NT, What Beer Do You Drink?

[Comparison Ford]

Hopslam and Nugget Nectar landed on Long Island this week and I don't have any intention to buy either at the present moment. If I change my mind I'm sure both will be around for at least a month. Hell...most distributors around here have stacks of Sip of Sunshine cases turding it up in the walk-in refrigerators these days. I remember a time when that beer was a back-room deal for $10 a can and people were happy to pay it. It's amazing how far we've come in the course of a few years.

 

[wallyhopp]

Good lesson to not go outside your means (as a brewery). We're a fickle bandwagon bunch. A lot of these places spent millions in upgrades to accomodate what they thought would be endless demand. But it doesnt always work that way. I havent followed the NY scene too much. I know OH has been expanding and moving around. You were mentioning SC was having some city/county issues.. TH is set for the next 2 years but it may take 3-4 before they even start really making money. With EQ and HV gaining traction, not to say you won't go up to NE, but the prospect of at home products has to be appealing. In some small way, that has to cut into THs bottom line. Craft beer sales have actually slowed down a lot. It feels like no one cares about SoS since they went a bit out of their regular footprint (and or the flavor/tastes changed dramatically).

Seeing three week old SoS last year was a bit eye opening. Even in Lower VT, Frost (whos been gaining some traction) had 3-4 week old bombers. It's quite scary.
2018 may be the year of the middle tier breweries closing or revamping their distro foot print (GF is getting out of 33 states I think I heard).

It's really all ebbs and flows. In a year or two, these $20 four packs may be deemed too pricey, and the larger players have found ways to price their good stuff at $12, and we turn to that. Places have to find a way to be creative and stay in the game. Or maybe $20 becomes $15 and the breweries aren't leeching off of hype fans too too much. If demand drops, and a place happens to be sitting on 40 cases of product that goes bad in one more week, you better believe the price drops. Breweries need to understand how much power the consumer has. I think a lot of them just sees 100% capacity and more and more $$$$

I wish these breweries well but breweries are good at making beer, and they generally need a good business manager to make the right decisions/ Smuttynose built their crazy new facility based on 20 year projections.. Anymore, 2 years is as far out as breweries should be aiming for.

So much sits. I've talked with a few distro guys and other than big format AAL crap, the game is way too competitive. That's also why the tap room self distribution system is picking up like crazy. They cut out the middle man.

Just thinking back to around 2012. I missed out on a trip to VT, and at the time, alchemist was little known. I still say, they have some hype and following. But just 5 short years later, and a million dollar facility, they have to be wondering what the next 5 years holds. Then again, at the rate some of these smaller breweries are selling $20/four pack, they can work at capacity for 4 years, and walk away nearly millionaires without any true upgrades. I think the smarter ones true to stay small and lessen any debts. Shooting for the stars now is too dangerous.

I know its all dream scenarios. but half the guys in the lines at these can releases have home brewed before and dream about brewing for a living. If given a small chance, most go for it. So within a year, HV will have competition. So now TH and trillium are competiting with three levels of competition vs. NYCers going straight north. The craft beer drinking pool isn't expanding as fast as the # of breweries are. But I dont see a big problem. If a TH like brewery opens up within an hour of the city, I don't see many complaining. Its just the other guys need to revamp their 2-3 year growth lineup.

Amazing time to be a consumer. Pretty hostile time to be a owner imho. The shift and balance will happen soon enough

I've rambled enough lol

 

[af1 1982]

Hopslam and Nugget Nectar landed on Long Island this week and I don't have any intention to buy either at the present moment. If I change my mind I'm sure both will be around for at least a month. Hell...most distributors around here have stacks of Sip of Sunshine cases turding it up in the walk-in refrigerators these days. I remember a time when that beer was a back-room deal for $10 a can and people were happy to pay it. It's amazing how far we've come in the course of a few years.

Just had Nugget Nectar on Nitro at Troges this past week

They also had a boysenberry gose as part of their scratch series

 

[neosole89]

Never really liked Hypeslam. Give me a Two Hearted over it any day.

 

[af1 1982]

Back home in Philly this weekend for NXT Takeover. Gonna stop by Tired Hands to grab HopHands and this past weeks releases. Hopefully they got some Alien Church left too as I saw on IG they had a little bit left a few days ago

 

[Comparison Ford]

Hudson valley looks to have a sour IPA with vanilla and cinnamon and citra powder releasing this weekend. Comparison Ford u gotta tell us how that is. Seems so weird but enticing. Also hearing some waiting some 4+ hours now? I guess youve made it when that's the case and you have a thread on Ba comparing lines to other areas. We've gotten so far from what craft beer started as. I guess that's the evolution of great quality meshing with popularity.

Welp...

