The Great American Beer Exchange Thread - 2011

[nixon66]

So with inspiration from RyanMurray, Athryn and Bad Neighbor on twitter, and seeing a few of you do it in the Beer thread here on Qt3, I want to get together an exchange of good regional beers to others of us in different parts of the US.

The idea here: You live in XYZ region. You probably have some great beers near you that you've told us about and while some of the rest of us would love to try them, they just are not available in our area at all for purchase due to local only distribution! The solution? Send some of these beers out to your fellow Qt3'ers and get some distant beers of your own!

Here's how it will work.

- Post your interest and your region.
- I'll do my best to match you up with someone far away from you.
- You purchase at least 4-6 beers of various sizes and flavors from your local area.
- Ship it to your beer exchangee, and in return they will send you some as well!
- Receive beer, drink it and post pictures and thoughts on the great beverages you've received.

For ease right now, I'm going to restrict it to the US, as I don't know how the Canadian, or European laws are on shipping alcohol. If any of you in the Great White North know how it works up there, and there are a few of you, we can pair you up though!

Also, shouldn't need to be said, but you've got to be 21 to participate.

[nixon66]

--- just in case I need it ---

So here's who's in so far:



Qt3 Name City, State
nixon66 Tacoma, WA
extarbags Philadelphia, PA
Athryn
Bad Neighbor Cincinnati, OH
Norfair Waukesha WI
nlanza Pittsburgh, PA
Chris Gwinn MN
cheapfilms Austin, TX
Mightynute Kansas City, MO

[RyanMichael]

LOL, you beat me to the punch. I was waiting for approval from Tom to post my thread. ;)

My thread OP below, for posterity.

[RyanMichael]

Much like this classic and epic thread (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=50546), there has in fact been some beer trading amongst QT3 folk. So far I've pulled off successful and exciting trades with Bad Neighbor (sent (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showpost.php?p=2215408&postcount=730), received (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showpost.php?p=2379168&postcount=1032)) and Omniscia (sent (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showpost.php?p=2265536&postcount=903), received (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showpost.php?p=2233762&postcount=802)), and I'd like to do more.

So let's get some stuff out of the way, as I'm sure you'll have some questions.

Q: Isn't this illegal?

A: Not at all. It is against United Statesa Postal Regulations to mail alcohol, so if you sent it via USPS, it would be. And neither Fedex nor UPS will guarantee the safety of alcohol if you ship it, you will not get reimbursed if they break it, but they do not prohibit private citizens of legal age from mailing each other alcohol. If you are going to ship alcohol, there are several precautions you need to take with regards to packaging and sending them out for shipping, but we'll get into that later.

Q: Why would I want to trade beer? I can go to the store and buy some right now.

A: Sure you could, but even in the best markets in the US, you might only have available 20 to 30% of all the beer available in the world. There are over 1500 craft brewers in the United States alone, and many of them do not distribute outside of a very small region. By trading beers, you are giving others access to stuff that may be exclusive to your market, and getting stuff exclusive to theirs. And in the process, you're finding new and exciting beers that you might never have had!

Q: So how do I go about packaging my beer?

A: (coming soon)

[nixon66]

LOL, you beat me to the punch. I was waiting for approval from Tom to post my thread. ;)

Hahaha. I asked him last night for approval as well and got it so I figured I'd go.

[extarbags]

I'm in! I'm from Philadelphia, which gives me access to some pretty good stuff. I have pretty wide-ranging tastes, but I generally stay away from anything very hoppy and definitely anything rye. In particular, I tend to go for German and big Belgian styles, and after a recent positive experience on a business trip, I'd like to try some decent cream ales, since I can't seem to find any around here.

[RyanMichael]

Hahaha. I asked him last night for approval as well and got it so I figured I'd go.

Ooooh, you sly devil. My delay was my own damn fault. Well-played.

PS: I liked my thread title better. ;)

[Athryn]

I'm in! I'm from Philadelphia, which gives me access to some pretty good stuff. I have pretty wide-ranging tastes, but I generally stay away from anything very hoppy and definitely anything rye. In particular, I tend to go for German and big Belgian styles, and after a recent positive experience on a business trip, I'd like to try some decent cream ales, since I can't seem to find any around here.

Selin's Grove makes a cream ale year round, they're in Selinsgrove.

I might be interested in this, depending on how much it costs to ship (I'm poor!)

I have access to a ton of East Coast micros, due to the awesomeness that is Wegmans' beer section.

Edit: oh yeah and I like almost everything, except I'm not a huge fan of Stouts.

[Bad Neighbor]

I am not normally a fan of lagers, but beyond that I am not a stickler. I will drink stouts, lambics, belgians, triple IPAs, rye, etc. I am a sucker for seasonals.

I have discovered some additional local breweries that do not distribute outside the area. I found a rye that is only available at one store in the entire U.S. Same store has some crazy beers at their growler station, like Dogfish Head's World Wide Stout. They like to fill the growlers to the rim, making shipment possible.

[Raife]

Did you break down the regions?

[extarbags]

Selin's Grove makes a cream ale year round, they're in Selinsgrove.

I had to look them up, but it seems like they only sell their wares at the brewery... and it's in the middle of the wasteland that is central PA. Still, it might be worth a side trip if I ever head out that way.


I have access to a ton of East Coast micros, due to the awesomeness that is Wegmans' beer section.

Oh, isn't that the best? Man, I love Wegmans. My trades will be coming from there as well.

[nixon66]

Did you break down the regions?

I hadn't really yet. I wanted to see where people ended up being from and going from there.

[jeffd]

The wegmans beer selection here in NJ is meh. Very uninspired.

[Athryn]

I had to look them up, but it seems like they only sell their wares at the brewery... and it's in the middle of the wasteland that is central PA. Still, it might be worth a side trip if I ever head out that way.


Yeah I think that place might be closer to where I live than where you are. I like cream ales though too so it might be worth a drive!

