August Trip: The Final Leg

Tree House entrance.

By Carl

When you were a kid, having a tree house in your backyard basically meant you were royalty. Having a house in a tree gave you and your friends a perfect sanctuary away from the real world. Being able to hide out in your own space was liberating and allowed you to be anything you wanted to be.

Fast forward to adulthood where your imagination is gone and the real world is now even more terrifying and confusing than you ever thought possible as a child. Just when you think there's no way out...enter Tree House Brewing Company!

That's right. The final leg of our big August trip was in Monson, Mass., which is home to one of the best breweries New England, maybe even the whole country, has to offer. Tree House has emerged as one of the superpowers of the beer world, and they have done it at what seems like a record pace.

Tree House Julius. The staple!

Since getting in the beer game, I don't know if I have seen a brewery blow up as fast as these guys have. I remember not too long ago when Mark mentioned something to me about a beer called Julius. I had never heard of it before, but it has since become one of the most sought after IPAs in the game.

Julius, Green, Haze, Alter Ego and so many more are what Tree House has been built on. The offerings just keep piling up at an astounding rate. Just a couple months back, it was huge whenever they released Julius cans. Now they seem to be available almost every week at the brewery. The growth is easy to see and it is incredible.

This was the first time I visited Tree House, and while it was disappointing that they only had Haze at a six can per person limit for the day, just being able to see the process was rewarding.

These guys seem to have everything down to a science now. Some places may get too big for their own good at times, but this certainly has not happened to Tree House. They know what to expect each and every day, which is a huge line of people that tends to start hours before opening. Growlers are taken in early on to be filled while everyone waits in line to grab their allotted cans. The lines run quickly and smoothly, which is all anyone can ask for when waiting for beer!

Tree House growler lineup.

Tree House used to be open Thursday through Saturday, but due to the continuous growth, they are now open Wednesdays at noon as well.

I went back about a month ago when they had Julius, Haze and Lights On available for cans. I also snagged growlers of Double Shot (stout) and Curiosity Twenty Two (IPA) to make the trip even more fulfilling.

I can only imagine what the future holds for this brewery. In my opinion, the sky is the limit and there's no telling how big Tree House can get. I have even heard rumors about them distributing to a couple bars. I can neither confirm nor deny these rumors, but the fact of the matter is the word is out and thensome.

It took a while for all of these legs to be written up, but I'm glad we were able to tell our story and happy you could come along for the ride with us. Keep an eye out for much more, as our beer adventures are just getting started!

The final August Trip haul!

P.S. I will be in Connecticut this week and plan on returning to Tree House on Thursday, Nov. 12 with Mark. Hopefully there will be a bunch of offerings available!

P.P.S If you want an expert opinion on Tree House, ask Mark. The kid is virtually there every week, something I'm incredibly jealous about!

August Trip: Shipping Down to Boston

By Carl

I apologize to all for the big gap in posts. You see, the world of beer is so vast and time consuming, so we at "Life's Brewtal" were out there making the most of it and quite hones
tly just lost track! Anyway, let's try and finish what we started.

The Vermont part of our trip was finally — and by finally I mean sadly — over, but we still had one more day of fun ahead of us. After recharging our batteries a bit with a good night's sleep in Burlington, it was back in the car once again as we started our southward trek of a little more than three hours down to Boston. Now, growing up in Connecticut, I have never been the biggest Boston guy (mainly due to the sports teams), but there are a couple
beer gems within the city that are certainly making names for themselves.

Our first of two stops in Boston was at Trillium, which was not especially easy to find. After parking in a small lot about a half mile up Congress St., we made our way back to Trillium, which is about as small of an operation as you will ever find. Don't be fooled, however. This place is home to some incredible beer, and trust me, the word has already gotten out!

This was a simple extraction mission as you cannot sit down and have a pint here. No, we were out of there in five minutes, but not before making our purchases consisting of Congress Street (IPA), Sleeper Street (IPA and still my favorite from them), Double Dry Hopped Fort Point (Pale Ale) and Fort Point (Pale Ale). I also have to make note of my pint glass I bought, which I have since woefully broken. Not to worry, as Mark returned to Trillium a couple weeks back and got me another one!

Upon our conclusion, it was back to, you guessed it, the car. Only our next destination was not too far away; or so we thought. What was supposed to be a 20-minute drive turned into about 45 minutes due to some heavy traffic. Whatever the case, Night Shift Brewing was up next.

The 87, Santilli, Whirlpool, One Hop This Time

I have to admit, I did not know a lot about these guys at the start of the trip and we actually never had them on our itinerary, but with a last-second decision we wound up at Night Shift and boy am I glad we did.

This place is slowly, but surely, putting itself on the map. Since making this trip, I have seen more and more about Night Shift all over the place. With a plethora of options on tap, we each decided to sit down for a flight. I opted to go with Whirlpool (Pale Ale and my favorite of the four), One Hop This Time: Ella (IPA), Santilli (IPA) and The 87 (IPA). This surprised me, as IPAs are my go-to, but the Whirlpool was quite tasty.

