Best good beer made by mediocre brewery?

If I were bit by the IPA bug and couldn't find a Ruination, I'd pick Larry. Really a damn fine beer.

Though I should add that I think I like Wachusett more than most. Their summer ale is really awesome too.

 

Ipswich Oatmeal Stout

 

their White IPA is actually delicious.

 

I'd probably have to say Endeavour IPA by Saint Arnold's and Shade Grown Coffee Porter and Devil's Backbone by Real Ale.

 

id have to say Hooker Liberator, only beer really worth buying from them

 

im not from NH but ive had a number of beers besides KTG and they definitly have a few that are VERY worthy of buying

 

sorry, meant to tag the other guy, cheers

 

my god this

 

discontinued, of course.

 

great beer...i think underrated

 

I dunno, I think their Munich Helles Lager is pretty good. I was going to bring up their Watermelon Ale but that's not strictly good so much as it is nice to have one on a hot day.

Saranac gets a lot of shit around here but I think their Bohemian Pilsner and Lake Effect Lager are both really good in a lineup with a lot of otherwise average or even bad brews.

 

Short's Huma Lupa Licious

I've never been very impressed with Short's beers but having drank this on tap for 8 days in Michigan last year, I loved it. It's solid in bottles too.

 

My favorite IPA

 

Mikkeller have certainly struck out a few times (hello Beek Hop Breakfast Tequila!), but they generally make awsome beer.

I'm suprised nobody's mentioned Sam Smith's Yorkshire Stingo.

 

Really? Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Old Tadcaster Porter, and Imperial Stout are all excellent beers. The brown is decent, if it's not light struck. Yeah, I wouldn't consider them a mediocre brewery even though they make their fair share of mediocre beers.

 

Point taken, though I'm consistently surprised by how people rate their imperial and oatmeal stouts. I think they're pedestrian. To be honest, I might argue that Taddy Lager is the best thing they offer in their pubs, and that's not saying too much!

 

To be fair, I haven't had either of those beers in quite a while. They were some of the earliest readily available imperial and oatmeal stouts I found while first getting into craft beer, and I suspect that this was true for a lot of BAs. I'll have to try them again soon to see what I think of them after I've had a bit more education.

 

I shouldn't really call them a mediocre brewery, since they're relatively small and local, but while Otto's doesn't put out many earth-shaking beers their Zeno's Rye is one of the best ryes out there.

 

Came here to say that too. I'd also add their Oatmeal Stout, which if it weren't so ridiculously thin bodied would be one of my favorites of the style.

 

Saranac Chocolate Orange Porter. I never had a Saranac that I thought was any good. At the core of the chocolate oranger porter, though, is a very very solid porter. Nothing outrageous, but in a different league than their other brews.