[extarbags]

The wegmans beer selection here in NJ is meh. Very uninspired.

You don't realize what shopping for beer is like in PA at any place other than Wegmans. ;)

[extarbags]

Yeah I think that place might be closer to where I live than where you are. I like cream ales though too so it might be worth a drive!

I feel a qt3 meetup coming on...

[RyanMichael]

Just an FYI, I'm off the grid for trading right now. I don't have anymore room to store the beer I have. lol. Cellar project is on hold until I have some free time.

[Norfair]

I'd be up for trading some regional Wisconsin beers. Heck I might even throw in some of my homebrew if I'm feeling brave. (badneighbor's Pilsner honey ale is currently on tap, my bier de gaurde may not have carbonated properly so we'll see on that.)

I'm currently a fan of slightly lighter beers. I've been out of the mood for IPAs and stouts but everything else is good.

[Omniscia]

Wisconsin, eh? That includes New Glarus, presumably..?

[Norfair]

It would indeed include that.

[RyanMichael]

New Glarus is an amazing brewery. That's one of the ones I want to visit in person some day.

[Norfair]

The brewery tour is surprisingly disappointing. At least the tour at the old brewery was, they recently built a new one.

It just consisted of a self guided tour using one of these things you find at museums where you punch the numbers into it and it explains everything to you. Then at the end you can pay ten bucks to sample three beers. A bit of a let down after driving halfway across the state.

Like I said I don't know if they've changed it or not in the last two years.

[nlanza]

Oh, nice idea, I'm definitely in.

From Pittsburgh, I can send out a nice selection of PA, Ohio, New York, and Delaware beers (Penn Brewing, Victory, Southern Tier, Great Lakes, Dogfish Head, etc, etc).

I will try almost any beer once, but I tend to prefer things that aren't a complete one-dimensional hop wallop (for example, I like the Dogfish Head 90 Minute and Victory Hop Devil a lot, but Stone's Arrogant Bastard just leaves me cold). Stouts, porters, Belgians, lagers, ryes, etc, etc, are all fine and delicious.

[Omniscia]

Wait, Pittsburgh, does that put you in range of Duck-Rabbit?

[nlanza]

Wait, Pittsburgh, does that put you in range of Duck-Rabbit?

Yeah, we get Duck-Rabbit here. I'm not a huge fan of it, but it's pretty easy to find.

[Omniscia]

I love it, so if you want anything from New England, we may be able to work something out... Quebec is also within my reach, and I plan on heading up that way sometime soon.

You can buy Dieu du Ciel's Peche Mortel in a six-pack for something like $10 or $15 up there. Down here, it's $5 a bottle.

Of course, I'm still looking to find a better way of mailing stuff besides bubble wrap and packing peanuts.

[nlanza]

I've heard good things about Dieu du Ciel, but never tried it. We might indeed need to work something out.

I tend to get a quick refresher in New England beer each time I visit my mom in MA, but I'm not up there often enough to really know what local awesomeness I need to try. I'll be driving up there later this week; what should I make sure I grab?

[Omniscia]

Hmmmm... Massachusetts, eh? That's Berkshire territory. Not the best you'll ever try, but pretty good. Also, the People's Pint Restaurant & Brewery in Greenfield's not too bad. You can find their stuff bottled in select locations.

As for the rest of the area, you can't go wrong with Smuttynose (out of New Hampshire), and Shipyard (from Maine) is invariably disappointing, so you can safely skip them. Strangely, Shipyard's sodas are awesome, on the other hand. But they're hard to find these days.

Up here in Vermont, the new hotness is Hill Farmstead Brewery, with the #2 Imperial IPA on the BeerAdvocate list, but they're very hard to get. I'm going to make the trek to the brewery one of these days and try to secure a few of their very limited supply of bottles.

[nlanza]

Well, Eastern Mass. Pretty far eastern; my mom lives on Martha's Vineyard.

I do love me some Smuttynose, especially their Old Brown Dog. And yeah, Shipyard has not impressed me at all.

Don't think I've had Berkshire, but I'll look for it.

[Omniscia]

The Vineyard, eh? Are you sure that's safe?

Everything I know about that island I learned from watching Jaws.

[nlanza]

Eh, it's way too cold to go swimming now. It'll be fine.

[nixon66]

I'll be away through the holidays, but I'll keep an eye on the thread and organize us all in the new year. There's got to be more people who want beer!

[Norfair]

I'm slightly depressed that nobody is posting in this thread.

[extarbags]

Man, I'm so ready for this to start.

[nixon66]

Me too. Come on folks. Beer! It's good for you!

[Chris Gwinn]

I'd be up for beer exchange. I live in Minnesota, so Surly, etc. is easy and New Glarus is in driving distance.

[cheapfilms]

Well, I'm in central Texas, which means we have Lone Star(kinda a beer) and Shiner as staples. I'm a fan of following breweries, but I have no idea if they are known outside of the state. I only visit California:
Live Oak Brewing (http://www.liveoakbrewing.com/), Saint Arnold (http://www.saintarnold.com/), Real Ale (http://realalebrewing.com/), and 512 (http://512brewing.com/).

512 has a pecan porter I really like and Real Ale has the "Fireman's #4 Blonde Ale" which is probably my favorite, go-to beer. I'm down for trying anything new.

[Mightynute]

All right, I'm in.

I'm in Kansas City, so we've got Boulevard Brewery (http://www.boulevard.com/) here. We get a bit from Schlafly (http://www.schlafly.com/) as well, but the St. Louis folks have much better access to that.

I am a big fan of bocks (Spaten Optimator being an example of a favorite), less a fan of the intensely-hopped beers, but I am always up for expanding my horizons.

[nixon66]

I went and updated the second post of the thread with people who have said they'd like to participate:

http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showpost.php?p=2504938&postcount=2

If I've missed you or you'd still like to participate let me know!

