Randall the Enamel Animal
December 17, 2004 1:55 PM   Subscribe

Randall the Enamel Animal is an organoleptic hop transducer module. Click on the links, they're about beer!
posted by turbodog (14 comments total)
 
I remember one review of Dogfish head: "Feel that burn? That's the disease and the cure." Strong medicine.
posted by pepcorn at 2:11 PM on December 17, 2004


I've had a few of their beers, but none of their IPAs. Their Raison D'etre and Chicory Stouts, however, are some of the best American beers I've had to date. I'm lucky enough to have a store near me that makes a special effort to get their beers in, as none of the major distributors down here carry Dogfish, apparently.
posted by Swervo at 2:19 PM on December 17, 2004


I'm surprised there's any kind of market for this thing outside of the Northwest. NW expats and easterners with hop envy, I guess.

It'd be interesting to try a Randall variant using coriander, cinnamon, cardamom, spruce tips, and such in some form... insta-Winter Beer from the pale ale of your choice.
posted by gurple at 2:20 PM on December 17, 2004


Let me be the first to say, "mmmmm, beeeer..."
posted by mudpuppie at 2:23 PM on December 17, 2004


"Randall" looks like the sort of contraption some folks would refer to as a "Deadhead's Brainbasher". The only difference here would be the substitution of hops and barley for resin.
posted by Smart Dalek at 2:26 PM on December 17, 2004


Mmmm... Sounds good. Thanks for the link.
If you want a good hoppy beer in a bottle, may I recommend Stone Brewing Company's "Double Arrogant Bastard"?
It's my personal fave (despite the fact that I'm not worthy).
Cheers,
num-
posted by numlok at 2:26 PM on December 17, 2004


I was lucky enough to visit a bar here in Manhattan when Dogfish Head was a special guest. They had a number of their beers on tap to enjoy, but by far the best (to me) was the 90 minute IPA run through Randall. It was without a doubt my favorite IPA experience. People think of hops as the ingredient that makes beer bitter, which is true. But they are also extremely aromatic and flavorful. That glass (and the many that followed) delighted my nose, my tongue, and my belly.
posted by bDiddy at 2:46 PM on December 17, 2004


Smart Dalek: That's exactly what I thought when I first saw a Randall in person a few weeks ago.
posted by turbodog at 3:36 PM on December 17, 2004


I'm so excited! I love Dogfish Head, especially the hoppy ones, and I live near the Horsebrass. Guess I know what I'm up to tonight! Thanks for the links.
posted by Specklet at 4:44 PM on December 17, 2004


I truly appreciate what Dogfish Head (and, to a less extreme but perhaps more refined extent, Victory Brewing) does. However, I long for an American brewery to make a fabulously tasty yet lower alcohol beer along the lines any decent British bitter (eg Fuller's London Pride, Young's Bitter, Timothy Taylor's Landlord). I understand the market and the means of delivery are different, yet I don't see why a lower alcohol yet flavorful beer wouldn't be popular here. Every microbrew seems like it has to be well over 5% alcohol by volume, yet Guinness draft proves a lower alcohol beer can be popular (although I suspect most think it's stronger). Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to take Dogfish Head, Victory and other beers of the shelf of my local retailer. I just wish some of the beers in my area could be a bit more British in execution. Oh well, at least I can brew my own.
posted by mollweide at 5:07 PM on December 17, 2004


I'm vaguely in the beer scene (volunteer honcho for Beer Summit) and the folks at Dogfish Head never cease to amaze. They're the hardcore lil brewer who refuse to go through the now soulless transformations of Sam Adams or the perversions of Harpoon. Hell, they're more honest than Magic Hat.

The Dogfish folks know how to brew to their snobs. At our events, they withhold their 120 minute IPA for a select time (they usually have plenty, but the "limited" availability makes them run out). Dogfish, if you talk to their brewers, routinely flips the bird at big marketing, figuring that word of mouth (and efforts like Herr Enamel) would attract drinkers. They're good folks and if you live near a bar that is lucky enough to serve their beers, you're hurting America by not drinking them right now.

If you're interested in east coast brews and you've had Stone (woot!), Harpoon (bog standard), Sam Adams (pioneer gone fat in the jowl), Magic Hat (VT Taste-ee - Their Mother Lager, if you can find it, is the Cure to the Common Bud), or Victory (Golden Monkey or Hop Devil, both groin punchingly good), then you should not consider your life complete n'til you've had the Smuttynose IPA (recently named Best IPA by the NY Times) or have dipped into the Mendocino Brewery's Eye of the Hawk.

Mmmm, beer.

ps - If you're gonne be in the Boston area on Jan 22nd and want a nice beer event, check out the Beer Summit site above and drop me a line. We may be able to swing a MeFi discount
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:59 PM on December 17, 2004


Whoops- mollweide, the current trends in American small brewing is towards IPAs and other hoppy, thus alcohol heavy, brews.

For the lower-buzz beers, you need to either hit up your local microbrew pubs or consider stuff from non-USA American breweries. Many of the South American folks still know how to make a nice, calm session beer.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 10:02 PM on December 17, 2004


I've noticed the same hoppiness trend and I think it's getting pretty ridiculous (coming soon: dry-hopped Belgian tripels!) . Not that there's anything wrong with IPAs or really hoppy beers, but I hope we can get away from brewers competing to pump the max IBUs into every beer they brew.
posted by turbodog at 11:34 AM on December 18, 2004


mollweide: That's the spirit! Brew what you like.

I have to throw my hat into the "I love Dogfish Head" camp. They, Stone, Victory, and Tuppers (exclusively contracted to Dominion brewery, I think) keep me in beer when I haven't had time to brew.
posted by Lafe at 9:21 PM on December 18, 2004


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