Things were starting to get a little depressing as the Night Shift stint came to a close, with just one more stop scheduled on our marathon trip. However, this was perhaps the part I was looking forward to most. One last stop in Massachusetts before heading back to Connecticut. It was time for one of the fastest growing breweries with some of the most sought-after beers
in the country: Tree House Brewing Company!

August Trip: An End to a Long First Day

By Carl

So the brewery tour had come and gone on day one, but the drinking of beer was far from over. Upon leaving Waterbury, we finally jumped on the highway and headed about a half hour northwest to Burlington (the home of the University of Vermont in case any of you were wondering). This would be our final destination for the day as we arrived at our hotel around 7 p.m.

Now at this point we already had a trunk full of beer, most of which needed to remain cold overnight, and we did not have nearly enough cooler space. So what were we to do? Well that decision was made a few days back as we knew we were going to have to sacrifice the amount of coolers we brought in order to maximize our trunk space. I know you guys think we are just some dumb beer geeks, but I like to think we are at least kinda smart!

Anyhow, we first grabbed our bags and the pair of coolers to bring up to the room. After dropping those off, we headed back down to the car to grab our cases of heady and Hill Farmstead bottles among others. We walked through the lobby and to the elevator like nobody was watching. I mean let's be honest, Vermont hotels have to see this kind of stuff all the time, no?

And so began our detailed (or not so detailed) plan. Are you ready, because here it comes! 1) Beer goes in the bathtub. 2) Three crazies grab pretty much every last bit of ice in two different ice vendors on separate floors. 3) Ice goes in bath tub with beer. 4) Top it all off with more ice later that night once the vendors produce more frozen water.

Now I didn't mean to spend three paragraphs explaining that brilliant plan to all of you, but here we are. So upon finishing the old beer in the bathtub plan, we had to fight the serious urge to take a nap in order to hit the town. If I shut my eyes then and there, I was going to be out for the count.

So out we went to downtown Burlington, which has a different, yet awesome, nightlife. Eric and I had already been here once before, and being too tired to come up with new and exciting ideas, we decided to hit up the only two places we went last time. I wasn't complaining, as they were fun before and they were fun again.

Farmhouse Tap and Grill was packed, and I couldn't believe it being it was a Thursday night in the beginning of August. We opted to head over to El Cortijo, which has the same ownership as Farmhouse, and figured we would come back later to see if it emptied out at all.

El Cortijo, a smaller joint, was also slammed. While we waited for a table, a waitress got us each a Grassroots Legitimacy, still one of my favorite IPAs to this day. We finished those up and told the waitress we were going to take off and head back over to Farmhouse.

Not knowing this the first time around, Farmhouse had a little beer garden in the back, so we put our names in and headed out back for some more brews. In the grand scheme of things, I probably should've tried a couple different beers while I was back there, but dammit if they didn't have Focal Banger here as well! My white whale had returned to me once again and I was prepared to drink as much of it as possible.

About 45 minutes and two Focals later, our table was ready. Another hour went by and I had downed another Focal (if you're keeping score at home, that's three of them and four in one day ie: I was in heaven). After eating some of the hottest wings I've ever had, I capped the night off with a Hill Farmstead Excursions #3, which is just one of the smoothest IPAs I've ever had.

As the night wound to a close, perhaps our greatest acquisition of the trip happened. I am somewhat sworn to secrecy about the logistics of how we came across this miracle acquisition, but needless to say we wound up in our room with two 4-packs of Focal and that led to a happy Carl!

And that was it. The long, first day of our trip had come to a close. We settled our baby focals into bed (the bathtub) with their brothers and sisters, tucked them all in with another blanket of ice and went to bed.

Oh but we aren't done yet folks! Day two was quite an entertaining one as well. We were prepped to be up bright and early because soon enough we would be off to Boston and Trillium Brewing Company!

Best of the Week: September 6th-12th

Man, we just had a crazy month of August. Many of the brews we were lucky to find have been outlined in our posts of the trip. Time to get back to it and start fresh with September. Here are our top beers from 9/6 - 9/12:

Carl: Focal Banger (The Alchemist): The combo of Mosaic and Citra hops got me again! This guy seriously makes a run for the best beer I ever had. I need to get my hands on some more of this stuff as soon as possible. Alchemist does it again! Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mentions: Mastermind (Fiddlehead), Last Snow (Funky Buddha), Sosus (Toppling Goliath), and Green Street (Trillium).

Eric: Last Snow (Funky Buddha) and Sosus (Toppling Goliath): I cant decide between these two! Both were simply outstanding. The Last Snow is a coconut-flavored porter that really impressed me. On the other hand, this batch of Sosus, a double IPA, is better than any other TG offering I've had, including King Sue. These two beers are definitely worthy of my best of the week! Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mentions: Julius (Treehouse), Green Diamonds (Other Half), Haze (Treehouse) and Double Dry Hopped Fort Point Ale (Trillium).

Mark: In Perpetuity (Treehouse): This beer simply shocked me. With all the wonderful offerings from Treehouse, I thought I had seen their best. But this American IPA ranks right up there with Julius and Green. Glad I was able to get eight cans! This is one that I'll continue to enjoy for the weeks to come! Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mention: Eureka with Mosaic (Treehouse), Headroom (Trillium), and Galaxy Dry Hopped Fort Point Ale (Trillium).

