Summer Beers

[SkyLander]

So it's my friends birthday tomorrow and he is a person who loves beer. So I'm trying to find some good summer beers that I can get when I go over tomorrow. I'm in Reno so I will probably have access to any west coast beers and some from the Denver area. We have quite a few out of the Oregon breweries.

So far my list is basically the one that I love which is Great White. I also know that he loves Scotch Ales but those seems a bit heavier with it being so hot. That and I don't know what goes into a good Scotch Ale.

Any suggestions?

[wonderpug]

Sierra Nevada Summerfest?  Are you looking for stuff he's never tried or just anything good? 

[SkyLander]

Anything good that fits the hot weather the past few days.

[CeeKay]

Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy is my go to summer beer, followed by Sam Adam's Summer Brew.  both taste great after a hot day.  I'm not sure how far out west they distribute though, but I do recall Pete mentioning getting Sam's out near Phoenix.

as for Scotch Ale, the only one I have had on a regular basis is McEwan's Scotch Ale.  again, I'm not sure if they are out west.

[Doopri]

i know im a fan of pale ales / double ipas and hop forward reds in the summer.  stuff thats easy to come by and that i like would be lagunitas hop stoopid and imperial red.  and green flash has a nice ipa as well as a pale ale with a "twist" that a beer geek would like - their rayon vert

i dont drink too many scotch ales or wee heavys so i cant help you there

also as far as oregon - deschutes is good and has a solid lineup.  and if you REALLY want to surprise a beer lover, get your hands on pliny.  i know you said you "have access to oregon beers" - pliny is a california beer that i THINK sees oregon distribution, but it blows in and out of stock quickly.  not sure if youd be able to get it in reno but a quick trip over a border (either oregon(?) or cali) after making a few phone calls would really be a treat for a beer lover.  actually most of the stuff from russian river seems to be the west coast hotness right now

my best advice - if you know a good "bottle shop" were the person behind the counter will talk your ear off about beer, go there and ask either 1) for scotch ales that a beer lover would like that would be a treat or 2) what seems to be the current crop of beers around drawing a lot of attention.

[Doopri]

oh and sky if you KNOW your friend vastly prefers malt forward low bitterness beers disregard most of my advice (but NOT "my best advice"!)

[wonderpug]

oh and sky if you KNOW your friend vastly prefers malt forward low bitterness beers disregard most of my advice (but NOT "my best advice"!)

But if your advice is to disregard your advice... 

[Ironrod]

I went to a huge beer tasting this afternoon and took notes on everything I tried (probably 30-40 beers, focusing on summer ales and IPAs that I hadn't had before). But the overwhelming majority were New England beers that you probably can't get.

If anyone's interested I'll post a few of the best tomorrow.

[wonderpug]

Interested!  I happen to live in this "new" England you speak of.

[Doopri]

ironrod dont let my faux knowledge of west coast beers mislead you!  i too am from this new england and am always thrilled to hear impressions from such massive tastings!  translation - im very interested in you posting a few of those highlights!

[Ironrod]

I can't find my notes. I must have lost them while drunk.

I do remember that Clown Shoes = best of show. Also, cocktail wieners.

[Harpua3]

Now this is my kind of thread!;) I definatly agree about green flash. Awesome stuff. Beers specific
To summer. Here we go..

Dogfish head Festina Peche and bells oarsman are both Berliner Weiss. They aren't sour, just tart and damn refreshing. At 4 to 5%, they are great summer companions. A six
Isn't nearly enough;).

Anything founders is good. For summer their all day IPA rocks. 4.7%, once more, less is more... You can literally drink them all day.. Dry finish... Hops galore.

As far as scotch ales go, Can't go wrong with three Floyd's Robert the Bruce. Fucking awesome and that's not really my "style".malty and rich while not overly sweet.

Oberon by bells as well. Not a huge fan, but very well received. American wheat is the style.

Sierra Nevada still has some ruthless rye out in the marketplace. 15.99 a twelve for a kick ass rye IPA rocks!

I will stop before I get a hardon ...

[Harpua3]

Doopri have ou had green flash palette wrecker yet? Might be the best double IPA I've ever had.

[Grimwar]

Pliny the Elder if you can get it and they don't limit how many you can purchase there.  Here I can only buy two bottles at the bottle shop that carries it.  

Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA is a good one too.

I am also partial to Saisons and Brett Ales in the summer.  Funkwerks makes a couple of good ones, if they distribute to Reno.  

[kronovan]

+1 to Sierra Nevada Summerfest; also really, really like their Pale Ale.  They're easily one of my favorite US breweries.  They still haven't managed to get their products into the liquor outlets in my Canadian province, despite it being on their to-import list forever. I have to cross the border to WA to drink any.    Luckily a local brewpub (Central City Brewing) has started brewing a very similar (Red Racer Pale Ale) tasting beverage.  

[Doopri]

I can't find my notes. I must have lost them while drunk.

I do remember that Clown Shoes = best of show. Also, cocktail wieners.

lol dont worry ironrod happens to the best of us.  if its any consolation, im sure the last 15 "reviews" were random ramblings like "i wonder whats living in that guys beard" before falling off into incomprehensible scrawl.  ive been a fan of the clown shoes that ive had - supa hero was good and ive been meaning to snag their imperial stout (blaecorn unidragon (sp?)).

and harpua yes i have had it, on tap to boot!  very good and amazing how some of these high abv ipas are so easy drinking.  when i drink the high abv beers (quads, barleywines etc) i KNOW im drinking a big beer sipper - but those 9% double ipas go down too fast if im not careful!
one bad thing - i dont think founders is out west and im not sure if hed be able to get his hands on 3 floyds either   oh and i second the saison search - those could also be very nice drinking tart beers that would be perfect for the desert!

[Ironrod]

I can't find my notes. I must have lost them while drunk.

I do remember that Clown Shoes = best of show. Also, cocktail wieners.

lol dont worry ironrod happens to the best of us.  if its any consolation, im sure the last 15 "reviews" were random ramblings like "i wonder whats living in that guys beard" before falling off into incomprehensible scrawl.  ive been a fan of the clown shoes that ive had - supa hero was good and ive been meaning to snag their imperial stout (blaecorn unidragon (sp?)).

I bought a bomber of Clown Shoes Happy Feet (black IPA) because I really like those hoppy schwartzbiers, and this was one of the best I've had. Also got some Geary's Oatmeal Stout (limited edition from that ME brewer) and some Mayflower Spring Hops. Mayflower sells their seasonals to coincide with the actual seasons, so their spring ale will be on the market another 2-3 weeks -- I wanted to grab some while it's still around.

Wish I could find my annotated list, but alas, it wasn't in my car, either. I probably left it on the counter when I checked out. Pity; there were at least a half dozen "new" beers that I rated four stars or better.

[Ironrod]

HAH! Found my notes. I thought they might still turn up; it's extremely unusual for me to lose anything.

When I'm sampling beers I rate them as follows:

1 star = actively bad, needed to rinse out my mouth after sampling
2 stars = not my style. Fruit beers, witbiers, Belgians usually go here
3 stars = meh. Not good, not bad, drinkable but undistinguished
4 stars = unusually good, worth another taste
5 stars = must buy

Here's what rated 4-5 stars.

Wachusett Brewing (MA)
Black IPA
Larry IPA -- One of my faves, but it's only sold in $7 bombers. Too rich for me.
Monsta Ale -- Good flavorful IPA, coming out in 12-pack cans next month.

Six Point Brewing (NY)
Righteous Ale -- 4-pack pint cans. They were sold out.

Harpoon (MA)
Rye IPA -- everybody's doing a rye beer this year. This one's sweet aftertaste made it stand out from the crowd. Better than Sierra's Ruthless Rye? I'd need to taste them side by side.

Cisco Brewing (MA)
Porter -- From the makers of Whales Tale Pale Ale comes an unusually good porter.

Ipswich Brewing (MA)
Stout -- I didn't note what I liked about this, but should mention that Ipswich makes my everyday go-to IPA.

Clown Shoes (MA)
Supahero IPA -- 8% ABV makes it not quite a double IPA.
Hoppy Feet -- Previously mentioned.

Left Hand Brewing Co (CO)
Nitro Milk -- A creamy stout infused with nitrogen in the bottle. There's no widget and the guy wouldn't tell me how they keep the nitrogen in solution.

Long Trail Brewing (VT)
Double IPA -- I like their regular IPA when I can find it on tap. The double's even better.

