# Tell me about your latest beer crush **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer\ **Created:** [December 21, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065 "2009-12-21T14:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/1 "2009-12-21T14:04:46Z")
I recently discovered a wonderful little liquor store near my house that I moved into this summer. It’s always fun finding a little out-of-the-way place, especially one that’s packed to the gills with delicious beer. On a beer run a few weeks ago, I was charged with stocking up for a party. I went through and grabbed about 10 different 4- or 6-packs. A friend of mine had mentioned getting into Saison-style beers. I had never heard of such a thing. But there on the shelf was a 4-pack of [Harpoon Leviathan Series - Saison Royale](http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?pid=116620), which I added to the cart. Well - no one at the party touched the stuff, and it sat in my fridge for a few weeks, until this weekend. Holy shit this stuff is delicious! It’s not for mass consumption, that’s for sure. The alcohol content isn’t all that high (9%), it’s the richness of the flavor. It’s incredibly aromatic and complex. I can’t decide if it’s a refreshing summer beer, or a complex sit-by-the-fire winter beer. All I know is that “saison” has been added to my beer vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/2 "2009-12-21T14:14:50Z")
Bell’s Sparkling Ale. Only comes out around Christmas time. I had a couple 6-ers last year, and this year, starting around Halloween, I’d check the liquor store every week. It’s HERE! Super-duper alcoholic, and very yummy. Just like you’d imagine, it’s a sparkly, fruity beer. Not sweet at all, though. I wish I had one right now. ---
**Author:** ![StoutHearted](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@StoutHearted](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StoutHearted)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/3 "2009-12-21T14:33:29Z")
Tis the season for yummy Christmas ales and toasty stouts! My favorite Yuletide beer is Poor Richard’s Tavern Spruce Ale (made by Yards)-- which actually dips a Christmas tree into the kettle during brewing. Very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/4 "2009-12-21T14:42:04Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > Bell’s Sparkling Ale. Only comes out around Christmas time. I had a couple 6-ers last year, and this year, starting around Halloween, I’d check the liquor store every week. It’s HERE! Super-duper alcoholic, and very yummy. Just like you’d imagine, it’s a sparkly, fruity beer. Not sweet at all, though. I wish I had one right now. If it’s half as good as the Oberon, I’m buying a case! That sounds awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/5 "2009-12-21T15:39:04Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > On a beer run a few weeks ago, I was charged with stocking up for a party. I went through and grabbed about 10 different 4- or 6-packs. A friend of mine had mentioned getting into Saison-style beers. I had never heard of such a thing. But there on the shelf was a 4-pack of [Harpoon Leviathan Series - Saison Royale](http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/index.cfm?pid=116620), which I added to the cart. Well - no one at the party touched the stuff, and it sat in my fridge for a few weeks, until this weekend. > > Holy shit this stuff is delicious! It’s not for mass consumption, that’s for sure. The alcohol content isn’t all that high (9%), it’s the richness of the flavor. It’s incredibly aromatic and complex. I can’t decide if it’s a refreshing summer beer, or a complex sit-by-the-fire winter beer. All I know is that “saison” has been added to my beer vocabulary. Isn’t that wonderful stuff? My husband and I visited Boston in August, and toured the Harpoon brewery. Since we had road-tripped out there, we were able to return with a couple cases of beer in the trunk, including a significant amount of their Saison and Quad. Harpoon does sell beer in Illinois but only their standard lines - IPA, UFOs, that kind of thing. My absolute latest (from yesterday) is Lagunitas’ Brown Shugga - high alcohol (over 9%) but doesn’t taste like it, and very well-balanced hop and malt characters. I’m typically a hop wuss but this stuff is crafted very nicely. I also had Duvel Green which is a lovely, light-tasting ale. Delicious stuff. Upon researching it seems that this is standard Duvel but its secondary fermentation is done cold rather than warm, in kegs, and is cold-filtered too. ---
**Author:** ![mo50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@mo50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mo50)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/6 "2009-12-21T15:42:20Z")
Aussie dopers : Big Seppo fan of Victoria Bitter here! Light, refreshing flavor & really packs a punch! Can only seem to find it when I’m overseas. Seems like Foster’s is about the only Aussie brew that we can normally get here in the US, which I guess is ok, but nothing like VB! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2009, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/7 "2009-12-21T16:09:35Z")