See you next week. Cheers!

August Trip: Prohibition Pig Lives Up to Hype

Hill Farmstead's Abner at Prohibition Pig.

By Carl

I had looked forward to every single part of our early-August beer excursion, but I may have been most excited for what lied ahead at leg No. 4. With Lost Nation behind us, another half-hour drive separated us and Prohibition Pig in Waterbury. I had heard tales of this place, and their Instagram account filled with mouth-watering pictures of different menu items they offered left a lot to be desired. We had been starving ourselves all day for this and it was finally time to stuff our faces!

The anticipation grew stronger as this was probably one of the toughest drives we made all trip. The combination of slow drivers in front of us and even more winding backroads through the Vermont wilderness saw us take about 45 minutes to arrive. It also didn't help that Mark and I had serious calls of nature that needed to be answered!

Nonetheless, we finally landed in Waterbury and quickly relieved ourselves before walking into Pro Pig just after it opened at 4 p.m. Now just because I was looking forward to chowing down for a feast that would hopefully give Thanksgiving dinner a run for its money, this trip was about beer and boy was there another incredible selection available to us!

The Pro Pig.

While I was tempted to go after some of the brews Pro Pig makes in house (and I hear nothing but good things), I decided to go with a pair of Hill Farmstead options, starting with Abner, which I also got a growler of from the source earlier in the day. This double IPA was slightly disappointing to me as I had built it up in my head for so long, but it can still give any double a run for its money.

I later went back to an old reliable, Edward, which was the first Hill Farmstead beer I'd ever had during my last trip to Vermont in early April. While pale ales are not usually my cup of tea, this guy is as smooth and flavorful as they come.

As I noted, if we had more time and did not have to do anymore traveling, I would've attempted to try every one of Pro Pig's brews, which I intend to do next time around!

Anyway, while this is not a food blog, I have to give a shoutout to Pro Pig for it's incredible cuisine, which certainly did not disappoint. All-in-all, yet another successful leg of our trip, but it was not over yet!

Alchemist's Focal Banger.

A little research during our meal had us scrambling to finish as we had tracked down my personal white whale: The Alchemist's Focal Banger, which was right across the street at Cork Wine Bar & Market.

I was ecstatic. I had been searching for this beer for what seemed like forever, but it was about to go down! Upon finishing up at Pro Pig, we ventured across the street and ordered three Focals at this quaint market.

What we did not know was this would not be our last Focals of the night, but I savored it as if it would be. And I'll tell you what, it makes the case for the best beer I've ever had. If you've read some of my past posts, you know I am a sucker for the mixture of Mosaic and Citra hops, and sure enough this masterpiece had both. My white whale had finally been slayed, putting the finishing touches on a great visit to Waterbury.

On our way back to the car, we stopped back into Pro Pig one more time to grab a 4-pack of snifter glasses for $20. I have a strong collection of glasses right now, but this snifter is one of my favorites.

Just like that it was back in the car around 5:30 p.m. and we were ready for the fifth and final leg of the day. We were on our way to Burlington and got ourselves prepared for some of the exciting nightlife it provides!

Goooooooood Morning, Treehouse!

Good Morning growler. 

By Mark

Tree House Brewing Company in Monson, MA is doing some incredible things and they are really starting to get recognized for them. We've referenced Tree House in many of our previous posts, and at this point, us lucky ones have been fortunate enough to try the likes of Julius, Green, Haze and many of their other superb offerings. The small operation in southern Massachusetts has become one of the biggest names in the beer industry and it simply adds to the already unbelievable options New England has to offer.

While I've had a good majority of what Tree House has to offer, one in particular had always eluded me. I've always wondered where and when the infamous Good Morning would arrive on the scene, and then it happened a few weeks ago with a silent release. I made the 30-minute drive from central Connecticut as soon as I had the chance. I was lucky enough to get there on a Saturday evening just before they closed, which was very fortunate for me as I was able to bypass the early rush. With a 750mL growler fill as the limit, I wouldn't have enough to share with the guys. They contemplated making the four-hour drive from Philadelphia, but their schedules wouldn't allow it.

Anyway, by the time I was able to sample my Good Morning growler, the word was already out and it had since skyrocketed all the way to the No. 1 spot on the Beer Advocate rankings. Rave reviews were pouring out all over different craft-beer platforms and it became very evident that Tree House had once again hit a home run!

At 8.4 percent ABV, this imperial stout is the best I've tried to date. Maple syrup, coffee and chocolate with a burnt marshmallow sensation is the easiest way I can sum up this pitch-black offering, which also possesses a tan head and similar lacing throughout. The coffee notes at the finish are absolutely sensational and make this brew unlike anything else I've ever had.

After enjoying this thing as much as I did, I drove back to the brewery again the following Wednesday with Good Morning still on tap to go along with cans of Julius and Alter Ego available! Yes, it's true. Tree House was offering three of their most prolific beers all in one evening, and the devout followers were responding.

