Sweetwater in CO?

Yeah I don't want to give the impression that I think we have a poor beer scene here, its great but there are a LOT of new breweries opening and of the ones I tried I have only been impressed by one or two. I don't want to name names as I am already considered the resident a-hole around here but I think quality of new breweries as a whole is a big issue, Mitch Steele apparently talked about it during CBC.

 

Not every beer put out by top notch breweries is going to be a home run, Russian River and Firestone included. My second paragraph was referring to your agreement that Sweetwater's IPA is better than most breweries here. Sure its probably better than the likes of a ton of the newer smaller breweries, but I could name a ton of IPA's from CO breweries and others that are distro'd here that are way better (and probably fresher) than Sweetwater's IPA, so in that sense, it would just be another run-of-the-mill sitting on the shelf in CO.

EDIT: I will also be the first person to recommend against new breweries that aren't putting quality beer out. The last thing I want to happen is see the state get saturated with below average breweries. At the same time, it doesn't bother me either, because I just avoid these spots and frequent all of the other great breweries around the state. It's pretty easy to avoid drinking even one crappy beer in Colorado.

 

I agree with a little I'm reading from everyone. I love our scene, but I would also say that of the new places opening (with some exceptions like Comrade) we have a high % producing mediocre stuff or places that are riding everything they have on a single "gimmick" beer.
At the same time, we have an absolute SHIT TON of breweries within an hour of here and if you take they best from each, we have some of the best stuff you'll find in the whole country. Some places have a low concentration but high quality (Chicago for example) while we have a boatload of places that aren't as high quality on the whole...but when their forces are combined, I think we win.
With Sweetwater, I think their line-up doesn't have any duds. Even their blueberry ale isn't bad. Their IPA bests majority of places around here...but certainly not everyone. Personally, I've grown tired of places with 1-2 good beers and I really respect the folks cranking out a full line-up of great beers. I'd rather have 7-8 great beers I can't choose between than a place with 1-2 beers that might be even better...but the rest suck. I get the general option that a fair number of Colorado drinkers feel the opposite way.
All things said - Sweetwater is wise not do distribute here. We're somewhat infamous for having great distribution here. They'd get lost. Often times we'll beg for the stuff we don't get, but even more often we'll get something new and it'll see for 6 weeks and then languish on the shelf. Why? People just wanted to try it...not buy it.

 

So much this. It's "ooh new brewery distro in CO I have to try it!" and then you just go back to drinking Odell and the next time you think about buying that brewery that entered the market 6 months ago the IPA is 4 months old

 

Agree with that sentiment. Tried the Gigantic IPA recently, it was good, very enjoyable. But is it something I'd buy again? Probably not, with all the other options out there and with the ability to get all the other beers mentioned in this thread, I don't see why I'd buy it again. I mean hell, Alesmith IPA is available all the time, and is cheaper (I think), so why would I ever pick Gigantic over that?

I walked into the store yesterday to get some Pliny, and then grabbed some Dayglow, Avery 21, 7437...and I can't even remember what else...good luck breaking through. I don't envy brewers out here, I don't know how you get people to consistently buy your beer.

 

I've visited Sweetwater, grew up in Atlanta, and watched them grow over the years.
Recently, on my way back from a trip to Central America, where I drank nothing but Tona and Victoria for two weeks, I was elated at the fact that there was a Sweetwater bar right next to our gate in ATL airport during a layover. It was pretty good to say the least.

If I remember correctly, the guys who started Sweetwater, originally went to school and learned to brew in CO so waybe there is a connection there.

 

That's already happened.

 

That can be said for just about anywhere! Great thing there are many solid breweries as well to balance things out some. As long as there's less Bud and Miller products on the streets.

