped beer I've ever had. Well Saturday Henry unleashed this beast on the world. It's simply a DDH version of BL. So take all the gorgeous traits associated with BL and double them and you have Liquid Flows. Absolutely mind blowing, move over Broadcasting Live your big sibling just arrived. Can's only but at 4 4packs PP there is a lot of it in the trading community. If your a Nelson freek like I am, do anything you can to grab a can of this.

Highly Recommended,

Cheers,

Bud

The Masonry has this on tap last weekend for their Fremont location’s 1st anniversary. Unfortunately, keg was kicked by the time I arrived. Really wanted to try as love me some Nelson. Oh well

[Andrew Kotowski]

Monkish on tap in Seattle? You kid.

Fort George Suicide Squeeze not living up to the Beer Advocate hype, imho. Scott, have you tried yet?

[Scott Tallman]

The Masonry has Monkish kegs and bottles/cans intermittently and at almost events.

Have not had any Ft George since the 3-Way. Suicide Squeeze is not new, so wonder why hype now?

[Andrew Kotowski]

Have not had any Ft George since the 3-Way. Suicide Squeeze is not new, so wonder why hype now?

Special release with the record company. 4.2 rating, which is pretty high.

[Mike Maguire]

The Masonry has Monkish kegs and bottles/cans intermittently and at almost events.

Have not had any Ft George since the 3-Way. Suicide Squeeze is not new, so wonder why hype now?

I’m with Scott, have had Monkish many times at the Masonry, though mostly in bottles. SS is not new either ,has been available since Spring.

[JeromeHan]

The tasting went surprising well and good times were had by all I believe. The Dupont Saison and CBS went over the best on the crowd while the Belgian Dark was the "what the heck" moment for most people as most didn't think it drank like a beer but almost more like a port (But I guess a 2013 belgian strong ale would do that).

[BRhoades]

Monkish on tap in Seattle? You kid.

Fort George Suicide Squeeze not living up to the Beer Advocate hype, imho. Scott, have you tried yet?

Monkish and The Masonry just did their second collaboration beer last week with " A fist Full of Meatballs" DIPA which is brewed with wheat and pizza wheat. The Masonry get's a pretty decent amount of Monkish beers.

Cheers,

Bud

[Andrew Kotowski]

I'm so eastside.

Now on my radar if I can get up the will to cross bridges and area codes.

[Scott Tallman]

I'm so eastside.

Now on my radar if I can get up the will to cross bridges and area codes.

That is a daunting task with Seattle traffic these days. Do it on a weekend and bring the family. Eat great pizza and you can enjoy the beer.

[BRhoades]

I'm so eastside.

Now on my radar if I can get up the will to cross bridges and area codes.

That is a daunting task with Seattle traffic these days. Do it on a weekend and bring the family. Eat great pizza and you can enjoy the beer.

Scott, did you have an opportunity to taste any the Meatball collabs Masonry has done with Monkish ?, I know Henry had sent a keg or two of the 1st batch up your way.

Cheers,

Bud

[Scott Tallman]

I'm so eastside.

Now on my radar if I can get up the will to cross bridges and area codes.

That is a daunting task with Seattle traffic these days. Do it on a weekend and bring the family. Eat great pizza and you can enjoy the beer.

Scott, did you have an opportunity to taste any the Meatball collabs Masonry has done with Monkish ?, I know Henry had sent a keg or two of the 1st batch up your way.

Cheers,

Bud

Yes, had multiple cans of the first batch released earlier this year. Had the second batch on draft at The Masonry last weekend. A very solid IPA, but I really wanted Liquid Flows.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Bud, is the line for Monkish can releases still crazy AF?

[Scott Tallman]

Enjoyed these beers last night with neighbors and a few Berserkers - Terrance C, Travis @llen, and Adam Noble.

[BRhoades]

Bud, is the line for Monkish can releases still crazy AF?

The craziness has definitely subsided, remind you that I have only "intentionally" gone to two can releases and that was for both the 100% Nelson beers, the few other times I have gotten cans was being in the right place at the right time, I.E. dropping in on a Friday on my way back down from LA to get growler fills only to stumble onto a can release and having a client meeting next door on a couple other occasions. Monkish has also increased they're output big time so cans are lasting sometimes up to 4-5 hours. For the Liquid Flows release they had 360 cases available, the norm used to be 85-120 cases. Another improvement was having the can release pick up moved to the expansion space at the rear of the property so now they have up to 4 cashiers moving people through very quickly.