For those of you on the list can you PM me the name and address you'd like things to be shipped to? Perfect!

[notatiger]

I am in! You motherfuckers are going to get some delicious hoppy Rogue beers. Maybe some Ninkasi too.

[Norfair]

I'm hoping the mention in the podcast gets some more people to sign up here.

[Bad Neighbor]

Is anyone unable to get Sierra Nevada's specialty beers where they are? If so, I should get some more of their 30th anniversary collection before they're all gone.

[nixon66]

Alright, so sorry for slacking on this, but got a few additional responsibilities at work (now doing the jobs of two people!) that have kept me busy.

Last call for any additional people to join in, and then I'll be contacting you all for your shipping address if you haven't already sent me it!

I hope to have pairings up by the end of the month so we can ship away!

[extarbags]

OMGOMGOMG

[Jeff Klein]

If anyone wants some Michigan brew, I guess I could send some.

[Chris Gwinn]

More specifically, I'm in Minneapolis. That means I also have access to some crazy good specialty beer stores (Four Firkins, etc) if you've been looking for stuff that isn't MN-specific but may not be distributed in your area.

[Bad Neighbor]

I've already been putting some beer aside for the exchange. Some of these are not available outside the store where they were purchased. I love it.

[Houngan]

Oy!

Houngan - Louisville Kentucky, baby. I never met a non-flavored beer I didn't like.

[Raife]

Ack, I'm in! location: WI.

[nixon66]

PM's have been sent to those of you who haven't yet given me your address. If I've somehow missed you in this thread, PM me and we'll get you added as well. Getting closer to getting it all done!

[Raife]

How much beer are we talking about? 12? A case?

[notatiger]

How much beer are we talking about? 12? A case?

This is something I had been wondering about as well. What are we looking at spending here? Also, what is a good way to ship beer?

[RyanMichael]

I've been meaning to write up a "how to ship beer safely" post, but I haven't had a chance. Nixon66, what's the goal for when people ship out? I need to know when I need to write something up by.

I'm not partaking in this round, but I'd suggest starting things shipping 6-8 12oz bottles, 3-4 bombers/750s, or some combination of the two sizes, aiming for a set value of between $20 and $30 of beer shipped.

Shipments over 8 bottles of beer can get unwieldy, and it becomes difficult to properly pad and secure them unless you've got the right materials.

[nixon66]

I figure once I get everyone's addresses and distribute them out, hopefully everyone will have their beer away by mid-March (a month from now) giving them time to collect up. Please Ryan share your experience with shipping beer and proper packing as well as the general costs from UPS and FedEx for shipping this stuff.

And Ryan has it right. I figured 6-8 12oz bottles or 3-4 22oz bottles or a mixture. I didn't want the beer costs for anyone to go too high, since the shipping would add to it all.

[Yo Rudy]

I am down for this - I am from Central NJ.

[nixon66]

I am down for this - I am from Central NJ.

Excellent. Send me your Address in a PM. After you, there's only one more address I need to collect. (cheapfilms....?)

[notatiger]

I've been meaning to write up a "how to ship beer safely" post, but I haven't had a chance. Nixon66, what's the goal for when people ship out? I need to know when I need to write something up by.

I'm not partaking in this round, but I'd suggest starting things shipping 6-8 12oz bottles, 3-4 bombers/750s, or some combination of the two sizes, aiming for a set value of between $20 and $30 of beer shipped.

A write-up on shipping would be great Ryan! Thanks! And The price sounds great to this broke college student.

[Chris Gwinn]

At least some of the beer I send will be in cans. I don't know if there are gotchas there, but I should probably find out.

[Raife]

At least some of the beer I send will be in cans. I don't know if there are gotchas there, but I should probably find out.

Look, I know they brought Schlitz back and all, but it hardly qualifies.

[RyanMichael]

There's nothing wrong with shipping cans - If anything due to the smaller weight and volume, shipping cans is far easier and safer than bottles.

[nixon66]

And there are some decent to good beers coming in cans these days.

[Raife]

Whoever I get is totally getting a bonus 40 oz.

[extarbags]

And there are some decent to good beers coming in cans these days.

I'll do you one better: there are some excellent beers coming in cans these days. Assuming you're going to decant your beer anyway regardless of how it gets delivered to you, there's no reason at all to look down on today's cans.

[Norfair]

PM's have been sent to those of you who haven't yet given me your address. If I've somehow missed you in this thread, PM me and we'll get you added as well. Getting closer to getting it all done!

How much closer are we now?

[nixon66]

Very. I haven't heard back from one person, despite repeated attempts, so I'll map people up this weekend and send out connections by Sunday. Keep an eye on your PM box!

[extarbags]

Hooray!

[Norfair]

Time to go beer shopping!

[nixon66]

Messages sent. A few of you didn't give me your first and last name, so if you could provide that to your beer exchangee so we have ease of shipping. Let's get these things out when you can, but no later then March 15th. I know all of us want some beer!

[Houngan]

Did we ever get a shipping primer?

H.

[Bad Neighbor]

What I do is get a box with the partitions already in them (ie a wine case). Beer stores give these out whenever you buy 3 or more bottles, usually. I take the partitions out and place a plastic bag in the box as a liner. I then place the partitions back inside the box, within the liner. I wrap each bottle in that thin green foam wrap that you can get pretty much anywhere and place 1-2 bottles per compartment. If I have a particularly heavy shipment, I will add a couple layers of this material to the bottom of the box, under the partitions. Any space between the bottles is filled with bubble wrap, "peanuts", or more green crap. If the shipment is to be expected to get above 70 degrees, I use one of the compartments in the middle to house an ice pack. Don't forget to use extra tape. I ship through UPS, making sure to tell them it's glass and fragile.

[Chris Gwinn]

Surly is almost exclusively cans, and they're one of the best breweries in the Midwest.

