Cellarmaker to start bottling.

Interesting. I saw that in their tap list and didn't even think to attribute it to a C&D from Big Lots

 

Hahaha fuck Big Lots. Speaking of beers I miss, it's been way too long since the last Coffee Sessions!

 

I wouldn't doubt it if the yeast in combination with other factors contribute to the burn factor. One thing I was thinking of was that since NEIPAs don't use finings such as irish moss for clarity, there's all sorts of stuff that stays in suspension. All this matter, which settles out in clear beer, has to have an effect.

As for Dank Statement, it's been a while since I've had it, but I recall a friend bringing back a growler of it to LA when I still lived there and being blown away. I wasn't really looking forward to it because I was hating on DIPAs at the time so it took me by surprise.

 

Totally agree... Coffee Sessions Ritual was awesome. That series was such a great way of featuring coffee.

 

Lol. You're right... Chatted with one of the head brewers once about it at a tap takeover, never been to the brewery and I miss a good amount of their releases, but yea, total fanboy here.

 

Not at all. Do you know how close that bunch is? I'm certain that's just Big Lot's (the brand) formality (i.e. if you don't enforce the 'mark, it becomes generic) although it's funny you mentioned because I dropped a message on HB on this very thing. Too funny, the name.

I love it too! It's really an excellent beer. Very little green-ness for the ABV and will last well into a month in the fridge, me likey. So does everyone I've spoken with. Dobis variations good not great.

TBH, this is a Cellarmaker DIPA through and through. Collabs can usually always be judged by host brewery. It's CM yeast clearly, not Delorean Blend. Probably their hops too where ASB just provided input on lots.

I like that you're willing to occasionally rock a Cellarmaker beer given a perceived bias because they put out some doozies from time to time; some of your fav like biscuit water The Glow, yuck. I'd take a Green hazy over that or Quad Dobis (loss leader) any day of the week.

I've drank at least two dozen Monkish releases, that last TIPA (Wish I was a Kid again) was WAY too boozy and astringent, same deal. They can be hit or miss as well particularly now as Henry seems to focus more on Belgians so maybe other cooks in that kitchen on can releases.

ASB make incredible PAs from time to time, they just never can those.

Surely isn't, but Cellarmaker (way more consistent btw) is not immune. Last Double Moonage had more bitterness on the rind and hop burn than it's predecessor batch.

To be clear, I wouldn't argue there is a rightful inconsistency perception issue at Alvarado for some time now; many have mentioned acidity imbalance, hop burn (what we call, green) and other things responsible for it (e.g. larger production scale for instance) but I've also seen you post some of their best batches here and there and still dog it. LOL JS dude!

Tell you what, in your defense... did you thoroughly enjoy Waverunner? How about Spooky Juice? If not, I question your objectivity on hazy double IPAs. These guys have the capability. It's not reason to write them off just yet.

Hey, I totally buy it for the rad can art! Egg on face. I love those guys though, unabashed love. I didn't enjoy Hazing Saddles as much as I hoped. But here's to a few weeks in the cellar to cool it off. Tayberry was as exquisite as last rls. Really my favorite kettle sour with that Gose kick. Mmmmmmm!

 

*Oops, I completely misread spark3148857 comments. Sorry dude, yes Big Lots. I misread as Cellarmaker did that. me so sorry lolol

**CM makes incredible PAs from time to time, they just never can those.

 

If you like ASB, fine by me. Go praise them in the ASB thread. I've visited their Monterey location. I've chased their cans for a good 6 - 9 months. I've chased them on draught for the same time because everyone seemed to love them. And in the end, I think they can't brew, but who am I to say what you can or can't like?

Hell, I think most of California is pretty bad at making hazy beer. Most of the people posting against me are saying: "ASB isn't the only ones with this issue... I get it in ___'s beers and ___'s beers." As if I would waste my hard earned money and time (more importantly) pursuing crap beer!

Going back to the topic at hand. CELLARMAKER'S CANNED BEER SUCKS. I think they've gotten worse as a brewery ever since they did it. And the batches they made for cans were worse than when they were tap or bottle only. I feel like they're now chasing hype rather than quality like before.

Perhaps to emphasize my point, whenever I visit CM and order their non-cans, I get surprised actually that their beers are as good as I remember them.

 

I wouldn't call an ASB can here or there from City Beer consumed weeks after rls chasing, lol. I'm not even advocating them per se. I acknowledged the issues. My point you're just not looking at the good ones, and if you don't acknowledge the 3 that I mentioned then maybe you're not even in loop. Guess I'm glass half full that way.

