I haven’t had Anchor Steam in a while (if ever, I may even hve misremembered). I have grocery store beer tonight but I think it will be good. It’s Sam Adams Alpine Spring. We will find out in about an hour! 
Actually, having gone to the SF Beer Week opening festivities, the trend isn’t so much going away as it is improving. A lot of the hop bombs that have been so prevalent (Double Daddy, Hopocalypse) are making room for far better balanced beers (more like Pliny the Younger) that keep the hoppiness (which I like) but without feeling like to had hops shoved into your sinuses (which I actually like as well, to an extent).
I’m actually thinking of going old-school and getting one of these.
I wouldn’t call it swill, either, but among beers of the style, it’s one of my least favorites. Something about New Belgium’s flavor profile just tastes like dirt to me (and I really don’t mean that offensively). I do greatly like most of the Lips of Faith series, though.
I really was struck by its appearance; I can’t remember the last time I noticed a beer’s color like that. I’d never heard of it until Saturday night, but I was out at a place where I’m a regular and I trust the bartender and I did the “if I like Stella and Sam Adams…” thing. He said “Anchor Steam” before I even finished my sentence. 
Even though I’m on a new beer kick, I’ll probably order it again the next time I’m there. I just have to remember that it’s $8/glass, so that I’m not too shocked when I get the check (being used to $5 Stellas as I am). 
I’ve mentioned this here before a couple of times, but many New Belgium beers taste to me like they’ve been filtered through breakfast cereal. Not a flavor I particularly like in my beers. That said, I have actually warmed to them over the years. I still am not much for Fat Tire, but their Abbey and Trippel are quite respectable beers (especially the Abbey), and really affordable for the style (like $8-$9 for a six pack). Problem is, it’s a bit tricky to find, at least in my experience. They also both work quite well in a Flemish carbonnade, if you like to cook–and it’s less painful than dumping a bottle of Duvel or Chimay into the pot.
never ever ever drink Fosters Lager. It is only available overseas because us Aussies hate the stuff!
Using Berliner Weisse (1) as an example:
1.026 - 1.036: Original Gravity - Sugars in solution prior to fermentation. Water is 1.000.
1.006 - 1.009: Final Gravity - Sugars remaining in solution after fermentation is complete. These sugars tend to be dextrines which will help with head retention and perception of body. (They are not fermentable by yeast, thus they remain.)
2.5 - 3.6: Percent ABV
3 - 12: Bitterness in IBUs (International Bitterness Units) - High numbers don’t necessarily mean it is very bitter. Perception of bitterness will change drastically depending on how malty a beer is. Take, for example, a Barleywine. They can get up to 100 IBUs (the limit of human perception), but you’d never say that it is more bitter than most IPAs.
2 - 4: Color by SRM (Standard Reference Method) - Note that darkness is not indicative of strength. Example, Schwarzbier can be darker than an Imperial Stout but comes in at 3.8% - 5% ABV, which is less than to slightly more than the ABV of Bud Light (4.2%). It will also have only the slightest roasty flavor, not nearly as much as an Imperial Stout.
These values, along with the water, malts, hops, and yeast used, tend to define a style of beer.
Edit: Just saw that the numbers are defined in the bottom left corner of the image. Oh well.
That’s a pretty cool chart. I do notice at least a couple important omissions: Belgian quads/abts, and Baltic porters. Looks like they just ran out of room for the quads, but Baltic porter has room in the porter category.
A Belgian Quad would fall under “Belgian Dark Ale” (29).
As for Baltic Porter, it didn’t exist in the BJCP style guidelines until 2004 and, by the copyright on the image, it was made in 2001. So it likely would have been lumped in with Brown Porter.
I just bought a copy of that poster at Amazon for $0.01…and $3.99 S&H. Still, pretty cool.
Tried another new-to-me beer on Saturday night: Brooklyn Pilsner. I liked it enough to drink three of them (I ordered a fourth, but after a few sips I realized that I needed to cut myself off :D).
I need you guys to talk me out of dropping $100 on eBay for Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, because I am really, really tempted.
How many you buying? Or are you getting the Rare edition?
Well, see, that’s the thing, I am not sure, 4 bottle rare one form each year 2007-2008-2009-2010, actually $120. But then again there are so many options on eBay maybe some recommendations on what I should get.
I’ve never had the Rare, just the regular one, and it’s great. However, from those who have had the Rare, I hear it’s almost transcendental.
Frankly, I cannot believe how much these beers are going for on eBay. I got married in November, and during the after party, I decided it would be worth breaking out the rest of my Three Floyd’s Dark Lords. I have 1x 2006, 1x2007, 2x2008, 2x2009. And somebody broke one of the 2008s in our revelry.
Judging by eBay completed listings, the 2006 went for $170 (averaging out a couple of sales). The 2007 for about $70. The 2008 for $80. The 2009 for about $80. That’s about $560 worth of beer we had (well, minus $80 for the one we broke.)
I just don’t get beer (or any alcohol) as a “collectible.”
I’ll just assume my wedding invitation was lost in the mail.
If I get a bonus this year (should find out later this week), then I may splurge to reward myself, otherwise, I may go back to “pedestrian” beers (in this instance the Oskar Blues Ten Fidy in my refrigerator.)
Oh crap. I just discovered Binny’s Beverage Depot. They have an in-store special - build a six-pack for $10 from over 160 beers.
Oh, you poor sorry bastard.
How many cases did you make?
Since this thread has been bumped, I’ll use it to ask the Teeming Masses: Has anyone tried the new Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye?
Yeah. As someone who doesn’t like IPAs very much, I like Ruthless pretty well. My palate isn’t so good that I can say what I do or don’t like about it, though.
Yep, was there last night and took advantage of this. I love mix-and-match deals, as well as sampler packs. It’s rare that I stick to a single beer all night. It’s also a great way to learn about different beers. I remember this being very common in the early-to-mid-90s, when the beer revolution was beginning to happen (at least, my beer revolution), but I don’t see it quite as often now.