[Chris Gwinn]

Is it OK to ask the beer buddy if they have requests, or is the goal complete surprise?

[Houngan]

I'm going to PM mine to see what he likes, I see no reason to secret santa this. (Hi Raife!)

H.

[Bad Neighbor]

I don't know who mine is on Qt3, so I can't ask.

[nixon66]

Yea, this is no secret santa style thing. You and your buddy know who each other are:



Qt3 Name Paired up with
nixon66 nlanza
extarbags Norfair
Bad Neighbor Yo Rudy
Norfair extarbags
nlanza nixon66
Chris Gwinn Mightynute
Mightynute Chris Gwinn
notatiger Jeff Kelin
Houngan Raife
Raife Houngan
Yo Rudy Bad Neighbor
Jeff Klein notatiger

Weird spacing issues and all.

[Raife]

I hit up one of my two go-to liquor stores and picked up five beers that are on my "possible" list, now I just need to narrow them down. I already have three beers picked out that I am definitely sending.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8859/imag0270z.jpg

That's all beer, and this is only about 1/4 of the beers they have. Most of them have ratings and a short description. I knew what I wanted when I went in, though.

[nlanza]

I have a preliminary list that's gonna be whittled down based on what the beer cave (http://www.ds6pax.com/) at my favorite beer store has, but now would be a fine time for my beer buddy to put in requests.

[nixon66]

Good god. And I thought my beer stores were good places. My place pales in comparison to there, but I do have at least two picked out for you nlanza, with a few more that are stewing. Maybe you'll get one of my homebrews as well.

[Houngan]

I hit up one of my two go-to liquor stores and picked up five beers that are on my "possible" list, now I just need to narrow them down. I already have three beers picked out that I am definitely sending.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8859/imag0270z.jpg

That's all beer, and this is only about 1/4 of the beers they have. Most of them have ratings and a short description. I knew what I wanted when I went in, though.

Squee!!!

I'm going to have to step it up, I have some in the fridge for sampling, but I'm probably going to have to get tricky to make Louisville compare to Raife's state. I know a guy who knows a guy who knows the brewer at Browning's, if I can score some quad then we might reach parity.

H.

[Norfair]

I hit up one of my two go-to liquor stores and picked up five beers that are on my "possible" list, now I just need to narrow them down. I already have three beers picked out that I am definitely sending.

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8859/imag0270z.jpg

That's all beer, and this is only about 1/4 of the beers they have. Most of them have ratings and a short description. I knew what I wanted when I went in, though.

Is that discount?

[Bad Neighbor]

So, uh, what's the limit again? It's possible that I may have blown past it already.

[Chris Gwinn]

Turns out that my beer buddy doesn't get Bells in his neck of the woods. So I get to provide his first Surly and his first Bells. I'm almost jealous.

[Norfair]

Bah, I'd have mailed my beer out Wednesday if I wasn't absentminded and kept forgetting to bring it with me the last three mornings.

[Chris Gwinn]

UPS is telling me Mightnute should be getting his today.

[Mightynute]

Woot! Yours should be down to the FedEx shop as soon as Big 12 insanity lets my city go.

[Chris Gwinn]

Woot! Yours should be down to the FedEx shop as soon as Big 12 insanity lets my city go.
No hurry. Most of the beers I got you came in 4 or six packs, so I have a lot of extra beer in the house.

[nixon66]

I'm going shopping this weekend for mine, though I have a couple already.

[Norfair]

I dropped mine off at fedex on Saturday morning and it should be getting to it's destination by Wednesday.

[Mightynute]

The motherlode has arrived! From the frozen tundra of Minnesota, my beer buddy Chris Gwinn bestows upon me...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5097/5527653274_e4f7c3dddf_z.jpg

From left to right:
- Surly Abrasive Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/46849)
- Brau Brothers Scotch Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14967/35851)
- Lift Bridge Chestnut Hill (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18563/54840)
- Flat Earth Cygnus X-1 Porter (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15642/38628)
- Schell's Snowstorm 2010 (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/417/62974)
- Bell's Two-Hearted Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/1093)
- Schell's Hopfenmalz (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/417/47805)
- Surly Coffee Bender (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/30764)

Now, as I am a complete babe in the woods, I have not even heard of a single one of these before. So, which goes first?

[RyanMichael]

Two Hearted and Abrasive should be consumed sooner than later.

[Mightynute]

Oh, and the Abrasive is good. I am not normally one for IPAs, but this is excellent. Reminds me a lot of Stone Brewery's IPA that I forget the name of.

[nixon66]

I've heard of none of those! Looks great!

[Chris Gwinn]

From left to right:
- Surly Abrasive Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/46849)
- Brau Brothers Scotch Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/14967/35851)
- Lift Bridge Chestnut Hill (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/18563/54840)
- Flat Earth Cygnus X-1 Porter (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15642/38628)
- Schell's Snowstorm 2010 (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/417/62974)
- Bell's Two-Hearted Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/287/1093)
- Schell's Hopfenmalz (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/417/47805)
- Surly Coffee Bender (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13014/30764)

Now, as I am a complete babe in the woods, I have not even heard of a single one of these before. So, which goes first?
That was the goal! Other than the Bell's, I don't think any of those go outside of MN. Maybe the Schell's does. The Hopfenmalz is a fine beer with food, but it's not anything particularly amazing. Mostly, I'd run out of packing material and had one on hand. Well, and I'm amused that the brewery is old enough to have a 150th anniversary.

[Chris Gwinn]

Oh, and the Abrasive is good. I am not normally one for IPAs, but this is excellent. Reminds me a lot of Stone Brewery's IPA that I forget the name of.
It's a seasonal Surly - used to be called the 16 Grit. A few weeks back, I had a glass from a cherrywood infused firkin of it at one of Surly's 5th anniversary parties. That was amazing.

And it comes in a can...

