Yeeehhhaaaawwwww!!!!!!!

[Beer Nazi]

The most extreme beers I've had are;

Hoppiness: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale - Jeeeezzzuzzz....... just like when momma stuffed bars of soap in my mouth when I was ten! I have to admit, I do like it when I'm in the mood.

Bitterness: Guinness - I don't enjoy REAL bitter beer, 'nuff said.

Sinfulness: Young's Double Chocolate Stout - Anybody sippin' one of these babies by a toasty fire in winter time is surely bound to go directly to hell.

Crappiest: Cervesa Indio - If you like malted chalk, (the malt being stale and malted with goat whiz) this is the beer for you.

[kpo]

Extreme: Hoppy? I just revisited Sierra Nevada "Celebration ale", and find it perfect, just a notch above Three Floyd's "Alpha King" and on-par with Rogue's "Brutal Bitter".

And Rogue's "Imperial Stout" wins in my "Extreme: stout" category.

But my overall favorite "Extreme: good" Beers would be "Dragonfly IPA" by Uplands Brewery in Bloomington, IN, and Kasteel Red, a cherry beer from Belgium.

My favorite EXTREME PUB: www.richos.com (visit the beer gospel links)

[deanna]

Oh my, are you telling me there is great beer in Kentucky! Hallelujah!

[kpo]

Why yes, Deeana, there is good beer in Kentucky! I just moved to Louisville a year ago, and was pleasantly surprised to find so many good breweries and pubs, and restaurants that serve good beers.

In Louisville we have Brownings, Cumberland, Bluegrass Brewing Co. (who just bought out Pipkin Brewery), and the new addition across the river: New Albanian Brewing Co.

Roger Baylor, Publican of New Albanian and also Rich O's Public House, is everything I've always hoped for in a local advocate for Good Beer. His premises have been declared a "lite free zone"; even at the accompanying family Pizza Parlor, no canned beer, nor any mega-corporate mock-robrew will be served, Only quality Craft Beer is allowed.

Some would see that as extreme, I see it as perfectly sensible:

http://www.realbeer.com/library/beerbreak/archives/beerbreak0307.html

[legoman]

kpo,

Can you compare Dragonfly to a Three Floyds (Alpha King or Pale Ale) or maybe a Goose Island IPA? Those top my "Extreme: Grassy/Nummy" brews, with the Rogue Santa's Private Reserve attempting to sneak in there. I haven't seen the Dragonfly brand here in Beer Country (WI, USA) yet.

"Extreme: What the hell do these people think beer is?" category has to go to Bicycle Beer. http://members.tripod.com/~RadlerBier/_borders/Bicycle.gif for a label scan. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A "MISTY LIME" BEER! EGAD! Awful awful awful!

[kpo]

Originally posted by legoman
Can you compare Dragonfly to a Three Floyds (Alpha King or Pale Ale) or maybe a Goose Island IPA? Those top my "Extreme: Grassy/Nummy" brews, with the Rogue Santa's Private Reserve attempting to sneak in there. I haven't seen the Dragonfly brand here in Beer Country (WI, USA) yet.
[/B]

Yes, Dragonfly is superior to Alpha King, to me. Dragonfly IPA is the ultimate for me.

And Hey der, up in Wisconsin! I spent the first 22 years of my life there, though I never came across any great beer in WI until I came back from Bloomington and knew how to LOOK for great beer.
Where would you start in the Wausau area?

[bsardin]

The most Sinful beer I have had lately would be Mackeson's Triple Stout. Its a delicious sweet stout. It tastes like a good cappuccino smells. On those cold winter nights I like to slow pour it into a goblet, light a fire and snuggle up next my wife for a nice romantic evening.

[Sorny]

As for a "make you feel all warm and fuzzy beer" a very good choice is Unibroue's tripel La Fin Du Monde. A very good triple ale by all standards. Very smooth with a nice balance of spice. A good friend of mine turned me on to this beer so to him "BRAVO". Try it at least once and you will know the true meaning of "WOW this is on heck of a good brew".

