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Old July 4th, 2016 #301
Donnie in Ohio
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Enjoyed reading that Fred. Thanks.

Deschutes is a brewery that wasn't distributed in Ohio until the past year or so. Used to have to trade for their excellent beers, now you can pick it up in gas stations.

Not that I purchase my beer at gas stations.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder

Last edited by Donnie in Ohio; July 4th, 2016 at 07:03 AM.
 
Old July 5th, 2016 #302
Donnie in Ohio
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Default Four String Payback Pilsner

Jim said that "The West is the best", and for a lot of years, that was true if you were talking about craft beer. Oregon, California, Colorado, that's where the big boys were.

Now everyone is freaking out about just how local one can source their Oak-Infused Session White IPA Lager. On tap. Gravity tap if possible.

Which made me pick up this Pilsner (6/cans) from Four String Brewery called "Payback" when I saw that it is brewed in Ohio, my adopted home state.

Fun fact: I'm actually a Southerner by birth. I'm a Molly Hatchet fan, man. Not like a huge fan, but still. I don't turn them off when they come on Sirus channel 26. I mean, I don't turn it up either, but I don't dip to channel 25 like I do every fucking time anything from ZZ Top starts to play. That shit drops faster than trunks at a Kennedy pool party. Hate ZZ Top.

But I digress.

From the website: Our pilsner is an all-day drinker perfect for a rock festival weekend. This lager beer is brilliant with a gorgeous golden hue. We age it for nearly a month using a centuries old process to build a crisp, clean flavor that is perfectly balanced. The nose is bright with loads of herbal, cedar and floral hop aroma contributed by the finest hops the Bavarian Hallertauer region can yield.

IBU 45 ABV 5.1%


OK. Let's get set up. The glass is a hand-washed, air-cooled Sam Adams Perfect Pint which we will rinse w/very cold water directly pre-pour.

Beer fridge is set at 42 degrees. Should be a little higher for Ales. Colder is ok for Pilsners. But don't be tempted to set it lower than 42 or so, because you'll start to lose some of the notes until the beer warms a little. If you're drinking anything much below, say 38 degrees, you're not going to taste anything, just a really cold liquid. Ask Capt. Smith.

OK. The can is silver. One side has a large Ram's head sitting atop the necks of two guitars (one is a bass) Jolly Roger-style. So a musical vibe. And some Occult shit. I'm in. The other side has an Ace of Spades playing card with a large coiled snake on it. I think it's a Cobra. I sold my Cobra last Summer. "Payback Pilsner" is emblazoned across the card. Another tip: Never chase a flush unless you have the Ace. Never. You'll get beaten more times than The French Army if you do.

Ok, an aggressive pour rewards with a substantial Crest-white foamy head. Deflates quickly, with minimal lacing. Color is damn-near clear. Looks like water you left a single Oak chip in for an hour. Hate to use this comparison, but it looks like a BMC "light" beer.

Initial note is herbal, and strong, man, Smells like the wind in a forest. Very inviting. I don't get any cedar, maybe as it warms.

First sip, this is a malt-forward Pils. Slight aspirin aftertaste, which is there and gone. Wow, they must hop this beer big-time because it's astringent. Doesn't detract and it isn't overpowering, but it's there. As the beer warms the herb really kicks in. Not getting any citrus. Or cedar.

So lots of malts and hops. Which is wierd because the color isn't substantial. Very dry finish.

All in all, a pretty standard Czech-style Pils. Brewed in Ohio. 1 to 10? 5. Like Tina Fey. There are worse. There are better.
__________________
"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder

Last edited by Donnie in Ohio; July 6th, 2016 at 04:39 AM.
 
Old July 8th, 2016 #303
Fred Streed
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Good review, Donnie.

I grew up (literally, mid teens on) drinking cheap mass produced beer, mostly because that's all we had. I think a bunch of those brands are gone, at least I never see them around, Olympia, Rainer, Blitz Weinhard. Olympia had the four dot thing going. If you peeled the label off of a bottle of Oly it would have anywhere from one to four dots on the backside. It's probably best if I don't get into what the dots were supposed to symbolize.

The army sentenced me to Ft. Hood, in Texas. They drank some really crappy beer there, Lone Star, Pearl, some real horse piss that made Budweiser taste good in comparison, and I hate Budweiser.

Quote:
I think it's a Cobra. I sold my Cobra last Summer.
Cobra? As in Shelby AC Cobra?
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Old July 9th, 2016 #304
Donnie in Ohio
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred Streed View Post
Good review, Donnie.
Thanks. I've got a much better Ohio-brewed Pils to review "on tap", so to speak. Cincinnati brewery.

Quote:
I grew up (literally, mid teens on) drinking cheap mass produced beer, mostly because that's all we had. I think a bunch of those brands are gone, at least I never see them around, Olympia, Rainer, Blitz Weinhard. Olympia had the four dot thing going. If you peeled the label off of a bottle of Oly it would have anywhere from one to four dots on the backside. It's probably best if I don't get into what the dots were supposed to symbolize.
I think Olympia is still around, or at least it was a couple of years ago. All the Oly we got here in the farmlands was in cans. I always enjoyed Oly. "It's the water".

