HYPERBOREA / Brew

**Posted by Chainsaw** 3/07/2014 7:02 pm

Beer!

**Posted by Chainsaw** 3/07/2014 7:39 pm

Atwater Vanilla Java Imperial Stout (11%). Really accessible taste for an Imperial Stout. Usually these are like liquid iron vitamins or "motor oil" according to my wife. This has a solid, recognizable vanilla coffee flavor and isn't overly alcoholic tasting, as some high octane imperials can be.

**Posted by Ghul** 3/07/2014 9:12 pm

I swear, darling, I'm only going to have one or two glasses of beer!

**Posted by Morty** 3/07/2014 11:23 pm

I'm a Guinness man myself. One of the highlights of my life has been my trip to Ireland and one of the highlights of Ireland was my trip to the Guinness brewery in Dublin.

Let's just say I got faced

**Posted by Chainsaw** 3/08/2014 8:03 am

Morty wrote:
I'm a Guinness man myself. One of the highlights of my life has been my trip to Ireland and one of the highlights of Ireland was my trip to the Guinness brewery in Dublin.

I'm green with envy, man. That trip's on my bucket list. Guinness is really my Old Reliable, but I will often try other stouts, porters and an occasional imperial IPA ever since joining this local "beer club" where they track how many different beers you try. I'm at 257 now. It's been fun. Have found a lot of good new beers.

**Posted by JasonZavoda** 3/09/2014 12:56 pm

Morty wrote:
I'm a Guinness man myself. One of the highlights of my life has been my trip to Ireland and one of the highlights of Ireland was my trip to the Guinness brewery in Dublin.

Let's just say I got faced

My friends did the great pub tour of Ireland back in the early 80's. I still kick myself for not going. Actually I haven't had a drink in 23 years. I was working as a bouncer 6 nights a week and was dating a waitress who worked there. Good times but most of the people I knew were drunk every night of the week and I decided it wasn't for me or my liver. I still miss the Guinness though.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 3/10/2014 12:26 pm

Well, yesterday I brewed 10.5 gallons of Reflected Glory Copper Ale--it's named after the nemesis NPC adventuring party that my players competed with for several months (AD&D) before things came to a head in Death Frost Doom. That should be ready to go in about a month. This is the fourth time we've made this recipe, or near enough to count (combat is an abstraction, of course!). Nice rich, hoppy ale. We hopburst it at the end of the brew, so it should have a lot of hoppiness up front but a very mellow aftertaste.

Also bottled our third iteration of mead--Viking's Patience. Since we brewed it over a year ago! But I have about 2.5 gallons of 19% ABV mead at home now. We carbonated it gently--about to the level of Portuguese green wine.

**Posted by capitalbill** 3/10/2014 8:35 pm

Local is doing 35¢ drafts this week in honor of their anniversary. Best $2.10 I have ever spent, by far...

**Posted by Chainsaw** 3/10/2014 8:40 pm

@Handy - I have always wanted to brew some beer. austinjimm (mostly on K&KA) does a great job of it and even brings some to NTRPG Con each year. One day!

@Bill - What a great deal, I'm jealous. Which six did you drink?

**Posted by capitalbill** 3/10/2014 10:23 pm

Been working through the IPA selection lately, my six today were Sam Adams Rebel IPA, Green Man IPA, Ommegang Hennepin Saison Ale, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Harpoon IPA, and Dogfish 60 Minute IPA.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 3/10/2014 10:30 pm

capitalbill wrote:
Been working through the IPA selection lately, my six today were Sam Adams Rebel IPA, Green Man IPA, Ommegang Hennepin Saison Ale, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Harpoon IPA, and Dogfish 60 Minute IPA.

Nice!

Bell's seems to have just found distribution to NYC, but I went to grad school at Michigan and worked in a brew pub there. Bell's was always our guest tap, and the staff party was a trip to the brewery every year. They must be doing pretty well. I've noticed that even small roadhouses in extreme rural Michigan tend to have one Bell's on tap these days.

@Chainsaw: You should do it! Starter kits are relatively cheap, and it's honestly a hard process to really screw up. After the domestication of the dog, it's one of our longest-running projects, after all.

**Posted by capitalbill** 3/10/2014 10:44 pm

Handy Haversack wrote:
@Chainsaw: You should do it! Starter kits are relatively cheap, and it's honestly a hard process to really screw up. After the domestication of the dog, it's one of our longest-running projects, after all.

You know, I've offered to home brew beer out of Chainsaw's house several times now, out of the goodness of my heart. But he's never taken me up on it!
;-)

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 3/11/2014 8:02 am

capitalbill wrote:
Handy Haversack wrote:
@Chainsaw: You should do it! Starter kits are relatively cheap, and it's honestly a hard process to really screw up. After the domestication of the dog, it's one of our longest-running projects, after all.

You know, I've offered to home brew beer out of Chainsaw's house several times now, out of the goodness of my heart. But he's never taken me up on it!
;-)

Some people just don't appreciate what they have. You should go ahead and do it. I'm sure it will be a nice surprise for Chainsaw when he gets home. Try making gin, too!

**Posted by rredmond** 3/11/2014 7:48 pm

Don't know how to subscribe without posting, so...

**Posted by Chainsaw** 3/11/2014 7:56 pm

Handy Haversack wrote:
capitalbill wrote:
Handy Haversack wrote:
@Chainsaw: You should do it! Starter kits are relatively cheap, and it's honestly a hard process to really screw up. After the domestication of the dog, it's one of our longest-running projects, after all.

You know, I've offered to home brew beer out of Chainsaw's house several times now, out of the goodness of my heart. But he's never taken me up on it!
;-)
Some people just don't appreciate what they have. You should go ahead and do it. I'm sure it will be a nice surprise for Chainsaw when he gets home. Try making gin, too!

Yeah, well, the problem with leaving it at my house is that... it's at my house. There might not be any left when you decide you want it.

**Posted by Handy Haversack** 3/11/2014 10:06 pm

I, um, sampled my mead last night. It works! And we bottled it in wine-size bottles, so opening one is a 19 percent commitment. Very nice.

Now, who wants to go a-pillaging?

**Posted by rredmond** 3/12/2014 2:53 pm

Man I love mead!
--Ron--

**Posted by Chainsaw** 3/14/2014 3:43 pm

20oz Birdsong Mexicali Stout (5.7%). Local brewery, typical coffee-chocolate-caramel flavors you expect in a stout, but a nice hint of cinnamon and a little spicy kick at the end (hence Mexicali). Good beer!

**Posted by Ghul** 3/14/2014 3:57 pm

Looks and sounds delicious.

**Posted by rredmond** 3/14/2014 8:14 pm

Ghul wrote:
Looks and sounds delicious.

Yes. I like the idea of the spicy kick too!
--Ron--