Fall Beer Sightings (2019)

Hey I’m just starting my home brewing venture real soon. Just got my amateur starting kit in the mail. Would you be willing to help me out with a recipe for a awesome fest beer?

 

It's a solid beer for airports, chain restaurants...etc. Refreshing.

 

I just got my first glimpse at Sam Adams fall variety. It’s pretty clear to me they forgot to do a fall pack: Ofest, 76, and Kosmic Sour...

I’m going to continue to love SA Ofest, but they have taken a weird turn as of late.

 

This "fall" pack isn't so much a weird turn as it is taking a hard left off a cliff.

 

That's an on-point observation. Hopefully they'll be a little more creative with that craft fall pack they do. It's not overwhelmingly good, but at least it has a damn pretzel on one of the cans.

They need to go back to their old mindset. I'm not aware of them being a struggling company, but with the lack of thought that has gone into these new designs I'm not so sure. Go back to:

 

Hey, Jason, welcome to the great hobby of homebrewing. I'll recommend that you spend some time in the Homebrewing forum, and if you haven't already done so, read John Palmer's book HowToBrew.com which is free to read online (1st edition), or pick up a hard copy of the 4th edition so that you have something to highlight, write notes, etc.

Read and understand the instructions that come with your kit, but recogniize that the instructions in kits are sometimes a bit faulty or short on info. It pays to have a good understanfing ahead of time. Good luck with your brew.

 

Saw my first fall beer of the season yesterday...August 1st.

Jack's Abby Copper Legend. If I see it again I'll pick it up.

Humidity be damned.

 

I was excited for SN Northern Hemisphere, but according to the release date calendar it is not being produced this year (at least for distribution).

 

A few of Elysian's pumpkin beers were the first ones I got into. I still will buy them if I see them, especially Punkuccino.

 

Fact. I grew up in Binghamton and used to go there when I first got into craft; thinking that they were representative of what a good bottle shop was. It turns out that you can be aloof and dismissive to your customer base when you're basically the only game in town, but that was a few years ago, and the beer scene has changed a great deal. Since I moved away, I've found out how fundamentally terrible that Sam the Beer Man actually is, and now the only place I truly prioritize when I visit my parents is Beer Tree.

 

I'm glad to hear that your experiences have been bet than mine. I haven't visited in some time and can't remember what I rated them
[just checked, and it's old, dating to around when I first joined the site so it's grandfathered in under the more recent site updates, and it's representative of my näivety surrounding craft beer at the time. I haven't been back lately so I'm not gonna update it]

If memory serves, they have a better selection than most local competitors, but older me now sees them as less a dedicated craft store and more of a bar/restaurant supplier that also sells craft beer on the side; it was never a priority. My recurring interaction with staff was some iteration of the following:

Me -asks question about bottle dates or availability of product

Staff - can't answer, in some instances impolitely asks why I care, or one time sells the pack of beer I had signed up to reserve.

Me - begrudgingly pays and leaves

 

Just got that yesterday. It's really good.

 

First fall beer in my neck of the woods... Left Hand Oktoberfest. I remember liking it when I had it a few years ago but I decided to hold off for now. With all of the other options that will be out soon, it's more of a single in the mixed 6-pack kind of purchase for me than a full 6-pack.

 

For the most part that's true. Bulk/party sales are what keep the doors open. There are a couple of knowledgeable employees, but most are just shelf stockers. I go because they carry brands Wegmans doesn't and they'll do special orders. Unfortunately you need to be vigilant about dates (just like everywhere else).

In the Binghamton area?

 

Lots of "fall" beers appearing around here in the NE OH market this week - I have bought the Sam Adams Octoberfest, Sierra Nevada Octoberfest and Great Lakes Octoberfest brews all this week.....great time of the year! Also picked up ST Warlock stout last weekend.....

 

@Stignacious, did you also have this beer last year, and, if so, did you like it then?

 

Same here.

Left Hand is a single bottle purchase usually. It's too hefty/overly sweet, but I figure what the heck, change of pace.

 

I have a sweet spot for night owl- love the spice mix on that one. The bombers are kinda pricey for 22 oz.ers but all are good.

 

Unfortunately not, I live in Geneva now and a distributor at my local Wegmans had just put it out on the shelf.

 

This year's batch was my first experience, but I've loved everything that I've ever had from Ayinger.