The first Old Rasputin I ever had. I had just moved to a new area, and while it was beautiful and I loved the area I was a little slow to make friends. The group I'd fallen in with were a quirky bunch of hippies and we would often spend hours hiking around the redwoods and smoking pot. After one of these excursions we met up with some other friends in a parking lot to scheme on plans for the rest of the night. We had some lagunitas bombers and the then ubiquitous Eye of the Hawk, then this lovely young lady that I'd recently befriended whispered to me to look at this. With her characteristic glint in her eye she held up a bottle of ol raspy and asked what I knew about the man. She told me the cliff notes of his exploits and offered me a sip. Holy cow! A love affair was born. My only straight 5s beer to this day. And it all started there. Thanks Julia! I hope you're doing well
It seemed strange at the time and still seems strange. I went to the local tavern a block away from me when it just started outdoor dining during the Rona pandemic. I had a draft Goose Island IPA at a table in the parking lot on a nice day while waiting for my pizza to take home. I would have given it an overall 5 rating. Goose IPA is one of the best choices there and at another local bar I go to, so I drink it often at those places. Maybe twice since it tasted so good to me it tasted that good again. All the other times it just tastes like a nice beer.
My first post since logging back in, and boy am I happy to be back! Finest I've likely ever had was a 2020 BCB Caramella Wheatwine courtesy of @Whyteboar that I enjoyed last Father's day. Brilliant beer, brilliant day brilliant memory. Rounding that time of year again I have a Black IPA I've been saving for the occasion. Cheers lads!
The best beer I ever had was at the Kreuzberg Monastery in Germany. I think it may be a Kellerbier. Just a great place for a beer and super fresh!
New Glarus Scream IIPA. By far, the best I've ever had. The lack of availabilty drives me crazy but probably makes it appreciate it all the more. As part of NG's Thumbprint Series, it's not available year round or even annually. When it is brewed and available, it's only in Wisconsin! I'll be traveling to Wisconsin in two weeks and I'm hoping against hope I'll be able to find it. Anybody know if it has been brewed recently and is available? I'll drive to the brewery in New Glarus if necessary!
There was a batch brewed towards the end of 2023, so it won’t be as fresh as it could be. There might be a few shops which still have some inventory, but generally old stock of New Glarus gets taken out and replaced with the new Thumbprint series.
Best beer I've had this year so far was the Dos XX in a chilled mug I shared with my dad a week ago, when we got together and celebrated Father's Day early. Cheers, ya'll!
I think for me it was my first taste of CBS. It was maybe 2009 or 10 and my wife and I were at a meatballs and beer event in NYC. At the time CBS was the whitest of white whales for me. I'm wandering around the fest and see the unmistakable tap handle. I asked is that really what you're pouring and the staffer said yes. That first sip was so divine it quite literally stopped me in my tracks.
I've had many moments where "me and the beer" have had lasting moments. But if I had to pick one... December 2007 - Péché Mortel served on-tap at the brewery itself in Montréal. I made a vacation specifically to drink beer, and Péché Mortel was one that I was hoping I could find and try. It probably helps that I made a video of the moment.
At Windows on the World on the top floor of the World Trade Center in the late 90’s. It was a crystal clear night and you could see for miles. The beer was a Black and Tan made with Anchor Steam and Guinness Stout both on tap.
My personal favorite is 90 Shilling ale from Odell Brewing. It was the first craft beer I ever tried when I turned 21, and it solidified my love of amber ales/lagers. It's local for me as well, so it's usually in any decent bar/restaurant in Denver.
Fifteen years ago, relaxing at Ebenezer's Pub with my wife, sister, and brother-in-law. We were drinking some great beers, and then Chris, the owner, came out with a bottle he wanted me to try, saying I would love it. T^he beer was Aardmonnik (Earthmonk) from de Struise. It was the funkiest, most barnyard-like beer I had ever drunk, and it remains so to this day.
Can vouch, Peche is fantastic at the source. And the servers were JUST angry enough that I could only try my best to speak French and totally butcher all the pronunciation of all of the beers.
Gouden Carolous tripel. In fact when I tasted the malt on that beer I remembered a thread from years ago about what made ithaca beers original flower power so good. It was the malt, I said and I found that malt in gouden carolers tripel only at 9% instead of 7% . I digress, the gouden carolous beer is the perfect example of beer transcending itself to become something more than what you might think. It tasted like bread and honey, candied fruit peel and to my delight it presented just enough funk for me to say this is it! I now understand all the beer tasting I've done over the years.
Did I just step through a black hole in the space-time continuum to 5 years ago????? Hello Jane! Hope all is magnificent with you!
Hi! I just put a thread in introduce yourself. I'm fine and I hope all of you are exactly the same. Cheers and happy new beer Sunday!
Ok, This story lines up with one of highest rated beers as well. I was driving from Germany to England for work, going to take the ferry from Calais to Dover. I needed to get the early morning ferry, so I booked a room in Ostvleteren (Belgium). That evening I ate at In der Vrede, the inn associated with Sint Sixtus. I had a four course meal, each paired with one of their beers, the Blonde with cheese, the 8 with the salad, the 10 with the main ( some sort of roast) and the stunning 12 with a hot apple tart with cream. All though I've plenty of Westies since then, that experience at the abbey was very memorable.
