Notable Releases - DC/NOVA/MD

Seems to me there is too big an obsession these days with labeling things and comparing them. Is "NE IPA" really a thing? I mean, really? How many breweries are you talking about when you say that? Count them. Ok, now count the rest of the breweries in New England. What does "West Coast" mean? The old Green Flash bitter bomb? The original, late-hop clean malt bill, Blind Pig? The newer stuff like Societe, Cellarmaker, whatever stuff? Sculpin? All those beer are so different. Does Trillium taste like Hill Farmstead? Is it suppose to? Is Pipeworks "better" than Lawsons? Aren't all those breweries awesome not matter what you call them? Would you walk in to Long Trail or Dogfish and tell them their IPAs aren't New England-y enough for you? Think about that. For me, beer tastes better when you drink it rather than when you try to label and compare it. I'll step off my high horse now. Hail Skins.

 

Welcome to Beer Advocate.

 

No need to apologize. This thread has turned into an all things related to beer in the MD/DC/NoVa area. At least your question was related to a beer that was released in the area fairly recently. Or did you mean you were going off topic from the Ocelot appreciation thread?

 

I pretty much agree with everything @almostjay said. When compared to the world class NE hoppy beers (TH, Trillium, Alchemist, HF, etc...) I think Ocelot's beers are little too bitter and a bit on the thin side. However, if you compare them to others beers in the area I think most would agree that they are producing some of the best offerings. As @JamLand eluded too, the fact that this is the second conversation in a week to focus on Ocelot is enough proof that people like their beers.

Back on topic, anyone know when SN Beer Camp and Abyss are going to land? They seem to be making their way to the east coast.

 

I saw the Beer Camp at the Safeway on King Street in Alexandria yesterday (Bradlee shopping center).

 

Harris Teeter in North Old Town has it in 6 and 12 packs. Given that it's Sierra Nevada, it'll be all over the area.

 

Is Celebration all gone? I didn't get any, and I'm not seeing it around.

 

I'm sure there is some around, I saw some at a Harris Teeter a couple days ago.

 

WF Fair Lakes has a stack of celebration over my seafood coolers

 

Speaking of Sierra Nevada, does anybody have any idea why Sierra Nevada Stout appears to only ship to MD and not NoVA or DC?

This appears to be true for New Belgium Abbey Ale as well.

 

Ha! Thanks. Yeah, I've lurked enough to know better.

When is the next Solar Abyss coming out? Seems like it's been a while.

 

Anyone seen this year's Deschutes Abyss (not solar abyss) yet? God I love fruity stouts. Last year i think i got one at Harris Teeter, of all places.

 

This is pretty exciting news knowing what Maine puts out. Coming next month...http://mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com/2016/01/heavy-seas-partner-ships-series-maine.html?spref=tw

 

This. Unless they say something differently, I would plan on Solar Abyss being a once a year release.

 

People should also plan on it not being called Solar Abyss

 

I think a few years ago, Sierra pulled their stout out of the VA market as it wasn't selling.

 

How come we aren't seeing more experimentation/variation from them? They used to push out one-off items every few months. The list is long: For Others, Yonder Cities, Pauncy, 9th Gate, Deus Ex Machina, Junglist, The Rider, Heurich's Lager, Cimmerian, St. Joseph's Tripel, Thyme After Thyme, Seasons in the Field, Ground Wolf, Theory and Practice, etc etc. Also, random batches of Oaked PQP, Stone of Arbroath with Belgian yeast (Arbroath Abbey)...

Haven't seen any of this kinda thing for many months, and honestly, it's why I've gone from stopping in once a month to twice a year. I get that they are busy with pushing their regular line of cans out - and good for them on the expanded distro, but what about something to keep us regulars coming back?

 

I'm sure they're having a tough enough time keeping up with their current accounts. Their cans & draft are everywhere now.

It'd be great if they could open up a brewpub where they could do pilot batches of experimental stuff and sell growlers, cans, and everything else they currently sell at the brewery. Basically like what Right Proper did, but in reverse.

Even when they were doing more brewery only stuff, the Bladensburg location is a huge pain to get to & a terrible place to hang out. I've always liked the people there & it's worth an occasional trip for OTWOA/ADM/Solar Abyss, but a more centrally located taproom would make a lot of locals happy.

 

Has anyone tried kegged Hop Ranch this year? I got a fill for NYE, and if you told me I was drinking a Saison I would've believed you. It tasted great, but not what I was expecting. The batch I had in 2015 was a completely different beer.