What's the worst craft brew (commercial) you've had?

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Sounds interesting. Can you better describe it?

It was extremely complex and overwhelmingly sweet. I tried and simply couldn't pull any specific features out of it. It was like they tried to balance the flavors of the different hops instead of trying to create a specific flavour profile. But having so many just created a mess of taste that didn't make any sense. Overwhelming is the best word I can use.
 
New worst for me: Sam Adams East-West Kolsch. Nothing but sweet. I would never recognize this as a kolsch, much less an under-attenuated Mr. Beer kit. And this is after managing to down a Chocolate Bock.
 
Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat - super sweet, fruity pebble taste. Just not enjoyable at all.
 
Probably overstating the whole brewery sucks thing. I'm actually actually not sure exactly how many BR products I've tried. But some friends and I did an IPA tasting (Stone, Widmer, Bridgeport, BR, etc) and Racer 5 came in dead last. I was pretty surprised.

Have to try the Rye. . .

Was the bottle fresh? I think Racer 5 is a pretty solid IPA, but not nearly as good as their more limited offerings like Cafe Racer 15.
 
I guess I do not care for Sours, tried DogFish Head's Noble Rot, did not LIKE!

There's isn't anything that Dogfish Head does that I'm in love with. I know all the 60/90 minute fans will hate to hear me say this, but I think DFH has to be in the top 5 of most overrated breweries in the world. If you can get your hands Russian River Supplication...that's a solid sour.
 
There's isn't anything that Dogfish Head does that I'm in love with. I know all the 60/90 minute fans will hate to hear me say this, but I think DFH has to be in the top 5 of most overrated breweries in the world. If you can get your hands Russian River Supplication...that's a solid sour.

I agree. I like to try dfh beers just to see what they have, but I don't really buy their stuff again. I would totally recommend the 75 min as opposed to 60 or 90. Great balance and not overly sweet like 60 and 90 (or 120). I would say it is the best beer they make, even better than the Indian brown (great beer).
 
I agree. I like to try dfh beers just to see what they have, but I don't really buy their stuff again. I would totally recommend the 75 min as opposed to 60 or 90. Great balance and not overly sweet like 60 and 90 (or 120). I would say it is the best beer they make, even better than the Indian brown (great beer).

Burton Baton is a really good DFH beer...easily my favorite thing that they do there.
 
Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat - super sweet, fruity pebble taste. Just not enjoyable at all.

Leinenkugel, being owned by Miller, I think should disqualify them from the "craft" category automatically (even if their total output puts them in the "craft" category). Not that you can't find their beer disgusting, I think their new Canoe Paddler is, just, so meh, almost bordering on "no, thanks, I'll have water".

My opinion might be biased because I can ride my bicycle to the Leinenkugel brewery, but most of their beers I try not think of them as "beers" and more like "refreshing bottles of drunk while eating grilled food in summer". If I want a craft beer, I don't buy Leinenkugels (they're also nice for camping since the cans are cheap, but I'll bring something tasty like Old Chub with when I need something that taste's like beer).
 
Was the bottle fresh? I think Racer 5 is a pretty solid IPA, but not nearly as good as their more limited offerings like Cafe Racer 15.

As far as I can tell it was fresh. I was just surprised how much more I enjoyed side-bys-side offerings from Bridgeport, Widmer, Fullsail, and NInkasi. Decent NW breweries to be sure, but certainly not small batch micros. There was just something grassy and sweet in the #5 - almost as if they dryhopped too long. P
 
As far as I can tell it was fresh. I was just surprised how much more I enjoyed side-bys-side offerings from Bridgeport, Widmer, Fullsail, and NInkasi. Decent NW breweries to be sure, but certainly not small batch micros. There was just something grassy and sweet in the #5 - almost as if they dryhopped too long. P

It's much more balanced with the sweeter malts than most West Coast IPA's...not a bitter hop bomb of an IPA in any fashion. It's not my favorite take on the style, but I still appreciate it for what it is. Different strokes, though. That's why these forums exist...because we don't all like the same thing.
 
I haven't tried black racer, will do.

Black Racer is awesome, last time I was in Healdsburg I got a growler of it. Hop Rod Rye is very good, and Racer 5 is a great go-to beer in the grocery store. Everything they have in the brewery is worth tasting, they do some sours and an English cask ale, also.

As far as a disappointing beer, I'd add Ninkasi 2013 ESB. Really, really bad. One of the most expensive, nasty 6-packs I've have the misfortune of buying. Maybe it was not stored correctly or my mouth was playing tricks on me, but quality-wise it tasted on par with Milwaukee's Best or something. Way too bitter for anything remotely considered an ESB, and the bitterness itself was devoid of character. Tasted like an afterthought.
 