It's asinine to suggest ASB can't brew as much as it's asinine to suggest Cellarmaker can't can. Wicked Juicy in cans for example has been every bit the same on tap & consistent. Tim nor Connor would appreciate that less than constructive criticism but I digress.

Didn't you love the Glow (can)?Maybe I'm thinking of someone else. That's one of their least popular can releases though, for good reason.

California is in fact one of the BEST makers of hazy. Just ask all the TreeHouse people waiting in blizzard like conditions for Special releases like Very Green (nevermind the regulars) ONLY to trade it for likes of Monkish. I see it all the time. How many Fw IPAs have you tried? Their last two IPA can releases were incredible, esp King Citra. What about Moonraker? Their Crush series (esp Nelson Crush) is beyond reproach. So many other good ones. Alpha Acid has some great ones, Noble, Green Cheek, Moderns Times last triple spec can rls widely considered on point. I've had PLENTY from back East, also alot of good ones too. I don't see the disparity at all & neither do the many I talk to.

Maybe you just don't like hazies much if that doesn't compute. I will be 1st to admit CM can choices don't always make sense. I hear it's based on historical sales numbers on tap, still doesn't compute. I'd have loved to see Turok rls this go at it with maybe a n64 themed can. Or Pop Pop... I think they'll can Double Mt Nelson when they have lots from MT & it will be incredible!

Anyway, it's great we have all these California 1st world problems, lol!

 

Which Turok? Mosaic Hunter or Turok Juice? I enjoyed Hunter but Juice would force me to miss class for a can release.

 

Dat Turok Juice tho!

 

As I sit here and enjoy this crazy good taplist at Cellarmaker (Radio Edit, Hop Making Sense, Purity Supreme, Big Lots, and Double Mad Nibs...I have to agree...what’s up with Cellarmaker’s cannimg choices? I still have a can of The Glow in my fridge cuz I just don’t really want to drink it...I would destroy a four pack of Purity Supreme or Radio Edit though...and IG_Hunter we cool

 

Foreal doh!

 

Same! Why GLOW, again?! That Radio Edit is fire.

Maybe they worry too much about a bad can run? Buy why would WJ be any different than these others. I don't get the logic but I keep pestering them for DMN so we'll see!

 

I'm always wanting more hazy pale ales in can or on draft so whoever is putting them out is fine with me.

 

I loved the first The Glow when it was released alongside with WIcked Juicy. In fact, that may have been the only CM can I really liked. It did go a little weird a week or two later though. The 2nd batch, when it was alongside Double Moonage, I did not like.

First of all, I think of Monkish and Moonraker as tops of the West Coast juice game.

Second, just because TreeHouse people trade for Monkish doesn't mean that Monkish is better - only that they're more sought out / rare / grassisgreenerontheotherside. For me, I think they're different. Monkish is to me more like Trillium in their taste profile, but Monkish is better at it. But I'm not a big Monkish fan either, because I hate the hype, and by Monkish's fans own admission... the hoppy beers they don't can aren't that great. I've visited 3x already, and I completely agree.

I love Cellarmaker because their style is more unfiltered fusion, but they also make plenty of pure WC, and the occasional juice bomb. I don't think their juice is as good as Monkish and Moonraker (we'll see at Beer Week!), but that's okay. Their normal unfiltered fusion, no one does better.

Fieldwork is hit and miss taste-wise for me. And expensive for cans AND they charge tax. I think their inconsistency bothers me. Like I'll have a beer and think it's the best Fieldwork beer ever (see Green Rest) and then I'll get a later batch and it's a totally different beer (see Green Rest) and get suckered into ordering it at a bar again for an even later batch (see Green Rest). I don't deny they CAN make good beer. But they put their popular beers on a more regular cycle than Cellarmaker, so I'm expecting their consistency to be better.

I like Modern Times beers and I admit I don't have access to their club-only releases, but sometimes we get them on tap here. As much as others love Dinosaur World, I don't. I don't like Centaur Gardens either. Effective Dreams was too malty for me by the time I tried it. But Critical Band and Spaceship Earth were great.

Visited Noble in November 2016 and didn't like anything I tried other than Naughty Sauce. They had 2 NEIPAs and a few WC IPAs, and all were awful. But even people in the Noble thread even said that beers they don't can aren't generally good, just like Monkish.

I have had only one of Alpha Acid's hazy beers (collab with ASB) at Ale Arsenal's 5th Anniversary, but it was just okay.

 

Oh and absolutely, Turok Juice may have been the best beer CM brewed last year. I want it back.

