Beer shop finds.

There's some in CT.

It's very good.

 

I just saw some OEC Coolship Lager at Yankee Spirits. I didn't even know they canned never mind distributed.
Should I have picked it up?

 

drinking one now, it’s quite nice. I don’t know all the lager adjectives but I wouldn’t call it crisp. Surprisingly sturdy.

 

Has anyone seen Oxbow's Sap Haus anywhere?

 

I think I picked some up at Ball Square Fine Wines and Liquors in Somerville, and Pemberton Farms in Cambridge.

This was maybe a week or two ago?

Had a can this past Sunday, excellent beer if you can find it.

 

haha came here just now to ask this. I found Black Light, which is a dark farmhouse ale, and grabbed that. Happy to hear if Sap Haus is in the Merrimack Valley. I went under budget for holiday beer shopping and could use another tasty treat

 

Went to Pemberton yesterday and I couldn't find it there. They had Harvest, which I would've gotten if I hadn't already gotten a 4 of Luppolo a few days ago. Pemberton's beer section is not the most organized or neat...

I really want to try Sap Haus because I really like smoked lagers and I love Oxbow.

 

Yeah...

I went there looking for a Toppling Goliath beer (I think) once and didn’t think they had it. Then I went in the cooler and saw it was behind another one of their beers. So you had to know they had it.

I would call and see if they have it. I don’t think I saw it in the cooler, a lot of their newer stuff can be right in the front of that display as you walk in. Or there’s random stuff in the cooler itself (saw Cerne Pivo there the other day).

They’re really nice and helpful though if you need to find something.

 

Question that I asked a friend today:

When shopping for beer, what is more often your strategy: Do you take a flyer a style you love by a brewery you don't know (or are relatively unfamiliar with) or do you take a chance on a style because it's a brewery you love and trust?

In other words, are you more likely to buy a NEIPA you've never had from New Guy Brewing Co. or a Kolsch from Threes.

(Obviously these aren't real examples. It was just word-for-word what I typed him. He lives in NYC.)

 

The front display is where Harvest was. If I had had more time, I would've asked someone. If I could have found someone.

The latter for me. I feel like I've been burned many times by unknown breweries. I don't try to be a first user/trier person anymore. I'm a late adapter. I stick to tried and true.

 

The latter for me too.
With the amount of subpar breweries getting cans into stores these days, I don't know how you could do the former. Chances are you are going to be throwing that money away.
Is looking at reviews a buying option?
It might be frowned upon by some but it is a good way to at least narrow the field a bit. There is so much mediocre beer out there right now.

 

On this last point, I feel like a lot of people blindly feel craft = good/better. If I'm in a bar or a restaurant and I don't like the tap list, I'm plenty comfortable getting wine or a cocktail.

Drinking a Small Change A Little Rain. Nice little pale.

 

*Both

*I’ll take a flyer on a new brewery if it’s a style I rarely see. Otherwise, hell no.

A couple examples of each scenario.

I’d either had nothing or very little from Small Change. I bought their Dark Mild because I NEVER see a Dark Mild packaged.

I’ll buy anything from Notch.

 

I saw this the other day at Liquor Junction in Reading. I almost bought it. Style was right. Price was right, but the date was early August. I didn’t want to risk it. It’s a light, delicate style and I didn’t want to degrade my experience with a beer I’d probably really dig being past it’s prime.

Let me know how it is. If it’s a similar packaging date and it holding up, I can’t imagine it’s flying off the shelves and I’ll be able to get some.

 

I had a four-pack a while ago. Not bad, but I thought it could have used some more depth of flavor. Don’t remember how old it was. Not a repurchase for me, but worth a try.

 

I bought it awhile ago when it came out. It was good, I’ve had much better Dark Milds but to be fair, those were on cask.

But if I saw it fresh again I’d buy it.

 

Grabbed a few of the stronger offerings at CBC Westford. Jack's Abby Cousin Maker, Boulevard Brandy Land, and Founders KBS Espresso and Frangelic Mountain Brown.

 

Idle Hands Klara is on the shelves now dated 12/4. I don't know exactly what makes a Dortmunder different from a pilsner, but dear lord is this good. It's been a while since I had it, and I remember really liking it, but I'm fighting to not just guzzle it down it's so clean and drinkable.

I wonder if they could eventually position this a little like Night Lite or House Lager for the non geek crowd?

 

Oops, I forgot to mention I specifically got it at Rapid in Stoneham.

 

There’s a bunch of Drie Fonteinen at Marty’s in Newton. I couldn’t pull the trigger on Hommage at 65$, those are restaurant prices. They have plenty of Gueze and A+G though, at a decent price for lambic. I just walked out with a 4 pack of sip of sunshine for some nice holiday drinking.