I'm enjoying a 2014 Backwoods Bastard tonight. It has mellowed out nicely. Last night I was at the taproom enjoying a Lizard of Koz. Delicious! Thursday night was at New Holland's new taproom in GR, where I had the Rum and Coconut Dragon's Milk Reserve. It was fantastic, and it instantly became a top ten beer for me. And the night before, I cracked open Short's new Double Magician, which I really loved. So pleased to be living in Grand Rapids! With apologies for the obvious chauvinism, I'd like to ask if others agree that Michigan craft brewing is really killing it right now.
Probably all BA Michiganders will state that Michigan breweries have been killing it for 30 years, ever since Bell's opened the doors.
Michigan breweries are killing it but I don't know what people are smoking with the rum coconut DM! I've sent two beers back before one for being infected and the other for tasting like tanning oil! ;-)
It's apparently a crowd splitter. I didn't mean that this one was infected, that was Silva tout. DM is the one that taste like tanning lotion to me. Not my bag I suppose. I wanted to love it because I love stouts brewed with coconut or aged in Rum but apparently not when they are aged in coconut rum barrels. :-/ The most recent batch of bb imperial Mayan mocha is amazing though. That's a Michigan brew that really parked it this year imo. I also have to plug Witchs hat, they've been really impressing me the past few years.
My buddies and I are trying to make our annual Black Friday beer plans and we're having a difficult time. There's just too many good places to have a good beer.
I'm in Berrian County right now visiting family and there are too many quality options to choose from.
I just had the Coconut DM reserve on tap last night in the NW Chicago suburbs and loved it. Any idea how far (or when) the bottle distribution is for it? I haven't started looking/calling yet... thought I'd start here
New Holland has a beer finder on their website: http://newhollandbrew.com/finder/ Looks like it's all over the Chicago area. A few places in the city posted it on twitter/instagram, but it seems like distro is fairly widespread:
Did I miss the memo about Old Nation brewing? Had their M43 at HopCat in GR and had to visit the brewery to get a few growlers before going back to Ohio. This stuff is stupid good. Liking it way more than the hops I tried from Transient.
I've tried some different things from Old Nation and they have been average but you're right....M43 seems like a hidden NE style gem at the moment. I heard that they will be doing some canning runs of it soon.
I have been meaning to go try it. I live 10 minutes from the brewery. Also I am a big fan of the coconut dragons milk. Just the right flavors for me. We in mid Michigan were some of the last to get it. So I imagine most places already got it.
I'm biased, let me start with that. But while I'm sitting here enraptured by my Bell's Two-Hearted, I have to agree with you whole-HEARTEDly. If I was left on a deserted island and had only Founder's and Bell's to carry me through, I would die a happy man!
Head 15 minutes west while you're at it to Ellison Brewery. They are making some killer IPAs. They have a canning line starting soon and their JUICE DIPA is one of the best MI made IPAs I've had.
I would agree that MI beers are killing it right now but truth be told, craft beer in general is killing it - our neighbors in the Chicago area and Ohio as well are good examples. Great beer is being made all over the place!! This is truly a great time to be alive in the evolution of beer for all of us beer lovers!!