[Jeff Klein]

PM to notatiger (I don't have enough posts to reply to PMs?):

IPAs are ok, I guess ... but do you have something with more hops? :D (I would send you a Founder's Devil Dancer were it in season)

Anything and everything welcome, the more over the top the better.

BTW, PM me a shipping name, or can I just ship to "N. A. Tiger"?

[Raife]

I am a big jerkface because I haven't done anything with this for three weeks.

[nlanza]

I am a big jerkface because I haven't done anything with this for three weeks.

Me too. I'm gonna try to get my package out this weekend at the latest.

[Bad Neighbor]

My problem is that I'm over-thinking it. I've decided to just cut short before I go broke and ship what I have now.

[Chris Gwinn]

My problem is that I'm over-thinking it. I've decided to just cut short before I go broke and ship what I have now.
I had the same problem. Mightynute mentioned he didn't care for IPAs and liked bocks, so I got all worried about seasonals and whether I wanted to represent the best of MN or a range of breweries and whatnot. And then it turns out he liked the DIPA I sent him anyway. I think we're all going to enjoy getting whatever we get.

[Mightynute]

Well, it's a Double IPA. So obviously it cancels out. Duh.

[Chris Gwinn]

Beer is here! Details tonight.

[Chris Gwinn]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_Eo7n2_B0ZgY/TYLDB9K2dPI/AAAAAAAAAdY/iE-3wTkP9kU/s640/IMG_0073.JPG
After some brief confusion as to why I would be getting a package from Square Enix, I unboxed Mightynute's beer shipment.

Boulevard Dark Truth Stout (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/56469)
Cathedral Square Hail Mary Belgian-Style IPA (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22271/62819)
Boulevard Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/50570)
Weston Brew Labs #3 Pub Warmer Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13602/64072/?ba=zeff80)
Boulevard The Sixth Glass (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/423/39621)

I'm excited! I've had a few Boulevards before and enjoyed them, but I've never even heard of Cathedral Square or Weston.

I don't think I'll make the monthly hopluck tomorrow, but my wife and I will certainly start trying beer over the weekend.

[Bad Neighbor]

I've been please with what Boulevard I've had. That looks like a good haul.

My beer is taped up and ready for shipment! Uh... Saturday! I probably won't want to go to UPS tomorrow.


Question: Is there a difference between a saison and a farmhouse?

[Mightynute]

Cathedral Square and Weston are little craft breweries around here that mostly cater to local pubs. We're a bit late in the season for the Pub Warmer, but I figure winter in MN lasts until July or so, so it should be enjoyable.

The Dark Truth Stout is one of my favorites in Boulevard's Smokestack series, so enjoy!

[Chris Gwinn]

Cathedral Square and Weston are little craft breweries around here that mostly cater to local pubs. We're a bit late in the season for the Pub Warmer, but I figure winter in MN lasts until July or so, so it should be enjoyable.

The Dark Truth Stout is one of my favorites in Boulevard's Smokestack series, so enjoy!
Grass is now visible in some places. I think there's still a foot of snow on my lawn though.

[Chris Gwinn]

The snow is melting fast, so we opened the Weston warmer tonight. It's nice - really good for that inside on a cold day sort of thing. Ann really enjoyed it.

[Jeff Klein]

Mmm, edible packing peanuts.

[Norfair]

Surely somebody else must have gotten beer by this point.

[extarbags]

I did! It's these:

The Big O (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16386/42591[/url) - I'm drinking this right now, and it's super tasty and refreshing! It's just really nice, fresh-tasting, crisp, kind of lemony with some very gentle grapefruit notes... yum. This would be an amazing session beer, especially for the summer time. Absolutely the best beer I've ever had that was adapted from an anime series.

Rendezvous (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/741/11991) - Had this last night and really enjoyed it.

Ones I haven't had yet:

Unplugged Apple Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/20014) - So I secretly looked through some of the potential Wisconsin breweries I might be getting stuff from, and I was kind of hoping to get a taste of this one.
Spotted Cow (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/1963) - So excited about this one. I've only had one cream ale, but I LOVED it, and I've been starved for them because you just can't get one here. Psyched.
Cabin Fever (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/55418) - Ok, I know I said I was drinking the other thing right now and that I hadn't had this one yet, but hey, this post is taking a little while to write, so I cracked it open after all. Not bad at all. Reminds me of Midas Touch (obviously because of the honey), but with no alcohol taste and probably sessionable (although it is six percent apparently, so perhaps not quite). Also differs from MT in that it pours a solid like four fingers of head, which rules as far as I'm concerned.
Blonde Doppelbock (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/368/2963) - I absolutely love doppelbocks, and I've never had (or heard of!) a blonde or pale one, so I'm really looking forward to trying this.

And the most exciting one of all: a homebrewed honey pilsner! Did you make this, Norfair? I'm so psyched for this, because getting a chance to try a homebrew from afar is such a rare thing.

I feel like kind of a turd for not getting my stuff out sooner, but I was on a long business trip and it couldn't be helped. I'll get it out in tomorrow's FedEx... hopefully you like some of this stuff as much as I'm enjoying yours.

[RyanMichael]

I did! It's these:

Unplugged Apple Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/590/20014) - So I secretly looked through some of the potential Wisconsin breweries I might be getting stuff from, and I was kind of hoping to get a taste of this one.


That Unplugged Apple Ale is out of this world. It should come in one-gallon jugs because it's so low ABV and you'll want to drink a gallon of it.

[Norfair]

And the most exciting one of all: a homebrewed honey pilsner! Did you make this, Norfair? I'm so psyched for this, because getting a chance to try a homebrew from afar is such a rare thing.

I feel like kind of a turd for not getting my stuff out sooner, but I was on a long business trip and it couldn't be helped. I'll get it out in tomorrow's FedEx... hopefully you like some of this stuff as much as I'm enjoying yours.

