If You Liked Magic Hat...

[echo1]

You should try one of these other Northeast-based brews.

Yuengling (http://www.yuengling.com/) (awesome)
or the more local Saranac (http://www.saranac.com)

[acidburn]

You should try one of these other Northeast-based brews.

Yuengling (http://www.yuengling.com/) (awesome)
or the more local Saranac (http://www.saranac.com)

You can't really compare those beers. Almost all the Magic Hat brews are really perfumy, if that is that even a word.

While Saranac and Yuengling are perfectly respectable beers. :)

[rabidbadger]

Otter creek ftw!

hey, echo. are you in my neck of the woods? Upstate NY?

Saranac is big here. Not my fave, but not bad.

[echo1]

technically yeah, im from Oswego. however im a senior at Hofstra, on Long Island

[rabidbadger]

Oswego into the wild blue yonder. haha. when I was in fifth grade that's what we sang on the bus on a field trip to oswego when I lived near utica. haha. Copped my first real kiss on that trip. haha.

[rabidbadger]

echo. see you aint been here since may. school keeping you way busy? what you study?

Oh, and I LOVE magic hat "9" though
I would never make an apricot beer myself.

[echo1]

print journalism maj, photo minor

i do a lot of concert photography, and i have an internship in manhattan, so travel takes up a lot of time, but it's been a blast so far

[rabidbadger]

good friends bro does music articles and photos for our local "village voice" type weekly. I want his life.

[rabidbadger]

got any examples of your stuff online? digital or film, btw?

[echo1]

mostly digital, although i have some film stuff (more than what shows, im just too lazy to scan all the negatives)

www.seanokanephoto.com

[acidburn]

Really nice work. What type of camera do you use?

[rabidbadger]

yeah. call me impressed. sweet!

[rabidbadger]

but the studio link gives me a 404

[rabidbadger]

I am SOOOOOO gonna put this one on the hot girl/guy thread. mysterious yet sexxy.

http://flickr.com/photos/joshuatimothy/1631939269/

[echo1]

oh yeah ha, i favorited that a while ago, crazy colors

i use a canon 20d for the majority of what i shoot, i have a rebel xt 35mm, and holga and fisheye lomo cameras

and yeah the studio stuff is 404d because i dont have it up yet lol, got too lazy to note that on the site too

[masherscf]

Help me out, I'm behind, which Magic Hat did they try?

Magic Hat is unique for bucking beer styles. They make some great beer. However, I wouldn't think American beers were similar because of region. That being said, the original Magic Hat brewery founded by Bob Johnson (a man that I've meet personally). He used a licensed brewing system from Shipyard, a Brewery in Maine. The founder if that Shipyard brewery is a man named Alan Pugsley. He made a business of licensing and selling his systems to new microbreweries and brew-pubs for a share of their business. Pugley is sort of the Ray Crock of Brew Pubs. Therefore, there are many Pugley breweries throughout the Northeast. You can taste one a mile away because they all use yeast from similar stock. Magic Hat is a exception to that.

[rabidbadger]

interesting

[frankiethewaffle]

I remember Magic hat being good when I visited my Bother back when he lived in Burlington. Yuengling and Saranac are good too. If you can find it, check out Mothers' Milk. it is like Guinness and bottled kinda like Mississippi Mud. But be careful, it goes down easy and will surprise you.

I am surprised to see so many upstate NY'kers in here. Yes, both of you.

I am a Capital District guy. That, for me, runs from Saratoga to Columbia County. Not Hudson. That city is poison for society. For me where you guys are is Central/Western NY. For most, anything not NYC is upstate NY. That drives me nuts. Nice to see you all in here though.

[echo1]

yeah, ive just learned that when you're down here (either NYC or LI) it's easier to condense it all as Upstate. otherwise, no one gets you. i've always called it CNY tho

and i was never really suggesting that Yuengling and Saranac were similar because of region, just highlighting some other beers from this region that are standouts

[acidburn]

Otter creek ftw!

hey, echo. are you in my neck of the woods? Upstate NY?

Saranac is big here. Not my fave, but not bad.

Otter Creek is great beer. I'm looking forward to the spring seasonal, Mud Bock Spring Ale.

[masherscf]

Otter Creek is great beer. I'm looking forward to the spring seasonal, Mud Bock Spring Ale.