[Shivling]

Extreme beer...hmmm...I guess I would have to nominate Stone's Double Bastard. The label clearly states, "This is one lacerative muther of a beer." For further entertainment, the rest of the label can be read at: http://www.stonebrew.com/tasting/special/doublebastard/DoubleBastard2001.gif

I can attest -- Itsa rip-knocker of a beer -- but one of my yearly favorites!

BTW: Lacerative: 1 : to tear or rend roughly 2 : to cause sharp mental or emotional pain; to distress

[Danimal]

I gotta say.....the most "extreme" beer I have had is Sam Adams Tripple Bock, circa 1995 or thereabouts. At 18% it tastes more like a fine sherry than a brew, comes with a cork and all. That damn Bostonian macro-micro-brewery hit the nail on the head with that one....everyone should try it to see what beer can be, though few will come back regularly.

Concerning KY brews, as an ex-KY resident of 9 years or so, I can personally attest to the best beer from the state - the BBC (Blue Grass Brewing Company) porter. It is an awesome brew reminicent of the porters from the old country, but hopped enough to say it is a true US brew.

Dan

[tjthresh]

Any beer aficionado worth there salt must have tried the Triple Bock, but that stuff tastes like crap. I have some once every year at the Great American Beer Fest, hoping that some day it will actually be enjoyable, and every year I'm disappointed. I just don't understand how you guys can drink it. Any beer that you campare to 'a fine sherry', then ceases to be a beer.

[Danimal]

tjthresh,

I personally hate the stuff (Triple Boch), but it is as extreme as it gets with beer. Give me a good pale, stout or porter any day and I will be happy - that stuff is way to extreme for me, though I think all brewhounds need to try it to see what beer is like when pushing the envelope of the definition...

My .02,
Dan

[tjthresh]

Oh. Sorry. It sounded like you enjoyed it. I guess on 'extremeness' Triple Bock is the way to go.

[kpo]

Yeah, most of the stuff like that just tastes like "hard liquor". I love to try wild stuff, especially the wide variety had at Rich O's Public House, but some of the stuff goes too far towards the alchohol-ey side, *trampling* decent taste in the heat of the battle.

On the other hand, I have never had a beer that had too much hopiness!!!

Another extreme to talk about: Extreme Heaven. Try Kasteel "Red", a belgian cherry beer. Even beat out New Glarus, WI's cherry Belgian-style!

[newsomer]

Last November our homebrew club (BABBLE) visited an extreme pub. We all took the train down from our brewing grounds in the Mundelein/Fox Lake area into Andersonville just north of Chicago.

The Hopleaf has the biggest selection of impossible/hard to find brews I have ever seen in my short time of fine beer interest. A look at the picture below will give you an idea of the selection. Very heavy on the Belgians but a great selection of others also.

You can see a pubcrawler listing [HERE (http://www.pubcrawler.com/Template/reviewwc.cfm?brewerid=102257)].

[JorisP]

At Moriau gueuzeblenders, I once tasted - and even drank - a kriek, the brewer wouldn't sell as beer - but as kriekvinegar. At the limit of drinkability. yet nice, somewhere.

[philbertk]

Purchased Deschutes Brewing Double Pale Quail Imperial IPA tonight. It is the most extreme I have seen. Other extreme IPA's from the starter Rogue through the varieties of Stone need a new test.

[kpo]

For those of you into High Gravity beers, you should visit Rich O's Public House, in New Albany, IN, the week after March 7th. Rich O's has an annual festival called GRAVITY HEAD where nothing is under 9% .

The link is in my signature.

Here's the skinny:

***Now Drink This:***
Gravity Head 2003 opens Friday, March 7.
Already the Liteweights are running for cover as Gravity Head 2003
approaches. Following is a list of confirmed beers, to which I'll be adding
selections as the weeks slowly pass. Those with a "-" before them are new
additions since the last update.

