Alcohol

[RG]

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale - a hop-forward, full bodied BIG brew (almost 10% ABV)
Bell's Two Hearted Ale - very nice IPA
homebrewed Chipotle brown ale - smokey and a strong heat aftertaste (almost like heartburn, coming from the back of the throat). Not really a brew where you want more than one bottle in a sitting

the water comes from springs in the Wicklow Mountains.  as for the other ingredients:  barley, hops, and yeast.  as for chocolate sauce, not sure how you came up with that analogy.

Probably the most crucial ingredient that makes Guinness what it is, is nitrogen. It gives it that thick, creamy, long-lasting head and also the cascading bubbles.

[Reprobate]

Big fan of Sierra Nevada, especially the Torpedo. They've just started releasing limited edition seasonal beers, which is awesome. I drink mostly IPAs. There's lots of great microbrews coming out of California. Also a huge fan of Pacifico Claro if I'm wanting something that I can drink all day. PBR (don't judge) for when I'm broke.
I wish I knew more about wine. Overwhelming stuff. A favorite is the Cycles Gladiator merlot.

[nidding]

Drank a Black IPA from Kernel yesterday. Absolutely amazing. All the creamy darkness of a stout, but with the freshness and fullness of an IPA. Can't recommend it enough, if you can get your hands on it.

[Ernpe]

Our local bar chain is having an India Pale Ale fest with some rare (in Finland!) beers at insane prices. As much as I have praised Mikkeller, 10 euro for a bottle of stuff like Single Hop Tomahawk is half too much. Modus Hoperandi IPA on the other hand, for quite ordinary price of 8,5 (!) was an excellent purchaise. Just wondering how much it is in the States and the beer was in can instead of bottle.

Now drinking Goose Island IPA, one of the few US IPAs at our monopoly. Refeshing definitely but then again nothing extraordinary. I like this kind of beers with more hops, this being quite mild in the beginning and the bottle being already six months old.

[moozz]

Just got back home from Washington DC where I tried to sample as many great American beers as possible. Flying Dog beers were mostly really good. I think I tasted one or two that were pretty bland. Lagunitas' Olde Gnarlywine, Jack's Double IPA, Dominion's Hop Mountain and Storm King Stout were some of the best ones I can remember at the moment. Also tried Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout which was too much for me. As a non-coffee drinker it tasted way too much like just coffee. Even my coffee-drinking friends said it was like drinking cold coffee :) Great beer country, too bad most of the people know US just for beers like Budweiser, Miller and Coors.

[ConcreteMascara]

I think in the past 5 years our international reputation has improved due to the exponential increase in quality micro-brewers. A lot of the micro-brewers are shit in my opinion, pushing weak  versions of European beers, but, as the this thread shows, there are a lot of good ones too.

[WATERPOWER]

I think in the past 5 years our international reputation has improved due to the exponential increase in quality micro-brewers. A lot of the micro-brewers are shit in my opinion, pushing weak  versions of European beers, but, as the this thread shows, there are a lot of good ones too.

I don't mind, as a lot of the original brews cost more here than an American version. Domestics that are derivative of the euro ones are usually fine as long as they are interpretive of the original without going too over-the-top. There's certainly some but if you're someone who frequently drinks/tries new beers, you don't write home about 'em.

Agreed, many American microbrewed stout ales are too complex, syrupy, and slow-drinking. I like things a little more on the Guinness side than the Arrogant Bastard side.

Have you had Stone's Russian Imperial? Described as being the thickness of Siberian crude oil, but its by no means a slow drinker.

[Coma Detox]

I've been spending too much money on beer lately. A few good ones I recently had were Dogfish Head Burton Baton Imperial IPA.  Not a big hop head but I really liked this one.  Wasn't too impressed with the Dogfish Head Olde School Barleywine though.  I'm gonna put the rest of the bottles away and try them next year.  Had a .22 oz. bomber of Smuttynose Wheat Wine that I really liked.  Pretty big 12% from 2010.  Sierra Nevada 30th Anniversary - Fritz And Ken's Ale & 30th Anniversary- Charlie, Fred And Ken's Bock, both decent but expected a bit more.  Hadn't had too many belgian ales in awhile but I had Drie Fonteinen Oude Geuze the other day and enjoyed it.

[Nyodene D]

Got a 1-liter Unibroue Terrible to drink tomorrow night during my DJ set. Awesome, musty pitch-black belgian dark ale. 10.5% by volume.

Also, my buddy gave me a bottle of something or other that is pretty much Everclear, apple cider and a few cloves and a cinnamon stick.  excited to drink it.

[jake]

Stone Vertical Epic 11.11.11:::
Excellent, spicy, complex flavor. Love it.

[WATERPOWER]

Anyone here ever had anything from Russian Rivers? Really curious on their sour ales... Struck an interest in sour beers recently as they seem nice in the sun. Farmhouse and Saisons just don't do it for me... too sweet.

[RyanWreck]

Oh, fuck yea. I had two of those last night at Buffalo Wild Wings, I believe they are the only restaurant to actually serve the stuff.

[Coma Detox]

$15 for a .22 oz bottle, but easily the best barley wine I've ever had.

[ConcreteMascara]

never been a fan of barley wine. I need hops

[FiEND]

never been a fan of barley wine. I need hops

Agreed.