Glad to see your enjoying them! I was a bit worried looking at them when I mailed them off as they seemed a bit dull. New Glarus isn't a super flavor type of brewery.

The home brew is mine but it's based off of Bad neighbor's recipe.

[nixon66]

The home brew is mine but it's based off of Bad neighbor's recipe.

I can attest to that recipe being good. I've made a batch!

So went out to my local bottle shop and picked up some of my beers I'm sending. I'll probably toss in a hombrew or two as well when I ship!

[Chris Gwinn]

Glad to see your enjoying them! I was a bit worried looking at them when I mailed them off as they seemed a bit dull. New Glarus isn't a super flavor type of brewery.
They aren't flashy, but they're really good. I was not aware that they made an apple beer - I'll have to look for it next time I'm in Wisconsin.

[Bad Neighbor]

Uh, guys. Just wanted you all to know that Yo Rudy! is the best person ever. This may take a while.

[Yo Rudy]

I might have gone a little crazy.

[Bad Neighbor]

"Crazy" puts it mildly!

http://i.imgur.com/gbaUy.jpg
Yuengling Traditional Lager (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23980/1351)
Yuengling Bock (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/23980/47812)
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/392/1566)
Weyerbacher Heresy (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/392/18198)
Kopparbergs Pear Cider (http://www.kopparbergs.se/)

http://i.imgur.com/xJXnk.jpg
Cricket hill East Coast Lager (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/1344/5539)
Yards Brawler (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/450/46504)
Flying Fish ESB Amber Ale (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/339/1482)
Victory Hop Wallop (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/345/14916)
River horse Tripel Horse (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/877/20889)

http://i.imgur.com/gRsA0.jpg
Sam Adams American Kriek (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/35/53772)
Philadelphia Brewing Kilty Pleasure (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/16206/55763)
Flying Fish Exit 6 (http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/339/59162)

[Mightynute]

Holy crap!

[Bad Neighbor]

My wife has been helping me try these. The pear cider is like a sweet ginger ale, but with a strong pear flavor, of course. I would not have thought it had alcohol at all. The Flying Fish Amber is pretty standard, but solid. The River horse Tripel is an in your face Belgian. It has a really nice aftertaste. I'll be drinking at least one a night, if I can.


Thanks, Rudy!

Update 1: Yuengling Bock Beer is a run-of-the-mill bock. Not bad, but doesn't stand out. Cricket Hill's lager was a lot better than I had expected. I'm not normally a lager fan, and this one had a delicious maltiness but didn't taste sweet as a result. Hop Wallop lives up to its name. My wife liked it better than I did, and she doesn't like many IPAs.


Current Favorite: Cricket Hill East Coast Lager

[Norfair]

Wow, I think Bad Neighbor wins!

[Jeff Klein]

Just dropped off at Pakmail... Damn, shipping is expensive.

[nlanza]

Stopped by my combination bottle shop and hot dog shop today for a dog, pub fries, and a couple sixpacks of local delicacies. Will try to get it out in the mail tomorrow or Saturday.

Man, I hadn't realized how much delicious semi-local stuff there was until I had to narrow the selection a bit, and the shop was out of some of my favorites. We'll clearly have to do this again.

[Norfair]

Just dropped off at Pakmail... Damn, shipping is expensive.

It cost me about 15 dollars to ship it by fedex. I didn't think it was too bad.

Also, my wife called to tell me that I have a package awaiting me at home. Yippie.

[Norfair]

And here be the contents of said package:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_eqAkC3DeJXQ/TYv6Y7lXxkI/AAAAAAAACog/GThbyzQj_r4/s640/IMG_6028.JPG

I haven't had a chance to try them yet however but tomorrow it shall start.

[nlanza]

I'm curious what you think of the Lancaster Milk Stout. I hate it, but I know a lot of people who think it's great.

[extarbags]

I'm curious what you think of the Lancaster Milk Stout. I hate it, but I know a lot of people who think it's great.

I tried it based on recommendations here and loved it. It's definitely a once-in-a-while thing, though, and you should have it when you're in the mood for a stout in general.

[nlanza]

I tried it based on recommendations here and loved it. It's definitely a once-in-a-while thing, though, and you should have it when you're in the mood for a stout in general.

It's weird. I like stouts. I even like milk stouts. I've just never had anything from Lancaster that I liked at all.

Then again, I don't like shoo fly pie either, so maybe Amish country and me just don't get along.

[Yo Rudy]

I love stouts and especially milk stouts and found the Lancaster Milk Stout very boring and plain. I also disliked their Strawberry Wheat for the same reason.

[Chris Gwinn]

Boulevard's Dark Truth Stout was excellent. I'm not normally a fan of imperial stouts - they tend to be too harsh. This one manages to hold the smoothness I like from a good stout.

[Jeff Klein]

I paid $23.95, but I probably overpacked.

[Mightynute]

Boulevard's Dark Truth Stout was excellent. I'm not normally a fan of imperial stouts - they tend to be too harsh. This one manages to hold the smoothness I like from a good stout.

Which reminds me that Boulevard's new Imperial Stout has hit shelves. I should pick up a few.

[Chris Gwinn]

We opened the Tank 7 with dinner tonight. Boy, that's a huge head! I think I've had it before, and I think I drank it too cold last time. A nice farmhouse.

[Raife]

I finally have all of the beer so I should be able to ship it Monday. Things have been a little crazy here in Beercheesepackerstan.

[Houngan]

I suck so hard Raife, but the beer is now on its way. Vegas, busted toe, FedEx refusing to ship, etc. etc. UPS will be there I'd estimate Friday or Monday.

H.

[nixon66]

I've got two more beers to get and mine will be on it's way as well nlanza. That and a box to ship them in.... Hmmm.....

Here's where I've got people receiving their beer. If you've gotten yours, but haven't posted... WTF?

