I know this is a tough question. Just got back from a trip to Vermont last week and I think Focal Banger by the Alchemist might take the cake (Heady Topper the more popular beer by them is unreal as well.). Close second would be the Black Tie Porter from Lake Placid Pub which hasn't been around in a few years unfortunately (mix of vanilla and chocolate malts in a porter was delicious.) What say you BBI?
UConn for sure. They have always been a quality brewer even as they've expanded. I just picked up some Bigfoot the other day, their "American Barleywine". It was really good. You know it's funny, I seem to gravitate towards higher AC at this point, since I don't really have more than 2 or 3 beers at a sitting.
Cocktail cruises on boat I have been having Fullers ESB and Old Speckled Hen
I always have Guinness nitrous cans at home - still hard to beat
The problem you have now is there are so many people who complained about wine snobs who have turned into IPA snobs... including family
There is so much good beer out there
& I am definitely an IPA snob. I don't even pretend otherwise.
* The original Bourbon Barrel Innis & Gunn
* Spaten Optimator
Optimator is an amazing beer. We used to steal it out of my dad’s fridge when I was a teen. I love it to this day
& I am definitely an IPA snob. I don't even pretend otherwise.
I am too but I find myself being a lot more critical of IPA's than I used to. One you drink a lot of them you realize how many bad ones are out there.
I live in an area of CT that's booming with new breweries. Tribus and Dockside are in Milford where I am - Tribus is awesome Dockside's beers suck but the venue is great.
Then within a 20 minute drive I can head to NEBCO, Two Roads (although I don't like them), Bad Sons, or Stony Creek (great venue, bad beer).
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craft brewery. I might be wrong. The Pale Ale was my first go to beer in college. I love their Celebration IPA too.
& I am definitely an IPA snob. I don't even pretend otherwise.
I am too but I find myself being a lot more critical of IPA's than I used to. One you drink a lot of them you realize how many bad ones are out there.
I live in an area of CT that's booming with new breweries. Tribus and Dockside are in Milford where I am - Tribus is awesome Dockside's beers suck but the venue is great.
Then within a 20 minute drive I can head to NEBCO, Two Roads (although I don't like them), Bad Sons, or Stony Creek (great venue, bad beer).
Cool UConn, check out my buddy Mark's brewery in Newtown, Newsylum. He just opened a couple of weeks ago, he owns MyPlace in Newtown which was my go to for years for flights of interesting beer. We actually played his grand opening outside a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure his equipment needs to age/break in some but the first few beers I had from him were pretty good (which is not surprising because he is the 1st beer snob I ever met... lol).
What do you think of Bad Sons? I was not initially a fan. I'm surprised you don't like Two Roads, they seem pretty solid (I like the Espressway). On IPAs... it's funny I was onto a HUGE IPA kick that started like 15 years ago. That was when Avery was the best IPA I had ever had, also Widmer deadlift and Hoptical Illusion. Then I got tired of them a couple of years ago when all of a sudden they became all the rage. I started to gravitate towards Belgians (Doubles and triples) Stouts, and Whiskey barrel aged stuff (I had a two year old cask of Brooklyn Black Ops on tap a couple of years ago at a pub in Deep Ellum / Dallas that was UNREAL). And now with all of the Imperial and Double IPAs out I started opening back up to the hops... lol
Bissell Brothers brewery. so much goodness.
Lake Placid Nippletop
Wolf Hollow Brewery - small operation in Glenville, NY. They had a Year One Schwarzbier that I absolutely loved. Most of their regular offerings are high quality as well. Lock 9 Porter is great.
Allagash White tastes perfect on a sunny afternoon after a round of golf.
Rushing Duck Beanhead - on nitro. Perfect with a burger, especially if that burger has bacon on it. Not on nitro = not quite the same beer.
I use Untappd so that I can remember which beers I've tried that stand above the rest. It's a good resource for that alone, not necessarily the social aspect of it. Disclaimer - I did not reference my Untappd account to make this post (mobile phone unavailable at the moment).
Some that stand out to me as disappointments (high expectations via Untappd, didn't quite do it for me) -
Tree House Julius - just okay.
Beer Geek Vanilla Shake. 28.99 for a 4 pack. Went for it. Way too boozey. I don't like my beers to taste too much like hard alcohol.
Besides Guinness I am an old-fashioned pils/lager kind of guy. Moretti is my favorite internationally. Blue Point Toasted Lager and Sierra Nevada Sierraveza are two of my favorites from the states.
Bill, the Sam Adams Porch Rocker I'm diggin' on is a "radler." Means it has a bit of a lemon/lemonade/sometimes grapefruit twist. German thing, for sure.
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* Ukrainian pints of a 12.5% beer called Before-and-After. The alcohol content is noteworthy, but the taste is shockingly great.
