Most Improved Breweries & Those Losing Their Shine

LOLOLOL

Before I get into this, New Glarus is a great brewery, and I've loved everything I've had from them. Superior quality establishment with great business practices from what I know.

That said, this post has to be a joke. Has to be. New Glarus' "existing footprint" is their home state of Wisconsin. You want to start comparing footprints, make it on a level playing field and compare home states instead of the entire distro. I've never had an issue with Founders' loyalty to its home state, and most of the people I know in Michigan (who don't have their overly-entitled-heads up their asses) don't have an issue with it either, especially with how they released KBS this year. A week long release around the city with numerous tappings around the state and the highest percentage of KBS bottles distributed in-state (I think it was 23% of their yield stayed in MI, no I don't have sources). Their last Backstage release was distributed in bottles in-state only (due to small yield/pilot system, yes I know, but they could've easily decided against this), and every year for the next four years now there will be an in-state only bottle release of a new beer for the ArtPrize festival in Grand Rapids. Those are just a few of the multiple examples I can think of off of the top of my head. I would say that Founders has the same amount of loyalty to MI that New Glarus does for WI, and if Founders went the New Glarus route entirely, you wouldn't even get the option to turn your nose up on their beer. And their prices? More than fair. If you have an issue with how much their beer costs, talk to your distributor or your beer store. You can't complain against buying world class six packs for $10 a piece. You just can't.

Honestly, I just don't get it. Yes, I'm a homer, and yes, I'm a fanboy who's butthurt, but this Founders bashing thing that's been happening over the past couple years is reaching hipster levels. I'm surprised YouTube isn't inundated with videos of people pissing on a bottle of KBS in their Ray-Bans and skinny jeans waxing poetically about how ironic it is. It's what all the cool kids are doing though, amirite?

Yes, I get that it's the opinions of people that Founders is "falling off". Whether or not they shot themselves in the foot by releasing Blushing Monk and CBS as their first Backstages and the more recent ones have been in the vein of experimental beer (which is the whole point of the series, by the way), or if people still have a stick up their ass about the Brown Paper Ticket KBS 2013 release debacle, or if people are so pissed that they seem more focused on making themselves a profitable entity and expanding their distribution instead of personally pouring Black Biscuit into their mouths for them, but Founders has not fallen off. I promise you. I guarantee you. What's fallen off? Your palette. The Porter I enjoy today is the same Porter I fell in love with when I first had it years ago. Same with Dirty Bastard. Same with Curmudgeon. Same with Breakfast and Imperial Stout (ESPECIALLY with these two). And KBS this year? Best vintage since 2011.

Also, the next person who says "BUT MATT IT SEZ ITS A FLAYVERD STOWT NAO LOL~!" and doesn't realize that it's governmental red tape bureaucratic bullshit gets personally e-punched in their e-dick by me.

End rant.

TL;DR: Founders is the best.

 

I've been told teaching is how at least one of the brewers earns his living or most of it. Potentially more than one brewer but I can only say I've been told one. I'm not sure if they still teach but last I heard that was the case. They are involved with other local businesses bakeries farms co ops etc. They do keg rides on bicycles through the city. Opening a growler fill location in the strip has got to be semi stressful, essentially managing to locations as I'm not sure how many employees there are but from a stakeholder/founders point of view i can see where it may be stressful.

 

Really? Bummer. I've had the hoodoo and its out in bottles already here in pittsburgh. Had it on draft and it wasn't anything special, I probably wouldn't get it again. Good Vibes is a really special beer I was so excited to be able to get it in cans.

 

Dogfish Head.

 

Finest Kind used to be my favorite beer. The last 3 times I've bought it it sucked. Totally lacking any hop aroma or flavor. Had I not known what I was drinking I would have guessed strong pale lager. No joke. I don't even understand how it could have gone from what it once was to what it is now. Something is not right, indeed.

 

Improved - Three Floyds

FFF is always partnering up with other great brewers like Half Acre, Revolution, & Piece Pizzeria & Brewery to make some of the tastiest new creations. While at the same time they are consistent with some of their signature brews like Zombie Dust & Dreadnaught

Needs Improvement - Pipeworks

Don't get me wrong, they have some of the best beers I've ever tasted... but I'd like to see a few of their signature beers brewed with a little more consistency.

 

I think I read that Alesmith will have 6 packs in the near (?) future....

 

the reds rye change came back to bite them, poor decision (personal opinion) but you can't honestly spend years saying how cruel they are for not having a large footprint and then complain when the give it to you. Meeting demand is far from world domination. People who ignore year round offerings and then cry in the whole foods parking lot cus they only got 2 bottles KBS… shoulda bought more year round SKUs. than again KBS doesn't taste as good if any ol jaggoff can get a whole 4 pack right?

 

Vanilla Bean Smoked Porter is an enjoyable beer, but of all the beers that Stone has brewed, they could've picked a far better beer to resurrect. The decision to re-brew Vanilla Bean seems largely influenced by the LCD of craft beer culture. So many stellar beers from the years that Stone could've brought back to life.

 

Less aroma, the bitterness that I loved has fallen off and the malt profile seems totally different. The beer actually looks darker than I remembered. And this is from someone that drank the beer almost exclusively for years when I lived in NH and could get a fresh 12-pack every week.