How about that Odd Side, huh?

I was told they won't fill a growler of most barrel aged stuff although it sounded like anything else was fair game. No BBIMM growler for me unfortunately.

I've found they're hit or miss but admire the creativity none the less.

 

Top 3 is a no. But I will give you somewhere in the top 10

 

They make good stouts but don't even come close to Short's when it comes to IPAs and pale ales. Definitely not top 3

 

Oddside is the best brewery in michigan not named bells or founders.

 

Top 10 at best, definitely not better than Shorts.

 

This is a really tough state to name a top 3 but Oddside is like Zoolander (so hot right now) and even the beers I'm not looking forward to, I end up liking (Mokka Munt, Scallywager to name 2 recent ones).
They also have a cool brewpub that everyone should check out. Also I recently had an issue with a mistake in what I received on Black Friday (on me for not checking) and they apologized & took care of it willing to go well out of their way to do so. Obviously the beer is the ruling factor but that kind of service will have me trying to tick everything they put out in a state that has a crap ton of breweries with great beer

 

Short's is tops in my book, with Odd Side a close second. It's rare that either one is not in my fridge. Right now I've got Bean Flicker, Citra, Bourbon Barrell Citra, and Merry Elf. Mayan Mocha is a must have when it's out.

 

I must admit that I was shocked when they let me fill a swingtop of Morning Wood when I was there for the release of BBIMM.

As far as where Odd Side ranks within the state, it's a hard thing to do because so many different breweries approach the game from a different angle--for example, you can't really compare what Odd Side does to Founders or Bell's. But admittedly, Short's does make for a fairly good 1:1 comparison because both of them seem to put out a shitload of variety of beers and are both Michigan-only distribution. I have no idea how they compare from a size/production standpoint.

And between those two, I'd choose Odd Side without even hesitating. For starters, if I was just looking for a sixer of beer for a weekend, I'd pick any of Odd Side's flagships over any of Shorts'. In terms of specialty releases that see distribution, I've preferred most of what I've had from Odd Side from most of what I've had from Shorts. And lastly, I'm a little biased because I've not had any brewery-only beers from Shorts and I have had a few from Odd Side.

Plus, the final straw is the fact that the guys at Odd Side seem more in tune with my personal preferences than the guys at Shorts. A "Mexican" stout, a coffee blond and a citra pale ale simply appeal to me more than a brown, a fruit beer and a lager. I do enjoy Huma, but not enough to make up the difference in the others. Admittedly, Odd Side doesn't make an IPA that I like as much as Sticky Icky Icky or Hopstache...

 

The only nod I will give Short's over Odd Side is,(and it's a big one) is that Shorts makes/made probably my favorite beer of all time.. Nothing tops Woodmaster for me. I will bitch and bitch until I get to taste that sweet nectar once more!

 

Agree 100%. If you're a fan of hoppy beers you have to love what Short's is doing. They absolutely kill it with their hoppy offerings (and they make a lot of them!). Oddside, on the other hand... I can't think of 1 hoppy beer I've really enjoyed from them. Citra used to rank pretty high for me, but the last 3 or 4 times I've bought it it had that buttery diacetyl taste again. Blech. They better get that shit figured our before they start pumping it out in cans next year. Chocolade Koffie stout is another one. It used to be a main stay in my fridge all winter long as a nice easy drinking everyday stout. But the last few times I've bought that one it was full of off flavors. They may be going through some growing pains as they continue to ramp up production.

Now obviously OddSide's barrel-aging program is kicking ass. And let's be honest, in the 2015 craft beer scene you're considered legitimate by pumping out limited-release high-gravity bourbon-barrel-aged beers. So it's no surprise that Odd Side is gaining credibility in craft beer circles. Personally, I like what they're doing with sours too.

Overall, I'm a fan of what they're doing. I enjoy hanging out at the pub, and I appreciate the family-friendly atmosphere over there. I'm always sure to stop there when I'm in the area for a pint and growler fill. And they do make enough beers that I do enjoy that there is always a supply of something OddSide in my fridge at home.

 

CPA, Bean Flicker, Firefly, and Hipster are some of my favorites. They do beer with strange ingredients really well. But I will agree with the sentiment that they're not great with hops. Short's on the other hand nails the hop, but also makes phenomenal malty beers (Bellaire Brown, Autumn Ale, Noble Chaos). We're lucky to have both in this great beer state.

 

My thoughts exactly. Just wanted to chime in and say that I have had the off-flavors in Citra the last few times I've bought it as well. Every batch seems different. I'm not gonna pick it up until they start canning (hopefully they have things figured out by then).

 

did Mokka Munt go to distro or was it brewery only?

 

Mocha Munt went to distro. Already has come and gone and most stores in the GR area.

 

Top 3? No, and I'm in there once a week. It's really hit or miss on their beers. And more misses than hits. But they are getting better and I am debating renewing my mug club membership. But is it too much to ask for them to brew a drinkable IPA?

 

I was at Russo's Wednesday and they had a couple cases still.

 

Easily a top 3 michigan brewery in michigan. They release awesome new beers each month, have amazing barrel aged beers. Odd side is not afraid to try new things while other breweries tend to play it safe with boring traditional beer styles aka founders backstage series.

 

We're 37 posts into this thread about Odd Side and no one has made a comment/complaint about the thin mouth feel of their beers. That was a frequent complaint in it seems like as recently as a year ago. I haven't been buying any Odd Side beers for a while for that reason (I experienced the thin mouth feel too), so maybe I should give them another try?

 

Yes, give them another try. You are correct, their stouts did have a thin mouth feel about two years ago but that is a thing of the past. jmho, it all changed when they did their first Hipster release a year ago. They are killing it with their barrel program right now.

 

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets a Buttered Popcorn Citra flavor. I stopped buying it because it was 50/50