Slumbrew (MA)
Happy Sol -- This was the best summer beer I tasted. Very refreshing.

Mayflower Brewing (MA)
Spring Hop -- Previously mentioned. Mayflower also makes an excellent porter that I occasionally buy during the winter.

Blue Hills (MA)
Wampatuck Wheat

Geary's Brewing (ME)
Oatmeal Stout -- Previously mentioned. Not heavy, not sweet, limited edition.

Guinness Black Lager -- Noteworthy for being only 120 calories, this qualifies as a full-flavor "light" beer. Not as good as the black IPAs, but not at all bad, either.

[gellar]

Pliny the Elder if you can get it and they don't limit how many you can purchase there.  Here I can only buy two bottles at the bottle shop that carries it. 

YES.  I'm lucky enough to have a bar a few blocks from my house that has it on tap, but Pliny is by far my favorite beer.

[El-Producto]

My homebrew, plain and simple.

I now have 4 beers on tap at all times, who needs to buy beer

[gellar]

My homebrew, plain and simple.

I now have 4 beers on tap at all times, who needs to buy beer

You know what's better than homebrewing?  Having friends who homebrew.

[Doopri]

so sky what was the haul?  no teasing lets hear what ya went with - did you end up going on a pliny road trip (you wouldnt be the first!)

i will try to get my hands on that spring hops - i too like their porter but have yet to give this one a go.  also i had never heard of slumbrew and might have to track it down

[SkyLander]

So I went to the liquor store and...they didn't have nearly what I hoped. So I went with my fall back which I like which is Great White.

And I grabbed this: http://www.lagunitas.com/beers/imperialred.html

As something different and interesting. We just had some of the great white. I will try the other one later. I tried to find things but I guess I have to go to a different liquor store or to Whole Foods which has a good beer selection. Sorry for the anti climacticness.

[Ironrod]

so sky what was the haul?  no teasing lets hear what ya went with - did you end up going on a pliny road trip (you wouldnt be the first!)

i will try to get my hands on that spring hops - i too like their porter but have yet to give this one a go.  also i had never heard of slumbrew and might have to track it down

Slumbrew is a new company out of Somerville ("Slummerville") that started out as a home brew project. In fact they're still basically a home-brew outfit that contracts out production (to Mercury Brewing Co and/or Wachusett, IIRC).

Spring Hop really only has another 2 weeks in distribution, which is why I snagged some yesterday. Wish I'd found it earlier in the season.

[El-Producto]

My homebrew, plain and simple.

I now have 4 beers on tap at all times, who needs to buy beer

You know what's better than homebrewing?  Having friends who homebrew.

My friends say that all the time!

[Harpua3]

And a another vote for Sierra nevada pale ale. You can find it anywhere! It's damn good for a massively distribute beer. And it's priced well. Hell they are now canning it! Talk about good for summer..

[Scuzz]

My wife brought home the Sam Adams summer beer sampler. I have to say I am not a "summer beer" type fan. Several of the beers just didn't do it for me. The sampler came with 6 beers times 2. The first time I had the Noble Pils and the Alpine beer I wasn't a big fan, but when I had the second bottle on another day under warmer conditions I did like them. There was a "Mighty Oak" ale that I really didn't care for, too much carmelly flavor or something.

[Bullwinkle]

I've mentioned it in another beer thread somewhere, but I have to recommed Abita Purple Haze.

Very refreshing, but with a bite.

There's a bit of raspberry to it that gives it a nice finish.  Fruit in beer is a terrible idea, but it's so subtle that it works here.

[Ironrod]

Fruit in beer is a terrible idea, but it's so subtle that it works here.

As a rule I object to adulterants in beer. Fruit in particular is for children's beers. But there are exceptions. A lemony summer ale cuts the thirst on a 100 degree day. Either Harpoon or Sams did an oyster stout last winter that was surprisingly good -- it was a mineral/saltwater taste, not even remotely fishy. Harpoon was showing a maple wheat last weekend that didn't suck as expected. So I will not dis your raspberry beer without trying it.

The watermelon beers hitting the shelves this summer are universally bad, though.

[Harpua3]

Fruit in beer is a terrible idea, but it's so subtle that it works here.

