Equilibrium Brewery

Also got some MC2 from M&H, drinking it now and while I'll say it's a good double it doesn't hold a candle to Treehouse and any comparison is frankly preposterous.

@NewmansOwn do yourself a favor and trade for some TH then you'll appreciate the difference. MC2 wasn't any better than most of what Other Half, Grimm and others have been churning out for a while now.

Don't get me wrong it's a great problem to have but I get the feeling NY/NYCers are a little chagrinned at the fact we don't have an option on the TH level so every time a new spot opens we rush to anoint them as the second coming. Happened a month ago with Interboro. Sure it'll happen again in 2017 with someone new.

 

This is what I dont understand. Nobody "anointed" Interboro, we all knew theyd do great things because Jesse was already brewing great beer. I havent had any Treehouse so I dont understand what makes it so much better and quite frankly so many people have put in on a pedestal that I think once I try some it wont live up to the hype. Ive had pretty much every beer OH has put out in the past 4 months, and MC2 is probably in the my top 5 beers of the year. I guess I should try some Treehouse. The bigger question is, what is Treehouse doing that nobody seems to be able to do elsewhere?

 

Tree House is Tree House. Equilibrium is Equilibrium. Other Half is Other Half. I get people love to compare. But come on - who really gives a shit. Let's just wish these guys well and see how things shake out for them. Happy that another great brewery exists in our state.

 

Out of the way location, cloudy ipas, low limits, eccentric brewer. The winning formula

 

Phew, sounds like no lines in our future then!

Who anointed TH in the first place? At the top, does one IPA really standout that much more than the next? In my experience, no.

 

Thats how I feel. MC2 is awesome if you ask me, how much more fantastic can an ipa be?

 

Studies have shown that things that are harder to obtain, perceived as rare or scarce, or have an elaborate story behind them provide greater joy to people.

 

Also picked up a growler at milk and hops of MC2. Just getting a ton of sweetness and not much else. I can barely drink it to be honest, maybe the keg was off? Thought Photon was great, but this one did not live up to the hype for me.

 

It's great stuff. It is as good as anything other than Tree House and maybe Hill Farmstead's best IPAs. The fact that it is readily available and inexpensive is wonderful.

 

I've finally got to try some equilibrium and thought they were very very good. Def not Tree House and I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, just different.

If you like super yeasty IPAs that all taste very similar you will love tree house. Don't get me wrong they are good but yeast dominates the profile of all their IPAs.

 

I had a similar experience. Just bubblegummy sweetness, not really any fruit or earth or grass or pine. Was underwhelmed.

 

I had a few pours of MC2 as well as a 32oz fill enjoyed on separate days over the last week. It is a really nice beer, I will give it that. Very happy to have it available, it is just adding to the riches we have now in NYC (yes, I know it is 70 miles north). Terrible problems we have in NYC we have to discuss the merits of the beer available, but comparisons to some of the big guns I agree is preposterous. I am not a Treehouse lover like many, their beer is really good, but most all Treehouse beers are better. Same goes for Alchemist/Trillium, they are on another plane all together.

MC2 is just a little rough around the edges and a little sweet, but again still really good. Over time I am sure they can dial it in an crush it. However in the right now, there is a just too small sample of a size here to even compare. When they reproduce this for a few runs and maybe bottle/can it with the same quality, then it might be a discussion point. That said, if I am out and its on draft I will drink it over any Grimm (except Mag Compass) and most OH stuff as well as a ton of other stuff. NYC newbies Mad Fat, Turbulence, and Pile of Crowns are all recent brews which I prefer to MC2 though without question and they got limited fan fare.

Long winded post to say MC2 is really good, get out there are find it. Stop with the comparisons, let it stand alone and be itself as a delicious beer we can consume and enjoy!

 

Remember, like, 3 years ago when most of you would trade your left nut for a Heady? I remember 15 years ago when Brooklyn East India Pale Ale was the only IPA I could get. A 60 minute if I was lucky enough to actually find that in the store I had to drive 30 minutes to get to.

Some of you are incredibly spoiled.

 

^^^ I don't want to make a false equivalency here, but I can say without any caveats MC2 is the best IPA I've ever had, in my relatively short time (2yrs) drinking and enjoying this style of beer.

 

Beer advocacy= bickering about comparing brands for people to understand what they are drinking.

I understand the protectiveness people are making to one brand against another but consider some other form of craft.

In music if someone has never heard something before, when you describe the song or bands nuances, you share some of the musics influences before someone listens so they will get a sense in if they will like it or not.

I just think it's unproductive to just flat out share why you think some one is wrong when neither side can fully articulate in words why they think the treehouse comparison is fair or not.

 

I've checked Beermenus but would anyone have a lead on where to best get a growler fill in NY today please?

 

In my earlier post I was not trying to belittle Equilibrium in any way. Their beers that I've had are outstanding in every way.To me nothing has compared to Tree House since I first tried Alter Ego for the first time last year. I've had many outstanding,world class IPAs but none have had the mouth feel and depth that seem to be a common trait from TH.

 

On topic of being articulate I'm afraid it's not clear to me what your point is - you're saying people should be discussing the Tree House comparison ad nauseum right?

Personally I think yeah it's moderately helpful to say "it reminds me a bit of XYZ" if it begins and ends there. But if it's going to degenerate into pages of "NO BRO NOTHING LIKE TREE HOUSE THEY ARE THE BESTEST AND MOSTEST WORLDCLASSEST SOFTEST MOUTHFEEL IN THE WHOLE UNIVERSE TIMES INFINITY SO THERE", then not so much. There's been more discussion of Tree House than Equilibrium on here. There's a whole thread for that in the New England forum.

 

I'm simply saying the surface level descriptors of a certain beer profile, which are often not clear ways to describe to someone not currently drinking said liquid, aren't helpful and it feels like some front to protect one brand or to stop hype from forming and some could perceive it as a way to belittle someone elses opinion which absurd in such a personal perception based craft.

Dont be afraid if hype forms, this creates more revenue for the brewery you love and often leads to more investment back into the brewery you love.

That being said, I agree. This thread has taught me little about a brewery I am quite excited to try more of in the future.

 

I would say MC2 is most similar to The Veil's Dirt Nap, or Nice Relationship - all very Galaxy forward, with tons of pineapple and mango flavors, and a soft mouthfeel. The Tree House equivalent would be Green, but Green has more complexity and finishes with more bitterness. For me, that's how Tree House is different compared to everyone else.

The only other beer that I would say is "Tree House like" is Swish, which has the same depth of flavor and bitterness.