The unofficial online home for fans of the UAB Blazers. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 07:29 AM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:21 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:10 PM)FNblazer Wrote:  Good People's stuff has gotten too homogenous to me, although I love their Coffee Oatmeal Stout. Cahaba Liquidambar is good. And the Beer Engineers Peanut Butter Porter...well, you'll just have to try that one.

Cahaba makes good beer.

Cahaba is good folks! I really liked the guys at Good People when they first started up their tap room...but you hardly see any of those guys any more. I'm afraid there will be a massive dog fight at Avondale's tap room one day...it's a little too yuppie for me.

All that being said, the Ham has some great craft beer and the scene is only going to get better!

FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

(09-12-2013 12:03 PM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 07:29 AM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:21 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:10 PM)FNblazer Wrote:  Good People's stuff has gotten too homogenous to me, although I love their Coffee Oatmeal Stout. Cahaba Liquidambar is good. And the Beer Engineers Peanut Butter Porter...well, you'll just have to try that one.

Cahaba makes good beer.

Cahaba is good folks! I really liked the guys at Good People when they first started up their tap room...but you hardly see any of those guys any more. I'm afraid there will be a massive dog fight at Avondale's tap room one day...it's a little too yuppie for me.

All that being said, the Ham has some great craft beer and the scene is only going to get better!

FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

Andy and Taylor, both UAB grads, are my neighbors. I am also a home brewer - cheers. They have been making high quality beer for many years. Luckily I was able to sample most of it before they formed Cahaba. Both are great guys.

I know one of the guys is a fireman but it isn't Andy or Taylor.

I recommend Blazer fans to go and check out their facility and have some good beer.

(09-12-2013 01:19 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 12:03 PM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 07:29 AM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:21 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  Cahaba makes good beer.

Cahaba is good folks! I really liked the guys at Good People when they first started up their tap room...but you hardly see any of those guys any more. I'm afraid there will be a massive dog fight at Avondale's tap room one day...it's a little too yuppie for me.

All that being said, the Ham has some great craft beer and the scene is only going to get better!

FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

Andy and Taylor, both UAB grads, are my neighbors. I am also a home brewer - cheers. They have been making high quality beer for many years. Luckily I was able to sample most of it before they formed Cahaba. Both are great guys.

I know one of the guys is a fireman but it isn't Andy or Taylor.

I recommend Blazer fans to go and check out their facility and have some good beer.

...the OKA UBA IPA is quite good, but way too expensive at On Tap.

(09-12-2013 01:32 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 01:19 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 12:03 PM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 07:29 AM)Puff Wrote:  Cahaba is good folks! I really liked the guys at Good People when they first started up their tap room...but you hardly see any of those guys any more. I'm afraid there will be a massive dog fight at Avondale's tap room one day...it's a little too yuppie for me.

All that being said, the Ham has some great craft beer and the scene is only going to get better!

FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

Andy and Taylor, both UAB grads, are my neighbors. I am also a home brewer - cheers. They have been making high quality beer for many years. Luckily I was able to sample most of it before they formed Cahaba. Both are great guys.

I know one of the guys is a fireman but it isn't Andy or Taylor.

I recommend Blazer fans to go and check out their facility and have some good beer.

...the OKA UBA IPA is quite good, but way too expensive at On Tap.

How much? 5 dollars?

(09-12-2013 02:48 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 01:32 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 01:19 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 12:03 PM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

Andy and Taylor, both UAB grads, are my neighbors. I am also a home brewer - cheers. They have been making high quality beer for many years. Luckily I was able to sample most of it before they formed Cahaba. Both are great guys.

I know one of the guys is a fireman but it isn't Andy or Taylor.

I recommend Blazer fans to go and check out their facility and have some good beer.

...the OKA UBA IPA is quite good, but way too expensive at On Tap.

How much? 5 dollars?

