Originally Posted by Chiefs Rool (Post 7110309)

I had some Dogfish Punkin beer. It's expensive as hell, but by God, that was the best pumpkin beer I have ever had.

Originally Posted by GloryDayz (Post 7110328)

I sat my Guinness in top of a pumpkin, and it was good too..

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7109377)

Sorry, beer thread. I have ignored you. Interested parties can go to http://beeradvocate.com/user/profile/Reaper16 to see most of what I've been up to.

Hosted a party at my fabulous casa last night. The beer refuse in my fridge is crazy. There is no room in my fridge for anything other than the beer that people left in it.



Final tally of beers left in my fridge: 2x Samuel Adams Boston Lager, 1x Samuel Adams Black Lager, 2x Samuel Adams Irish Red, 2x Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat, 1x Magic Hat Hex, 19x Miller High Life, 4x Miller Lite, 11x Coors Light, 5x Keystone Light, 1x Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 1x Sweetwater IPA, 12x Yuengling Lager, 3x Yuengling Black & Tan.

Originally Posted by Chiefs Rool (Post 7110309)

I had some Dogfish Punkin beer. It's expensive as hell, but by God, that was the best pumpkin beer I have ever had.

Originally Posted by Shag (Post 7111462)

Darkness Day was yesterday. Up at 4:30, in line and drinking by 6. Had 6 guys, a canopy, a grill, bunch of snack food, and about 60 beers. Had a good number of good beers - highlights were the 2007 Darkness, and my first taste of Utopias. Discovered that Chef Shack Indian-spiced mini donuts go together phenomenally with 2009 Darkness. Left at about 5pm - epic day, full of good beer, good food, and good company.

Here's a late-morning pic of some of our bigger beers:

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7111545)

Can you mail me the 2007 Darkness bottle if you still have it? I would LOVE to have an empty bottle of that. It's my favorite label in all of beer. I mean, look at my username.

Originally Posted by Reaper16

D- / 1.95
look: 2 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | drink: 3.5
rDev: -2.6%
12oz. can served into a pint glass
Presenting the latest installment of the critically acclaimed series, "Reaper Drinks Beer that People Left at His House After a Party."

Ah, Keystone Light. Your history of ad campaigns is like a poetic ode to the Hindenburg. The tagline has always been, as the can proclaims, "Always Smooth," though the exact nature in which you communicate the beer's smoothness to consumers has changed over the years. Currently, you feature a cocksure unemployed thrity-something named Keith Stone who goes around attracting the kinds of women who get stuck in trees and telling elderly ladies to "hold [your] stones." The voiceover informs us that Always Smooth Keystone Light is "smooth brewed." If smooth brewing your beer doesn't become the next -bal aged then I'll be a horse's uncle. But perhaps the most infamous Keystone Light campaign was the "bitter beer face" series of ads, in which Keystone Light is said to be "America's Never Bitter Beer." The implication being that there are no hops in this beer. The implication being that I am going to hate Keystone Light. Let's get it over with:

Pours a a feint straw yellow color. It has the effervescence of fine champagne with the color and clarity of fine urine. One finger of indifferent head goes away faster than Beer Advocate members at a party that serves Keystone Light. The only time this beer has ever heard of lace is when the co-ed in the residency hall across the Quad drinks enough of these to cause her panties to drop at the behest of a 19 year-old who patterns his fashion after Jersey Shore's The Situation. This is unacceptable.

Aromas of bran, corn, and (and my brain might just be tricking me here) calcium deposits on the bathtub from hard water make for a delightful beer. I typed delightful, didn't I? I meant to type "bad." No hops at all, cuz why would you want to taste bitter? NO BITTERNESS HERE. Thanks, Keith.

Some beer's malt profiles take on a biscuit quality. Keystone Light's tastes like hardtack. You ever see microwavable breakfast sandwiches at gas stations? The ones where there is a "biscuit" for a bun? Imagine one of those that has sat out on the counter for two weeks and then imagine it mixed up with hard tap water and then imagine you putting that mixture into your mouth. Always Smooth Keystone Light tastes like that. With a side of, like, creamed corn. Does it taste smooth? I suppose that it does. Does it taste? Just barely.

Always Smooth Keysmooth Light only cares about one thing with respect to mouthfeel: is it smooth? Yes, by approximating water's mouthfeel it has achieved that goal. Such smoothness and complete lack of sense required to enjoy it leads to a drinkable product.

