First, a personal note. Some weeks it feels like Friday can’t come soon enough because I read this incredibly cool story somewhere that connects beer with science and the enduring history of human existence and you guys simply won’t believe it. Other weeks it will be Thursday and I feel dry, drained and absent of ideas. That, my friend, is why god created the Sharp Edge beer tavern, situated less than three blocks (a convenient crawling distance) from my apartment. On a dry week I head over to the best beer selection in our corner of the country and without fail, the new arrivals chalkboard has something worth mentioning.
Whenever I see a new product from Dogfish Head I think, score! More than any other American brewery this Delaware brewery puts out products that amaze (90 min. IPA), infatuate (the quality Belgian-style Raison D’Etre) and simply fascinate (e.g., a 2,700-year-old brew scraped from the tomb of King Midas himself). Dogfish Head’s latest, though, just feels wrong.
Maybe it’s the name. This is the sort of name that our crowd at Balloon Juice might think is hilarious, but come on. Would you pay $15 for a wine bottle-sized flask of brew called Golden Shower? Well, I did. For the sake of journalism of course, which surprised the server who told me that most of the interest comes from college-age guys. Go figure. Second there’s the matter of one of the finest American breweries offering a limited-edition pilsner. Didn’t Budweiser do that already? Actually the Delaware brewery describes their product as an Imperial Pilsner. The Imperial adjective meaning, apparently, that they started out brewing an ordinary pilsner and just kept going. After something like two or three times the ordinary level of slightly-toasted malt and hops, leading to a surprisingly-mild 9% ABV, the beer came out the same straw yellow except with a head that stretched improbably upwards and seemed to last forever. The nose comes across as pilsner-ish and belies this brew’s deep, satisfying flavor. I mentioned earlier that American microbrews tend to worship at the altar of hops and, while that is certainly true here, Dogfish Head achieves a level of balance that makes their brew stand out from the crowded field of American limited editions and, god knows, American pilsners. Definitely worth a try.
cheers,
craigie
beer!
DonkeyKong
John, next time your out in the BayArea, take a trip up highway 580 to the carquinez straits. There is a little town called Crockett.Take carquinez scenic drive to an even smaller town called Port Costa. Used to be a grain port and the home of the largest train transporting ferry, the Solano. In town is a bar called the Warehouse. On sunday’s they do a lobster and nieman ranch steak chowdown in a place that hasnt been remodeled since McKinley got poped at the worlds fair. Inside, 450 different kinds of beers. Oh I know, that place is only a legend, shrouded in mist guarded by a troll. No I say, I’ve been there. It is your Nirvana……and in July they have a kick ass car show.
Jon
Aren’t these the same guys who make Immort Ale? I haven’t had it yet, but it was pitched to me as an ideal companion to cigars and creme brulee…which would just about make my life complete.
The Other Steve
How can it be called a Pilsner if it’s not from Pilsen?
It’s like calling something a Budweiser not made in Buweis.
The Other Steve
In other news Anheuser-Busch is buying Rolling Rock.
Anheuser-Busch announced the reciple will change to a warm piss flavored malt beverage sometime in September.
canuckistani
Do you guys in the states get the same idiotic Coors Light ads thatwe do up here? All the usual drunk hot people and music and dancing, and the message, which I will summarize as “Coors Light – it’s cold!”
Could I buy a sixpack off the shelf and sue for false advertising because it isn’t cold?
Allow me to recommend, for people in the Toronto area, Upper Canada Dark Ale. I don’t know tasting jargon, but it’s good – real good. If they have that at your local tavern, Tim, give it a try and if you don’t like it, I’ll publicly apologize and donate the price of a pint to your charity of choice.
The Other Steve
Naw, we’re not gullible enough to fall for Coors commercials any more. They only broadcast them in Canada. :-)
RSA
Huh. If I’d read “Imperial pilsner”, all I’d have expected would be 20 oz. instead of 16. Sounds good, though. And on other wordage, the last time I ran into the phrase “Golden Shower” in advertising, it was the name of a high-end camp site in a third world country (Tanzania, I think). Didn’t stop there.
AWJ
Meanwhile, our friends at Scrutator have finally come to terms with their inner Jew-baiters.
Sorry to spoil the beer thread.
Steve T
“Imperial” is a currently popular brewer’s term for high-strength versions of a style. It’s derived from the Imperial Stouts, which are very strong, rich stouts. Those got their name because back in the 19th Century British brewers were making these for export to Imperial Russia, and they were brewed extra-strong so they would not go bad.
Nowadays “Imperial” beers are all the rage, especially out here on the West Coast, usually with about double the alcohol of regular beers. Most especially are Imperial IPAs, but other styles are brewed that way.
Geo
Warm,room temp or cold Budweiser sucks. Sam Adam’s lager,Harpoon Ale or Pilsner Urquel are real beers. Bud is a sugared tasting water with alcohol added.
Gray
“Imperial Pilsner”???
Why don’t they simply call it ‘Neocon Strong Brew’? Omg…
I just ranted at Steven Gilliards Site about St. Pauli Girl’s Brew, but this sounds worse.
What’s on the label? An artist’s impression of the american landing in Tunis about 100 years ago? |-(
Dave_Violence
“Would you pay $15 for a wine bottle-sized flask of brew called Golden Shower?”
1. How do you know it’s beer?
2. Is it endorsed by El Duce?
Golden Shower Lyrics
Artist: The Mentors
Album: Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘N’ Roll
Listen little girl it´s near the hour
Come with me and take golden shower
Listen little slut, do as you´re told
Come with daddy for me to pour the gold
Golden shower, it´s getting near the hour
For a golden shower,
I´ve got the righteous power
All through my excrements you shall roam
Open your mouth and taste the foam
Bend up and smell my anal vapor
Your face is my toilet paper
Golden shower, I´ve got the power
For a golden shower,
I´ve got the righteous power
Our relationship I don´t want to spoil it
You are my personal toilet
Listen little girl
It´s getting near the hour
On your face I leave a shit tower
Shit tower, prune skin power
Smellin´ sour, it´s the shit tower
Golden showers,
It´s getting near the hours
For a golden shower,
I´ve got the righteous power
demimondian
It’s a tragedy that Annheiser-Busch is buying Rolling Rock, you know. Now, RR’s beer, which tastes and looks like cold horse piss, will be debased, and come to taste like…cold horse piss, and I still won’t be able to tell the difference.