There was such an overwhelming response that the brewery opened its doors an hour early and by the time I left three hours later, they had processed over 300 growler fills!

With three different beers in the Beer Advocate top-30 (Good Morning No. 1, Julius No. 6, Green No. 27), Tree House continues to amaze and develop an even larger following. If you haven't had a chance to try this east-coast gem, what better time is there than now?

August Trip: Lost Nation Anything But Lost

Lost Nation Brewing Company.

By Carl

So Hill Farmstead was done, yet the day, and the trip, was just getting started. We found ourselves back in the car earlier than expected, around 1:30 p.m., and were on our way to Lost Nation Brewing Company about 45 minutes away in Morristown, VT. 

More and more backroads, mainly surrounded by trees and rivers with an occasional house here and there, separated us from our next destination. We arrived in Morristown, yet Lost Nation began to live up to its name. 

Our GPS took us down some wrong road, and alas we were slightly LOST (see, get it?). Not to worry, however, as I thankfully had reception on my cell phone. I proceeded to type the address in and about 10 minutes later we located the brewery tucked away in a small corner of this town. 

With our next destination, Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, not opening until 4 p.m., we had some time to kill, and this seemed to be the perfect place to do it. With indoor and outdoor seating available, we opted to take in the crisp Vermont air in the beer garden area and it was time for our first flight of the trip. 

With six beers on tap and a flight of beer consisting of six samples, it was only natural for each of us to order each beer they had: Gose (which they are well known for), Vermont Pilsner, Rustic Ale, Mosaic IPA, Lost Galaxy IPA and The Wind (a dry-hopped Gose made with Citra hops and grapefruit). I enjoyed The Wind more than the classic Gose, but my favorite had to be the Mosaic IPA. Considering Mosaic and Citra hops are my two favorites, these two brews tickled my fancy for sure. 

From left to right: Gose, Vermont Pilsner, Rustic Ale, Mosaic IPA, Lost Galaxy IPA, The Wind.

Upon completing our flights and a couple sides of chips (don't get me wrong, we were hungry, but with Prohibition Pig up next, we didn't want to ruin our appetites), we took to the inside quickly to grab some stuff to go. All three of us opted to get 4-packs of the Mosaic, with Eric also snagging a piece of glassware. 

Another leg of the journey had come and gone in a flash once again, but it was back in the car for us at 3:30 for another half-hour trip to Waterbury. I had been waiting for this stop for quite some time, and it was finally about to become a reality as the famous Prohibition Pig was next up on the list for leg No. 4!

August Trip: The Hill Farmstead Experience

Hill Farmstead welcome sign.

By Carl

Since joining the beer scene, I have been to a number of different breweries and seen a lot of different ways these places set up shop, but by far the most intriguing experience I've had so far has to be that of Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend, Vermont.

As the second leg of our early-August trip, Hill Farmstead immediately became one of the biggest highlights. With doors to the retail shop not scheduled to open until noon on Thursday, August 6, we naturally arrived promptly just after 10 a.m., but not before rolling down the over two-mile gravel road leading up to the brewery, which is an experience in itself.

Now Mark and I had already been to Hill Farmstead once before a couple months back, so we knew what we were getting into, but this was Eric's first time, and as we made our way up to the brewery sitting in the middle of this huge farm out in nowhere Vermont, I made sure to gauge his reactions. Needless to say, I can only imagine I was the same way as Eric's head continued to dart back and forth just checking out the vast landscape.

Where the magic happens.

Anyhow, as I said, we arrived shortly after 10 a.m., thinking we very well may have been the most eager people to get there so early. However, with Hill Farmstead's huge following, there were a few people already forming a line, begging the question of how early they actually got there! Much like when lines form outside other breweries, people awaited the opening of the doors accompanied with their coolers and growlers that would soon be filled with some of the best of what Vermont, and even the country, has to offer.

Thinking we were going to have to wait about two hours for opening, we were pleasantly surprised when a staff member opened the doors around 10:45 and welcomed us much earlier than expected. Now the experience was truly set to begin!

We were handed card Nos. 4-6 and were asked to place our orders on said cards. With a number of bottles (including their much-anticipated $40 bottle of bourbon barrel aged maple syrup) available paired with an allotment of brews on tap for growler fills, we filled out our cards (with Eric and Mark ordering much more than I did) and handed them in.

While the orders were being processed and filled, we meandered over to the brand new tasting room. This is where we officially started our tastings for the day. As we each were only allowed two glasses at $5.50 a glass, it was decided we would all get something different so we could try all five of the Farmhouse Ales they were offering that day.

Samples with a view.

With Clara, Nordic Saison, Brother Soigne (I think everyone's favorite), Florence and Dorothy available, we started sipping and enjoying the beautiful views of the green countryside of the farm. In about 20 minutes, we were called back into the retail shop to pick up our orders. We grabbed our boxes and dropped them off at the car before returning to our glasses.

With our orders officially being completed around 11:15, it was time to just sit back and enjoy ourselves a bit longer before heading out to our next leg of the trip.

Back in the tasting room, we continued with our samples when I saw one of the cooler things I saw all trip. Shaun Hill, the owner of the brewery, was behind the counter washing and drying the various glasses being used for the tastings.