Cheers,

Bud

UPDATED : Brian, Monkish did a double can release today at 1PM, Life Is Foggier, DDH take on Life Is Foggy and Spock It. 150 cases of LIF and 64 cases of Spock it. At almost 6:30 PM there is still cans available. Go back a year or so and these two are sold out in under 2 hours.

Cheers,

Bud

[Andrew Kotowski]

@Scott - Killing me. Wish I could have made it. FWIW, I've got a dumptruck load of 2015 Stouts, including BCBS, Sump, Abraxas, KDS Coffee, Parabola, Mother of All Storms and Abyss

If you can plan for a weekend, I'm in.

[Scott Tallman]

@Scott - Killing me. Wish I could have made it. FWIW, I've got a dumptruck load of 2015 Stouts, including BCBS, Sump, Abraxas, KDS Coffee, Parabola, Mother of All Storms and Abyss

If you can plan for a weekend, I'm in.

Any Saturday afternoon works for me other than 12/29. I’ve got a few Anchorage BA stouts

[Travis @llen]

Thanks Scott! That was great! Loved that Floodland ToL!

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Bud, is the line for Monkish can releases still crazy AF?

The craziness has definitely subsided, remind you that I have only "intentionally" gone to two can releases and that was for both the 100% Nelson beers, the few other times I have gotten cans was being in the right place at the right time, I.E. dropping in on a Friday on my way back down from LA to get growler fills only to stumble onto a can release and having a client meeting next door on a couple other occasions. Monkish has also increased they're output big time so cans are lasting sometimes up to 4-5 hours. For the Liquid Flows release they had 360 cases available, the norm used to be 85-120 cases. Another improvement was having the can release pick up moved to the expansion space at the rear of the property so now they have up to 4 cashiers moving people through very quickly.

Cheers,

Bud

UPDATED : Brian, Monkish did a double can release today at 1PM, Life Is Foggier, DDH take on Life Is Foggy and Spock It. 150 cases of LIF and 64 cases of Spock it. At almost 6:30 PM there is still cans available. Go back a year or so and these two are sold out in under 2 hours.

Cheers,

Bud

This is all great news! I think I'll start paying attention to Monkish again. I've grown tired of the near-$30 growler prices; in the low $20s I'd suck it up because the beer is phenomenal. But with many growlers at $27 or $28(?) these days, I'd much rather have the same volume quantity, packaged better (4 x 16 oz cans), from any number of the other breweries who make their product available in stores without a line (MT; Mikkeller; BW; etc. etc. etc. ...). Straight up: Monkish is expensive. ... Buuuuuut, it's pretty damn good, so if I can stroll in and pick up some cans, I think I'll stop in more regularly like I used to. Having MT literally one block from my work, and WF literally across the street from my work, really changed my buying habits.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Scott, how was that LambicXX? I've looked at that beer many times, but have never pulled the trigger.

[JeromeHan]

Wanted to see what all the fuss is about. Smells wonderful, but something about the carbonation and the hop bitterness gives it a thin mouthfeel.

[Scott Tallman]

Scott, how was that LambicXX? I've looked at that beer many times, but have never pulled the trigger.

I had never heard of that lambic before. Terrence brought it and IIRC it was given to him by another Berserker. As for the lambic itself, I thought it was interesting, but nothing spectacular. I’d still much rather buy Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen or Boon lambic.

[Scott Tallman]

Thanks Scott! That was great! Loved that Floodland ToL!

The Floodland Transmigration of Light was my BOTN. I would not pay the secondary market prices for it, but a damn good beer and I wish I’d bought more.

All the beers were good, but my other fav beers of night were the Arizona Wilderness Peach Sour, the Floodland passionfruit beer, the aged Westy XII (quadruples still aren’t my thing, but having tried an aged example I have better appreciation for the hype; I’d still take Westy 8 all day long), the Focal Banger IPA, and the Structures Juice on Juice IPA.

[Brian G r a f s t r o m]

Scott, how was that LambicXX? I've looked at that beer many times, but have never pulled the trigger.

I had never heard of that lambic before. Terrence brought it and IIRC it was given to him by another Berserker. As for the lambic itself, I thought it was interesting, but nothing spectacular. I’d still much rather buy Cantillon, 3 Fonteinen or Boon lambic.

Cool. Thanks. Your conclusion is exactly the one I figured I was likely to arrive at.

[Paul Miller]

My wife's nephew's high school classmate is one of the guys behind Transient. Some really good beers coming out of SW Michigan these days.