...more like $8

(09-12-2013 03:05 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 02:48 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 01:32 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 01:19 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 12:03 PM)Puff Wrote:  I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

Andy and Taylor, both UAB grads, are my neighbors. I am also a home brewer - cheers. They have been making high quality beer for many years. Luckily I was able to sample most of it before they formed Cahaba. Both are great guys.

I know one of the guys is a fireman but it isn't Andy or Taylor.

I recommend Blazer fans to go and check out their facility and have some good beer.

...the OKA UBA IPA is quite good, but way too expensive at On Tap.

How much? 5 dollars?

...more like $8

Well it is a high gravity beer at 7.5%....

But I see your point

I would drink all porters and stouts if I was a rich man. (Good People and Avondale are my favorites.)

I complained about local beer prices in an Internet conversation with one of the original Free the Hops guys. He now works for one of the local beer distributors. He blamed the Alabama taxes on beer and said they drive up the cost of local beers in bars/supermarkets. I too think $8 is a ridiculous/criminal price for a beer brewed 5 blocks from the bar.

Personally, I think it's the middle man distributors driving the price up and killing any free enterprise. Budweiser fought all the beer legislation in AL until they could figure out how to drive up the prices and protect their yellow swill.

I would love to drink all Birmingham/Gadsden/Huntsville beers all the time, but I don't guess that's an option until my imaginary rich uncle dies.

(09-12-2013 12:03 PM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 07:29 AM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:21 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:10 PM)FNblazer Wrote:  Good People's stuff has gotten too homogenous to me, although I love their Coffee Oatmeal Stout. Cahaba Liquidambar is good. And the Beer Engineers Peanut Butter Porter...well, you'll just have to try that one.

Cahaba makes good beer.

Cahaba is good folks! I really liked the guys at Good People when they first started up their tap room...but you hardly see any of those guys any more. I'm afraid there will be a massive dog fight at Avondale's tap room one day...it's a little too yuppie for me.

All that being said, the Ham has some great craft beer and the scene is only going to get better!

FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

Eric went to undergrad at UAB. He's a fraternity brother of mine and several posters here.

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 07:29 AM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:21 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:10 PM)FNblazer Wrote:  Good People's stuff has gotten too homogenous to me, although I love their Coffee Oatmeal Stout. Cahaba Liquidambar is good. And the Beer Engineers Peanut Butter Porter...well, you'll just have to try that one.

Cahaba makes good beer.

Cahaba is good folks! I really liked the guys at Good People when they first started up their tap room...but you hardly see any of those guys any more. I'm afraid there will be a massive dog fight at Avondale's tap room one day...it's a little too yuppie for me.

All that being said, the Ham has some great craft beer and the scene is only going to get better!

FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

Two went to UAB as undergads, one was a walkon football player. (I was under impression Jake is involved with company, may not be but, but he is the one I referred to that walked on). Eric was at UAB as an undergrad, the fireman.

(09-12-2013 01:19 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 12:03 PM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 08:23 AM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 07:29 AM)Puff Wrote:  

(09-11-2013 10:21 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  Cahaba makes good beer.

Cahaba is good folks! I really liked the guys at Good People when they first started up their tap room...but you hardly see any of those guys any more. I'm afraid there will be a massive dog fight at Avondale's tap room one day...it's a little too yuppie for me.

All that being said, the Ham has some great craft beer and the scene is only going to get better!

FYI, a couple of the Cahaba guys went to grad school at UAB

I'm not sure if Eric is one, or not, but I am a home-brewer and he and the other guys there have been very helpful to me answering questions I have on learning the art. Like most craft brewers they started in someone's garage, or basement. I think several of the guys are firemen?

Andy and Taylor, both UAB grads, are my neighbors. I am also a home brewer - cheers. They have been making high quality beer for many years. Luckily I was able to sample most of it before they formed Cahaba. Both are great guys.

I know one of the guys is a fireman but it isn't Andy or Taylor.

