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

I enjoyed most of their beers, and was sad they had to close (not sure of the exact reasons that happened).......but whatever I drank that day was hot garbage. It may have been some sort of one-off, as it was at a private party not at a bar or at the brewery.

 

Sam Adam's summer pack.

 

There is a small brewery near my house called Chehalem Valley Brewing, and their beers are horrible. Their Black IPA almost made me gag, I couldn't even finish it. The only thing that keeps that place afloat are the guest taps. It's too bad because it's a cool place.

 

I just had a Two Brothers, Outlaw IPA last week, in cans. Not the worst beer I've ever had, but it was probably my least favorite IPA I've ever had, by far. It just wasn't what I expected. The beer was pretty bitter, but there was very little hop aroma or flavor at all. I did not drink them out of the can, but it tasted like that's what I was doing. Not that it had any metallic taste to it, but just imagine drinking and IPA out of a can, there is no where for that aroma and flavor to get into your nose, no way for it to fill the air with hoppy goodness. That's what this beer was like out of a glass even. I never did check the date on the cans, I picked it up at Whole Foods, but now I'm wondering if i should have, maybe it was past it's date. Someone either forgot to add the late addition hops or they had left the beer a while ago.

 

Stella (Egiptian) on the beach at Sharm El Shek in Egypt 1995.
Actually had a dead cockroach stuck to the inside of the bottle.
It has improved in recent years.

 

You win. Might as well lock the thread now.

 

Hasn't changed much. Had a Stella the other day.

 

Agree

 

Had New Belgium's Rampant tonight. I don't know if my palate has been ruined by the hop bombs that I typically enjoy, but I was pretty underwhelmed. Not the worst I've had, but I wouldn't buy it again.

On the other hand, Lagunitas Dogtown Pale Ale...holy cow! A damn good pale ale. Why have I not had this before?

 

Not sure if they bottle this, but New Holland's Farmhouse Ale is pretty terrible.

 

Sam Adams "summer ale" I think? Seems like they were shooting for a shandy and got more of a "Mike's hard lemonade- boons farm" flavor without the added ethanol. Took one sip and then abandoned it at a party near where someone else had one, maybe they drank it, I dunno.

 

Usually a fan of New Belgium but I can't stand Shift. I dumped 2 of the 4 cans I had. I've never brewed a lager but this stuff had a horrible sulfur smell and aftertaste. This time of year I drink a lot of lagers and wheats. BMC is usually in the cooler when I go fishing and I was hoping to make a change.

I've yet to try anything from Shipyard that I've enjoyed and I don't get the hype behind Bell's and DFH. Maybe 10 years ago they had something but today there are way too many good craft breweries out there to justify their price for an average beer.

This is a great example of how different people have different tastes. I've seen people mention New Belgium Rampant, Lagunitas WTF and a couple others that I really enjoy drinking. I'm sure people will say the same about my opinions.

 

Not arguing tastes but Bell's has some good brews along with some mediocre and even some below par, but I feel that's true of most breweries. In fact there is not one brewery I can even say puts out more than 70% good beer (IMO).


Note: In no way am I attacking your opinion, I only think its hard to rate a brewery rather than rate each individual beer by a brewery.

 

Back on topic, Victory's Summer Love Ale was horrible to me. It was immediately traded to a friend for some Oberon. The other I was sadly disappointed with was SN Summerfest...however I do plan to try it again because it was after an imperial stout which needless to say can leave you needing stronger flavors than a light pilsner.

 

Stella as in Stella Artois? Or some other Stella I don't know about?

Stella Artois is hardly "craft".

Edit: it's made by AB Inbev

 

Goose Island is also owned by AB InBev but most people would classify it as "craft".

You are free to believe whatever you want.
That doesn't mean everybody else has to.
I've never tried Stella so I have no personal opinion on whether it is craft or not, but if someone else considers it craft, I won't begrudge them their opinion.

 

+1 on the rampant

 

Oh I agree with you generally, I'm sure there's plenty of beers like that. But the idea that Stella is some sort of craft beer is laughable - it's one of the biggest selling beers in the UK so it's not really much different from suggesting any BMC product is a craft beer. Which I'm sure would go down badly in these parts

It's also nicknamed "wifebeater" which is deeply un-classy.

