What is it about Vermont?

As a few above have pointed out, a very strong argument could be made about the Greg Noonan theory. He was extremely influential in this area.

 

Myself, I do seek out beers from other areas, especially when I travel out-of-state. But I try to always have a supply of HT, SOS, and various other local beers in my fridge, and I always order local beers on draft. Living in VT, it's not hard to keep the majority of my beer purchases local. And, yes, I think the top VT beers are some of the best anywhere, and that's not just homerism.

 

Ouch man. I don't just write about beer, I do have a life and a real job. Yes, I don't base my perception of beer on their trade values. It should be about beer and not how valuable the beer is in trade/black markets. And I do enjoy a lot of local beer and I've traveled all over the US and world for work/personal and lived in other great beer regions, but yeah, thanks for getting personal.

 

I wonder if the brewers share similar techniques and share secrets with each other. Cause theyre just making phenomenal beers out there. California has Hundreds but seems more like a competition with them, and only a handful make amazing beers.

 

Imo that is true about people from any state in New England!

 

The price of milk is driving those once destined for cheese making greatness into the world of beer?

 

So being a local, what did your parents do for a living to raise you and send you to college? How about some of your friends situations? Just trying to get a pulse on multi-generational families from Vermont whom I'm guessing are the backbone of the population, vs wealthy retirees from the cities, brewery employees, B&B owners, ski instructors and organic/hippie farmers (maybe that really is the bulk of population?).

 

There are so many good all around breweries that are better. His hoppy beers are mess. I drank a glass of single hop citra from the source a few weeks ago and it tasted like slightly citrusy watery grain. And plenty of breweries make farmhouse beers better than his. And some of those breweries make both better..

 

I suggest you duck for cover

 

I know quite a number of fine beer lovers and none of us share that opinion. In fact, Le Sarrasin is the finest saison I have tasted, and most of his other saisons are in with my top favorites also. Abner, Ephraim, Double Citra, Susan, and Double Galaxy are some of the finest hoppy beers anywhere. His stouts are good to very good, and only Beyond Good and Evil would I consider great. Everett is certainly one of the best Porters in the country.

Of course, this is only the opinion of myself. And everyone I know. And the overwhelming majority of BA's who rate and review. So take it for what it's worth.

 

Lost Nation: Allen is from NJ and Jamie is from VA.

 

Thanks. So far the tally I have is 1 homegrown Vermont Brewer vs 4 transplants. Anyone else have intel on the other brewers whom have been around for a while (Otter Creek, Long Trail, Magic Hat etc)?

 

Before moving to Delaware and Dogfish Head, Mike Gerhart of Otter Creek brewed at Kross Brewing in Morrisville, VT with Allen Van Anda of Lost Nation. I'm pretty certain he was born in our state.

 

Magic Hat was founded by Alan Newman. I can't find where he was from originally, but he's an eccentric character who found a place in VT. I believe he currently works for Boston Beer Company leading their Alchemy and Science division, unless he went back into retirement. Here's a good archive interview with him: http://archive.burlingtonfreepress....nder-Magic-Hat-mission-boost-craft-beer-world
Most of the VT locals turned against Magic Hat when he sold the company. That fierce local loyalty can run two ways, just ask Ben and Jerry's and Cabot cheese.

 

This post nails it right on the head, add in Greg Noonan's influence that others have said and sprinkle in a bit of luck as well as a community of brewers who communicate and share amongst each other and you have vermont beer. There is no magic well of beer here that others cannot do, it is just Vermont is doing it and has been for a long while.

 

This is laughable. Which breweries are you referring to and which beers?

 

Mike is from Suffern, NY. He was going to college in St. J when he first applied to start work at Kross brewery. Alan and (I think) Jamie also went to school there. There's a good Alumni article that came out in the summer with interviews of them,

 

If I'm not wrong, he's the one in the Traveler Beer Co commercials where he comments about how he has been fired from every job he's had. And yes, that's part of the Alchemy and Science division. And Eccentric Character is putting it lightly...
Magic Hat has had some ups and downs, and I think part of it is just quality control - and use of Ringwood yeast a few too many generations (see Shipyard, though apparently they are PROUD of the butterscotch thing they have)
I still like the Heart of Darkness when they release it, though not a huge fan of most of their other beers.
That said, MH was one of the beers / brands that got me into craft beer in the mid - late 90s, when so many others from then are long gone.
It is funny how many of the "old school" VT brewers are having a resurgence of sorts - Otter Creek, Long Trail, along with MH to a degree. The Shed is still kicking, Rock Art, Even Catamounts recipes do really well when Harpoon brews them.

 

Crazy talk plain and simple. Over-hyped, sure I can see that. But to call his hoppy beers a "mess" is just crazy talk. He also produces some of, if not the finest saisons in the country. And that is not just my opinion.