Beer

[Waquoit]

I noticed that Eli Cannons has several beers from Fox Farms in Salem. I never heard of the place before. Does anyone have a scouting report?

 

[8893]

I noticed that Eli Cannons has several beers from Fox Farms in Salem. I never heard of the place before. Does anyone have a scouting report?

All the ones I have tasted from them have been very good; as I've stated I don't drink much beer anymore but I still sample and I know that all my beer-snob friends say they are great, so I would trust anything from them if you like the style.

 

[UConnKev]

I noticed that Eli Cannons has several beers from Fox Farms in Salem. I never heard of the place before. Does anyone have a scouting report?

Fox Farm is excellent. I think they may be the best in Connecticut.

 

[Waquoit]

Fox Farm is excellent. I think they may be the best in Connecticut.

I agree. I had the Daylily and enjoyed it very much. Looks like a drive to Salem is in my future.

 

[specialisthusky]

I agree. I had the Daylily and enjoyed it very much. Looks like a drive to Salem is in my future.

It's worth the trip. It's a gorgeous brewery that was converted from an old barn. They constantly have 5 or more different styles of beer available, which is a nice change considering the apparent never ending IPA craze. The owner studied his craft in Belgium and the second brewer recently left a brewery in Norway.

Zyto (sour Kvass) and Alta (NE IPA) were two of the best beers I had last year.

 

[Conndog]

Help! Coming down I- 91 to visit friend in Rocky Hill & will go to Still Hill brewery, but on trip down, any recommended package stores to get great CT beer?
Thanks!

 

[Deepster]

In Aruba this week and drinking the local beer, Balashi. It’s a pilsener and it’s pretty awful on its own.....except when you’re by the pool and it’s 86 with a cool breeze and no clouds in the sky, they go down great.

 

[Waquoit]

Help! Coming down I- 91 to visit friend in Rocky Hill & will go to Still Hill brewery, but on trip down, any recommended package stores to get great CT beer?
Thanks!

Most decent sized packys seem to have some CT selections. For an alternative, I'm really enjoying Hooker beers these days. They have a tap room in Hartford where they sell cans and it's only about a mile from I-91.

Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt
140 Huyshope Ave, Hartford, CT 06106

 

[Yardigan]

Had been a fan of Wachusett Wally...and just saw today, for the first time, Wachusett Wally Jr.
Another citrus-y hazy NE IPA, main diff is that the Jr is just 4.5% ABV, vs 7% for the regular.
I like some "citrus-ness", but not necessarily fruit taste in a beer...anyone tried Wally Grapefruit?

 

[imno1]

A little off topic but I was watching the Andre The Giant doc on hbo and I think it was the Nature Boy who said he saw ATG consume 105 beers one time

 

[Yardigan]

Beer + Andre the Giant...is never off-topic.

 

[Waquoit]

As I was breaking down our Blue-White tailgate last Saturday my brother says, "Hold on to that ice, I got something for ya" Turns out it was this:


Times four! That's a pretty good brother

 

[ColchVEGAS]

I am sure others have mentioned the Trilliums and Tree Houses of the beer world, and they should be if we are talking IPAs, but in my opinion they do not do much else that stellar. At least Tree House does not. I cannot speak to Trillium as I have only had their IPAs.

With that said I have really only been drinking CT beers for the past year and for a small state there are a bunch of very good breweries. Not sure if anybody has mentioned Kent Falls, but I think they are the best brewery in thd state right now. They put out a bunch of different styles and do them all pretty well and I do not see many other breweries messing around with gose, saisons, sours, and farmhouse ales. Their IPAs are solid too. Not on the Tree House/Trillium level (not many are) but they are very good and you do not have to wait in lines for them either at the brewery or store.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Over in the UK for a bit for work and have been trying out many of the British beers. Good news is their stouts are just as terrible as stouts are in the US.

Been focusing on English Pale Ales. Started with some that I've had in the US as a baseline- Old Speckled Hen and Abbot's Ale. Decent. After much sampling Bombardier Glorious English Ale has been the best. Drinks best when it is cool. Not room temp, not ice cold, just cool.

Bombardier Glorious English Ale | Wells & Young's Ltd

 

[HuskyHawk]

I am sure others have mentioned the Trilliums and Tree Houses of the beer world, and they should be if we are talking IPAs, but in my opinion they do not do much else that stellar. At least Tree House does not. I cannot speak to Trillium as I have only had their IPAs.

With that said I have really only been drinking CT beers for the past year and for a small state there are a bunch of very good breweries. Not sure if anybody has mentioned Kent Falls, but I think they are the best brewery in thd state right now. They put out a bunch of different styles and do them all pretty well and I do not see many other breweries messing around with gose, saisons, sours, and farmhouse ales. Their IPAs are solid too. Not on the Tree House/Trillium level (not many are) but they are very good and you do not have to wait in lines for them either at the brewery or store.

Trillium makes superb stouts, porters and is known for their outstanding sour beers and Saisons. That's what they started with. Their signature beer "Trillium" is a Saison/Farmhouse beer.

Treehouse makes a great ESB (Old Man), and probably the best Brown Ale I've had, Bear. Their stouts, like Double Shot, are amazing.

What neither do is make traditional German style lagers.

