Been a minute since I chimed in here. Been up to a lot of cool things since I last posted.
My trip to the DFW area was awesome, but the beer scene is definitely lacking. Local offerings are primarily German beers and other low ABV/"crisp" offerings. Had one NE-style IPA called Haze Wizard from a local brewery called Three Nations. I enjoyed it well enough, but it got me thinking about palate shift. I can see why the hazy IPA craze hasn't hit so hard down there. It's ******* hot. Sometimes you just want some easy-drinking hop water. I brought down a bunch of "whales" to share with friends, but I found myself gravitating towards cans of Saint Arnold Kolsch and Pilsner. Among the beers I brought down the only ones I truly enjoyed were the J. Wakefield Berliners. Everything else was just too heavy to really enjoy. Having said that, DFPF is a strong contender for one of the best beers I've ever had. I overpaid for a bottle and did it again just to repeat the experience. I suggest you do the same.
In other news: Grimm is finally open in Brooklyn and things are going way better than planned for consumers. The tasting room has been busy but manageable and cans have been lasting for a week or more. Location is pretty ideal for me. It's closer than OH, but the trip between the two breweries is really quick/uncomplicated. Lots of parking space near Grimm. Been making a Saturday routine of starting at Grimm, getting cans, and then driving straight to Other Half to get there at the sweet spot where the line is virtually nonexistent and there's still beer left over.
I keep saying "what a time to be alive," yet things keep getting better for beer enthusiasts. Is this it? Is the bubble finally bursting? I'd love to stay in denial, but I find that my overall excitement for beer is definitely waning. I'll remain forever curious, but it's become a "been there, done that" thing. At this point I can just hope for a beer retirement full of nice pilsners and Vienna lagers.
Anywho...onto the highlight reel (good, bad, & ugly) since we've last seen one another:
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Tree House That's What She Said. Stupid name for a beer, but I'll move past it. Went into this thinking a 5.6% stout wasn't gonna be ****. Underestimated this one. Nice thick body with big chocolate/coffee notes and a crazy mouthfeel given the ABV. I can see why this was given a printed can.
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Westbrook Mexican Coffee Cake. Regular Mexican Cake (cocoa nibs, cinnamon, vanilla, habanero) with a coffee addition. Honestly? Doesn't add much to the equation. Mexican Cake was a game-changer for me a few years back, this variant didn't rekindle any old flames.
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Other Half Space Hallucinations. 10.5%, all galaxy, oats and lactose. This beer was a liability. To make something this smooth, flavorful, and candy-esque at this ABV demands great responsibility. I was gonna try to savor my cans in some attempt to see how it would develop in a few weeks but I couldn't hold out. I'd love to imagine this is incredible by now, but the world may never know.
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Root & Branch Eyes Without a Face. Digging the Billy Idol/Hockey Skateboards reference. These dudes must've felt awful about their run of bad cans because everything since has been hot fire. This one has the taste and mouthfeel of LICBP Pile of Crowns with a 6.5% ABV. Straight orange juice that coats the mouth without having to chew. The radar is narrowing in on them.
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OH Cashmere+Galaxy. Came highly recommended and I understand why. This is like Space Diamonds with a rich, deep melon characteristic to the flavor. Mouthfeel is medium, as are most of the dual-hop beers from OH, but this really works.
OH x Equilibrium Dream Wave Fluctuation. This one has been receiving a ton of positive feedback, but I wasn't really feeling it. A lot of EQ beers are really rich/creamy as is, so adding lactose just made this hoppy milk. I don't mind a little bit of creaminess to temper the bitterness, but this was overkill in my opinion.
Hudson Valley Holocene. Sour IPA with lactose, vanilla, and mango. Usually not a fan of mango beers, but this one was actually awesome. None of the burn or astringency you can get from the fruit addition. Just tasted like a tart liquid CreamSaver. One of their better beers as of late.
OH Strawberry Whipz. Basically OH's take on a Hudson Valley beer. This one is lactose, vanilla, and strawberry. Flavor profile is really nice on this one, but the mouthfeel falls very short. Hudson Valley sour IPAs are really full and creamy, whereas this one was pretty watery. A good effort, but not on Hudson Valley's level. Keep at it, OH.
City Slickers is back, but this time in Imperial form. Basically the same awesome beer it was before, just a bit fuller and sweeter. Such a unique flavor on this one, but it works so well. Wish I bought more than a 4-pack this time around. Looking forward to next year's batch.
Grimm Energy Field. This one has Galaxy, Amarillo, and Centennial. Really nice flavor component on this one. Mostly candied apricots, orange, and that fruity pebbles thing you get from Centennial with a hint of tropical fruits. Great new stuff coming out of the brewery. If this is the precedent they're setting I might have to make Grimm my new go-to.