BBC Bearded Pat's Barley Wine 2001
-Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock
Bell's Sparkling Ale
-Browning's Doppelbock
Corsendonk Christmas Ale
De Dolle Mad Bitch
Delirium Noel
Gale's Prize Old Ale 1998
-J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale cask-conditioned (sherry-primed cask)
-J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale cask-conditioned (port-primed cask)
-Kasteel "K-8"
-Kwak
NABC Solidarity (Baltic-style porter)
Rogue Old Crustacean (date to be revealed)
Rogue Oregon Brewers Festival 2002
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot 2002
-Triple Karmeliet
Upland Winter Warmer

[Glarus]

Originally posted by legoman
I haven't seen the Dragonfly brand here in Beer Country (WI, USA) yet.


Upland Brewery's beers (Dragonfly IPA among others) are pretty much limited to near Bloomington, IN. I've never seen them very far from the brewery, though they might be found in other parts of Indiana & possibly Kentucky. Speaking as someone originally from Milwaukee, I've never seen any of their beers anywhere in WI, even when I fly home to visit the family. But there are plenty of other great brews, from WI & the rest of the world, available in WI....

[kpo]

Hi, I'm orignally from Wisconsin, too. Spent my first 24 years there.

I try to bring a growler of Dragonfly every time I go back...

Uplands is commonly on tap at RichO's, just north of Louisville, KY, so I know that if a bar *wants* to get Uplands, they can!

[tavernjef]

I've had my share of some 'strange brews' with all sorts of spices and fruits added, even one with peanut butter,yuk. And whats the deal with the pumpkin brews, they're nasty. How anyone drinks or eats anything pumpkin is beyond me. I just like to carve em up and every once and a while bake and salt the seeds.

Extreme percentages are what I tend to think of when I hear the term extreme. Not so much the taste cuz there's so many variables now-a-daze. But here's a few with high % that I like.

Giraf Malt Liquor - Denmark 8.7
La fin du Monde Tripple - Quebec, Canada 9.0
Kwak - Belgium 9.7
Piraat - Belgium 10.5
Dubuisson Scaldis - Belgium 11.2

Throw on any Barleywine style ale as well. They always pack a good punch with 5% or more and always have taste-a-plenty.

Got any good ones that you think deserve mention, throw 'em my way and I'll try my best to locate, consume, and enjoy.
Cheers.
Tavernjef

[Danimal]

Speaking of Barleys.....

3rd Coast Ale, 11%, Kalamazoo Brewing
Bigfoot Ale, 9.4%, Sierra Nevada

Ooohhh.....yeah......

D

[CapsFan1974]

Originally posted by Shivling
Extreme beer...hmmm...I guess I would have to nominate Stone's Double Bastard. The label clearly states, "This is one lacerative muther of a beer." For further entertainment, the rest of the label can be read at: http://www.stonebrew.com/tasting/special/doublebastard/DoubleBastard2001.gif

I can attest -- Itsa rip-knocker of a beer -- but one of my yearly favorites!

BTW: Lacerative: 1 : to tear or rend roughly 2 : to cause sharp mental or emotional pain; to distress

aaahhhh! Here is one who is worthy. I happen to be halfway through that heavenly elixir called Arrogant Bastard. This is certainly one beer that can be called extreme! Not many of those I've passed this secret on to has enjoyed it. Although I did get an Ireland native hooked on it!

This has become my favorite beer. It only comes in 22oz bottles so 1 is certainly enough for social drinking! You can Imagine what Double Bastard will do to you.

[JorisP]

Well, both Arrogant and Double are very nice beers indeed (though I wouldn't call them really extreme). The only remark I have, however, is that the profile of the Double is really not that different from the Arrogant. If a beer is beefed up, I like to taste the difference. Still, I liked both bottles.

JorisP

[kpo]

Originally posted by JorisP
Well, both Arrogant and Double are very nice beers indeed (though I wouldn't call them really extreme).

I had never found Arrogant Bastard to be even a good beer, much less extreme, since it doesn't taste so great from bottles... but now Rich O's has"A.B." on tap - when it's at the right temperature and you can actually enjoy the "nose" rising form the glass, "A.B." is really fine tasting. Kind of like a Bigfoot-barley-wine taste, with slightly less kick, slightly more taste.

