Alcoholics Associated

[GoatmasterGeneral]

I'm assuming most country bumpkins that live that far out in the sticks have never bothered to spend the money to develop a craft beer habit. They're happy drinking their Bud or Miller or Coors at $5 a 12-pack or whatever it costs and I'm sure they think us big city folks are fucked in the head for forking over anywhere from $2 to $18 on each individual bottle of beer.

[markm]

I like the occasional stout or porter but they're super heavy on the waistline and I like pale ales and IPA's, I'm not super picky, and I'm happy with a mix of larger commercial operations and smaller local breweries in MD, DE, VA and PA. Some of the names I hit on the regular include Stone, Dogfish, Flying Dog, Lagunitas, Southern Tier, Founders, Oscar Blues, heavy Seas, Stillwater. I have no problem with Sierra Nevada and I'll even do Samuel Adams. I have a pretty laid back nature generally, fairly easy to pleas, not very type A  

[GoatmasterGeneral]

I hate beer shopping around here in Sussex County because it's all so random, hit or miss. There have been a few times when I've gotten lucky and found some really exceptional beers in local stores. There was the Big Bad Baptist line from Epic, the Oskar Blues line, and one time I got a 4-pack of something called Drago which was an incredibly tasty barrel aged RIS. There have been other pleasant surprises like that too. But then what inevitably happens is I'm never able to find any of them ever again, which really pisses me off. 1st world problems.

[AlSymerz]

I used to have a similar problem at one of our bulk liquor suppliers. They were big enough that they'd have a huge range but not always big enough to sell it all so once the stuff had sat around for a while they'd discount it and stick it at the front of the store for everyone to see. It was good picking through the stuff and finding the odd gem, but most times because the sales were so bad in the first place they'd never get the stuff back in.

[navybsn]

Fun fact, Oskar Blue is in a dry county. Just south of my buddy's house. Never understood the dry county thing. If you don't want to drink beer, just don't. Quit fucking around with other people's ability to do so.

[markm]

11 minutes ago, navybsn said:

Fun fact, Oskar Blue is in a dry county. Just south of my buddy's house. Never understood the dry county thing. If you don't want to drink beer, just don't. Quit fucking around with other people's ability to do so.

Those old blue laws are redic. One town south of me, Damascus is dry, so it's like literally you just drive to the next town or suburb. Dumb. 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

1 hour ago, navybsn said:

Fun fact, Oskar Blues is in a dry county. Just south of my buddy's house. 

Which location, NC? I think they started in Colorado. My favorites are Ten Fidy and Death by Coconut. Although I can rarely ever find the DBC, I have reasonable luck finding the Ten Fidy a few times a year. 

[FatherAlabaster]

I've offered to try to hook our old pal BAN up with some right coast IPAs but he told me it probably wasn't worth trying, with how locked down Utah is. He used to post about beer hauls he'd get driving out to Colorado. I shouldn't complain. I guess they can sell higher abv beers at the liquor stores in Utah, and they raised their standard limit from the ridiculous 3.2% to 5% a couple years ago, so that's progress. When I was living in NC they had a 6% limit on every beer they could regulate, but there was a big push to get rid of that cap and they eventually made it happen. My dad used to brew a lot down there and I did for a bit with some friends as well. I miss having the time.

I used to like Oskar Blues' Little Yella pilsner and Old Chub scotch ale in NY but haven't seen them around since I moved up here. I know we get Oskar Blues but I only see Dale's at the stores. I did just get some Founders Breakfast Stout, which is, you know, just fine.

[navybsn]

24 minutes ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Which location, NC? I think they started in Colorado. My favorites are Ten Fidy and Death by Coconut. Although I can rarely ever find the DBC, I have reasonable luck finding the Ten Fidy a few times a year. 

Mills River, NC. The Scotch Ale is my favorite of theirs. Highland which is right close has an excellent Wee Heavy as well.

[FatherAlabaster]

Currently on one of my favorite meads, which apparently does bad things to the brain.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

My guess is it's having a neurochemical reaction with the nose ring.

 

Scored two 6-packs of these yesterday. Not mead, but it's pretty good I've had it before.

 

[FatherAlabaster]

Nope, it's stainless, plus my nose isn't too well attached to my brain anymore.

[blaaacdoommmmfan]

On 1/23/2022 at 3:44 PM, markm said:

Good wool socks are a must. I've been buying these overpriced but killer socks made in Vermont called Darn Tough that come with an unconditional lifetime guarantee. I'll look for them if I can get them on sale especially at a LL Bean and R.E.I. stores, which I'm luck enough to have stores close to where I work. 

Woodford Reserve is one of the best known brands. In metal terms they are a mainstream brand of whisky. They're like the Metallica and Iron Maiden of whisky and they're a fine place to start. I don't love WR but enjoy it as a kind of rail or house brand for making cocktails like an Old Fashioned or mixed with a splash of ginger ale or ginger beer. I've had their higher end Double Oaked in the $60 range, but there are better choices for that much coin. 

