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Surly Darkness has hit the shelves. Hopefully it’s not the raisin-bomb that it was last year (although after a few months, last year’s version balanced out quite a bit).

Mine last year tastes like a bitter licorice bomb. I just had a bottle again a few weeks ago and agree it balanced out really nice…much like what you’d expect from Darkness.

Snowstorm isn’t really a good comparison though because it’s an entirely different style every year.

Cracked this year’s tonight. Less raisin, a little more cherry. BUT, this is officially a beer you need to let sit. This is 4 years in a row now where it’s too (insert taste) fresh, and the last 3 years have mellowed nicely (obviously don’t know about this year’s). Next year, unless I find it on tap, I won’t even bother opening a fresh bottle.

There ya go.

So, yesterday at the liquor store where I work as a side gig, bought some 2014 Fulton Worthy Adversary (a co-worker and I split a 4 pack, $20 for it). Cracked one just now, and it fell off, by JUST a hair. I am thinking 1-2 months ago, it would have been hanging on, by JUST a hair. Still, 7 years for this beer, and it tastes like this? That’s rather impressive for a non-BA beer.

I’ve always thought Worthy Adversary was a very underrated beer. One of my favorite non BA stouts made in MN

My Father in Law passed away earlier this week so I took it upon myself to buy some beer for the Visitation/Funeral this week. He’d drink anything you gave him but if you were at his house it was either MGD, Mich Golden Light, or Hamms…and most of the time it was a good couple months after the ‘best drink by’ date. Since he played baseball for the Miesville Mudhens and they were sponsored by Hamms in the day that’s the route I went.

I went to get some after grocery shopping at Hy-Vee today. The smallest size was a 30-pack and it was still $6 cheaper than the 4-pack of a Humble Forager Stout that I found there. The woman ringing it up at Hy-Vee liquor was confused for a good 30 seconds thinking something was wrong and that gave me a good laugh.

My Father in Law passed away earlier this week so I took it upon myself to buy some beer for the Visitation/Funeral this week. He’d drink anything you gave him but if you were at his house it was either MGD, Mich Golden Light, or Hamms…and most of the time it was a good couple months after the ‘best drink by’ date. Since he played baseball for the Miesville Mudhens and they were sponsored by Hamms in the day that’s the route I went.

I went to get some after grocery shopping at Hy-Vee today. The smallest size was a 30-pack and it was still $6 cheaper than the 4-pack of a Humble Forager Stout that I found there. The woman ringing it up at Hy-Vee liquor was confused for a good 30 seconds thinking something was wrong and that gave me a good laugh.

Sorry to hear that, hope everyone enjoyed a beer in his honor.

We will once everything starts tomorrow.

My Father in Law passed away earlier this week so I took it upon myself to buy some beer for the Visitation/Funeral this week. He’d drink anything you gave him but if you were at his house it was either MGD, Mich Golden Light, or Hamms…and most of the time it was a good couple months after the ‘best drink by’ date. Since he played baseball for the Miesville Mudhens and they were sponsored by Hamms in the day that’s the route I went.

I went to get some after grocery shopping at Hy-Vee today. The smallest size was a 30-pack and it was still $6 cheaper than the 4-pack of a Humble Forager Stout that I found there. The woman ringing it up at Hy-Vee liquor was confused for a good 30 seconds thinking something was wrong and that gave me a good laugh.

While it’s great for the wallet, the fact that they discontinued Hamm’s Light has not been great for the waistline.

Drinking a 2020 – Double Vanilla Darkness tonight. Not that impressed. I taste almost no vanilla and a ton of Rye and it tastes boozy. I used to really enjoy a darkness and these last few iterations just aren’t that enjoyable. I didn’t pick up this years at all, and probably won’t (it is still on shelves on my local stores).

On the other had “Amarillo by Morning” form Blackstack is awesome! Best IPA I have had in awhile, and a welcome break from all the hazy IPAs around. Also happy they took a pause from all the triple IPAs they were putting out at $22/4-pk. This one was more palatable at $12 and a great beer to boot.

