Kane Brewing (2020)

The sheer amount of delicious hoppy and dark beers on tap for pours/flights puts them at or near the top for sure, even without factoring in all their releases. Seems like you put Carton in that disappointing category along with Magnify.

 

yup, was there a few weeks ago and i ordered a beer and ended up with a can pour of a can that was released around 3 weeks prior.Imagine if you walked into Kane and Brighten the Corners and they just pulled a can from the fridge and poured it? Like WTF I could have purchased a 4pk of the magnify beer that was poured for $20 and had 64 oz of it - but now they're selling me a 14oz pour for $7? (I didn't initially consider this, but now i am pissed about it lol)

I think year after year Kane is just extending their "lead" over other NJ Breweries. Yes Conclave, Twin, and Troon all have some killer beers...

But none of them are doing it at the scale of Kane. Kane has a solid roster of yearly releases that are hype af, and now they're releasing new bottles fairly often. Then you have their IPAs and distro. And the quality is top notch.

 

To each their own, but I would take Tonewood over Kane. I can easily see why most people say Kane though. But Tonewood brews more of the beer that I like to drink so that is why I prefer their beer. Kane is obviously great too but I do think there range is somewhat limited, or at least limited more as of late. I know they brew the occasional lager/saison/etc. but as a whole recently its been hops, hops, hops, and then adjunct stouts (yes I know port omna, I'm speaking as a whole). I guess we shouldn't compare really and just drink what were in the mood for and be happy this discussion even happens. Think of where beer has come in just the past 10 years in NJ...its crazy and awesome. It'll only get better from here.

 

hops and adjunct stouts sell. That's what gets released to-go and that's what helps them be able to fund their more "passion projects." They still at least do pours/crowlers/growlers of more traditional beers.

There's a reason why Kane has like quadrupled in size the last few years; unfortunately a lot of the passion beers being brewed just need a ton of time before we see the fruits of those labors.

 

That's laughable, I have had some okay stuff from them, but its so hit or miss, I really don't get the insane love for them so people have.

BA Brown Ale, multiple Barleywine's, Czech Style Dark Lager, Marzen, Brett IPA, Blonde Ale. All of these have been released in the last few weeks to months and available to drink in the tap room as well, so to say its all IPAs and Adjunct Stouts is pretty short sighted. There is always a few beers of "non popular" style available any time I walk in. Yeah, they make a lot of IPA and Stout/Porter, but what business isn't going to cater to the vast majority of what their consumer would like? Outside that, they have dumped so much time into the mixed ferm operation as well, that hasn't given us a ton YET, but that is due to the time that is needed for those beers to be ready. I would say Kane is at the top of breweries exploring styles in NJ and at least doing it some what well...

 

Yeah, what a revelation they have been. Every time I go there is like 10 or 12 different styles on, all of which are done well. I love how chill the atmosphere is, even if it does get pretty busy on the weekends (especially in the summer) but it's always manageable and the beer is always very good. It's come to the point where I try not to praise them as much so as to keep the buzz low. I don't want them to get any more popular than they already are lol

Speaking of which, I see they have their Dark Mild on cask right now. Tempted to make a trip over there...

 

come on man. "I don't want to get the buzz out so they can't make more money"

That's what this sounds like. With breweries popping up like weeds in NJ - business can be a bit cut throat. If you like a brewery; talk about it.

Or we can just have another thread of "oh man, they closed down? they had some decent stuff"

 

You have a point of course but I get what he’s saying. He likes them at the level they are. I’ve also been annoyed at the hype some of these breweries have had. Especially the crazy lines that still happen sometimes. We were all happy when the hype died down at OH to the point where the lines are gone except for anniversary craziness. Doesn’t mean they aren’t successful.

 

Not sure why you took that so seriously...it was pretty tounge-in-cheek. As if I had some sort of influence or sway over the beer scene..."If tzieser doesn't talk about Tonewood then they won't grow as much" lol could you imagine me seriously thinking that? Their beer speaks for itself and they are doing very well because of it. I'm very happy for their success, me talking about them on BA or not will have zero effect on their success as a business.

