DogFish Head Beer

[Mike Minto]

Anyone here a beer afficianado? The 'poor' man's equivalent of the wine snob? I'm a SERIOUS fan of DogFish Head brewery beer; the '90 minute' is the best I've ever had. This month they released a beer they only make twice a year, their '120 minute' Extreme Pale Ale - very good, but too strong for more than a brandy snifter's worth - which is how it should be savored. 1 bottle for 2 or 3 people. Today I bought a 4-pack of the '90 minute' and two bottles of the '120 minute' (to try it for the first time, ever) - the $36 it cost was the most expensive six-pack the lady at 'Total Wine' had ever sold. If you're not into beer, I understand your perplexity. Mike

[Paul Ryan]

Mike,

I would consider myslef a beer connoisseur as well. I love to sit down with a buddy and start working my way through a whole line of taps on the wall at a new bar. We have a brewery in my local town that has been in business since 1860, Schell's brewery. They brew from lagers to pale ales, to weizens, to stouts. A few years ago they bought the grain belt lable from the old MN brewing company that has doubled their output. I have never heard of Dog Fish Heads. Sounds like a MN name, since Walker, MN has a Eelpout (dog fish) Festival every year. I would love to try it. Sam Adams made a triple bock a few years back that was real strong as well. I like to think of beer as the Blue Collar Man's wine.

[Dan Mages]

Schells makes amazing beer beer, so does Dogfish Head. I have a bottle of their Raison D'Extra from 2002 that I am saving for a special occasion. At 20+% ABV, this beer will age well.

If you are lucky, you might have a bar in your area with Randal the Enamel Animal attached to a tap. It is a "organoleptic hop transducer module". In English, it is a pool filter module that is retrofitted to hold fresh hops that beer is bathed in on the way from keg to tap. THAT is a true hop experience! http://www.dogfish.com/company/tangents/randall-the-enamel-animal.htm

If you are a homebrewer, you definately want to pick up Extreme Brewing from Amazon. The beer recipes are truely original and eye opening.

Dan

[Chris Kennedy]

This is good to hear. I have been curious about Dogfish Head -- it is a bit pricey, and I have been worried that it would just be "hop salad." I'll have to give it a try.

Cheers,

Chris

[Gary Herrmann]

Perhaps not in the same arena, but I did discover a local bar last night that has Anchor Steam on tap. Haven't seen that in this area very often.

[Paul Ryan]

Anchor Steam, mmmmm very tasty. Is 7:30am on a Wed. too early?

[Prashun Patel]

I'm NOT a beer afficionado, but DFH is great even to my untrained pallete. Funny. I thought I was the only one who drank that stuff!

[Bruce Volden]

Anchor Steam, mmmmm very tasty. Is 7:30am on a Wed. too early?

Paul,

You must get over to Lucan (near Marshall ) and hit the Brau Brothers brewery!! Tasty stuff there also. The most expensive brew I've poured down my gullet is a Norwegian beer called Dark Horizon $22 / bottle (pint)!! AND it wasn't very good - too sweet. I'll stick with my IPA double wides.

Bruce

[Jason Roehl]

I had some DFH a few years ago that I picked up at a little liquor store in a local one-stop-sign town. It was a hot day, I was working a little late (getting a phase of a job done), and it was all they had that was cold and not mass-brewed water. I think it was a pale ale of some sort, but it was pretty good whatever it was. I haven't gotten around to buying it since. Lately, with Sam's Club carrying the Sam Adams variety packs for under $1/bottle, those have been hard to pass up. I do still have a couple dozen or so of a Christmas ale I brewed back in Feb. It's pretty thick and has a fairly high AC--probably in the 7-8% range (I don't measure that stuff...) by feel. And, it's getting better as it gets older, we'll just see if it makes it to this Christmas.

[John Shuk]

I was planning a trip to the store for some.......until I saw the price. I do love a good IPA though.

[Ben Hatcher]

...I do still have a couple dozen or so of a Christmas ale I brewed back in Feb....

Jason, 'Tis the season...for Christmas in July!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

If it's not Speight's Gold Medal Ale...it's not worth talking about....

[Eric DeSilva]

I'm a SERIOUS fan of DogFish Head brewery beer; the '90 minute' is the best I've ever had.

For better or worse, I live about a mile from a dogfish head brewery/bar/restaurant. It's in a strip mall, of all places, but--on the happy side--they regularly have the 120 min. on tap.

[Paul Ryan]

Paul,

You must get over to Lucan (near Marshall ) and hit the Brau Brothers brewery!! Tasty stuff there also. The most expensive brew I've poured down my gullet is a Norwegian beer called Dark Horizon $22 / bottle (pint)!! AND it wasn't very good - too sweet. I'll stick with my IPA double wides.

Bruce

Bruce I had lunch at the Brau Brothers Bar last week. I could sit there for hours. I have to be real careful, it is about and hour drive home from there. Lunch last week included a burger, fries, and 3 beers. I would have had 12 if I didn't have to drive home. All of the brews there are good, but the frame straighter ale is my favorite, the scotch ale is real good too.

[Ben Franz]

Anchor also makes a Porter - very creamy - a "dessert" beer if such a thing exists.

[Jon Knauft]

Local brewery (New Glarus Brewery) brews my favorite. It's called "Spotted Cow". It's a stronger beer without being too hopsy.

[Jim Koepke]

Sam Adams made a triple bock a few years back that was real strong as well. I like to think of beer as the Blue Collar Man's wine.