The cat's out of the bag. Looks like some people waited overnight and there were about 500 people in line by 9:00 AM. The scary thing is that this wasn't even a special release. These cans are par for the course when it comes to their usual offerings.

While they've become my favorite brewery and I'm happy they're successful, it's frustrating knowing how difficult it is to obtain their beers. Even trading for them is extremely difficult to nearly impossible.

Oh well...off to the internet grey market I go.

 

[wallyhopp]

Never really liked Hypeslam. Give me a Two Hearted over it any day.

Went in reverse order yesterday. Hopslam/Elevated/Two Hearted.

Two hearted very similar to Hopslam. Sort of that malty slightly citrus, more piney flavor than anything else. HS somewhat feels too heavy and sweet in spurts. Definitely a one beer evening with that. The others, you can session them out a bit more. Elevated quite a bit of a dry backend. More of a tropical element present. Crazy but this day in age, all feel incredibly old school. They are losing their edge it feels like. I need my fruit!

Definitely don't see the hype in the pricing. $19/sixer no bueno. Also dont really know why it releases in January and only in January. There is nothing inherrently special about the ingridients or hops.

Comparison Ford 500 is crazy. When la cumbre had their bigger first can release, it was maybe 80 deep as it opened. Even though they sold out within two hours, the line never seemed to eclipse 100 initially. That street could not handle anything more than say 200 people. It would shut down about 20 other industrial businesses. Its a good problem to have I guess. 500 in one area for in a small NY town seems like it would cause chaos. I sense them going the silent route soon. A secluded metro area of a million is nothing like the greater NY area, thats for sure.

Are people able to trade this for the best of the best? I guess when you have gold in your back yard, trading is inevitable.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Are people able to trade this for the best of the best? I guess when you have gold in your back yard, trading is inevitable.

When I got Silhouette cans 2 weekends ago at Other Half, I had to trade things like Very Green, LIC Pile of Crowns, BCBCS and some more sought after OH stuff to get cans. One dude was nice enough to trade me a can of each Silhouette variants for some Sand City stuff, but he seemed to have a wealth and had never tried anything from Sand City.

I tried to trade for more on BeerAdvocate and was met with crickets.

 

[crumps brother]

I wash sorting some laundry to be washed which had some hand me downs we got from a friends sister and came across this

 

[af1 1982]

Welp...

The cat's out of the bag. Looks like some people waited overnight and there were about 500 people in line by 9:00 AM. The scary thing is that this wasn't even a special release. These cans are par for the course when it comes to their usual offerings.

While they've become my favorite brewery and I'm happy they're successful, it's frustrating knowing how difficult it is to obtain their beers. Even trading for them is extremely difficult to nearly impossible.

Oh well...off to the internet grey market I go.

Never had HV but I came across their collab with Still water: Hopvinebling at my local bottle shop

 

[Chopper]

White Oak Jai Alai hit the Atlanta market again. Picked up 12 today along with some 3 Taverns Enchantress. Enchantress is amazing.

 

[jamesandstl]

I saw Ten Fidy at my local Total Wine. I feel like I should've just bought a 4 pack. Might go back tomorrow.

 

[af1 1982]

White Oak Jai Alai hit the Atlanta market again. Picked up 12 today along with some 3 Taverns Enchantress. Enchantress is amazing.

Saw the white oak Jai alai but passed. I haven't been a fan of the regular since they amped up production. Is the white oak variation worth it?

 

[Comparison Ford]

Other Half's 4th Anniversary release is approaching this weekend and it sounds like it's gonna be one of their craziest releases to date. They're doing retros of their 2nd and 3rd Anniversary beers along with the new one. Both of the previous beers were some of the best Other Half has ever done. I'm expecting the worst, but I know I'd be kicking myself forever if I passed this release up. I just put in a request for a line sitter to claim my spot . I normally wouldn't do this, but between the hype that these beers will garner and the fact that it's gonna be freezing cold that day I want to make sure that I get a good spot on line and don't lose any toes in the process.

 

[af1 1982]

 

[crumps brother]

^nice glass

 

[af1 1982]

^nice glass

Got it last weekend at the shop. I'll be there as soon as he releases the Turkey Burgular. Im a sucker for anything sour

 

[crumps brother]

Other Half's 4th Anniversary release is approaching this weekend and it sounds like it's gonna be one of their craziest releases to date. They're doing retros of their 2nd and 3rd Anniversary beers along with the new one. Both of the previous beers were some of the best Other Half has ever done. I'm expecting the worst, but I know I'd be kicking myself forever if I passed this release up. I just put in a request for a line sitter to claim my spot . I normally wouldn't do this, but between the hype that these beers will garner and the fact that it's gonna be freezing cold that day I want to make sure that I get a good spot on line and don't lose any toes in the process.

my buddy is (or was) there...said he had to park 8 blocks away

he won't be there tomorrow though

 

[Comparison Ford]

my buddy is (or was) there...said he had to park 8 blocks away

he won't be there tomorrow though

Is he familiar with the neighborhood? I always park on the opposite side of the BQE. Most I’ve ever had to walk was 3 blocks to get to Other Half on a release day.

