Wookie if you are still in Atlanta, go to the Swee****er brewery between 5:30-8 and you can do a tasting for $8 where they will pour you 6 beers anywhere between a half pint to a full pint depending on how generous they are feeling.

Haven't had anything deserving a post in here for quite some time. Had to give up drinking for a couple months (health problems that I attribute to the MN winter!!) and before that was pretty much sticking to Surly when I drink beer because it is so fresh here + awesome. Was at the liquor store last night looking for something to make me feel better about my TV and noticed Hopslam and thought (at $15 for a 6) it was worth a try since Bell's Two Hearted Ale is pretty much my favorite (somewhat common) beer.

It is, seriously worth a try. I'm an a bit of a hop fiend so maybe I'm biased, but I've also had a bunch of them so I have a good basis for comparison and this stuff is choice. 5 from me too! I don't think the price is really outrageous for a double IPA, it just seems bad because you don't see them sold in 6-packs often. I could be wrong about that though... Plus at 10%abv it does as much work as $15 of your standard decent beer.

/edit when it comes to Surly it is really all about the Furius. I sadly have yet to get a chance to try Darkness, but Furius is a first class IPA. When you can get it super fresh its hard to buy anything over it. Their other beers are all a B+/A- to Furius' A (obv. Darkness is probably an A+...)

P,

Sounds fun, but I'm about 5 hrs outside of ATL, even though I'm still in GA. I don't think it'll happen.

Just bought a 4pack of DFH Aprihop and a sixer of Stone's Ruination IPA.

Happy Weekend everyone!

SL__72,

Go on the Surly tour some Friday night. You'll have to sign up way in advance, but it's well worth the two hours. The founder (Omar) hosts the tour, he's a really cool guy, and does a good job with it. I highly recommend it.

Their beer is some of the best around, it's too bad you East/West Coast guys don't have the privilege of trying it.

www.surlybrewing.com


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And yeah, once again, the Hopslam is to die for.

I found Duvel on sale at Wegmans for like $7.50 for a 750 mL bottle. A penny per milliliter is OK by me to try, even if it's still a little more expensive than the LFDM. 8.5% ABV, obligatory pics:





The head on this may rank 3rd all time among all beers I've tried behind the La Chouffee Tripel/IPA and Alesmith's Yulesmith. It's pretty impressive and persistent, but not quite as creamy.

I disagree with Dr. Robinson's overall evaluation, but I see where he's coming from. This isn't a tripel at all. It's much more like a Saison, but it's probably more at home in the very broad "Belgian strong pale ale" category, which encompasses all manner of things that don't fit into a more defined genre. This is a beer for sauvignon blanc drinkers. It's got a mild, subtle flavor rather than the fruity, yeasty bombast of a tripel. If you love that bombast like I do, and that's what you're expecting from an expensive beer, then yeah, you'll be disappointed. Wine drinkers, though, are more likely to appreciate subtlety. The malt on this is milder and lighter than most tripels, and while it claims to be bottle conditioned, it has a much lower yeast content than most bottle conditioned tripels. The bottle advertises a Pilsner malt, so Dr. Robinson characterizing this like Mickey's isn't as far off as a Duvel lover might think. The flavors I get are a light grassy hopping, a flavor much more often found in European beers than American ones. It also has a light sweetness, apple, pear, and a light spiciness. But yeah, it's subtle and mild, so if you're looking for something as sweet, spicy, and fruity as a tripel, you'll pass on this one. I'll give it with the qualifier that I generally go for the bolder beers, but it seems to hit the spot tonight. It does what it's designed to do well, but that goal is different from a tripel.

I had a LFDM the other night and it's a totally different type of beer imo. Almost incomparable. I really enjoy a Duvel from time to time though. They pour with one helluva head if you're not extra careful.