I recommend Blazer fans to go and check out their facility and have some good beer.

Didn't know of all the connections to UAB! I'll have give them even more of my business!

(09-12-2013 04:09 PM)grendelson138 Wrote:  I would drink all porters and stouts if I was a rich man. (Good People and Avondale are my favorites.)

I complained about local beer prices in an Internet conversation with one of the original Free the Hops guys. He now works for one of the local beer distributors. He blamed the Alabama taxes on beer and said they drive up the cost of local beers in bars/supermarkets. I too think $8 is a ridiculous/criminal price for a beer brewed 5 blocks from the bar.

Personally, I think it's the middle man distributors driving the price up and killing any free enterprise. Budweiser fought all the beer legislation in AL until they could figure out how to drive up the prices and protect their yellow swill.

I would love to drink all Birmingham/Gadsden/Huntsville beers all the time, but I don't guess that's an option until my imaginary rich uncle dies.

...a pint of Cahaba OKA UBA IPA is $8.25 at On Tap Galleria. It is 7.5% ABV; high gravity - but not super high.
I priced it today.

Alabama beers should be cheaper in Alabama. I'm sure there are a lot of market forces and tax issues in play, but I'd like to see lower prices for local beer.

(09-13-2013 04:44 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-12-2013 04:09 PM)grendelson138 Wrote:  I would drink all porters and stouts if I was a rich man. (Good People and Avondale are my favorites.)

I complained about local beer prices in an Internet conversation with one of the original Free the Hops guys. He now works for one of the local beer distributors. He blamed the Alabama taxes on beer and said they drive up the cost of local beers in bars/supermarkets. I too think $8 is a ridiculous/criminal price for a beer brewed 5 blocks from the bar.

Personally, I think it's the middle man distributors driving the price up and killing any free enterprise. Budweiser fought all the beer legislation in AL until they could figure out how to drive up the prices and protect their yellow swill.

I would love to drink all Birmingham/Gadsden/Huntsville beers all the time, but I don't guess that's an option until my imaginary rich uncle dies.

...a pint of Cahaba OKA UBA IPA is $8.25 at On Tap Galleria. It is 7.5% ABV; high gravity - but not super high.
I priced it today.

Alabama beers should be cheaper in Alabama. I'm sure there are a lot of market forces and tax issues in play, but I'd like to see lower prices for local beer.

Half priced local beers at The J Clyde on Tuesdays. I've benefitted from the discount multiple times. I use benefited loosely, as most of the local beers I've had there have been horrid.

(09-13-2013 05:24 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  as most of the local beers I've had there have been horrid.

...just can't let DMVM's horrid comment be the last in this thread. We have some damn fine local beers. I suspect his palate is immature (sorry DMV). The Good People Stout and the IPA can stand against any in the country, and the Avondale Saison caters to the more Belgian influenced taste, and I've also enjoyed the Vanillaphant on more than one occasion (with no regrets in terms of taste, but maybe some in the bar tab and following hangover).

(09-16-2013 08:51 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-13-2013 05:24 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  as most of the local beers I've had there have been horrid.

...just can't let DMVM's horrid comment be the last in this thread. We have some damn fine local beers. I suspect his palate is immature (sorry DMV). The Good People Stout and the IPA can stand against any in the country, and the Avondale Saison caters to the more Belgian influenced taste, and I've also enjoyed the Vanillaphant on more than one occasion (with no regrets in terms of taste, but maybe some in the bar tab and following hangover).

Well the local beers are about as good as the test of the IPAS I've tasted from other areas and they are not very good. They taste like beer you used to say had "gone bad". The Avondale Saison is pretty good, but the many of the rest I've tried are not very good. Give me a good Canadian brew and I'm good to go.

Guess it's just a matter of taste.

(09-16-2013 09:09 PM)backyardblazer Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 08:51 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-13-2013 05:24 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  as most of the local beers I've had there have been horrid.

