The OFFICIAL Craft Beer Thread

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:35 pm

Any other homebrewers?

Nice list of clone recipes.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Oct 23, 2015 6:24 am

I did it once earlier this year. Want to give it another go sometime soon.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:47 pm

Decided to crack open a 2015 Backwoods Bastard to see how it is fresh. Surprisingly little heat, but could use 3-6 months I'd say, as the bourbon is a little dominating at the front. Had a 2014 a week or two ago. I was a bit concerned, as the BA folks mostly agreed the beer goes downhill after 6 months. I completely disagree. I don't think it improved after 6 months, but definitely hasn't lost anything. I don't plan on sitting on them any longer, though.

Picked up Lagunitas Born Yesterday. By far the best of the wet hopped beers. As I said before, I don't like the wet hopped beers as much as I'd like. I really like the pungency of the hops, someone described it as cooking with fresh herbs over dried herbs, but the beers themselves aren't great. Maybe the brewers need some time to tinker or something, or maybe it just doesn't work as well. I do wonder how much of the rush to be the freshest actually matters. Lagunitas or one of the others claim the hops are thrown into the kettle within 4 hours of harvesting. Then they bottle and ship the day the beer is made. Some bottles hit store shelves within a couple days of bottling. I know the wet hops degrade much faster, but is next day necessary? My bottles are 8 days old, I'll age one for 4 days and let you know.

In other news, I picked up a bottle of Boulevard Rye on Rye yesterday. It's been on my short list of must try beers for several years, this is the first time it's been available in NJ.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Fri Nov 06, 2015 11:50 pm

You won't be disappointed in the Rye on Rye. It's delicious. Wait a couple weeks and the Bourbon Barrel Quad should be available near you. It's a fantastic beer.

devilfluff · Post by **devilfluff** » Sat Nov 07, 2015 1:53 am

The Sybian wrote:Decided to crack open a 2015 Backwoods Bastard to see how it is fresh. Surprisingly little heat, but could use 3-6 months I'd say, as the bourbon is a little dominating at the front. Had a 2014 a week or two ago. I was a bit concerned, as the BA folks mostly agreed the beer goes downhill after 6 months. I completely disagree. I don't think it improved after 6 months, but definitely hasn't lost anything. I don't plan on sitting on them any longer, though.

Picked up Lagunitas Born Yesterday. By far the best of the wet hopped beers. As I said before, I don't like the wet hopped beers as much as I'd like. I really like the pungency of the hops, someone described it as cooking with fresh herbs over dried herbs, but the beers themselves aren't great. Maybe the brewers need some time to tinker or something, or maybe it just doesn't work as well. I do wonder how much of the rush to be the freshest actually matters. Lagunitas or one of the others claim the hops are thrown into the kettle within 4 hours of harvesting. Then they bottle and ship the day the beer is made. Some bottles hit store shelves within a couple days of bottling. I know the wet hops degrade much faster, but is next day necessary? My bottles are 8 days old, I'll age one for 4 days and let you know.

In other news, I picked up a bottle of Boulevard Rye on Rye yesterday. It's been on my short list of must try beers for several years, this is the first time it's been available in NJ.

Born Yesterday is excellent. Definitely the best wet hop beer I had this year.

DSafetyGuy · Post by **DSafetyGuy** » Sat Nov 07, 2015 3:15 pm

devilfluff wrote:
The Sybian wrote:Picked up Lagunitas Born Yesterday. By far the best of the wet hopped beers. As I said before, I don't like the wet hopped beers as much as I'd like. I really like the pungency of the hops, someone described it as cooking with fresh herbs over dried herbs, but the beers themselves aren't great. Maybe the brewers need some time to tinker or something, or maybe it just doesn't work as well. I do wonder how much of the rush to be the freshest actually matters. Lagunitas or one of the others claim the hops are thrown into the kettle within 4 hours of harvesting. Then they bottle and ship the day the beer is made. Some bottles hit store shelves within a couple days of bottling. I know the wet hops degrade much faster, but is next day necessary? My bottles are 8 days old, I'll age one for 4 days and let you know.