I object to calling an Ale a bock as a marketing ploy. But. Otter creek's makes classic Alt style. It's funny that in a world of pale ales, two of Vermont's largest regional craft breweries make Alts, the other being Long Trail Ale.

I watched the Diggnation and Alex is talking about Number 9. Number 9 is their largest seller. It has apricot essence, which is what Alex tasted. I can't stand the stuff, but they sell a shit-load of it. I prefer the Blind Faith.

[limedcoconut]

man that magic hat #9 is alright if you like pale ale, I bought some the day before that 131? came out and I regretted it, I only like pale ale with food, its not a good drink it by itself kind of beer.

Magic Hat Circus Boy is delish though, its an unflitered wheat beer thats yumz.

And word up to Yuengling, 9.99 for a

[masherscf]

man that magic hat #9 is alright if you like pale ale, I bought some the day before that 131? came out and I regretted it, I only like pale ale with food, its not a good drink it by itself kind of beer.

There are lots of different types of pales. Some are very nice "session beers." English pale tends to be better balanced that American Pales. American pales tends to be fruiter, hoppier and much more fragrant. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a great example of this. India Pale Ale tends to be more extreme. Most commercial IPAs are not IPA at all but extra hoppy pale ale. You know you've had a real IPA when you don't want another right away.

I love most Pale Ales. I don't like #9.

[limedcoconut]

That clears things up a bit. I have had sierra nevada, which on tap is alright (i've had #9 on draught too come to think of it, it was better than the bottled)

any reccomendations for a good English Pale Ale?

[acidburn]

That clears things up a bit. I have had sierra nevada, which on tap is alright (i've had #9 on draught too come to think of it, it was better than the bottled)

any reccomendations for a good English Pale Ale?

For English Pale Ales I'd recommend Boddingtons, Old Speckled Hen, Hen's Tooth, and Tanner's Jack. The last three are all brewed by the same brewery.

[rabidbadger]

Boddintons FTW!!!

[masherscf]

For English Pale Ales I'd recommend Boddingtons, Old Speckled Hen, Hen's Tooth, and Tanner's Jack. The last three are all brewed by the same brewery.

You have to be careful. Not all British beer are technically Pale Ale. But, they're all pretty similar. The other British styles (according to the BJCP (http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.html)) are Old Ale, Brown Ale, Mild, Ordinary bitter, special bitter, extra special bitter and Porter. Porter is the quintessential London beer style. It was adopted by the Irish and evolved into Stout. Making your beer dark and flavoring it with roasted malts is a great way to hide flaws. The less dark styles evolved later and brewing techniques improved. You can't always trust what the label says a beer is or what the tap says. Most of the time someone says what a beer is, it's marketing. The brewer knows what he's trying to make, sometimes that's what comes out the other side. A good example of a British Pale Ale is Bass. But, Bass says "IPA" on the label. But, whatever it says on the label, these are all very tasty beers.

[rabidbadger]

IPA is VERY different. Hops hops hops! Used so wouldn't spoil on long trips through hot oceans.

[masherscf]

IPA is VERY different. Hops hops hops! Used so wouldn't spoil on long trips through hot oceans.

Hops and High gravity, to an almost undrinkable extreme. That's IPA.

Other than that, the ingredients and brewing method is the same as more every other Pale Ale.

[ajadoniz]

I tried Magic Hat yesterday and I didn't like it too much. the flavor was unbalanced, imo. i went snowboarding recently and in the town they carried this micro called Low Down Brown, recommend it. Maybe i'm not a pale ale guy.

[masherscf]

I tried Magic Hat yesterday and I didn't like it too much. the flavor was unbalanced, imo. i went snowboarding recently and in the town they carried this micro called Low Down Brown, recommend it. Maybe i'm not a pale ale guy.

Which Magic Hat beer did you try?

[ike6116]

Magic Hat is known around as hippy beer. Number 9 is the only decent offering they have and im not a big fan. "Fat Angel" is downright nasty

Im a big fan of a lot of what Sam Adams does especially because you can find them everywhere but another great Boston brewery is Harpoon.

Specifically the Harpoon UFO (UnFilttered Offering) which is a Hefeweizen and their Irish Red the Hibernian.