I’ve been liking the Brown Shugga, too. Yesterday I tried the Gouden Carolus tripel, which was awesome. And Boulevard’s saison is very good, too. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/8 "2009-12-22T19:33:05Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > Bell’s Sparkling Ale. Only comes out around Christmas time. I had a couple 6-ers last year, and this year, starting around Halloween, I’d check the liquor store every week. It’s HERE! Super-duper alcoholic, and very yummy. Just like you’d imagine, it’s a sparkly, fruity beer. Not sweet at all, though. I wish I had one right now. Found a six pack of it last night. It’s as advertised - a sparkly beer. It’s really good - but I’d prefer something hoppier. For those that don’t like hops though, it’s perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/9 "2009-12-22T19:39:23Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > If it’s half as good as the Oberon, I’m buying a case! That sounds awesome. Have you tried Bell’s Winter? It’s as good as the Oberon, and the loss of one means the beginning of the other. Gotta try the Sparkling now, though. If it’s from Bell’s, it’s bound to be at least good and quite possibly excellent. I think they’re the most consistently good microbrewery in the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/10 "2009-12-22T20:05:08Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > My absolute latest (from yesterday) is Lagunitas’ Brown Shugga - high alcohol (over 9%) but doesn’t taste like it, and very well-balanced hop and malt characters. Mmmmm. I tried it about a week ago; thanks for the reminder, I’ll try to find a case. We’ve been drinking Woodchuck Ciders (variety pack) for seasonal reasons. Not beer, but hey.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/11 "2009-12-22T20:07:48Z")
I have to second the praise for Brown Shugga and Poor Richard’s Spruce Ale. The beer I have been enjoying is Cowbell. Voodoo Brewery’s Milk-Oatmeal-Imperial Stout. Very very good. Unfortunately only 24 kegs were brewed, so you are probably not going to get any. But it’s good. More cowbell. (Yes, the tap does have a cowbell on it.) ---
**Author:** ![mariposalabrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@mariposalabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mariposalabrown)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/12 "2009-12-22T20:11:23Z")
Good suggestions! I’m basically living on St. Arnold’s Christmas ale until New Years, and had the Anchor Steam christmas ale the other day and it had a gingerbread taste in it that was unexpectedly awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/13 "2009-12-22T20:12:45Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Have you tried Bell’s Winter? It’s as good as the Oberon, and the loss of one means the beginning of the other. > > Gotta try the Sparkling now, though. If it’s from Bell’s, it’s bound to be at least good and quite possibly excellent. I think they’re the most consistently good microbrewery in the U.S. Haven’t tried the winter - I’ll add it to the list. And I agree with you about Bell’s - everything is wonderful. Though being an Indiana resident, I have to give a lot of props to Three Floyd’s for putting out consistently wonderful brews. And keep an eye out for Sun King, soon to hit your shelves in the next year or so. They’re a local brewery that just started up after poaching a number of top quality brewmasters from the area. They’re working on getting their bottling production up so they can start selling in stores. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/14 "2009-12-22T20:15:46Z")
> [@Gesturing\_Mildly](#): > > Bell’s Sparkling Ale. Only comes out around Christmas time. I had a couple 6-ers last year, and this year, starting around Halloween, I’d check the liquor store every week. It’s HERE! Super-duper alcoholic, and very yummy. Just like you’d imagine, it’s a sparkly, fruity beer. Not sweet at all, though. I wish I had one right now. Word. I only had one in a mixed sixer, but I’m definitely going back for more. Their Christmas Ale is spectacular, as well. Another favorite from the mix was Anchor’s “Our Special Brew”, their yearly holiday offering. It’s dark without being heavy, with lots of chocolate malt and spice. And, of course, I stocked up on Fat Tire when I was in NC a few weeks ago. (It hasn’t made it to KY yet, sadly.) I’m not wild about their winter offering (Two Below), since ESBs generally don’t move me, but the Amber Ale is still one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Gesturing\_Mildly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/65b543/32.png) [@Gesturing\_Mildly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gesturing_Mildly)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/15 "2009-12-22T21:10:56Z")
I’ll try the Christmas Ale if I can tear myself away from the Sparkling. I hear you about the Fat Tire. I’m in Kentucky, too. Was pissed the first time I went to Liquor Barn, which has every beer in the entire world, but no Fat Tire. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/16 "2009-12-22T21:23:54Z")
Not particularly cred-worthy, but I grabbed a six of Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier the other day and really like it. Tasty and fruity. Not quite as cloyingly sweet as some. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/17 "2009-12-22T22:21:18Z")
I’m currently digging Dogfish Head’s Raison d’Etre. And Bell’s Best Brown is one of my favorite seasonal brews from them. Used to be able to find Bell’s everywhere when I lived in the Midwest, but I’m in the East now and nobody has even heard of them. For some reason people drink nothing but Corona around here. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/18 "2009-12-22T22:49:37Z")
Most recent? [Drake’s Denogginizer](http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/3835/22273). I like hops & IPAs, but most DIPAs/IIPAs tend to be either way too hoppy or boozey-tasting to me. But this one had a really nice, sharp floral, citrusy nose and taste. Like a regular, good IPA, but scaled up carefully not to have any one thing overwhelm everything else. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/19 "2009-12-22T23:37:46Z")
[Tactical Nuclear Penguin](http://beernews.org/2009/11/brewdog-tactical-nuclear-penguin-32-beer-sets-world-record/) Probably tastes like shite, but it’s a great name. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065/20 "2009-12-22T23:40:46Z")
I don’t know if I’d call it a crush (I mean, I don’t swoon or want to take it home to meet mom or anything), but I had a couple Berghoffs on Sunday and they were very good. I haven’t had one in a few months, but I haven’t been disapointed in one yet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-about-your-latest-beer-crush/522065.md?page=2)