Recieved:
extarbags
Bad Neighbor
Norfair
Chris Gwinn
Mightynute

Still Waiting:
nixon66
nlanza (sorry man... I have it sitting there ready to go!)
notatiger
Houngan
raife
Yo Rudy
Jeff Klein

[nlanza]

nlanza (sorry man... I have it sitting there ready to go!)

That's okay. Mine's sitting in the pantry in a similar state 'cause I've been in deadline hell at work. Gonna try and get it out in the next day or two.

[Chris Gwinn]

I'd love more updates on who has tried what and their thoughts, if only to know what to look out for.

[notatiger]

I finally got my beer shipped! Sorry about the huge delay Jeff, but your 5 22oz. bottles should arrive shortly.

nixon66, you can take Jeff's name off the list. I received his shipment earlier this week. I took a picture on my ipod, but the quality is terrible so no pics. I received:

-Short's Brew Soft Parade. I normally do not like fruity beers, but the second I saw this label I knew it was a winner. It was the first I tried, and so crisp! Usually fruit beers taste to sugary, but this was perfectly balanced.

-Mad Hatter IPA. A hoppy beer with some fruity/flowery hints. Seems like a great summer beer.

The rest I haven't tried yet.

-Red's Rye PA Ale
-Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
-The Poet Oatmeal Stout
-Bell's Expedition Stout

Last year this time I would've been disappointed by the stouts, but I am just starting to really develop a taste for them so these are perfectly timed. I've heard a lot about Bell's and am going to save it for last. Thanks Jeff!

[Jeff Klein]

The Expedition is the "over the top" entry, you may want to set aside a few hours...

[Mightynute]

I got the Expedition Stout as well. It is excellent.

[Houngan]

Raife, any boxes show up yet? Should be there by now.

H.

[Raife]

Yep, got it, but I haven't opened it yet. I'll try to do that and post pictures later tonight.

[Chris Gwinn]

I got the Expedition Stout as well. It is excellent.
I almost sent you a bottle. Sounds like you were able to find it on your own.

[Houngan]

Sweet! No rush, I just don't trust shipping companies very much.

H.

[Mightynute]

I believe I got the Expedition Stout from Bad Neighbor for the Secret Santa Exchange. Apparently my biggest hurdle to sobriety is QT3.

[Raife]

http://s1.postimage.org/66shid0z9/IMG_3249.jpg

Looking forward to trying these out, thanks Houngan!

[Mightynute]

I will attest to the sheer badass of the Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale. It is, quite literally, awesomesauce.

[Houngan]

I's a weird assortment, but two of the local brewers don't bottle yet and I had hoped to include their stuff. I don't even wanna know what it costs to ship a keg.

H.

[Jeff Klein]

A package! What could be inside?

[notatiger]

Did it arrive? Hooray!

[Jeff Klein]

Indeed!~

Deschutes Hophenge IPA
Hopvalley Vanilla Infused Porter
HUB Secession Cascadian Dark Ale
Ninkasi Spring Reign
Ninkasi Oatis

all in 22's!

[Norfair]

And here be the contents of said package:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_eqAkC3DeJXQ/TYv6Y7lXxkI/AAAAAAAACog/GThbyzQj_r4/s640/IMG_6028.JPG

I haven't had a chance to try them yet however but tomorrow it shall start.

I kept meaning to write something up now that I've had all but one (I'm saving the golden monkey for over easter with my father in law) but now is the time.

My favorite was actually the can. Very delicious but not overly hoppy. Close behind were the Stoudts Gold Lager and the Double Bag.

I do remember liking the Primal Pils and the Nugget Nectar but unfortunately nothing more.

The Pollinator was ok, but it really didn't do too much for me.

Thanks again!

My wife had the milk stout and enjoyed it very much.

[walTer]

Not actually beer specific but, a Total Wine and More just opened up not far from us (Redondo Beach Ca) and they do the most wonderful thing there. All 12 ounce bottles are sold as singles...which means you an mix and match all 6 packs!

It is a wonderful way to try new beers without being stuck with 5 bottles of something you don't like. My first trip there cost me 80 bucks...and it was well spent.

http://www.totalwine.com/

[nlanza]

So. Let me preface this by noting that I am a total slacker.

A package arrived via FedEx recently, containing this:

http://homepage.mac.com/nlanza/pictures/BeerExchange2011/beer.jpg

Hmm.

Looking more closely, we see on the right:

http://homepage.mac.com/nlanza/pictures/BeerExchange2011/beer-right.jpg

Left Hand Brewing Milk Stout
Green Flash Hop Head
7 Seas Ballz Deep Double IPA
21st Amendment Back in Black Black IPA

And in the middle:

http://homepage.mac.com/nlanza/pictures/BeerExchange2011/beer-middle.jpg

Lagunitas IPA
Widmer W'11 KGB Russian Imperial Stout
Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball
Stone / Green Flash / Pizza Port Carlsbad Highway 78 Scotch Ale

…aaaaand on the left, MYSTERY BEER:

http://homepage.mac.com/nlanza/pictures/BeerExchange2011/beer-left.jpg

Awesome. I'm drinking the Highway 78 right now, and it's quite nice.

Thanks, nixon66!

[nlanza]

Continuing on the slacker note:

http://homepage.mac.com/nlanza/pictures/BeerExchange2011/box.jpg

All wrapped up and taped! Going to FedEx on Monday! Honest!

Since I've been such a slacker, I'll make an extra offer: when it shows up and you drink it, let me know what you liked best and I'll send you another box with more of that.

Work has been super-busy recently, but I really shoulda gotten this out way earlier anyway. I actually went out and bought fresh beer today rather than send the no-really-gonna-send-this-any-day stuff that's been sitting out for too long.

[Mightynute]

Allow me to say that a) that's a pretty nice haul, and b) good lord I covet your kitchen setup already just from that small view.

[nlanza]

Allow me to say that a) that's a pretty nice haul, and b) good lord I covet your kitchen setup already just from that small view.

