Which Beer Really Let You Down?

Might not seem like much, but since I live in Mexico pretty much all beers in the Top Beers section are just wet dreams for me.

Last week I landed a Pure Hoppiness by Alpine and it was good but there was no wow factor at all. There are better beers over here.

 

I'm not sure it's elite, but it certainly had enough hype for my preferred style. Chillwave pissed me off. I left two 6-packs, maybe more, in PA at a friend's house. I told him to share willingly with neighbors, as he is more of a porter/stout guy. It was way too malty for me, and the hop profile didn't wow me enough to overcome its lack of balance. Cheers!

 

I don't know how hyped it is, but my beer mentor and I have very similar palates as far as beer and wine go. He hooked me up with a Dark Lord. I almost didn't have the heart to tell him how underwhelmed I was.

 

One beer that really let me down was Green Flash Cellar 3 Silva Stout, I love barrel aged stouts and I was really looking forward to this. I paid $20 + tax for a bottle, opened it, poured it, tasted it and I thought what is going on? It was a butter bomb, tasted horrible, found out later there were infected bottles and since then I have not dropped any money on the Cellar 3 releases even though they all look good.

 

As much as I love Ballast point......it was Sculpin for me. It was on tap so maybe not so fresh being shipped across country. Of course 1 billion votes on the other side say I am wrong.

 

passed on cases of Pure Hoppiness today at TW. At $17.99 a six it would never be as good as I read.

 

Avery Liliko'i kepolo. I heard this was good, but I knew it was Avery, and I should've known better.

 

I second this. Pure Hoppiness is my least favorite Alpine I've gotten.

 

El Mole Ocho by New Holland. It was supposed to be "laced" with chilis and have a cocoa back to it. What I got was the reverse, big chili hit and almost no cocoa.

 

Deschutes Abyss. I wouldn't buy it again at any price.

 

I'm going with Pure Hoppiness as well.

 

Dragontrax b2

 

The flagship ones for the most part of the bigger craft and former craft brewers are awful in my opinion. So rather I will call some out. Boston Lager is only better than the domestic lite lagers a style that is underused but as a brewer of small scale home brew knows is not cheap to make in small volume levels of the small crafts. Flat tire is flat and kinda gross. Sierra Nevada Pale ale tastes like Lysol and I could go on and on to this subject but stayed on the big boys. Locally Sun King and all the other bigger players in town outside of Upland have equally bad flagship offerings.

 

The Bruery Chocolate Rain

 

Sump.

 

Your Father Smelt of Elderberries. I was so excited to find this available locally after having read about it for weeks. It was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful pours I have seen. Unfortunately, it didn't deliver on aroma or flavor. It was almost as if Stone didn't have a clear objective on what they were trying to accomplish with it. (Nota bene: This is most certainly not a knock on Stone. I've enjoyed just about everything else I've tried from this brewery.)

 

Great Lakes Lake Erie Monster.
Got to try it for the first time this year.
What a boring meh beer. I think there are still 3 sitting in my garage

 

I agree with this. I mean, I liked Abyss, but not enough to buy it again.

As for my personal letdown, Utopias. It was a hot, boozy mess and not in a way like I thought it would be.

 

Most rar hypes. STS was really good but not MD level good as first hyped.

 

Which vintage? It can vary significantly.

 

Huna. It was a good beer, maybe even a great beer. But I was ready for it to change my life and I was left more than a little underwhelmed.

 

The Abyss is hands down the most disappointing beer I have ever tried. I read all the hype and was excited when I got my hands on one. I don't know if I am not a fan of wine barrel aging, but I thought it was terrible. Never again.

 

Score another one for Abyss. Good but definitely wouldn't search for it.

 

I had it this past October, but it was not this year's batch. It was 2013 I believe.

 

If anyone disappointed with the Abyss wants to try an excellent wine barrel aged beer, check out the Cabernet Barrel Aged Laika from Straight to Ale. It still stands as one of the best beers I have ever had.

 

I had a Lou Pepe Framboise just recently......kind of wish I would have traded it away for the craziness it often pulls.

 

maybe I wasn't dressed appropriately.

 

Grapefruit Sculpin. I dreamed about it for months. I love grapefruit. I love fruity IPAs. Finally made the journey out of state to grab some. And did so mid week. I usually wait until Friday night to indulge. It was the longest Thursday and Friday in my history knowing what I had waited for for so long was in my beer fridge. But it just misses the mark for me. The added "Natural" grapefruit flavors give me the impression of a grapefruit soda and not a complex well crafted IPA. However, my appreciation of GF Sculpin has somewhat evolved since this initial let-down. While I think GF Sculpin falls flat as a world class IPA, I consider it a "situational" beer and now actively seek it out for hot summer days sitting on the beach.

 

Dark Lord..easy..overhyped and overrated

 

Well I didn't have to try that hard to get it but I remember getting heady topper and just thought it was supposed to be the best beer I ever had and it wasn't even top 5 dipa for me. It was kind of a let down.

 

Cognac Mexican Cake, unfortunately. Super underwhelming.

 

Dark Lord has to be the most overhyped beer of all time, hands down.

Close second: Black Note. Every single blind taste test I've done in groups with BA stouts, Black Note has finished last. Every. Single. Time.

 

Pliny the Elder did nothing for me. I didn't even finish the whole bottle. I drain poured about 1/3 of it. I think I had it built up in my mind waaaayyyy too much. I love IPA's too.

 

3 Floyds Zombie Dust and Permanent Funeral. Perfectly good IPAs but nothing about that brewery has blown my mind yet to justify how crazy people get over it. In fact, while I've had some totally fantastic IPAs, the most hyped beers of that style overall tend to underwhelm me a bit compared to great beers of other styles.

 

Tank 7. Maybe I'm just not a Saison/Farmhouse aficionado. Then again, I do enjoy Hennepin.

 

Every single Other Half IPA that I have tried...also, canned Julius. Other Half's didn't seem to last past a week or two with hop freshness and for me, Julius was just too overly creamy...however, the more recent batches have been better than the first I had it so I have hope. Very Angry Cow from Revolution was another letdown...it seemed like a spoiled milk stout

 

This was by no means a "whale" (I don't trade or really hunt) but I love Odell's hoppy offerings and a peach IPA sounded like a great idea to me, but Tree Shaker was way too sweet, syrupy and it hardly any detectable hop profile to it, a total let down. Not an undrinkable beer but I expected sooo much more from the brewery that gave me odell IPA and Myrcenary. I was trying to think of big letdowns but honestly I have loved the beers I was looking forward to (Zombie Dust, BCBS, Pliney, Celebrator, etc.) So my letdown story is a little boring I guess.

 

Wait, I am an admitted CO local fanboy, but why no love for Avery? I feel like they consistently make great stuff, with the occasional dud. Obviously all subjective, but what gives?

 

BP Grapefruit Sculpin. Still don't get it.