 

Breweries I enjoy: Odell, Funkwerks, Equinox, Horse & Dragon, Black Bottle, Verboten, Grimm, Echo, Wiley Roots, City Star, Oskar Blues, Bootstrap, Avery, Upslope, Odd 13, Twelve Degrees, Gravity, Great Divide, Dry Dock, TRVE, Renegade, Bull & Bush, Wit's End, Station 26, Crooked Stave, River North, Cooper Kettle, Brewery Rickoli, Prost!!! I'm sure I'm missing some or haven't been to a few. There are also some average breweries, but so great have so many options right here within an hour of each other!! We are fortunate, while I realize some may enjoy Sweetwater and love to be able to buy it here as well as other breweries.

 

I'm just a bitter hophead (pun intended) that is constantly disappointed with the IPAs that get released here. I can maybe think of a handful that are actually worth buying and like 3 of those are from Odell.

 

I think we get some pretty good IPAs from California too. (hophead as well!)

 

I am beyond disappointed by the CO IPAs (having just moved here from MN)...with literally 1 or 2 exceptions. Absolutely nothing decent. Distro here is amazing but I have been beyond underwhelmed by the vast vast majority of CO breweries (mostly the recently opened ones where it's a home brewer w 3 recipes that his buddies told him were good and $50k in start up costs)...sorry. I think I have the credibility based on my Hads to make this assessment as well. A lot, a LOT of blah...

 

^Luckily, france44 ships Surly!

 

Haha!! Believe me I know!! :-) Love my France 44 shipments...I have a good number of locals who help me out too...

 

Costs a lot more than 50K. jesus can you imagine how many breweries we'd have if it only cost 50K? I mean given how many we have when it costs closer to 350K to just bare-bones/ shoestring it and a cool mil to really do it up right?

As to the bulk of your post, how many great IPAs are there, really? The list changes all the time (there was a time when two beers I mention below were near the top), but other than California and Vermont, and a brewery or two at most in other states, is anybody really killing it?

In your short time in CO, have you had an Avery Dugana yet? It's a seasonal so maybe you haven't gotten to it yet, trust me you have something to look forward to. But--Maharaja?

Or a Superpower from BA Dauss's brewery, Comrade? Do you think the basic Odell IPA disappoints, or Myrcenary? Have you had the DIPA from Backcountry?

I remember a time when Great Divide made an IPA and a DIPA whose names were on every IBU geek's list, in Titan and Hercules. Just did a quick check and these are still sitting at 91(site) and 100 (Brothers) for the Titan and 92(site)/99 (Bros) for the Herc. Have you had these?

What were your G'Knight or your Deviant Dale's ratings?

EDIT TO ADD: sheesh, I forgot about Modus Hop, still sitting at 92 (site) and 95 (Brothers). How'd you like that one?

I'm not "that guy" when it comes too defending my state's offerings against all comers (Indeed I still consider myself a Virginian even after 34 years here) and there is certainly some dross in the market, and there are some meh nano- and micro start-ups, no doubt. But this "Colorado doesn't have any good IPAs" business is starting to grind my gears a little bit; it's too often based on either lack of information on the part of newbies, or intellectual laziness or lack of curiosity among the old hands.

 

Agree!!!

 

I still think Titan and Hercules are among the best IPA's in the country. Ditto with Modus, Odell, and even normal 'ol Avery IPA. Avery makes a lot of one-off and seasonal IPA's that are phenomenal.
Backcountry Fix Your Heel is is my absolute favorite hoppy beer, period. Yup, even over those hyped up beers from both coasts...and yes, I love those, too.
IMO, we're overlooked because of all of the small places putting on random semi-hoppy beers and calling them an IPA (or English IPA) just because it's a recognizable name that sells. They bring our curve down a bit, but our upper-end IPAs are as good as anyone's.

 

California absolutely kills Colorado when it comes to the IPA style.

 

You should try the new 7437 from Elevation, I was pleasantly surprised and I am very hard on IPA's.

 

I'll have to disagree. I know you love Alpine, which I detest. I hold them a little bit responsible for the current hoppy beers that seem to have forgotten malt has to be involved in there somewhere.