For a good well priced high octane sipping whisky, the go to brand has got to be Knob Creek. If you're new to whisky and want to try something nice without breaking the wallet, give Knob Creek. At a 100 proof a little goes along way \m/   

Markm it's all about the socks 😁 heated gloves would be handy too. The price puts me off at the moment. I'm alot slower when my hands are freezing so I'm sure they'd be worth it. Are battery heated gear more a thing in USA as I don't know many who use it in UK apart some biker friends from work.  

Thanks for info re Woodford reserve. Yeah that figures. It's was an Amazon special offer. Yeah I'm with you re more premium big brands. I've tried Jack Daniels single barrel and gentleman jack but I preferred no7 standard. 

I'm not new to whisky but thanks for the recommendation re knob creek as I know very little about bourbon. 👍My sense of smell is not the best so quite often I drink the budget big branded scotch like previously mentioned as some days I just enjoy those more. Don't know why either. When I can though smell. I do enjoy a quality whisky.

Do you target certain traits on  tasting notes when choosing a new whisky. That is something I do as paying for a premium whisky(which I occasionally do) but not liking it much is disappointing. 

 

[SurgicalBrute]

Apparently I've still got a couple of these lurking around in my beer stash...and right now I've got one less 😁

[FatherAlabaster]

I'm a little jealous, I don't mind this Founders Breakfast Stout but imperial and russian it ain't.

[SurgicalBrute]

6 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I'm a little jealous, I don't mind this Founders Breakfast Stout but imperial and russian it ain't.

Love that Breakfast Stout though...need to grab some of it as I haven't had it in a while

Do they get Founders KBS in your area? That one would be more than enough to keep you warm through the night

[markm]

20 minutes ago, blaaacdoommmmfan said:

Markm it's all about the socks 😁 heated gloves would be handy too. The price puts me off at the moment. I'm alot slower when my hands are freezing so I'm sure they'd be worth it. Are battery heated gear more a thing in USA as I don't know many who use it in UK apart some biker friends from work.  

Thanks for info re Woodford reserve. Yeah that figures. It's was an Amazon special offer. Yeah I'm with you re more premium big brands. I've tried Jack Daniels single barrel and gentleman jack but I preferred no7 standard. 

I'm not new to whisky but thanks for the recommendation re knob creek as I know very little about bourbon. 👍My sense of smell is not the best so quite often I drink the budget big branded scotch like previously mentioned as some days I just enjoy those more. Don't know why either. When I can though smell. I do enjoy a quality whisky.

Do you target certain traits on  tasting notes when choosing a new whisky. That is something I do as paying for a premium whisky(which I occasionally do) but not liking it much is disappointing. 

 

I'm fairly new to Whisky myself. I started picking up the odd bottle here and there when the pandemic hit. Actually got some good recommendations for GG and Navy and then started researching.

I pretty much started looking for sales and grabbing the better known bottles first and eventually made it up to pricier offerings to see if I could taste the difference mostly from online reviews. I was working a lot with my kayaking side hustle and making good tips. Most of the more pricey bottles I've grabbed I've been pleased with with a few exceptions that I didn't think were worth it.

I feel like I'm still developing my tastes. In my unrefined way, I'd day smooth and higher proof hit a sweet spot.  Lately been checking out ryes.

Some of these boutique bourbons are definitely too sweet for my preference. I like the Old Forester 1920 I mentioned but several of their other offerings are overly sweet for me. And Knob Creek is almost as good for less %. Knob Creek Rye small batch is tasty as hell. And they're 12 year is awesome. 

I liked Jefferson. Their aged at sea gets well reviewed but it's not that much better than their small batch or reserve to justify over $70. It's better but their reserve is pretty darn good as well. If I think I used some tip money from my summer gig for that one. 

I wouldn't mind picking up some more Four Roses that Navy mentioned-that one's pretty good.  

Uncle Nearest 1856 100 proof by Jack Daniels was good. Picked that one up on sale. They have a less expensive 1884 at 94 proof which was also a good pour. 

I've got a pretty good liquor store that gets a decent variety of whiskies and craft beer and they'll often hip to stuff-"hey we just got some _____ in that's  a good buy"-that kind of thing. 

Oh yeah and good socks in the winter-primo! I use them for kayaking as well-Marino wool which dries quick-hit them up at R.E.I. when on sale all the time.

[FatherAlabaster]

2 hours ago, SurgicalBrute said:

Love that Breakfast Stout though...need to grab some of it as I haven't had it in a while

Do they get Founders KBS in your area? That one would be more than enough to keep you warm through the night

I have seen it at the local places once or twice, I'll give it a shot next time I do if I can swing it. I also saw a pack of their "CBS" recently... have you tried that? Gotta say, at over $30 for a 4 pack of 12oz bottles, it better be absolutely amazing. 

