The "Rate a Beer" Thread

[ORLYLOL]

Originally Posted by That Goblin

The original settlers of North America did land on the west coast

This is true. I should clarify as to the European settlers...

[That Goblin]

Originally Posted by ORLYLOL

This is true. I should clarify as to the European settlers...

Duly noted.

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by trondogss

Been a while since I posted here, but here are two new ones for me:

Goose Island Pere Jacques **** - At first taste, I didn't think I would finish 1 bottle, let alone the 4 pack I bought, but it grew on me as I drank it. It has a very strong malt and yeast taste, that took me a minute or two to adjust to. I ended up drinking two of my bottles before the night was done with a nice buzz (9% abv I think)

Goose Island Mitalda ****.5 - I had this on tap the other night, and I loved it. It has a slight fruity smell and finishes really well making me want to take another drink. A good Belgian style ale that has a nice hoppy taste. I can't wait to drink another one of these bad boys, or should I say girls.

Get them while you can. I think I heard somewhere that since Goose Island got bought they might be discontinuing a bunch of their non-flagship stuff. Not sure how true that is, but consider it a heads up.

[erosewater]

Originally Posted by ORLYLOL

New Glarus Moon Man No Coast Pale Ale **** Another awesome beer. This brewery should export out to the west coast

I'd say there's basically no chance New Glarus ever expands outside Wisconsin. Spotted Cow is already the #1 selling draft beer in the state, and this is in the state where they make Miller Lite. Lots of hometown pride in Wisconsin, amongst NG drinkers and the Carey family. They tried selling in IL for a while and later pulled out. They have no need to go outside the state.

[erosewater]

Originally Posted by Entropy

Get them while you can. I think I heard somewhere that since Goose Island got bought they might be discontinuing a bunch of their non-flagship stuff. Not sure how true that is, but consider it a heads up.

I don't think this is true. Their more mass-market beers like Honkers Ale, 312, IPA, etc. will get wider distribution, and will probably start being brewed in other places. They've already started brewing 312 on the east coast (though they did already have a deal in the works to brew it at Red Hook before the InBev purchase), and some of the others will probably soon follow. I wouldn't be surprised if they cheaped out on the ingredients on those beers too. But the specialty beers will still be around, and I don't think the quality will suffer. If anything moving the production of the flagship stuff elsewhere will give the brewers more time to work on the limited stuff.

[Entropy]

Originally Posted by erosewater

I don't think this is true. Their more mass-market beers like Honkers Ale, 312, IPA, etc. will get wider distribution, and will probably start being brewed in other places. They've already started brewing 312 on the east coast (though they did already have a deal in the works to brew it at Red Hook before the InBev purchase), and some of the others will probably soon follow. I wouldn't be surprised if they cheaped out on the ingredients on those beers too. But the specialty beers will still be around, and I don't think the quality will suffer. If anything moving the production of the flagship stuff elsewhere will give the brewers more time to work on the limited stuff.

If that is the case, I'm perfectly fine with it. Didn't they already get rid of some of their beers though?

ETA: Looks like I might just be thinking of the brown, oatmeal stout, and christmas beers that got dropped last year. Maybe that's all it will end up being.

[erosewater]

Originally Posted by Entropy

If that is the case, I'm perfectly fine with it. Didn't they already get rid of some of their beers though?

Not since the InBev purchase. They actually announced they are bringing back a couple they hadn't done for a while, the Nut Brown and I forget the other.

They are owned by a huge company now, a company whose focus is more on making money than making good beer, but I think as long as InBev can sell a whole crapload of 312 and Honkers they'll happily let GI keep brewing all their specialty beers.

I would think the margins aren't too bad on the specialty stuff too. They sell Bourbon County Rare for $40 a bomber, Bourbon County Vanilla for $25 a bomber, and regular Bourbon County for $20/4-pack. Barrels aren't cheap and there's the storage cost of aging them for a year or more, but those prices are pretty stiff.

ETA: saw your edit, I think those are all the ones coming back. Moving some production to another brewery allowed them to do so.

[T-roy Boy]

Fcuk.. I just wrote an entire shpeel about NG Cranbic. You have to try it. ****. Any time anyone needs NG to trade, a simple PM and it is onnits way for trade.

[erosewater]

Originally Posted by erosewater

I don't think this is true. Their more mass-market beers like Honkers Ale, 312, IPA, etc. will get wider distribution, and will probably start being brewed in other places. They've already started brewing 312 on the east coast (though they did already have a deal in the works to brew it at Red Hook before the InBev purchase), and some of the others will probably soon follow. I wouldn't be surprised if they cheaped out on the ingredients on those beers too. But the specialty beers will still be around, and I don't think the quality will suffer. If anything moving the production of the flagship stuff elsewhere will give the brewers more time to work on the limited stuff.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/featur...,6702143.story

Three months after being acquired by Anheuser-Busch, Goose Island Beer Co. said today that its massively popular 312 Urban Wheat Ale will soon be brewed in an AB facility in upstate New York.
...
Goose founder and Chief Executive Officer John Hall said the move will be a boon for fans of the brewery's higher end beers, like Matilda and Bourbon County Stout.

Accounting for almost half the brewery's sales, 312 has required significant resources at Goose's Fulton Street plant. With the beer's production heading east -- partially at first and likely entirely at some point -- that space can be used for other projects, Hall said.

"Those beers are much more specialized and they take a lot of full time effort," Hall said this afternoon.

The extra capacity will also mean the return of Goose's dormant Christmas and nut brown ales.

[remilard]

That had been announced before your 8/3 post, so no prophet points for you.

New Glarus didn't just pull out of IL, they got raped by their IL distributor first (we don't want to distribute your beer anymore but for $20,000 you can buy back the right to pick a different distributor). I love what they do, including the WI only thing (even though that sucks for me).

Life's not worth living if you don't travel for beer though.