I'm happy with the haul. I also had the W'11 KGB, and it was delicious. I like imperial stouts a lot, and it was great to have one that's totally new to me.

Also, yeah, we're pretty happy with how the kitchen turned out. We bought this house last year and gutted and completely remodeled the kitchen. I have a couple pictures of when the remodel was like 95% done up here (http://gallery.me.com/nlanza#100101), but should probably take some more now that everything's done.

[Chris Gwinn]

We finally drank the Boulevard 6th Glass last weekend (with friends I know through an online gaming messageboard, which seemed appropriate).

I really liked it! I'm not normally a huge fan of quads - they tend to be a bit too harsh. This one was very nice.

[nixon66]

Glad it all got there in one piece! The two mystery beers? Both are my home-brews. The one with the green cap is my Stout and the red cap is a cranberry brown ale.

[nlanza]

Glad it all got there in one piece! The two mystery beers? Both are my home-brews. The one with the green cap is my Stout and the red cap is a cranberry brown ale.

Cranberry brown sounds interesting; I'll probably give that one a try tonight.

Thanks!

[nixon66]

Cranberry brown sounds interesting; I'll probably give that one a try tonight.

Thanks!

Sweet! Let me know what you think of them. It was Qt3 who got me into home brewing in the first place, so it's good to share!

I'm looking forward to a package arriving now! Excellent!

[nixon66]

Oh yes. After I returned from a quick trip to California this weekend I had a package awaiting me from my beer exchangee! And what goodness to behold inside! 12 beers of distinction!

http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/9840/img0971b.jpg (http://img691.imageshack.us/i/img0971b.jpg/)

From left to right:
Yards Extra Special Ale
Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
Victory Golden Monkey Tripel Ale
Troegs Java Head Coffee Stout
Penn Brewery's Penn Dark Lager
Great Lakes Brewing Conway's Irish Ale


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7855/img0972lz.jpg (http://img215.imageshack.us/i/img0972lz.jpg/)

Unibroue La Fin Du Monde
Stoudt's Scarlet Lady Ale (ESB)
Full Pint Brewing Co - Tri-PA (Triple Batch Imperial IPA)
Southern Tier Un-Earthly IPA
Dogfish Head World Wide Stout
Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron

A kingly trove of goodness to behold!

I'm currently sipping on the Palo Santo Marron (I have wanted to try this beer for at least a year since reading about it and the Sam's quest for the wood!). It's quite good. Sweet, brown, and strong. I'm enjoying it!

Looking forward to the IPA's I must admit. Heard great things about Southern Tier, and the Tri-PA and Simcoe both sound great as well. And the dark lager and the Java Head both sound up my alley! Basically a strong win! Any personal recommendations to try next NLanza or anyone else?

[RyanMichael]

What's the vintage on that World Wide Stout, 2010? Look for green printing on the neck of the bottle.

I had one in 2010 that was 2007 vintage and it was fantastic, but I can't comment on any bottles younger than 3 years. A lot of people say it absolutely needs a couple years to mellow. Either way, plan on splitting it with a friend. 18% beers are tough to put down by oneself.

[nixon66]

What's the vintage on that World Wide Stout, 2010? Look for green printing on the neck of the bottle.

I had one in 2010 that was 2007 vintage and it was fantastic, but I can't comment on any bottles younger than 3 years. A lot of people say it absolutely needs a couple years to mellow. Either way, plan on splitting it with a friend. 18% beers are tough to put down by oneself.

It's the 2010, but I'll be more then happy to keep one around for a while and let it age a bit. Got a good place to store with decent low temps.

[nlanza]

Yeah, let the WWS age a bit. It'll be worth it.

Glad you liked the Palo Santo -- I like it a lot, but I have a lot of friends who *hate* it. Definitely seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it thing.

I'd suggest going with the Double Simcoe next, since it's one of my personal favorites.

[nixon66]

So yea, I forgot to post some of my impressions of what you got me nlanza!

Like I mentioned above the Palo Santo was great. I really enjoyed the three Imperial IPA's (Double Simcoe, Tri-PA and the Un-Earthly). The UnEarthly was actually very very good, and I liked it as much as the Pliny the Elders I've gotten in the past.

Conway's Irish and the Java Head were also some excellent picks out of there. All I have left is the La Fin du Monde and the World Wide Stout.

How'd you like the homebrews nlanza?

[nlanza]

I'm glad you liked them!

And yeah, Southern Tier's stuff is great. It was pretty hard deciding what from them to send along just 'cause I love so many of their beers so much.

I actually hadn't gotten to the homebrews yet -- we went on vacation and I sort of forgot. I'll have at least one tonight and write up my impressions.

Actually, hell, I'll go crack one open now.

EDIT: Having the stout now. Nice and malty; very tasty.

[Bad Neighbor]

So, next time we do this, I need to be paired up with someone that likes gin. There is a local distillery that makes the best damn gin I have ever tried.

[nlanza]

So, next time we do this, I need to be paired up with someone that likes gin. There is a local distillery that makes the best damn gin I have ever tried.

Do tell. Columbus isn't that far away...

[ddtibbs]

So, next time we do this, I need to be paired up with someone that likes gin. There is a local distillery that makes the best damn gin I have ever tried.

Would it be this (http://www.watersheddistillery.com/gin.html) one?

The other distillery in town's vodka (http://www.middlewestspirits.com/products/) is pretty awesome.

[Houngan]

So yeah, um: <sad guy with head stuck in mailbox picture>

[Jeff Klein]

So, next time we do this, I need to be paired up with someone that likes gin. There is a local distillery that makes the best damn gin I have ever tried.
WHAT YOU SAY

[Bad Neighbor]

Would it be this (http://www.watersheddistillery.com/gin.html) one?

The other distillery in town's vodka (http://www.middlewestspirits.com/products/) is pretty awesome.

That is the one. It is impressively smooth.