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Beer |OT|
- Thread starter Snuggles
- Start date
Might be one of those "If we don't defend our trademark periodically, then we will lose it" lawsuits.
I've always found Lagunitas overrated as shit. So fuck them, I hope they lose.
ErnieMcCracken
Member
That's some stupid shit right there. I've seen a lot of these "branding" lawsuits and this one makes no sense whatsoever.
Lagunitas Sucks is a phenomenal beer though...
If true, it won't be for lack of quality. It will be for lack of hype and "hardcore" beers.
Too many craft beer fans just want the next big barrel aged stout with 15 adjuncts added so it doesn't even taste like beer. Or the next expensive sour beer with fruit in it. Oh and it's $30 a bottle.
Meanwhile Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams will continue putting out quality beer at a good price. (Lagunitas has great prices too).
People like the follow the hot new brewery, they release one great beer and now all of their releases are sought after. It's not until the next "hot new brewery" opens that people start to realize that their beer was good but not hype worthy.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Now to pray for the return of their espresso stout.
That one is on a 3 year or rotation or something isn't it? I know it isn't a yearly release. But it is amazing.
bumbillbee
Member
Who knows if they're sticking to their original plan anymore but odd years are supposed to have some sort of variation of the IRS (and Old Guardian). 2011 had the revolting Belgo-Anise and 2013 had espresso and I'm sure 2015's will be announced soon enough. I'm hoping for espresso again but they might switch it up.
i dunno, these seem like straw men. SN certainly has tried their damnedest to follow market trends and create hype. making expensive BA releases (Narwahl), and making pretty much one new mediocre IPA per month (Beer Camp). The current and previous Beer Camp's were filled with duds, and zero greats. considering the amount of money involved and the quality of the collaborating breweries, i think everyone expected more. that said i like them more than Sam Adams, but i dont avoid SN because it's not "the new hotness", i avoid them because there are better things on the shelf
i think Stone Espresso is next year btw...
distantmantra
Member
I don't avoid SN per se, but I don't buy them because I've got local 6-pack staples that I buy regularly (Fremont, Bale Breaker, etc.). I did buy a 6-pack of Celebration for the first time in three years.
Nah, I think Sierra Nevada still appeals to the "cool" crowd. See the freakouts over BA Narhwahl.
Red Hook and Pyramid are much closer to SA than SN is.
Nah, I think Sierra Nevada still appeals to the "cool" crowd. See the freakouts over BA Narhwahl.
Red Hook and Pyramid are much closer to SA than SN is.
That's some serious bullshit. Sierra Nevada produces far more high quality brews with a much broader range than what Sam Adams is slinging these days.
Their Coffee Milk Stout this past year was a fantastic coffee-based beer.
They have done a couple BA beers, but BA Narwhal is just a regular BA stout. The really hyped beers are stuff like BA Abraxas, barrel aged Hunahpu variants, barrel aged Mexican Cake variants etc.. this is the new hotness. Lots of smaller breweries are brewing these "mexican" style stouts as well now.
Beer Camp had plenty of "ok" beers, but I still thought it was a good pack. It had some interesting bocks, and lagers. It didn't have any big IPAs, only one Stout with adjuncts (which is the beer most people said they liked most in the pack), and nothing barrel aged. I saw this pack get ridiculed all the time, but I thought there were actually some good beers in there. Again, beer nerds said it sucked because there were no 10% ABV hop bombs, barrel aged diabetes stouts, or stomach melting vinegar sours.
My point is that many craft beer fans today ignore sessionable styles, lagers, English bitters, bocks, traditional German styles etc.. and they write them off as bland or uninteresting. I think they have just skewed ideas of what makes a good beer. IT doesn't need to be super high in alcohol, it doesn't need to have tons of sweet in your face flavors, it doesn't need to be mouth puckering sour. While I enjoy plenty of beers that fall under those categories, I also enjoy a well done lager or ESB from time to time.
bumbillbee
Member
A lot of the criticism also had to do with how old most of the beers were by the time of release. That 3 Floyds beer was months old by the time the pack came out. Their variety packs keep having this freshness issue, too, and I had trouble finding fresh Celebration and I'm in California. That said, I do like their variety packs. I was thrilled to see Tumbler return and the Vienna Lager in the fall pack was amazing and should be in sixers year-round.
SN does have some hyped barrel-aged stuff (BA Bigfoot, BA Maple Stout, BA Narwhal) but yeah people aren't camping out overnight for their stuff. I do wish they'd have less hoppy seasonals that aren't Celebration (fuck Ruthless Rye). That hop oil extract IPA doesn't sound appealing at all, sounds like the sort of Mikkeller 1000 IBU gimmick shit that was all the rage a few years ago.