Of late, I've become a bit annoyed with Rogue. Their XS beers are quite lovely, and they come in the best bottles (ceramic swing-top 750mL), but their regular fare isn't so hot. The Morimoto soba is...odd...as a beer from Portland, and it is absolutely awful as a kit. I've done it twice, and it just won't cooperate. I haven't had the MBDS, but I feel this urge to punish my mouth. It beats the ceramic bottles punishing my wallet.
 
nolabrew85 said:
Sam Adams cherry wheat. It tasted like cherry cough syrup to me

I probably hear more hate it/love it comments about this beer than any other. The hate it comments have always scared me away from trying it. It would be interesting to know how these same people feel about Cherry Pepsi.
 
bleme said:
I probably hear more hate it/love it comments about this beer than any other. The hate it comments have always scared me away from trying it. It would be interesting to know how these same people feel about Cherry Pepsi.

I actually don't mind it. I don't think it tastes anywhere near like cough syrup. I haven't had one in years because there's just so much better beer available. But I wouldn't hesitate to drink another one.
 
andvari7 said:
Of late, I've become a bit annoyed with Rogue. Their XS beers are quite lovely, and they come in the best bottles (ceramic swing-top 750mL), but their regular fare isn't so hot. The Morimoto soba is...odd...as a beer from Portland, and it is absolutely awful as a kit. I've done it twice, and it just won't cooperate. I haven't had the MBDS, but I feel this urge to punish my mouth. It beats the ceramic bottles punishing my wallet.

Not a fan of Rogue. I have a friend that was excited about brewing the Soba kit a few months back. He always is excited to share good beer he's made with me, and so far... I haven't heard any more of that batch. Either is was so good he didn't want to share, or the alternative.
 
Just had DFH 61. Wow, that was terrible. They should have stopped at 60, 75, and 90. 61 was awful. They supposedly just added one new ingredient to 60 minute (syrah grape must), but I'm thinking they passed it through a hobo before adding. I'm not a DFH hater, but it seems like they have had a lot more misses than hits lately.
 
I'll add to the DFH hate but preface by saying I love many of their beers. WWS and 60 min are excellent. Anyway Ta'henket or whatever it's called tasted like stale wet paper bags with rotten mushrooms inside.
 
Just had DFH 61. Wow, that was terrible. They should have stopped at 60, 75, and 90. 61 was awful. They supposedly just added one new ingredient to 60 minute (syrah grape must), but I'm thinking they passed it through a hobo before adding. I'm not a DFH hater, but it seems like they have had a lot more misses than hits lately.

I think they are caught up in a cycle of "we need to continue being innovative!" like Stone is.
 
gometz said:
I think they are caught up in a cycle of "we need to continue being innovative!" like Stone is.

The difference is Stone makes great tasting beer and DFH does not.
 
Neighbor bought the blackberry wit, same gross taste. Yuck!

My wife, myself, and my BIL threw a 60th birthday party for my mother in law yesterday. I picked up the Sam Adam's Summer Sampler at Sam's Club (figured it would be a decent compromise for a crowd). I tried all of the beers and not one of them seemed any good to me. Little White Rye was okay, Porch Rocker was just another crappy summer shandy, Belgian Session didn't have much flavor, and the Blue Berry was meh.
 
Aroma reminded me of something sour. Like unripened apples or juniper berries. Lovely yellow white head and clear amber-orange body. Taste is well...bad. Very bad. It gave me flashbacks to both licking hard plastic toys as a small child and getting grass shoved into my mouth by the town bully as a pre-teen. Body reminds me of PBR. But on the plus side it’s cheap. Dirt cheap.

image-1077864649.jpg
 
larrydcarter said:
Aroma reminded me of something sour. Like unripened apples or juniper berries. Lovely yellow white head and clear amber-orange body. Taste is well...bad. Very bad. It gave me flashbacks to both licking hard plastic toys as a small child and getting grass shoved into my mouth by the town bully as a pre-teen. Body reminds me of PBR. But on the plus side it’s cheap. Dirt cheap.

Wow! That is one of the worst BA ratings I have seen on any beer, let alone a craft IPA.
 
I was at a party this winter and was trying different beers out of a Sam Adams seasonal variety 12 pack. I swear to god they just put different labels on the bottles.
 
The difference is Stone makes great tasting beer and DFH does not.

I think DFH has some good beers, but about 70% has disappointed me. On the other hand Stone has disappointed me only about 30% of the time.
 
bottlebomber said:
Wow! That is one of the worst BA ratings I have seen on any beer, let alone a craft IPA.

Yeah, it's ruff. First time I ever dreaded the second half of a 22 oz bottle. But I still finished it. Should have gotten a metal.
 
For me it was a tie between Magic Hat #9 and Rio Grande Pancho Verde Chile Cerveza. I dumped them both!
 
A light belgian (maybe the pale?) from Craggie (a since closed Asheville brewery). While some of their beers were not bad at all, this one was horrible. Smelled like circus peanuts. It was disgusting. Uggggghhhhhhh....circus peanuts. Close second was a porter I had from Thomas Creek that smelled like straight up DEET bug spray, I hope it was just a bad batch.
 
At a convention earlier this year I was afflicted with several offerings from Half-Acre Brewery. Even the stouts were so hopped up you couldn't taste anything else. I tried several (Baume, Over Ale, Chocolate Camaro), and never got a decent beer.
 
flying dog's woody creek white was pretty terrible when i had it a few years ago. could have been dirty lines though.
 
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