Orphan Beers

Assuming proper storage conditions, that beer shouldn't go bad/spoil. Aging effects might even help a beer like that some, but if you don't like the original the subtle effects of aging probably won't change that opinion. It might be interesting to do a side-by-side tasting of a fresh 2020 to a 2015... you know, for science.

 

Just to be clear, it was the Departed Soles saison that I didn't really care for on first go. I'll probably give that one another shot at some point at the end of a night of drinking beers I really dig. I enjoyed the Founders quite a bit. The case has never been opened so it's been safe from light. It's spent most of its life in a Pittsburgh basement though that's not all that climate controlled. I tried one bottle not long ago from a case that I bought at the same time. It didn't have the luxury of being still in the box and had probably had greater temp fluctuations, but all of the coffee had faded and it just tasted thin and flat. I may still give one of the boxed ones a shot at some point.

 

If Victory just went away I might not even notice. Years ago I would have been upset. Storm king is gone? Prima changed, dirt wolf, no thanks. All the monkey junk and so many expensive not that great beers. I gave up on these guys except when I find a deal, $12 15 packs and then it depends on what’s in them.

Yards I am much more interested in now than I was even 5 years ago.

Sly fox I am take it or leave it. No thoughts either way. Good beer but nothing I say “wow” about.

Philadelphia Brewing company.....still around? Besides Shackamaxamum I think their beer is sub par and even at $30 or less a case over priced. Kenzinger is a decent cheap $3 pint but nothing more.

I did not know ESA was gone. I bought a mix pack last year and it was not in there, love stout, brawker(I can drink it but don’t love it) Pale Ale and IPA for $26 a case I’m in all day long. I really like the PA on draft and the IPA is a nice beer I will buy a case of as well.

The sons of Ben was one of the better beers I’ve had from Yards in a while.

Enjoy

To stay on topic here I did just find a bottle of ST 2Xmas that’s a few years old. Just too much spice in it.

 

I would never forget about a Heady in my fridge! Cheers!

 

I am lucky enough to have had a steady supply of Heady for many years, so it wasn't a huge deal they didn't get consumed fresh, although Heady has long been one of my favorite beers and it never would have lingered if not to get used to brew Heady clones.

 

Yes, it is no longer packaged but it can still be obtained at certain places on draft. It happens to be on tap right now at the Yards Brewery taproom:

https://yardsbrewing.com/taproom#draftmenu

Cheers!

 

I had no idea about the change to Prima's recipe, but this definitely makes sense. I used to love that beer, Hop Devil, Hop Ranch, and Dirt Wolf, too but since the ABV merger Victory seems to have gotten shortchanged in favor of Southern Tier and Sixpoint, so it's been a couple of years since I purchased anything from the brand.

Unfortunately, even though they have access to more capital, ST and Sixpoint also seem to be chasing dollar signs more than ever now, and their product is suffering for it. Classic stuff like Bengali, Resin, the Crisp, and ST IPA sit for months, and I'm pretty sure that Pumking comes out next week, albeit from the store's unofficially cellaring program trying to clear 2017's unsold stock.

I'm sure that distributors are in part to blame, as well as the corporate talking heads trying to maximize margins without cannibalizing their separate labels, but no matter what the cause it's really frustrating to see such a marked turn from 3 of the breweries that helped get me into craft.

If there is a silver lining, then it's that these changes have made me turn more frequently to local options which turn out to be better and I help support a burgeoning industry in my area

 

It's a Thomas Hardy Ale.

 

Thanks Jack,

Need to get down there and check the new place out.

Enjoy

 

It it me or just the stupidest comment ever? Because he couldn’t sit and polish off a sixer he had to change the formula to reduce the IBUs a bit. I can’t tell the difference between 50 IBUs and 45, but you can tell when something has changed.

 

That's okay if that beer gets lost in the back of the fridge. Patience wasn't a virtue when I bought my last one many years ago. I drank it that night.

 

Dale, the change is indeed more than just 50 -> 45 IBUs. I suppose some beer consumers will like this change? I can report that I personally do not like the change.

Cheers!

 

I just found another one. Batch 1 of Ithaca Brute.

 

I grew up on Stroh's. Had family that worked there. Tried the recreated version couple years ago. It sucked.

Course might have sucked 30-40 years ago, too. My beer tastes have changed.

I know the hops are different. Not sure what else changed.

 

Beer doesn't tend to last that long in my household. Not to say that I haven't aged a beer that was intended to be aged a few years a couple of years too long, but I stay pretty on top of it. I need the space for something new.

 

I recently tossed a bunch of crap but I have a few hanging around. I know I have one bottle of Ballantine Special Holiday Ale thats at least 3 years old. For the last few Christmas I planned on opening that (I opened one after a year and it was interesting, not bad).
So thats on my list to open....next Christmas?

 

Man, this reminds me I have a 2013 (!) Quakerbridge Barleywine from Half Acre that one of the owners, Maurizio, gifted me as we were leaving after a 6 month stay.
Damn, I need to get to that. Even if it's a honey malt bomb at this point.

 

Just some Von Trapp Dunkels and Zero Gravity Coneheads seem to be sitting in my main fridge, leftovers from BBQ-ing and bonfires from last Summer and/or Autumn, they're all mixed in amongst the food. I kept forgetting to put them back in my real beer fridge so there they sit until I decide to do something with them. One of these days, I'll get to 'em, I think.

 

I have a bottle of smores flavored beer left from a 2018 birthday gift. I doubt that I will throw it out (I don't throw anything out), but I would not be surprised if that bottle is sitting in the corner of the basement after I'm dead.