I have to admit, their advertising is effective. I learned of it from a picture of a fighter pilot in full flight gear sitting in his cockpit and holding up a bottle for the camera. I’d like to try some, but none of the liquor stores in New Haven seem to carry it, and I’m worried that ordering it from somewhere online would be prohibitively expensive, especially considering that it appears to be mainly available on the west coast whereas I’m clear on the other side of the country.
So I’m looking for either of two things:
1.) Has anyone ever tried any? The claims on the site notwithstanding, what other brands might you compare it to?
2.) Know of any places in coastal Connecticut or New York city where I could get some? In the case of the former, I’m looking for liquor stores, but with the latter I wouldn’t mind finding out about any bars that might have it.
I’ve had it and to tell you the truth , I didn’t care for it. Neither did my boyfriend. Both of us found it to be on the bitter side, and just kind of “meh” in general. We didn’t think it really had a lot of flavor to it. But then again, we have literally hundreds of microbrews here in Colorado so we are probably just spoiled. It’s like living in Beer Disneyland.
As far as what to compare it to, I wish I could be of more help (see above statement regarding microbrews). I just don’t drink the regular stuff any more.
As far as ordering it, I know there are some pretty strict rules as to who can ship alcoholic beverages and how. Your best bet would probably be to go to your local liquor store, and ask them to have their beer buyer see if he/she can special order it in for you (if you really want to try the stuff).
As far as ales go, it’s really good. The first few sips from a bottle do have a little bit of an aftertaste that’s not so pleasant, but it diminishes a lot afterwards and you’re left with good beer.
I really can’t think of any good comparisons, but I can tell you that I’m on the east coast and I have no trouble finding it.
I’ve had it, I doubt I’d ever spend money on it again. It’s not a bad beer - it’s just not that great. I disagree with ultrafilter that the funky aftertaste goes away if you drink more. It never diminished for me.
I personally like it a lot, though not as much as Rogue Dead Guy Ale, which is also often sold in 22oz bottles. If you’re going to the trouble of hunting down a west coast “big ale”, that’d be the one I 'd recommend.
Drinking good beer out of the bottle is a poor idea. Taste and smell are linked, and sensing a good beer’s aroma is a major aspect of enjoying its flavor. I would never trust the beer taste of someone who drinks from the bottle.
Would you drink wine from a bottle??? Good beer is no different.
You wanna drink Bud Lite out of a bottle? Fine.
Arrogant Bastard? Don’t be a ignoramus. Use a proper glass, or don’t pretend that you understand anything about how it tastes.
Tried it a few years back and it was fairly decent. Nothing amazing but I enjoyed it. Of course what I really recommend if you get the chance is Alaskan Smoked Porter.
Oh, and as far as drinking from the bottle/a glass goes, then yes good beers are definiately noticeably better when drunk from a glass. However, with that in mind no need to be snooty about it. One of the joys of beer is that it doesn’t carry with it all the baggage that wine seems to have these days. Let’s not ruin it okay.
Personally, I think beer definitely tastes better from a mug but if someone wantsto drink it from the bottle let them.
A little joint in Philly has the stuff on tap IIRC. Mearos and I tossed back a few pints waiting for the rest of the Philadopers to arrive one evening.
I like it, but Stone Brewing’s regular IPA is a much better every-day kind of beer. Plus, I think it’s the only variety we can buy in six-packs in Northern California (at least, I know that’s the case in Yolo County). All in all, I’ve been happy with everything I’ve tried from Stone.
Damn straight. Probably the most pronounced smoke flavor I’ve had in a beer. It made me want to freeze it into a steak-shape and eat it. Unfortunately, it’s a very limited Fall release so, depending on whether your store stocks up before it’s done, you might only see it for a couple of weeks.
