What are you drinking ?

[jt]

Ok, so What Are You Brewing was a hotty, as topics go.

Now I'm 15 pints into a keg I only filled on Tuesday and wondering if anyone else has a favourite at the moment ?

It's my second brown with US-Oh05 and it's better than the forst, maybe Ikept the temps down a bit during the scorcher we had in januray

[Sean]

You nailed it on the head, I was extra excited about tasting this and I was not disappointed for a second. If you are a fanboi of Belgium Beer then it's the zenith of your calling. I fucking loved it. You see I'm all hard for Belgium Dark Ales, Porters and Stouts (I guess this comes form old age :D) IPA's have never been high on my list of beer's to sample, I mean give me a decent stout any day.

I thought Armageddon smelt like old socks but tasted pretty damn fine and the Stone Ruination killed me, I was still tasting the hops every time I swallowed for an hour after, but, shit I'd rather down the Smoked Porter or the always reliable Emerson's Oatmeal Stout given the choice between the two styles. Some of us are hop heads and some aren't 'nuff said!!! \m/

[Greig McGill]

Though some of us are both! ;) Armageddon is in the top three beers I've had all year. Ruination would be too, though I've had it before. It's still delicious.

I was tasting Armageddon last night with some of my wife's workmates. They all loved it, but two of them thought the aroma smelled "like weasel piss"! That one was new to me. Try as I could, I just couldn't find what they meant. It was good for a laugh though. I'm not entirely sure where they'd have smelled weasel piss before, but they are soil scientists, so anything is possible!

[Stu McKinlay]

I'm both too - hence PKB, lots of malt and lots of hops. Armageddon - it's one of the best IPA's I've had this year, no doubt about it. Edged by Alesmith probably but it's easy to get and I'm really enjoying it. Perhaps a little more kettle hop and it would have been spot on. I go through phases... in general I love all beer style but sometime I find I'm totally hot for something or other.

[Stu McKinlay]

+1 for overhyped. It is to beer geeks what Steinlager Pure and Speight's Summit are for the average punter.

Perhaps the bottle in my cellar will prove otherwise?

But then again, I overhype Orval. It's ALL about personal preference in the end isn't it? It's still very very rare for any commercial beer to come anywhere near the satisfaction of my own brews... but there's plenty that I would "judge" as better.

[Stu McKinlay]

Orval is the best of the Trappist beers. It's the best beer in the world.

To paraphrase New Zealand's (soon-to-be ex-)best homebrewer: "Orval wipes the floor with the other trappists".

[Tony]

I would fall in the 'both' category too. Love hops and love a good stout too, in fact I brew both, also. My 2 favs so far this year would be- 3 boys oyster stout and Armageddon. I was remarkably disappointed by Brewjelai (?), this year.

Who is the 'soon-to-be ex', Stu?

Been drinking through a La Trappe gift box. I love all Trappist beers, probably my favourite style. If I need to quench my thirst, I'll drink some water, if I am going to drink a beer, I'll drink something meaningful.

[Mike Neilson]

I Pressume it would be the polite little english man James Kemp?

[Stu McKinlay]

Spot on
Someone new is champ but the word isn't out for another couple of weeks...

[Ally Mcg]

3 Boys Wit.
Tasted better than ever before at the Poms tasting the other night so thought I'd buy a bottle before trying some of my own impy stout. Very nice. The brewery is on top form right now IMO

[Matthew]

Just had 3 Boys Wit too. By far one of my favourite wits. The head pretty much lasted all the way down the glass and the spicey aroma was tops. :-)

[Soren]

Hop Rod Rye. maybe slightly aged and a bit sweet but still bloody awesome! better than Ruination I had yesterday but it's got a bit more going on than just pure hoppiness. That's the hoppy beers down for this US shipment, malt extravaganza coming up.

[Bambule]

An after work session at the Lounge in Carterton: Epic Pale Ale, Tuatara Ardennes, Coopers Sparkling Ale, 3 boys IPA, then Bambule blonde and Island Bay Mild at home. Off to dinner tonight, bit of a rarity these days, a degustation from Alsace apprently at Cafe Mirabelle, I'll be packing a bottle of Chimay Rouge for that.