quote:

Originally posted by Rawhead:
Hmm I've had a few new beers over the last few nights courtesy the highly recommended new wine beer store in Joplin. Had Stella Artois, Stone Mill ORGANIC Pale ale, Delirium Nocturnum, Sam Adams Double Bock, Shock Top Belgian white and Maredsous 10 Tripel. I also got some Hoegaarden Ale which I have yet to try.

Not much to say about most of em... the stella was skunky... the wheat beers (stone mill and shock top) were pretty weak. The Sam Adams Double Bock, which I have had before and got majorly sick on, was pretty damn good. The Delirium Nocturne was also very good, I still have 3 bottles to go though so more to come on that. The Maredsous, a Belgian Tripel, at 10% abv was fûcking great! It's probably the only one out of this group that I'm going to buy more of... alcohol was barely noticed.

Stella is known as "Belgian Budweiser", because it is far, far away from what most people think of when they think of Belgian beer. Of course, Budweiser itself is technically a Belgian beer now (Thanks, InBev), so there you go. By the way, I saw where Cantillon is now available in Kansas. Might keep me from driving across the state line.

Shock Top is an Anheuser-Busch product as well. it's not bad as far as Belgian Wit styles go, all things considered. That's not a style I dig, though. Not a big coriander fan.

It's tough to go wrong at all with anything from Maredsous, and the tripel style is one I enjoy almost as much as the Belgian Golden. Heck, I even like New Belgium's Trippel.

Y'all are making me thirsty while I'm in my "doc says I gotta cut back for a bit" phase. I hate when temporary medications screw your liver up if you drink! Not that I'm not, mind you.. just, uh, not as often. Instead of one or two three nights a week, I'm not down to one or two a week, until I'm done with the meds. Ah well, such is life.

Tomorrow I'm defying the doc and trying this year's version of a few Oktoberfest/Märzen beers that are out... the Sam Adam's (always a treat, if not always authentic), the Spaten (which is available year-round now as the Ur-Märzen), the Ayinger (always one of my favorites), and probably Boulevard's Bob's 47 (which isn't technically an Oktoberfest, but it's damned good this year).

quote:

Originally posted by John O:

Stella is known as "Belgian Budweiser", because it is far, far away from what most people think of when they think of Belgian beer.

Hah. Yeah I agree with that. I've seen it around but never got it, used it to round out a make-yer-own-sixer... glad I didn't buy at the local grocery.

quote:

Shock Top is an Anheuser-Busch product as well. it's not bad as far as Belgian Wit styles go, all things considered. That's not a style I dig, though. Not a big coriander fan.

Coriander sucks... I HATE cilantro. I'm surprised this beer didn't make me vomit. Taco Bell accidentally put cilantro on my burrito one time, now they're on permanent boycott.

quote:

It's tough to go wrong at all with anything from Maredsous, and the tripel style is one I enjoy almost as much as the Belgian Golden. Heck, I even like New Belgium's Trippel.

Yep I'll be looking for more... as soon as I get more FOOD STAMPS!

quote:

Tomorrow I'm defying the doc and trying this year's version of a few Oktoberfest/Märzen beers that are out... the Sam Adam's (always a treat, if not always authentic), the Spaten (which is available year-round now as the Ur-Märzen), the Ayinger (always one of my favorites), and probably Boulevard's Bob's 47 (which isn't technically an Oktoberfest, but it's damned good this year).

Yeah I'll be trying those as well... if I can find em. I know the Sam Adams is available locally but I'll be looking for other Oktoberfest beers to try.

Yo, Rawhead. Anybody who ever was on food stamps can tell you you can't buy booze with them. Sorry, just the facts.

I'm gonna have to try the Maredsous now, if my store carries it. If the new place in Joplin has Duvel or Cantillon let me know and I'll pick some up the next time I'm passing through.

Are you sure, Pete? Some of the better beer qualifies as a meal in itself!

Actually, I don't recall ever seeing a white male with food stamps so I'm outa luck either way. Can't buy beer with em, couldn't get em if I tried.

