Chic, IL Beer: The Thread

So last night we were talking Beer and decided it'd be a good idea to exchange notes about what we've been drinking recently.

I've been into a lot of off beat stuff in the last few weeks.

Chimay Grande Reserve - This is an GREAT beer. It has a really nice flavor some citrus accents and a touch of hops make it delicious. Be warned it runs $10 a bottle but that is a pint and a half. Goblet recommended for maximum enjoyment!

Founders Centennial IPA - Another great beer. It is an IPA so expect TONS of hoppy goodness.

Great Divide's Yeti - This one holds the title of one of the best beers ever. It is a stout and finishes with a delicious bit of caramel flavor. Highly recommended.

 

You need to hook up with the Beer Nerd at Capricon. At some point in the night he and his buddy have a themed beer tasting in their room and they're both like total beer nerds and explain all the technical stuff that goes into each beer. It's fun....and IT'LL GET YA DRUNK!

D'

 

I suggest


ROOT BEER WORLD

[image=http://www.root-beer.org/Root_Beer.gif]


http://www.root-beer.org/modules.php?name=Brands&rbop=Brand&bid=81



Old Dutch,

[image=http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a94/MusicTrooper/DSC08627.jpg]

was my favorite back in the day......

but I would not mind giving the beer at Goose Island a try,


[image=http://www.rootbeerreviews.com/brews/images/gooseisland.jpg]

 

I've had many a beer and conversation with that guy at past caps. He knows his stuff!

 

Thanks for the tip Bosh.

well I tried FAT Tire last night. I liked it. Though my beer choices so far have been limited.

 

Fat Tire is a decent beer.

I wish there were more micro breweries (sp?) around my place. Alot of times those beers can surprise you. Like when I was in Indy this past weekend, we went to this place called The Ram (which after looking at the website there is one in Shaumburg and Rosemont, so I might have to take a drive when I gots some extra cash) and their Blonde and Big Red weren't bad at all. I'm not a huge fan of red beers, but I liked this one, and I like alot of lighter beers.....can't do the heavy stuff.

 

I have been to the RAM, in Wheeling....pretty cool place.

Have also been to the one in INDY as well

No alcohol for me, but good food, and an ok place in general.

 

Anybody go to Goose Island?

 

Goose Island has some good beers....and some that taste like poo. But, it's always fun to try their different seasonal ones. I used to be friends with several of their employees and used to get lots of freebiers.
Down here Shiner is the Goose Island of Central Texas...but it's piss in comparison.

Some of those new Fat Tire spin-offs are OK, though I find the original to be a little syrupy. Stay away from the Blue Moon spin-off, Full Moon, it is ass.

D'

 

I have, that is why I posted about the

Goose Island

Root Beer above

 

BTW Bosh....I might need to talk to you about Texas....I'm looking to move...

BTW everyone here....I'm looking to move!

Edit: Maybe should have put this in another thread......oh well.....

 

The Fat Tire I had at the Blue Frog was quite good. Miller Lite is my go-to beer but I'm also a fan of micro-brew. The Rocket-something we had at C3 from the Rock Bottom Brewery was great. It tasted better since we drank it out in the hallway of our hotel rooms among fellow geeks.

 

Rocketsauce! That stuff was pretty good!

Fett: Moving? Say it ain't so!!!!

 

Fett: If you're going to move to Texas, the ONLY place worth moving to (unless you're going to make so much money that living in a $#1t-hole like Houston or Dallas will be compensated)....is Austin. If you like small po-dunk redneck towns, then pretty much the rest of the state is wide open to you. Austin is the only place with a decent climate and lots of fun (cheap) things to do. Great place for movie and music geeks. Don't get me wrong, I still prefer Chicago...if you have a choice, stay there. But, I'm not lying when I say that life doesn't exist for a thousand miles outside of this burg. If you do decide to come here, I can help you find a place, job, nerd collective etc.

Beer: I think the only mass-produced domestic that I can drink regularly is Sam Adams. Most of their recipes tend to be drinkable IMHO. Fat Tire's only advantage over SA is that it'll get you in party-mode cheaper & faster.
What I REALLY HATE is how many of the good world beers like Sapporo & Fosters (which I've drank at the source) are produced in Canada, don't taste half as good and then sold in the US under import prices (HELLO!! NAFTA!!). If I want Canandian beer I'll drink a Moosehead.

D'

 

I bought a bottle of this based on the name. I'm pretty sure it is going to suck. The last beer I bought based on name was a Belgian beer called Lucifer. I thought, "yeah that is pretty metal it should be good!" Two sips and out it went. It was awful. Tasted like Budweiser. Total fail.

In the fridge right now:
The Yeti
Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale (another Founder's Product)
Founder's Centennial IPA
Merlin Ale (Another based on the label buy)
Some other crazy IPA that is 11%

 

Do they still make "HeBrew", God's chosen beer? It was a novelty microbrew about a decade ago, but I recall some people claiming it was actually pretty good.

Of course, these were the days when we thought vodka, rum, coke and goldschlager mixed well together...

-Le Penguin
"and now I got diarrhea"

 

They do! I see it at places all the time. Never tried it though.

 

I wish I remember all the beers I tried when I went to The Yard House when I lived up north. They have a VERY large selection... I really liked the Red Hook Blonde, and you can never go wrong with the Rouge Dead Guy.

 

ah - i saw just saw root beer and kept scrolling one of these days i should try their other sodas too


I recently made it up to chippewa falls for the leine tour. they had a creamy dark lager that i thought was very good but cannot seem to find it outside wisconsin borders

 

The two leaders around here are Wasatch Brew Pub and Squatter's.

I have it on good authority that the Apricot Hefeweizen is particularly nice.

 

That Devastator from Wasatch sounds awesome.

Also:
Best label ever.

I am dying to get a hold of some of that!!!

 

I went to the Ram last year for Father's Day and they had a special where it was 6 beers, 4 oz. each for like 12 bucks. It went from light to a dark lager, to, I kid you not, chocolate. I seriously almost did a record for projectile vomit. Two great tastes of chocolate and beer should never, ever be put together.

 

I beg to differ.

Young's Chocolate Stout is most excellent. The chocolate has to be pretty understated and be accompanied by something else, often coffee flavor. If there is too much chocolate flavor, you're 100% right, it is nasty.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we used to drink this Vanilla Cream Ale all the time about 3 years back. Man it was delicious. Prairie Rock made it. Trouble was we drank way too much of it. Way too much. The smell of the stuff was enough to make us sick. I'm soured on that stuff forever.

Personally, I find the RAM to be pretty hit or miss. Their food is rather average IMHO. The beer seems like standard microbrew beer. That is not to say that it is bad by any means. I just don't recall anything being outstanding there.

Mark what was that bar by us that had 30 beers on tap that you mentioned? I'm pretty sure you were the one that mentioned it.

 

I've heard good things about this Chocolate Stout, but haven't been able to find my way to buying any. There are just so many bad flavored beers.

 

30 beers on tap? I don't think that was me. But the bar Megan and I fell in love with is Galvin's, which has a number of Irish ales, some on tap.