Sixpoint is my favorite brewery (appreciation thread)

None of our 16oz beers are over 7%, most are between 5.2% and 6.4%

Do you not find that sessionable?

exactly!

 

Nope. I don't consider anything above 5% as sessionable. I would say almost all of my purchases are < 5%, with the large majority being 4.5% or lower.

I do consume German pilsners when I can find them fresh, and those clock in at 4.9 to 5.1%, a fairly tight range I've found for German pils. Most Czech pils I purchase are ~4.5%.

For longer sessions I prefer beers in the 3 to 4% range if I can find them, even better if it's an English ale on cask. 5.2 to 6.4% is in no way sessionable. For example, Notch brewing here in Mass brews exclusively sessionable beers, and nothing they make is over 4.5%. Look at the majority of the "session IPAs" which are all around 4.5% or lower. If a regular "drink" that can be processed by the body in an hour is considered a 12 ounce 5% beer, why would anything higher be considered sessionable?

Then again, I'm not your typical IPA and Imperial stout chugging craft beer drinker either. Therefore, unfortunately I do not buy many of your beers. What I have had in the past has been quite good though.

 

Kane and Carton in NJ both post on BA, and I'll bet many other do in the regional fourms.

 

I haven't found a Sixpoint beer that I like.

 

Ok, its just that you said you don't like 16oz of beer at 10% ABV. We don't make any beers of that strength in 16oz cans.

We do, however, have a 3.2% ABV beer coming out in a 16oz can.

The Resin, 3Beans, and Hi-Res are exclusive to 12oz sleek cans.

cheers

have you tried the entire lineup? We have over 100 beers...

 

5 reasons why Sixpoint is not my favorite brewery......

1. They don't distribute to Arizona.
2. See Above
3. See Above
4. See Above
5. See Above

The few beers of theirs I have tried through beermail/trade were amazing!

 

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. That's one of the things I love about you guys. I like Heady Topper and all, but at 8%, I don't want 16 oz. of it. I love the fact your higher abv beers are in more suitable sizes.

Cheers!

 

Although our beers are not available in Arizona, we did participate in the AmeriCAN beer festival there the past couple of years. Good times!

Isn't it a bit weird that some of the highest ABV beers are found in the 22oz bottle format while lighter beers are in 12oz bottles and cans?

 

Yep. And then I won't buy them unless I can split it with someone. I must say your Resin cans are great for outdoor drinking. They look like energy drinks!

 

I was hanging on the beach this weekend with some cans of Bengali... quite discreet.. oh and delicious

 

With all due respect, I dont understand this at all. The cans I got a month or two ago (which I assume is the canning you are speaking of), have a best by date of July 12th '14. Yet you are telling a consumer they should wait till next year to try a fresh one. What does that say about those dates, and how you actually feel about the product at this time (still 6+ weeks from the end of the consume by date)?

 

I think his point, was if you are going to compare it to another product, make sure it's apples to apples, not a product that is at the end of its freshness versus one in its prime. Again, I may be wrong, I don't think he is saying it's a bad product now, just that it's not at its best.

 

And thats fair, but everyone doesn't read BA or even this thread. The point of a best by date is just that, it is best within that date range. If its not, whats the point of putting such a long range on a can?

If I am picking up a can of Hi Res, and a bottle of Ruination, and both have the same best by date - why wouldn't I compare the two? Using the date I mentioned, the Ruination would only be 6 weeks old, the Hi Res more like 18 weeks.

 

I just came here to say that Trillium brewery does the coolest thing I've ever seen. If you check in on uptappd with one of his beers he requests you as a friend. The actual owner/brewer himself, no a paid social media guy. Admittedly it's a smaller brewery, but I thought that was rather cool.

 

It seems you have an agenda with this whole freshness and dating thing, that is outside of what is pretty much concensus across the entire industry: MOST perishable items are BEST when they are the freshest. Outside of enjoying that item at its absolute freshest, there is a designated period (best by date, expiration date, bottling date, freshness date, etc)at which the consumer can enjoy that item and still enjoy it very much. Past that date, they have determined that the flavor or integrity of the item will not be at it's best.

For your example, I am quite sure that Greg Koch will tell you that to enjoy Ruination for the very first time, to try it at fresh as possible. Sure, you can try it anywhere within its freshness range, but for your first impression, try it freshest. Why do you think Stone has "enjoy by" which is what, only 35 days or so after bottling? Because they want you to sample it at its absolute freshest.

Sixpoint just suggested you try a Hi-res a bit more "fresher" than 5 months after bottling date. I am positive you'll still love the Hi-res (if you are a fan of imperial IPA's), but you'll most likely get more "hop essence" when you try one closer to its bottling date. Being your first time trying it, that would be an excellent baseline for you to determine what it tastes like.

 

Not sure Id call it an agenda (certainly not against Sixpoint), sharing an opinion that im certainly not alone on. The point is, for the average beer drinker, maybe someone getting into craft beer and experimenting, best by dates do absolutely no good. Its easy to say "try it as fresh as possible". How am I supposed to know how fresh it really is, if there is just a best by date and not an actual canning/bottling date? If you are going to use such a system, as Stone and others do, at least make it a date range in which you are still getting an accurate representation of what the brewer intended.

And Sixpoint's response wasn't directed at me, was simply stating the major issue with having such a long best before range when it comes to such beers. I drank a can a few weeks ago and wasn't nearly as good (or good at all honestly) as the first month or so. If I was just getting into beer, and that was my first experience with Sixpoint, I probably wouldn't revisit (cause I assume that with 10 weeks left on what is assumed "best by" that is the product the brewer intends me to drink).

Edit: My point - its not about Sixpoint personally, just stumbled across the conversation. Beer isn't perishable, its not gonna kill you or make you sick after 6 months or a year or 5. Put a bottle / can on date, and let your consumer determine what is fresh...otherwise, its impossible to know.

 

Wish they did tours

 

Most good breweries done these activities

 

Six point is great. With all the disappointments and over priced horse shit out there I love Sixpoint for the products they put out. I think a bunch of people should " go suck eggs " and you dont like the beer....... there are what .... 500 other brewers that are currently over flowing the shelves. Six point is one of my go-tos at any time. Keep bringing the flavor Sixpoint !

 

Of the Lions Head brewery in Wilkes Barre