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Need help: Recommend me a beer.......

post #1 of 37
7/18/09 at 6:23pm
Thread Starter 
I've always paired cigars with bourbon but lately I have just been getting bored with JD and JB. I always considered beer to be generally to weak to pair with the stronger, more full bodied smokes I prefer, however I have been trying some craft beers as of late and liking the results. So far I've been drinking dogfishhead 90 min IPA and find that it pairs well with a FB smoke. IMO its just great beer that is complex and full of flavor. I've tried some lighter stuff including hop hound, Hop devil and a few others from a Michelob "wheat" sampler.

I could probably drink 90 min DFH IPA and be happy but I'd like to branch out a little, however, I'm not sure what direction to go in. I can remember when I started smoking cigars 15+ yrs ago and had no idea what was what walking into a humidor. Thats how I feel about beer now. I have a local shop that has a wide assortment of craft beer but I don't know where to start. What makes even more challenging is that everything is sold in cases so I can't just grab a few singles to try out.

Any suggestions for craft beers that are maybe similar to DFH 90 min IPA? Full bodied, high alcohol with some good complexity?

Thanks guys

dl
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post #2 of 37
7/18/09 at 8:18pm
If you're looking with something similar in terms of gravity and hoppiness, I'm a big fan of Bell's Hopslam (Michigan) and Three Floyd's [pretty much anything, although Imperial Dreadnought is amazing] (Chicago/Indiana).

On a totally different angle, although I'm not a cigar person, I've always imagined Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout to be amazing with a cigar.
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post #3 of 37
7/18/09 at 8:52pm
There are a lot of beers to try if you like the DFH 90min IPA. It seems that lots of breweries are doing that style right now. I circle around the DFH, drink maybe 50% DFH and 50% other things, here and there. Off the top of my head, two beers to consider are Founders Brewing Red's Rye IPA and the Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA. I am pouring some of the Rye IPA down my throat as I type this and yes, it is tasty. Still I will go back to the DFH before the end of the month, I'm sure. It's that good.
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post #4 of 37
7/18/09 at 11:10pm
Uerige DoppelSticke. It's a once a year variant on the Dusseldorf Altbier, and has about 9% alcohol.
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post #5 of 37
7/19/09 at 12:23am
Stone arrogant bastard ale/ oaked arrogant bastard ale. Really solid beers with great depth to them. If you look hard enough you can find Arrogant bastard aged in bourbon barrels which I have heard is off the charts.
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post #6 of 37
7/19/09 at 1:08am
Thread Starter 
Awesome, thanks for the recommendations guys. I'll swing by the shop and see which of these I can find.

dl
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post #7 of 37
7/19/09 at 8:29pm
have you tried any scottish ales? they may not be as hoppy as DFH, but the flavors are really good and the alcohol content is still up there. Belhaven is one of my favorites, but Orkney Skull Splitter and Alba Pine Ale are good too. give em a shot.
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post #8 of 37
7/19/09 at 11:46pm
You aren't really giving much to work with here. I can give you plenty of complex beers with medium range alcohol content (9% is medium) but they won't taste anything alike.

What flavors do you like? Styles? etc.......
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post #9 of 37
7/19/09 at 11:49pm
Pliney the Elder is one of the best beers in America. If you can get the Pliney the Younger, which is brewed, I think, once a year, you have won.

Seriously, Pliney is so good, I want to cry and then drink it all night.
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post #10 of 37
7/19/09 at 11:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by farfisa23 View Post
Pliney the Elder is one of the best beers in America. If you can get the Pliney the Younger, which is brewed, I think, once a year, you have won.

Seriously, Pliney is so good, I want to cry and then drink it all night.

I wish I had access to Pliny.
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post #11 of 37
7/19/09 at 11:51pm
OK bro...here is what I suggest, you list what is available or at least what city you are in...then more advice can by given. Otherwise it is pretty vague what you are looking for. The World of Beer is big and expansive...
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post #12 of 37
7/20/09 at 9:08pm
Thread Starter 
Sorry, I'm in Hickville central pa with crap internet access. Anyway, I live in Philly. Not sure what is available around here. In terms of what I like, I mentioned DFH 90 min IPA because I consider it my favorite of what I have tried thus far. But I can try and expand on that. as I mentioned I live full-flavored stuff to pair with strong cigars. I'm definately a fan of very hoppy beer. I also like the thick, syrupy texture (high gravity?) of DFH. Does that help any?

dl
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post #13 of 37
7/20/09 at 11:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dl20 View Post
Sorry, I'm in Hickville central pa with crap internet access. Anyway, I live in Philly. Not sure what is available around here. In terms of what I like, I mentioned DFH 90 min IPA because I consider it my favorite of what I have tried thus far. But I can try and expand on that. as I mentioned I live full-flavored stuff to pair with strong cigars. I'm definately a fan of very hoppy beer. I also like the thick, syrupy texture (high gravity?) of DFH. Does that help any?

dl

When I heard the case law I figured PA....

