HF Abner

It is on tap now, growler only and with the growler limit at three, they are trading decent right now. It is the best IIPA ive had (my opinon of course) but i know there are a lot that agree. Cant give an exact trade value, but im getting a beat 5 for a growler for one. Hopefully that helps you out!

 

I offered up a draft-only world class local IPA and got crickets. If it takes more than that, I'll just drink the world class local IPA.

 

People who live near it have very few issues getting it. Make buddies with someone who lives near HF and you won't have to let go of too much to get it. Limited release, $4$ and you'll be good to go. And yeah, it is top 3 DIPAs, IMO. Only Gandhi and Heady are above it, I think. Maybe Project Dank.

 

No one lives close to HF. It's an hour-ish to anything resembling a small city/large town.

Their limited IPA's trade relatively high.

Pretty sure Pipeworks regular beers ain't gonna pull it. Not even double $4$ IMO. Then again, that's just like, my opinion man...

 

I don't know the exact distance they live, but I have a guy who goes on the regular and he deals HF stuff to me $4$ for comparable release. Funky Buddha Brewery is about 45 minutes from me (not sure why an hour isn't considered near in comparison to the rest of the country, but whatevs), and I'll send him limited release growlers for HF growlers $4$.

 

Because you're drivging through mountains and in ice and snow. While a beautiful drive, it can be a treacherous one. It's not like hopping on the highway and driving 45 minutes.

 

I'm very familiar with how Pipeworks works, and have had many of their great beers. They put out a lot of great stuff.

 

Completely understand. I know they don't sit around for too long, and are tasty.

 

I've traded for Abner (along with 3 other HF growlers) with someone who made a trip to HF using Alpine D/IPA and Tired Hands growlers. It was straight $4$. Once in a while, you just get lucky and find someone who is fair-minded.

Another time, I helped someone up there with a couple of Tired Hands growlers and in turn he shipped Double Galaxy to a 3-way trade partner. He could've shipped Abner in addition. Again, also roughly $4$ between Tired Hands and HF growlers in the end.

This doesn't mean though that offering up Tired Hands, a rather well-known mostly growlers only local brewery, will land you HF growlers. Where you are, I'd think offering up Darkness plus Pipeworks limited releases would land you a couple 750ml HF growlers.

I saw your ISO. I wasn't surprised because I haven't heard of the brewery you offered up. Not that I'm all-knowing, but I have some ideas of what small local breweries can be used to trade. Even Tired Hands being rather well-known, getting HF trades out of TH takes some work.

One of the 2 traders I got HF from (mentioned above) says he lives 20 minutes from HF, but yeah, HF seems pretty far from civilization .

 

Yeah, pretty much this. My buddy up there basically says "I'll go $4$ for anything limited that I haven't had." I did my last Abner for WO Jai Alais and Hopped on the High Seas Citras.

 

Right, I would have been looking to trade with someone who knew what the beer I was offering was; if you don't, then it wouldn't surprise me that you wouldn't want it.

 

It all really depends on who you know and finding the right guy.

 

I tend to think trying to trade IPAs for IPAs isn't a great strategy.... when I hit HF and the Alchemist, I'm all set on hoppy beer. I really have no interest in sending them away for other hoppy stuff. I think you'll have much better luck offering something like Darkness to land Abner. FWIW, I sent an Abner today in a box to one of my regular trading partners and he's sending me a Darkness in my next box. Not necessarily a negotiated 1:1 trade, but those are the two beers most on par rarity wise that we're sending.

If you're going to try to trade another IPA for Abner, you'll have to go with something equally rare, equally well rated and equally in demand... (i.e. draft only Alpine, Kern Citra). Pipeworks makes some tasty beers but they're generally pretty easy to trade for with more easily obtainable stuff (Heady/Ghandi, etc.).

 

IMO Ephraim is better than Abner, but finding someone who can and will run to HF might be tough. It's close to Waterbury but you figure in the drive, weather, standing in line and shipping growlers. And their stuff isn't expensive, but it's a pain and will take half a day at best, you might have to offer something premium whether it's $4$ or not, I think that's out the window.

 

I love Abner, but Ephraim MAY be better.
Unfortunately Ephraim is rarely ever made, comes only in 750ml and is wicked hahd to trade for.
Fortunately I live 3.5 hours away.
Unfortunately, I have no money, haven't for awhile, and wont for the very near future.