Born Yesterday is excellent. Definitely the best wet hop beer I had this year.

I had a couple on tap the other night. Very enjoyable.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sat Nov 07, 2015 6:49 pm

This kind of shit makes my stance against macro-invested crafts go from beautifully noble to actually painful.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Sat Nov 07, 2015 8:23 pm

Suddenly a shitty day doesn't seem quite so bad...

So, so tasty.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:41 pm

mister d wrote:This kind of shit makes my stance against macro-invested crafts go from beautifully noble to actually painful.

Yeah, I really want to join your crusade, but I can't quit on Backwoods Bastard. And if I have the chance to pick up some Bourbon County, I'm not turning it down. If it makes you feel better, I respected your principles when you refused to gave when I let you know 2 stores had bottles available. I even thought about you when I picked up the BWBastard. I thought, "man, Mister D is fucking missing out!" Stay strong, brother.

While Born Yesterday is really good, don't feel like you are missing out. Nugget Nectar is way better.

teeteebee · Post by **teeteebee** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:28 pm

Motherfucker...

http://fox5sandiego.com/2015/11/16/beer ... ng-for-1b/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **brian** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:43 pm

I get the concern but it's a fair cry from InBev acquiring Goose Island and essentially turning its brands into the PBR of craft beer. Some of these moves shouldn't result in a diminishing of the product but could (in theory, at least hopefully) help a great brand increase its share and shelf space.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:46 pm

brian wrote:I get the concern but it's a fair cry from InBev acquiring Goose Island and essentially turning its brands into the PBR of craft beer. Some of these moves shouldn't result in a diminishing of the product but could (in theory, at least hopefully) help a great brand increase its share and shelf space.

The barrel aged aspect of Goose Island is still brewed under Goose Island, its the rest of the crap that no one really cares about that In Bev brews.

teeteebee · Post by **teeteebee** » Mon Nov 16, 2015 10:55 pm

I can't blame these guys for taking a billion dollars. But I also can't support it. These quality brewers are dropping like flies and it sucks.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 6:55 am

Was wondering why Goose Island IPA is now a regular feature at our liquor stores. Liked it, but I'll stay away now.

There are certainly enough quality IPAs available that aren't owned by the Death Stars.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 7:47 am

I live 3,000 miles from Ballast Point in a state with pretty awful distribution and could get them at pretty much any store here. They didn't need help increasing shelf space. Whether or not they manipulate the market like InBev, it's still the same act of trying to consolidate craft just like macro was consolidated. I have zero doubt there's a goal of hearing some dickhead call himself "a Ballast Point drinker" the same way you'd hear someone call themselves "a Bud drinker". Good for Ballast Point, bad for good beer and bad for craft brewers.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 8:17 am

I've never had nor seen ballast point but good on them for turning some shit they probably started in their garage into a billion dollars.

(kind of fitting)

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 10:56 am

mister d wrote:I live 3,000 miles from Ballast Point in a state with pretty awful distribution and could get them at pretty much any store here. They didn't need help increasing shelf space. Whether or not they manipulate the market like InBev, it's still the same act of trying to consolidate craft just like macro was consolidated. I have zero doubt there's a goal of hearing some dickhead call himself "a Ballast Point drinker" the same way you'd hear someone call themselves "a Bud drinker". Good for Ballast Point, bad for good beer and bad for craft brewers.

At the very least acquisitions like this give brands under inBev and similars more power to manipulate the market on the basic stuff all brewers need. Most of these are commodity products after all. So one more acquisition makes it just that 1% harder for your one location local guy to get what he needs or bumps his cost up a few pennies.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 11:22 am

BSF21 wrote:
mister d wrote:I live 3,000 miles from Ballast Point in a state with pretty awful distribution and could get them at pretty much any store here. They didn't need help increasing shelf space. Whether or not they manipulate the market like InBev, it's still the same act of trying to consolidate craft just like macro was consolidated. I have zero doubt there's a goal of hearing some dickhead call himself "a Ballast Point drinker" the same way you'd hear someone call themselves "a Bud drinker". Good for Ballast Point, bad for good beer and bad for craft brewers.
At the very least acquisitions like this give brands under inBev and similars more power to manipulate the market on the basic stuff all brewers need. Most of these are commodity products after all. So one more acquisition makes it just that 1% harder for your one location local guy to get what he needs or bumps his cost up a few pennies.