[masherscf]

Magic Hat is known around as hippy beer. Number 9 is the only decent offering they have and im not a big fan. "Fat Angel" is downright nasty

In your opinion...beer drinking is a pretty subjective and personal experience. It's funny you should call it "Hippy Beer." The guys who make it arn;t hippies at all. However, they have created that brand.

Harpoon is great stuff. Sam Adams Boston Lager is good, but like most pale lagers..a little boring.

[ike6116]

In your opinion...beer drinking is a pretty subjective and personal experience. It's funny you should call it "Hippy Beer." The guys who make it arn;t hippies at all. However, they have created that brand.

Harpoon is great stuff. Sam Adams Boston Lager is good, but like most pale lagers..a little boring.

Well who else's opinion would it be?

While we're on the subject I find nothing more boring than people who will only drink Stouts and Dunkels (and if you're not drinking one of those two you better be drinking an I2PA). Not saying this is you but that does define 90% of the people on BeerAdvocate.com

Boston Lager is hardly pale btw.

My 5 favorite Sams in order:

Summer Ale
White Ale
Irish Red (New)
Boston Ale
Boston Lager

[masherscf]

Well who else's opinion would it be?

While we're on the subject I find nothing more boring than people who will only drink Stouts and Dunkels (and if you're not drinking one of those two you better be drinking an I2PA). Not saying this is you but that does define 90% of the people on BeerAdvocate.com

Boston Lager is hardly pale btw.

My 5 favorite Sams in order:

Summer Ale
White Ale
Irish Red (New)
Boston Ale
Boston Lager

Well, I don't read beer advocate.

Maybe you don't call Sammy pale, but the beer style guidelines describes the color that way. That is it isn't yellow like bud and it's not dark like Guinness. It's color is comparable to Sierra Nevada or Bass.

I drink all kinds of beer, whenever the mood strikes. I don't play favorites, I'm not snob but I have a few favorite styles. I'll really drink anything as long as it's fresh.

People that get wrapped up in beer color are missing the point. Beer color says very little about the rest of the beer's character.

The color of a beer can be completely manipulated by a few ingredients that don't add body or alcohol. Darker malts don't tend to add sugars to a beer. Some dark malts do change the flavor as hops do. Beer flavor is a complicated interaction of malts, yeast and hops. The only reason brewers used darker malts is to hide flaws. They keep brewing them because they're traditional.

Guinness stout has a strong roasted character from the roasted barley, but the beer is actually light in body and not that alcoholic. I prefer a good Oatmeal Stout. The additional of the Oatmeal smooths out the roasty flavor and adds body. It's a much more pleasant brew.

Guys that like to prove how hardcore they are by posting of darker beers are really full of it.

I like Sam Adams Oktoberfest, it's a reddish Lager style called Marzen. I like it because of a nice malt character. Sam Adams Oktoberfest is one of the best examples of the style I've had from this hemisphere.

One of the most hardcore beers is Belgian triple. It has the color and character of a light lager but three times the alcohol.

[ike6116]

Well, I don't read beer advocate.

Maybe you don't call Sammy pale, but the beer style guidelines describes the color that way. That is it isn't yellow like bud and it's not dark like Guinness. It's color is comparable to Sierra Nevada or Bass.

I drink all kinds of beer, whenever the mood strikes. I don't play favorites, I'm not snob but I have a few favorite styles. I'll really drink anything as long as it's fresh.

People that get wrapped up in beer color are missing the point. Beer color says very little about the rest of the beer's character.

The color of a beer can be completely manipulated by a few ingredients that don't add body or alcohol. Darker malts don't tend to add sugars to a beer. Some dark malts do change the flavor as hops do. Beer flavor is a complicated interaction of malts, yeast and hops. The only reason brewers used darker malts is to hide flaws. They keep brewing them because they're traditional.

Guinness stout has a strong roasted character from the roasted barley, but the beer is actually light in body and not that alcoholic. I prefer a good Oatmeal Stout. The additional of the Oatmeal smooths out the roasty flavor and adds body. It's a much more pleasant brew.

Guys that like to prove how hardcore they are by posting of darker beers are really full of it.

I like Sam Adams Oktoberfest, it's a reddish Lager style called Marzen. I like it because of a nice malt character. Sam Adams Oktoberfest is one of the best examples of the style I've had from this hemisphere.

