[jwardell]

We've had one for hotdogs and food but not beer? I'd say way overdue. A place to mention good beer you've had and where you got it.

Also I want to announce this year's annual NERAX will be here April 27 to 30.
Please see http://www.nerax.org/

They get casks of Real Beer from around new england and the world and you can try to sample them all.

I would like to invite you all to attend, I went last year and it was amazing. I plan to go to at least two sessions this year. It gets packed and the lines long so show up early.

I am definitely going to the Friday session. Not sure of which second one to go to...maybe you all will help convince me.

Takes place in the VFW in Davis Square, Somerville. This is NOT a motoring event, the beers are high in alcohol, so make whatever arrangement you can so you do not have to drive for a while afterwards. I am a mile walk away and have limited driveway parking available.

$6 admission, prices as listed per beer (the larger size you get, the less beers you can try before you are full or otherwise incapacitiated!), and if you do not bring your own glass they have various sized glasses available to purchase and even sell back.

I'm pretty sure at least some of you would be very interested so I thought I would invite you all to join me.

[harveyjoseph]

Did someone say BEER!!!!

[Windshadow]

Too Bad I will be In Santa Fe... oh well ther is alays next year... have fun gang!

[kgouin]

The best beer I ever had is Alaskan Amber. I had it while I was in Alaska. I wish I could get it here! My second favorite is Sam Adams Octoberfest.

I won't be attending the event but I thought I would post my favorite beer.

[Windshadow]

well if we are going to post about our favorite beer
One of the best ales brewed in the USA by a small to medium brewer is Sam Adams Boston Stock ale... if you ever see it as a cask conditioned real ale at one of the few places in the boston area or at the brewery that provide it do not miss a chance to try it... even as a bottled beer it is one of the very best American ales in the british best bitter style
I would need a book to cover my favorite British Beers and ales

[jwardell]

Is that the same as Boston Ale or some cask-conditioned derivative? SA's Boston Ale is pretty much their only beer left that I will drink when seen in a bar with no other decent choice. The rest of theirs have gone way downhill. But I still wouldn't label it as anything great.

During the cookout I attended sunday, I had a bottle of Allagash Triple Reserve followed by a four-pack of Dogfishhead Midas Touch, based on the residue found on the drinking vessels in King Midas' tomb.

After over 60oz of 9% brew, I pretty much went to sleep.

[jcsinnh]

My 2 cents is that, for the last 15 years or so. I get tired of beer after about 2 of them stretched over a couple of hours. Common American beers don't taste good to me anymore anyway although I have the usual type of exaggerated stories from when I was in my teens and early twenties - things about quarts of Schmidts or Iron City.

In my house, you'll find remnants of 6 packs of Tanner's Jack (thanks, Steve), a bottle of Rolling Rock maybe, and maybe a couple of bottles of IPAs from one of the VT breweries. What you will never find, well almost never 'cause of well-meaning folks, are fruity, spicy, gimmicky, seasonally-bedecked beers. I don't eat bubblegum ice cream either.

A Guinness now and then but I don't get too excited about the heavy stuff, either. Guess I'm not much of a beer fan but then again I don't drink alcohol nearly as frequently or as much as I used to. Seen too much, perhaps.

How about a bottle of Pearl Light?

[Windshadow]

Quote: Originally Posted by jwardell

Is that the same as Boston Ale or some cask-conditioned derivative? SA's Boston Ale is pretty much their only beer left that I will drink when seen in a bar with no other decent choice. The rest of theirs have gone way downhill. But I still wouldn't label it as anything great.

I never cared much fo their other beer either... yes the Boston Stock Ale was a special Cask or keg only version of what later became Boston Ale... I think they no longer use as much of the realy good East Kent Goldings and Fuggles hops as they once did but I still think even the bottle version is a good session ale... amnd thos are my favorite hop varieties

[DanzMINI2]

I like beer but unfortunately am unable to drink alcohol. Although on occasion I may have a drop or two! I recently found a twelve pack of Nutfield ales in my basement. Harvest ale, Auburn ale, Primary Pale ale and Oldman ale. Any takers?? They have only been sitting in the basement since Dec. 12, 2000!! Oh yeah, I also have one bottle of Three Stodges beer! Age unknown. Probably late 90's.

[jwardell]

I'm not sure if it was there before and I missed it but it is there, now: the NERAX Beer List.

