Anyone Else Love Jacks Abby As Much As Me?

Mass rising is one of the best i've ever had period. I've had a few others like jabby brau, maibock, and hoponious union and I loved em all. I've definitely put them in my top 5 or 10 breweries, and the best part is I feel I've only scratched the surface with them. Still gotta try their framinghamer among others and as soon as I get back to the northeast I am stocking up!

And as far as the brewery's reputation goes I think their name will start to get the respect it deserves (nationally) soon enough. Definitely one of the best in the country.

 

Judging by the immediate responses I would say no

 

Jacks Abby already gets a ton of love from what I've seen. MBC is mentioned in the OP for example - I think JA has as much, if not more, of a cult status amongst the beer community.

Personally I have tried a few of their beers (mass, kiwi, hoponius, saxonator, framing, maibock, smoke and dagger) and enjoyed most of them, but part of me wonders if there's a certain "woah dude, this is what a lager can taste like" element to their popularity. Not looking to get in a debate vs what constitutes a proper lager ('innovative' vs traditional etc), as the main thing about any beer is that it tastes good. Purely an observation.

 

Hoponius Union is a bad mofo!!!!!

 

I like a lot of their beers, and happily will to drive up to NY to get them. Smoke and Dagger is the one that stands out to me as being the most unique and worth the trip. They do have a way with hoppy beers, too, but the more 'traditional' ones are missing that little something that would make them worth the price.

 

I do! Easily in my top three.

The quality and consistency of their beer is amazing and their hoppy beers are awesome.

 

I live fairly close and can get their beers easily and often do. I am actually taking my first brewery trip there today to get the Pb&J, cocoa-nut and other brewery only releases. Hoponious Union and Smoke and Dagger are great "every day" beers.

That being said, I think part of the appeal is that they have taken lagers to a different level as @rollom says. Craft beer was built on ales with one exception in Sam Adams (and it's an odd, malty, hoppy lager). I drank Hoponious Union side by side with a DFH 60 minute at a restaurant recently and it wasn't close. HU was clearly better. That opens eyes. Their Cascadian Schwartzbier was amazing...like the dark IPAs we see now, but an actual German lager style unknown to most drinkers I suspect.

Another key for me is their pricing. Sixes are very reasonable. The 500ml format is often only $3.99 and varies a bit (barrel aged cherry Berliner Braun $6). Contrast that to Maine Brewing, using the same format and charging $7-8 for every beer they make. I confess that I like MBC better overall, and if they put MO or Zoe out in sixes at $10 they couldn't keep it on shelves.

 

Mostly they make lagers to suit the ale drinker palate. When they do something traditional it often misses the mark in some fashion. I love what they do, but being a lager only brewery is more of a niche to make them stand out than it is about brewing quality traditional lagers.

 

No, MORE than you!

 

Me too. I can never seem to find the framinghammers but I have their schwarz, the berliner and the IPL in my fridge right now. =)

 

I love being able to easily find most of their stuff when I go up to visit my mom, as she lives about 15 minutes from the brewery. That said, I haven't had enough of their offerings to label myself a fan yet. Hoponius Union and Framinghammer are standouts to me, though I've had a couple others - Hopstitution and Maibock - that definitely fell short. Still really hoping to try Smoke & Dagger, Baby Maker, Mass Rising, and the barrel aged Framinghammer variants. I just wish they'd offer more in 4/6 packs or full bomber sizes in addition to the half liter bottles.

 

I was fortunate enough to attend a totasl tap takeover a couple months back and lets just say I appreciated the few I had tried from JA prior
After finally trying BA Framinghammer in 4 varieties I am totally in LOVE with this brewery !!!

 

The Risings, Hammers, and Baby Maker are outstanding. The rest I've has are pretty solid though Leisure Time was good for what it was but not particularly exciting. Fire in the Ham was a MAJOR miss for me. Very round about way of saying, yeah, I do like me some Jack's Abby.

 

I was recently introduced to them and I gotta say I'm a big fan. Will continue to try new things from them as I find them.

 

Fanboy right here.

 

I love Jack's Abby. It annoys me when someone discredits them by saying things like, "They only make lagers, though." There are many breweries who only make ales and that doesn't stop us from saying they're great.

 

I'll just echo the sentiments from several other posters: Mass Rising is incredible. Had it on draft at 5 Horses in Davis Sq in Sommerville and immediately picked up a 4pk after.

 

I have thoroughly enjoyed everything of there's (though I wasn't too big on that collab they did with Lawson's). I don't recall having any of their ales, in fact, I didn't think they made any.