I like this beer about as much as I like MGD64, which is to say that I will pray that every can of this spontaneously combusts. Always Smooth Keysmooth Lighsmooth Smooth Beer for Smooth People Smooth is a terrible product. It delivers on its promise of being smooth. It will get you drunk. Those two things are why people purchase this dreck. Rating this as a beer, even against the light lager style, it doesn't measure up. Beers like this make me want to get my bitter beer face on in a hurry. My bitter beer face, mind you, is a huge smile. Sorry, Keith Always Smooth Stone Smooth.

Originally Posted by Bowser (Post 7114607)

Had a Shock Top out at Arrowhead today. Pretty comparable to a Blvd. Wheat, imo.

Originally Posted by Bowser (Post 7114607)

Had a Shock Top out at Arrowhead today. Pretty comparable to a Blvd. Wheat, imo.

Originally Posted by Bowser (Post 7114607)

Had a Shock Top out at Arrowhead today. Pretty comparable to a Blvd. Wheat, imo.

Originally Posted by The Pedestrian (Post 7114844)

I just discovered Shock Top a few days ago...seemed to be better than any Blvd I've had. Should definitely be in the top 100, if not the top 50.

Originally Posted by The Pedestrian (Post 7114844)

I just discovered Shock Top a few days ago...seemed to be better than any Blvd I've had. Should definitely be in the top 100, if not the top 50.

Originally Posted by The Pedestrian (Post 7114844)

I just discovered Shock Top a few days ago...seemed to be better than any Blvd I've had. Should definitely be in the top 100, if not the top 50.

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7114919)

sweet beer. women like it. sort of a blue moon thing

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7114919)

sweet beer. women like it. sort of a blue moon thing

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy (Post 7115072)

:spock:

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115089)

Actually, HCF makes sense there. Shock Top, like Blue Moon, attracts a lot of casual drinkers and lots of women consumers because of the amount of fruit sweetness.

Originally Posted by kstater (Post 7115094)

Beer at Arrowhead: Any decent picks?

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy (Post 7115111)

I did see Smithwicks on tap somewhere.

I tend not to pay too much attention though, as I don't feel like paying 7 bucks for a beer.

Originally Posted by The Pedestrian (Post 7114844)

I just discovered Shock Top a few days ago...seemed to be better than any Blvd I've had. Should definitely be in the top 100, if not the top 50.

Originally Posted by NewPhin (Post 7115194)

ROFL ROFL ROFL

Originally Posted by Saulbadguy (Post 7115104)

It attracts alot of casual drinkers because it's available nearly everywhere.

And yes, I misinterpreted his post. I thought he meant sweet as "good".

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7115252)

Beer, good beer, is not sweet. My error in what I said. Beer with fruit flavors is against all that is right and good.

Originally Posted by The Pedestrian (Post 7114844)

I just discovered Shock Top a few days ago...seemed to be better than any Blvd I've had. Should definitely be in the top 100, if not the top 50.

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115303)

:spock:
Malted barley -- the principle flavor of beer -- is sweet. Beer is fermented grain sugars. SUGARS, HCF. That's sweetness. Jesus ****ing God, this post couldn't be more wrong if it tried.

Plus, fruit flavors are commonplace in beer. Rare is the beer that doesn't have some fruitiness to it. Shit, even Budweiser tastes like green apples in large part. You don't want one-note artificial fruit sweetness, such as the cloying orange flavor in Blue Moon or Shock Top. But naturally-occurring fruit flavors from the malt sugars, or the hop lupulin, or actual fruit such as in lambic beer, is part of why beer is such a great beverage.

**** me.

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7115362)

No doubt as a man of culture you understand tastes are varied and different, not bad. I would rather be run over than have a beer that is sweet, meaning like sugar sweet, or fruity as in has rasberries or some other garbage added to it.

We all can ID different flavors in beer just as we can in wine. You drink what makes you happy.

Bud tastes like crap to me, always has, always will. Green apples to you, thats fine. I taste old rotted hay and sawdust.

I enjoyed some lambic beers in France a few weeks ago. I enjoyed some. Others not so much but enjoyed the experience.

Im going to have a Boulevard Pilsner and see what I can pick up.

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115442)

This is a much more reasonable post, HCF. I agree with you that beer shouldn't be sickly, cloyingly sweet. That's part of the reason that hops are used -- in addition to their preservative qualities they provide much-needed bitterness to balance beer. Because beer is inherently a sweet beverage.

I also agree that Bud is not a pleasant drinking experience. You're using figuartive language when you say it tastes like old rotted hay, though. Right? Because there are beers -- saisons, biere de gardes, guezes, unblended lambics -- that have a heavy hay/barnyard flavor to them. Bud isn't one of them. Bud is pretty much straightforwardly cooked rice, green apple, and a bit of those nasty beechwood chips.