 

I want Tiny Dankster cans. And also FYI I didn't get any off-putting notes or sensations from Big Lots...super delicious and very much a traditional Cellarmaker hazy DIPA.

 

Tasted same both times. Both mediocre at best. WJ was fantastic in bottle, same in can, same in can again (DDH). It's just they can it too frequently in lieu of spreading wings.

Head scratcher... Not gonna deny Cali is on point (despite how contradictory that sounds to last). Monkish to me was better in 2016 than 2017 but that's just splitting hairs. Space Cookie was my favorite of recent releases. And of course, Beats & Bomb Atomically. I don't know about today's release, wheat and pizza dough? I do love that Enigma hops though.

Nope, but to your 'most' comment it means a considerable amount of East Coasters (inc many of which I have routinely traded with) think otherwise. I think both line crawls are bananas. With Monk you need to sometimes wait an hour or two, with TH wait in brutal cold to boot. No thanks. I've had enough of the regular rotation to say that's a tough pill to swallow. But VG is special and most people that buy it know this. Ever heard phrase, 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'? We have enough good hazy in Cali that I often don't feel like incurring the expense of trading for something that might be worse, same, or incrementally better

I could actually kind of agree with some of that sentiment. It's hit and miss. Hey, where have I heard that before? Everyone is hit and miss to some extent, Moonraker included (recently even). Oh well, I still hunt it (more good than bad).

Love is a strong term for prior sentiment, nothing has changed drastically with cans, other than arguably uneventful can choices.

When you say most of Cali hazy is pretty bad? Who are they (besides your obvious disdain for ASB)? I don't know which specific Monkish IPAs were not on point and which were (can or tap) according to you? Do you really drink a lot of Monkish can releases? How many in last year? I don't know what a 'normal unfiltered fusion' even is LOL. Maybe contrast with a 'not normal unfiltered fusion' so I have my bearings straight on both ends. -n00b

Yet as many here do in fact attest, they've been one of the most consistent IPA brewers in the Bay for a decent amount of time now. They also haven't charged tax for some time (well, tax inclusive is what you obviously mean) so that's why you wouldn't know. I would *def* hunt King Citra rls from Sat were I you. It sits with anything these days from Monkish. ANYTHING. And I can list all the Monkish (cans) it tops if you like.

3 batches then, wow. Last Green Rest can rls was in October, it was widely received as fantastic, dat simcoe tho! I don't remember prior. You might also be digging in the archives on that one.

Who would (deny)? They do so often. Last 3 Pulp, fire. Last 2 King Citra (at least) fire. Last Green Rest, Fire. Last two Galaxy Sauce (maybe 3), fire. Last Galaxy juice, fire. Sea Farmer, tour de force. Wax, same (if you like Enigma hops). Not only that, they have a service model that dispenses with lines in large part (i.e. unlike the Howard crawl) and usually have everything on tap to try before buy. Protip: Order, sit down and leave your tap open after you've gathered your cans. Superb, sir. 6th tap room coming soon; that might become my new home.

You def don't need access to club for ANY of their IPAs, bud. I try all the good ones, buds usually give me head's up as they're on tap prior.

In fact, they never sell out anymore, sometimes have spec can releases for weeks if not months available at their tap rooms. You needn't drink their shelfies. But note I was very careful to tell you the last rls I enjoyed. That would be Finally Open in LA (HPB), Fortunate Sun (GN) and Ghost Train. Perfect Talon was also fire, fresh.

Long time ago in hazy time. They've on occasion put good hazies, Drops of Jupiter and FHQWHGADS comes to mind. I won't speak to their WC style IPAs. Their DIPA collab with Gunwhale Ales was probably the best I've had from them.

They do a few good ones, May the Haze be with you was excellent. Maybe this last one that just hit. Small batches though. They run out quick.

 

Hazy is too loose of a word. When people say hazy, I don't think they mean unfiltered, as lots of brewers put out hazy. I think what they mean is NE juice bombs.

Hence, Cellarmaker's style of unfiltered hoppy beers with low bitterness and massive hop flavor is different from what New England is making. And I'm fine with that. I like their WC/NE fusion style better than NE juice bombs anyway. And I like their PAs way more than their IPAs and DIPAs. But it sounds like you don't.

Anyway, I've tried a number of hazy beers from breweries that local BA people like, and I don't like them one bit.

Brouwerij West
Pure Project
New Glory
Track 7
Revision (Yes, I know, it's NV, not CA)
Mikkeller SD
Sonoma Springs

Hell, even what I had from Noble and The Bruery (just prior to them creating Offshoot) were like the above, and just as amateur.