Barrel-Aged Wheatwines

Had this on tap at Founders when they released this and it was much smoother than the bottle I tried a few days later. Agree that it was hot when it was fresh. That's why I'm going to wait until December to try one of my aging bottles again.

 

Something must be said about [pipeworks] trying a variety of things. Even though I knew it wasn't going to be great, I bought a Cinnamon Beer'd Os, and guess what? It was pretty bad, but I'd do it again. They're trying new things all the time and most of it will be eh at best, but every once in a while they will try something completely new and it will be incredible; on that time the ride is worth it. We need breweries like pipeworks and we need the hype they get.

 

Pilgrim's Dole was very good, and at a great price!

 

I can agree with this given that DFH was once one of my favorite breweries, but the problem that I have with them is that their execution of relatively "normal" beers is hit-or-miss as well, at least in my eyes. I personally find Half-Acre and Revolution to have a lot more solid and consistent lineups (albeit possibly less interesting, especially in the case of the former).

 

How do you feel about Mikkeller?

 

Honestly, I've been finding Evil Twin has more hits than Mikkeller, and for cheaper. Also with Mikkeller I don't always know if its fresh, I mean American style IPAs that come from Europe always worry me. But I really loved beer geek breakfast.
Another hit or miss situation I guess, and the prices can be all over the place. Pipeworks isnt exactly cheap but at least they're consistent.

 

What about Dragon's Milk? That stuff is solid.

 

Not a big fan, myself; I'd give it a 3.5-3.6 at best. Tastes like exactly what it is (or what I view it as): a bargain bin BA stout. Nothing about it comes together in a way that I find pleasing, and it's pretty thin (or was when I had it oh so long ago). It can't hang with any of the usual BA stout suspects, and at the price that it is, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. It's okay for what it is, however, and having a year-round BA stout is pretty cool.

 

The limited releases from Half Acre all year long have been the majority of the best beers I've had all year! If they would replace the normal lineup with Heyoka, Double Daisy Cutter, Galactic Double Daisy Cutter, Vallejo, Beer Hates Astronauts, Annica, Baume, Big Hugs and so on then I wouldn't be drinking anywhere else.

 

They release a follow-up to Baby Maker earlier this week, Bride Maker.

 

I did a blind judging of regional commercial brews and one was a barrel aged wheatwine that was phenomenal. I never found out the brewery but I know it's from North or South Carolina.

 

I hear Divorce Maker is up next.

 

Me two

It's too bad that this thread turned into defending NH to the guy from Wisconsin who's only here to bash them.

@Donco you might like this. NH just bought an old building downtown GR and is opening up a brewpub here. Also I heard they are moving their sour program their and going to start dabbling with open air fermentation. May not be your thing but it'll give you another place to check out when you come up here for KBS.

 

Thanks. Yes, mostly into stouts/barleywines/scotch ales (drinking a Ride the Lion right now!). I'll be visiting in Dec and will probably at least make a "pilgrimage" to Founders and Perrin

 

Steve Berthel has been at New Holland for about a year and a half now, I had heard that he would be tabbed to run the set up and build out of the Grand Rapids pub, I believe he had been doing pub brewing in Holland. Steve had a nice run at The Livery previously, would be a great guy to head up a sour program. There were some decent Stouts and Strong Ales brewed under his watch too, I am interested to see how this GR pub develops.

On the topic of New Holland as a whole, I often find their offerings underwhelming but when they are on, they nail it. I love The Poet, think Night Tripper is criminally under appreciated and Pilgrims Dole is spectacular.

 

Picked up a bottle of Night Tripper when I was in Royal Oak last year at Holiday Market. Really was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was...and very inexpensive.

 

I can't speak to Black Tulip as I haven't had it, but I find The Poet to be a pretty good oatmeal stout but not something I'd buy again under any circumstances. I'd rather have something like FW Velvet Merlin or FBS or the awesome Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout. I don't know what it is about NH, but almost every beer (discounting Pilgrim's Dole) I've had of theirs was underwhelming to me. There are just certain breweries I don't care for the entire catalog of. Maine Brewing Company is another one that I've had quite a bit of and just find to be not that great (cue the hate). They're both perfectly solid breweries that just don't strike a chord with me and just feel pretty mediocre overall discounting one or two beers. To each their own.

 

Where did you find it?