What beer are you drinking tonight? For the new forum...

Always liked the SN Celebration IPA.
Within the past three weeks a new brew pub opened up very close to home, and over FOUR new places that don't brew but have several dozen crafts on tap each have sprouted in the area. Looks like there's not only no end in site to the craft beer renaissance, but also to Detroit's!
 
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After 20 miles on the trails yesterday, I stopped at the local beer store and told them I wanted a "summer brew". Like Leine's Summer Shandy or Sam Adams' Porch Rocker. This is what they gave me. Perfect. Clean, easy to drink, no hangover for church this morning. Yes!
 
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On my recent trip back to the states I tried to find a some hopslam and heady topper, which I found you could only find hopslam in January and heady topper in Vermont. Oh well.

I ended up sampling some Bell's two heart ale instead of the hopslam, Revolution Anti Hero IPA and some other heavy IPA. All were pretty good. Glad to see a strong beer scene in Chicago.

I also tried a bottle of Dogfish 90... wow I have been missing out. This is easily one of my favorite IPA's.
 
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Those are some of my favorites there Abide ;)

Going back to Jen's post a while back about getting divroced but yet trying to maintain beer standards despite less income... well my turn now. No way I'm buying cheap beer (especially light cheap beer haha). If I should be running low on beer funds I guess I'm just going to have to scale back quantity a bit. Ok, and maybe focus on some of the least expensive good beers out there.

So I bought my first beer in cans in... ever? But don't fret this isn't cheap stuff. In fact it was quite pricey, I think it was $11 or $12 for a 6-pack of cans.

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Got to say its pretty decent for a double IPA, and by far the best beer out of a can I've had yet!
 
WHERE???
SAVE ME SOME!
Seriously!!!!
My local store got it in one day (I was too busy to get there after work), and sold out by the weekend, never to return.
Limit two per customer at Total Wine in Roseville last week. Might be out by now. I'll do my best to save a six-pack for you . . . . Otherwise, Chillwave should be coming back soon too, right?
 
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Limit two per customer at Total Wine in Roseville last week. Might be out by now. I'll do my best to save a six-pack for you . . . . Otherwise, Chillwave should be coming back soon too, right?


Yes, and chillwave might even have been better, but I never got a chance to try them side by side.
Maybe hopslam was rare this year. It seems like last year in MI there were a few weeks where the six packs were in stores; according to sources in MI, this time around it was gone in a snap and now only available by tap at the Bells.
 
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Those are some of my favorites there Abide ;)

Going back to Jen's post a while back about getting divroced but yet trying to maintain beer standards despite less income... well my turn now. No way I'm buying cheap beer (especially light cheap beer haha). If I should be running low on beer funds I guess I'm just going to have to scale back quantity a bit. Ok, and maybe focus on some of the least expensive good beers out there.

So I bought my first beer in cans in... ever? But don't fret this isn't cheap stuff. In fact it was quite pricey, I think it was $11 or $12 for a 6-pack of cans.

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Got to say its pretty decent for a double IPA, and by far the best beer out of a can I've had yet!


Will try to find some.
Good and timely tip. :D
 
Yes, and chillwave might even have been better, but I never got a chance to try them side by side.
Maybe hopslam was rare this year. It seems like last year in MI there were a few weeks where the six packs were in stores; according to sources in MI, this time around it was gone in a snap and now only available by tap at the Bells.
Yah, Hopslam is pretty good or perhaps just more complex, but I recall liking Chillwave better, so hopefully a bottle of Hopslam will survive long enough to taste it side-by-side with Chillwave when it comes out. All in all, I wouln't say Hopslam is worth paying three times more than your standard 12-pack sort of IPA, like Sierra Nevada's Torpedo, Summit's Saga, or New Belgium's Ranger, but it's a nice treat.

BTW, do you recall the name of the Double IPA we had at the Longfellow Grill?
 
Yah, Hopslam is pretty good or perhaps just more complex, but I recall liking Chillwave better, so hopefully a bottle of Hopslam will survive long enough to taste it side-by-side with Chillwave when it comes out. All in all, I wouln't say Hopslam is worth paying three times more than your standard 12-pack sort of IPA, like Sierra Nevada's Torpedo, Summit's Saga, or New Belgium's Ranger, but it's a nice treat.

BTW, do you recall the name of the Double IPA we had at the Longfellow Grill?



Snagged some! The local Coborn's liquor store, not usually a big craft beer place (though they usually have some good pics). All gone now. Got the last six pack.

No, I don't remember that IPA, but I do recall it was good.
At the local stores here I have been having Alaska's Hopothermia from time to time. I find it good, with a nice finish, but not so much that I would gush over it.
 
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I think I had Hopslam once last year but I can't remember where I got it. I'll keep my eyes open but slim chance I suppose. Haven't seen Chillwave but it should be soon...