Stopped at Invictus today. Won’t be back. Had two beers and they were both awful. Didn’t finish either one.

Stopped by MGM Hopkins Crossroad on the way home from LTD today. Got Bourbon County Double Barrel, the 14, the Cola, the Cherry Wood, and the regular. Two of each except for the Double Barrel. That’s a win. And they still had more of everything except the Double Barrel.

Stopped by MGM Hopkins Crossroad on the way home from LTD today. Got Bourbon County Double Barrel, the 14, the Cola, the Cherry Wood, and the regular. Two of each except for the Double Barrel. That’s a win. And they still had more of everything except the Double Barrel.

That’s an impressive haul on the variants for a place here in the Cities given it’s 2 days after the release.

I was sort of expecting to see a couple of the regular, but was VERY surprised to see the rest.

Although, after yesterday’s Back Channel Soviet Slayer release (reg, and 3 variants)…my wallet hates me right now. :oops:

Drinking Schell’s Snowstorm tonight. Couldn’t decide if I should post in the Beer thread or the Weather thread! Or maybe Simple Pleasure thread?

Back Channel has more stout releases. The next two weeks, but VERY limited. I think it’s 36 bottles this week for the public, limit one per person. But members get their bottle.

Ansari’s also has their 12 beers of Christmas starting up here pretty soon. All Toppling Goliath beers, there are some darn good ones. New keg tapped each day.

I’ve skipped out on trying to get their stouts because they are so limited. I may have to go get a present for my wife from there so I’ll could likely try one or two on tap at least

Macallan A Night on Earth in Scotland. All I can say is don’t bother. This would be a great whisky to introduce someone to single malts if you could have it for closer to $70 or less. If you’re more familiar stay away from it at any price unless you plan to flip it somewhere down the road. Ugh.

Haven’t seen that one, but from a value perspective, as good as some older Macallans are, they’re pretty much all very over-priced for what they deliver.

I have a line on some Sam Adams Utopias BA World Wide Stout from Dogfish Head. If it pans out, I’m a happy camper.

Did buy and try two of the Surly Darkness Variants this year:

Gimme S’mores: solid beer, really mellow in taste, doesn’t overpower your taste buds.

Manhattan: The exact opposite of the S’mores; it crushes your mouth with rye, cherry, and orange. Quite good, but man, it’s a punch in the face with flavor.

I saw the WW Stout at TW about a week ago when I needed to find something for my wife. If I cou,d have bought a single I’d have gotten one to try,

Surly “And The Devil Makes Three”

Advertised as a triple IPA, it is straight up a coffee stout (that is abnormally thin) at worst, and a coffee black ale at best. Not even close to what they say it is. It was right from the can, black as night, all the coffee. My co-workers and I at the liquor store all agreed, “WTF?” Surly done f*ed this beer up, whether it was description or a brewing failure, we don’t know.

IF they described it correctly, that would be one thing. This was SO far off, to paraphrase Johnny Paycheck, “Take this can and shove it.”

The Back Channel Rum BA Soviet Slayer RIS is awesome, but that sold out in about 30 minutes. IIRC, something like 2 dozen bottles released to the public? I got my 2, plus my free member bottle.

I love a good rum barrel aged beer but there just aren’t many around it seems like

There is not, and I am disappointed in that. I wish more did that. This might be blasphemy to some BA beer drinkers, but I prefer a rum BA over a bourbon BA. I know! I will say, I don’t know if it’s because the bourbon BA is too common, and the rum BA is rarer, but I think I like the taste/blend/etc flavor more.

I have a line on some Sam Adams Utopias BA World Wide Stout from Dogfish Head. If it pans out, I’m a happy camper.

Did buy and try two of the Surly Darkness Variants this year:

Gimme S’mores: solid beer, really mellow in taste, doesn’t overpower your taste buds.

