I'm Going To Start Hoarding This Delicious Beer!

[misterlowercase]

I recently found my Holy Grail of beers,

Bell's Special Double Cream Stout.
The store where I found it at was all sold out when I returned for more, so I drove to another good store and they didn't have it either, although they did have Bell's Porter which is damn good too!
SDCS is a specialty and only made in the winter, I guess there's a limited amount.
I was frustrated when i couldn't find any more because i was wanting some very badly!
I checked out Bell's website and they have an excellent local store finder,

http://bellsbeer.com/brands/brand-finder/

nothing close to me, but a 45 min drive is allright as long as I can get some more, in fact, buy 'em out and go around to all the listed stores (calling first to verify they actually have it on hand) and gather everything I can find!
It's the perfect baccy beer and a great match for the stuff I like to smoke.
I'm not too knowledgeable about beer, but i've been reading a bit and it seems ifya wanna cellar stuff, hi alc is best to go with, but I found this informative blog post and it's a good read about what happens to my new favorite when it's 3 years old!

For those of you who are just joining us, yes we know we probably shouldn’t be cellaring this beer. Its ABV is low-ish which doesn’t make it a prime candidate for the cellar. However this Adventures in CellarSitting series (scroll up for more details) was built on the premise of cellaring beers that aren’t normally cellared. So here we are, with a three-year-old bottle of Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout.
And mark it down: year three was the year Bell’s Special Double Cream Stout got weird. It wasn’t a good weird or a bad weird — but it was most definitely weird.
http://www.guysdrinkingbeer.com/bells-special-double-cream-stout

 

[zekest]

Sounds yummy.

 

[papipeguy]

Thomas Hardy Ale is meant to be cellared. it is not made anymore and when it was being made it was only once a year. I have 6 bottles of Hardy Ale that is now 12 years old. If you can find it in a restaurant this vintage beer can sell fro as much as $40 a bottle for something from the 1970's.

Now, Imperial Stouts usually hit their peak between 3-5 years. I used to brew beer and the Imperial Stout I made was fantastic at 4 years old.

 

[mephistopheles]

I live in Michigan so Bell's Brewery, Founders Brewing Co., and New Holland Brewing are household names.
The only beer I've liked out of what I've tried from Bell's is Oberon. It has a nice citrus taste to it that I can appreciate at particular times. The worst beer I've tried from them was called Two Hearted Ale. Oh my god is it horrible. I haven't tried Special Double Cream Stout yet but I will look for it this coming weekend. I know that particular beer is available from October to early March and only has a shelf life of 12 months.
I'd be interested in your thoughts on a beer from New Holland Brewing called "The Poet". It's an oatmeal stout and absolutely delicious! That one is my favorite and it pairs extremely well with the pipe.
Link: http://newhollandbrew.com/our-beer/the-poet/

 

[jah76]

Cheers MLC. I'll have to give it a go.
Bell's Oberon is my go to in the Summer. Stolen from their website...

Bell's Oberon is a wheat ale fermented with Bell's signature house ale yeast, mixing a spicy hop character with mildly fruity aromas. The addition of wheat malt lends a smooth mouthfeel, making it a classic summer beer.

I don't go for wheat beers very often but this one is just fantastic. Goes great with Vapers. My fridge is usually stocked with it and Lagunitas's "Little Sumpin Sumpin" for the summer.

 

[vfefrenzy]

That beer sounds delightful. I love milk/cream stouts. Since there seem to be a few beer fans from Michigan, if any of you could snag me a couple bottles of Founders KBS when it becomes available, I would certainly make it worth your while.

 

[thehappypiper]

I wouldn't call Stout beer; that's a bit like calling a plug a straight Virginia- technically true but not very helpful. I've never tried this Stout and I am unlikely to given where I live, but I am very happy you have found something you like. I am my fellow European drinkers have been very pleased to see the dedication to real ales coming from the other side of the pond in recent years. There is no doubt that American ale-makers are really making the effort, although I am genuinely upset at the re-invention of IPA as a highly alcoholic hops-bomb which runs so contrary to the ethos and origins of this kind of ale. Some good alternatives to your newfoind favourite are Double Chocolate Stout [forgotten the maker but it has a purple label....possibly Young's] and if you ever see Titanic Stout you simply must try it. It is truly special. As for Guinness, I'd stay away from that entirely; it's really not very good. Murphys' is not absolutely terrible but it's at the limits of respectability. I strongly recommend my American friends to wait until the summer and then track down some Whitbread, Caledonian or Maclays. India Pale Ale was designed during The Raj to be drunk by soldiers in the extreme hear of India. It then became a faourite of Farmers and other manual labourers who needed to rehydrate without becoming plastered. An ABV of 3.2 to 3.8% is the standard for real IPA, softer than water on the palatte and very refreshing. You are not supposed to feel like you've sucked a lemon after half a pint!

 

[foggymountain]

I recently has a beer called Hoss, a draft. One of the best. I can't get it anymore.

 

[kingbilliard]

I have tried and really enjoyed Left Hand Brewery's Nitro Milk Stout. Fortunately it's available at my local grocery store and I've seen it on tap a few places. I've been thinking about getting one of those small home brew kits for fun.