Another good beer

[GraphiteZen]

Since it's about the 20th time I have seen that "Another Good Bear" post only to double take and be disappointed, I figure I'll make it a reality.

Drop Top Ale: Does it have an apricot taste to anyone else?

Saxon Summer Ale: Great lighter beer. Lemons, oranges, awesome for a hot day on the river.

Henrie Weinhard's Special Dark: Actually a really great dark beer for the price.

And of course the undeniable Guinness Stout. Beer so thick it drinks like a meal.

Not a beer, but how about an un-opened, 22 year old bottle of Jamison I found in my grandfathers storage unit I would have kept the cork but I had pretty poor memory for the next few days

[Ryan Pultz]

Hot day cold day any day Guinness Stout out of all the beer I drink i would say 99% is stout and 99% of that is Guinness Stout

[Ryan Pultz]

ohh and Drop Top Ale does have a fruity taste rp

[s20055]

I just recently tried Full Sail's India Pale and it has become my new favorite.

[Santiam338]

Whoops,my mistake...I dropped in here looking for a bear...

[Gus Orviston]

McTarnahans on tap, or bottle as a back up
Guinnes on tap only - bottle doesn't do it justice.. this is candy beer and a nice treat.
Fat tire, tap first, then the bottle
and when Mcmennimans has it on tap,, Mc's Nut Brown Ale

[Flat Lander]

Morning beer (Summer Camping or Fishing):
Henrys Ale with Spicy V8
Coors Light with Spicy V8
Anything you offer me (free)

Afternoon beer:
Dechutes Mirror Pond
Bridgeport IPA
Alaskan Amber
Anything you offer me (free)

If it is a hot afternoon:
Pete's Wicked Ale
Grolsch
St. Paulys
Anything you offer me (free)

Evening beer:
Guinness
Schaefer Stout
Mirror Pond
Anything you offer me (free)

[mullert]

On a hot day a Pyramid Curve Ball Ale makes the sun feel good. Blue Moon White Wheat is a summer time fav as well!

[MacFish]

Ninkasi Brewing in Eugene makes Total Domination IPA, one of the best beers I've ever tasted. It's a little spendy, but at 6.7% you're not going to guzzle a lot of them. I also am a fan of the Full Sail IPA, but I like the Bridgeport IPA even more.

[StickFish]

I've been known to associate with Broken Angels (If you want my address its #1 at the end of the bar, where I sit with the broken angels clutching our straws and nursing our scars) so I thought it only fitting that I try Widmer's Broken Halo. It stuck, its been in the Kegerator since it came out. When I'm away from home, IPA first, Pale Ale next, than a good Amber.

I don't really care for Drop Top unless its free

[Reel Class]

A good beer is the one that's in my hand....

[butwhymalemodels]

Shiner Bock is the best beer I've ever had. Made in Shiner, Texas. The town has to approve before a new beer is introduced. My buddies and I made a trip to the plant just to try the beers.

Haggen stores carry it here.

[Joe]

Guiness is a nice light Stout........you guys need to try Old Rasputan Russian Imperial Stout. My favorite beer ever.

Here is my favorite bear of the year....

[Catch 22]

I can't believe nobody mentioned Moose Drool!
Widmer Hef
Drop Top
Fat Tire
Bridgeport IPA
Deschutes Black Butte Porter

[MacFish]

and you can't forget the great taste of an ice cold, frosty Duff

[GraphiteZen]

mmmmmm Beer.....

[Phil Layer]

Nothing wrong with Terminator Stout!

Or, if you happen to be in northern California this holiday weekend, try an Imperial from Costa Rica. You can only find them in Costa Rica and northern California and it is a mighty fine beer. (I have four cases in my family room and hope to have more after this weekend.

[Incredible_Bulk]

My faves:

1) Guinness -- I mean... duh. So good.
2) Widmer Hefeweizen (I actually prefer my own Hefeweizen, but its just easier to buy a sixer of Widmer now and again)
3) Black Butte Porter
4) Alaskan Smoked Porter
5) Arrogant ******* Ale

I just bottled my latest batch of beer the other night. Looking forward to cracking one in about 4 weeks when the bottle conditioning is done.

