Toppling Goliath in Chicago (2018)

Yeah it seems like the only Abrasive I'm running across lately has a November canning date. I'm a big fan of the beer, but that's way too old.

 

Seems like a simple problem to fix- start sending bombers to Illinois and no one will be stuck with old bombers. Yes, WI and IA will have less supply, but isn't it better for these to move in all 3 markets than to sit in 2?

 

Or just ask your friendly neighborhood Hawkeye fan to mule some over to Chicago

 

So, my Chicago Proper Peeps, is the most current canning date for PS still sitting at 2/1?

 

I got a sue with 2/5/17 date

 

Judging by my past 2 experiences, I'd let that shit stay on the shelf now.

 

Grossssss


In all fairness, I had 1/23 about a month later (PURCHASED a month later, from Jewel). It's possible that they're just extremely temperamental to not being refrigerated. My 1/23 cans were not as bad as the ones from Dec., but they were still thoroughly mediocre in comparison to cans I've had in the past.

 

I have yet to buy any Sue in Illinois because every 4-pack I have picked up was at least a month old. So basically my experience in Wisconsin without the driving. Look how far we've come!

(Before any Wisconsin residents give me crap, only like 80% of the Sue I've checked is that old, and I have had some tasty, fresh bombers).

 

Had a 4 pack of Sue recently. I don't get the hype on this one. Very average beer imo. I get that beer is generally speaking better when its fresher but no beer should have to be drank mere hours after it was canned. Even beers that do display dropoff rather quickly don't change completely from an amazing top rated beer to some average ho hum swill. I am starting to think the "but you have to have it freeeeesh" crowd just use it as an excuse (knowing that most havent had that fresher opportunity) to support their admiration for a beer that quite simply might not be that good in the first place. Sorry rant over.

 

Typically I'm not a big "have to drink this within 10 minutes" person, but:

1) The recent cans of PS suck in my opinion, at least after a month. I don't remember how fresh earlier batches were when I grabbed them (I was just glad to have them back then ), but it was in my opinion a much better beer. Fresher tasting, and LOTS of citra-forward flavor (which the newer batches I've had have lacked, at least a month later).

2) Normally I'd agree with you on the "no beer should have to be drank..." point, but we're also seeing this with Hop Butcher's beers (some of them) here in Chicago. Galaxy Bowl batch one was phenomenal fresh, in my opinion, but after a few weeks it tasted like nothing. Went from an A beer down to a C at best. My point is that the canned Sue isn't the only beer around here with that issue.

In terms of hype, most TG fans would tell you that PS cans were never the thing being hyped; the PS that comes in bombers and on tap was (not to mention King Sue and the variants, obviously). The stuff coming out of Florida has long been ridiculed by part of the fanbase.

 

You need to try the stuff out of Decorah. Florida sue (the ones in cans) are quite a bit different (not as good), even when fresh compares to it coming out of Decorah.

 

Don't forget that the hype is about 3 years old which gives the competition plenty of time to improve upon it. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale isn't knocking people's socks off like it was 10 years ago because West Coast Pales are omnipresent.

 

I've been drinking TG beers for about 4 years now, live about an hour from the brewery.

The cans are not great. I'd rather have multiple options from Brickstone and Half Acre than the TG cans. The bombers are generally good and worthy of some hype.

Their stuff was so juicy when I started going to the taproom four years ago, while now their on tap stuff is still good to great at times, they're ultimately no longer a priority for me. I don't know if it is simply a case of other breweries catching up (and in some various cases surpassing them) or what.

That said, Sr-71 was the best BA stout I've ever had, and I've been drinking those since KBS used to actually say the words Kentucky Breakfast Stout on the bottle.

 

You guys think your 1.5 month old cans are bad? We have 3-4 month old bombers hanging out on our shelves and being delivered to us still. Thought it was weird to see Lightspeed on the shelves again since I hadn't heard about a new batch and lo and behold, it's from mid-November...

 

Their distribution seems to be shitty in general. I've talked to stores that complain about how sporadic their drops are, and how they rarely get what they ask for.

 

Why isn't it the beer retailer selling you the old beer (something which Surly has little control over) that is losing your business? I wouldn't end my relationship with Dean's if the grocery store sold me expired milk.

 

For a second I thought you wete talking about 3Floyds. Although it seems like they've gotten a lot better since that new bottling line became fully operational.

 

Maybe TG is the Iowa version of FFF, minus the attitude!