Beer

[Yardigan]

Upta Maine over the holidays...my brother had a boatload of Bissell Brothers - Substance, Swish, Nothing Gold and Reciprocal.
These were all much better than I expected.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Went to the local brewery nearby, and I had an Octoberfest called Marsen. It’s actually quite good. This brewery has slowly gotten better and we like to support them.

 

[karstenkibbe]

Went to the local brewery nearby, and I had an Octoberfest called Marsen. It’s actually quite good. This brewery has slowly gotten better and we like to support them.
View attachment 81439

Marzen is one of my favorite lager styles - a little sweeter and more malty, which I dig. Love seeing them on tap and in cans during the fall months. Major props for supporting your local brewery.

 

[ETSA]

Went to the local brewery nearby, and I had an Octoberfest called Marsen. It’s actually quite good. This brewery has slowly gotten better and we like to support them.

Marzen is one of my favorite lager styles - a little sweeter and more malty, which I dig. Love seeing them on tap and in cans during the fall months. Major props for supporting your local brewery

By Bavarian tradition an Oktoberfestbier is pretty much by definition a Märzenbier. It used be that they did not brew beer in the summer months, so in March (März) they would brew a style of beer with more hops, malt and alcohol content so they could store it for several months in cool cellars. By late September Fests it was the only beer available (except maybe some insufficiently lagered "green beer" from early in the restarted brewing season.)

 

[karstenkibbe]

By Bavarian tradition an Oktoberfestbier is pretty much by definition a Märzenbier. It used be that they did not brew beer in the summer months, so in March (März) they would brew a style of beer with more hops, malt and alcohol content so they could store it for several months in cool cellars. By late September Fests it was the only beer available (except maybe some insufficiently lagered "green beer" from early in the restarted brewing season.)

I think @HuskyHawk knows that a marzen is a Festbier. In this case, the actual name of the beer IS Marsen, which, guessing HH’s locale, is from 67 Degrees Brewing.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I think @HuskyHawk knows that a marzen is a Festbier. In this case, the actual name of the beer IS Marsen, which, guessing HH’s locale, is from 67 Degrees Brewing.

Indeed, most Festbiers are Marzens and that’s the one. No idea why it was named with an S except to stand out. It’s a small brewery run by several Haitian cousins/brothers. Opened in February 2020, so they had a rough start.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Visited a new to me brewery, Angle Tree. Had their NEIPA which was ok, and a barrel aged porter that was pretty good. Oddly, the Kolsch was the highest Abv beer. Weird.

 

[karstenkibbe]

Had this bad boy yesterday. A little collaboration from Fidens out of Albany and Ober Creek in Dutchess County. @HuskyHawk I have a feeling this one would be in your DIPA sweet spot. Loaded with Citra, Motueka, Galaxy, Simcoe and Mosaic.

 

[Viet Vet]

I may get excommunicated from New England, but I am a long-time (20+ years) West-Coast-bitter IPA hophead lover, with a strong preference over the fruity, clinging, malty East Coast IPAs.

I live in Connecticut, but love travelling to Portland or Seattle for what I consider "true" IPAs.

 

[storrsroars]

I may get excommunicated from New England, but I am a long-time (20+ years) West-Coast-bitter IPA hophead lover, with a strong preference over the fruity, clinging, malty East Coast IPAs.

I live in Connecticut, but love travelling to Portland or Seattle for what I consider "true" IPAs.

You're good. I don't think any of the regulars here would turn down a WCIPA.

 

[HuskyHawk]

You're good. I don't think any of the regulars here would turn down a WCIPA.

I basically stopped drinking them, just can't handle the bitterness. I can't drink dark roast coffee either, or any coffee black. But everyone likes different beers, so @Viet Vet drink what you like! Still some west coast styles being made on the east coast. The super malty DIPAs made in the great lakes and midwest (to Colorado) are some of my least favorites. Too cloying and sweet. I don't find most NEIPAs to be overly malty or sweet, the lack of bitterness can be confused for sweetness.

 

[karstenkibbe]

I basically stopped drinking them, just can't handle the bitterness. I can't drink dark roast coffee either, or any coffee black. But everyone likes different beers, so @Viet Vet drink what you like! Still some west coast styles being made on the east coast. The super malty DIPAs made in the great lakes and midwest (to Colorado) are some of my least favorites. Too cloying and sweet. I don't find most NEIPAs to be overly malty or sweet, the lack of bitterness can be confused for sweetness.