One of the most hardcore beers is Belgian triple. It has the color and character of a light lager but three times the alcohol.

Word, I like your style.

I've only had one Oatmeal Stout in my day, it was from the Cooperstown Brewery (their biggest beer I believe is Old Slugger) and I was NOT a fan.

I am also not a Guinness fan, to me I've just always got too many Coffee notes for it to be enjoyable to me, I've given it a try a few times. The only guiness I've ever been able to finish was Guinness Extra Stout and I think it's because I appreciated the mouthfeel on it.

As you can probably tell from my mentioning of Harpoon UFO, Sam Sumer and Sam White I am a big fan of Wheat beers. I'm really starting to enjoy Irish Reds however.

Sam's Oktober is probably my least favorite Seasonal beating out only their Winter Lager.

Cheers!

[rabidbadger]

my latest fave...

http://www.ratebeer.com/beerimages/full_size/529.jpg

[masherscf]

Word, I like your style.

I've only had one Oatmeal Stout in my day, it was from the Cooperstown Brewery (their biggest beer I believe is Old Slugger) and I was NOT a fan.

I am also not a Guinness fan, to me I've just always got too many Coffee notes for it to be enjoyable to me, I've given it a try a few times. The only guiness I've ever been able to finish was Guinness Extra Stout and I think it's because I appreciated the mouthfeel on it.

As you can probably tell from my mentioning of Harpoon UFO, Sam Sumer and Sam White I am a big fan of Wheat beers. I'm really starting to enjoy Irish Reds however.

Sam's Oktober is probably my least favorite Seasonal beating out only their Winter Lager.

Cheers!

You seem to like clean hoppy beers. I approve. Occasionally, my sweet tooth gets the better of me and I go for lots of malt.

I shy away from most American Wheat beers. Beer sales in the U.S. are based mostly on successful marketing and not style. That's why you see beer commercials with pit-bulls and toads and not beer. I've always wondered why they don't label Bud as "rice" beer and Busch as "corn" beer.

I'm a fan of German and Belgian wheats where the wheat character is embraced.

Every technical characteristic of a beer, bitterness, color, body, alcohol content can be computed. The only thing that can't be is the flavor. How a beer tastes is all that matters. And, people are allowed to have different tastes.

If you like light American lager, there's nothing wrong with that. If you only drink Belgians, It's also fine.

Beer is like Ice Cream, there's a flavor for everyone.

[ike6116]

You seem to like clean hoppy beers. I approve. Occasionally, my sweet tooth gets the better of me and I go for lots of malt.


You've got me pegged, my brother couldn't understand at all how I enjoyed the Samuel Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner (which is a "wet hop" beer)


I shy away from most American Wheat beers. Beer sales in the U.S. are based mostly on successful marketing and not style. That's why you see beer commercials with pit-bulls and toads and not beer. I've always wondered why they don't label Bud as "rice" beer and Busch as "corn" beer.

That's why I really have a lot of respect for the Boston Beer Company. Their ads are all about beer and the beer making process (AB is actually ripping them off with their new michelob commercials and the one where Rob Riggle "educates" people about lagers.

I've been known to be a fan of Coors Light too. I am a fan of and believer in the concept of "lawn mower" beer.


Every technical characteristic of a beer, bitterness, color, body, alcohol content can be computed. The only thing that can't be is the flavor. How a beer tastes is all that matters. And, people are allowed to have different tastes.


We couldn't agree more, I saw a funny thing today on BA about how the top reviewed beers are skewed and someone wrote "as IBUs approach infinity, score approaches 5.0" it's pretty much the truth

[masherscf]

I saw a funny thing today on BA about how the top reviewed beers are skewed and someone wrote "as IBUs approach infinity, score approaches 5.0" it's pretty much the truth

Beer Judges are often overwhelmed by big beers. Bitter, Dark, heavy, full-bodied.. whatever. So, to impress the judges, many brewers go for those exteme styles, coffee stouts, double IPA, or Imperial what have you. It's actual much harder to make a subtle beer.

[ajadoniz]

Which Magic Hat beer did you try?

You know what, I didn't even notice. The waitress did the pouring (which I don't like because the head is always messed up, too short/too much). I'll take a gander next time I go back,

[masherscf]

You know what, I didn't even notice. The waitress did the pouring (which I don't like because the head is always messed up, too short/too much). I'll take a gander next time I go back,

Well, don't worry about it. Beer is about enjoyment. If you don't like it, don't bother.