There is a growing trend towards re-opening some of the now long-shuttered breweries of the past, and brewing those legacy beers once again. Much smaller footprint, of course. In fact, I think that's the case with Olympia.

Everything old is new again, right? God, at least I hope so.

Guess what opened up couple of towns over? A record store. Selling vinyl, man. And turntables with which to play it. They'll tell you the sound is better. That slight imperfections in the performance captured on vinyl (that are now all fixed in post production) means authenticity. We walked out of the place, and I asked my wife "Am I that pretentious about beer"? She laughed so hard she got the hiccups. So, yeah. Apparently.

Quote:
Cobra? As in Shelby AC Cobra?
I wish. Those things are like a million dollars, bro. Nah, a 2012 Shelby GT500 Cobra. Traded it in on one of the new Corvettes.

And yes Kiefer, wherever you are, it's a convertible.
__________________
"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder

Last edited by Donnie in Ohio; July 9th, 2016 at 03:24 AM.
 
Old July 12th, 2016 #305
Donnie in Ohio
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Default Rhinegeist Puma Pilsner

It's hot in The Ohio Valley today. Hotter than Blake Lively in a French bikini.

91 degrees with 78% humidity. No air movement. The Gasden hangs languid yellow with no hint of flutter at all.

In other words, a day made for Pilsners. And I'm just the guy to prove it.

Rhinegeist (Ghost of the Rhine) Puma Pils is brewed in Cincinnati. Small brewery, they brew maybe 5 different styles. All cans. No bottles. Some are seasonal, as is Puma.

Beer fridge remains at 42 degrees, but as I'm typing this, our review can is in the freezer. I know what I said about not getting your beer too cold. But fuck that. It's hot outside, man. Capt. Smith would understand.

From the website:

Quote:
Elegant and subtle, this hoppy pilsner balances bready malts with striking noble hops. Puma pilsner pounces with golden brilliance as floral aromatics punctuate each sip.

ABV 5.2% IBU 40
Malts: Pils, Munich, Vienna
Hops: Sterling, Tettnanger, Hallertau Traditional

Glass is a hand-washed Duvel tulip. Rinsed with ice water pre-pour.

Here goes:

Can is blue & green, with a pointy-headed ghost on it. Says "RHINEGEIST" in large lettering. Also says it's "Cincy Made". Like Pete Rose.

Aggressive pour gives a solid 3-finger head that lasts. Tons of lacing. Beer is a beautiful lemonade color. Slight chill haze. Great looking Summer beer.

Big floral notes on the nose. Smells like, well, flowers. You can really pick up the Tettnanger & Hallertau hops in the aroma. Same German hops are used in Boston Lager from The Boston Beer Co. (Sam Adams), although that's not a Pils.

Taste is a refreshing hop-bomb. Citrus, some pine. Slight cracker aftertaste from the Pils malt. This beer is the very definition of quaffable. Very light, non-coating mouthfeel. Dry. Invites the next sip. The lacing is quite substantial as the glass goes empty. Looks like Jackson Pollack painted the glass with white foam.

A very good beer. Perfect for the style.

$10 a sixer. No idea what the distribution looks like outside Ohio, but if you see it, and you like Pils, pick it up. 8 out of 10 on the VNNF beer geek scale.

I just put #2 in the freezer. It's that good, and it's that hot outside.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder
 
Old October 4th, 2016 #306
SouthernNS
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This is quite a long thread, so forgive me if I've overlooked something.

I really like Blue Moon Belgian White. Hipsters and socialists hate it because it's made by a macro brewery, as opposed to a commune. Witbiers are my thing; I love the bready taste.

I also like Fat Tire Amber Ale, again because of the bready taste.

I like Sam Adams Boston Lager, but I don't buy it anymore, as I've found they've given in to Kosher Nostra.
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Old October 6th, 2016 #307
Donnie in Ohio
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernNS View Post
This is quite a long thread, so forgive me if I've overlooked something.
Nothing to forgive. Welcome aboard.

Quote:
I really like Blue Moon Belgian White. Hipsters and socialists hate it because it's made by a macro brewery, as opposed to a commune.
Yeah, Coors. There have been more than a few beers brewed by the big boys marketed as "craft" beers. Which is fine. In the end, all that matters is the quality of the brew.

Quote:
Witbiers are my thing; I love the bready taste.

I also like Fat Tire Amber Ale, again because of the bready taste.
New Belgium brews good stuff. I'm a fan of their Ranger IPA. Not huge on Wits, as I'm more of a hop guy.

The past couple of years, I've primarily been drinking local beers. By local, I mean brewed within 100 miles. There are new options every week it seems. Great time to be alive, eh?

Hey, life is too short to drink bad beer. Thanks for your input.
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"When US gets nuked and NEMO is uninhabitable, I will make my way on foot to the gulf and live off red snapper and grapefruit"- Alex Linder

Last edited by Donnie in Ohio; October 6th, 2016 at 05:59 AM.
 
Old December 5th, 2016 #308
SouthernNS
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New favorite.



A pronounced banana smell; banana flavor is a bit more moderate.
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Old December 5th, 2016 #309
klarn
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I like Southern Pecan Nut Brown Ale by Magnolia brewery in Mississippi. I thought it was a gimmick, but it's a smooth ale with the hint of roasted pecan. Good stuff
 
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