I really don't know why, but this amazed me. This guy, who is responsible for helping create some of the best beer in the world, was just like everyone else on staff that day. He was assisting with everything when he could very well just stay behind the scenes and watch the money roll in. Good on you, Shaun!

As the final sips out of our glasses were consumed, it was time for us to bounce. At around 12:30, we hopped back in the car and it was on to the next destination approximately 40 minutes away. We were off to Morristown, home of Lost Nation Brewing!

August Trip: The Journey Begins

By Mark

After a long Wednesday night in Connecticut, which saw us trying some of the finest beers in my fridge, CJ, Eric and I awoke to a 4 a.m. alarm Thursday and started heading north to the craft beer kingdom: Vermont. Only two to three hours of sleep made the three-hour drive much more brutal and I had to do it all myself due to the fact that CJ and Eric succumbed to their weary eyes throughout most of the ride (yes they owe me big time!).

After all the driving, I get the last number among us!

Regardless, adrenaline kept me going and we arrived at the Hunger Mountain Coop in Montpelier, VT, at around 7:15 a.m. for the first leg of our marathon trip. We raced into the line that had already started forming. We received ticket numbers 46, 47 and 48 for their weekly release of Heady Topper, one of the most sought after brews in the game. This would be my first experience having some fresh Heady Topper, so I was more than excited!

By the time the Coop opened at 8 a.m., the line was nearing 150 people. We made our way through the store and got back in the car by 8:30. Our next stop was Hill Farmstead, but knowing that they did not officially open until noon, we decided to kill some time by grabbing breakfast at the Skinny Pancake just a block or two away from the Coop.

Crepes, eggs and frumple cakes (yes, frumple cakes) greeted us. What astounded me most of all was this small breakfast joint in the middle of the state's capitol also had Heady cans and Lawson's Super Session #2 on tap, which just blows my mind. You really can't find those beers anywhere, but you can find quality like that even in the smallest corners of the Green Mountain State.

With a long couple days still in front of us, we opted for some traditional water and OJ before departing around 9:15 and making our way to Greensboro Bend. Next stop: Hill Farmstead!

A Two-day Trip Worth Every Penny

We will have many more details on this trip soon, but for now I wanted to show everyone just how much we crushed New England and the beer scene this past week.

From Thursday to Friday, Eric, Mark and I spent a lot of time in the car, but in turn tracked down and tasted a lot of what New England, mainly Vermont and Massachusetts, has to offer. In the near future I would like to break down each stop we had in detail, but this will do for now. Stay tuned!

Wednesday

It started Wednesday night when Eric and I met up with Mark at his place in Connecticut. Despite getting there around 9 p.m. and needing to wake up at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, we had to help Mark clean his fridge packed to the gills with some ridiculous stuff or else his fiancee was going to throw that ring right back in his face! Let me just say I hate the collection of beer Mark has, simply because he started the game well after us, but we will leave it at that! Nonetheless, I enjoyed everything I drank.

After trying the likes of Julius, The Substance, Green, Apocalypse Cow, That's What She Said, Eureka, Wanderlust and Classic Gueuze (my first Cantillon ever), we finally got to bed around 1:30 a.m. and overslept by about 45 minutes. Not to worry as we got on the road around 4:30 a.m.

Thursday

Our first stop was Hunger Mountain Coop in Montpelier, VT. Thanks to Mark's slick driving skills (as well as mine and Eric's superior car-sleeping skills), we arrived in about two hours and 45 minutes. With cases of Heady Topper releasing at 8 a.m., we were Nos. 46-48 in line just after 7 a.m.

We scooped up a case each and were out of there. After grabbing a quick breakfast in Montpelier, it was time for Hill Farmstead in Greensboro Bend, VT, about 45 minutes away.

While there, we picked up our various bottles and got to try a number of their Farmhouse Ales such as Clara, Nordic Saison, Brother Soigne, Forence and Dorothy, all in the new tasting room. This was the second time I have been to Hill Farmstead, and I have to say it is such a treat and an overall pleasant experience! Trust me, we will break this one down even more this week!

Running on fumes, which we were doing all day, we made our way to Lost Nation Brewing in Morristown, about a half hour away. They lived up to the name as it was quite difficult to find, but we arrived and each immediately ordered a flight ($5 for six samples, what a steal!), which included their famous Gose, Vermont Pilsner, Rustic Ale, Mosaic IPA (I think all of our favorite), Lost Galaxy IPA and The Wind (a dry-hopped gose). We made sure to snag a 4-pack of Mosaic on the way out as well.

It was then another half hour trek to Waterbury, VT, and time for Prohibition Pig, which I had been wanting to hit up for months! We made it just in time as Mark's bladder was literally about to explode and my toes were numb (for reasons you don't want to know). Despite some fantastic brews on tap and canned at Pro Pig, which we certainly indulged in, I have to say this stop was just as much about the food.

While we were stuffing our faces, Mark called over to a couple places and tracked down my personal white whale, Focal Banger (from Alchemist, the makers of Heady Topper), at a nearby place called Cork Wine Bar and Market. Brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops, my favorite combo, this guy lived up to the hype and then some!