By the way, I'm the fucking guy who made the Tonewood (2019) thread, so you should know I'm just bullshitting.

EDIT: also they've pretty much confirmed that they're opening an expansion facility in Barrington, so they're already on the up & up (and have been for a while now, if you ask me)

 

Seeing all of this debate over keeping a brewer's rep quiet, about ramping up production, and about lines dictating success just make me even more thankful for Referend. Still far from the best destination in NJ, but there's certainly something to be said for their slow, steady growth over the past few years while pumping out quality blend after quality blend in a niche that they're passionate about.

And if I want a pretty pasture and a burger with a hazy IPA I can just hit up BFT 15 min away. Kane is still the Jersey king of big stouts, but everything else I'm looking for can be served in that 15 min radius (with the exception of some reasonably priced to-go options maybe, in which case I can just stop at Buy-Rite for some Tonewood).

 

such a huge fan hmmm? where's the 2020 thread then hmmmm?

 

Well that got wild. Any way, there isn't a brewery that's closed recently that I will miss IMO. If you make good beer you are going to remain open, regardless if people are lining up out the door or not. All of the recent closures (of the ones I had been to) are places I wouldn't go back to most likely. There are a handful more I still have no idea how they are keeping the lights on with the product they push.

 

lol I've been tempted but the last one went over like a lead balloon so I'm not in a big hurry. I think even Yale Terrace got more comments

 

Carton isn't disappointing for me. I've enjoyed all but 1 newer beer from them over the last 2 years.
[

Their prices are crazy, too. I get they throw a ton of crap in their beers, but $20/4 pack for most of their cans? Nope.

 

110% truth

 

their quality is suspect. I've had a few cans just fall off a ledge after the first few weeks. I get theyre hoppy beers - but I can't think of any other reputable hop brewer whose beers fall off so hard between week 1 and week 5.

Someone really needs to tell them that they don't need to release 3-4 beers a week and instead just focus on perfecting a few rotational beers.

and a lot more bans.

 

Yeah Tonewood is really good, and make a variety of styles at this point, at worse competently and at best high quality (namely their DIPAs and pales). But they're everywhere now, even on shelves in northern NJ. I think between NY/NYC/NJ shelf options and even stuff like King Sue coming in regularly I don't know there's much to post about them regularly that you can't get from Instagram. Plus (and I like this) they don't make 100 different hop billed IPAs a year or whatever. They stick with mostly core recipes, so no need to ask about how something is drinking. Everything is available, and at least at the brewery will stick around 1-2 weeks, and will be back around again soon enough anyway. No hype, and if you've been getting their beers for the last year you've probably tried everything and know what you do/don't like (that said, they just did the farmhouse, and new stouts, pales, etc now and again).
I think they'll continue to do well since they've gotten themselves tap and shelf space and their pricing and can formats are friendlier than many (like Magnify for example). Your aunt that'll have a beer or two at a family event can appreciate a 12oz freshies, or if they want something with a little more bite the Fuego. If you have diehard IPA people there's plenty of rotating options as well, even if they're not quite say Other Half at their best, they're well made and heck only $16. So long as this expansion doesn't overextend them/their debt load I think they'll be fine. I imagine the tap sales there will help since that's such a higher profit margin than can sales or keg sales (I assume that it includes a taproom, but I read the story a while ago.)

 

wow that's not a good look, nor a good sign for their business.. and WTF, they don't even give you the whole can? Does that mean they pour someone else part of an already opened can? or do they just dump it... so odd...

 

yea, the can i got the pour from was already opened.

Now to my fault - I didn't notice it on the board as a can pour. When I was there, it was after a stop by Montclair Brewing and when I saw the board it was mostly double digit ABV beers, so I just took the lowest one that wasn't vine shine. completely missed the "can pour". The person I was with i believe had the birthday whatever stout and that was also a bottle pour. Now to make a point - they were still selling bottles. I know it's typical for breweries (hell Kane was/is doing it) to do bottle service/pours - but it's generally of a limited bottle that wasn't released (Kane did the german chocolate cake) and you get the whole bottle!