xkcd

by **clintonius** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:35 pm UTC

I'll try to dig up the site I found the info on. It took me hours of searching before I got anywhere last time, so I'll need to wait until I get home.

by **ewige** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:52 pm UTC

Customs laws are crazy though... I once couldn't get a favorite wine blend for 18 months because the labels were printed on transparent stickers.

by **Samsoneffect** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:05 pm UTC

clintonius wrote:Also, how did I miss that you mentioned Forbidden Fruit? I had it in Costa Rica and it's my favorite beer. Ever. It can't be imported into the US because of -- get this -- the label. It has the scene of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and she's handing him a beer rather than an apple. And she's naked. So the US won't allow it in. Bastards. I imagine you're in the same predicament in Canada.

I don't think so; we get it here in certain places (Tir Nan Og in Kingston, Ontario is one that it's appeared in), but it seems to be a summer special beer. Also, I've been meaning to try Leffe as well, and I'll keep an eye out for the ones that the_stabbage mentioned. I'm always looking for good beer.

by **clintonius** » Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:43 pm UTC

Lucky bastard.

Anyways, yeah, customs laws are pretty screwy. I couldn't find the place I originally came across my information, and the closest I could come was this metafilter page, which really only offers hearsay. Also, the person says it was the choice of the US importers rather than US customs. Perhaps I'll seek out some more accurate information if/when I have the time and further motivation at some point in the future.

by **Dream** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:52 am UTC

clintonius wrote:*Ridiculous truths about US beer situation*

The postal service... An international network of forum dwellers who live in sane, sensible (to an extent) countries.....

I think I see a way out of your predicament....

by **Azrael** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:15 pm UTC

Dream wrote:
clintonius wrote:*Ridiculous truths about US beer situation*
The postal service... An international network of forum dwellers who live in sane, sensible (to an extent) countries.....

I think I see a way out of your predicament....

Things that have a high probability of being x-rayed and causing more trouble than it's worth: Internationally shipped postal packages full of alcohol.

by **BomanTheBear** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:20 pm UTC

New truth:

Shocktop > Blue Moon.

by **clintonius** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:28 pm UTC

BomanTheBear wrote:New truth:

Shocktop > Blue Moon.

Oh no. That's a rather old truth for me.

by **BomanTheBear** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:21 pm UTC

I only had it for the first time about a month ago. I guess so yeah, technically, it is an old truth, but a truth nonetheless.

by **Dream** » Fri Aug 15, 2008 3:50 am UTC

Azrael wrote:
Dream wrote:
clintonius wrote:*Ridiculous truths about US beer situation*
The postal service... An international network of forum dwellers who live in sane, sensible (to an extent) countries.....

I think I see a way out of your predicament....

Things that have a high probability of being x-rayed and causing more trouble than it's worth: Internationally shipped postal packages full of alcohol.

I was thinking of one or two bottles, not a commercial shipment. I've sent beer through the post internationally before. It works fine, as long as there isn't a Christian customs nutjob looking for morally damaging labels. Package it as a gift, and I'd say that nothing worse than being delayed for content verification could happen.

Of course, if a beer fan opens it, content verification might be taken to extremes...

by **Bakemaster** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:47 am UTC

Is anyone here familiar with Inversion IPA? I was at a tavern with Sarah in CA on Friday and didn't see much on tap that was familiar, so I took a shot at this one, but didn't enjoy it at all. It was so bitter that I was wondering if it was just an old/bad keg; I generally get along well with any IPA, plus it's from the same brewery as the Black Butte Porter that I think I raved about a ways back in this thread.

by **clintonius** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:20 pm UTC

Bakemaster wrote:Is anyone here familiar with Inversion IPA? I was at a tavern with Sarah in CA on Friday and didn't see much on tap that was familiar, so I took a shot at this one, but didn't enjoy it at all. It was so bitter that I was wondering if it was just an old/bad keg; I generally get along well with any IPA, plus it's from the same brewery as the Black Butte Porter that I think I raved about a ways back in this thread.

Yes, Inversion is by Deschutes, which is my favorite brewery all-around. Honestly, though, I don't recall if I liked it (I'm not an IPA guy), so I can't give an opinion as to whether or not it's likely to have been a bad batch. Try, try again?

by **Bakemaster** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:07 pm UTC

That all depends on whether I can find it here in Boston.

by **clintonius** » Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:39 pm UTC

Bakemaster wrote:That all depends on whether I can find it here in Boston.

Mm. Not likely, though it might show up at a quality retailer. And if it does, be sure to post so here, because I may have to swing by said retailer to get a little west coast microbrew action whenever I finally drag my ass to Boston.

by **PictureSarah** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:37 am UTC

I shall bring back some Deschutes and Weed brewery stuff when I come back Bostonward.

by **clintonius** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 2:50 am UTC

What is Weed brewery? I've never had it. From the Oregon area?

by **Bakemaster** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:31 am UTC

Northern CA, actually.

by **22/7** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:03 pm UTC

Well, we all know that Oregon is simply California's coonskin cap...

by **clintonius** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:00 pm UTC

22/7 wrote:Well, we all know that Oregon is simply California's coonskin cap...

Beaver. Beaver cap. We don't take kindly to raccoons in the Northwest.

by **22/7** » Fri Aug 22, 2008 4:19 pm UTC

It was a reference to Liza's (old?) title.

by **Mathmagic** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 1:54 pm UTC

22/7 wrote:It was a reference to Liza's (old?) title.

