for display only
Big Blue Interactive The Corner Forum  
Back to the Corner

Archived Thread

NFT: The Alchemist

well...bye TC : 8/6/2017 6:47 pm
Theres no better place for beer on earth (tho Hill Farmstead is a respectable second imo). If you havent tried Skadoosh, its right up there with Focal and Heady for me.
I used to think so  
pjcas18 : 8/6/2017 6:55 pm : link
but sip o sunshine is the best IMO.

and if I want a session IPA i love the Little Cranky's from Stony Creek, CT.

I like all the Alchemist beers, and have them all regularly (as I can), but to me they're no longer the best.
..  
jrapps : 8/6/2017 6:56 pm : link
Those are great but Treehouse, Trillium, Other Half, Monkish and Veil have surpassed Alchemist IMO. However I'll never pass up a Heady Topper or Focal.
My rankings go  
Natek212 : 8/6/2017 6:57 pm : link
1. Tree House
2. Hill Farmstead
3. Alchemist
4. Maine Beer Company
5. Trillium

Obviously I'm big into IPA's.
Heady Topper  
Natek212 : 8/6/2017 6:58 pm : link
and Focal Banger are fantastic. But I've never had a beer better than Julius from Tree House. Problem is it's too hard to get it, and has a very limited shelf life.
There's so many good ones  
UConn4523 : 8/6/2017 7:08 pm : link
I still think Sip of Sunshine is my favorite beer but Triliums Launch, Maine Lunch, Bissell Bros Substance, and Other Halfs Broccoli are all up there too.
I'm going up there in a week  
ChathamMark : 8/6/2017 7:35 pm : link
to visit an old high school buddy nearby in Vermont, and bring some goodies back to NJ. My brother (retired), works there.
Finback, Grimm, and Singlecut  
Natek212 : 8/6/2017 7:39 pm : link
Also putting out some great stuff from the city. I'm loving all the new breweries popping up. Craft beer keeps getting better and better.
I'm friends with John and Jen  
Bold Ruler : Mod : 8/6/2017 7:48 pm : link
Also friendly with Shaun. Vermont is a paradise on Earth for craft beer. I think The Alchemist has a different take on beers than Hill Farmstead does, both are worthy and delicious. Just glad to hear you enjoy coming to Vermont.

Please keep it up!
I was just in Vermont yesterday  
JerryNYG : 8/6/2017 7:53 pm : link
I visited The Alchemist, Prohibition Pig, Fiddlehead, Queen City Brewery, and Zero Gravity Brewery.

Fiddlehead remains my favorite of the Vermont breweries, but all of them are great in different ways. I was most surprised by Queen City, I sampled their entire selection and actually found myself enjoying some styles I don't normally go for.

I do love Lawson's Sip of Sunshine and also Super Session #2. I am also a big fan of Hills Farmstead's Edward. I had a few of those at The Archives barcade last night.

I don't know what it is about Vermont, but their craft beer culture is insane. I have never regretted checking out a new brewery or a new style, but I also find myself going back to the old favorites over and again, also.
RE: I was just in Vermont yesterday  
pjcas18 : 8/6/2017 8:02 pm : link
In comment 13551043 JerryNYG said:
Quote:
I visited The Alchemist, Prohibition Pig, Fiddlehead, Queen City Brewery, and Zero Gravity Brewery.

Fiddlehead remains my favorite of the Vermont breweries, but all of them are great in different ways. I was most surprised by Queen City, I sampled their entire selection and actually found myself enjoying some styles I don't normally go for.

I do love Lawson's Sip of Sunshine and also Super Session #2. I am also a big fan of Hills Farmstead's Edward. I had a few of those at The Archives barcade last night.

I don't know what it is about Vermont, but their craft beer culture is insane. I have never regretted checking out a new brewery or a new style, but I also find myself going back to the old favorites over and again, also.

that's a lot of beer in one day, LOL.

That's the only thing I don't like about the craft beer craze, the best beers are the double IPA's (IMO) and those are like 8 - 8.5% alcohol, so they sneak up on you after a few.

