Worst Craft Breweries

kingmatt said:

I certainly wouldn't call them the 'worst' breweries, but Sam Adams and Dogfish Head have been a major disappointment for a few years running. They both have beers in their lineups that I enjoy (SA Octoberfest, DFH 60 and 90 etc) but I don't even bother getting their new releases at this point because they are consistently bad.

Maybe my palate has changed or it is because there are so many other choices, who knows?

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I think DFH keeps getting better actually! Seaquench is an awesome beer.

Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood Ny. My friends and I call it Syrup Tier or Sugar Tier.

There is no disputing that Pumking and 2x Stout on Nitro is awsome beer. I truly do like it. Their food is also very great.

Try their other beers however, you will find they are very chemical & artificial tasting, as if they use flavored syrup or such. Their "Blackwater" series is a great example of this. Creme Bruele, honestly tastes like pure chemical. At first I thought it was just me, but sadly my friends have picked up on it as well after trying many of their beers.

Customer service then takes it to a new lower level.

Lastly, when walking from the road thru their overly packed parking lot, there is a remote building off to the side that emmits a horrific vomit / sewer smell that will make you almost heave.

First time I had the Creme Brulee stout I thought It was revolting. Then I went to a beer dinner where they served it paired with a sweet dessert. That worked well, but I'd never drink it on its own.

Fordiesel69 said:

Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood Ny. My friends and I call it Syrup Tier or Sugar Tier. [...]

[...] Lastly, when walking from the road thru their overly packed parking lot, there is a remote building off to the side that emmits a horrific vomit / sewer smell that will make you almost heave.

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That must be their spent grain storage, waiting to be picked up next week.

I've got nothing good to say about any of their beer I've tasted.
2XMas is worse than the cheapest cough syrup. Very artificial and strong chemical flavors.

peanasky said:

Shipwrecked Brewpub in Egg Harbor, WI. They have survived purely on being a novelty in a tourist heavy town. I first had their beer in the bottle, and thought, boy, that's a wicked off flavor. Bought a different beer of theirs, same off flavor. About a year later I had the opportunity to try it at the brewery, had a flight of all their beer. Every single one had the same sharp nasty aftertaste off-flavor.

What upsets me the most is that tourists and vacationers will try this thinking that all craft beer tastes this way.

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(Just catching up on this thread) We stopped there and had a flight. A couple tasted like dirty taps. The only one we kinda liked was a spruce tips, IPA I think? It was newly on tap. Not bad. The rest were pretty well not worth dirtying a glass.

We make a Flat Tire Crone occasionally, but it is supposed to be an older version of the recipe, more biscuity with a touch of chocolate malt, we like that pretty well. We've been drinking NB Fat Tire, and now Voo Doo Ranger, not super but a good buy at the price point ($14 for 12.)

IslandLizard said:

That must be their spent grain storage, waiting to be picked up next week.

I've got nothing good to say about any of their beer I've tasted.
2XMas is worse than the cheapest cough syrup. Very artificial and strong chemical flavors.

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I was going to mention the 2Xmas as well but didn;t want the flame suit to age prematurely. It is actually undrinkable.

stella_tigre said:

(Just catching up on this thread) We stopped there and had a flight. A couple tasted like dirty taps. The only one we kinda liked was a spruce tips, IPA I think? It was newly on tap. Not bad. The rest were pretty well not worth dirtying a glass.

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Last time we were there (a few years ago, mind you) everything tasted...off. Before I had tasted the beer at the brewery, I was gifted a few different 6-packs, all had the same flavor. I don't know, it's just weird, and it surprises me that after all these years (A)Nobody has pointed out to them that there's a wicked off flavor and they've taken it seriously and (B)They still sell beer.

Fordiesel69 said:

Southern Tier Brewing, Lakewood Ny. My friends and I call it Syrup Tier or Sugar Tier.

There is no disputing that Pumking and 2x Stout on Nitro is awsome beer. I truly do like it. Their food is also very great.

Try their other beers however, you will find they are very chemical & artificial tasting, as if they use flavored syrup or such. Their "Blackwater" series is a great example of this. Creme Bruele, honestly tastes like pure chemical. At first I thought it was just me, but sadly my friends have picked up on it as well after trying many of their beers.

Customer service then takes it to a new lower level.

Lastly, when walking from the road thru their overly packed parking lot, there is a remote building off to the side that emmits a horrific vomit / sewer smell that will make you almost heave.

Click to expand...

I live about as far east of Southern Tier as you live west of them. It's been a while since I've been over to the brewery but I pick up the occasional Southern Tier 6-pack at the store. 2X IPA isn't bad. The thing is, everyone around here is always going on about Pumpking and Creme Brule. Just not seeing it, myself. Pumpking is too sweet and spiced too heavily. It's like drinking a glass of pumpkin pie. And Creme Brule <shudder>. For pumpkin beer I prefer Long Trail. For sweet beers like Creme Brule...just say 'no'.

Totally agree on Southern Tier. Even their IPAs taste syrupy and chemically. Southern Tier just set up a new brewpub in my city and I still have yet to go... some of their beers are alright but nothing I'm crazy about.

A bar I frequent carried the Creme Brûlée so curiousity killed the cat and I could barely finish the beer. A few weeks later they put Anchor Liberty on the same tap and weeks later all you still taste is artificial chemically vanilla in the Anchor beer. It even ruins any keg after it on tap. That's bad!!!

A local brewery in Pittsburgh PA, Draai Laag (pronounced like "dry log") does all open and spontaneous fermentation. Even discovered their own house strain of saccharomyces that behaves like Brett. I understand all the obstacles and hurdles they have to doing this ancient style of brewing, but everyone of their beers uses almost 8 yeasts/bugs and just ends up with the same awful socky-poopy funk with vomity acetic acid. I want to see where they are in a few more years once their house strains are better and more well established. Most people literally gag upon tasting some of their beers. A couple of beers are good but the majority are bad. The worst part is they won't even allow you to sample a beer before buying so it's a total crapshoot when you go their. It blows me away that they actually ship nationally and they've only been open like 3-4 years.

Steam Works Brewing in Vancouver has made the best Porter I have ever had in my life called the Salted Chocolate Porter so I kind of feel bad nominating them but everything else I have tried was not very tasty. All their beers on tap are bland and don't have flavors that go well together. Growler refills are always a disappointment. Their pale ale tastes like it has waay too much corn or something along that flavor profile, IPAs all have way too much bittering and not enough flavor/aroma hops, and their other stouts and proters all taste similar with a very astringent flavor making them seem like they were all from the same batch of wort with different hop additions and yeast profile. Sorry SteamWorks but maybe you should just stick to those small limited quantity batches. They're the only tasty thing coming out of your facility.

Not just you Piston_Pounder; local Lower Mainlander here that agrees with your entire summation.

I really *want* to enjoy their other offerings (I like their labels and facility, etc) but the beer just falls short.

Camba in germany
They are selling infected IPAs and exploding kegs. They kegged for friends a beer with hop pellets inside that was impossible to tap...