some damn good IPA's out there

[abraham]

Well I forgot to post what I tried on my trip.
I went to zeitgeist and the beer hall in San Francisco. That German place looked promising but instead my sister took us to the Refuge in Menlo Park for pastrami and beer, I'll try to go there next time I visit.

Knee deep simtra was really good, a bit stronger than I needed when I drank it but I'll buy it again when I can get it.
I also bought a bottle of their Hoptologist but it was a few months old and tasted kind of cheesy and not good. Fortunately we split the bottle. Next time I'll pay attention to the bottling date.

I think my favorite beer was Drakes omega session, I think it was a dark mild ale, if it were available in six packs I would be very happy to buy it semi regularly.

Nothing else stuck out as really great but it was fun to try new beers in the bit if free time I had

[Ted Striker]

Enjoying a fort george 3-way as I type this. FG + boneyard + block 15 = goodness.

[~mikey b]

This is actually pretty good.

[bmg97]

This is actually pretty good.

My distributor sold out of that in an hour and I never got the chance to get it. I heard it was taking so long to get out that it got skunky. Still wanted it....

[~mikey b]

I can send you some. Can't keep it reliably cold.

[FussyDutchman]

I can confirm that the vast majority of the 12 pack I got last week here had been bottled 2+ months ago, doesn't bode well for the hoppy selections included. The cigar city, Firestone and 3 floyds colabs were disappointingly average at best with the only ones I'd say that stood out (still have the Russian River one left) were the tater ridge and the ipl from ballast point. Doubt there will be any more here but unless it's fresher (very doubtful) I'll probably pass anyway. Far too many fresh local and other brews available to spend the $ on beers bottled in May.

[east or bust]

Last time I had Ballast Point was the Big eye ipa and it tasted like dish soap. Had decent reviews online so me thinks I got a bad batch.

[wasatchback]

Last time I had Ballast Point was the Big eye ipa and it tasted like dish soap. Had decent reviews online so me thinks I got a bad batch.

Same here. I've had Sculpins that were amazing and ones that were totally bunk (that I knew were fresh). Never had a good Big Eye either.

Anyone here ever had anything by Toppling Goliath? Read so much about them but that shit is impossible to find. I had to drive through Iowa a few weeks ago and the places I called that supposedly sold it laughed and said it lasts about an hour. Same "grocery stores" did have an unbelievable selection of beer. Picked up a bunch of Praire Artisan and some Evil Twin.

Head back to VT in September and fired up to actually go to Hill Farmstead to see what all the fuss is about. Hopefully I can find a few Lawson's whiles I'm back as well. Warren store my best bet?

[ColMan]

Just picked up a 1/4bbl of Odell IPA. Still one of my favorite IPAs, especially on tap.

[HD333]

Hopefully I can find a few Lawson's whiles I'm back as well. Warren store my best bet?

Yes, on Thursdays or Hunger Mountain Co-op on Fridays. Don't miss out on Second Fiddle while there.

On to some dam good New England IPA's IMHO:

NEBCo Gandhi Bot IIPA and their Sea Hag IPA is great too and much more obtainable.
ANY of the Trillium "Street" IPA's, Sleeper, Congress, Melcher.....
Anything from Treehouse.

[bmg97]

I can send you some. Can't keep it reliably cold.

Appreciate the offer but no worries. If you come across some Pliny then Ill take you up the offer

[~mikey b]

Maybe in a couple weeks...

[powdork]

Got a 6er of Big Daddy IPA last week that was completely skunk. Bottled 6/14

[Todd Zander]

On to some dam good New England IPA's IMHO:

NEBCo Gandhi Bot IIPA and their Sea Hag IPA is great too and much more obtainable.
ANY of the Trillium "Street" IPA's, Sleeper, Congress, Melcher.....
Anything from Treehouse.

I thought i got played by my local guy when i came home with a six pack mixed 2 gandhi 4 seahag, alas thats what they shipped, i suppose it helped spread out the double a little better.

Also, widmer bros upheaval is good.

[abraham]

Also, widmer bros upheaval is good.

It caught me by surprise but it is good. For whatever reason I wasn't expecting much from it.

[The AD]

My mom was telling me bought a sixer of Habanero Sculpin and loved it. I'd be willing to try it, but I don't think I'd plunk money down on it without a taste first.

Yes, my 70 year old mother is a hop head.

[~mikey b]

Pulling a couple new handles tonight...

[uglymoney]

Anyone here ever had anything by Toppling Goliath? Read so much about them but that shit is impossible to find. I had to drive through Iowa a few weeks ago and the places I called that supposedly sold it laughed and said it lasts about an hour. Same "grocery stores" did have an unbelievable selection of beer. Picked up a bunch of Praire Artisan and some Evil Twin.

Toppling Goliath is everything it is cracked up to be. I'm on their Twitter Feed and Facebook and I can never get it bottle locally because it is always out by the time I get to the store - with the exception of one time I scored some Dorothy's Lager - which is great on tap but only meh out of the bottle. The only place I can sometimes get bombers is at the brewery pub in Decorah, Ia. Great place worth a side trip. Good canoe/kayak float trips available in the area and some fantastic little camping areas in deep valleys. Do it!

You can find it on tap here in Cedar Rapids at Parlor City 95% of the time and they sell growlers for $12 but we are 20 minutes north of I-80. Right now they have $10 growler fill on Lagunitas IPA as well! The Bait Shop in Des Moines also sells it on tap and will fill your growler and it is right off of I-235 which is only 1 mile longer than taking I-80 (just watch out for speed cameras). The PsuedoSue is awesome. Golden Nugget is good. Zeelander absolutely goes off in your mouth - mind blowing. I've never managed to score their Sosus DIPA.

Good luck. After I read your post my mouth started tingling so I'm off to fill a growler.

[~mikey b]

The band really liked the Imperial IPA

[PlayItLeo]

Very nice.

[strawjack]

^ I'd like to try that one. Hopefully it will make it up this way.

I can confirm that the vast majority of the 12 pack I got last week here had been bottled 2+ months ago, doesn't bode well for the hoppy selections included. The cigar city, Firestone and 3 floyds colabs were disappointingly average at best with the only ones I'd say that stood out (still have the Russian River one left) were the tater ridge and the ipl from ballast point. Doubt there will be any more here but unless it's fresher (very doubtful) I'll probably pass anyway. Far too many fresh local and other brews available to spend the $ on beers bottled in May.

What Russian River beer do you have?

Stoneface just added bottles. Apparently I made the first purchase.

[sb]

Try to get my hands on sum Truth.

[riser4]

I don't always drink beer, but when I do, I avoid IPA like teh plaguez. I had an awesome Shakespeare from Rogue last week. Love that shit.

[Lexi-Bell]

Just returned from my annual beer tour-I mean family vacation in CA, standouts were the Knee Deep Hoparillo, Firestone Double Jack (on tap at Lefty's in Nevada City YUM, Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Double, and Drake's Aroma Coma.

[Driver]

Just returned from my annual beer tour-I mean family vacation in CA, standouts were the Knee Deep Hoparillo, Firestone Double Jack (on tap at Lefty's in Nevada City YUM, Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Double, and Drake's Aroma Coma.

A good sampling of the local brew indeed. Hell I live here and don't have enough time to drink it all.