Toppling Goliath Brewery appreciation thread...

finally had the chance to try Decorah Sue in Des Moines last week, on tap at Zombie Burger. I sat right in front of the tap, and I swear they didn't turn the thing off the entire time I was there. It was absolutely lovely. (get your shit together, TG, and send more kegs to DSM!)

It just so happened that I was able to snag some Florida Sue from Hy Vee Ankeny, dated 12/28, and tried it both the day before and after the Decorah tap. The FL sue is good, but it just doesn't quite match what I drank on tap. What I keep calling the gumball flavor quality of Sue isn't quite as prevalent in the Florida brew. The Florida version also seemed a bit more hoppy and IPA-like - but still a great beer.

*I am not a pro taster but I've had a few good brews in my day. anyway, I feel like an outsider in the TG circle, and wanted to provide feedback on this popular topic.

 

Just had my first FL Sue (can dated 12/28) and it's definitely different. Too me it's not so much the taste but the mouthfeel that's different. The Decorah Sue is so smooth and soft. FL Sue is smooth but not as soft. All the TG bombers I've had from Decorah have that really soft feel. I've only had Pompeii, Sosus, Sue, Lightspeed but they all had that unifying softness which in my mind makes the beer that much better. It's easier to drink and acts as a better base to enhance all the different flavors. I've only had that softness from Lawsons, HF, Surly (todd, abrasive) and Trillium (still haven't hadTreehouse). The FL version is an awesome beer but it's definitely not the same. Shows just how hard it is to match the water. The FL Sue still blows almost anything from the west coast away.

 

Mouthfeel/appearance is the main difference now. From a pure flavor standpoint, the Florida Sue is world class these days.

 

I've been drinking it out of the cans the last 2-3 times I've had it, so aroma isn't in the equation either way. The only beer I've liked more straight from the can would be Todd or this fall's batch of Abrasive.

 

You guys still arguing about Florida Sue, haha! I think it's time that topic get's its own thread.

 

There will be argument about the Brew Hub TG as long as that agreement exists.

If you canned Decorah Sue right now, with the Florida label, I guarantee someone (not pointing any specific fingers here; just making the general point) would claim it was off.

For the record, I'm not saying Florida Sue matches Decorah Sue. Just that it's really good as of late. Like better than any other APA on the shelves around here at the moment.

 

Gee, I wonder what direction this discussion will go if/when the St. Louis BrewHub gets up and running? I'm sure there will be a contingent of folks pining for the glory days of Florida Sue.

 

Completely agree with you. Taste is so subjective. And beer reviews are hilarious. I could go burn my mouth on pizza and drink coffee before reviewing a beer for all you know.

 

I always brush my teeth before sampling and reviewing any beer to make sure my palate is cleansed

 

But, toothpaste ruins the palate too!

 

Perhaps you didn't see the winky emoji.

 

This already happened when Mike left. Like two weeks post departure someone complained that the Sue at the brewery tasted worse and Clark responded that that was pretty funny since Mike brewed that keg before he left. People will taste what they want to taste.

 

the sue cans are not as good as decorah in taste and mouth feel. clark willl admit it himself. i avoid sue cans personally and rather drink tg bombers whether its sue, light speed what not. f florida cans

 

I think it'll be fun to try the Florida cans once they've started using this new crop of Citra. Even Decorah Sue wasn't great with this past year's crop. Whether it was a bad crop, or just a lower quality hop, it just wasn't that great. The difference is incredible tasting the new stuff on draft. The appearance is different. The nose is different. The taste is different. I've tried Florida Sue once and that was enough for me. However, I'm definitely willing to give the next batch a second chance with the new crop.

So there you go. Florida Sue hate, Decorah Sue praise, and TG appreciation all rolled up into one post.

 

Where has this new stuff been on draught out of curiosity?! Decorah? eBS?!

 

If you taste a bad keg, at the taproom or anywhere, please contact us immediately with the details so I can begin to audit where along the line something went wrong and what exactly went wrong.

We've had kegs go to accounts that tapped the keg on a hand pumper for an event and then hook it back up to their draft system. Ruined the beer in a day. Horrid. Keg hand pump tappers are probably in my top 5 of worst inventions ever.

 

I've never tasted a bad keg of anything at the taproom

The interaction I was describing took place on Twitter I believe.

 

Zombie Burger and El Bait so far.

Sue was spot on and just awesome. A big difference between this and the cans from Florida which almost everybody has stated already. Hopefully we see more kegs in the future.

 

Nice back-pedaling Ryan ya jerk... lol jk