I went with a Russian River Pliny the Elder and a Firestone Walker Double Jack IPA I hauled back from CA last month.
***Official American Craft Beer Week Thread***
- Thread starter ZJohnson
- Start date
Also, with it being American Craft Beer Week, el Bait Shop has been putting on some pretty nice stuff. Find me tonight or tomorrow and I'll buy you a pint :wink:
Tomorrow is my bday. The doctor I work for got me an assortment of 12 beers as a gift, all of which I've never tried, most of which I've never heard of. Beyond excited to dig into them.
Just returned from the el bait shop. Forever out of PsuedoSue.
Here is is something I don't understand, I think Golden Nugget is good but Sue is tops. Why do they waste their time making Nugget? Feel the same about the Dorthys lager.
Try Zombie Burger. They've had it on the past few times I've been there.Just returned from the el bait shop. Forever out of PsuedoSue.
I visited there a while back, and frankly thought everything but PesudoSue was mediocre at best (the brown ale was above average). But man, PseudoSue is far and away the best pale I've ever had. Unbelievable beer.
Why does New Glarus waste their time making Fat Squirrel? Why does Surly waste their time making Cynic?
Both are pretty popular. Those of us in the beer geek crowd isn't going to be interested in Dorothy's, but they sell a **** ton of it, not just at the tap house, but in small town bars all over NE IA. You can walk in to bars in places like Cresco, Lansing, Waukon, Lime Springs, etc and find people drinking Dorothy's.
You just don't see breweries abandoning one style because they make another better. You'll see a focus (like TG with hop forward beers) on one style or another, but they're definitely better off making a variety of beers then just having the same old stuff on tap at all times.
FWIW, I agree that Sue is clearly superior to both Nugget or Dorothy's, but both beers have pretty strong followings, and they would alienate regular customers and account holders by discontinuing them due to the popularity of Sue.
Interesting take. I'd call the brown ale their most mediocre (I don't care for the Naughty 90 at all, but I think they've put together a quality beer - it just doesn't appeal to me) by a long shot. Tsunami Pale is fairly "meh" too.
TG does a few things really well and the rest is mediocre. They've found a formula (Step 1: Create Pale or IPA with a very basic malt build, Step 2: hop the hell out of it with a single hop, Step 3: profit) and they stick to it. Their barrel aged stouts are pretty awesome too. Everything else? I'll pass. Tsunami has all sorts of problems, starting with canned peas smell, Smoove Opferator tastes like burnt sugar, and Rover Truck is one of the thinnest oatmeal stouts I've had.
I thought the brown had a lot of flavor. Where it was lacking is that the flavor doesn't last long, and each drink quickly gives way to that thin, bitter taste...if that makes any sense. But those first few seconds after taking a drink? Real good.
I just don't like brown ales all that much, so unless one is really good, it doesn't jump out to me much at all.
I think if the TG owner/brewers did exactly what they wanted, they wouldn't make anything other than super hoppy beers with clean malt bills, and barrel aged stouts. Those are the beers those guys really like. They definitely make the others because they "have" to, and I think it shows.
Just threw back an Alesmith IPA for good measure. Nothing new for me but it's my all-time favorite IPA...and that is saying a lot. I'm not sure it is available outside of the West Coast, but if you get the chance you have to give it a try. Also bought a four-pack of Dogfish 90 Min. and a sixer of Deschutes River Ale.
Home brewing on a gorgeous spring day while drinking a Surly Cynic seems like a good day to round out ACBW.
Finishing the week with a Sucha Much from Kalona brewing.
Off to Germany tomorrow so have to switch to hefe mode.
Off to Germany tomorrow so have to switch to hefe mode.