Yep. The influx of cash and and production will allow them to mass purchase at lower cost, and smaller breweries won't be able to compete, or even afford the jacked up prices they'll face. As D said, Ballast Point is already one of the most prevalent craft beers on the shelves of Jersey, and they just started distributing in NJ maybe 2 years ago. I assume they will flood the market, much like Goose Island has 2 taps in just about every bar, restaurant, stadium... I really hope they keep the quality, but I'd bet they eventually start buying lesser ingredients and mass produce to the point of decreased quality. I cringed at hearing the Quality Assurance woman cheerfully saying she is thrilled with the purchase. I feel like she will be the first cut. It is such a shame to see huge corporations buying up small competitors to decrease quality and limit choices.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 11:37 am

Even if quality remains the same, if you're someone who enjoys trying all different breweries, this sort of thing is really bad.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:09 pm

Too bad there are no other Ontarians here. There's a great brewery in Belleville (small city a couple of hours from here), that has just launched this beauty.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:33 pm

InBev:
10 Barrel
Blue Point
Elysian
Fordham
Goose Island
Kona
Old Dominion
Redhook
Terrapin (via SABM)
Widmer

Duvel Moortgat:
Boulevard
Firestone Walker
Ommegang

Other:
Abita (Enjoy Beer)
Ballast Point (Constellation)
Founders (San Miguel)
Lagunitas (Heineken)
Magic Hat (NAB)
Mendocino (UB Group)
Portland Brewing (NAB)
Pyramid (NAB)
Shiner (Gambrinus)

Private Equity:
Full Sail
Southern Tier
Sweetwater
Uinta

Post by **Sabo** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:36 pm

mister d wrote:InBev:
Kona

I was wondering why the hell a Hawaiian beer was so readily available Cleveland.

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:54 pm

mister d wrote:
Duvel Moortgat:
Boulevard
Firestone Walker
Ommegang

I suppose something like this would be the bright side. Combining buying power over a limited number of breweries has it's perks, but you need to keep the portfolio small enough not to lose the commitment to quality and diversity that seems to happen when AB/inBev type acquisitions happen. There is strength in numbers, but a pretty quick slope to diminishing returns.

vandwagon · Post by **vandwagon** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 1:30 pm

I stumbled across this a few weeks ago, my company underwrote a new brewing line for Lagunitas in Chicago so I keep a Google alert for it.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/thepourfool/2 ... -heineken/

After reading it I think he has a good point about continuing to support some of the entities that sold because they're still in it to make good beer. While 10 Barrel says it is, the history of AB seems to show otherwise. That said, I'll still support my local places over the Lagunitas-es of the world. Union Craft Brewing, Full Tilt, Brewers Art, Heavy Seas and other local places all put out excellent stuff.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 1:40 pm

mister d wrote:InBev:
10 Barrel
Blue Point
Elysian
Fordham
Goose Island
Kona
Old Dominion
Redhook
Terrapin (via SABM)
Widmer

Duvel Moortgat:
Boulevard
Firestone Walker
Ommegang

Other:
Abita (Enjoy Beer)
Ballast Point (Constellation)
Founders (San Miguel)
Lagunitas (Heineken)
Magic Hat (NAB)
Mendocino (UB Group)
Portland Brewing (NAB)
Pyramid (NAB)
Shiner (Gambrinus)

Private Equity:
Full Sail
Southern Tier
Sweetwater
Uinta

That is depressing...

vandwagon · Post by **vandwagon** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 1:48 pm

sancarlos wrote:
mister d wrote:InBev:
10 Barrel
Blue Point
Elysian
Fordham
Goose Island
Kona
Old Dominion
Redhook
Terrapin (via SABM)
Widmer

Duvel Moortgat:
Boulevard
Firestone Walker
Ommegang

Other:
Abita (Enjoy Beer)
Ballast Point (Constellation)
Founders (San Miguel)
Lagunitas (Heineken)
Magic Hat (NAB)
Mendocino (UB Group)
Portland Brewing (NAB)
Pyramid (NAB)
Shiner (Gambrinus)

Private Equity:
Full Sail
Southern Tier
Sweetwater
Uinta
That is depressing...