 

[Rico444]

Trillium makes superb stouts, porters and is known for their outstanding sour beers and Saisons. That's what they started with. Their signature beer "Trillium" is a Saison/Farmhouse beer.

Treehouse makes a great ESB (Old Man), and probably the best Brown Ale I've had, Bear. Their stouts, like Double Shot, are amazing.

What neither do is make traditional German style lagers.

We need breweries to start brewing more German styles. The standard pilsner is ok, but I would love to see more Dunkels, Bocks, Marzens, etc. coming from American breweries. That way they can cut through the IPA craze a little bit (although I do love a good IPA).

 

[HuskyHawk]

We need breweries to start brewing more German styles. The standard pilsner is ok, but I would love to see more Dunkels, Bocks, Marzens, etc. coming from American breweries. That way they can cut through the IPA craze a little bit (although I do love a good IPA).

Jack's Abby does a great job. The Von Trapp Family brewery in VT does as well.

 

[Rico444]

Jack's Abby does a great job. The Von Trapp Family brewery in VT does as well.

I've had a couple of Jack Abby beers and wasn't a huge fan, but I think they were just regular lagers (one was an IPL and didn't do it for me). I'll have to check out their German styles.

 

[Dove]

I've had a couple of Jack Abby beers and wasn't a huge fan, but I think they were just regular lagers (one was an IPL and didn't do it for me). I'll have to check out their German styles.

Was that IPL called Calyptra? My fave JA that I have had so far.

 

[Waquoit]

We need breweries to start brewing more German styles. The standard pilsner is ok, but I would love to see more Dunkels, Bocks, Marzens, etc. coming from American breweries. That way they can cut through the IPA craze a little bit (although I do love a good IPA).

I'm not sure about that. German beer from Germany is bad enough.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

In Aruba this week and drinking the local beer, Balashi. It’s a pilsener and it’s pretty awful on its own.....except when you’re by the pool and it’s 86 with a cool breeze and no clouds in the sky, they go down great.

Same thing as when I was drinking Piton “Mystic Mountain Lager” in St Lucia a few weeks ago

 

[AreBee1969]

Beer + Andre the Giant...is never off-topic.

Ric Flair + Andre the Giant = 106 beers.

 

[8893]

I'm not sure about that. German beer from Germany is bad enough.

Crazy talk. I know many Americans are still IPA crazy and simply don't like the German/Austrian/Czech styles, but that doesn't make them bad beers. It's just a style you don't like.

Von Trapp is doing a terrific job with these styles.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Crazy talk. I know many Americans are still IPA crazy and simply don't like the German/Austrian/Czech styles, but that doesn't make them bad beers. It's just a style you don't like.

Von Trapp is doing a terrific job with these styles.

I like several of the kolsch style beers during summer. They're called lawn mower beers for a reason. There are several Czech beers that I've enjoyed. Can't remember any of them now but if I see one on a menu I give it a good look over.

German-Style Kolsch | Kolsch Beer | German Kolsch

 

[HuskyHawk]

Crazy talk. I know many Americans are still IPA crazy and simply don't like the German/Austrian/Czech styles, but that doesn't make them bad beers. It's just a style you don't like.

Von Trapp is doing a terrific job with these styles.

Yeah, those styles are a mixed bag for me. Dislike most Pilsners and most lagers that have too many yeast esters (banana, clove...). But they certainly are good beers. Meanwhile, a lot of IPAs out there are a style I like and are badly made. Many breweries are jumping on the New England IPA bandwagon while having no idea how to make one. The results are often drainpours for me.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I like several of the kolsch style beers during summer. They're called lawn mower beers for a reason. There are several Czech beers that I've enjoyed. Can't remember any of them now but if I see one on a menu I give it a good look over.

German-Style Kolsch | Kolsch Beer | German Kolsch

Much prefer Kolsch and Kellerbier to Pilsners, as they are cleaner without those funky yeast esters. Devil's Purse down one Cape makes a decent Kolsch.

 

[Yardigan]

Was that IPL called Calyptra? My fave JA that I have had so far.

I like that one, too. Hopponius Union is also a solid IPL.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Much prefer Kolsch and Kellerbier to Pilsners, as they are cleaner without those funky yeast esters. Devil's Purse down one Cape makes a decent Kolsch.

I say this with some trepidation, but I believe Gordon Biersch serves a decent Kolsch.

 

[Yardigan]

I like several of the kolsch style beers during summer. They're called lawn mower beers for a reason. There are several Czech beers that I've enjoyed. Can't remember any of them now but if I see one on a menu I give it a good look over.

German-Style Kolsch | Kolsch Beer | German Kolsch

It's hard to beat the IPA...an excellent 'utility' beer, with something for everyone... there's doubles and triples in the 8-12% range, with mondo hoppy bitterness...and then there are the sessions, which to me, are the best lawnmower beers. Am surprised at how good the Wachusett Wally Jr (4.5% ABV) is...tastes almost exactly like the regular which is a 7.5, I believe. Also, just tried yesterday, Clown Shoes Bubble Farm IPA. Wouldn't have immediately taken it for an IPA...much more (but not too much) malt taste than most IPAs...not bad at all...

 

[8893]

Captain Lawrence makes a nice Kolsch.