Originally Posted by NewPhin (Post 7115456)

Speaking of Saison... how do you rate Saison DuPont?

Had it while eating at Brasserie in St. Louis and really liked it.

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115477)

I love it so much. Saison Dupont Vielle Provision is the classic, standard-bearer of the style. It is a gorgeous beer that pairs so well with so many dishes. I buy it pretty much constantly. It isn't the best of the style, but it is pretty close.

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115442)

This is a much more reasonable post, HCF. I agree with you that beer shouldn't be sickly, cloyingly sweet. That's part of the reason that hops are used -- in addition to their preservative qualities they provide much-needed bitterness to balance beer. Because beer is inherently a sweet beverage.

I also agree that Bud is not a pleasant drinking experience. You're using figuartive language when you say it tastes like old rotted hay, though. Right? Because there are beers -- saisons, biere de gardes, guezes, unblended lambics -- that have a heavy hay/barnyard flavor to them. Bud isn't one of them. Bud is pretty much straightforwardly cooked rice, green apple, and a bit of those nasty beechwood chips.

Originally Posted by kstater (Post 7114639)

What's the concessions like there? I haven't been to a game in years. I figure you have to walk, but is there any decent beer there?

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie (Post 7115515)

This is a little over the top

Originally Posted by NewPhin (Post 7115496)

Brasserie kicks ass, btw, if you ever get a chance to get up to St. Louis. Urbanspoon reviews on it suck, but I really think people just must not get it. Bad ass rustic French food and some pretty badass beer.

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115524)

Menu looks real nice. For a place called "Brasserie" (French for "brewery") it really skimps out on the beer list. It would be shameful if the few bottles they do carry didn't match up reasonably well with the majority of their menu. They could get away with just Matilda, Dupont, Tripel Karmeliet and Chimay Blue, but I'd like to see a much wider variety if you are going to call your place "Brewery."

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie (Post 7115622)

I want to know how a grad student can afford to drink so well. It's not fair!

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie (Post 7115728)

I didn't mean to come off as rude...To be honest Im jealous. I rarely allow myself to splurge on great beer because I have trouble justifying it. I love good beer but I think I'm too much of a noob to really appreciate it. See if I spent that much, I wouldn't get nearly the return that someone like Reaper gets...

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115442)

This is a much more reasonable post, HCF. I agree with you that beer shouldn't be sickly, cloyingly sweet. That's part of the reason that hops are used -- in addition to their preservative qualities they provide much-needed bitterness to balance beer. Because beer is inherently a sweet beverage.

I also agree that Bud is not a pleasant drinking experience. You're using figuartive language when you say it tastes like old rotted hay, though. Right? Because there are beers -- saisons, biere de gardes, guezes, unblended lambics -- that have a heavy hay/barnyard flavor to them. Bud isn't one of them. Bud is pretty much straightforwardly cooked rice, green apple, and a bit of those nasty beechwood chips.

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7115793)

I recognize the taste. I've spent far to may hours in barnyards to look forward to a refreshing drink that reminds me of cleaning stalls and scooping poop. I can enjoy the nuances of grass. But rotted hay is beyond a nuance. Cow poop is different from chicken poop but in the final measure its poop.

We enjoyed a number, I would hate to know the number, of different beers in France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and Austria a few weeks back. In most cases we were in small pubs that had a limited number of brands and varieties but every one had a local or two that we tried. My drinking partner is a huge fan of wheats and we found a number that he really did not enjoy and he found that his normal distain for pilsners was misguided when he had really fresh local pils.

The fun was in the differences and in the variety that we generally lack here in the US.

And the conversations with the locals was fantastic. One German gent, after some heated and spirited conversation on politics and the economy bought a round and said all differences are put aside over a glass of beer!

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7114919)

sweet beer. women like it. sort of a blue moon thing

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 7115846)

That is so cool. When I go to Europe I basically want to go on a beer tasting tour.

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie (Post 7115515)

This is a little over the top

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7115899)

Its interesting that every "bar" basically has a single main brand. They will have whatever varieties of that brand is available. But you wont find a bar often that has a large selection. But generally they will have a local brand as well with a smaller offering. The clientele of bar "A" likes the brand they carry. And if you have a different brand you want, you may have to go 1/2 block to another small place that carries that beer.

In rural area almost every town or group of towns has a local brewery that makes some excellent stuff you cannot get outside of that area. We hit those usually at lunch and they serve some fantastic food as well.