The only UK breweries I recognise are Young's and Fullers, but all of my favorites from New England have beers there including Concord, Cambridge, Rock Bottom, Turckerman, on and on.

I still am definite for friday (perfect prep for the autox the next morning! ugh) but would like to go wed or thurs if anyone is interested.

The only good beer I have to report from this weekend was Rock Bottom's Freedom Stout.

[hwy61]

I must submit a favorable of Wachussett Nut Brown Ale... several glasses went down quite nicely at the Iron Horse in Northampton this past weekend. I hadn't tried it before, is worthy of another sampling. Cheers, to this very tasteful thread !!

[jcsinnh]

I think I mentioned this before somewhere but Tuckerman Ale tastes just like the old Ballantine Ale of NY. That is before the brewery was sold to a giant....Falstaff, I think.

[jwardell]

Quote: Originally Posted by hwy61

I must submit a favorable of Wachussett Nut Brown Ale... several glasses went down quite nicely at the Iron Horse in Northampton this past weekend. I hadn't tried it before, is worthy of another sampling. Cheers, to this very tasteful thread !!

Wachusset has impressed me (in great part due to our private MINI tour). They make very good "general" beers like their country ale, and seem to be one of the very few to not go too far with the special brews and do them just right, like their blueberry. They most impressed me after scaring me with their description of their Green Monstah where they threw in tons of hops for weeks on end--I usually dislike hoppy beers--so I decided to have a free sample of it as I would never pay money for it, and to my absolute surprise, yes it was exploding with hops yet somehow refined and I liked it!

In contrast to, say, Boston Beer Works, which destroys every type of beer they touch.

[Aqualung]

Hey, a buddy just told me about Harpoon Brewery's BBQ event...http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/events/nebbq/index.htm Note that it's up on Windsor, VT.

They're also having a "Brewstock" in Boston http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/events...tock/index.htm

[Cape Cod MINI]

The owner of the British Beer Company had called me a while back and mentioned a summer pub crawl with a rented double decker London bus. I told him we could probably fill both levels just with MINI owners.
I have since lost his phone number but have a call in to the restaurant and am awaiting a return call.

[jwardell]

I'm sorry none of you were there but NERAX was great. I was there with about 8 friends.
I actually did not have any of the GB beers now that I look back, but I was sure to have brews from my favorites around NE.

Shipyard Old Thumper was one of my favorites, a lot of flavor but still smooth.
Amhearst Anniversary Ale impressed me, well rounded.
Cambridge Ginger Ale...I started with this and I swear it tasted like liquid chinese dumplings! I guess that's not necessarily a good thing but interesting at least.

Concord Pale Ale impressed me the most. I am a big fan of their Rapscallion. I often find I don't like pale ales. So I gave it a try and was amazed. It had nearly the same flavor as the rapscallion but lighter, just a little hoppy but not the bite that I don't like in usual pales. I really want to go there for a tour some time soon.

There were several others, but those were the ones that stand out in my memory, which certainly by the end of the 6-10:30 session was getting very clouded

[Spy Car]

Wish I could have been there sounds like it was a fantastic exibition.

I'd been reading about it at "Beer Advocate" and am just sorry I'm so far away...or I'd have come for sure.

Been enjoying some terrific "left-coast" offerings in the past week..."Arrogant *******", "Ruination IPA", and the regular "IPA" from Stone Brewing. And a teriffic IPA from Ale Smith.

All fantastic...if you like hop bombs

[Windshadow]

Shipyard Old Thumper has become my favorite 'local' beer after mooving to Maine... it is remarkably faithful to the English orignal on which it is based and brewed under license the local Santa Fe Pale ale and IPA are nice but like many US ales use lager type hops for bittering and I like my ales made with goldings and fuggles

[Cape Cod MINI]

Quote: Originally Posted by Windshadow

Shipyard Old Thumper has become my favorite 'local' beer after mooving to Maine... it is remarkably faithful to the English orignal on which it is based and brewed under license the local Santa Fe Pale ale and IPA are nice but like many US ales use lager type hops for bittering and I like my ales made with goldings and fuggles

Old Thumper is good! It's well met at room (or MINI boot) temperature.

[Spy Car]

Just reading that the American Beer Fest. will be held June 17 & 18 in Boston.

Man...you guys get all the action

Hmm...Shipyard Old Thumper...never heard of it out here but I'll look for it.