FWIS3

Picked up a couple of brews, some I have not tried before. After I finish sampling them in the near future, I'll give my two cents worth on Great Lakes Breweries' "Pumpkin Ale" and Shepherd Neame's "Spook Ale".

Cheers!

Parrothead wrote:Picked up a couple of brews, some I have not tried before. After I finish sampling them in the near future, I'll give my two cents worth on Great Lakes Breweries' "Pumpkin Ale" and Shepherd Neame's "Spook Ale".

Cheers!

Yes, it's pumpkin season again.

Parrothead wrote: I'll give my two cents worth on Great Lakes Breweries' "Pumpkin Ale" and Shepherd Neame's "Spook Ale".

Hey! That my hometown brew! Great Lakes is sort of considered the grand old master of the microbreweries in this region; they started around 1988 (I actually googled it, but that was also my guess).

I have not tried their pumpkin ale this year.

Swift wrote:

Parrothead wrote: I'll give my two cents worth on Great Lakes Breweries' "Pumpkin Ale" and Shepherd Neame's "Spook Ale".

Hey! That my hometown brew! Great Lakes is sort of considered the grand old master of the microbreweries in this region; they started around 1988 (I actually googled it, but that was also my guess).

I have not tried their pumpkin ale this year.

I miss GLB so badly!

During a stopover in Chicago I was visiting some old college buddies, and bought some GLB Dortmunder they were selling in the liquor store there for our evening. Was pleased to note it's just as good a beer as I remembered!

I also miss pumpkin ale (pumpkin has just started here- last year was the first year of Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes for example). The past three years here have had an influx of wonderful new IPA style beers from Dutch microbreweries, but damn it'd be nice to have a pint of that stuff.

Also I should note that I'm going to Prague this weekend- looking forward to some good pilsners!

I enjoy most of GLB ales. They've got a couple seasonals that are fantastic, Chillwave and Monster. Their Commodore Perry is one of my favs. Their Blackout Stout is good but hard to find around here. Only a few places around here serve any on tap. There are so many craft breweries around here now, we're surrounded by great brews. It's hard to keep up. There are probably 6-10 newish breweries just in the Cbus area.

GLB is famous for their Christmas ale. Always sells out, people ordering it ahead of time. Unfortunately, I'm just not a fan of any Christmas beers. That's okay, more for everybody else, I'll take the IPA, Porter, and Stout. Not usually a fan of fruity beers but had a Pumpkin ale last weekend and it was pretty good.




(edit: there, their, they're...)

Christmas beer is an interesting one because GLB's at least changes every year, so some years I don't like it and some years it's good. Worth a taste of someone's to see whether I like it, but yes I don't know the huge obsession some have over it.

Btw question for the Ohioans, do you guys know Hoppin' Frog brewery out of Akron? I ask because I never saw it when I was in Cleveland, but the American craft beer bar here has it quite regularly. Really makes you wonder what kind of distributor those guys have!

Rommie wrote:Christmas beer is an interesting one because GLB's at least changes every year, so some years I don't like it and some years it's good. Worth a taste of someone's to see whether I like it, but yes I don't know the huge obsession some have over it.

I agree completely. Generally I'm not a fan of spiced beers, but GLB has gotten me to like them. I will generally have one or two a season, but that's enough for me. And yes, there are some years I like it much better than others.

Btw question for the Ohioans, do you guys know Hoppin' Frog brewery out of Akron? I ask because I never saw it when I was in Cleveland, but the American craft beer bar here has it quite regularly. Really makes you wonder what kind of distributor those guys have!

I've heard of it and that's it. I don't recall seeing it in a bar or restaurant, nor trying it. And for the last 2 weeks I've been living 15 miles north of Akron.

I tried GLB years ago and gave it another go after seeing this thread.
Same shit really.
Con trails, aliens and all other sorts of garbage.

FZR1KG wrote:Con trails, aliens and all other sorts of garbage.

It is very good beer, but I wouldn't call it "God Like"

The other discussion has been moved to the Mosh Pit.

Carry on...

I had the "Spooks Ale" , it was okay, for a Hallow's Eve brew, I prefer "Hobgoblin".

The Pumpkin Ale I'll have this weekend, as it's Thanksgiving. My earlier mistake, it is brewed not by Great Lakes Breweries, but Toronto based Great Lakes Brewery. Cheers.

I really need to read the % alcohol on beers more closely. Last week I had a Schlafly's (St. Louis) Pumpkin Ale. 8%
http://schlafly.com/beers/styles/pumpkin-ale/
Yummy.
I was about done with it when the server came and asked if I wanted another--I wasn't driving, so yeah!

About two minutes later I started to feel the buzz. I really shouldn't have had the whole 2nd beer. I was pretty loopy, and had the spins before going to bed.

And I was traveling for buisness--felt like crap the whole next day. Oops.

But for pumpkin ales, the most tasty one I've had is Pumpking from Southern Tier (NY)
http://www.stbcbeer.com/seasonals/seaso ... beer-page/

In the last few years, I've been fanatical about checking the % alcohol. If the tavern or server don't know it, I look it up on beeradvocate or ratebeer. Those %'s can sneak up on you!

8%? Only? Never visit Holland.

For medical reasons, I don't drink any more...well, maybe one every couple of years at best...

From one who used to keep The Stroh Brewery Company financially solvent singlehandedly...

...this thread makes me somewhat nostalgic...

Parrothead wrote:My earlier mistake, it is brewed not by Great Lakes Breweries, but Toronto based Great Lakes Brewery. Cheers.

I don't think you made the mistake. I think I assumed wrong because I didn't know there were two breweries with such similar names:
Great Lakes Brewing Company in Cleveland
Great Lakes Brewery in Toronto
Founded in '87 and '88 respectively, I'm surprised there wasn't some sort of copyright or trademark issue.
Great Lakes in Cleveland has a seasonal Double IPA (that's fabulous) Chillwave, that was rebranded from an Ale called Alchemy Hour because the it's name was too similar to another beer from another brewery. I could find out whose but all the booze sites are blocked here.

Edit: Found it. Widmer Bros. (Portland OR) Alchemy Ale. (Not a double IPA)

Eagle Creek Brewing Company, Low Country Pale Ale

Very good. Hoppier than normal pale ales. Had a couple at the hotel bar on Jekyll Island (Georgia) last night.

Sweetwater has finally made it to Ohio. Have tried the 420 Extra, and the IPA.

I haven't had Sweetwater since a few years ago, when I visited a friend in Atlanta for the weekend and she took me straight from the airport to the brewery. Good stuff!

Geez, you guys make it sound like it's hard to find Sweetwater. I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a bottle of 420.

geonuc wrote:Geez, you guys make it sound like it's hard to find Sweetwater. I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a bottle of 420.

smart. Aleck.

Had the GLB Pumpkin Ale, it was ok. I preferred Highballer Pumpkin Ale, brewed in Cambridge, Ont. by Grand River Brewing. The pumpkin and spice flavours were just a bit more pronounced, which made a difference.

The best pumpkin ale IRC is the one Dogfish Head makes, with a bit of brown sugar on the rim.

Unfortunately they don't make it here (the Germans would have a heart attack!), so I haven't had pumpkin ale in years.

A bottle of this, is awaiting me in the near future.