 

[crumps brother]

he's not, i'll mention it to him

 

[af1 1982]

Had to stock up for the big game. Fly Eagles Fly

 

[Chopper]

Saw the white oak Jai alai but passed. I haven't been a fan of the regular since they amped up production. Is the white oak variation worth it?

Easily. $10 for 4 is a no-brainer in my opinion. I like Jai Alai still though. WO is better by a lot though imo.

 

[lifestooshort80]

This is weird but good.

 

[af1 1982]

Shoutao Peach Slush IPA by Omnipollo

Expected a milkshake style IPA, especially given their history with tired hands. Very light on the lactose sugars which I tend to prefer. Juicy as hell with the right amount of fruity flavor. Peach isn't overwhelming at all, this one went down very quick. Big fan of this

 

[Comparison Ford]

Your old friend Ford checking in with a few new reviews. Life has been crazy for me for the past week or so. Just moved into a new apartment and I'm starting a new job tomorrow. Beer consumption has been minimal this past week, but some major beer purchases happened this weekend. Let's work our way through the newcomers:

Sand City x Root and Branch Powers, Roots, and Radicals. 8.5% Double Dry-Hopped IPA with Galaxy, Nelson, and Motueka. I was surprised that I had never heard of Root and Branch before this beer. Apparently they're a nomadic brewery based out of Long Island that have ties with LIC Beer Project and Torst. With that pedigree, I expected this to be good and I wasn't let down. Galaxy-heavy with the Nelson taking a backseat until it warms up. Nice mix of tropical/dank with the white grape flavor from the Nelson peeking through. Another winner.

Sand City So, That Happened. 8% Double Dry-Hopped IPA brewed with Citra, Amarillo, and Mandarina Bavaria. This one wasn't anything to write home about. "Generic" would be the best word to describe this. Heavy on the Amarillo, so you get notes of apricots and grassy/herbaceousness. Drinkable and by no means off-putting, just not their best. Happy to try, wouldn't buy again. Can I also say that Sand City is in dire need of better art direction? Can designs are trash. It's a petty complaint, but when you compare them to other breweries of their caliber they fall flat.

Other Half 4th Anniversary. 10% Triple IPA Quadruple dry-hopped with Citra, Galaxy, Enigma, El Dorado, Mosaic, with the additions of more Galaxy and Citra/Mosaic lupulin powder. Long story short: it's fantastic. My only gripe is the addition of Enigma. It's fitting when you put it in the context of Other Half's experimentation with the hop this past year, but that doesn't change the fact that it's just not my favorite hop. Expect me to come back in 2-3 weeks with a revisit of this beer. Until now just know that it's great and has a ton of potential to become even better.

3rd Anniversary byke . Triple dry-hopped with Mosaic, Vic Secret, Wai-iti, Citra, Motueka, Simcoe, Galaxy, and the additional Citra lupulin powder. Just as I remembered it. Dangerously drinkable with marginal bitterness/ABV. I remembered this tasting like a hoppy Pina Colada with a few weeks on it last year. Hoping this one repeats that experience. As it stands now, 3rd>4th.

Other Half 2nd Anniversary. 9% Imperial IPA brewed with Galaxy, Citra, Wai-iti, and Kohatu. This was a very interesting experience. I'm so used to the DDH/"oat cream" IPAs of today that I forgot what an impact this beer had 2 years ago. When I tried the original batch of this it was the closest thing to juice that I'd ever had in the craft beer world. Fast forward to today and this tastes malt-forward. Still has some juiciness, just not what I come to expect in today's day and age. I appreciate the opportunity to revisit this and put it in the context of the current craft beer scene, but the enjoyment is out of nostalgia rather than the actual taste of the beer.

Interboro x Mumford Madder Fatter Method. Double Dry-Hopped with Galaxy, Citra, Mosaic, Motueka with additonal Citra dry-hopping. This was probably the beer of the week for me. I love Other Half, but I find that a lot of their beers can taste very similar to one another. This one used a similar hop bill to a lot of Other Half's most popular beers but was able to pull off completely different flavors to what I'm used to. Huge stone fruit and melon notes in this. A friend gave me this out of the kindness of his heart and it has me thinking I need to pay more attention to Interboro rather than Other Half. World-class stuff.

Told you I'd come back to this. Every gripe I might have had about this has been resolved. This is pineapple/tangerine sorbet juice right now. No booze at all. Very much worth the hype. I went out of my way to grab cans of this when it came out and I would happily do it again. Spectacular beer.

Happy Superbowl Sunday, NT.