This will demonstrate what vast numbers there are...http://www.beer-club.info/beer-brand...er-brands.html

Then there is chocolate.

And Nuttella.

I lost 48 pounds before we went. I just gained 4.

Originally Posted by HonestChieffan (Post 7115793)

I recognize the taste. I've spent far to may hours in barnyards to look forward to a refreshing drink that reminds me of cleaning stalls and scooping poop. I can enjoy the nuances of grass. But rotted hay is beyond a nuance. Cow poop is different from chicken poop but in the final measure its poop.

We enjoyed a number, I would hate to know the number, of different beers in France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and Austria a few weeks back. In most cases we were in small pubs that had a limited number of brands and varieties but every one had a local or two that we tried. My drinking partner is a huge fan of wheats and we found a number that he really did not enjoy and he found that his normal distain for pilsners was misguided when he had really fresh local pils.

The fun was in the differences and in the variety that we generally lack here in the US.

And the conversations with the locals was fantastic. One German gent, after some heated and spirited conversation on politics and the economy bought a round and said all differences are put aside over a glass of beer!

Originally Posted by Bowser (Post 7114607)

Had a Shock Top out at Arrowhead today. Pretty comparable to a Blvd. Wheat, imo.

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7115991)

Is it? How so?

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 7116052)

Hey Reaper I want to be a beer snob like you so can I ask you a favor?

Could you give me a list of 5 beers that you recommend that is available in the KC area that I should try?

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk (Post 7116064)

Mine would be:

Hoppin' Frog's BORIS Oatmeal-Imerpial Stout
Orval
Chimay
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Rogue's Dead Guy Ale

There's plenty more and those were really a quick thinking top 5. BORIS is my current favorite beer. The Chimay may be the most flavorful I've had, though.

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 7116071)

All of these I could get in a liquor store in KC?

Thanks for the list btw.

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk (Post 7116064)

Mine would be:

Hoppin' Frog's BORIS Oatmeal-Imerpial Stout
Orval
Chimay
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Rogue's Dead Guy Ale

There's plenty more and those were really a quick thinking top 5. BORIS is my current favorite beer. The Chimay may be the most flavorful I've had, though.

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk (Post 7116080)

Yes. I'm not sure you'd find every single one at one store but they are all in KC for sure.

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie (Post 7116084)

That's your five? Very good beers, but I'm surprised...Does this mean Missouri is every bit of beer hell that Texas is?

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk (Post 7116064)

Mine would be:

Hoppin' Frog's BORIS Oatmeal-Imerpial Stout
Orval
Chimay
Young's Double Chocolate Stout
Rogue's Dead Guy Ale

There's plenty more and those were really a quick thinking top 5. BORIS is my current favorite beer. The Chimay may be the most flavorful I've had, though.

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie (Post 7116056)

You knew what he meant in each of his posts and went out of your way to show off your beer snobbery. Very trendy of you

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 7116052)

Hey Reaper I want to be a beer snob like you so can I ask you a favor?

Could you give me a list of 5 beers that you recommend that is available in the KC area that I should try?

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7116171)

I don't know what your palate is ready for or what your tastes have run towards. Give me some info to work with. I don't want to recommend an Imperial India Pale Ale or a Guezue, say, if you're not ready yet.

You could also just go to one of the good beer stores in the KC area (Lukas, Gomer's) and talk with the staff.

Originally Posted by Shag (Post 7116036)

Nice - I did something similar last year, except we hit the Netherlands instead of Austria. Hard to beat traveling around Europe, drinking beer...

Originally Posted by Reaper16 (Post 7116158)

I didn't know what he meant. I thought he was an idiot for a second. Then he showed that he wasn't. If I could be accused of anything there it would be science snobbery. Also, I'm pretty sure you're using "trendy" incorrectly.

To answer your earlier comment: I can afford to drink so well because I don't drink to get drunk. NewPhin over estimated the number of beers I have a day, too. I don't even average a beer per day. And on the days I do have a beer I usually have just one.

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 7116207)

Ok I have basically tried all the traditional beers plus I have tried these lately, Stella Artois, Amstel Light, Modelo, Blue Moon, Boulevard Wheat, Shiner Bock, Hoogaarden...

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 7116071)

All of these I could get in a liquor store in KC?

Thanks for the list btw.

Originally Posted by dirk digler (Post 7116270)

HCF that is really really really...well there are no words

Originally Posted by Lemon_Pie (Post 7116327)

your attitude is pretty par for the course in the current trend of beer culture. Tell me more about how your beer tastes like turdcorn and yeast infection...