I have had their Barrel Aged Torpedo which I think they're releasing at some point. It's surprisingly good, the base beer is overshadowed by the coconut and vanilla notes but that's not a bad thing.
actually when i learned what it was, and that SN were doing this, state of the art, instantaneous vacuum-sealing of harvested hops, i have to admit i became interested. sounds kinda futuristic, maybe now other parts of the country will see "fresh hop" beers and not just distant mantra rubbing our faces in it ;P
http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/sierra-nevada-hops-hunter-ipa
bumbillbee
Member
true, if the kind of fresh hop stuff distantmantra posts came in oil extract form I'd be firing up the blowtorch and doing dabs
distantmantra
Member
Nah, it's still different from what a fresh hop beer really is. Essential oils harvest from fresh hops is really cool, but it doesn't beat the brewers driving over to Yakima and bringing them back to brew that day. And Sierra Nevada is currently only using old C hop oil, none of the new hotness cones.
distantmantra
Member
Not all fresh hop beers are created equal. Need to go with more aromatic varieties. Amarillo, Simcoe, Mosaic, Cascade, Chinook, Citra, Equinox, etc.
distantmantra
Member
Wife is back in Boston for work. Picked me up a Jack's Abby House Lager and a Grimm Color Field Wild Ale.
Galaxy seems like it would be good too.
distantmantra
Member
Yep, hence the "etc." Since Galaxy is a down under proprietary hop, not gonna see many fresh hops with them here in North America, if any.
Yeah I do agree that the age on those beer camp beers was an issue. Pale ales should not be shipping with 2-3 months on them already.
All the ones I've had remind me of grass clippings, some moreso than others. Modern Times had the both the normal version and the fresh hop version of a beer at their taproom last time I went, I much preferred the normal version.
distantmantra
Member
I did a fresh hop pale with Chinooks and Cascades from my pergola. Tasted like salad.
But if you get good hops and know what you're doing, they're amazing. No hyperbole. It's my favorite kind of beer. A fall trip to OR and WA is well worth your time. Yakima and Hood River put on amazing fresh hop festivals.
But if you get good hops and know what you're doing, they're amazing. No hyperbole. It's my favorite kind of beer. A fall trip to OR and WA is well worth your time. Yakima and Hood River put on amazing fresh hop festivals.
bumbillbee
Member
Stone's Imperial Russian Stout is delicious. Not quite as good as something like speedway stout of course but for $8 at most and how widely available it is it's one of the best imperial stouts out there. It comes out every April but I can still find it pretty easily so it should be at some shops near you but worst case just keep an eye out in a few months.
Oh okay, I've seen that multiple times. I'm not super elitist or anything. I love all kinds of stuff.
I kind of want to grab that Modern Times coffee stout again. Thing was delicious.
Definitely try that Xocoveza if it comes back around.
Their Enjoy By series is quite good, I would look for one of those, they release several a year. Also I enjoy Ruination and RuinTen from them. (yes I realize those are all IPAs)
Some of my favorites have been limited releases:
Espresso Russian Imperial Stout
Xocoveza
Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter
Vertical Epic 11.11.11
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I really hope that Xocoveza comes back. Man that was awesome.
And if for some reason you stumble across W00tStout by them, grab it.
But, as others said, their Imperial Stout is really really good. A bit pricier than it was last year, but still damn tasty.
Still praying since it is an odd year we get the espresso stout back. That was the work of the gods.
And if for some reason you stumble across W00tStout by them, grab it.
But, as others said, their Imperial Stout is really really good. A bit pricier than it was last year, but still damn tasty.
Still praying since it is an odd year we get the espresso stout back. That was the work of the gods.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Did it not age well, or have your tastes changed that much? Or is it a combo of both?
it was just way past its prime, tasted like rotten fruit with no pecan character left.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Ewwww. And the pecan was one of the nicest parts about it initially too. Sad to hear.
Jest Chillin
Member
My local spot has a few Pumkings left. Thinking about "cellar-ing" a bottle for a year. Good or bad idea?
Link
The Autumn Wind
Over the holidays, I had a bottle of Pumking that had been in my fridge for a few months. It tasted pretty bitter to me, so I dunno if it's a beer that ages very well.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
Probably not. Bitter is not how I would describe Pumking. Maybe Warlock would age well. Not sure.
Jest Chillin
Member
Hmm. I've looked around and it seems like a mixed bag. Though I did notice that most people who enjoyed an aged Pumking, had a bottle from previous years. This years didn't meet the quality of previous years, so maybe that has something to do with it.
Link
The Autumn Wind
No, I've had Pumking plenty of times, so I know that's not what it's supposed to taste like.
Bubbavelli
Banned
Brown Shugga was like the only thing I drank for a couple six packs and now I can't stand it. That is not the beer to kill the whole six in the same night. All that sugar left me feeling not great the next morning
Worst beer hangover I've ever had was drinking a six-pack of Brown Shugga in one night. That was a looooong time ago. Haven't had a Brown Shugga since then.
PhoncipleBone
Banned
I'm in awe of someone doing 6 Brown Shugga in a night with that higher abv
distantmantra
Member
Awe. Concerned. Same difference.