Breweries you've done a 180 on

Stone, Green Flash, and Rough Draft.

 

Cool, I will check it out

 

I wasn't a fan of Clown Shoes until I tasted Space Cake. That shit was amazing (IMO).

 

Okay I guess I have to post on this one, but I have to include a direct mention too.

@Sixpoint Back in 2011 I had Sixpoint Timeout For Porter at Blind Tiger while visiting a friend in NYC and not really having heard of Sixpoint beyond it being local up there. I thought the beer was fine and I was willing to try others, but at the time Sixpoint wasn't high up on my list.

Now, between the beers themselves, the format(cans, the new mix packs), their willingness to tweak recipes(even though I have soft spot for the older recipe of Sweet Action), and their responsiveness on BA I'm a big fan and try whatever I can find.

 

I haven't done a 180 on anything. Nothing has changed that much. But Stone went from something I sought out many years ago to something I just really don't buy anymore. Going back even father, Red Hook was one of my favorite breweries back in the 90's and now I don't buy anything they make.

Long Trail has the biggest positive uptick for me. Limbo is great, and I appreciate many of the others more than I did previously.

 

Please let me know when I can stop by for my free beer too

I used to live 2 mins from the Burlington Mall too...used to frequent Bermans in Lexington too. Alas.

Dope

 

Narragansett. I first getting into beer loved the lager and Oktoberfest. Disliked both the recent lovecraft ales and now that fest and bock are discontinued i dont get there berrs anymore and the lager is like PBR. N i drink that but i dont like it anymore.

DuClaw. Was into all the wildness like sweet baby jesus, raspberry stout (naked fish) and dirty little freak. I can no longer stomach these.

Now for the better...Dogfish head. First ipa ever was 60 minute. Hated it thought it was like flowers smell. Now i think theyre great for all their ancient ales and 60 minute is fine by me.

Also founders. I didn't like FBS. I did not particularly like their porter or centennial. But am buying a lot of all day ipa and look foward to double trouble

PS. Ill try anything that is made by Sixpoint. After trying the crisp i have been seeking out anything they make in particular and if im ever in NYC ill go out of my way to try Barks red ale after that chocolate pudding description.

Off topic...sixpoint, ballast point and carton will always have a place with me. Ill buy anything they'll put out.

 

Just curious why youwould hate Greenport Harbor? Small company, doesn't contract brew, makes some good beer. Now more capacity, more beer.

Edit : now I see your responses. I too hate the leaf pile and summer ale. They are not my favorite LI brewery but a nice option to have. Love the canard noir.

 

Stone has kinda lost the intrigue for me compared to the now highly saturated market that has great brews that equal or exceed Stone. Strill like them, but just not the gleam in the eye anymore.

 

BM me and we can pick a time

 

Write me in for lagunitas.Say what you will about "access to global distribution networks", but imo, they completely sold out. The company marketed themselves (and they sort of were) an"anti establishment" brewery . They then sold out to one of the biggest beer conglomerates in the world. Maybe I bought into it too much but I feel betrayed. #beerproblems

 

For the better: Sun King. When I first visited their brewery, I felt like everything was a mass produced generic beer designed to not offend anyone. My friend put it best, "One day I had never heard of Sun King, the next day they're EVERYWHERE.". They seemed like a purely marketing driven brewery. After expanding on their limited releases, some of their BA stuff, and trying Osirus again, I have been quite pleased and rather enjoy their beers.

For the worse: Stone. I used to really enjoy most all of their offerings. But lately, it just seems like everything is one big hop bomb with a ton of their beers giving me the onion/garlic taste. I just find them to be really meh anymore.

 

Okay I'll admit it ... Stone

When I started into craft beer, I hated hoppy beers. Now, I absolutely love Stone, and I would buy almost anything from them!

 

One that immediately came to mind is Noble. Their early beers were pretty meh, but nowadays they make some great stuff.

 

For all the Lagunitas naysayers, I was told from an industry insider (this is hearsay, and could be wrong) that Lagunitas "got $2 billion (with a B) for 50%, which is roughly 20x their bottom line". I have no way to verify this, but the rumor keeps spreading. All I can say is that at one point my Mom and I had a catering business that grossed 250K one year. If anyone would've offered me 20x that for 100%, it would've been done deal!

 

My thoughts exactly. I can't believe Tony Magee, who seems like an anti corporate type, would do this. I never got into Lagunitas because of some of the stuff I've read about Tony and what he has said. Especially after he filed a lawsuit against Sierra Nevada. Well, ultimately it's good for him in the end, he is set for life.

 

The Kernel, the most hyped up brewery in the UK. The first half a dozen bottles I had were run-of-the-mill. The last few I've had have been exceptional, one being the best IPA I've ever had.

 

Ballast Point.

Love the beer, but the prices are absolutely awful.

Sculpin $14.99 7% abv
Grapefruit Sculpin $14.99 7% abv
Grunion $13.99 5.5% abv
Calm Before the Storm $13.99 5.5% abv

It's awful. I understand a beer like Victory at Sea being $14.99 because it's a 10% Porter, but for APAs and cream ales and such to be that much is ridiculous.

Almost as ridiculous as Surly selling Todd the Axeman for $17.99 a 4-pack. I mean I get that the prices are still better than bombers, but compared to 6 packs of similar styles, these prices are out of control.

 

I used to hate Sierra Nevada when I first got interested in beer. Now, they're one of my favorites.

 

Abita was one of the few craft choices I had. I quit them once I started trying other breweries that started distributing their beer to south Louisiana. Then I tried their Wrought iron IPA and enjoyed that. Then it was the Seersucker Pils. Then an Barrel aged irs for $10 a bomber. So I have been drinking much more of their beers over the last year.