In the immortal words of Homer Simpson... and Graphites post above...

MMMMMmmmmmmm..... BEEEEeeerrrrr.......

[Mad Mikey]

McMenaminn's Ruby Ale.

Yummers.

Good thing I can't get it in NEO. Otherwise I'd never get any work done...

[Bluto]

Originally Posted by butwhymalemodels

Shiner Bock is the best beer I've ever had. Made in Shiner, Texas. The town has to approve before a new beer is introduced. My buddies and I made a trip to the plant just to try the beers.

Haggen stores carry it here.

Absolutely!!! My #1 beer of all time. Got hooked on it a couple of years ago in Austin, TX before they started selling in the NW. Have a buddy in the OR wine industry that bought me some 24oz Shiner bottles from the distributor - I was in heaven.

If you can still find it at Haggen... then buy all you can find. I've heard that they've stopped distributing it in OR/WA (can't find it anymore in the Couve). They also pulled their distribution in areas of California, and is definately getting harder to find when I'm out here in TN (but was able to find it yesterday).

Talked to a good freind who goes to the Shiner fest every year, and for some reason they cancelled it this year - something is up I'm afraid.

When Shiner can't be found, then Blue Moon will suffice.

[GraphiteZen]

That is similar to what happened to Hornsby's Apple Cider. When I was a kid (did I just say that) it was made in Canada and it was some good stuff. Sometime around 2001 or 02 I bought some one day and it was NOT EVEN the same. Watered down, didn't have the dryness not even the same taste, it was horrible. Turned the bottle around and guess what? Made by Gallo in California. *YAK*

[Tillamook Born]

If buying in the store Alaskan Winter Ale (brewed with Spruce Tips) is my favorite winter beer. Drop top is a great summer beer. And if you make it to a McMenamins, order the Rubinator.

[GraphiteZen]

Did I forget to mention Milwaukee's Best Ice? Gotta have the Ice not just regular otherwise it's not very good.

And what is up with the commercial where the Milwaukee can crushes the guy for not being manly? Tell me, if men should act like men then what are men doing drinking light beer?

[stumpyin08]

Has anyone tried the Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) organiac IPA and lager? The IPA just won a gold medal, and the lager a silver, those things seem to follow the brewer around, his last place was Laurelwood.
Good beers, funky space, good food. Doug

[Danno]

Originally Posted by nookielover

Has anyone tried the Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) organiac IPA and lager?

The craft beer snob in me has had trouble reading the positive posts about some pretty poor beers in this post but Doug hit gold with his recommendation. HUB has great beers.

Life's too short to drink mediocre beer.

Friends don't let friends drink macroswill.

Maybe we should have an ifish beer tasting or meeting like the Salty Dogs do at Lucky Lab or other spots? Oregon has the greatest beer culture in the world and we should help promote that right here in Oregon.

[someguy29187]

Black Butte Porter
Mcmennimans Terminator

[Queeg]

I haven't had the wherewithall to purchase any, but I've been seeing Green Flash IPA in the organic section. I had it at the brewers fest and it is The Bomb.

$8-something a six-pack, sorry organic brews

speaking of green, the Green Dragon Brewpub is a new place with some excellent beers, service is iffy - get in the bartender's face, talk beer a little, tip well and you're golden! 9th & Belmont ish

[saber_jack]

Anyone remember the Full Sail Nutbrown Ale? They tried it for a while and quit. I loved that beer!!!

[cimfl]

I can't drink anymore......none of it. It all gives me a raging headache. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, you diehards out there, just drink through it! I can't handle any alky anymore. Tried about a shot and a half of some whiskey a few days ago, first drink in probably 6 months.....pounding headache, I mean POUNDING!! It makes me sick. No more for me ever. No big deal to me, most of it tastes like pond scum anyway.

[GraphiteZen]

Originally Posted by cimfl

I can't drink anymore......none of it. It all gives me a raging headache. Yeah, I know what you are thinking, you diehards out there, just drink through it! I can't handle any alky anymore. Tried about a shot and a half of some whiskey a few days ago, first drink in probably 6 months.....pounding headache, I mean POUNDING!! It makes me sick. No more for me ever. No big deal to me, most of it tastes like pond scum anyway.