 

Also, Darn Tough socks are the goddamn winners. They last and stay comfortable better than anything else I've tried. The only other socks I like as much are the thick Thorlo boot socks, but they don't work as well in western boots.

Maybe we need a sock thread.

[AlSymerz]

5 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Gotta say, at over $30 for a 4 pack of 12oz bottles

 

In Australia anything that's not mainstream is that price.

6 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Maybe we need a sock thread.

Will you teach us to make sock puppets?

 

[FatherAlabaster]

1 minute ago, KillaKukumba said:

In Australia anything that's not mainstream is that price.

Wait a minute, weren't you the guy telling us a couple months back that Australian and US dollars weren't really comparable? $30+ is a heck of a lot more than other stuff even around the same ABV... more alcoholic beers are generally more expensive, sure, but the local IPAs up here range around $14-20 for a 4 pack of tall boys, and I can get a nice palatable 6-pack of something like Sierra Nevada for around $10. There are beers that it's worth paying the premium for when I can afford it, which definitely isn't all the time, but oftentimes the really good and expensive ones are also the ones that stay on the shelves way past their prime.

1 minute ago, KillaKukumba said:

Will you teach us to make sock puppets?

 

I guess I see how you could need help with that, so yeah, sure thing man

[AlSymerz]

I wasn't comparing currency I was comparing the $30 price tag.

My sock puppets always turn against me, so any help is appreciated.

 

[SurgicalBrute]

14 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I have seen it at the local places once or twice, I'll give it a shot next time I do if I can swing it. I also saw a pack of their "CBS" recently... have you tried that? Gotta say, at over $30 for a 4 pack of 12oz bottles, it better be absolutely amazing. 

If you haven't had KBS before, I'd absolutely recommend that one. It's yearly now, but up until about 2 or 3 years ago, it was one of those beers that got released seasonally, and people would travel to multiple stores hoping to find just a single bottle.

CBS is pretty amazing, but it really comes down to whether you like the idea of maple flavor in your stout. They use the same base beer as the KBS but they age it in barrels that were originally used for bourbon, then sold to syrup makers for aging maple syrup. I'm pretty sure I read they stopped making it last year though, so there's a chance those could be old, and I'm not sure how aging that beer would affect it. I suspect the maple flavor would probably fade, but the bourbon flavor would probably hold up nicely

[FatherAlabaster]

1 hour ago, KillaKukumba said:

I wasn't comparing currency I was comparing the $30 price tag.

My sock puppets always turn against me, so any help is appreciated.

 

I suppose it's steep either way, huh? If alcohol wasn't so great for my mood and overall health I'd start to feel like it wasn't worth it!

57 minutes ago, SurgicalBrute said:

If you haven't had KBS before, I'd absolutely recommend that one. It's yearly now, but up until about 2 or 3 years ago, it was one of those beers that got released seasonally, and people would travel to multiple stores hoping to find just a single bottle.

CBS is pretty amazing, but it really comes down to whether you like the idea of maple flavor in your stout. They use the same base beer as the KBS but they age it in barrels that were originally used for bourbon, then sold to syrup makers for aging maple syrup. I'm pretty sure I read they stopped making it last year though, so there's a chance those could be old, and I'm not sure how aging that beer would affect it. I suspect the maple flavor would probably fade, but the bourbon flavor would probably hold up nicely

Thanks for that rundown. I've been craving a good barrel aged stout for months... Maybe I can manage to pick one of them up before someone else does. An 11.7% stout sounds like the kind of thing that would be awesome with a bit of age on it.

[AlSymerz]

17 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I suppose it's steep either way, huh? If alcohol wasn't so great for my mood and overall health I'd start to feel like it wasn't worth it!

Because I don't drink much these days alcohol has little value to me and I do refuse to pay a high price for stuff no matter what the brand name. But I don't think less of people who do go after brand name stuff, we all have our vices we like to spend money on but my days of spending $30 on a 4 pack of anything alcoholic are long gone.

My wife came home and told me about the new Bundaberg non-alcoholic flavours now being sold with Bundy rum in them and how they were only $30 for a 6 pack. I said to her I'd rather pay $4.50 for a 4 pack without the booze in it. Even she thinks I'm being offensive when I tell her I don't want to drink alcohol

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

8 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I suppose it's steep either way, huh? If alcohol wasn't so great for my mood and overall health I'd start to feel like it wasn't worth it!

Thanks for that rundown. I've been craving a good barrel aged stout for months... Maybe I can manage to pick one of them up before someone else does. An 11.7% stout sounds like the kind of thing that would be awesome with a bit of age on it.

See if you can find some Dragon's Milk. It's the one barrel aged stout that seems to be the most widely available, around here anyway, I see it almost everywhere I go. I bought some yesterday. It's pretty damn good at 11%.