[rabidbeerjunkie]

This is my first post. Figured I'd start in the extreme catagory. I've tried over 4,000(all logged) different beers to date and the products from Stone, esp. Arrogant and Double Bastard, are quite complex and very different beers(how does Stone say it?...quite assuredly, you're simpleton palate...). I'm not trying to pick fights, but this is all about opinion, anyway.
You wanna talk extreme? I was recently in Antwerp, Belgium at The Kulminator, where I had such beers as 1982 Thomas Hardy's, 1982 Chimay Blue Cap(Grande Reserve), 1982 Gale's Prize Old Ale, 1983 Courage Russian Imperial Stout, and 1979 Cantillon Framboise, to name a few. It was an extreme day!!!
A few other "extreme"(I really hate the term-too cliche) favorites:
Bell's Expedition Stout (MI)
AleSmith Old Numbskull Barley Wine (CA)
Rogue Old Crustacean Barley Wine (OR)
Lagunitas Brown Shugga (CA)
Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA & World Wide Stout (DE)
Avery The Reverend Quadrupel (CO)
The list could go on and on and on.
Later,
Todd

[kyshogun]

Extreme beers?? Samichlaus. Unibroue 10. Stone's Double Bastard Ale. mmmmmm double the bastard....

Good to hear talk of Rich O's!! I was in there Saturday night and nearly had to be carted out. *Started* off with a Unibroue 10 and uhhh, hmmmm I really don't recall much after that. Bigfoot? Aventinus? probably. What I do recall is cleaning out the stock of Hurliman Samichlaus('96) for the beer fridge at home. Looking forward to Gravity Head this year.

Couple of other places in Louisville: Za's, very nice beer selection, almost "no crap on tap", Flanigans Ale House nice selection of brew too. and if your ever in Lexington, watching your favorite college basketball team get destroyed by UK, why not drown your sorrows at Marrikkas Bier Stube.

el Jefe

[beerbastard]

If you haven't already, I would recommend trying a glass of Orkney Skull Splitter the name says it all.

There's always the great Belgian ales, try a Triple for a nice warm feeling or try a Gueuze to wake up your taste buds. Of course you can always do like my belgian friend does - down Duvel like some people chug coors light - you will definitly get an extreme reaction.

[JorisP]

There are some weird Belgian friends.
I used to go to my Belgian local (featuring 350-450 beers, depending on the bosses' humour) where one of the regulars used to drink hefe Weizen (EKU) by the half litre in two, three big gulps, whenever he popped in whilst officialy 'changing his parking card' during work. Then he started to explore the menu. So I saw him down a Westvleteren 12° in his two gulps, before going to his car. A few weekends later, he complained going to this pub seemed to make him sluggish...
Genuine!
Joris

[kpo]

*
*ARE YOU READY FOR EXTREME BEERS?!?
*


Gravity Head 2003 opens Friday, March 7.

By Roger A. Baylor, publican (Rich O's Public House, in New Albany, IN - just across the river from Louisville, KY).

With each passing year, and much to my delight, it becomes simultaneously
easier and more difficult to describe the phenomenon of Gravity Head. It
exists on real and symbolic levels, and has taken on a life of its own that
sometimes seems to exist quite outside my control.

The uninitiated may be forgiven for asking the obvious questions: What's a
"gravity beer," anyway? What's Gravity Head all about?

As for "gravity" and "gravity beer," Merriam-Webster (http://www.m-w.com/)
provides the following helpful definitions:
-----
Main Entry: specific gravity
Function: noun
Date: 1666
: the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of some substance
(as pure water) taken as a standard when both densities are obtained by
weighing in air.

gravity
Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French gravité, from Latin
gravitat-, gravitas, from gravis

Date: 1509
1 a : dignity or sobriety of bearing b : IMPORTANCE, SIGNIFICANCE;
especially : SERIOUSNESS c : a serious situation or problem
2 : WEIGHT
-----
It is my belief that before we consider gravity, we must establish a context
with respect to smallness.

