Foundation

No worries was just wondering if you somehow had confirmed that filtering was involved, no snark intended

 

Sure yeah never said it wouldn't be - I was just wondering if the claim that they were filtering the beer was something he actually knew or was just guessing based on appearance.

 

Had it draft at Salt and Honey in Kennebunkport last weekend. I will admit that pint was quite good.

Been drinking that beer since they started offering it. Used to be a top beer for me along with Bissell. Then at some point(whether it was the expansion) that beer really did change. Appearance, nose and taste were different. It's not just me, as almost everyone around me in SoMaine and the surrounding area talked about it. It began to sit on shelves in our area and became a bit of an afterthought. But the two recent pours I've had were good and very reminiscint of the old brew. The strange thing about this beer is how much some people will defend it and claim nothing changed, at all. It's certainly butt kissing for quite a few but it's undeniable that it has changed more than once.

 

Fair. Plenty of people judge beers with their eyes alone.

 

Certainly not back in form...

 

We have had Epiphany in Vermont over the last couple of weeks. It was good, but I was expecting more. Easily had the most floaties I have ever seen in a beer before.

 

I agree the "new" Ephiphany is not that great. Had it for the first time maybe 2 years ago & was floored by how great it was. But the few I've had over the last year or so (including one this weekend) are average at best.

The early ones I had I remember being hazy &, I hate saying this word, juicy. Now it's just clear & lacking. The one I had this weekend was super clear, except for all the floaties (I don't mind floaties) swirling around.

I probably won't be buying this again.

 

Epiphany is "good" but not near the top of the heap with so many great local options to choose from. On the one side I like more traditional DIPAs with some malt profile and slightly sweet finish but well hopped (extreme example malt-wise is Rising Tide Cutter but best current example is Hi-Def), and on the other side I like the NE-style DIPAs which can range from more assertively bitter like Bissell to lower bitterness like Trillium and juicy like Tree House.

The problem with Epiphany is it falls in the middle, not really NE style but not a well-rounded beer either. Doesn't leave an exceptionally strong impression on me. The Relic DIPAs also fall in the same camp where based on either nose or appearance I'm ready to be wowed but there is no payoff when actually drinking it.

 

The original Epiphany was amazing but it’s been nothing but a disappointment for some time now. Not sure what happened but the drop off is real.

 

Drinking Epiphany right now. I honestly don't think it tastes much different than Mass Rising, a beer at half the price. Boozy. Not the same beer I tasted two years ago. I pass by Afterglow any time I see it on the shelves now as well.

 

I haven't bought any Foundation now for personal consumption in a while because of this, but I think it goes beyond Epiphany. They seem to have chosen growth, distro, and pursuit of styles of beer over quality. Do you know if Foundation's brewers / owners have ever addressed this quality trade off - it seems that enough people have been talking about it for too long for it not to be real.

 

I don't think it's all of their beers. I recently had their session ipa and the new prototype, both were really good.

 

So true about the styles. At first they basically had Epiphany and one or two others. Then they slowly started adding more and more and it seems like each new beer dragged the rest of them down. The first time I had Afterglow I thought it was decent but it seemed to get worst too. I will say that Venture always seems solid, to the point where I prefer it over Epiphany because who the hell knows what Epiphany is going to taste like.

I think you're also right about distribution. I don't think it's a coincidence that as soon as Epiphany started getting distro, it got worse. Now it's nothing more than a average shelfie available everywhere. When it was brewery only with smaller batches it was a lot better.

 

Venture has been their best beer for a while now - I think it tastes like berries and really stands out amongst the juice bombs that everyone else is putting out these days.

 

meh, still loving the epiphany I purchased. Didn't think prototype 5 was anything special, though.

 

Yeah, I think this is a right-on assessment. The only time I buy them is when an out of town trader asks, and as I hate to diss a Maine brewer, I usually try to steer them towards Venture and / or Forge, which, at least, the last time I had it, was a damn good RIS (I wonder if anyone drinks that on a consistent-enough basis to opine on its relative quality over time?).

Anyway, damn shame to even have this conversation - but at this point I'd rather be trying some of new and / or more consistent and excellent stuff from other side of town / building. On the positive side, I think they have done a great job with their farmhouse saisons and selective one off bottles. Cheers!

 

I am on the side that Piff has gone downhill, but it it Christmas time. So, I'll attempt to turn the convo

I have always liked Burnside and think the coffee variants are great.

Heading up this weekend and may pick up a bottle of Apricot Pomology for christmas beermosas.

 

Burnside is always a good choice. Forge too.

 

Just had a pour of Epiphany at the Black Birch on Friday. I thought it was killer. Reminded me of the first few cans I bought when they originally released it. Hazy, juicy, super aromatic, light bitterness. I'm definitely grabbing a 4 pack next time I see it.

 

Really? I remember visiting several summers ago (2014?) and they had a pretty diverse selection for a brand new brewery - brown ale, Belgian IPA, multiple saisons/farmhouse ales. I don't recall them having any hop forward beers and I don't think Epiphany had been released yet.