Favorite Brew

[OC Richard]

Yes it would be a blessing to live in Britain! When I travel there I go into Free Houses and ask for whatever is local. It's always great.

Here in the USA we've been playing catch-up, and nowadays (at least here on the West Coast) practically every town has a local brewery and/or a brew pub. This local stuff varies but it's always miles ahead of the horrible American mass-market stuff. Around here, in Orange County, the brew pubs all make a range of at least six products, usually including an IPA, a stout, a red, a lager, a porter.

Then there are the places that are famous for the sheer quantity of things they have on tap. Close to me is Goat Hill Tavern, described in a local paper as a "stinky, funky rathole" but having over 140 things on tap



What's great is all the West Coast microbrews that you can't find on tap anywhere else.

There are more places like this in the LA Basin, here's a review of some of them, but beware that when I went into a local Yard House they had greatly reduced their selection and most of the taps weren't hooked up.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/top-l...-beers-on-tap/

Anyone subscribe to Consumer Reports? I rely on their information when buying a car, but I wonder how equipped they are to judge beer. In the current issue they have an article "Best in Beers" in which they say

In blind tests of 23 ales and lagers our experts found 13 that were excellent or very good. All are members of the growing category of "craft" beers (according to the Brewers Association producing no more than 6 millions barrels per year)

Excellent: Stone IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA

Ale Very Good: Shock Top Wheat IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Lagunitas IPA, Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Drifters Pale Ale

Lager Very Good: Samuel Adams Boston, Brooklyn, Anchor Steam, Coney Island, Lagunitas Pils Czech Style Pilsner

[Nile]

Excellent: Stone IPA, Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Samuel Adams Latitude 48 IPA

Ale Very Good: Shock Top Wheat IPA, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Lagunitas IPA, Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen, Widmer Brothers Drifters Pale Ale

Lager Very Good: Samuel Adams Boston, Brooklyn, Anchor Steam, Coney Island, Lagunitas Pils Czech Style Pilsner

Thank you for that information Richard! The four beers emboldened above are ones I drink on a regular basis (I guess I'm an IPA kinda guy) along with a couple of local ones that I buy in growlers.

If you ever get to Delmarva, the Dogfish Head brewery is well worth a visit (make sure you have a designated driver); they are very generous with samples. A friend of mine is a brewer at Dogfish Head and had the pleasure of meeting Robert Plant (LZ), when he visited the brewery last year.

[Dale-of-Cedars]

I've very pedestrian tastes, I really like Granville Island Brewing's Cypress Honey Lager.

[imrichmond]

I've very pedestrian tastes, I really like Granville Island Brewing's Cypress Honey Lager.

The Granville Island brews are all very nice. I've yet to taste one that I didn't like.

[Starhunter451]

We tried a ale called Casa de Luna Ale. Brewed by Crazy Mountain brewery.

Not a bad ale as it goes, dark and nutty with a hint of bitterness.
Tasted is good, but not one that I would keep around normally.

Our nephew is a disributor of beverages and sometimes gets things out of the ordinary. He gave it to us.

[Gryphon57]

On my last business trip to Madison, WI, I discovered a pub with Left Hand Milk Stout on tap. I found it excellent at the time. Picked up a six pack of bottles when I returned home. It was still decent, but not as good. Tap vs bottle can have a significant difference in taste.

[Starhunter451]

On my last business trip to Madison, WI, I discovered a pub with Left Hand Milk Stout on tap. I found it excellent at the time. Picked up a six pack of bottles when I returned home. It was still decent, but not as good. Tap vs bottle can have a significant difference in taste.

That is because the tap beers are injected with CO2 to some amount at the pub. From what I gather, it comes to themnkind of flat.
The bottle beer has the carbonation in the.bottle.

I tried a local favorite, Dirty Hippie, and found there is a small difference.

[OC Richard]

I've very pedestrian tastes, I really like Granville Island Brewing's Cypress Honey Lager.

Well I learn something every day on this site! I'd not heard of Granville Island. I Googled it and read about it, quite interesting, the shantytown and redevelopment etc.

My wife's grandmother was from Granville, Illinois... no relation!

Only 1,400 people but the largest town in the county??

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granville,_Illinois

[be da veva]

Well, here's one for the serious Xmarkers



Yes, made with Dandelions. I'm a stout (as in dark beer and not that i'm short and round...) drinker, but I made an exception to sample this. I have to admit that it's not my kind of beer, but I drank it all. I'm not impressed, but somebody who likes white to pale blond ales might like it. I had it tonight and frankly, I don't remember the taste. I remember it was light....

If a xmark collectionneur wants the bottle, I can package it, just pay the postage.

[Starhunter451]

Where did you get the beer at?