Breweries you've done a 180 on

Can't say 180 but I seldom buy Victory anymore. They got me into craft beer with Prima Pils. I loved 2013-14 Hop Ranch. But, I get major oxidation in most of their hoppier beers anymore. I generally think it's a me issue and not a them issue asi don't see a brewery as large and high quality as them having QC issues. Maybe it's a yeast strain or something but I get wet cardboard from Dirtwolf bottles and 2014 Hop Ranch big time.

 

Maybe I'm being a little curmudgeonly, but I think I just prefer variety. Citrusy, Hop-forward beers are in, but it's over-saturated for me. There's only so many of these citrusy, dry-hopped beers I can from many brewers these days that they all start running together... IPAs (backseat berner), white IPAs (Fresh Slice), session IPAs (Over Easy), APAs (Overgrown), IPLs (Citra Mantra)... I'm over it.

 

+180 Otter Creek, Clown Shoes & Mayflower

-180 Uinta and Great Divide

I wonder how much of it has to do with the brewery vs. changes to your palette? If I think about what I drank 2 years ago there are vast changes, between then and now. I don't think that Uinta or Great Divide put out any different product now, then when I was drinking it. I just think that my tastes have changed.

 

The only negative 180 I can think of is Rogue. I never bought their stuff all the much to begin with. I thought Dead Guy and some of the specialties were pretty good, but not enough to justify paying the extra few bucks they're always priced at. I also find their whole rebellious vibe a bit abrasive and contrived. What sealed the deal was reading all the stuff on here about the ways they've treated their employees. I've lived in Portland almost a year now and they're not even close to being on my radar as beer to seek out.

 

Southern Tier. Used to love their stuff but over the last year or two I feel like a lot of the stuff taste artificial. I have grown not to like with added flavors vs brewed with.

 

Three Floyds. F them.

 

For me it is Otter Creek. I was never a huge fan, but with the IPA's they are putting out I buy them all the time.

 

Its New Belgium for me. I like their beer but never buy them. It has nothing to do with their beers. Its the way they have came out against the oil and gas business. I don't see how you can be so critical and hateful towards the business when your own trucks that deliver your beer are powered by oil and gas products.
Sounds a little petty, I know.

 

Sierra Nevada. The first beer I ever had someone buy for me was a six pack of sierra nevada pale ale in college, based off the recommendation of guys I gamed with. I got stupid drunk that night, and made friends with the toilet. I wouldn't go near anything sierra nevada for a few years after that, but now they're one of my favorite breweries. I still have a hard time with snpa after all these years though.

 

unibroue: got me into craft but i haven't bought anything from them after a THIRD consecutive bad bottle of maudite (which was my favorite beer long after having tried many "better" beers). i used to sing their praises all day every day but give me a fucking break 3 straight bad bottles that i literally cant swallow a sip of?

green flash: price goes up, quality goes down, you can't explain that

fegley's brewworks: underrated in PA but sold the worst beer i have ever tasted for 19.99 a bomber and lost my business forever

neshaminy creek: also a lesser-known PA brewery who i used to sleep on and not buy but they make some really good beer

 

I haven't pulled a full 180 on them yet (they still need to tweak their dark beers a bit), but I went from being really underwhelmed by Manor Hill to thinking they're one of the best breweries in Maryland.

I've gone through a ton of their Grisette, and am about to go through a ton of their Citra Splendor DIPA.

 

The barrel age stuff turned me around on them as well.

 

Innis and Gunn got me onto craft beer and made some very good spirit aged beers, now they just seem interested in making 8 different varieties of pale ales as well as retiring the best beer they make, the Irish whiskey stout.very strange.

 

Sam Adams here. I still like their flagship beer, but I very rarely buy anything from them any more. They used to be a go-to around here when choice was limited. Now there are much better options.

 

I was shopping for some "cheap" beer and was between the mixed pack of SA and new Belgium. Looked at the beers in each of them and NB was a no brainier choice. The SA pack was a very poor offering,

 

Stone.

Used to love them and think the world of them ten to fifteen years ago; nowadays, I don't even bother checking out their new beers any more.

 

Mendocino Brewing Company. They were one of the earlier (not ancient, but definitely older) craft breweries during a time when there wasn't much else out there. As craft beer got better, my palate followed, and I conpletely stopped buying their beer. They are not horrible by any means, but it has been at least 10 years since I had anything by them.

 

Ithaca. Their Nut Brown used to be terrible. Now I like almost everything they make.