Connecticut Trip Suggestions

ehhhh, it's a stretch yeah. hill farmstead do IPAs better (but that is potentially debatable). i like CBC better overall, but if you're factoring in availability, price, quality, variety, maybe you could make a case.

i mean, what you factor in matters. i would never say, for example, lawson's is the best brewery in america, because he barely makes anything (and it's a mad rush to buy it when he does). at the same time, i would say that double sunshine is the best DIPA i've ever had, and it's not like it's a one-off either.

can alchemist still be judged for their other beers besides heady topper?

if you're evaluating cambridge brewing company, do you take into account the overwhelming superiority of their brewpub only beers (cerise cassee, YouEnjoyMyStout, the seasonal BA barleywines, etc) over their bottled beers (or every IPA they've ever made)?

anyway, the best brewery in NE is probably hill farmstead (variety, consistency, quality). but you could argue others (i think a good case could be made for smuttynose).

 

I'd say if we're going to allow HF (which we obviously should), it's fair game to praise CBC based on stuff you can only get at the brewery. The real question there is to what degree do you knock a brewery down a peg or two if they put out a lot of stuff that's solid but unspectacular, but their good stuff is as good as anything? (In my opinion, not much. There's a decent handful of pretty average Founders beers, for one, but their 4 or 5 consistently awesome yearly beers put them in the ballpark of America's best breweries.)

Alchemist is interesting as they start to branch out again. The new cans have all been great to excellent, really, so I'd say that some non-HT praise is warranted.

I really need to get to NEBCO. I've only ever had Imperial Stout Trooper and if that's not in their top 5 beers then they must be doing something reaally right.

 

Grey Sail brewery does some solid stuff and is 10 miles from Foxwoods.

 

Willimantic Brewing is a must. NEBCO, Prime 16 and perhaps The Owl Shop for a cigar and a scotch or a selection from their respectable beer bottle list would make for a sweet day.

 

I second the owl shop, it's awesome

 

Although I may be the biggest CT homer you will ever meet, Prime 16 has had a pretty woeful tap list as of late. As such, I've found myself spending more time than I'd like at Cask. Prime still trumps everything in the area when you consider the food, but I've noticed that the great CT bars haven't excited me as much as years past. I'd agree there has been an explosion of above-average craft beer bars around Fairfield County, but we are still lacking that "Great" bar.

I'm pretty hard on NYC, but Proletariat destroys everything in the tri-state region. Nobody has a better curated tap or bottle list.

 

the tap lists in new haven, in general, has been lacking as of late.

 

lol

 

homers

 

I like HF IPAs and all, but they are IPAs. Every good brewery has an amazing one. While it should be almost mandatory to brew a great IPA to be considered the best in new england, its just an IPA. We all love them, but its really only so much of a brewery's talent. If I were to pick HF, it would be more based on the barrel aging. They really shine there IMO, they dont just throw everything in a barrel of whatever they can get their hands on to get the biggest and most insane flavors. They do that too, but they also have a pretty perfect grasp of saison, which is a really difficult thing to find in the states altogether.
NEBCO stands as easily the best craft beer in CT. There are many new places popping up that are putting themselves in the race, but even if Beer'd has been producing awesome IPAs, they still have proving to do. Etc etc.
Allagash anyone? Treehouse seems to be on everyones tongues, but I (sadly) cant vouch for it yet. HF is top notch, and theres no denying it.

bah! I havent been in maybe 2 weeks, but there is ALWAYS something different/exciting to try, as well as standards you could fall back on any day, with a great mix of in between. With the much higher number of taps at cask, you would think I could find the same variety. Hardly, and thats always been my gripe. While I can always find a beer to drink, the selection gets boring fast (i.e. I could go once a week to Prime and not get bored, while I couldnt do that once a month at cask).
Also, have you BEEN to park slope or williamsburg? My god the beer to be had is as amazing and omnipresent as the varieties of hipsters! I almost never want to go into manhattan anymore.

Anyhoo. New Haven is a great scene for beer lovers.

 

I don't think you're going to get FBD today but you may get some gold stock. we'll see

 

eli cannon's tapping fbd @ 6pm on thursday and
prime 16 orange having a nebco and two rds tap take over tomorrow too which will include, galaxy, the bot and fbd.

 

Eli Cannon's is tapping it at 6pm tonight, not Thursday.

 

you're correct. my bad

 

I met you at NEBCO the other day, glad you enjoyed yourself! If you ever wander back this way I'll find time to have a beer with ya. I was in a bit of a rush Wednesday, sorry I couldn't stay and chat too much. Cheers!