BCBS has a very identifiable taste. It's got a viscousy, syrupy chocolate tang to it. I love that ****ing beer. IMO if it finished bottom... well I don't blame the beer.

I'm surprised about the comment on the Speedway Stout variants being indistinguishable. I think that regular vs. Mokasida vs. Vietnamese were all pretty different - those are the only variants I've had. I thought Vietnamese had a strong vanilla flavor that was amazing. I'd buy bottles of that, if I could.

I do like the normal Speedway, but I tend to never get it. A 12% beer in a 750ml is not ****ing around, so you have to split it or pretty much commit to that being you're main course. It's also pretty expensive, and everyone makes a good coffee stout these days. I tend to steer clear of the super high ABV stuff unless it's really special (I think Vietnamese is). I think Imperial Biscotti Break is better than normal Speedway, too. I think it's much more smooth. Also 4 pack cans for like $13, so clutch.

anyone had Pe-Kan from Prarie? just grabbed 2 and excited to try it based off reviews i've seen. Not sure if thats something that will be good to cellar for a year or just drink them fresh?

Spivey,

Yeah, I love bcbs in general, but I'll prob steer away from drinking it alongside strong coffee flavored stouts.

Big fan of that Vietnamese coffee speedway as well. Place near me has hammerhead speedway on tap now, which is described as speedway with extra espresso. Sounds great to me - hopefully can give it a try this weekend.

Founders opening up a new taproom /brewing facility 30 minutes away. Sure as hell beats the current 2.5 hour drive

There is no way a review of beer can be objectively wrong, given the subjective nature of human experience. Let's see how you feel after your dad soaks you in used motor oil and then funnels five cans of Busch down your gullet after you fail to produce the correct ratchet extension.

That said, I am fairly new to this thread, and I have not seen any love for Three Floyds.

There was a brief period when the Floyds were available at the best beer stores in my area. I had a yearlong beergasm, and then they went away. My college friends have invited me out to Chicago this summer, and I intend to drag them off their yachts with their Steely Dan on the surround sound, and hit the brewery.

Is there something I'm missing? Has there been a decline in what I recall as exquisite beermaking?

I had zombie dust when I was in Chicago last month. It's a really good IPA. I would drink it if it was for sale near me. The lack of discussion is because the majority of this thread seems California and New England based.


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It's pretty meh to me. I would much rather have an Alpha King from Three Floyds.


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I'm pretty sure I've talked up Three Floyds here. Alpha King was my go to beer when I lived in Chicago and I buy it here in Ohio whenever I see it. Dreadnaught is one of my all-time favorites, and I was thrilled to find it a week or so ago in Ohio.



Still super awesome. I'm not sure how it would fare in a blind tasting, though, because there's a heavy nostalgia bias for me. I never really got into Zombie Dust that much. Would easily take Gumballhead over Zombie Dust.

Their pub is awesome, too. Heck, I've even enjoyed Dark Lord in the past. Haven't had it in a while, though. Maybe I'll open one soon.

So count me as a huge Three Floyds fan.

Pac NW peeps,

If you had time to visit just one brewery in bend, where do you go?

Dammit, Spider, you had to post the picture and everything.

I always claimed to be over the Dogfish over-hopped movement until that Floyds masterpiece rolled along.

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I think Boneyard makes the best beer there, but crux is the most fun. They have a large outdoor area and still make great stuff.

It's pretty easy to hit multiple breweries there in just a few hours though.

In the world of Beer, this is a great IPA. Just had it on draft in the Charlotte, NC airport. Obviously others concur.

hop-drop-n-roll-ipa

In honor of the NFL draft, I have three do-nothing days planned ahead.

I don't have any special beers on hand; I do, however, have a twelver of Anchor Steam ready to go with the heavy ammunition.

Fritz Maytag has always, in my view, been the savior of good beer in America. He should be canonized as a saint as far as I'm concerned.

Jim Koch is a mere pretender. Although he did help spearhead the assault against AB, that Traveler's Shandy filth is a travesty, and their fake commercials are unbearable.

I have just cracked my first Anchor of the weekend. It is a perfect beer, IMO.

What are your go-to everyday beers, beer snobs?

Redhook Long Hammer IPA. You can get it cheap by the case at your local grocery store. It's what God drinks on Monday after work.

Miller High Life.

I vacillate between Smutty, Magic Hat, and Woodstock Brewing mixed packs mostly. With the latter two being more common. I need variety, although Frosty Goggles by Woodstock is damn good and I'll buy that too.

What about Ale Apothecary? I haven't been there, just had 1 beer and it was phenomenal.

ETA: just realized it's ~20 minutes west of the town area

I just like to try new beers. No real go-to at the moment.

DoS- I was just breaking stones as Speedway is my favorite stout. I've never met anyone hate it as much as you described so I had to say something.

That being said our softball team's go to beer is 2 30s of Busch Light per set of games. Keeps us nice and hydrated.

If I'm buying a 12 pack, which I can't recall doing in ages it's either something from Harpoon or Sam. Too many good breweries within an hour of my work/house to not just swing by and fill up a growler or two.

Don't go down to 3F if you're visiting Chicago. It's a PITA to get to and basically an entire day is wasted. There are a ton of fantastic breweries and bars where you can get plenty of 3F w/o having to deal with the drive to Munster.

If you want to know which bars normally carry plenty of 3F, I'd be more than happy to direct you to those bars.

JMO as a Chicagoan

Not a Pac NW peep but my parents live in Bend - I'll second Crux, and second the fact that you don't have to limit yourself to just one! (unless you really do have to)

I haven't been to Boneyard's brewery but they do make good beer. And while you might be inclined to skip Deschutes since they're huge, they usually have good random brew projects at their tasting room downtown - on my last visit they had a smoked gose which was a.) random as hell b.) SO GOOD. It tasted like gouda cheese, and if that sounds weird to you then I mean it in the best way possible.

Weird, they have an office downtown-ish that I definitely walked by (it's right next to Good Life Brewing), but maybe that's not their brewery/tasting room as they have another address way out in the forest somewhere...

KDawg is right here. If you're on a relatively short trip to Chicago, spending a good chunk of it heading to 3F seems unnecessary/wasteful. They make good product, and some of the good product is difficult or impossible to get outside of the brewery, but the 60 or 90 min each way drive seems a bit much when there are great breweries in Chicago proper.

That's my opinion with very little to do with tours or whatever and just about going to taprooms and getting good beer. Obviously tons of other bars with great local beer selections too.

I already have a well-deserved rep as a pedantic twit, so you guys probably saved me from further alienating my boys and their significant others. I'm certain they would all thank you given the chance, but there is no way I will ever admit I was scheming to make them drive to Indiana so I could lick the boots of God-tier beermakers, and then was talked out of it on a poker forum.

Boneyard does make some very good beer (RPM ) but they don't have their own brewpub. I'm not sure that it's better than Crux, but I end up at 10Barrell more often.
I'd say it's 10B > Crux > Deschutes > GoodLife > Worthy > Cascade Lakes.

Malice, goofy, rf:

Thanks! Boneyard was #1 oh my list based on bend beers I've had in SF, and I was in mtgs near them and crux, but I didn't get a chance to fit in a visit during the day.

Read rf's post and thought it sounded legit, so I went to 10 barrel. Told bartender it was rec'd as the one place I have to visit and asked what I should drink. After a little discussion, he rec'd this sour.



It was excellent, and so was the pastrami sandwich!



Tasted the apocalypse IPA and thought it was ok, and had a pretty tasty coconut porter.

Hopefully have time to hit a place after lunch tomorrow before heading back.