A beer's original gravity is a measurement of the density of the sugars in
water before fermentation. These sugars are extracted from the grain by
soaking and rinsing during the mash. The water (wort) is boiled and hops
are added. The wort is cooled and fermentation begins with the addition of
yeast. The final gravity measures the density again, but after fermentation
is completed, yielding a tangible expression of the conversion of
fermentables into alcohol.

At one time during the long and colorful history of mankind's stubborn
insistence that the natural process of fermentation be harnessed to enhance
human pleasure, the term "small beer" was widely understood to be a second
batch (or sometimes even a third or more) brewed from one mash. This is
known as "parti-gyle" brewing, and does not utilize the sparge, or rinsing
of the mash, that has come to be an integral step in the mashing regime.

Imagine steeping a tea bag twice: The first cup (Gravity Earl Grey?) is
full-flavored, and the second one much weaker (Milwaukee's Best Darjeeling?)
- but it suffices in a pinch. In the English language, the phrase "small
beer" came to describe something deemed inconsequential.

Inconsequential? We're not for it. During Gravity Head, we drink the first
cup of tea.
....
Density of fermentables, dignity in bearing, seriousness of purpose ... all
true and applicable, but more simply stated, a "gravity" beer is a big beer,
one that demands measures of desire and respect on the part of the drinker,
and one that rewards such efforts with exhilarating extremes in character
and flavor.

Gravity Head is a yearly rallying point, almost evangelical in nature, for
the community of the like-minded that has come together in collective
pursuit of the perfect pint.

III. THE GRAVITY HEAD STARTING LINEUP IS REVEALED.
A solid second wave of English and Belgian ales, our sole German entry this
year and the untapped American reserves will fill the gaps in the line when
the first 13 have passed.

I didn't think it was possible, but we've bested last year's total of
first-time Gravity Head draft beers: 18, which are indicated by an asterisk
(*) in the lists below.

2003 Gravity Head First Wave
*Bell's Expedition Stout (Imperial Stout)
*Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock
Blugrass Brewing Company Bearded Pat's Barley Wine
*Browning's Doppelbock
*NABC Solidarity (Baltic-style Porter)
Rogue Old Crustacean Barley Wine (Vintage 1996)
*Rogue Oregon Brewers Festival 2002 "Charlie" (IPA)
Rogue Russian Imperial Stout
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine (Vintage 2002)
*Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine
Three Floyds Behemoth Barley Wine (Vintage 2001)
Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA
*Upland Winter Warmer (Barley Wine)

Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale (cask-conditioned)

2003 Gravity Head Second Wave

Belgium
Chouffe Biere de Mars
*Corsendonk Christmas Ale
De Dolle Dule Teve, a.k.a. "Mad Bitch
*Delirium Noel
Kasteel K-8
*Kwak
*Triple Karmeliet

England
*J.W. Lees Moonraker Strong Ale (cask-conditioned)
*J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale cask-conditioned (sherry-primed cask)
J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale cask-conditioned (port-primed cask)
J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale 1998
*Gale's Conquest Masterbrew
Gale's Prize Old Ale 1998
Gale's Prize Old Ale (cask-conditioned)

Germany
*Burgerbrau Aktionator

USA
*Allagash Tripel
Bell's Sparkling Ale
Bluegrass Brewing Company Hell for Certain
*NABC Bourbon Haggisdaddy Stout (St. Patrick's Day debut)
*Rocky River (Cleveland, OH) Space Monkey

As always, serving sizes are 8 or 10 ounces, and there will be Gravity Forms
with checklists for you to keep track of the beers you've sampled.

The theme of Gravity Head 2003 is "Guilty As Charged, Liteweight," with the
t-shirts ($15) depicting a knight in armor happily securing the wooden
stocks around the head and arms of an unfortunate drinker of American
low-calorie "light" lagers. Will he be rehabilitated? Cross your fingers.

