Breweries that makes better seasonals than year rounds.

i'm that way with Samuel Adams.

 

if 75 min ipa is only season then dogfish head is one.
hopslam by bells is my favorite by them.
definitely agree with sam adams.

Its seems alot of breweries are like this because many of us here like the dipas and more strongly flavored beers like pumpkin and spiced beers where the average consumer does not. So they can't afford to make a beer like hopslam or celebration year round.

 

I feel this way about Deschutes for the most part.

 

Troegs - NN, Mad Elf, Dead Reckoning & Perpetual.

 

Olde Hickory. Their special releases are almost always great, especially the barrel aged stuff, but their regular offerings are pretty meh except for Death by Hops.

Terrapin. I enjoy most of their side projects and monster beer tour beers, but not so much their regular offerings.

 

Captain Lawrence springs to mind immediately. The reg lineup is quite good, but their special releases are some of the best beers on the planet. Rosso, Cuvee de Castleton, Imperial Smoked Porter, all of these are an order of magnitude better than Xtra Gold, Golden Delicious, Captain's Reserve, etc.

 

Southern Tier.

 

Most breweries have better seasonals and special release beers than their year round offerings.

 

central waters and deschutes for me

 

As much as I hate to say this, I sort of agree. I love Troegs, but their everyday line up is pretty boring actually. I do like the Pale Ale a lot more so than the Hopback, but there is nothing in their line up that is a staple in the fridge.

PS: Don't forget Flying Mouflan on that list

 

I love Great Lakes year round beers but look forward more to their seasonals.

Nosferatu
Octoberfest
Blackout Stout
Christmas Ale
Lake Erie Monster

 

I am this way almost all the time, with all breweries. I don't think it is that I don't like the flagship beers, I just think they all blend together a little more. While stability and consistency reside in year round offerings, I like the wild experimental offerings that come once a year, or for one season a year. There are too many beers out there, always something new being released. I just can't settle down with one beer.

 

Mayflower Brewing. Spring Hop is good if you like hoppy ambers, I love their Thanksgiving Ale and Summer Rye, and their Winter Oatmeal Stout taught me to love stouts again. The less said about Autumn Wheat, the better.

I've had their IPA and Golden Ale, and they're not bad but they're nothing I've found truly amazing.

 

Sam Adams Definitely (though noble pils is year round now)
Narragansett
Magic Hat (there year round stuff is very mediocre, some of their seasonals are good)
Lagunitas best stuff is seasonal, but there regular lineup is also strong.

 

Many are like this. It's because they're more intense usually, and people on here tend to gravitate toward very flavorful beers. Founders for instance. One of my favorites, yet I hardly ever buy anything year round. KBS, BS, IS, Double Trouble, the list goes on. Their year round are good, but those seasonals are awesome. Nugget Nectar is the best Troegs, Hopslam drives people crazy, etc. The best part is that there's always a new one coming out so it doesn't become an issue.

 

Ballast Point and Stone.

Other than Sculpin which is year round now, the rest of Ballast Point beers are bland and boring. Their seasonals such as Victory at Sea, Tongue Buckler, Dorado, Sea Monster etc are fantastic.

Stone is just meh to me other than the seasonals.

 

While I still like their normal stuff, Goose Island tends to do an exceptional job with their seasonals.

 

I sometimes get tired of drinking some breweries year-round offerings and tend to gravitate toward seasonal beers just to constantly try something new or different. There are usually so many different seasonal offerings that rotate that I look forward to, which makes me overlook the year round offerings because you can get them whenever! Who would rather get Two Hearted than Hopslam when it's fresh and available!?

 

Bell's, really? I think Porter, Two Hearted, and Kalamazoo Stout are better than Hopslam. The only seasonal that I think is as good as those is Hall Hath No Fury.