The Midwest IPAs are my least favorite style of beer these days. I won’t even look at them. I have a pretty welcoming palate but I find these unbalanced malt bombs to be seriously off-putting. I’ve been revisiting WCIPAs in the last year, as many breweries across the country have redefined the style, dialed back the bitterness and produced delicious and crushable versions.
Westbound & Down outside Denver has done an experimental series of WCIPAs and they are fantastic.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Midwest IPAs are my least favorite style of beer these days. I won’t even look at them. I have a pretty welcoming palate but I find these unbalanced malt bombs to be seriously off-putting. I’ve been revisiting WCIPAs in the last year, as many breweries across the country have redefined the style, dialed back the bitterness and produced delicious and crushable versions.
Westbound & Down outside Denver has done an experimental series of WCIPAs and they are fantastic.

View attachment 81611

Pizza Port was always solid. I may give a few a try. That's a wild head on that one. They can be good warm weather beers. I liked them until the Hop IBU race went out of control and they all started to taste like paint thinner. Pure liquid astringency isn't very enjoyable.

 

[storrsroars]

The super malty DIPAs made in the great lakes and midwest (to Colorado) are some of my least favorites.

The Midwest IPAs are my least favorite style of beer these days. I won’t even look at them. I have a pretty welcoming palate but I find these unbalanced malt bombs to be seriously off-putting.

Not sure what beers you guys are referencing here. Pliny, Ruination, and G-Bot could all fall into the DIPA category.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Not sure what beers you guys are referencing here. Pliny, Ruination, and G-Bot could all fall into the DIPA category.

Example. ODell Myrcenary. Myrcenary – Odell Brewing Co

Hopslam is another. If it's a double IPA, it's clear and it's orangey amber, it's probably one of the malt bombs. Pliny and G-Bot are not in that category.

 

[karstenkibbe]

Example. ODell Myrcenary. Myrcenary – Odell Brewing Co

Hopslam is another. If it's a double IPA, it's clear and it's orangey amber, it's probably one of the malt bombs. Pliny and G-Bot are not in that category.

Bingo. I was thinking Hopslam as well and Bell’s Two Hearted, Pipeworks Ninja vs Unicorn.

 

[Dove]

Bingo. I was thinking Hopslam as well and Bell’s Two Hearted, Pipeworks Ninja vs Unicorn.

Love love love that Hopslam!!

 

[Waquoit]

Any good beer in Myrtle Beach?

 

[karstenkibbe]

Any good beer in Myrtle Beach?

Depends on your definition of good. Let’s just say you’ve got better options in Charleston, but New South Brewing is pretty solid. Stick to IPAs, stouts and fruited sours. Their lager game is fairly weak.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The Midwest IPAs are my least favorite style of beer these days. I won’t even look at them. I have a pretty welcoming palate but I find these unbalanced malt bombs to be seriously off-putting. I’ve been revisiting WCIPAs in the last year, as many breweries across the country have redefined the style, dialed back the bitterness and produced delicious and crushable versions.
Westbound & Down outside Denver has done an experimental series of WCIPAs and they are fantastic.

View attachment 81611

I've been up in cow country Madison for a couple of weeks and people swear by New Glarus Spotted Cow. It's not really a good beer. I've tried a couple of them and they are basically flavorless. You could easily crush one after yard work in the summer.

Best beer I've had up here is an IPA by Karben4 called Fantasy Factory. Great representation of an IPA. Doesn't try to be something it isn't and does a great job representing the style.

I'd recommend it to anyone.

 

[Chin Diesel]

BTW, happy 10 year anniversary to these merged threads.
As UConn fans we had just watched year 2 of PP and football going 5-7.
Basketball was middling this season but only a season away from another championship run.

My initial post about a microbrewery in Pensacola, FL seems quaint now. Same brewery is still one and doing well regionally but I wouldn't put it in my top five for that area.

While Pensacola Bay kept their lineup the same and concentrated on production and distribution a bunch of other breweries popped up with real good creative beers and great drinking environments.

Not that I expect to see any of you near here (Destin is a good 75 minutes east) but breweries like Alga, Odd Colony, Emerald Republic, Gulf Coast Brewing all do beer better.

Having done enough traveling over this past decade, Burlington and Vernont is by far the best collection of beers I've come across.
CT definitely holds it own and none of you need any knowledge on that.
San Diego was great as was Fairbanks, Alaska.

As far as beers over the years, these are a few that stand out.

Foam Experimental Jet Set
Alchemist Focal Banger
Steel Hands Coffee Lager
Karmelit Tripel
Hoegaarden Grand Cru

 

[Chin Diesel]

I've been up in cow country Madison for a couple of weeks and people swear by New Glarus Spotted Cow. It's not really a good beer. I've tried a couple of them and they are basically flavorless. You could easily crush one after yard work in the summer.

Best beer I've had up here is an IPA by Karben4 called Fantasy Factory. Great representation of an IPA. Doesn't try to be something it isn't and does a great job representing the style.

I'd recommend it to anyone.