Manhattan: The exact opposite of the S’mores; it crushes your mouth with rye, cherry, and orange. Quite good, but man, it’s a punch in the face with flavor.

I really loved the s’mores. Good balance of flavor but it’s still Darkness. I’m glad I found another can of this because it’s excellent

The tap list at Ansari’s is really good right now. We met friends there for lunch after a trip to the zoo yesterday.

This is redundant.

The tap list at Ansari’s is really good right now. We met friends there for lunch after a trip to the zoo yesterday.

This is redundant.

Relatively speaking to the normal standard

The tap list at Ansari’s is really good right now. We met friends there for lunch after a trip to the zoo yesterday.

This is redundant.

Relatively speaking to the normal standard

Addendum accepted.

We are without kids for a couple days this week so we went out for dinner last night and stopped at Falling Knife and Modist. We hadn’t been to Falling Knife since shortly after they opened, but I was a little disappointed in both the stouts they had on tap. Their other stuff was good but I didn’t realize everything We ordered outside of the stouts all were heavy on passion fruit. I don’t need any more of that for awhile.

Modist was about what is always is. Their Amaretto Sour beer was interesting and I liked their Oatmeal Stout quite a bit. The people watching was most interesting though between the guy (in that snowfall mind you) wearing heels taller than anything my wife owns. He was with a woman (at least it looked like a woman) wearing a pair of sweats that read “stop staring at my dick” across the crotch. I left fairly confused by all of that :lol:

We had our Christmas with my wife’s family. My mother in law got me a bunch of Forager beer, a gift card for the brewery and a t-shirt. I guess she still likes me and I still have to admit I won the MIL lottery

Since I’m finally able to drink again, it’s time to start working on the cellar before things get over aged. Cracked open a 2014 Bourbon County Brand Stout. It held up quite well. Actually still a little boozy on the first couple of drinks.

Worked on the store cooler today at work, reorganizing all the random crap we have in the back, because it was DEAD. Found a 2014 BCS Coffee Stout, so I put it out on the shelf. Good to hear that year is still boozy, but I’m guessing the coffee flavor is gone from this one.

Since I’m finally able to drink again, it’s time to start working on the cellar before things get over aged. Cracked open a 2014 Bourbon County Brand Stout. It held up quite well. Actually still a little boozy on the first couple of drinks.

Worked on the store cooler today at work, reorganizing all the random crap we have in the back, because it was DEAD. Found a 2014 BCS Coffee Stout, so I put it out on the shelf. Good to hear that year is still boozy, but I’m guessing the coffee flavor is gone from this one.

The booziness went away as it has warmed up. I still have the 2014 Coffee. Might have that tomorrow watching some football game.

Kings County does good work. My favorite is their peated bourbon.

I had to think about this for a hot moment. The store I work at has a couple different bottles of it. About $100/per. I’ll look into it this Sat when I work.

Not sure any of them are $100 bottles

Mine was around $70 for the straight bourbon whiskey. I’m drinking it right now and I’m liking it quite a bit. I told my wife now I only need about 5 or 6 other bottles of good bourbon/whiskey so I can do some in depth research as to what I really like best :lol:

At $70, I could see myself grabbing a bottle.

I was at Vinafera the other day and was surprised to see they had some of Kings’ other offerings like the Peated Bourbon. After we had talked about this a few months ago I was curious and this was the first time I saw any of them in any liquor store.

I always preface comments like that by saying I don’t wander into liquor stores as much as I used to and it may now be everywhere, so take the comment for what it’s worth.

I actually ran across the Peated at Haskells in White Bear a while back and picked up a bottle. I think they’ve got at least one other Kings County’s offerings as well, but been a couple weeks, so don’t know for sure.

Grizzly’s in Plymouth still has 6 special Toppling Goliaths on tap, as of 11am this morning. Some incredible stuff, with 2021 Mornin’ Delight leading the way. Highly recommend checking it out. Bonus: they have 5oz OR 10oz pours.