Have had a few new ones lately, including a new version of one of my favorites by Stone Brewing, The Double Bastard!

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The Arrogant Bastard is one of my favorites, as well as most of the hoppy selections from Stone. This is no different, a good double IPA (though I see BA considers it a strong ale). Not my favorite but definitely enjoyable. I think I still prefer the Arrogant Bastard over this. Found it recently shopping at Earth Fare, in the big 24oz bottles. It has a particular flavor that some 2xIPAs have that I'm not thrilled about (I call it a yeasty flavor but I don't know if its anything to do with yeast or not to be honest), but that’s just me and I'd still buy it again. Its also a bit strong at 11% so potent all around.
 
Snagged some! The local Coborn's liquor store, not usually a big craft beer place (though they usually have some good pics). All gone now. Got the last six pack.

No, I don't remember that IPA, but I do recall it was good.
At the local stores here I have been having Alaska's Hopothermia from time to time. I find it good, with a nice finish, but not so much that I would gush over it.
Well done!

Yah, Hopthermia is pretty good, but probably not worth the extra money. I get it once in a while. At least they don't have any of the 'limited release' pr bs attached to it.

Lemme know if you find the Hopslam as good as you remember it.
 
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I think I had Hopslam once last year but I can't remember where I got it. I'll keep my eyes open but slim chance I suppose. Haven't seen Chillwave but it should be soon...

Have had a few new ones lately, including a new version of one of my favorites by Stone Brewing, The Double Bastard!

View attachment 5538

The Arrogant Bastard is one of my favorites, as well as most of the hoppy selections from Stone. This is no different, a good double IPA (though I see BA considers it a strong ale). Not my favorite but definitely enjoyable. I think I still prefer the Arrogant Bastard over this. Found it recently shopping at Earth Fare, in the big 24oz bottles. It has a particular flavor that some 2xIPAs have that I'm not thrilled about (I call it a yeasty flavor but I don't know if its anything to do with yeast or not to be honest), but that’s just me and I'd still buy it again. Its also a bit strong at 11% so potent all around.


Thanks, I'll check that one out.
Sometimes the "strong ales" feel kind of syrupy/meadish to me........
 
Well done!

Yah, Hopthermia is pretty good, but probably not worth the extra money. I get it once in a while. At least they don't have any of the 'limited release' pr bs attached to it.

Lemme know if you find the Hopslam as good as you remember it.


A brew pub nearby had some on tap last night.
Yes, it's still as good as I remember. It is bold, but feels like an easy drinking summer beer, really nice finish. None of the other double IPAs I've tried have a finish as....precise.
The good news is that it is sparse so I won't accidentally drink too much (strong!)
 
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A brew pub nearby had some on tap last night.
Yes, it's still as good as I remember. It is bold, but feels like an easy drinking summer beer, really nice finish. None of the other double IPAs I've tried have a finish as....precise.
The good news is that it is sparse so I won't accidentally drink too much (strong!)
Yah, although the limited release thing seems silly, it's probably a good thing. That ale is strong in content and price! I think you nailed the finish. It is extremely precise. I guess more does go into it so that's why they charge so much more, but if the ingredients are available year-round (I'm not sure about this) then why limit production to just a month a year? Seems like they'd make more in volume than mystique. I mean, I could justify a six-pack per month, but not twelve six-packs all at once.
 
Yah, although the limited release thing seems silly, it's probably a good thing. That ale is strong in content and price! I think you nailed the finish. It is extremely precise. I guess more does go into it so that's why they charge so much more, but if the ingredients are available year-round (I'm not sure about this) then why limit production to just a month a year? Seems like they'd make more in volume than mystique. I mean, I could justify a six-pack per month, but not twelve six-packs all at once.


I've actually had it explained to me by brewers, but I'm zoning out on it now. I gathered that there may be some rationalization beyond just marketing.
Something about tank time, brewing time, resources for other brews. I wouldn't think a place as big as Bells would issues, so maybe for them it is just a matter of creating hype.
For example, Dragon's Milk (bourbon barrel aged stout from New Holland) is way strong and requires repeated brews/aging, but it's around all year and most everywhere, so who knows.
Indeed, though, Hopslam is strong enough without seeming strong at all, so the scarcity is probably healthier for me. :D
 
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New friend's husband left a couple cases of his home brew in the cellar. He doesn't want it any more and told her to give it to me. Damn good stuff and he's a prince and a genius in my book. Red ale and a Belgian style rich, sweet effort, but he forgot to label the bottles so each one's an adventure.
 
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Picked up a six pack of Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Hoppy Lager. Read the description at home and was a little worried about it being a blonde lager. I don't like any beers with "blonde" in the title. Really surprised. A good beer, plenty of hops without the syrup of strong IPA's. Going to get more on my next trip to Arizona.