I still have a bottle or two of that. One of them is from the first year they made it. Guess next time another bock lover comes by we will have to pop the cork.


Anchor also makes a Porter - very creamy - a "dessert" beer if such a thing exists.

I used to drink a lot of that. Their special ale at Christmas is also one of my favorites. Then there is their Old Foghorn barley wine. Gee, I have one of the Christmas ales still in the fridge, tonight it is in danger.

Portland, OR has a lot of breweries, but I have not had a chance to check them out.

jim

[Rob Mathis]

The 120 IPA is good.

I also like Victory V12 12% as well as Golden Monkey. Both ade by Victory. I also like the immort ale from Dogfish

[Mike Minto]

eric, i'm VERY envious of your proximity to a DFH pub; it must be great to be able to get their beer on tap at will! i tried the 120 this week, for the first time; it just shipped this month - thought it was ok, really; more of an after-dinner drink to share a bottle with someone. i really like the 90 min best, of all their brews; didn't care for the Raison D'Extra or the Palo Santo they make. i'll always try a new brew from them, however - it's worth it if you find something you enjoy! and ken, c'mon - it's always worth talking about beer, even if it isn't your fav!! :D

[Bill Jensen]

Living here in the northwest, Portland Oregon to be exact, it is very hard to find a specific favorite since there are so many craft brewers out here. Jim can attest to this, from the larger craft brewers like Full Sail and Pyramid to small locals like Old Lompoc and McMenamins. Each of these place turn out so many great regular and seasonals that you can go an entire year having a different beer each and every day and not get around to trying them all, mmmm... beer!:cool:
If any of you are out here in late July, Portland hosts one of the largest craft brew festivals in the country "Oregon's Brewers Festival", lots of fun and LOTS of great beers from all over the country (even Hawaii) that come to share their creations.:D
http://www.oregonbrewfest.com/beers.php
This is this years line up.

[scott spencer]

Never tried Dog Fish, but it's always nice to have another recommendation to try.

I don't consider myself a beer snob, I just don't like most of the mainstream American style beers because they suck. :p :D

Some good brews that come to mind:
- Sacket's Harbor War of 1812 Ale
- Negra Modello
- Smutty Nose Old Brown Dog Ale
- Upper Canada Dark Ale
- Sleeman's Cream Ale
- Sam Adam's Boston Ale
- Sam Adam's Irish Red
- Turbo Dog
- Rohrbach's Scoth Ale

None of these except for the Turbo Dog are anywhere near as robust and dark as a stout, and not as hoppy as an IPA...more are more like full flavored well balanced ambers/dark ambers.

[Scott Shepherd]

Tried the Sam Adams Boston Lager? I like it more than the Boston Ale, but it's very hard to find around here.

[Jamie Delker]

I was actually just reading an article in Inc. magazine by Dogfish Head's founder. Pretty interesting management style. Left me wondering if they have any job openings. :D

I haven't had occasion to try any of their beer, perhaps I'll have to take a look at the store this week and make it a point to.

[scott spencer]

Tried the Sam Adams Boston Lager? I like it more than the Boston Ale, but it's very hard to find around here.

Yeah, I like the Boston Lager too, but the Ale is more of a treat for me. The lager is typically the staple of any store or bar that serves Sam Adam's around here. I like most of the Sam Adam's brews, except for some of the real abstract ones, or styles I'm not fond of. They do a nice job.

[Mike Minto]

Tried the Sam Adams Boston Lager? I like it more than the Boston Ale, but it's very hard to find around here.

I prefer the Adam's ale, which I can't find anymore where I live, over their lager - lucky you!

[Scott Shepherd]

Maybe I got that backwards! I'll have to do some "research" tonight and report back. Might be reporting back late, depending on how in depth my research gets :) I like the one that's not normally in stores or on tap, whichever one that is :)

[scott spencer]

Maybe I got that backwards! I'll have to do some "research" tonight and report back. Might be reporting back late, depending on how in depth my research gets :) I like the one that's not normally in stores or on tap, whichever one that is :)

Sorry I can't help with any of the in-depth research until I finish investigating my 1812 Ale and Turbo Dog! :D

But in the mean time:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zikSxOpljDc/SFvHeQbqRbI/AAAAAAAAAFU/DwmtTIdXx38/s400/Samual+Adams+Boston+Ale+2008.JPG

http://www.beerstore.com.au/beerstore/uploads/beerImages/Samuel_Adams_Large.jpg

[Scott Shepherd]

You are right guys, it's the Boston Ale I'd prefer, but it's hard to find. Man, that's a tasty beverage. I'd be happy if they flipped them and made that the standard and the Lager the one that's hard to find ;)

[Jason Roehl]

You are right guys, it's the Boston Ale I'd prefer, but it's hard to find. Man, that's a tasty beverage. I'd be happy if they flipped them and made that the standard and the Lager the one that's hard to find ;)

I'm with you on that. For that matter, the Brown Ale, Irish Red, Cream Stout, and probably a couple others could become their flagship beer.

Jason

[Mike Minto]

DFH recently released the latest batch of 120 minute IPA - bought 2 bottles at $11 per 12 ounce container - ouch! Pretty good as a dessert beer, share one with a friend in a snifter - but overall, I prefer their 90 minute (both for taste and price!). Reminds me, I have one Sam Adams triple bock left from about 2001 - wonder if I should open it? The one I did open was so thick and sweet back then, I chose to cook with it rather than drink it! Mike