Beer

[mhshuskies]

I thought the thread was about best craft brew in the state (CT?), but since everyone jumped in with out of state brews I'll throw in my favorites: "Smooth Criminal" and "Suzy Short Schwartz" from Peoples Brewery, Lafayette, IN.

 

[HeyMoe]

While I know it's not a CT Brewery, Tree House Brewing's Julius is an excellent IPA (only 40 minutes from UConn in Monson, MA). Personnally I liked NEBCO's Fuzzy Baby Ducks a little better but that beer is almost impossible to get. I highly recommend a visit to Tree House Brewing if you get the chance.

 

[8893]

I don't think NEBCO is going to do anything in response to India's upset,

I was wrong:
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-gandhi-bot-rename-new-england-brewing-20150123-story.html

Glad I have my Gandhi Bot t-shirt and glass. Collector's items now...

 

[August_West]

Prime 16 has Dogfishhead's Raison D'extra (18% abv raisin-brewed belgian strong dark ale) on tap right now. Not available for happy hour, unsurprisingly.

I had that on tap at Strange Brew in Norwich last weekend. Strong, strong stuff. It wasnt my favorite (too sweet for me) but it was very good.


Anybody drink Sculpin? I had some on tap for first time this week in New Haven, was awesome.

 

[Bezzz]

I had that on tap at Strange Brew in Norwich last weekend. Strong, strong stuff. It wasnt my favorite (too sweet for me) but it was very good.


Anybody drink Sculpin? I had some on tap for first time this week in New Haven, was awesome.

I just bought a six of Sculpin today ($15.99 at Max Bev West Hartford). Really good with bitter bite and clean finish but I was hopeing for more hops. I'll stick with Sixpoint's Resin at Crazy Bruce.

 

[alexd]

Stopped at Firefly Hollow again tonight....happy to see an IPA on tap this time. Picked up a squeeler of their Cone Flakes Double IPA...quickly becoming my favorite local beer.

 

[8893]

Anybody drink Sculpin? I had some on tap for first time this week in New Haven, was awesome.

Big fan of Sculpin. When it first came out several years ago it was my favorite beer on the planet for a while. Still a favorite, but like a lot of these beers, fresh makes all the difference in the world. Their cans are also very good and hold up better than most over time; but on tap it really seems to vary wildly in my experience, likely depending on the age.

Ballast Point also makes some other excellent beers, including Big Eye IPA (more piney and less citrusy than Sculpin) and Victory at Sea Imperial Porter, with coffee and vanilla. Generally not a fan of flavored beers like that, but that one is really a standout imo.

 

[mauconnfan]

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/southwick_officials_approve_ne.html

Checking out the Westfield Rivery Bewery in the old Chuck's location in Southwick MA today with a few couples - more snow than expected so a good day to check it out!

 

[Rico444]

Just had some more Unorthodox at Two Roads the other day -- not usually a fan of porters and stouts, but this one is delicious. My new favorite dark beer by far.

 

[methodology]

Hill farmstead brewery in Greensboro bend, VT might be the best brewery in the US.

The brew master is highly respected by breweries in Belgium Germany etc that have been around for generations. Difficult to get the respect of hundreds of years old breweries but his beers speak for themselves.

 

[8893]

Hill farmstead brewery in Greensboro bend, VT might be the best brewery in the US.

The brew master is highly respected by breweries in Belgium Germany etc that have been around for generations. Difficult to get the respect of hundreds of years old breweries but his beers speak for themselves.

No question. Hill Farmstead is off the charts. They say it's the softness of the water I think there's something to that. Shaun Hill's beers are definitely always among the smoothest I've ever tasted, irrespective of style. Too tough to get though.

 

[8893]

Stopped at Firefly Hollow again tonight....happy to see an IPA on tap this time. Picked up a squeeler of their Cone Flakes Double IPA...quickly becoming my favorite local beer. View attachment 8205

My best friend showed up at my house with this as a surprise for me tonight. It is excellent. Reminds me of the original Ipswich IPA we used to get in growlers. Cloudy, chunky, milky hoppy goodness. Really good beer.

Drinking the Red Lantern now. Irish Red is not my favorite style, but it is very good for the style, and the nitro makes it very drinkable.

Good stuff. Gotta make a visit.

 

[alexd]

My best friend showed up at my house with this as a surprise for me tonight. It is excellent. Reminds me of the original Ipswich IPA we used to get in growlers. Cloudy, chunky, milky hoppy goodness. Really good beer.

