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adamjackson · 01-24-2013, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulster2626

Killington is too far south I think. I am flying solo on my annual trip to VT late Feb. Will probably:
-Jay on the 20th
-Hill Farmstead
-Stowe on the 21st
-Alchemist
-MRG/'Bush on the 22nd (depends on snow)
-Lawson's Finest

My travel plans are flexible, but I must end up at the MRG/Sugarbush/Waitsfield area for the last couple of nights as I'm friends with a crotchety old B&B owner that I need to hang out with.

But I always welcome new adventures and new people to show me around mountains and where they hide the good stuff. I'll send ya a PM closer to the date and we'll see if we can work something out. Thanks for the offer.

Sweet! Sounds like a great trip! I leave for Belgium on Friday the 23rd but I'd love to meet up for a few drinks before then. Please message me if you want to do something. Waterbury is just over an hour from my place. Easy to come up for the evening.

pjdunn11 · 01-24-2013, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emjay

I'm actually an hour north of Toronto now, so make that 9

I might have possibly gone had I decided to go to NHC this year. I was going to, but after hearing it's in Grand Rapids next year I decided I could wait another year!

A nearby brewery (~30 minutes further north, really the only great or even good brewery in the entire province) makes a pretty good all-citra IPA. They're only a few years old, but I still haven't gone to the actual brewery yet. Maybe I should...

What brewery is that? I'm in Buffalo and open to road-tripping to anything decent...

**paulster2626** · 01-24-2013, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjdunn11

What brewery is that? I'm in Buffalo and open to road-tripping to anything decent...

Flying Monkeys I'd assume. Probably talking about Hoptical Illusion or Smashbomb? Not worth a road trip IMO.

There's also muskoka brewery (IIPA is great) and lake of bays - in fact there's a ton of good breweries in Ontario.

othellomcbane · 01-24-2013, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adamjackson

I live an hour from the brewery...sorry I can't ship you any beer but if anyone does come up to Waterbury, VT PLEASE send me a PM so we can meet up. Prohibition Pig, Blackback Pub and Three Penny Taproom are all 10 minutes from the brewery and are awesome.

Also, drive an extra hour to Hill Farmstead Brewery and get some of the best IPAs you've ever had.

I wrote this blog post back in October detailing 3 of the best VT breweries and how to get their beer. - http://adam-jackson.net/beer/a-beer-lovers-guide-to-vermont-breweries-2012-edition/

Even though I can get Heady whenever I want, I too am interested in a clone.

Vermont is the best, maybe the only state that I would consider packing up and moving to at this point in my life, if the opportunity arose. I'm hoping to make a trip up in the spring, I might have to take you up on that tour guide offer. Can you recommend any good places to camp near the Lawson's / Hill Farmstead / Alchemist Triangle of Beer Perfection?

adamjackson · 01-24-2013, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by othellomcbane

Vermont is the best, maybe the only state that I would consider packing up and moving to at this point in my life, if the opportunity arose. I'm hoping to make a trip up in the spring, I might have to take you up on that tour guide offer. Can you recommend any good places to camp near the Lawson's / Hill Farmstead / Alchemist Triangle of Beer Perfection?

Being a local, I actually haven't camped in any of those areas. Most of it is day trips. There are tons of parks, hiking and trails throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. The NEK is gorgeous! I'm sure you'll have no problem finding a place to camp out. Also check out some of the ski resorts. lodges at resorst are cheap in the summer since there's no ski traffic going on.

**VTFriar** · 01-24-2013, 10:01 PM

Lots of good places to camp in the spring. Some are run by State of Vermont and some private. I live here in Waterbury and we have many hikers that head up here in warmer weather. There are 4 of the "4k's" (the 4000+foot peaks) nearby and some people are in the quest to climb as many of those as possible.

If you'll just be using a tent, then the Little River State Park (run by State of VT) is about 3-4 miles away from The Alchemist. It's right on the Waterbury Reservoir....Motor boats are allowed. Swimming is great as is fishing too. LIttle River also can accommodate campers and RV's......Prices are reasonable but call ahead and make a reservation

In Stowe, you've got Nichols Camp Ground. That's on Route 100 and its about 5 miles to The Alchemist. You're also 5 miles closer to Hill Farmstead (and you'd go right by Rock Art Brewery).

Either way, you're striking distance to a lot of fun spots, breweries, Stowe, Burlington etc.

**LarvalCraze** · 01-24-2013, 11:03 PM

I second Little River, especially since the bars in Waterbury have great tap lists and some decent food (especially at the Prohibition Pig). If you are looking for something a little closer to Hill Farmstead, check out Lake Elmore. It's way more "out there", but it's a beautiful spot.

**emjay** · 01-24-2013, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paulster2626

Flying Monkeys I'd assume. Probably talking about Hoptical Illusion or Smashbomb? Not worth a road trip IMO.

There's also muskoka brewery (IIPA is great) and lake of bays - in fact there's a ton of good breweries in Ontario.

Yeah, I meant Flying Monkeys. Smashbomb, specifically, as the all-Citra IPA. Like most IPAs though, it is best consumed very fresh. I don't buy it in bottles too often because it pales in comparison to a fresh keg when I pick it up from the LCBO. Picked up a bottle of their limited edition Barenaked Ladies chocolate RIS about a month ago, which I have high hopes for.

Speaking of the LCBO, the only Muskoka stuff I've had has been from there. Haven't been hugely impressed with their regular offerings, but some of their seasonals/limited releases have been good... definitely among the better stuff from Ontario, IMO.

theveganbrewer · 01-25-2013, 01:03 AM

Getting back to the clone attempt. I brewed my 2nd attempt Sunday night and my airlock died off this morning so I just checked the gravity. I'm at 1.015, coming from 1.071 at 63 degrees. Fairly pleased with fermentation this time around. Tasting is much closer to the bitterness I expected and was lacking in the first attempt. It creeps up at the end just like I remember Heady. I attribute this to a little more hopshot and a 10 degree hotter whirlpool. Flavor getting closer, more of a fruit juice this time around, I guess something like Orange, Pineapple, Apricot and a little pine. I will alter my dry hop to get some more pine in there I think, it's pretty fruity now. Final product up to the dry hop though, so far so good.

Yeast has not dropped at all, bottom of the carboy is clear, the entire mixture looks like a pair of khakis.

whitehause · 01-25-2013, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theveganbrewer

Getting back to the clone attempt. I brewed my 2nd attempt Sunday night and my airlock died off this morning so I just checked the gravity. I'm at 1.015, coming from 1.071 at 63 degrees. Fairly pleased with fermentation this time around. Tasting is much closer to the bitterness I expected and was lacking in the first attempt. It creeps up at the end just like I remember Heady. I attribute this to a little more hopshot and a 10 degree hotter whirlpool. Flavor getting closer, more of a fruit juice this time around, I guess something like Orange, Pineapple, Apricot and a little pine. I will alter my dry hop to get some more pine in there I think, it's pretty fruity now. Final product up to the dry hop though, so far so good.

Yeast has not dropped at all, bottom of the carboy is clear, the entire mixture looks like a pair of khakis.

If the yeast hasn't dropped at all, I would think you'll get a couple more gravity points out of it.