New to Ohio (2015)

Anyone here from the Youngstown area? Paladin Brewing in Austintown opened Saturday and I was wondering if anyone had the chance to try anything from them yet.

 

I heard the opening was great and everyone that I talked to said it was a solid lineup as well. The nice thing is that they are offering crowlers, so I'm excited to stop in a grab a few.

 

Look like Jackie O's might have had a suprise release... 'BBA Champion Ground' looks like a BA coffee stout. The label has a 'funky reggae type' vibe. It looks like a Rastafarian driving a coffee truck. Haha... I really like reggae and coffee and beer. Any one know if this is true and if so, does it hit distro?

 

Pictured below

 

I wonder if it's blue mountain coffee, god damn I need a bottle of that if so.

 

I need that beer ASAP. I doubt it hits distro, probably just a surprise for the bottle release. But if someone wants to pick one up for me...

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/08/115-beautiful-dipaimperial-ipa-labels.html

Summary of Ohio results out of 115 DIPAs:
#2 CBC Bodhi
#13 Warped Wing Mr. Mean
DNP Fat Head's Hop Juju

By comparison, Pliny was #18 and Heady #16. Good to see respect for some Ohio brews. Not that it really means anything, but still.

 

You posted a link to labels, not the beer taste competition, FYI. But I just looked through the actual list as well and Hop Juju was definitely on it, but not in the top 20, which definitely surprised me. I thought Creeper was too low as well, but it is pretty damn cool to see Bodhi up at #2. Stuff is magical.

 

Oops. My bad. And I forgot to add Creeper's DNP.
http://www.pastemagazine.com/articl...115-of-the-best-american-dipa-and-im.html?p=3

 

From the article:
"Here’s the most likely reason (a beer wasn't included): There isn’t a fresh batch of it out there right now. After their huge success in the single IPA ranking, a brewery like Maine Beer Co. obviously wanted to contribute their DIPA, Dinner. The only problem is that they haven’t made any for months. Same thing with say, Surly Brewing Co.’s Abrasive."

"There was a limit of two entries per brewery, and the breweries decided what to send. Don’t see your favorite beer from your favorite brewery? They chose their representative, not us."

If Fat Head's was willing to send it, they must have felt it was fine or at least a little better than irrelevant. If it was not at it's prime, don't participate. Of course freshness and proximity will always be the biggest argument in these sort of tastings. Hop Juju did place #28 and Creeper #23. I guess I should not have stated they did not place, but they were far from the top, yet still placed respectfully. We should celebrate the Ohio beers that did well, however.

 

I did not participate in the tasting, so I am not sure of anything. However, the article stated it received beer from the breweries except in a few instances. I do realize that Juju has not be released in a while, and I would choose it over many of the beers (including Heady and Pliny) listed. However, I would always choose Bodhi over Juju. But that is just my opinion and I have never done a blind tasting of the two versus 100+ other DIPAs. I also prefer draft to bottles, so that would be an advantage in my mind.

So, bottom line: These are just the results of some beer folk in Georgia. Do you own massive blind tasting and see what results you get. Or just drink what you know you like.

 

For those in the Dayton ish area Ollie's will be tapping the following on September 9th great chance to try CBS for those who haven't had it it'll be a shit show but nothing too crazy as they do a great job at crowd control and it will be a ticket event for the 4 big ones I believe if anyone needs tickets and can't make it that way in time I can grab a few I have to work that day but would rather see those who haven't had CBS get the chance to try it Ollie's is an awesome spot with a real love for craft beer so you guys will be at home.

 

Anyone know of any Trail Head still in the Columbus area?

 

Is it on? I called Wed and they said they were out. Then they had it on the list online on Thursday, I called and they said they were out. List was posted at 140, I called at 430. That would be super quick. Double checked to make sure it was the taproom too.

 

Finally got to try a couple beers getting some hype on this thread at The Crest Parsons Ave last night. Great bar, BTW, for those who haven't been yet.

First beer I had was Clear Sky Day Break... very quaffable, but in no way a "stand in line to buy a bottle" beer. I'll stick to coffee porters/stouts because that would be my preference, but I could see this being a gateway beer for BMC/coffee drinkers that are scared to drink dark beer. To me, the beer was nothing beyond that. Have had way better coffee/vanilla infused beers. Cool for a change of pace though...

Roller Blabe was a disappointment. Had two South of Elevens on draft before I realized they had cans of Roller Blabe. The SoE was almost perfect, as it has been the other times I have had it. The Blabe was a murky unfinished mess of sorts. Maybe it was palate fatigue though? It had some good things going on, but HH has much better hoppy options to me. I'm sick of breweries packaging beer before it's ready. SUPER fresh IPA isn't always the best, especially when it isn't done fermenting. Maybe I got a bad can, but I don't feel like it's worth gawking over and I love Hoof Hearted beers.

Sorry for being a Debbie downer, just wanted to get that out there.. not that anyone cares what I think about beers

PS, they had Nelson on draft as well. Just had a taste of it, but didn't enjoy that enough to get a full pint. New bar too, so you know the lines are clean.

 

Blue Mountain coffee was added about a week before it was bottled. It was originally supposed to be a collaboration with a meadery but they couldn't do what the meadery wanted for legal reasons so after a year of aging in the barrel they decided to throw some coffee in it. Good lord am I glad they did. I got the last two pours at the brewpub last night but I'm sure it'll be back or at least still be on at the taproom.