Good luck on the Maredsous. I know at least MaZoo's on North Baker in Carthage has Duvel. The new place in Joplin is definitely worth checking out if you come through. They had some specialty ales in 750 ml bottles for $7.95 or so. Going to try those some time.

You probably have seen plenty of white folks using foodstamps--you just didn't know it. Nowadays they issue EBT cards instead of stamps, so if someone is in line in front of you at the grocery store, they swipe the card just like a credit card, but the register sorts out items the card won't cover, like beer and cigarettes, as well as some more pricey food items. Next time you are in a store look for a sign saying "EBT approved."

I am going to have to save my money and start making my list so John can be my mule at the GABF. I think I'll have him put together a case of the really good stuff that can't be purchased here and mail it. You still game, John?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pete Kirkman,

Hey guys! I found an interesting online store for beer--maybe someone knows a better one? Anyway, they have some of the beers we have mentioned, and the prices look reasonable.

http://www.shoppersvineyard.com/default.asp

Any opinions on Gulden Draak? Looks like a decent triple, and they sell it in 4-packs.

Yeah I'm just saying as a white male, they're pretty tough to get. Had a couple friends try... one's disabled on SSI, one's 65+ and retired. No food assistance for them! I guess I could throw on a wig and some fake tits and go down and get me an "EBT card" then buy up my limit of porterhouse steaks and sell em outside the store for 50 cents on the dollar then I could buy my beer with the proceeds!

Shipping kills, Pete. Beer is heavy. Also becertain they ship to OK. Many do not ship to KS, and OK is more rigid than we are.

Same reason I can't mail you beer. Beer in the mail is a violation of a few laws. Something to do with interstate commerce and alcohol taxes. Sigh... I can ship it, if I accidentally forget to tell UPS or FedEx what's in it, and it's not being shipped for resale, but then again, if I have to ship it, it's probably cheaper for you to buy from an online store and pay their discounted shipping rates. Couple that with the fact I'm flying to GABF, and beer can't come in carry-on baggage any more (and nothing makes one as tense as flying with even a small amount of beer in checked luggage), and while I'd love to mule you back some brews, it's nigh into to impossible to do so.

Trying to get beer from place to place sucks. I do it when I travel for work, but it's only 3-4 bottles at a time, and I sweat all the way home just knowing I'm going to get home to clothing full of beer and glass shards, even though it looks like I'm packing Faberge eggs, there's so much bubble wrap on the things.

Oh, and the Carolus is good, too. Most any of those Belgian brewers make good stuff. Obviously some is better than others, but I don't recall any where I had to drain pour it. Try the Abbey stuff... Chimay, Orval, Westmalle, etc. Or St. Bernardus, for that matter. Anything from La'Chouffe.

Aww John if you really liked Pete you'd smuggle him a couple bottles up yer ass!

Good lord, man... I scream like a stuck pig when my procto goes at me with his pinky. I couldn't get an airline bottle up there, let alone a 22-ounce bomber!

That's ok, John--I wouldn't want you to have airport security poking around in your anus. You could just make a list and I'll do the heavy lifting.

The site I posted doesn't say anything about OK, although some of the other sites say Fed Ex won't ship beer there. The site DOES say that purchaser assumes full responsibility for sales tax, so I wonder what that involves. Yeah, OK is pretty fu_cked up on their beer laws. They still close liquor stores on Sunday and you can't get good stuff on tap at a restaurant--just the watered-down 3.2 sh_it.

Hmm... Does ANYONE on the Joplin, MO forum actually LIVE in Joplin, MO?

quote:

Originally posted by Rawhead:
Hmm... Does ANYONE on the Joplin, MO forum actually LIVE in Joplin, MO?

After the week I've had here in hell (Carthage), I'm thinking of relocating to Joplin.

quote:

Originally posted by Rawhead:
Hmm... Does ANYONE on the Joplin, MO forum actually LIVE in Joplin, MO?

Most of us used to live there. I went to HS there and moved away, then lived there again for about six years. Glad to be somewhere else, though I did enjoy the fishing around Joplin.

Everybody's dying at the same time. Everybody is so demanding (not the dead people). I want, I want, I want. That's all anybody knows how to say. The Queen is not amused this week.