Here's Fantasy Factory on tap with a Fantasy Factory coaster showing a cat riding a rainbow snorting unicorn.

Fantasy Factory | Karben4 Brewing

Fantasy Factory is a American IPA style beer brewed by Karben4 Brewing in Madison, WI. Score: 91 with 684 ratings and reviews. Last update: 09-27-2023.

www.beeradvocate.com

 

[HuskyHawk]

I've been up in cow country Madison for a couple of weeks and people swear by New Glarus Spotted Cow. It's not really a good beer. I've tried a couple of them and they are basically flavorless. You could easily crush one after yard work in the summer.

Best beer I've had up here is an IPA by Karben4 called Fantasy Factory. Great representation of an IPA. Doesn't try to be something it isn't and does a great job representing the style.

I'd recommend it to anyone.

That Spotted Cow may top my list of most disappointing beers. It's pointless. You reminded me of another brewery making the too malty and too bitter IPAs, Surley in Minnesota.

 

[HuskyHawk]

BTW, happy 10 year anniversary to these merged threads.
As UConn fans we had just watched year 2 of PP and football going 5-7.
Basketball was middling this season but only a season away from another championship run.

My initial post about a microbrewery in Pensacola, FL seems quaint now. Same brewery is still one and doing well regionally but I wouldn't put it in my top five for that area.

While Pensacola Bay kept their lineup the same and concentrated on production and distribution a bunch of other breweries popped up with real good creative beers and great drinking environments.

Not that I expect to see any of you near here (Destin is a good 75 minutes east) but breweries like Alga, Odd Colony, Emerald Republic, Gulf Coast Brewing all do beer better.

Having done enough traveling over this past decade, Burlington and Vernont is by far the best collection of beers I've come across.
CT definitely holds it own and none of you need any knowledge on that.
San Diego was great as was Fairbanks, Alaska.

As far as beers over the years, these are a few that stand out.

Foam Experimental Jet Set
Alchemist Focal Banger
Steel Hands Coffee Lager
Karmelit Tripel
Hoegaarden Grand Cru

When we had our house in Vermont, we had a lot of fun traveling to breweries. At first that was places like Magic Hat, Longtrail and Otter Creek. Then Fiddlehead and Foley Brothers., eventually Foam, Alchemist and Lawsons. The last one we discovered was Red Clover in Brandon, during the pandemic (as we were selling the house), absolutely great. Mad Taco in Waitsfield VT and Worthy Burger in South Royalton are highly recommended for food and tap list.

Best brewery visit experiences: Lawson's in Waitsfield, the original Red Hook in Seattle and Brewery Bourgogne des Flandres in Bruges. Honorable mention to Treehouse both Charlton and Sandwich, Long Live Beerworks. I also quite enjoyed Foley Brothers when it was just starting out. For a brewpub setting, I made many memories at Free State Brewing in Lawrence, KS and love Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, VT. The Oslo Bar in Galway is a brewery owned pub (Galway Bay Brewery), great stuff, fun spot. For beer bars, you can't top Armsby Abby in Worcester, MA.

Beers that wowed me along the way. Alchemist: Heady Topper; Hill Farmstead: Abner and Double Galaxy: Treehouse: Julius, Super Treat, Juice Machine; Trillium: Congress Street, DDH Melcher St and Citra Cutting Tiles; Bourbon County Barleywine and Stout (2014); Lawson's: Double Sunshine, Triple Sunshine, Fayston Maple: Foley Brothers: Pieces of Eight: Ayinger Celebrator; Mother's Brewing: 3rdbass. Many more, but those stand out out.

As for Florida, I've never been to the panhandle I am planning to take periodic trips to FL to check out potential locations, probably starting around St. Augustine and maybe Amelia Island. But I'd be up to visit the panhandle, I just don't know where to go.

 

[HobokenHusky]

Just picked up less than a week old heady topper from a random liquor store in central New Jersey. What a time to be alive.

 

[HuskyHawk]

This is good.

 

[pepband99]

Here's Fantasy Factory on tap with a Fantasy Factory coaster showing a cat riding a rainbow snorting unicorn.

Fantasy Factory | Karben4 Brewing

Fantasy Factory is a American IPA style beer brewed by Karben4 Brewing in Madison, WI. Score: 91 with 684 ratings and reviews. Last update: 09-27-2023.

www.beeradvocate.com

View attachment 81869

Kent Falls should sue.

 

[karstenkibbe]

Kent Falls should sue.

Agree. Buddy Sprinkles would not be happy about that label art.

 

[MJKI]

Anyone get the Hoppy Pilsner yet at NEBCO? Big fan of it, always a lover of Czech leaning beers

 

[HuskyHawk]

This was superb from Vitamin Sea in Weymouth, MA. Not many breweries are better with NEIPA.