Why TG?

They do it because of the hype they created for beer that is the best around there, but would be just another great beer in some other parts of the country. Assassin is really good. Better than my top 10 Imperial Stouts? It arguably belongs on that list, but isn't better for sure. Haven't tried KBBS, but have had some of the other great beers they make, and none of them is the top of the class.

I am glad they have a brewery in Iowa they can be proud of, but the asking price in trade for the stouts is beyond stupid IMHO.

 

TG has yet to put out a bad bottled BA stout, the base beer has pedigree. Same with BCBS, HF Damon, Perennial's stout base, CCB BA Hunas, and slowly Cycles BA stouts. Dark Lord base is hit and miss, BVDL always trades high, their other BA dark lords (not so much). Every subsequent BA release by the 'stout master's' that have their formula down to a science will always garner crazy demand. TG only falls into this small sub-category because, like HF, it's in the middle of nowhere.

I rememher when DB Huna rode the hype train and people were saying, 'wait until value falls off' and it never did and look at what a bottle commands now. Some breweries have their own wheelhouse. Why do people go ga-ga over HF BA saisons...because they're that good and have always been good. Same goes for TG.

 

Amended that slightly. Let's be honest. The reason people drive 3+ hours each way through bluffs and farmlands is because they know they can flip/resell the bottles. If TG required people to drink the bottles on premises would those same people make the same trek? No, it would without a doubt be a smaller subset. I'm not disputing the quality of the beer here but let's be honest with ourselves why scores of people drive hundreds of miles at the drop of a hat. Yes it can be argued part of the reason TG BA stouts trade so high is that they are (or have been) perceived as good but to say that is the reason why people make the lengthy drive is inaccurate.

 

If u are ever in Decorah bring something yummy and ill give u a SR-71. BM me until i see it.

 

Nailed it...and it remains to be seen if they can replicate the same quality going forward now that the head brewer is gone...

 

Very fe

I agree to an extent. But I doubt there is a single person on this site that is comparing King Sue to Bud Light. TG beers are shipped across the country to traders on this site that have had everything, or close to it. And their rating or popularity hasn't fallen off.

 

which have been shipped across the country? I'd agree if you mean THEIR IPA'S.

Now as has already been mentioned, they have some good ipa's. But I'm used to drinking on a regular basis the best IPA'S in the NE, and my personal opinion is the TG stuff is good, but my local stuff is better.

not everyone has the same set of reference.

As to.their stouts, again their good, but I've had assassin and frankly I've had better. Those beers, particularly kbbs, has such a small frame of reference I'll withhold comment. I ignore most of the comments about it, because if the number of people who claim to have tried it and it's the best beer ever are to be believed there'd ha e to be 100,000 bottles out there.


it all depends on your frame of reference sir.

 

Agreed, especially with your point about the NE's IPAs. You're blowing everyone out of the water. It's not even fair....

 

I'm in the same camp as many others who have commented, the middle ground. Their beers (that I have had at least) are largely mind blowing, but I also wouldn't personally trade 5-6 other mind blowing beers for a 12 oz bottle of KBBS. Sosus and King Sue are 2 of the best (if not the best) DIPAs out there, and Psuedo is the best pale ale. None command huge trade ammo in return. KBBS is in my top-3 stouts ever, and Assassin 13 and 14 are both in my top-10, and they're only even that "low" because there are so many amazingly good BA stouts out right now. So yeah, TG makes amazing beer.

On trade value, the only one that's really insane IMO is KBBS and MD (which barely even trades at all any more). Assassin can be had with a combo of 2-3 really good, limited bottles, or one equally good bottle. For example, I traded a DBH for an Assassin (this was when 14 Assassin first came out and before DBH went through the roof). So I get the idea that people think it's ridiculous to trade a cellar of good beer, but there are other beers out there that trade just as high, so all you have to do is trade one of those 1:1 rather than giving up $200+ worth of beer.

 

Taste is subjective and all, but TG is my favorite brewery. I've had most of their bottled beers and everything has been amazing except for two (Dorothy's is good for what it is and Sol Hunter was good but not great). PseudoSue is my favorite beer. I enjoy their hoppy beers more than any other brewery, and KBBS and Assassin are in the top 3 best beers I've ever had (along with BCS Rare). Not everyone will agree with me there, but that's just my opinion.

 

I talked shit on TG before I had any. KBBS and MD are 2 of the best 3 stouts I have ever had. I am not an Assassin fan though. Psuedo Sue is as good as any Pale Ale on the market. (even though I had a bad bottle or 2) But when its on point its melony good.

I have not had King Sue and may never depending on what happens with those recipes now that Mike is gone.

The real question is will TG continue to be great or did their Greatness leave with Mike?

 

I think this is a great point. The OP brought up the "hype" element of TG - the hype will die down on a brewery/specific beers if the beer in question is not good (see VSP, Blueberry Flanders, Kiwi Herman, etc), it just takes time. DB Hunah is that good and thus people still pursue it. Same with KBBS and Mornin' Delight - they are that good, objectively so. And therefore people clamor for them. I think KBBS and Mornin' Delight are the best stouts I've ever had and I think Assassin is also very good. Will that change with Mike's departure - we'll see, but I'm pretty sure if they release Mornin' Delight again and it's no good, after the initial ridiculous high trade value, the value will fall as more people taste it and time goes by. And I don't think all TG beer trades crazy - their Pales and IPAs trade very fairly. So all we are really talking about are TG stouts.

 

Why Hill Farmstead?
Just saying....

 

@jcvanderbilt Last time I checked... Kiwi Herman still trades pretty high.

 

Wait NG Wild Peach isn't good...what the hell did I drink the other night then?!

 

And it's also good.

 

Perhaps I had a bad bottle. Just don't see people clamoring for Kiwi in a few months (or even right now) like they are for Chez Monus.

 

Well I'd say that comparing it to Chez is one thing. Saying it is "not good" is another. The hype got out of control but it's a pretty excellent beer in my opinion.

 

MD and KBBS are among two of the best stouts that I have drank, but I would never trade for these beers again because hype train is chugging at a recklessly fast speed on these two beers.

 

I spoke with Andy at Huna day and he was hinting of a big announcment in April about TG in Central Florida. I was like holy crap.... then at the tap room on Sunday I ran into a Manager from Brew Hub and he said that Brew Hub is going to be making some TG Ipa and Pale ales starting this summmer. Who knows if they will distro in FL but i will definetly stop at the Brew Hub tap room on the regular for growlers!!!