Drinking the Red Lantern now. Irish Red is not my favorite style, but it is very good for the style, and the nitro makes it very drinkable.

Good stuff. Gotta make a visit.

Great to hear this. I'm planning to stop by there tomorrow to stock up for a Super Bowl party. Great people working there too. I always find myself sitting down at the bar to have pint when I stop by to refill.

 

[8893]

Great people working there too. I always find myself sitting down at the bar to have pint when I stop by to refill.

That was exactly his report.

 

[mauconnfan]

I was at the Tavern in Westfield MA this evening and tried a new Red Ale from Switchback Brewery in Burlington VT - excellent will drink it again when I see it.

The trip last weekend to the Westfield Riveer Brewery in Southwick wasn't as successful. A few couples everyone had the samplers and not a lot of love for too many of their 16 different beers. They love their citrus and hops a little too much for my liking.

 

[progrocks]

Not drinking much American stuff these days, but I am loving some of the whacked out stouts that Mikkeller makes. Always interesting stuff

 

[TRest]

Pretty good article on the Fuzzy Baby Ducks phenom. I'm too old to follow the twitter alerts and whatever so it's weird to find out now they had it at Plan B. Of course, I'm also too old to stand behind 10 guys at a tiny bar hoping to get a draft before a keg taps out in 50 minutes.
http://touch.courant.com/#section/2225/article/p2p-82660508/

 

[alexd]

8893....was surprised and happy to find Toadstool Oatmeal Stout on tap at Firefly Hollow today and it's on regular C02 and not nitro, so they can fill growlers. Every time I've seen it there this was not the case.

3 "squeelers" filled....I am now ready for the SB tomorrow.

 

[8893]

8893....was surprised and happy to find Toadstool Oatmeal Stout on tap at Firefly Hollow today and it's on regular C02 and not nitro, so they can fill growlers. Every time I've seen it there this was not the case.

3 "squeelers" filled....I am now ready for the SB tomorrow.

I noticed that beer when I was checking their website today and I was thinking I'd like to try it because I do like a good oatmeal stout. Glad to hear it's a good one. I'm planning a detour soon when I am in the area so I can check the place out. I made my buddy leave the squealer with me and he took the growler home. I am adding it to the cooler bag of half and full growlers that I keep in my car so I'm ready to swing by on moment's notice.

Funny story about the squealer actually. My buddy always tries to surprise me with something he thinks I might not know about, and more often than not I've already had or at least heard of the beer. When he arrived last night he said "Guess where I've been? I've got a squealer for you." The only other time I had heard that term was seeing you use it here in connection with Firefly. So I said, "Did you go to Firefly?" He was deflated. I followed up with "Did you get the Cone Flakes?," again because I had seen you post about it here. He slunk further down: "How the hell did you know the brewery and the beer before I even said anything else and the beer is still in my car?!?!"

"Ancient Boneyard secret..."

Thanks for keeping my streak alive.

 

[alexd]

Nice.

8893....I think we need to hang out some time. Let me know when you're heading to Firefly. It's 10 minutes from home for me.

You sound like me. When I stopped by Firefly today, I thought I had 2 empties in my trunk. The initial young lady working the bar told me the stout was on nitro so I filled 2 of the squeelers with the Ramshackle golden mild and water hammer. Then the 2nd young lady started pouring the stout into someone else's growler and told me the tap was mismarked and it was actually on c02. That's when I realized I had a third squeeler in the trunk. And so I got that one filled.

 

[BoatShow]

Checking out the new World of Beer in West Hartford tonight. Excited is an understatement.

 

[alexd]

Checking out the new World of Beer in West Hartford tonight. Excited is an understatement.

Take notes and report back.

 

[uconnfan68]

Schaffer out of a can, or a nice PBR on tap.

Garden State Beer was a primo choice back when we had to find someone over 21 to buy for us.

 

[alexd]

Garden State Beer was a primo choice back when we had to find someone over 21 to buy for us.

1984....it was Strohs and Milawaukee's Best.

 

[TRest]

Take notes and report back.

Went there for a couple after work yesterday. Bottle selection is huge, the draft selection might be a little underwhelming for some of you guys. Nice space though, great staff. Will rock in the warmer months as they have a garage door front window that will roll up for sidewalk-side seating (kind of like Bartaco).