I had the MD and their Cinnamon Roll stouts, 5oz of each. Ordered both at the same time, drank half of each, then made a blend. The blend was better than I thought it would be.

…and Monday you’ll have to declare bankruptcy.

Grizzly’s in Plymouth still has 6 special Toppling Goliaths on tap, as of 11am this morning. Some incredible stuff, with 2021 Mornin’ Delight leading the way. Highly recommend checking it out. Bonus: they have 5oz OR 10oz pours.

I had the MD and their Cinnamon Roll stouts, 5oz of each. Ordered both at the same time, drank half of each, then made a blend. The blend was better than I thought it would be.

…and Monday you’ll have to declare bankruptcy.

The MD was $15 for a 10oz. IF you win the lottery to buy a 2 12oz bottle set from the brewery, that was $100. Just saying….

Do they have the dragon fandango?

Grizzly’s in Plymouth still has 6 special Toppling Goliaths on tap, as of 11am this morning. Some incredible stuff, with 2021 Mornin’ Delight leading the way. Highly recommend checking it out. Bonus: they have 5oz OR 10oz pours.

I had the MD and their Cinnamon Roll stouts, 5oz of each. Ordered both at the same time, drank half of each, then made a blend. The blend was better than I thought it would be.

…and Monday you’ll have to declare bankruptcy.

The MD was $15 for a 10oz. IF you win the lottery to buy a 2 12oz bottle set from the brewery, that was $100. Just saying….

Do they have the dragon fandango?

They do not, but Shorewood Liquor (my side gig) does!

Neither are super close. But if you want to snag some and let me know next time you’re at ansaris….

$25/4 pack for the Fandango, just let me know how many you want.

$25/4 pack for the Fandango, just let me know how many you want.

One is enough for the pocketbook. 😂

I found one left in my fridge. Makes your tastebuds pucker!

If it was Pasha, that is Ramsey’s dad. Clark (TG owner) will get every penny he thinks he can get from you. Guaranteed.

Stacked Deck being sued for future rent, on a lease that the owners terminated. This should be fun.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2022/01/21/downtown-st-paul-brewery-sued-for-1-3m-in-rent.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMFB_MN&csrc=6398&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A%20Trending%20Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR03q4rXvPAWQx3kU966YRaXQoUN0YlUFmkuThnssWJzkQVpYwP7UdwYMxs

Have tried La Dona’s Mexican Lager and their Mole Stout. I really liked both. The lager is crisp and clean, and the mole has a nice bite of heat to it.

Manager cracked a gift bottle today at the store, a collab between Moksa Brewing (CA) and Weathered Souls (TX), “Maple Magic.”

Pastry stout, with vanilla beans, real maple syrup, cacao nibs. 12%, and it was fire. Manager and I agree there was almost no way one would completely enjoy a full bottle of it. It’s a banger of a beer, but very rich and sweet.

Funny enough, @davescharf happened to randomly stop in today when the bottle was open, so he got a sample of it, and he loved it. I kinda figured he would.

I’d give it the old college try on a whole bottle because it was phenomenal. I’ve only recently come around to heavy maple syrup flavors in these stouts but this was totally different than most I’ve had.

It was fun catching up for a bit. My wife was thrilled you still had the Earliest Light (one I’ve been searching for awhile on for her) and a couple of those Salted Caramel FSBs. It’s a fun store to go look around for old gems so I’m sure I’ll be back in.

Schell’s Cave Aged/Barrel Aged is other worldly. 10.9% abv and smooth as a baby’s bottom.

This year’s batch is sick. The store I work at sold out of the first case we ordered in 2 days. Re-ordered 4 cases, and only have 3 sixers left. As you said, so smooth. The high ABV took me by surprise. The beer hides that well.

BA Old Raspy is always one of the best BA stouts, doesn’t get enough love but it’s also very expensive