Which is why I've started looking more and more into session IPA's which some of them are just as delicious at about 4.5% alcohol.

The Little Cranky and All Day IPA are two of the better sessions IPA's I've had.

Anyone in the Worcester/Boston area, my buddy is opening a brewery in Northbridge, MA and he makes a White IPA that is the best beer I've ever had.

Should be open before Labor Day, below is a link
Purgatory Beer Company - ( New Window )
By the way...  
Bold Ruler : Mod : 8/6/2017 8:06 pm : link
for anyone coming to Vermont for beer...Visit Foam in Burlington. While it has some buzz, this is the most under the radar brewery in the state and it is flat out incredible.
Lawson's is now distributing to NY / NYC FYI  
Mellowmood92 : 8/6/2017 9:02 pm : link
Maine Beer Co is still one of my favorite's - Lunch is fantastic. Singlecut, Other Half, Grimm, Finback are great NYC breweries. Other Half has some really great stuff. Also love Trilium.

For you NJ people, check out Magnify in Fairfield.
RE: By the way...  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 8/7/2017 7:59 am : link
In comment 13551050 Bold Ruler said:
Quote:
for anyone coming to Vermont for beer...Visit Foam in Burlington. While it has some buzz, this is the most under the radar brewery in the state and it is flat out incredible.


Bold, thanks for this. I'm going to be in Burlington Labor Day weekend. I'm already dreaming of a Heady Topper.
RE: RE: By the way...  
Bold Ruler : Mod : 8/7/2017 10:12 am : link
In comment 13551275 SFGFNCGiantsFan said:
Quote:
In comment 13551050 Bold Ruler said:


Quote:


for anyone coming to Vermont for beer...Visit Foam in Burlington. While it has some buzz, this is the most under the radar brewery in the state and it is flat out incredible.



Bold, thanks for this. I'm going to be in Burlington Labor Day weekend. I'm already dreaming of a Heady Topper.


Give me a shout and I can help you with itinerary or any guidance you might like.
Beer lovers should check out Night Shift Brewery in Everett, MA.  
yatqb : 8/7/2017 10:16 am : link
Really fine beers there.
I just bought a case of Westy 12  
Kevin999 : 8/7/2017 10:46 am : link
IPA's, and especially New England IPA's might be the current craze but Westvleteren 12 is still the best beer on the planet in my opinion. I love my belgian ales!
RE: Lawson's is now distributing to NY / NYC FYI  
jestersdead : 8/7/2017 10:58 am : link
In comment 13551066 Mellowmood92 said:
Quote:
Maine Beer Co is still one of my favorite's - Lunch is fantastic. Singlecut, Other Half, Grimm, Finback are great NYC breweries. Other Half has some really great stuff. Also love Trilium.

For you NJ people, check out Magnify in Fairfield.


I stumbled on Magnify over Christmas and have thoroughly enjoyed their releases. They release 2 new beers every couple of weeks and the lines are starting to increase. They are in a weird industrial spot but well worth it. Which has been your favorite release?

I recently visited Finback and picked up a mixed case of their last release. I really appreciate the online presales, problem with limited releases is getting out of work early enough to make it there
Pro tip for getting your hands on  
Overseer : 8/7/2017 11:13 am : link
these super high demand beers.

Become a regular at a shop that you know bring them in occasionally, perhaps only a case at a time. Buy your everyday beers there, get to know the owner, and ask him/her if they wouldn't mind shooting you a text when Heady Topper, etc drops.

Don't be that guy who just goes into a random shop and asks "hey do you have [insert beer that everyone and their mother wants]?"

They hate that and you sound like an entitled douche.
Beer Scene in Vermont  
VTDAD : 8/7/2017 11:43 am : link
I've been a fan of craft beer since the days when Catamount & Vermont Pub & Brewery were pretty much the only games in town.

I also have been brewing and kegging my own beer for over 10 years, doing over 250 gallons a year at my peak. In addition, son is a brewer at one of the larger, more established VT craft breweries.

