Notable Releases - DC/NOVA/MD

Sorry that was at DTC.

 

Goonda's BOTH DIPA is out around Baltimore. Would recommend picking this one up, these guys are making some very solid beers.

 

BOTH was almost a drain pour for me. Absolutely not worth $14 a 4 pack of 16 oz cans. Not sure what I'm gonna do with the other 3 cans. They went out and said it was an NE style IPA. Big mistake. That beer couldn't be anything further. Frankly not sure what it was. No off flavors just completely disjointed and awkward.

Also Green Machine is REAL green right now. I don't get it. And I obviously don't run a brewery but with Veil fiasco this week; Aslin struggling with QC; and now this. I'm assuming they taste pre can. And if the answer is yes. Why is it getting released? I can see canning right? Maybe they need room in the tanks for the next thing but sit on the cans for a week or two before releasing

 

I dunno, uber-fresh IPAs can sometimes be really green, that's just how it goes sometimes. Have you ever had Heady Topper within days of canning? It tastes like grass. These things usually mellow out in a matter of days though. I'm not sure it's on the brewery to wait. Just know this is a possibility for any super fresh IPA.

 

Who is supposed to know that though? Every consumer who walks into a brewery or beer store? Or just the ones who read things on the internet about beer?

 

Not to be an ass, but we passed the average casual beer drinker a long time ago. A lot of your average consumers don't know things like this and that's ok. But I'd agree with the brewery maybe mentioning that the cans are a bit green or something. Idk, I like green hazy beers so I'm probably part of the problem.

 

I just think its reasonable for any consumer to expect that if something is for sale for consumption, its ready to go. If a beer tastes too green or too brown or too whatever, a lot of people are going to assume that's the intended flavor, and its ultimately the brewery's name on that product. I don't buy this whole "oh you should have known not to drink it for a week" or "it just needs some time to mellow" bullshit.

 

I don't really buy this either, but it's becoming reality very quickly.

 

That's fair. I guess I'm saying that I drink a few beers that do not retain their flavors over time and definitely are meant to be drank "green." Also I have yet to pop open a fresh can of anything (Heady included) and taste something that I thought was bad or even that far from what it tastes like a few weeks later.

I totally agree though that if something's being sold for consumption then it should be ready to go. I'm just saying that people who don't like green beer and can make that distinction are outside your average craft beer drinker. That's all.

Got a friend picking up Wook cans for me today. I'll report on 'em once I get a chance to crack one or three.

 

Duh, maybe they're releasing these green beers for St. Patrick's Day. Ever think of that, guys?

 

"green" is such a subjective term. if it's just a matter of hop bitterness being higher than you like, that's personal preference; brewers can't and shouldn't police that.

but if it's a case like the last batch of neutrino where it's bitter because they didn't let the hop sludge settle before canning , or the countless tired hands beers that clearly weren't done fermenting yet--those are just flaws in the brewing process & it shouldn't be on the consumer to wait around and hope they turn out okay.

 

To me "green" means that the beer has an intense grassy flavor, like you can almost taste the hop pellets used for dry hopping. It's not necessarily a "bad" flavor, and I definitely have friends who like their hoppy beers this way. In my experience, it tends to be a flavor that fades very quickly, sometimes in a matter of days after a beer is brewed.

 

Rye on Rye on Rye at TW Springfield.

 

Managed to grab a pack of Wook from Union right before they sold out. Don't think canning only 10 cases was the brightest idea. Place was wayyyyy to packed

 

So how is the beer?

 

I was expecting something more "heady topper" like. It's just a strong Union DIPA. Has that kinda weird malty "Union" taste. To me at least

 

It's easier to tell consumers to wait to drink for optimal flavor than tie up tank space and not be able to put out more product.

 

Heh, I thought $11.99 BOTH was pretty great. Went back to the store on consecutive days to buy more.

 

Haven't had this one, but their smoked porter was delicious.

 

I thought it was pretty great as well. Thought it was a little too sweet, but still solid.