Another half hour drive and we were in Burlington, our final destination for the day. We checked into the hotel and were tempted by a nap, but sleep would have to wait. We ventured out to El Cortijo for a Grassroots Legitimacy.

We decided to move on as it was crowded, so over to Farmhouse Tap and Grill we went. And wouldn't you know it, they had Focal Banger out the wazoo! I downed a couple more of those and capped the night off with a Hill Farmstead Excursions #3.

The night was not over, however, as Mark was able to work his magic with the hotel bartender for two 4-packs of Focal to split amongst us. That was one hell of a way to finish day one off!

Friday

While this was not nearly as eventful of a day, Thursday had it's own kind of flair. Three hours from Burlington we found ourselves in Boston for a quick stop at Trillium. While the brewery still has a long way to go in terms of the brewery itself, the beer has become something to behold. We swiped some more bottles and were out of there within 10 minutes. 

We were back in civilization, so the 15-minute drive to Night Shift was plagued by traffic, but we eventually reached our destination. I did not anticipate Night Shift being bigger than Trillium, but it was and for sure as they had a pretty big shop set up. Another flight, mine featuring One Hop This Time: Ella, Whirlpool (my favorite), Santilli and The 97, and we were off to our final destination. 

It took about an hour longer than usual to get to Tree House in Monson, MA, but yet again we made it about 15 minutes before open at 5 p.m. While we were disappointed with the selection of cans they had, which was limited to just six Haze, it was another experience I enjoyed and a stop we had to make. It was a great way to cap off an incredible trip and I look forward to doing it again (we will most certainly do it again!). 

I apologize if it seemed like I wrapped this blog post up a little quickly, but it did run on a little longer than I had hoped. Check back this week as we will have a number of posts going even further into detail about a trip I encourage every beer-lover to take. 

Cheers! 

Best of the Week: July 27-August 2

Each Sunday we will take a look at the best beer each of the four bloggers has consumed throughout the week. Here are each of our favorite beers between July 27-August 2:

Carl: King Sue (Toppling Goliath): I had this once before and it was just as good, if not better, the second time around. TG makes some of the best IPAs I've ever had, with King Sue's little sister (brother?) PseudoSue holding its own and then some as well. I wish I could get this stuff on a regular basis. Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mention: Sunny Side Up (Pizza Boy), Eternal Sunshine (Pizza Boy), Solar Abyss (DC Brau), Pineapple Milkshake (Tired Hands).

Mark: Sip of Sunshine (Lawson's Finest Liquids): Plenty of great brews this week, but Lawson's Sip of Sunshine reigns supreme. Although this beer has become much more available through their partnership with Two Roads in Stratford, CT, it remains one of my favorites. This IPA has the perfect amount of citrus and is definitely an easy drinker. You'll see plenty more of this from me in the weeks and months to come. Rating: 4.75/5. Honorable Mention: Haze (Tree House), Shape of Hops to Come (Neshaminy Creek), Coriolis (New England Brewing), All Green Everything (Other Half), PseudoSue (Toppling Goliath), Epiphany (Foundation).

Eric: Pineapple Milkshake (Tired Hands): I wish there was more pineapple flavor, but all-in-all a solid edition in the milkshake series. Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mention: Watching Trees Decompose (Tired Hands), Such Passion (Tired Hands).

Cheers to another week of drinking!

The New England Brewing Company Puzzle

When I first arrived on the craft beer scene, April of this year, I was completely overwhelmed. With hundreds of breweries and thousands of beers, I had no clue where to start. CJ first advised me to start utilizing different resources such as BeerAdvocate and Untapped. I quickly learned that there were a ton of breweries within a stones-throw here in Connecticut. I visited many of the local package stores and grabbed whatever I could and the journey began. I immediately realized that New England Brewing Company (NEBCO) was located in Woodbridge, CT. NEBCO is not only one of the finest breweries in Connecticut, but in the northeast. After following them on Twitter and Facebook, I came to realize that they have a devout following and many people are fixated on three of their beers in particular, Gandhi Bot, Coriolis, and the famous Fuzzy Baby Ducks. Finding and trying each of these beers became my first personal challenge in the craft beer world.

Gandhi Bot, a Double IPA, was the first I was lucky enough to try. NEBCO announces their beers on tap through social media outlets from Wednesday-Saturday. I dropped much of what I was doing and raced to Woodbridge to get my first ever growler fill of Gandhi Bot. It seemed to be my first real achievement in the ever changing craft beer scene and I was thrilled.

About 6 weeks went by and Fuzzy Baby Ducks as well as Coriolis continued to evade me. These beers are not canned or bottled, so finding them at a local bar or at the brewery was really my only option. I became further entrenched in the craft beer scene over these weeks, being able to try the likes of Heady Topper, Pliny the Elder, and Julius.