Monday, March 17
NABC pint day and St. Patrick's Day. In honor of Irishmen everywhere, we
are releasing the first drams of our Bourbondaddy stout, which is aging in
Woodford Reserve barrels. The aging process will continue throughout the
year, with batches released periodically so we can gauge the progress of the
experiment.

V. NON-GRAVITY (WELL, MOSTLY) DRAFT BEERS: OUR LIQUID, DAILY BREAD.

During Gravity Head 2003, we'll be offering the following draft beers in
addition to the featured gravity selections:

Our NABC beers:
Beak's Best ... Community Dark ... Elector Ale ... Tunnel Vision

Guests:
Alpha King ... Arrogant Bastard Ale ... Bell's Porter ... Bell's Two Hearted
Ale ... Guinness Stout ... Lindemans Cassis ... Lindemans Framboise ...
Pilsner Urquell ... Sierra Nevada Pale Ale ... Spaten Premium Lager ...
Sprecher Root Beer ... Upland Wheat Ale

Daily draft specials during March (subject to availability and revision):
Monday: NABC beers
Tuesday: Pilsner Urquell, Arrogant Bastard
Wednesday: Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Bell's Porter
Thursday: Alpha King, Upland Wheat
Friday: Lindemans Framboise & Lindemans Cassis
Saturday: Guinness, Sierra Nevada Pale

[Boto]

Imperial Stout: try North Coast Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. An absolutely superb brew.

For the most decadent, I am in love with Westvleteren Abt 12. Absolutely the finest beer that I have ever had. Makes me want to be a Trappist Monk!

Other "Big Beer" favs of mine:

Rochefort 8 & 10
Allagash Tripel
Duvel
Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
Hurlimann Samichlaus
Hoegaarden Grand Cru
Westvleteren Extra 8

[kpo]

at my local pub, Rich O's

Just in the last two nights I have sampled (on *draft*):

AMERICAN BREWS:
Bell's Expedition Stout
Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock
Bluegrass Brewing Company Bearded Pat's Barley wine
Browning's Doppelbock
New Albany Brewing Company Solidarity (Baltic-style Porter)
Rogue Old Crustacean Barley wine (vintage 1996)
Rogue Oregon Brewers Festival 2002 ("Charlie") IPA
Rogue Russian Imperial Stout
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barley Wine (vintage 2002)
Stone: Old Guardian Barley Wine
Three Floyds Behemoth Barley Wine (vintage 2001)
Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA
Upland: Winter Warmer Barley Wine

UK BREWS:
Burton Bridge Thomas Sykes Old Ale (cask conditioned)

My FAVORITE so far is the Dreadnaught IPA, followed closely by Bigfoot and Expedition Stout.

[batkins]

Old Rasputin....that is some good beer! big and good!

[BluesHarp]

Anyone living in Wisconsin needs to take a trip to the Fox River Brewery inside Fratello's in Oshkosh...They have received many national awards for their beers. You haven't drank beer until you've been "Fratellosized"

Their "Caber Tossing Scottish Ale" is not to be trifled with, I can assure you!!!!!

[mountain beer]

I'm in the midst of having Avery brewing Co's The Czar Imperial Stout 12.2% ABV.

After the first couple of sips, it actually goes down pretty good. It says on the bottle that it would be a good one to cellar. I only bought one as it was kind of expensive--so i did not cellar this one.

[hopjack13]

well...huh.... ruination (stone) now that a extreamly hoppy brew! like chewing on a mouth full of hop buds, hop juice! thats what it is!

[fretlessman71]

Who else has had beer schnapps? Already put out a thread on it, but looking to hit some people who haven't seen it and are likely to respond... would love to know if anyone actually LIKES it rather than just regarding it as an anomaly..... By the way, it's 40% abv, and it's got anything else in this thread beaten by a long shot. :)

[hopjack13]

have you tried it? i haven't even seen it. it's not beer is it?? 40%abv?

[fretlessman71]

Haven't tried it... $40 a bottle is too rich for my blood just yet. :eek:

[hopjack13]

well you can't make an omlet without breaking some eggs:p