Tyranena: Sleeper Brewery.

Tyranena, while great, has been a bit stagnant lately. Their BGW series used to be something to look forward to each year, but lately they've just been reproducing old stuff. Their regular lineup is solid though.

 

They like litigation so I blacklisted them:

http://beerpulse.com/2013/05/tyranena-reveals-email-sent-to-pipeworks-over-scurvy-ninja-beer/

 

I have always enjoyed their offerings; they even do the more experimental stuff that truly speaks to the subset beer geeks on here. Maybe their distribution hurts them? I don't think they make it to Ohio, so once I moved out of IN haven't had any.

 

Much better beer? I very much disagree.

Tyranena makes some very enjoyable beers but I find most of them lacking in some way or another. Most of my experience with the brewery has been with the Brewers Gone Wild series. The series has produced tasty beers but I would take the comparable beers from other Great Lakes area breweries over them nine times out of ten.

 

I swear that Doubly Down 'N Even Dirtier was better than KBS and half the cost. I'm told that they've gone through a brewer or two in the past couple years. Hop ***** used to be phenomenal but the last two years I didn't think it was worth buying. It was nice seeing Benji's hit Indiana though.

 

Hmmm... In the past 12 months the BGW series.

Dirty Old Man
Whose Yor Daddy
Devil Made Me Do It
Benjies Chipotle Smoked Porter
Shaggin in the Wood

This Fall, Doubly Down and Even Dirtier will be released.

I don't call that line up stagnant at all. Oh and the 4 packs retail for $8-$9!

 

I have had both their Chipotle Porter and Shagging and those were great beers and ones I would have again. There isn't anything in their regular lineup though that I have decided to revisit yet. I don't mind Rocky's Revenge, their porter, or Down and Dirty, everything else has been average or good, but not great. There are better options for the styles that are just as available.

 

So basically...nothing new? And they're all porters 'cept Shaggin in the Wood & Doubly Down and Even Dirtier. Seems pretty stagnant to me.

That's not to say these aren't great beers...

 

That's my point... they've all been done before. It's not so much of a Brewers Gone Wild series anymore as it is a Brewers-Seasonly-Brew Something-They've-Brewed-in-the-Past-Because-They-Don't-Feel-Like-Being-Wild series

Great beers for sure, just nothing new. And IMO they'll never top Devil Over a Barrel

 

Just wondering, but have you been to the brewery? There are new small batch beers on tap every now and then.
Not sure if they need anything new as these BWG beers are so good and only offered every 2-5 years. At only 6K Bbls and employing a few employees I'm not sure how much more you can ask of this brewery. Stick with what you are good at.

 

Yeah, I've been there several times as I have family in the area. They didn't seem to have a problem not re-releasing BGW stuff before, but that's ok... there's always Central Waters :-D

 

Rob brewed a Imperial version of his Down N Dirty Stout that is on tap at the brewery. Details on FB.

 

Benji's is one of my all time favorites. Hope it returns soon.

 

The BGW series beer are usually brewed only 3-5 years. It was cool to see Devil Made Me Do It brewed in 2012 and 13. Wish Rob would have thrown the 13 batch in some barrels and released Devil Over a Barrel.

 

I agree they make some amazing stuff but the issue is their regular line up isn't very good. The Brewers gone Wild and some of the seasonal are top notch though.

 

This. They do some different things with the BGW series that ends up being brewery only. For a small brewery this is a good idea to gauge a response to a beer.

 

They brew the best "traditional" IIPA in Wisconsin, a solid IPA, and a really nice brown ale aged in bourbon barrels. The BGW stuff is hit for miss for me, but more hit than not. Still want to get to their tasting room.

 

Trust his opinion, he would know, with all the Founders he drinks.