Actually, her (old) location.

by **robinberghuys** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:29 am UTC

Best beer ever.

by **the_stabbage** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 10:18 pm UTC

Ok, I have a new Wierdest Beer Ever:

Dieu du Ciel's Route d'Epices. It's a beer made with pepper. No, not hot peppers. Pepper. As in salt and pepper. It's good, but peppery.

by **clintonius** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:48 pm UTC

Weird. Absolut tried a pepper and mango vodka for a while -- it is/was called New Orleans, and it tasted, in my opinion, rather like the hide of a dog that had been caught in the city during Katrina flooding. With fleas. Glad to hear the pepper beer is better.

by **22/7** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:32 pm UTC

the_stabbage wrote:It's a beer made with pepper. No, not hot peppers. Pepper. As in salt and pepper. It's good, but peppery.

That's amazing. Sig.

by **Bakemaster** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 8:37 pm UTC

22/7 wrote:
the_stabbage wrote:It's a beer made with pepper. No, not hot peppers. Pepper. As in salt and pepper. It's good, but peppery.
No, I'm pretty sure it was made with cayenne pepper.

This joke will never get old.

by **22/7** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:54 pm UTC

Apparently.

by **Mathmagic** » Wed Sep 10, 2008 10:56 pm UTC

Bake, that was incredibly well-played! Kudos.

by **the_stabbage** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 4:28 pm UTC

mathmagic wrote:Bake, that was incredibly well-played! Kudos.

I don't get it...

Anyway I'm excited. This weekend I'll be drinking some Orval - a trappist beer! The only other one I had was Westmalle and I chugged it out of the bottle :oops:

Also an India Pale Ale that frankly isn't spectacular but it probably will be after enough trappist beer.

by **Bakemaster** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:53 pm UTC

I did not know that Trappist monks were a big thing or that they made beer. I have only had the jams and preserves made by one abbey in Massachusetts, and assuming "Trappist" was just the brand for this one monastery, didn't look into it any further.

Those jams and preserves are the absolute best I have ever tasted. I think I have to have this beer.

by **clintonius** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 1:27 am UTC

Trappist beer is perhaps the best-known type of authentic Belgian beer, and is something not to be missed. Yes -- you have to have this beer.

by **raptor.fortress** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 10:28 am UTC

Brisbane city, Brewhouse, Fourth Reich Beer.

Tasty, Tasty stuff.

by **clintonius** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 3:22 pm UTC

raptor.fortress wrote:Brisbane city, Brewhouse, Fourth Reich Beer.

Tasty, Tasty stuff.

Somebody had the stones to name their beer "Fourth Reich?" Wow.

by **Dream** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 4:44 am UTC

Bakemaster wrote:I did not know that Trappist monks were a big thing or that they made beer. I have only had the jams and preserves made by one abbey in Massachusetts, and assuming "Trappist" was just the brand for this one monastery, didn't look into it any further.

Those jams and preserves are the absolute best I have ever tasted. I think I have to have this beer.

Wait, the jam was in Mass., or the Abbey was?

In any case, the Trappist beers are Westmalle, Orval, Chimay, Rochfort, and three others I can't recall the names of just now. There are many more beers from the low countries that look a lot like they might be Trappist, but aren't. The classic example of that is Hoegaarden, which even has a Crozier on the label, or Leffe, which I believe originated in an abbey but wasn't Trappist, and isn't brewed by the monks anymore.

Expect heavy, sweet, high alcohol beers. They're some of the most wonderful in the world.

by **Bakemaster** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 7:58 pm UTC

The jam is made at Spencer Abbey in Massachusetts, and it's sold in most of the major supermarkets. Sooooo good.

by **clintonius** » Sun Sep 14, 2008 8:35 pm UTC

Dream wrote:In any case, the Trappist beers are Westmalle, Orval, Chimay, Rochfort, and three others I can't recall the names of just now. There are many more beers from the low countries that look a lot like they might be Trappist, but aren't. The classic example of that is Hoegaarden, which even has a Crozier on the label, or Leffe, which I believe originated in an abbey but wasn't Trappist, and isn't brewed by the monks anymore.

Expect heavy, sweet, high alcohol beers. They're some of the most wonderful in the world.

Good old wikipedia even has a list of the Trappist breweries.

I really need to be in a particular mood to enjoy a Trappist beer, due mostly to the fact that I often find the sweetness overwhelming. But when I catch myself wanting one, no other thing in this world can scratch the itch.

by **the_stabbage** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:55 pm UTC

I am currently having an Orval beer.

Very delicious! Nice copper-orange colour, foamy head that doesn't go away or turn into a ring but goes all lumpy like good Belgian beer should. Tastes fruity, kind of sweet, with a bitter finish. It does remind me a bit of other Belgian and Belgian-style beers but it is very good.

I wonder what the alcohol content of it is now, it was bottled in April at 6.9% and bottle conditioned so it should be somewhat stronger.

by **pyroman** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:13 pm UTC

so i will be up in Toronto this weekend and am supposed to be going to a bar with a bunch of people and i was wondering whats good up there. I tend to lean towards darker beers but i am fairly willing to try anything.

by **the_stabbage** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 3:16 am UTC

Since I suppose you're looking for beers specifically from Canada, I'd suggest Mill Street Tankhouse Ale. Mill Street is from Toronto, I think.

Also, check out this site.http://beermapping.com Good for all beer travels.

by **clintonius** » Sun Oct 12, 2008 2:50 am UTC

25.4 ounces. 11% alcohol. 100% Belgian.

I have a new friend.

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