Breweries you've done a 180 on

I'm honestly not sure what it is. The best description would be "cookie-like" although that's not 100% right. I assume it's something related to the malt as I get it in both their lagers and ales and with American and German hopped beers, too.

 

used to love southern tier when I first got into craft beer. Ive only been disappointed as of late, to the point where I wont buy their stuff anymore

 

As I said in my post above, that's not the only reason I will not buy Lagunitas beers anymore. They are going to be a seperate entity but no longer 'craft' by definition and if I buy Lagunitas then some portion of my money is going to Heineken (I assume, I don't know the financial details of the deal). For similar reasons I don't buy Goose Island brews.

 

Yup, now that you mentioned it I have noticed a similarity in flavor of some of their brands wrt a malt flavor. I personally ascribe this flavor to their use of 60L Caramel Malt for a number of their brands.

I use crystal/caramel malt in my homebrewing but I choose to not use highly kilned malts like 60L to avoid the caramel flavors it can impart. The crystal/caramel malt I use the most is 20L since it imparts very little caramel flavor.

Cheers!

 

I will never understand how people dont still consider Goose Island and I guess now Lagunitas "craft". Its like some people fault a business for being successful.

 

Agree with both of these! I loved SUCKS when it was a Xmas seasonal, kept it fresh. Then, the 32oz mess that sat on the shelves! Now, the year 6 packs are year round and they sit too because they are everywhere!! Don't get me started on their impossible to read bottle dating!

 

I don't think people are faulting a brewery for being successful, they would just prefer to support craft breweries not BMC, Heineken, etc.

 

I first experienced them in the town of Greenport (btw, my favorite town on LI) - and was put off my their Leaf Pile ale, their tasting room and the prices they charged in their tasting room. Subsequently, I strongly disliked their Harbor Ale and Summer Ale, the former which I have grown to love (accepting it as a throwback pale) and the latter which I learned to love if served ice cold. Some of their IPAs I was on the fence with, most of which I now quite enjoy. So as you see, silly shit

 

I wasn't wild on Flying Dog until I visited the Brewery. I drove an hour west of Baltimore out to Frederick, MD for a tour on a Saturday morning, and not only did it sell me on the quality of their beers, but it was the best tour I've experienced. Now I look for whatever's new on draught or in stores, and usually have a sixer of Dogtoberfest in my fridge as my go-to Marzen in the Fall. First post!!!

 

Good 180 - Clown Shoes, thought they were gimmicky with the stupid names and all, but they have a solid line-up of beers...of course I can't get them in SC anymore

Bad 180 - Highland - still OK with the Mocha Stout and Oatmeal Porter, but I'm getting to dispise their seasonal releases, and I'm not crazy about the rest of their year round offerings

 

I drink Black Duck often. Their is a sour tinge to the aftertaste which sometimes I enjoy, and other times less so.
Their Harbor Ale is not, at least to my tastes, centered in the realm of newer age American pale and India ales. For me, it's dry, tea-like and more in the vain of an English Pale Ale, and not the "light in color, smooth on the palate with citrus and tropical hop notes" beer they describe it as. It's very traditional.

 

Interesting, though i'd never try any two beers of the same style right next to one another as it changes my perception of each beer. I once did an IPA blind test and as i started to sip the other beers, all I was tasting were weird vegetal, bitter, strangeness, and I knew those other beers did not taste like that. But I do agree that the Unibroue beers yeast gives off a much more fruit, sweet profile than do some others.

 

+180 = Not a big sample size, however, recently did a +180 on Flossmoor Station. Used to go here all the time since close to my house, but all their food and beers were ho-hum. Took a year long break from them and they hired a new head brewer since, checked out their Maquinista 2XIPA and it was quite good.

-180 = Three Floyds. Was big on them, everything tasted great. Then...something changed. They either played with the formulas or QC issues and my favorites like Alpha King and ZD took a considerable nose dive. These just aren't the same beers as they were 4 years ago, period. Every once in awhile I'll have a good offering from them, but not much. To pile on, they increased their costs to $12.99 for a six and almost every bomber is that price point too. No non-best in class beer is worth that to me; I'll pass everyday.

 

You probably could locate him easily enough. If I remember, the head of Clown Shoes also owns Bermans in Lexington. Greg Berman I think? Although, now that I type that, I think he might just own it and not be the head brewer. If only there were a magical search engine where I could find this information...but I'm too lazy.

Dope

 

Sierra Nevada. Narwal was imo a sticky sweet over hopped mess and an over all terrible RIS. The Octoberfest though…I will be drinking that until it is out of distribution!

 

Sly Fox. Twenty years ago I worked 15 minutes away from them and remember thinking they were just an ok brewery. In the six months I was on assignment there, I think I may have stopped in twice. I was not as into craft then, but had them below Yuengling. Now I find myself taking a yearly trip from Massachusetts to sample some of my favorites.

 

Dan Lipke is our head brewer, working for us full time now for 6 weeks. I no longer own any part of Berman's, though my family does. Our office and warehouse is in Burlington, next to The Burlington Mall. A fews folks have made it to this industrial mecca, but mostly for free beer, not to shake my hand or Dan's.