You like IPAs, that's what I've gathered. If you like the viscose beers, give Stone a whirl. Arrogant Bastard would be right up your alley as would Ruination (tho Ruination would be waaaaaaay too much for a case). If you can get singles of 120 minute get one or two (the cost dictates you'll only get one or two). Bear Republic does everything well. I know it is available in NY, not sure about PA though. Racer 5 and Hop Rod are facking awesome. Racer 5 being one of the top 10 beers as rated by Beer Advocate (which you should join BTW). Weyerbacher makes some excellent IPAs as well.

You live in Philly where there are many fantastic beer bars there where you can sample some individually.

Get some Monk's Cafe if you can. It is brewed for the eponymous pub in Philly, it is a Flemish Red Ale and quite sour.

When I started out with craft beer, I just explored one style until I found the flavors I liked. There will be some IPAs you won't like b.c of the type of hops used. Each variety is incredibly different from one another and every few years or so, they mutate and create a new strand.

Another source to check out is Craft Beer Radio. It is a podcast done by a couple guys in Pitt. They are pretty knowledgeable about beer, have fantastic rapport, and I think it is the best beer podcast out there. Give them a listen, you'll learn a lot, and everything they get is available in PA (well most, some beers are sent in by listeners but they say which ones are).

Hope that isn't too much to digest. Just try Stone when you can, look for west coast IPAs or west coast ales. They will be hop bombs I can guarantee you (even beer styles that aren't meant to be hoppy have shit tons of hops!). Get on Beer Advocate, search for best beer stores in Philly and go to town!
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post #14 of 37
7/21/09 at 8:38pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by edinatlanta View Post
When I heard the case law I figured PA....

You like IPAs, that's what I've gathered. If you like the viscose beers, give Stone a whirl. Arrogant Bastard would be right up your alley as would Ruination (tho Ruination would be waaaaaaay too much for a case). If you can get singles of 120 minute get one or two (the cost dictates you'll only get one or two). Bear Republic does everything well. I know it is available in NY, not sure about PA though. Racer 5 and Hop Rod are facking awesome. Racer 5 being one of the top 10 beers as rated by Beer Advocate (which you should join BTW). Weyerbacher makes some excellent IPAs as well.

You live in Philly where there are many fantastic beer bars there where you can sample some individually.

Get some Monk's Cafe if you can. It is brewed for the eponymous pub in Philly, it is a Flemish Red Ale and quite sour.

When I started out with craft beer, I just explored one style until I found the flavors I liked. There will be some IPAs you won't like b.c of the type of hops used. Each variety is incredibly different from one another and every few years or so, they mutate and create a new strand.

Another source to check out is Craft Beer Radio. It is a podcast done by a couple guys in Pitt. They are pretty knowledgeable about beer, have fantastic rapport, and I think it is the best beer podcast out there. Give them a listen, you'll learn a lot, and everything they get is available in PA (well most, some beers are sent in by listeners but they say which ones are).

Hope that isn't too much to digest. Just try Stone when you can, look for west coast IPAs or west coast ales. They will be hop bombs I can guarantee you (even beer styles that aren't meant to be hoppy have shit tons of hops!). Get on Beer Advocate, search for best beer stores in Philly and go to town!

Thanks for the advice Ed. Origlio in Philly seems to carry everything but I dont think they do retail. They seem to just sell to bars. There are a few places that sell craft beer and I recall seeing Stone ale so ill give arrogant bastard a whirl. I'll look into hop rod, racer 5 and monks also. Noone seems to have singles of 120 around.

What do you think of the other recommendations made thus far? I'm leaning toward starting with your recs. Sierra Nevada torpedo extra ipa is another I was goin to try out.

Thanks

DL
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post #15 of 37
7/21/09 at 9:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dl20 View Post
Thanks for the advice Ed. Origlio in Philly seems to carry everything but I dont think they do retail. They seem to just sell to bars. There are a few places that sell craft beer and I recall seeing Stone ale so ill give arrogant bastard a whirl. I'll look into hop rod, racer 5 and monks also. Noone seems to have singles of 120 around.

What do you think of the other recommendations made thus far? I'm leaning toward starting with your recs. Sierra Nevada torpedo extra ipa is another I was goin to try out.

Thanks

DL

I've liked exactly nothing Sierra Nevada makes but I think I'm the only one who doesn't like SN.

Honestly just go out and try stuff is the best thing to do. You'll be happy if you find a beer you like or not.
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