What breweries no matter how hard...

You are a better man than I, sir.

 

This. I get why New Belgium would not be your favorite brewery, but I don't get hating them. They make a lot of very solid beers with a few stand outs. And honestly I'd put Southern Tier in my top ten, because I have found everything I've had from them was good to great, except for the Creme Brule I mentioned above. And they brew a wide range of styles and do them well. I had the Cherry Gose Imperial Sour for the first time yesterday with some sushi and loved it. It paired great with the sushi as well, surprising as that may sound.

Edit: Not trying to be argumentative, just throwing in my opinion. You like what you like.

 

I definitely second that. MH is one of those breweries I used to sample from when I was early in my craft journey and the local selection was extremely poor. Even then, they never impressed me.

 

They are, very literally, a shadow of their former selves. Before they were purchased, they were a solid and very creative brewery. Now, not so much. Even though you can find #9 everywhere.

 

New Belgium
Beach Haus
Heavy Seas
Harpoon
Saranac
Avery
Terrapin


from breweries that I've had a few of. I haven't had anything I loved from them and most of these I really didn't enjoy the beers i had from them.

 

yes

 

Care to expound upon that? Just don't like sour beer or is it something else?

 

Just wondering how old the Matilda and Sofie were when you had them? It takes about a year for them to pick up some steam.

 

I have never had a sour beer I enjoyed. Cantillion (all sours) tastes like "misery market" wine to me.

 

Fair enough.

 

That was me until 2009, when I tried, yet again, to enjoy gueuze. Up until that time it tasted to me like something bad that happens to overripe things, and smelled like hospital clean up. I swear when I look back at the sip that finally rang my bell I think I see angels circling and hear a choir singing joyfully in the background. Now I love every style of sour, wild, lambicesque, etc. out there.

 

Genesee.

Even their Cream Ale is mediocre.

 

lol, yes, wankery, hahaha, that made me laugh. Probably only said what I said to be "light hearted" because I guess some people actually like Bent Hill's "infection" bottles.

 

have you drank any "misery market" wine since than? You may enjoy it and save a lot of $$$!

 

Stone.

 

Leinenkugel. Probably only due to high school rivalry, or maybe they really did suck, but I grew up 30 miles from the brewery and everyone in our area despised it. Thought it was hilarious a few years ago in South Dakota when the bowling alley we bowled league at announced they had a new high end highly sought beer, Leinenkugel. I have to admit I tried a stout called Big Eddy which is pretty good, but in general I still can't drink Leinies.

 

Lagunitas, except for Born (Again) Yesterday.

Locally - Shorts. Some stuff if okay to good, but too many duds. I have tried a lot of their stuff and find it hard to get excited about any of their releases.

 

It's funny you should mention that... I distinctly remember my first 312. I thought, "oh, this is craft! It'll be great!" and I have never. Ever. Reached for a standard Goose Island beer since.

 

People buy Sam Adam's 12 packs just to get Chocolate Bock. Hell, whenever I hear a co-worker bought it, I always ask if they want that one. That'd be the only Sam Adam's I'd go out of my way to buy. Well, that and the Boston Marathon beer.

 

TBH, I don't know how old those bottles were. At the time I tried both Sofie & Matilda I was not in the habit of checking dates to the extent that I am now, so perhaps I am being a bit unfair to the beer to judge it so harshly based on tastings during that time period. However, judging by the rep of the place I bought it from, it probably did have some age on it. Maybe I'd enjoy them more if I tried them again, but since I don't buy anything from "the high end" my chances of revisiting them are low. I didn't dislike either one--I just was not impressed with either.