 

I work in collections... Just had to call a certain brewery cause they didn't Pay their bill..... Awesome

 

I disagree with you on Dogtown. Had some Tuesday night at a Durham Bull's game. I gave it a two out of five on UNTAPPD.

 

It is definitely not a "craft" brewery by definition of the Brewers Association.

"An American craft brewer is small, independent and traditional.

Small: Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less. Beer production is attributed to a brewer according to the rules of alternating proprietorships. Flavored malt beverages are not considered beer for purposes of this definition.

Independent: Less than 25% of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member who is not themselves a craft brewer.

Traditional: A brewer who has either an all malt flagship (the beer which represents the greatest volume among that brewers brands) or has at least 50% of its volume in either all malt beers or in beers which use adjuncts to enhance rather than lighten flavor."

 

You don't think Firestone Walker or Alesmith put out more than 70% good beers? I don't think either of these breweries make a bad beer. There's alot of great breweries that almost exclusively put out really good beer...Alpine, Kern River, Russian River, Bear Republic, Avery, Hill Farmstead (the 2 of their beers that I've had, anyway), Lagunitas. There's also alot of breweries with one or two good beers and the rest of their lineup sucks, but I can't agree that there aren't any breweries that hit on more than 70% of their beers.

 

I'd add Lost Abbey to that 70% or better list too.

Mmmmmmmmmm.......

 

Artois. Was Responding to a post on Stella.

 

I haven't had a beer from stone, ballast point or lagunitas I didn't like. Also pretty much all of the belgian breweries put out nothing but epic beers.

 

I agree its not craft.

 

Stone Old Guardian. Drank a third of a bomber and then poured the rest out.

 

Shift Pale Lager is by far the worst I have ever had. That will be the first beer I ever give anyone that I do not want to start drinking beer. I had to throw it away, I could not even give it to someone else since I would feel responsible for the look on their face when that prior of a liquid reached their tounges.

 

Recently, and it's been mentioned already so, Rampant. I just don't get the flavors they describe it to have and, maybe I'm just not a fan of IPAs that I can smell the alcohol in.

They also compare it to an '85 Camaro (http://www.newbelgium.com/community/Blog/13-03-21/Rampant-IPA.aspx) and I've always been a '76 man

 

Unfortunately I haven't been able to get my hands on Firestone or Alesmith being in Georgia. I would gladly give them the benefit of the doubt until I do try them.

 

I have yet to have a good beer from Alesmith. Everything they make is way too sweet. Now I have only had a couple beers from Firestone Walker but both were fantastic.

 

Don't know if it counts as "craft" but I'm currently choking back an Asahi (Japanese) that smells of, bad, over cooked cabbage. Tastes fine, but that smell... Can't get over it!

 

Man, asahi is awful, craft or not. Hate that stuff.

 

Got served this the other day, Andwell Gold Muddler, and it was funky, was quickly replaced when I pointed out the split, but that was the worsted pint I've ever had!
When I got a 'clean' pint it was very good though!

 

Quilmes was the worst beer I've ever drank, had I not needed a Q to round out my alphabet of beers I would never have gotten it. Would give to someone if I was trying to troll them(like someone who says bud light lime is amazing).

 

I know right(?) going to Japan in a couple of weeks on holiday so though I'd try and get into it but at this rate I'm on cola for the whole time! (Still got the food to look forward to though!)

 

We were at a Japanese place a couple months ago and when I left to wash my hands, my wife decided to surprise me with a Kirin Ichiban. I appreciate the thought but the beer was awful. They didn't even have the courtesy to serve it in a frosted mug....

 

Going to cola the whole time is a mistake. Check out this article. I can vouch that Hitachino is great, I'd also like to try a lot of these other beers.

http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-11-26/lifestyle/35511191_1_craft-beer-craft-brewers-american-india-pale-ale

 

The worst beer I have had in recent history was the founder saison, I think they confused slightly fermented lawn clippings with hop pellets. It was the first beer in a while I almost did finish.

 

So all the rest of your beers you don't finish? What do you do, swish and spit?