...just can't let DMVM's horrid comment be the last in this thread. We have some damn fine local beers. I suspect his palate is immature (sorry DMV). The Good People Stout and the IPA can stand against any in the country, and the Avondale Saison caters to the more Belgian influenced taste, and I've also enjoyed the Vanillaphant on more than one occasion (with no regrets in terms of taste, but maybe some in the bar tab and following hangover).

Well the local beers are about as good as the test of the IPAS I've tasted from other areas and they are not very good. They taste like beer you used to say had "gone bad". The Avondale Saison is pretty good, but the many of the rest I've tried are not very good. Give me a good Canadian brew and I'm good to go.

Guess it's just a matter of taste.

tsk, tsk, tsk.... babes in the woods... don't know craft beer.
Go drink your lager, gawd knows you don't want it to get warm.

(09-16-2013 09:14 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 09:09 PM)backyardblazer Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 08:51 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-13-2013 05:24 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  as most of the local beers I've had there have been horrid.

...just can't let DMVM's horrid comment be the last in this thread. We have some damn fine local beers. I suspect his palate is immature (sorry DMV). The Good People Stout and the IPA can stand against any in the country, and the Avondale Saison caters to the more Belgian influenced taste, and I've also enjoyed the Vanillaphant on more than one occasion (with no regrets in terms of taste, but maybe some in the bar tab and following hangover).

Well the local beers are about as good as the test of the IPAS I've tasted from other areas and they are not very good. They taste like beer you used to say had "gone bad". The Avondale Saison is pretty good, but the many of the rest I've tried are not very good. Give me a good Canadian brew and I'm good to go.

Guess it's just a matter of taste.

tsk, tsk, tsk.... babes in the woods... don't know craft beer.
Go drink your lager, gawd knows you don't want it to get warm.

Please.

I've gone bar crawling in San Francisco, Seattle, etc....and it's not a Birmingham problem...it's a craft beer problem. I know craft beer enough to know most of it sucks. Hoppy beer sucks. It's a terrible Imperial IPA fad that hipster beer enthusiasts have jumped on that's caused an imbalanced amount of them to be out there.

I'm sorry that your "mature" pallate craves bitter crap.

I've had a couple British IPA's that have been decent...but American IPA's are pretty much universally trash from my experience. It's as if all these Craft Brewers are like, "Hey..you know what would be great? Let's throw 3 times as much hops as there needs to be in here because, you know...HOPS! Yeah, that's a great idea!"

(09-16-2013 10:38 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 09:14 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 09:09 PM)backyardblazer Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 08:51 PM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-13-2013 05:24 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  as most of the local beers I've had there have been horrid.

...just can't let DMVM's horrid comment be the last in this thread. We have some damn fine local beers. I suspect his palate is immature (sorry DMV). The Good People Stout and the IPA can stand against any in the country, and the Avondale Saison caters to the more Belgian influenced taste, and I've also enjoyed the Vanillaphant on more than one occasion (with no regrets in terms of taste, but maybe some in the bar tab and following hangover).

Well the local beers are about as good as the test of the IPAS I've tasted from other areas and they are not very good. They taste like beer you used to say had "gone bad". The Avondale Saison is pretty good, but the many of the rest I've tried are not very good. Give me a good Canadian brew and I'm good to go.

Guess it's just a matter of taste.

tsk, tsk, tsk.... babes in the woods... don't know craft beer.
Go drink your lager, gawd knows you don't want it to get warm.

Please.

I've gone bar crawling in San Francisco, Seattle, etc....and it's not a Birmingham problem...it's a craft beer problem. I know craft beer enough to know most of it sucks. Hoppy beer sucks. It's a terrible Imperial IPA fad that hipster beer enthusiasts have jumped on that's caused an imbalanced amount of them to be out there.

I'm sorry that your "mature" pallate craves bitter crap.