Just when I thought Fuzzy Baby Ducks, an American IPA, would have to go on the back burner, NEBCO announced they would have it at the brewery a few days before the 4th of July. I was fortunate enough to have the day off and raced to Woodbridge. I planned to arrive 90 minutes before they opened, knowing how big of a following this beer has, and it wasn't nearly early enough. Upon arriving, there were easily 150 people there in front of me. We got inside the brewery, 3 hours later, sampled Fuzzy Baby Ducks, and left with 4 full growlers. The whole trip lasted about 5 hours in total but was completely worth it. This brew remains in my personal Top 5 to this day. Bringing this up to Maine to share with family for the 4th of July weekend was a real treat.

Two of the top 3 NEBCO beers had been "ticked" off my list and I was only in search of one more, Coriolis, a Double IPA. Today, I saw that NEBCO had this on tap and I filled and drank the growler all within 3 hours. This was the final piece of the "NEBCO puzzle" that I first set out to complete. Although it took much longer than I initially thought it would, today was the end of one small chapter for me and the beginning of the next.

Best of the Week: July 20-26

Each Sunday we will take a look at the best beer each of the four bloggers has consumed throughout the week. Here are each of our favorite beers between July 20-26:

Carl: Alien Church (Tired Hands): This American IPA had me coming back a second time as I don't think I appreciated it enough the first go around. Brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Chinook, Centennial and Columbus hops, this was one of the smoother IPAs I've had in a while. Rating: 4.75/5. Honorable Mention: Only Void (Tired Hands), Delicado (Tired Hands/Hill Farmstead collab), 077xx (Carton).

Mark: Second Fiddle (Fiddlehead): Love at first sight? This Double IPA has been a favorite of mine since I arrived on the craft beer scene. With a burnt orange appearance and a tangerine citrusy nose, what more could someone ask for? Without a doubt a world class offering from Fiddlehead. Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mention: Dinner (Maine), Lunch (Maine), Pliny the Elder (Russian River), Green (Tree House), Gose (Westbrook).

Eric: Only Void Aged on Coffee & Cherries (Tired Hands): Cherry forward! This was a well-balanced stout and probably the best dark beer I have ever had from Tired Hands. In fact, I wish I ordered a doughnut with it! Rating: 4.75/5. Honorable Mention: The Substance (Bissell Brothers), Green Diamonds (Other Half).

Joshua: Sunny Side Up (Pizza Boy): To sum it up in one phrase, it's the best cup of coffee I've ever had. I have had plenty of stouts in my time, but this one, brewed with beans from Little Amps Coffee in Harrisburg, PA, makes a case for the best stout I've ever had. Rating: 5/5. Honorable Mention: Eternal Sunshine (Pizza Boy), Murrens (Pizza Boy), Storm (Crooked Run).


Cheers to another week of drinking!

Tired Hands: A Brewery Unlike Any Other

It's Okay at Brew Cafe.

Odds are we will do many more pieces on Tired Hands in Ardmore, PA as it is one of our favorites and right nearby outside of Philadelphia. Last night, Eric and I ventured out there and had quite a night at their two locations. While I have been there a number of times before, this was the first time I sat down and drank a number of Tired Hands brews at once. After probably my fourth, I turned to Eric and said "you can go to any brewery around the country, or even the world, and you will never find beers like these guys make." They are that different and that good.

We started the night at the Brew Cafe. Off the top of my head I cannot speak for every one Eric had, but while indulging in a bologna and cheese sandwich on a bread they make in house, I also slugged back an It's Okay (American IPA) and a SaisonHands (Saison/Farmhouse Ale), the latter being one of their staples that is generally always on tap.

Outside the Fermentaria.

After finishing up at the Brew Cafe, we made the 0.3-mile "trek" to the brand new Fermentaria, where you can find 12 beers on tap, all of which are different than the ones on tap at the Brew Cafe (aside from HopHands and SaisonHands). While in this beautiful new building with pretty much nothing separating the bar and eating areas from all the brewing tanks and barrels where all the magic happens, we indulged in a number of other brews.

I started off with the Only Void Aged on Coffee & Cherries (Double Stout), which is said to be one of, if not the best, dark beers Tired Hands has ever made. And I'll tell you what, it's hard to argue. One of the smoothest stouts I've ever had and the cherry notes were so prevalent.

From there I went with Alien Church (American IPA). I later had to go back to this one a second time because I don't think I appreciated it enough the first time around. This is one of the better beers I've ever had. Brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Chinook, Centennial and Columbus hops, it went down super smooth and had me coming back for more later on.

The Trendler Pils (Pilsner, obviously) was next, and while it wasn't a bad brew by any means, it left a little more to be desired. Not going to lie, it's probably more because I'm not much of a pilsner guy.

Alien Church at Fermentaria.

As I commented on my Untappd for this next one, you can sign me up for anything that has to do with Hill Farmstead, thus far my favorite brewery. Delicado (American IPA) is a collaboration between Tired Hands and Hill Farmstead. This was another out of this world IPAs. Every IPA I've had from HF has gone down so easily, and this guy was no exception.

Prior to capping the night off with another Alien Church, I moved on to Honey, I Love You (Saison/Farmhouse Ale). This one has been compared to HF's Anna, and upon tasting both, I concur. A sour brew that isn't too sour, which is exactly what I'm looking for.