* The original Bourbon Barrel Innis & Gunn
* Spaten Optimator
Optimator is an amazing beer. We used to steal it out of my dad’s fridge when I was a teen. I love it to this day
And is technically categorized as a malt liquor. :)
Personally give me a good trappist beer, Westleteren 12 still is one of the best beers made but its not for every day drinking. Also if you like lambics, you cant go wrong with anything from Cantillon if you can find it.
My beef with Two Roads is third fold. First, they are the only brewery i've ever been to that won't allow kids. Now, I get it, its a liability issue but they were really rude to us about it when my kid was like 6 months old and fastened in a baby bjorn, and basically told us to go fuck ourselves. Second, their beers are just average and some are flat out bad. They don't have a single beer id seek out or go to their brewery to get.
And three, they charge full price for beers at the brewery which to me is ludicrous. When I go to Tribus I can get 8 oz pours for $3 or full pints for $5 or $6 - most of their beers are great and I can try a bunch without going broke. This is how breweries should operate instead of charging $7 for a not even full pint.
Serious answer - my go-to is Devil's Backbone Vienna Lager, second place is Hardywood Singel.
+1
Lawson's Sip Of Sunshine
Grimm Tesseract
Heady Topper
If I'm at a bar, Sierra Nevada IPA is a solid pick
For darker, maltier beers I love Fremont Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout.
Mother Earth Cali Creamin is a great summer beer for those who like a lighter style.
But still on short list;
M-43=best new england IPA I've ever had
Perrins Grapefruit IPA
Anything by Bells
For darker, maltier beers I love Fremont Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout.
Mother Earth Cali Creamin is a great summer beer for those who like a lighter style.
Port Brewing Mongo IPA is good. Good add.
But still on short list;
M-43=best new england IPA I've ever had
Perrins Grapefruit IPA
Anything by Bells
M43 is very good, check out their Boss Tweed as well, it's the Imperial/Double version. Really good beers.
Yeah Brewport is a good spot and they have the same chef that worked at BAR in new haven. The Beers are ok - i'd never go for that, really just a hangout spot. Tribus is the best in the area IMO so I generally go there (pre COVID).
& I am definitely an IPA snob. I don't even pretend otherwise.
I recall Pete's Wickid Ale before Sierra Nevada. That said, I don't believe that it still exists.
I gravitate toward the NE Style IPAs. Triple Crossing's Falcon Smash (Richmond, VA) is the best that I have had.
Best Baltic Porter I've had is Raven's Roost from Parkway Brewing (Salem, VA)
My new kick is Sours. After a couple years of badmouthing the Gose's, I've become a huge fan.
The Answer (RVA) is the most creative brewery I've been to.
As a side note, if you like Guy Raz's podcast "How I Built This" there's a great drop recently with the founder of Sierra Nevada, Ken Grossman
Link - ( New Window )
Lucky SOB.
Yessir I have had the Dogs and Boats Imperial IPA. Very good, and very strong... lol
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I haven't tried Tribus yet, I'll have to give that one a try. Have you been to Brewport in Bridgeport? I have to say I enjoyed that place the one and only time I was there. Food was good and I had a Double Bock and a Red type of ale (can't remember the name) that was really good. Also a good stout.
Yeah Brewport is a good spot and they have the same chef that worked at BAR in new haven. The Beers are ok - i'd never go for that, really just a hangout spot. Tribus is the best in the area IMO so I generally go there (pre COVID).
One of my employees got me a Tribus gift card for Christmas but I haven’t used it yet. I’m not a big craft beer guy so I need another reason to visit (ambience or get together with friends). These reviews are pushing me towards going sooner rather than later.
I tried Dockside a few weeks ago. Thought their beer was good, not great. Thought the food was really good and ambiance was awesome.
I like Two Roads beer the best, but hate the brewery itself, which is tough because I lived in Stratford for 8 years.
My second go to is Low Vis by Magnify Brewing in Fairfield NJ
Lagunitas IPA
Dogfish 60 minute
Captain Lawrence Parkchester or Hop Commander
Sierra Nevada pale ale
For New England style IPAs (i.e. Heady Topper copies) Captain Lawrence Orbital Tilt is great. So is Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing.
Hear, hear!
Lagunitas IPA
Dogfish 60 minute
Captain Lawrence Parkchester or Hop Commander
Sierra Nevada pale ale
For New England style IPAs (i.e. Heady Topper copies) Captain Lawrence Orbital Tilt is great. So is Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing.
Some good adds. Lagunitas IPA is a solid beer. It doesn't jump out to me, but it goes down easy & you know it's quality. I have a complicated history with Dogfish 60; I liked it, but then I didn't. I probably gotta give it another try.