I've had a couple British IPA's that have been decent...but American IPA's are pretty much universally trash from my experience. It's as if all these Craft Brewers are like, "Hey..you know what would be great? Let's throw 3 times as much hops as there needs to be in here because, you know...HOPS! Yeah, that's a great idea!"

You are contradicting yourself. You say you know enough to know craft beer sucks, then obviously you don't know craft beer! These guys, including the guys in Bham, are working hard to provide an alternative to the mass produced, and I'll say it "crap", that America has come to recognize as beer. Anytime you have to have your mountains blue because it has to reach a certain low temperature then that beer is crap! The mass market beer producers want you to drink it as cold as you can get it because that way it numbs your tongue and you can't fully taste it! Some folks want to taste hops and malts and other flavors when they go out for a beer...and you don't have to drink a case of them to get a buzz! If you don't like craft beer don't drink it. Stick with your PBR. The rest of us who appreciate the "craft" in craft beer will continue on.

(09-16-2013 10:38 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  I've had a couple British IPA's that have been decent...but American IPA's are pretty much universally trash from my experience. It's as if all these Craft Brewers are like, "Hey..you know what would be great? Let's throw 3 times as much hops as there needs to be in here because, you know...HOPS! Yeah, that's a great idea!"

I essentially agreed with you earlier in the thread when I wrote,

"...while I appreciate hoppy beers, and am proud of our local breweries. I appreciate the sweeter, maltier, darker styles as well, and agree that there is too much emphasis on super hoppy brews in the American craft beer movement. It's as if they're all trying to out hop each other. The super hoppy varieties are just too bitter to be true "session" beers, and I get to craving something more subtle and balanced."

...so I get where you're coming from in terms of overemphasis on hops in the American craft beer movement, but higher hop bitterness is what makes an IPA an IPA. It typifies the style. If you don't like a hoppy beer, don't order an IPA. I truly enjoy an IPA, but generally not more than one. After that, I'll move on to ambers, porters, stouts, and yes, good lagers. The mass market lagers are universally pretty horrible, so I personally would like to see more full flavored craft lagers that have better body, but also acknowledge that ales are simply easier to make for the smaller brewer. More black lagers and porters on the market would also be a good antidote to the overly hopped IPAs.

(09-17-2013 07:34 AM)DragonClaw Wrote:  

(09-16-2013 10:38 PM)demiveeman Wrote:  I've had a couple British IPA's that have been decent...but American IPA's are pretty much universally trash from my experience. It's as if all these Craft Brewers are like, "Hey..you know what would be great? Let's throw 3 times as much hops as there needs to be in here because, you know...HOPS! Yeah, that's a great idea!"

I essentially agreed with you earlier in the thread when I wrote,

"...while I appreciate hoppy beers, and am proud of our local breweries. I appreciate the sweeter, maltier, darker styles as well, and agree that there is too much emphasis on super hoppy brews in the American craft beer movement. It's as if they're all trying to out hop each other. The super hoppy varieties are just too bitter to be true "session" beers, and I get to craving something more subtle and ibalanced."

...so I get where you're coming from in terms of overemphasis on hops in the American craft beer movement, but higher hop bitterness is what makes an IPA an IPA. It typifies the style. If you don't like a hoppy beer, don't order an IPA. I truly enjoy an IPA, but generally not more than one. After that, I'll move on to ambers, porters, stouts, and yes, good lagers. The mass market lagers are universally pretty horrible, so I personally would like to see more full flavored craft lagers that have better body, but also acknowledge that ales are simply easier to make for the smaller brewer. More black lagers and porters on the market would also be a good antidote to the overly hopped IPAs.

Very good post. Somewhere along the lines America started defining craft as an IPA when nothing could be further from the truth. A Truck Stop Honey is just as craft as a Snakehandler.

Kind of off topic but this weekend before the game I will be bottling my Pumpkin Spice Porter that I have made.