Wow that's unfortunate. I had a buddy when I was a teen that got a rash every time he drank so he went to the doctor and found out he was allergic to hops. It was like the end of the world. His whole life ahead and he can't drink beer. I felt terrible for him.

[Phil Layer]

Originally Posted by GraphiteZen

I felt terrible for him.

But think of all the money he will save and all the ugly women he won't date!

[Got One!]

I dont drink to much anymore, but I have had a craving for a Genesse Cream ale lately...to bad its not sold in these parts.

[GraphiteZen]

Originally Posted by Phil Layer

But think of all the money he will save and all the ugly women he won't date!

No, no you've got the wrong idea. Love makes the world go round! Plus, Ben Franklin said it himself: "Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

[scottishsetter]

Everything Bridgeport;
Bass Ale from the "mother country".

Probably should have had one in 1472 at the Mermaid Inn in York but I'd have been kicked out of the King's land to shoot and fend for myself in the new world. (Yip---Pee! Short life to the king!))

Oh and the best beer ever Deschutes Brewing in house Bill's Pils, the best ever(hint make it again!)

[12pulls]

Belgian Ales made by the monks (can't remember the name)
Drop Top
Rolling Rock Green Light (great lite beer)
Black Butte Porter
Winter Wheat by Windmer

[Cliff D.]

Celtic Copper ale

[GraphiteZen]

The Windmere Hefeweizen is some good stuff. Good for you too! Wheat is very healthy stuff!

Stella Artois is also a great light beer.

If you can find the beers that are made in the part of Germany where it is mandated that the brewers follow a 500 year old practice... Every one of those brews are excellent. I used to buy them by the mini-keg

[fish_on]

Originally Posted by Catch 22

Widmer Hef
Drop Top
Fat Tire
Bridgeport IPA
Deschutes Black Butte Porter

[SilverBullets]

A&W Rootbeer is my beer! Nothing better than a ice-cold mug with a good foam on top!

[soulrider]

Originally Posted by Silver Bullets

A&W Rootbeer is my beer! Nothing better than a ice-cold mug with a good foam on top!

thats pretty good.....there was a beer I got along time ago it was called great wall? anyway I have not seen it in a long time if anyone has seen it and knows where to get it PLEASE let me know it was the best rice beer I have had yet..........Alot of the other beers you guys mentioned are really good but for those hot summer days I really enjoy a corona with a super thin slice of lime and lemon. on another note I think another good beer for that if in a pinch......miller chill I had one the other day and it wasn't TO bad

[Mrdorkfish]

I've narrowed my consumption down to Drop Top, Alaskan Amber and Sam Adams Boston Lager. When i'm out and about it could be anything....Also enjoy stouts (creamy) and IPA's. Beer is good food.



AmberAleLou

[ampersat]

I just kegged up an IPA that I have really high hopes for. Nugget and cascade for bittering, cascade for finish and dry hopped with more nugget.

Grew up in Texas and spent seven years in Austin. I remember when Shiner Bock was a small independent, brewing in small copper kettles. You could taste the difference from six pack to six pack. When they were taken over, the quality really suffered. The difference was akin to the difference between a good homebaked bread versus Wonderbread. When I find myself back in Texas I'll buy it since it's the only thing they have on the shelf down there that isn't udder (sic) swill.

Top faves:
Mirror Pond
Bridgeport IPA

Top local houses:
Main Street Ale House
Lucky Lab usually does a good job with most everything
Looking forward to hitting HUB sometime soon

[stlhdr]

Anderson Valley IPA and Brutal Bitter by Rogue are two of my favorites. I don't drink a lot of the Rogue unfortunately, I can't bring myself to spend $10 on a six pack.

[HuntnCoug]

Busch Light, Sorry im a Coug!

[pearl]

Have watched this thread with interest.
I'm in the beer business on the sales and marketing side and represent a number of the Northwests best selling brands. ( We are lucky to have the amount of choices and the vast variety of styles available. Not all markets do).

