Beer

[PcketknfNiels]

I bought a six of Sea Hag Friday, it used to be plenty on hand and now it's scarce. It didn't taste any better to me, I don't really understand why it's taking off.

Is that really what's happening these days? What a pain in the ass.

 

[8893]

I think that Sea Hag has improved dramatically since they changed the recipe within the past year. And the demand for it keeps increasing. Prime 16 is seeing its standing order for Sea Hag get slashed in half as NEBCO tries to keep up with the demand. My local guy has been wisely stocking up on it but he has not had to resort to keeping it in the back. When I stopped in last night he had at least three cases with 3/30/15 stickers.

Upstater, when you know you'll be heading through New Haven again shoot me a PM ahead of time. I'll see if I can round up some fresh cans of Sea Hag for you. I'm not a fan of the 668, but that is also usually available in cans, as is Elm City Lager. Gandhi-Bot is the only other one they are canning presently and that is rarer than hen's teeth. I think they only have one or two runs of cans left before they change the name. I hope it becomes more widely available again once they do.

 

[alexd]

I finally hit Relic in Plainville last weekend. I have gotten used to the sit down/small bar feel of places like Shebeen, Broad Brook & Firefly. I was surprised to see a small counter, an empty room and no tables or chairs. Had a good time talking brews with the 6 or 7 people that were there along with the two behind the counter. Had some small free samples followed by a pint of their Insomnia Black IPA which was very tasty. Became a fan of their Prologue Rye Lager also. The whole atmosphere just seemed a bit rushed. So we headed up the road to Firefly and spent a few hours there with their Coneflakes IIPA. Had a pizza delivered to us. Just a great vibe at that place. Especially on a Saturday afternoon. I’m hearing with the 25 hours/week they are open for purchases and growler fills, they can barely keep up. In their 2 years, they have already increased their tank size by 40% and are adding more.

BTW – tickets are on sale for the next Sundown Brewfest. Just an amazing event. I recommend to anyone here.
http://ctbeertrail.net/events/ski-sundown-summer-brewfest?xg_source=activity

 

[Mike75]

Places are now keeping Sea Hag in the back as well.

Really? Picked up a sixer on Saturday in Redding and it was stocked as normal in the display case. There were a couple of cases in the cooler as well.

 

[imno1]

Surprised to hear Sea Hag is hard to find. Tried a six of Stoney Creek Amber Lager Monday. It was ok not great

 

[CTBasketball]

I had Miller Lite from a can last night. It was pretty bad.

 

[upstater]

I think that Sea Hag has improved dramatically since they changed the recipe within the past year. And the demand for it keeps increasing. Prime 16 is seeing its standing order for Sea Hag get slashed in half as NEBCO tries to keep up with the demand. My local guy has been wisely stocking up on it but he has not had to resort to keeping it in the back. When I stopped in last night he had at least three cases with 3/30/15 stickers.

Upstater, when you know you'll be heading through New Haven again shoot me a PM ahead of time. I'll see if I can round up some fresh cans of Sea Hag for you. I'm not a fan of the 668, but that is also usually available in cans, as is Elm City Lager. Gandhi-Bot is the only other one they are canning presently and that is rarer than hen's teeth. I think they only have one or two runs of cans left before they change the name. I hope it becomes more widely available again once they do.

Thanks, will do. Next time in NH is this summer. And I stay for a week so it shouldn't be a hassle.

Went to the website and realized that NEBCO is not the old Elm City Brewing from the 1990s. They too had an Elm City Lager, but I guess they went out of business.

 

[methodology]

Surprised to hear Sea Hag is hard to find. Tried a six of Stoney Creek Amber Lager Monday. It was ok not great

I personally don't care much for the Stony creek brews. Doesn't make much sense either since the owner has spent a fortune securing a highly respected brew master to create their beers. Was told they specifically seeked out this guy before starting the brewery.

Not sure if it's true or not but the owner of stony creek brewery use to be co-owner of dichello distributors. He and his partner sold a few years ago and got millions. The one guy started a brewery, since he knew all the ins and outs of the business. The other guy I'm told is looking to buy Malones in Madison, since he's a local guy, and redo make it real nice.

 

[8893]

Thanks, will do. Next time in NH is this summer. And I stay for a week so it shouldn't be a hassle.

Went to the website and realized that NEBCO is not the old Elm City Brewing from the 1990s. They too had an Elm City Lager, but I guess they went out of business.

Yeah, kind of a complicated back story to NEBCO, as New England Brewing originally started as an entirely different entity--an upscale brewpub and restaurant in South Norwalk right next door to the Maritime Aquarium. That was during the first wave of the microbrew craze, more than 20 years ago. They bottled several of their beers and had a very good Gold Stock Ale and Oatmeal Stout, as well as a popular Atlantic Amber.

Some years later, Elm City brewing opened in New Haven, with a very nice space on Grand Avenue in Fair Haven. They brewed Elm City Lager, which was apparently a very old brand in New Haven that they revived; and they also brewed several other very good but inconsistent beers, some of which they bottled. The opened a restaurant that started off very well with the chef from a defunct, excellent New Haven restaurant whose name escapes me (it began with 'A' and was on the corner of Mechanic where Mezcal is now), but then let her go after she trained the staff in an effort to cut costs, and continued on a similar pattern in all respects of their business, destroying their good will until they went under.

In the meantime, New England Brewing in So No was also in trouble financially due to the economy and the competitive shakeout in the micro brew world (speaking of which, someone mentioned Pete's Wicked Ale to me the other day--remember when they were everywhere? Forgot all about them, but apparently they've been out of business for several years). At some point the current owners of NEBCO acquired the names, rights, recipes etc. of both New England Brewing and Elm City and started what is now NEBCO. Although they make Elm City Lager and occasionally make Gold Stock Ale, I do not believe there is any other connection between the two in terms of personnel, facilities or products. I think they just bought the rights.