As a rule I object to adulterants in beer. Fruit in particular is for children's beers. But there are exceptions. A lemony summer ale cuts the thirst on a 100 degree day. Either Harpoon or Sams did an oyster stout last winter that was surprisingly good -- it was a mineral/saltwater taste, not even remotely fishy. Harpoon was showing a maple wheat last weekend that didn't suck as expected. So I will not dis your raspberry beer without trying it.

The watermelon beers hitting the shelves this summer are universally bad, though.

I already mentioned it and it's not really a " fruit" beer per se, but Festina Peche does rock for it tart goodness. It does contain fermented peaches, but you really don't taste the fruit.

[Isgrimnur]

I learned my lesson with Abita Purple Haze and Shiner's Ruby Redbird. 

[CeeKay]

The watermelon beers hitting the shelves this summer are universally bad, though.

ugh... I think I just threw up in my mouth a little.....

there are only 3 beers I enjoy that come with fruit flavoring:  Sam Adams Summer Brew, Summer Shandy and, in a pinch like being at a bar that has a horrible selection of imports/domestics, Bud Light with Lime.  I may have to keep an eye out for those oyster stouts during winter though, they sound interesting.

[El-Producto]

Fruit in beer is a terrible idea, but it's so subtle that it works here.

As a rule I object to adulterants in beer. Fruit in particular is for children's beers. But there are exceptions. A lemony summer ale cuts the thirst on a 100 degree day. Either Harpoon or Sams did an oyster stout last winter that was surprisingly good -- it was a mineral/saltwater taste, not even remotely fishy. Harpoon was showing a maple wheat last weekend that didn't suck as expected. So I will not dis your raspberry beer without trying it.

The watermelon beers hitting the shelves this summer are universally bad, though.

I already mentioned it and it's not really a " fruit" beer per se, but Festina Peche does rock for it tart goodness. It does contain fermented peaches, but you really don't taste the fruit.

I just bottled  homebrew Berliner Weisse.  Half of the batch went in as is, and the other half spent 2 weeks on some frozen raspberries.  Should be a great thirst quencher those Hot August Nights

[Harpua3]

Fruit in beer is a terrible idea, but it's so subtle that it works here.

As a rule I object to adulterants in beer. Fruit in particular is for children's beers. But there are exceptions. A lemony summer ale cuts the thirst on a 100 degree day. Either Harpoon or Sams did an oyster stout last winter that was surprisingly good -- it was a mineral/saltwater taste, not even remotely fishy. Harpoon was showing a maple wheat last weekend that didn't suck as expected. So I will not dis your raspberry beer without trying it.

The watermelon beers hitting the shelves this summer are universally bad, though.

I already mentioned it and it's not really a " fruit" beer per se, but Festina Peche does rock for it tart goodness. It does contain fermented peaches, but you really don't taste the fruit.

I just bottled  homebrew Berliner Weisse.  Half of the batch went in as is, and the other half spent 2 weeks on some frozen raspberries.  Should be a great thirst quencher those Hot August Nights

Nice! It's definatly a underrated style. You live near me? Cleveland. If so, I'd try your take on the style;).

[Doopri]

i too can be fearful of fruit beers at times but ever since my eyes lit up when spotting a copy of the new complete joy of homebrewing in the librarys 50 cent pile when returning books one day, i have wanted to try something called "cherry fever stout"

this year if i see choke cherries at the farmers markets in the next few months, im going to do it

[Doopri]

also has anyone else ever seen someone order a berliner weisse thinking it was going to be like a wheat beer?

[El-Producto]

I have 10 gallons of lambic souring away as we speak.  After a year, 5 gallons are going to go on some sort of fruit, likely cherries or apricots.

[Harpua3]

also has anyone else ever seen someone order a berliner weisse thinking it was going to be like a wheat beer?

Yes, they look "light"... And to some that is all they know to go off of;).

[Doopri]

producto go apricots you fou'! (oh i hope a few people get that as, if i dont mind patting my own back, which i dont, that was a gem)

also im excited ironrod - i managed to grab a 6 pack of the spring hop and look forward to some tonight!

[Harpua3]

Having a few aprihops tonight. Dogfish heads "fruit" IPA. Not bad for a change of pace. Probably only a few though, I got "creamed" last night. I never get hangovers, I had one today!:(