What surprises me in this thread is the pure number of you guys that claim to be Craft beer afficianados? The Craft beer category currently represents about 22% of the total beer cases sold in the N.W. and approximatly 26% of the gross dollars generated ( these are off sale numbers, meaning stores and places where you purchase your product to take eleswhere and not on premise accounts, meaning taverns, restuarants and places where you sit down to have a drink.

So as I read through the posts it looks like approximatly 90% of ifishers drink Craft / Micro beer? Statistics typically don't lie but can be twisted to make an argument. My theory says some of you or maybe quite a few of you drink "domestic swill" more often then your admitting. After all you are fisherman and fisherman sometimes fudge the truth.

For what its worth the top 5 beers in Oregon by volume are
1- Coors Light
2- Bud Light
3- Bud
4- Corona
5- Pabst

All said no matter what your drinking please keep doing it. I have one kid in college and another a year away and I need your financial support. There is a 62% chance your drinking one of the beers I sell.

[GraphiteZen]

Originally Posted by pearl

All said no matter what your drinking please keep doing it. I have one kid in college and another a year away and I need your financial support. There is a 62% chance your drinking one of the beers I sell.

I think a lot of it is wishful thinking, or the sharing of different brands that one may have enjoyed in the past. I'm sure there are quite a few that drink the brands they have posted but I myself am not one of them. I have to (not by choice) drink cheap stuff. I used to have enough money where I could spend $7 or $8 dollars on a six back but not anymore. So for me it's wishful thinking.

[ampersat]

Pearl: there's a good chance that us folk on Ifish have brows that are just a tad higher than the mass market to which macrobrew appeals. We're heavily invested in fishing gear and a lot of us have boats. All of us have at least one computer and an internet connection, and I'd venture to say that the majority of us have high speed access. And, apparently, we enjoy the leisure of whiling away the time arguing about pretty much everything. On the whole, I would say that we're not representative of the broad spectrum of your sales demographic. There are a lot of people in the northwest and Ifish is a subset of the whole.

In short: we got couth.

On the other hand, as GZen points out, there's beer that folks enjoy and then there's beer that they consume on a regular basis. As price pressures across the board continue to rise, look forward to your macrobrew sales to increase.

[Mrdorkfish]

1- Coors Light
2- Bud Light
3- Bud
4- Corona
5- Pabst


To me, all Krap. Well, I buy PBR for my golf bag on occasion. My wife drinks Corona when she feels "frisky" With lime Other than that....we only drink stuff that is darker and creamy....not those overfiltered "Light Beers". I will spend more on beer than gas

Can't wait until the Holiday Sam Adams case is in at Costco this Winter !

AleOrFailLou

[pearl]

In short: we got couth.

Not a chance. I know to many of you.

And for what it's worth I sold Shiner in Oregon for 5 years and we couldn't give it away. They finally pulled the brand from oregon because of lack of sales and it wasn't affordable to ship here anymore. Where were you guys then? Thats not a knock on the beer. Shiner Bock was awesome!

If you are a Craft drinker please partake in the folowing and add to the college fund.

Sierra Nevada
Full Sail
Bridgeport
Session
Alaskan
Rogue
Caldera
Cascade Lakes
Sam Adams
Petes
Blue Moon
Deschutes - some markets

[GraphiteZen]

I'll take some Sierra Nevada... That's good stuff.

[GraphiteZen]

Well, a friend of mine recommended a beer that was limited edition, and was selling out fast at the store she works at. I bought one because it was apparent that they may not have any left by tomorrow, and would not be able to get anymore. What a treat. It's a "Bridgeport Big Brew" labeled "Stumptown Tart", an "Ale with Marion Berries aged in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels". Wonderful. I have never had a beer that was obviously a great quality ale but finished, and hung around... with the dryness and ability to continue building an aftertaste until that last moment, just like a good wine. If you can find it, try it. Good stuff.

[Cliff D.]

Okay Pearl i'll admit, when swilling it's Coors with the boys, MGD with dad, Corona with my son. When enjoying it's craft . Don't do enough of either anymore.