I would give Duvel a solid

I would give LFDM .5

I actually have done this tour and was supposed to go for a 2nd time a month or so ago but had to bail because I was like deathly ill. By far the best brewery tour I've been on. Omar definitely seems like a really cool guy. His story about how Surly came to be was great and he was generally very funny throughout. It was also the first time I've been on a tour where they let you start sampling before the tour starts and continue throughout. (Maybe thats why I thought he was so funny? )

/edit the first time I bought poured Duvel was seriously a mess. Glass was filled with like 10% beer and 150% head.

Great review of Duvel Wook. Since I have been on my kick, here is my collection.



Too many to really rate, but my top 3 (if someone said grab three only) would probably be La Fin Du Monde, Ommegang Abbey Ale, and the Allagash Grand Cru.

How's the Karmeliet? Been meaning to try the gold medal beer.

BTW, Maudite and LFDM are both super solid beers.

I thought it was fantastic. Great representation of a Tripel. Wonderful fruity smell. The body was medium to thin and was very refreshing. I am just starting out so I don't have much more fruity language but what I can tell you is that I would certainly buy it again.

Doc,

How do you think the Karmeliet compares to the LFDM?

All,

Tried Sam Adams Imperial White from their new imperial series. I had heard reports of their awful triple bock, so I avoided that one, but I figured I'd give the white a shot. DO NOT WANT. It's a sweet, syrupy mess that I may not even finish. I'd rather have a PBR. Avoid this like the plague.

Wook,

I really liked the Karmeliet. From what I remember, it was a little more carbonated than LFDM and was maybe a little sweeter than LFDM. The K was very complex with many different flavors...which is like LFDM, but I remember thinking, "this might be a little over the top." I don't think that on any given day, given that they were both free, that I would choose one over the other. However, if I am paying, they are similar enough tripels that I would probably go with LFDM every time (because LFDM is cheaper obv).

I'll tell you what though...I am addicted to La Chouffe, and would probably grab that over both no matter what the price. Have you had it?

Which La Chouffe? I've had the IPA/Tripel, but not any others.

Tripel

Traditional tripel? No, I haven't had that one, and I'm certainly intrigued by such high praise. I'm due for some beer shopping, so I may pick it up next weekend. I know I can get it.

Only others I haven't had from your photo above are the White in the middle and the Corsendonk. Either worth my while compared to others in their genres?

The White was ****. The Corsendonk Abbey Brown Ale was great. Very similar to the Ommegang Abbey...great blend of fruit, yeast, & malt.

I've got the Rochefort 8 & 10 in the fridge. Very excited to try these two beers. TR will follow.

FWIW, Corsendonk brown is my favorite brown ale. Their pale ale is a lot like Duvel's.

The wife just found Chimay red, white, and blue labels at Cost Plus World Market for $9.99 each. I told her to get me one of each. Now that is a good wife...calling me at work to see if I want beer.

New beer! I was out shopping today, and I saw that Brooklyn had a new beer out, their Local 2. They did a Saison-like beer call the Local 1; I'm not sure what this will be, although it does say it's been brewed with honey and orange peel. A 750 mL bottle ran me $9.49 for 9% ABV beer.



It pours a medium opaque brown with a goodly persistent head.



The aroma is definitely of honey and citrus, unusual for a brown ale. The malt is surprisingly mild for a brown ale this dark. The flavor is much lighter than you'd expect. It's tasty and good, but it's hard to call it a good value, as I'm not getting as much depth in it as, say, a good saison. You'd never know this was a 9% beer, though. I can only give it a and a half rating. I'd have liked something richer and deeper, and while it's good, I won't get it again.

I have been meaning to try a saison. I am decently stocked for the time being now...



Just finished off a La Chouffe.

I'm going to have to try the Chimay's again - I never gave them much of a chance for some reason.

Dr. Rob,

If you didn't get off on the Duvel, you may want to pass on the saisons. They're very similar. If you do get one, try, say, Hennepin from Ommegang, as it's not all that expensive and still a good representative of the style.