LIC Beer Project (2019)

I'm enjoying how sticky it's drinking. It's a nice thing to get in an ipa once in a while.

The best news was Dan saying at the brewery they might finally have the mosaic hookup they need to release this beer more regularly! I'll make every day coronation day.

 

The quality of IPA that lic brews have gone down hill. Higher burning use to be straight fire now it just sucks. Wonder if the fact that one of their head brewers left to start his own brewery?

 

I've seen Coded Tiles in numerous, what I would consider, corporate locations. It's typically the best option on the menus and has always been a solid pale in a sea of chicken stock trub water.

 

That beer use to taste like mango candy. Not anymore

 

I'm sure that Anthony leaving for Root+Branch made a huge difference. The one time I met him he said that he was basically doing everything by himself when he was at LIC, so if he was that heavily/directly involved, it makes sense that they'd have trouble finding somebody as talented to take over.

But yea when I first started discovering these local breweries around 2017, LIC was putting out IPA that was easily on par with Other Half, but these days outside of Pile of Crowns there's not much to get excited about.

 

Good for Anthony for going out on his own and delivering amazing ipas at root + branch. Lic has to step their game up if they want to stay relavant.

 

Higher burnin is still fire, it's just trickier when some shop wants to leave it out unrefrigerated for whatever amount of time. I had Party Crasher at the brewery a month or so ago and it was as good as ever. This batch of Pile of Crowns is fantastic. I'm not great at remembering all the names, but plenty of the other ipas I've had by them have been fine.

Admittedly, I had a bottle of Midnight at the Garden on Saturday that had soured, but plenty of recent releases show that these guys are still capable of putting out incredible beer.

 

I think LIC just had weird hiccup of a year since their head brewer, who we can all recognize as extremely talented, left. 2018 was definitely an amazing year for them, but Pile of Crowns is just as good as ever, and I did enjoy some of the other beers I've picked up here and there from them over the course of the year.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't say their ipas have necessarily dipped, but that's all they're really doing at this point. With so many breweries making great ipas I need at least one other style to be great to choose them over another spot.

What I don't understand is when they opened they said they were going to have a big focus on barrel aged sours. That was obviously going to take a little time, but after releasing a few great bottles a couple years ago it seems like they've totally abandoned that.

They've made some good stouts, but they've packaged them so rarely. They also usually have a decent variety on tap at the brewery, but not much I really wish they packaged.

I get they probably had unexpected success with their ipas, but it's unclear what it did for them outside of their beer being in local stadiums(which I think is really cool) and in more local stores.

 

The carb does seem kinda low but the head retention is probably due to the large amounts of oats, oils in the oats kinda act like a detergent and destabilize the foam.

 

Bummed to have bailed this past weekend. My cousin came in from Lebanon on a short layover and I couldnt make it up. I love POC and sounds like the meet up was a good time.

On a positive note, it means I didn’t have to line up for 2 plus hours at Finback with a potential to be shut out.

 

They’re releasing a new batch of Wildstyle next Tuesday. I remember the batch I had back in 2017 was absolutely mind blowing, but wasn’t as impressed by the last go round. Gonna give this one a shot though.

 

I'm ready for more Wildstyle, Cannons, and Hollows! The best versions of each were incredible.

 

Pile of Crowns is tasting very good. Not the most intense mango forward batch they've put forward but very well rounded nevertheless.

 

I really didn't like the can I tried; I wonder if mine had issues or if I have a tremendously different palate! Very strong onion, not in a good way, color not full brown but not a great color...

 

Been reports of bad cans, sounds like you have an off can, especially very dark color.

 

Yep, 1 of the 3 cans I've had out of the 4 pack I got was a light brown with shades of yellow. Seemed like an oxidation issue and the flavor was different than the two good cans. Second JR's assessment that you got an off can.

 

Pile of Browns

 

Yeah, likely that. Uncanny how some @RobNewton somehow can see through the cans with his Xray vision whenever these things happen and make sure I get the brown ones

 

Having one now, tastes very good, but looks like dirty, mud water.