I do have a few biases. I don't like most Belgian style beers. And I am suffering from hop fatigue... it seems like every bar devotes over half their taps to IPAs, IPLs, DIPAs and pale ales that are so unbalanced and hop forward that they might as well be IPAs.

I think the popularity of Alchemist, S. Hill & Lawsons is in part scarcity and limited distribution. I doubt that if they were as available as say, Long Trail Limbo IPA, that there would be the cult following.

To give all three credit, they have developed consistency and quality control of the product.... The Alchemist is a very modern, computerized facility. Hill only distributes his beer to bars that meet his almost OCD standards for cleanliness and Lawson contract brews SOS in CT.

I don't have any suggestions to visitors, except to try to get beers on draft and con't forget Vermont's legacy craft brewers.... they have been successful & profitable for a reason.

So come up, drink & buy lots of beer, cheese and maple syrup and help reduce my taxes. Cheers!
Those are all great beers for those who like flavor.  
WideRight : 8/7/2017 12:20 pm : link

Coors remains king of the unflavored
...  
Overseer : 8/7/2017 12:34 pm : link
In comment 13551566 VTDAD said:
Quote:
I do have a few biases. I don't like most Belgian style beers. And I am suffering from hop fatigue... it seems like every bar devotes over half their taps to IPAs, IPLs, DIPAs and pale ales that are so unbalanced and hop forward that they might as well be IPAs.

Any bar worth frequenting will have a good pilsner available.

They're by & large harder to brew than Ales and take ~3 times as long to do so (you know all this if you brew) which is why many smaller breweries, understandably, forgo them.

Lots of good Pils from bigger "craft" breweries these days - notably Victory Prima and Firestone Pivo - but if I'm at a bar and there's some tiny local brewery that's made a Pils, I'll almost always try it even though I generally favor more hop-forward beers.
Look at anything from Von Trapp Brewing  
Bold Ruler : Mod : 8/7/2017 1:42 pm : link
Lagers galore from Stoww.
RE: Look at anything from Von Trapp Brewing  
VTDAD : 8/7/2017 1:54 pm : link
In comment 13551786 Bold Ruler said:
Quote:
Lagers galore from Stoww.


Their Helles Lager is one of my favorites. I'm puzzled by the look of the rest of their beers. Lagers & pilsners should be crystal clear, not hazy. Still taste fine, but an interesting choice from a brewery touting their Old World roots.

Prima Pils is excellent as well.
RE: RE: I was just in Vermont yesterday  
JerryNYG : 8/7/2017 4:46 pm : link
In comment 13551048 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
In comment 13551043 JerryNYG said:


Quote:




that's a lot of beer in one day, LOL.

That's the only thing I don't like about the craft beer craze, the best beers are the double IPA's (IMO) and those are like 8 - 8.5% alcohol, so they sneak up on you after a few.

Which is why I've started looking more and more into session IPA's which some of them are just as delicious at about 4.5% alcohol.

The Little Cranky and All Day IPA are two of the better sessions IPA's I've had.

Anyone in the Worcester/Boston area, my buddy is opening a brewery in Northbridge, MA and he makes a White IPA that is the best beer I've ever had.

Should be open before Labor Day, below is a link Purgatory Beer Company - ( New Window )


I feel you on the session IPAs. My everyday drinking beer, especially for day bombing, is All Day IPA. I also love a Captain Lawrence Effortless Grapefruit IPA.
One other beer worth mentioning  
JerryNYG : 8/7/2017 4:51 pm : link
I was very impressed with the Mosaic Blonde Ale at Prohibition Pig. I have become very intrigued with mosaic hops lately, and was impressed with their more subdued use in a non-IPA ale.
Vt Beer  
skifaster : 8/7/2017 9:04 pm : link
Alchemist needs to make Donovan's Red again.

Trapp's Dunkel is great.

Kimmiches are super nice.


Alchemist article from Outside - ( New Window )
Back to the Corner