Seems that any West Coast beer you can get on the East Coast has some sort of bigger money behind it. I came across something from Fish Brewing out of Olympia, WA this weekend and actually went on the web to see if they were owned by another entity. They're not, but I wondered how it made its way to Baltimore. Hodgson's Bitter End IPA grew on me. Didn't like it much the first one, but really enjoyed it after all.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:02 pm

vandwagon wrote:After reading it I think he has a good point about continuing to support some of the entities that sold because they're still in it to make good beer.

Everyone is in it to make good beer, now some of them are in it to lock up the market place. I have no doubt Lagunitas and Firestone Walker will still make good beer.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:04 pm

I'm failing to form the analogy I'm trying to in my head but ... you know how good downtowns have their local association and everyone is part of that little community and restaurant 1 isn't trying to run restaurant 2 out of business because everyone benefits from the community as a whole being strong? Craft beer had that going at a utopian level for a while and now its all getting fucked up.

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:09 pm

mister d wrote:I'm failing to form the analogy I'm trying to in my head but ... you know how good downtowns have their local association and everyone is part of that little community and restaurant 1 isn't trying to run restaurant 2 out of business because everyone benefits from the community as a whole being strong? Craft beer had that going at a utopian level for a while and now its all getting fucked up.

I totally get this. Indy's local market is beyond saturation at this point, but all of the smalls guys seem to have such a strong respect for what everyone else is doing. All just trying to make the best product possible and supporting each other. You frequently see guys from different breweries mixing it up on tap takeovers and in tap rooms.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 2:14 pm

BSF21 wrote:
mister d wrote:I'm failing to form the analogy I'm trying to in my head but ... you know how good downtowns have their local association and everyone is part of that little community and restaurant 1 isn't trying to run restaurant 2 out of business because everyone benefits from the community as a whole being strong? Craft beer had that going at a utopian level for a while and now its all getting fucked up.
I totally get this. Indy's local market is beyond saturation at this point, but all of the smalls guys seem to have such a strong respect for what everyone else is doing. All just trying to make the best product possible and supporting each other. You frequently see guys from different breweries mixing it up on tap takeovers and in tap rooms.

This is the food truck mentality in Lexington. I don't hang around our local brewers that often, but I suspect it's similar.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:47 pm

Had the Guiness Nitro IPA last night. It is...odd.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:48 pm

Ever have any other nitro IPA?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:50 pm

Can't stand IPAs on nitro or cask. Former more than latter, but still.

Post by **brian** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:51 pm

I'm generally not a fan of nitro beers in general, but every now and then will stumble across one that's even better than the non-nitrogenized version somehow. (Deschutes Cinder Cone Red immediately comes to mind.)

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:54 pm

I don't know from about Nitro beers. Do I understand that they are injected with nitrogen? What is the desired taste effect that brings?

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:57 pm

"Creamy".

Post by **Sabo** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:57 pm

sancarlos wrote:I don't know from about Nitro beers. Do I understand that they are injected with nitrogen? What is the desired taste effect that brings?

Nitrogen is added to the beer for carbonation. The resulting pint tends to be creamier. It's like the difference between having a pint of Guinness compared to a bottle of Guinness. Same beer, but completely different beer depending on how it's poured.

http://www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-mus ... -explained" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 3:27 pm

Yea, count me out on Nitro beer in general. Just doesn't taste right. I'm sure there are some versions out there that are superior to their non nitro cousins, but at 6$/pint at the bar, I'm not paying to gamble.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 3:33 pm

Oh. I usually really like it for stouts; my dislike was strictly for IPAs on nitro.

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Wed Nov 18, 2015 3:37 pm

mister d wrote:Oh. I usually really like it for stouts; my dislike was strictly for IPAs on nitro.

I also rarely drink stouts which probably leads to my disdain. I certainly agree that it's much more applicable to dark beers.