If I were to rate the SEVEN distinct beers I had last night (on a scale of 1-5, yes the Untappd scale!), this is how it would go:

1) Alien Church (4.75/5)
2) Delicado (4.5/5)
3) Only Void (4.5/5)
4) Honey, I Love You (4.25/5)
5) It's Okay (4/5)
6) SaisonHands (4/5)
7) Trendler Pils (3.75/5)

 These ratings may be a little redundant for the average reader because by the time you read this or make your way over to Tired Hands, most of these beers (aside from SaisonHands) will be gone and will most likely never see the light of day again. That's what makes this place so special. They never seem to run out of ideas for different brews every week and they don't appear to have a shortage on names, however obscure some of them (most of them) are.

If you are ever in the Philadelphia area, Tired Hands is in my opinion the No. 1 spot you must hit up. It's that good. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Cheers!

Beer Advocate Rankings Go Haywire!

If you're like me and are still semi-new to the beer scene (although I like to think I can hold my own to an extent), Beer Advocate (BeerAdvocate.com) can be a great tool to increase your knowledge on the subject. When I was first starting out, BA is where I went to figure out what was what. The forums are a great tool, seeing what others are drinking, where they are drinking and what they think about the beers they are consuming.

But perhaps the best tool you can use is BA's Top-250 beers, which until just recently had only slightly changed from time to time. When I wanted to find out whether or not this funky looking brew I found was any good, I took a look to see what its rating was and if it was anywhere on the top-250.

For the longest time these rankings remained rather stagnant with Alchemist's Heady Topper leading the way. Well, a couple days ago the rankings went nuts and everything changed!

Heady was replaced at the top of the list by Russian River's Pliny the Younger (have yet to indulge, but hear it is fantastic). That was just the start of it. The top-10 looks very different. Zombie Dust moving into the top-10? Don't get me wrong, a fantastic beer, but it made a drastic jump to make its way up to No. 9.

The fact that I now see Stone's Enjoy By IPA all the way up to No. 48, just ahead of the likes of Focal Banger (49) and King Sue (51) is just nuts to me. Enjoy By is a good beer. Not great, but good. To me I can't see why it even belongs in the top-250, let alone in the top-50!

Ballast Point's Sculpin, another solid brew, is not the 52nd best beer in the world. It just isn't. I'm sure some people out there consider it their favorite beer, but there's just no way it belongs that high. Not to mention you can pretty much find it anywhere nowadays.

The more I look at the rankings, and believe me I have not gone to great lengths to examine the list top-to-bottom, it seems to be more of a popularity contest. What I mean by that is some of the beers that made drastic jumps are very popular and quite easy to find. I don't know if this plays a factor, but it's a little head-scratching to me.

Pliny the Younger is brewed once a year and distributed to a number of areas. If you are in Philadelphia around the time it is released, there is a decent chance you can find it on tap (although you are going to have to wait in line for it). My point here is how does a beer that is only around once a year, which is usually in the winter, all of a sudden make the leap up to No. 1? It hasn't been drank by anyone in months and out of nowhere, in mid-July, it vaults to the top spot.

Obviously either way you cannot take these rankings as gospel. Drink what you enjoy and don't let rankings and ratings get in the way. But I have to say I was thrown for a loop when I saw these new rankings. Just a little puzzling to me.

Cheers!

Welcome to Life's Brewtal

Life is not easy. It's unfair, unforgiving, will kick you while you're down and usually will show no mercy. So what do we turn to at the end of the day when you've all but had enough? A beer!

Think about it for a second. What are you reaching for after a 12-hour day of work? You woke up too late this morning and did not have time for your daily cup of coffee. Jimmy from accounting shredded a crucial document you needed in order to finish that project you've been working on for months and in turn your boss reamed you out for a good 45 minutes. And to top it all off, dammit if Jimmy didn't go and steal your cold tupperware of pasta for lunch while he was at it. The thought of eating that pasta was all that was getting you through the rest of your day!

When you finally plop down on the couch after an hour and a half commute through rush-hour traffic, you pop on the TV and crack a beer. Now what kind of beer is it? That doesn't matter all that much! IPA, stout, pale ale, etc. It's all the same to you at the end of the day from hell.

The beer world is vast and wonderful. Whether you are into the craft game or are perfectly content with cracking an ice cold Bud Light when life's got you down or you're looking to have a good time, I'm not here to judge or complain at all. Whatever floats your boat.

I entrenched myself in the beer game about six months ago and I'll tell you what - it's just awesome. Don't get me wrong, it's exhausting. The continuous search for the next great beer is enough to make you pull your hair out, but the thrill is exhilarating.

That is what this blog is all about. I, along with a number of colleagues, hope to bring you some entertainment through our travels as well as our trials and tribulations trying to find our next brew.

I think I can speak for my fellow contributors on this blog when I say we are still in a learning process here. We are not going to pretend like we know everything there is to know about beer. Some of us know more than others, but not one is an expert. We will use our continued experiences, as well as this blog, as a platform to expand our knowledge.

From our random trips to our experiences just waiting in line for a limited release, we hope to capture it all! This should be entertaining, so we encourage you to tune in and come along for the ride with us.

Cheers!

Summer 2015 Share