Went to Bruges and got to try Westvleteren 12 and the Blonde. It was great and all and a cool experience to check off a major bucket list item, but I didn't get the "omg this is the best beer I've ever tasted" vibe.
Westy 12 is one of the three best beers I’ve ever had. If stored properly, yes, it only gets better with time.
I’ve had abt 12 and rochefort 10 back to back. Would love to do a comparison of all three but I left my Westy when I dumped my ex. For me, it’s Westy > rochefort > abt 12. All very close, all top ten beers for me.
My cousin brought me back a couple Westy's from Belgium a while ago and made me do a blind test against Abt 12 and I picked Abt 12. I then did the same with a couple friends of mine and included Rochefort 10 and Three Philosophers as well and Rochefort 10 was the unanimous winner.
Did a pumpkin beer tasting with some friends on Friday, and griffin claw is still killing it with their screamin’ pumpkin. Easily was my favorite.
That’s awesome. I want to do more blind tastings. The Westy for me I loved so much personally because it was the first real Whale Beer I’d gotten and I hadn’t expected to have it at all.
I used to be obsessed with trying pumpkin beers in the fall but my tastes have changed this year and I really don't have any interest. Been finally getting into and enjoying IPAs after not being big into them before. Great Rhythm Tropical Haze and Stoneface Fullclip are soo good (both from NH) My girlfriend cuts the hair of one of the Stoneface owners so he'll randomly give her a free $12 four pack when he comes in which is always great
Currently reading this. I may appreciate it a lot as I live in Chicago, but it offers awesome insight into the industry before and after craft beer. You'd all dig it. Barrel-Aged Stout and Selling Out: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1613737211/?tag=absolutepunk-20
So I went to a free Almanac beer tasting at a local bottle shop a couple days ago, and got to try 4 of their beers including their new canned sour. It was quite good, so I’m definitely gonna be picking up a few four packs once it hits distro. Hoping that putting barrel-aged sours in cans at more reasonable price points will catch on. I’m pretty sure Crooked Stave does that too.
I think part of the reason more breweries don’t can their sours is they would need a completely separate canning line so they don’t accidentally contaminate their clean beers. That and the high carbonation levels might be too much for the can seams to hold.
I know it probably comes across as a joke, but you also can’t charge as much for a can as you could for a cork and caged beer.
Doing a couple flights tonight, gotta start being more active in this thread. Just got back into untappd, username yakeandrews if anyone wants to add
Forbidden Root in Chicago rocked my socks today. One brewery that’s been completely off my radar until a group of us stumbled upon it today.
Here's let's spark up a conversation about breweries selling extremely rare beer for extremely high prices... Case 1: Anchorage Brewing announces bottle release for A Deal With The Devil triple oaked. The beer is..... barrel aged for 27 months (cognac for 10, woodford reserve double oaked for 12 months, buffalo trace for 5).375 oz bottles are dipped in gold wax and sold for $100 each, max of 2 per customer, only 2 cases made. A few hours after announcing, they take down all social media posts about it, and it looks like they haven't said a single word anywhere about the fate of the whole thing. Original FB post: Case 2: Toppling Goliath is selling KBBS (Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout... which also, how does this not impede on Founder's? Seems like a cheap ploy), also for $100 per bottle, at a special 3-session release day where you only get a CHANCE to buy a bottle? The whole thing seems confusing.
I feel like I'll be disagreed upon, but I think the Anchorage Brewing situation is pretty legit and OK. They spent a shit ton of time on this beer and if they can sell it at that price, it's worth that price. It's basically a collector's item and isn't meant for the masses. The second one seems stranger that you have to pay for essentially a beer festival to even get the chance to buy a bottle, but again.... if the demand is there then I think the worth is what it's worth?