Non Belgian beers

[Trappist]

Hi Jay,
Glad you managed to get hold of that precious annual release!  No one beats Linda!



Here was my taste moment (thanks to you Jay  ) of the previous version.
It was freaky AMAAAZING !!!! And such a milky concistancy. 



But it's really too bad that this beer is in such a limited quantities. Frankly, they simply need to make more from that stuff 

Cheers,
Filip

[Jay]

.....No one beats Linda!

But it's really too bad that this beer is in such a limited quantities. Frankly, they simply need to make more from that stuff 

Cheers,
Filip

You said it Filip, she's one in a million (and today is her birthday so tonight I will open something very special 👍🏻 )

It is a shame that Putty isn't made year round but then again it would loose its mythical status (like having Stille Nacht Reserva a year round product) it's also made by a small Cornish brewer who once a year produce the very best beer they can, so release it in small quantities AND due to COVID this years Putty had the smallest production of any annual release.

I will bring one of my two remaining cans to the bottle share at Rudys and you will once again sample Putty 👍🏻

Cheers
Jay 

[Trappist]

I will bring one of my two remaining cans to the bottle share at Rudys and you will once again sample Putty 👍🏻

Jay, you definitely are WAY TOO kind 
That beer will get some massive promotion !! Well deserved 
Thanks a million Jay
Cheers,
Filip

[John B]

Heady Topper from a Pliny the Younger glass. Yes, from a glass even though it says on the can to drink it from the can. I've tried it both ways and I like it better from a glass. Nice beer, Heady basically created the New England IPA style.



Cheers! - John

[Trappist]

Yes, from a glass even though it says on the can to drink it from the can.

Hi John,
I just cannot believe or understand why they promote such a great beer to drink straight from the can! 
It embodies everything what you should not or never do to fully appreciate and enjoy a great beer.
Cheers,
Filip

[Viv]

Hi Filip and John,

As I am sure we all know by now "craft beer" has been one of  the hobbies, like drinking coffee,
of the fashion conscious trendies and hipsters for a few years!!!

And drinking direct from the bottle or can is seen as the way to taste the beers!

Just try tasting a Duvel from the bottle.....!!! 

Cheers!


Viv

[Trappist]

Just try tasting a Duvel from the bottle.....!!! 

That's even blasphemous 
Cheers,
Filip

[John B]

Hi Filip and Viv,

Yes I never quite understood the reasoning behind them saying to drink it from the can. I seem to remember John Kimmich, the owner of The Alchemist who brews Heady Topper explain that he feels that the aromas stay more concentrated and strong if kept in the can rather than poured into a glass. I'm not sure I buy that explanation. I've heard some people say they think he wanted it consumed from the can because Heady was the first murky or cloudy IPA and had a lot of "floaties" in it which might be a turn off for some IPA drinkers if they drank the beer from a glass. Maybe that's true, maybe not.

Whatever the case, I do know that I absolutely like it better from the glass. Although Heady Topper remains one of the highest rated beers in the world, I have to say that I find it very good but not one of my favorite beers, and not even one of my favorite IPAs. I guess it's just not the kind of hop profile that I find most enjoyable. I will say however that Heady is a very well made beer, top class brewing for sure.

Cheers! - John 

[John B]

Yesterday I picked up a few beers which I hadn't had before. A couple of them were from the Electric Brewing Company out of Murrieta CA, down near San Diego. I'd heard good things about that brewery and had wanted to pay them a visit in person, but the taproom was closed for quite a long time due to the pandemic and their beers were nowhere to be found on the shelves anywhere near me.

However yesterday I made the two hour round trip drive to my favorite good beer store and happened to see a couple of the Electric Company beers available, so I picked up one called Reason, a Kolsch beer which I had last night and it was excellent, a great representation of the style. This one here, a double dry hopped 7.9% IPA called Lovely Things was up next. A hazy offering, it has a thick body to it, and goes down smooth. Apparently it is made with Galaxy, Grüngeist, and Motueka hops, and this gives it a most unusual taste. In fact I've never had an IPA with this kind of profile. It has a strong peanut butter aftertaste to it. If you like this sort of flavor in your IPAs then this is probably a beer you would enjoy. For me it was interesting to say the least, but not a beer I'd go out and buy again. Cheers! - John

[John B]

Next up is a new one from a brewery that I discovered over the last year or so. Haven't had a bad or even average beer from them yet, they just seem to nail every style perfectly. This beer is from North Park Beer Company in San Diego. It's called Triple-Fu!, and is a 10.5% triple dry hopped triple IPA. Previously I'd had tried their Hop-Fu! IPA and was impressed. So when I saw this one on the shelf yesterday I had to pick up a can to sample.

This one is packed with Chinook, Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic, Columbus, and Strata hops. If you're a hop head then this is a beer for you. It features a slippery feeling in the mouth, with a low level of carbonation. Can't say that I've had a lot of triple IPAs to compare it to. Of the TIPAs that I've had, Russian River's Pliny the Younger is still the benchmark in my opinion. This North Park offering is very good, but still not quite up to PtY standards, but then again what beer is?

Overall this one gets a thumb's up, and I implore you to try any North Park Beer Co beer that you might come across, especially if found fresh. Cheers to you! - John

[Viv]

Hi John,

Good to see you enjoying some nice beers, and posting your thoughts on them too,
and it's good to appreciate the quality of beers being produced around the world,
although everyone here knows where Belgian beers stand quality wise.

Because the beers are produced locally to you they will be cheaper, fresher, and
easier to source than those being imported from Belgium and other worldwide
countries.

Cheers!


Viv

[John B]

Hi Viv,

You're correct, there is certainly no shortage of great beers available everywhere these days, many of them being brewed not that far away. It is nice to have access to those fresh beers, but I do miss enjoying a Belgian beer. Wish I could have them more often, but as you pointed out they are usually more expensive (for those of us who live outside Belgium) to purchase, so I'm limited to about one a month. I do love seeing your, Filip's and Jay's reports on them here though. I try to keep a mental note of which ones sound interesting, and hopefully next time I'm Belgium I'll give them a try.

Cheers! - John 

[Jay]

....I've heard some people say they think he wanted it consumed from the can because Heady was the first murky or cloudy IPA and had a lot of "floaties" in it which might be a turn off for some IPA drinkers if they drank the beer from a glass. Maybe that's true, maybe not.

That's the reason I was told, being the first of its kind it's appearance may have put some people off, so they put "drink from the can" as a way of avoiding any confusion.

I was lucky enough to receive a can of Heady Topper amongst the case of beers sent to us last year by our friends in New Hampshire, a special moment indeed 






Cheers
Jay

[John B]

Nice care package there Jay! Just wondering, have you ever gotten a hold of any beers from either Tree House Brewing or Hill Farmstead? They don't distribute to this side of the country, so I've never had the pleasure of trying anything from either brewery, but both are known to make some excellent beers.

Cheers! - John

[Trappist]

Hi all,
That one really looks more murky than the one John tasted. Alot of floaties there.
That indeed could explain why it's advised to drink from the can. People could dislike the beer only for that reason. 
But we all do know that floaties and hazy beers is just a sign of excellent quality !!!
John, thank for sharing your deep south west beers! IPA's from the San Diego region always look so refreshing. The hot weather I suppose 
Cheers,
Filip