 

[Dove]

I personally don't care much for the Stony creek brews. Doesn't make much sense either since the owner has spent a fortune securing a highly respected brew master to create their beers. Was told they specifically seeked out this guy before starting the brewery.

Not sure if it's true or not but the owner of stony creek brewery use to be co-owner of dichello distributors. He and his partner sold a few years ago and got millions. The one guy started a brewery, since he knew all the ins and outs of the business. The other guy I'm told is looking to buy Malones in Madison, since he's a local guy, and redo make it real nice.

I was at the Red Hook brewery (Portsmouth, NH) last summer and it was saidthat a guy just left there to go to Branford. Don't remember if it was to go to Stony Creek or Thimble Islands.

 

[8893]

The opened a restaurant that started off very well with the chef from a defunct, excellent New Haven restaurant whose name escapes me (it began with 'A' and was on the corner of Mechanic where Mezcal is now),

Got it, I think: Azteca.

 

[alexd]

17. Boneyard RPM
City: Bend, OR
ABV: 7.5%
The verdict: How this thing is 7.5% ABV, we have no idea—at times, it almost seems like the perfect expression of a session IPA, a blank canvas upon which a carpet-bombing of hop flavors are thrust. It drinks so lightly and so easily that it’s almost frightening, because the hop flavors are massive, all citrus and tropical—think tangerine and pink grapefruit, to quote one judge’s score sheet. Completely and utterly unbalanced in favor of the hops—the malt backbone is like the straight man in some insane SNL sketch who stands there being flustered while the madness unfolds around him. And what delicious, intoxicating madness it is. This is on the super refreshing end of IPA, a beer that would be cherished on a hot climate.

 

[gtcam]

17. Boneyard RPM
City: Bend, OR
ABV: 7.5%
The verdict: How this thing is 7.5% ABV, we have no idea—at times, it almost seems like the perfect expression of a session IPA, a blank canvas upon which a carpet-bombing of hop flavors are thrust. It drinks so lightly and so easily that it’s almost frightening, because the hop flavors are massive, all citrus and tropical—think tangerine and pink grapefruit, to quote one judge’s score sheet. Completely and utterly unbalanced in favor of the hops—the malt backbone is like the straight man in some insane SNL sketch who stands there being flustered while the madness unfolds around him. And what delicious, intoxicating madness it is. This is on the super refreshing end of IPA, a beer that would be cherished on a hot climate.

I have heard that boneyard breweries puts out some crazy brews
I haven't heard that they retail outside their dock sales
You know otherwise? If so, can we get it in CT?

 

[Dove]

This is at my local Big Y. Anyone try this yet? I need a review first before I buy...

 

[Dove]

UPDATE....only now am I Googling this Oculto brew...its an Anheuser Busch product.

 

[uconnfan68]

17. Boneyard RPM
City: Bend, OR
ABV: 7.5%
The verdict: How this thing is 7.5% ABV, we have no idea—at times, it almost seems like the perfect expression of a session IPA, a blank canvas upon which a carpet-bombing of hop flavors are thrust. It drinks so lightly and so easily that it’s almost frightening, because the hop flavors are massive, all citrus and tropical—think tangerine and pink grapefruit, to quote one judge’s score sheet. Completely and utterly unbalanced in favor of the hops—the malt backbone is like the straight man in some insane SNL sketch who stands there being flustered while the madness unfolds around him. And what delicious, intoxicating madness it is. This is on the super refreshing end of IPA, a beer that would be cherished on a hot climate.

Looks good to me.

 

[Rico444]

UPDATE....only now am I Googling this Oculto brew...its an Anheuser Busch product.

Tequila makes me puke, but not as much as Budweiser.

 

[Walker11]

As others have mentioned, Sea Hag is really good right now, I've been enjoying a barrel of it. I've been enjoying Stone Delicious tonight - got a bunch of gluten intolerant folks in my extended family and this is by far the best I've experienced.

 

[alexd]

UPDATE....only now am I Googling this Oculto brew...its an Anheuser Busch product.

Anheuser-Busch also bought in for 42% of Goose Island. Trying to sell a real beer for a change.

 

[Rico444]

Anheuser-Busch also bought in for 42% of Goose Island. Trying to sell a real beer for a change.

They also just made a commercial attacking craft breweries...starting to sweat a little, I guess?

 

[alexd]

They also just made a commercial attacking craft breweries...starting to sweat a little, I guess?

The AB commercial was in response to this or was it the other way around???:

 

[alexd]

 

[Waquoit]

As others have mentioned, Sea Hag is really good right now, I've been enjoying a barrel of it. I've been enjoying Stone Delicious tonight - got a bunch of gluten intolerant folks in my extended family and this is by far the best I've experienced.

I had a couple of Sea Hag's last night at Maggie McFly's only because I heard of it on the BY. I enjoyed it.

What about Misty Mountain from Bloomfield? We have some coming to our FB tailgate tomorrow.

 

[alexd]

I had a couple of Sea Hag's last night at Maggie McFly's only because I heard of it on the BY. I enjoyed it.

What about Misty Mountain from Bloomfield? We have some coming to our FB tailgate tomorrow.

Are you talking about Misty Mounain IPA from Back East Brewing in Bloomfield??? Very good, not great. IMHO ......Convenient cans though.

 

[Rico444]

I had a couple of Sea Hag's last night at Maggie McFly's only because I heard of it on the BY. I enjoyed it.

What about Misty Mountain from Bloomfield? We have some coming to our FB tailgate tomorrow.

I'm slowly coming to realize that Sea Hag is one of my favorite IPAs. Even had some Sculpin the other day and it's good, but I like Sea Hag more.