[Danno]

I have not purchased a macroswill in at least 15 years. Before I moved up to Oregon 11 years ago, there were limited choices in So Cal. I drank Anchor Steam, Dos Equis (which is truly a German Vienna lager), Becks and my cheap beer was Henry's Blue Boar Ale. I can't drink the regular Henry's crap.

I do drink a macroswill on the rare occassion that I go to OSU's Fermentation Science off flavors workshop where they doctor up Bud Light or similar Bud beer with the chemicals that produce off flavors in beer. They use Bud products because they know that AB makes very consistant beers which makes the doctoring more consistant.

Before moving up to Portland, I traveled here a lot and was amazed by the beers that were available in the hotel bars. Anywhere else in the country, you would find the standard Bud, Miller or Coors products plus one 'premium' beer but here they offered up a complete line up of local craft beer and had one macroswill tap of Budmilloors. I loved traveling here and moved up here partially because of the craft beer movement.

Once up here, I got into home brewing and joined the Oregon Brew Crew where many of the Oregon pro brewers hung out. I brew most of the beer I drink (too keep the cost down) but always take the opportunity to enjoy craft beer. I think I brew as well as any pro brewer and have a national gold medal to go with my many local ribbons but brewing great beer is like cooking great food, no matter how good you get, many others make great stuff too. I've also had one of my beers brewed by Widmer and served around the Portland area and also served at the 2005 Oregon Brewers Fest. Anybody remember the Zephyr Koelsch?

Here are my favorites:

- Hair of the Dog Adam
- Jubal Ale. I still have three bottle of the 2000 release.
- Terminal Gravity IPA
- Duchesse De Bourgogne
- DuPont Saison
- Deschutes, Full Sail & Bridgeport: I like buying a mixer six pack and taking one or two bottles of each type to fill out the six pack.
- Alaska Smoked Porter.

But the real thrill in Portland is hitting the local breweries such as Laurelwood, HUB, Widmer, Green Dragon (not a brewery but a world class selection of great beers on tap) and all of the others to savor the beers they never bottle.

[pearl]

It's a "Bridgeport Big Brew" labeled "Stumptown Tart",

There will be enough brewed to get through August and then another limited release 22oz will roll out for the fall.

- Alaska Smoked Porter.

Last year I was up in Juneau at the Alaskan Brewery and we had the chance to do a vertical tasting of the last ten years of Smoked Porter ( It's only released in a limited format once each year ). Depending on the year the complexity of each was quite different. Over all aged very well.

[GraphiteZen]

Originally Posted by pearl

There will be enough brewed to get through August and then another limited release 22oz will roll out for the fall.

Alright!

[fishy2k]

Just returned from NYC today. A awesome beer I had was Brooklyn Lager. Just awesome, and it went great with the Grimaldis Pizza. Fishy

[Bobberman]

Originally Posted by ampersat

Grew up in Texas and spent seven years in Austin. I remember when Shiner Bock was a small independent, brewing in small copper kettles. You could taste the difference from six pack to six pack. When they were taken over, the quality really suffered. The difference was akin to the difference between a good homebaked bread versus Wonderbread. When I find myself back in Texas I'll buy it since it's the only thing they have on the shelf down there that isn't udder (sic) swill.

Mirror Pond and Black Butte Porter are now in Austin!

[willametteriveroutlaw]

Red Stripe is my favorite summer beer.

[Riverkeeper]

there's a good chance that us folk on Ifish have brows that are just a tad higher than the mass

Do you read a different Ifish than I do?

I think part of it may be a volume issue. 4 guys may meet up after work once or twice a week and drink a couple craft beers each. On the other hand, those same guys on a fishing/rafting trip, watching the game, running yard equipment, sighting in rifles, driving through the backcountry, etc. might bury 60 cans of domestic swill, with similar net results...thus inflating the numbers.

Seems like most that responded to this thread are indicating which beers they think TASTE the best, but maybe they are discounting the utility beers that they depend on for certain activities.

[ORsouthpaw]

Can't believe Hamms hasn't come up on a bear/beer thread. Well actually I can because I can't stand it myself!

My top 3:
Full Sail
Mirror Pond
Fat Tire

Oh, and anything else that is really, really cold when I run out of those three.