[mattsten]

ike6116, have you ever tried any German or Czech pilsners (Radeberger, Warsteiner, Budvar, Pilsner Urquell)? If you haven't, you might want to give them a try. They have a clean, crisp malt character and good hop bite.

[ike6116]

Of that list I've only had Pilsner Urquell, it was good but nothing to write home about. I wouldn't spend the couple bucks extra to purchase it over say an American Macro but then again cost is unfortunately a factor for me.

I've had St. Pauli Girl before too, Im not sure if that's just marketed as German sounding/looking or if it actually is. That was also pretty good.

Because price is a factor for me I usually have to stick with what is available at my local liquor store which is your average macros and popular imports along with the macro-micros (Sam, Harpoon, Sierra Nevada, Dogfish Head) and some choice local stuff

I've sampled just about everything from the American Macro / Popular Import Scene.

In the name of keeping a nice beer discussion going Ill list the ones I actually purchase / like:

American Macro:
Coors Light - this is classic NFL football, lawnmower, beer with Dad at a restaurant that has goofy shit on the walls material.

Keystone Light - are we planning on playing drinking games and getting obnoxious? Then why bother with pretense

Budweiser - I actually like regular Budweiser, though I never buy it myself and not as much as the other beer which is the standard for american macro lager

Miller High Life - I will not drink this out of cans, only long neck bottles as something with the cans messes with it and your breath ends up being able to melt glass

Miller Lite - Always used to taste like a weird mix between too sweet and like someone had put a cigarette out in it. I've drank an ungodly amount of this because it was 3 dollars a pitcher at my local college bar

Popular Imports:

Molson Golden: Maybe it's a subconcious thing I have for MolsonCoors, I dunno.

LaBatt Blue: Good beer, if this is emblematic of shitty canadian beer I'd love to have their good stuff.

Corona: Yeah, I feel like a vagina when I drink it but on a hot summer day at a back yard BBQ with a lime, you're drinking alcoholic sprite for the most part. These things go down so easy it can blind side you.

Heineken: It's not bad but it's not great either and seeing as how I don't smoke newports or wear a fitted baseball cap with the stickers still on it and perfectly flat brim I have a hard time purchasing it unless it's a novelty thing like the pony keg they sell (CO2 wooo!).

As far as beers I want to have, on my to do list right now is the Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA which I've heard great things about, although I must admit I heard great things about Chimay (Red) and Dale's Pale Ale and was pretty underwhelmed.

Like Gary Vaynerchuk says it's all about trusting your own palette, in beer or wine.

[rabidbadger]

...
I've sampled just about everything from the American Macro / Popular Import Scene.

In the name of keeping a nice beer discussion going Ill list the ones I actually purchase / like:...

this is one of the most entertaining beer posts I've ever read anywhere ever on the web. :D

[mattsten]

If price is a factor, then try either Bitburger or Warsteiner in cans. Both are decently priced, I can get a 8-pack of 500ml Bitburger cans for $8. They're a small step above the macro lagers you listed, but worth the extra cash to me. If you can find either of them in your area, give them a try.

[frankiethewaffle]

Although I have nothing against Budweiser, I have to add me, as well as my brother, both get instant headaches from Bud. We don't know why. But the places we frequently go to, the other patrons protect us from Bud. When I mean instant, I mean after one bottle. Heavy parties we have gone to have been changed for this reason.

They like our company and keep bartenders from giving us bad stuff. Anyone else have those beers that ruin a good time?

Oh yeah, anyone else ever have an allergic reaction to beer cans? I mean anytime I drink beer out of cans, I get a bad reaction. I do have hay fever type allergic problems. I am thinking it is due to how the cans are treated. Like the chemicals or something.

[frankiethewaffle]

If price is a factor, then try either Bitburger or Warsteiner in cans. Both are decently priced, I can get a 8-pack of 500ml Bitburger cans for $8. They're a small step above the macro lagers you listed, but worth the extra cash to me. If you can find either of them in your area, give them a try.

I haven't heard of either of those. Where are you located and where do they come from. I go to a few places to get a hold of imports. I will certainly look for those two. Not for cost but I am on a mission to at least sample many beers.