Bay Area Thread

[drgarage1]

The link to his cellar is in the BA thread. It's nothing special, mostly B-level **** you can trade/buy if you got into this around 2012.

I think my favorite post trolling him was when he set up a tasting in a park in SF. He posted the lineup, which was all decent stuff, nothing really special. At the same time, we had a pretty nice tasting down on the Peninsula for pokgye's birthday.

I posted some followup photos thanking HaveUSeenMyPeepee for the great tasting, including 90's Cantillon, a SARA keg, **** like that. He got pissed and had the thread deleted.

I love taunting him. He's so determined to get people to like him, without actually doing anything likable.

I want to say that was the same day as the City Beer anniversary party with the release of Alpine Magnificent 7? He was first in line and was trying to get bottle buyers to head to the park with him later...

 

[Arbitrator]

I want to say that was the same day as the City Beer anniversary party with the release of Alpine Magnificent 7? He was first in line and was trying to get bottle buyers to head to the park with him later...

Correct, same day.

I also got his tasting at Original Gravity canceled.

 

[loeyjarko]

Haha who's seen this "top breweries in NorCal" list? Almanac at #1. ARE YOU ON PCP

 

[drgarage1]

Haha who's seen this "top breweries in NorCal" list? Almanac at #1. ARE YOU ON PCP

We need a link!

 

[loeyjarko]

We need a link!

http://www.thrillist.com/drink/san-francisco/best-norcal-breweries-california-craft-beer-sf

 

[loeyjarko]

So heavily flawed. How can you possible out bear republic last? What the **** is ale industries? Embers was your favorite Sante beer? Put down the pipe dawg

 

[falc0n26001]

Almanac ain't bad! But they aren't the best. I just had the Dogpatch Strawberry and it was really awesome. I'm confused as to how they so severely trounced the other breweries, though.

They didn't even call it "Embers", they called it "Ember".

My favorite 3 on that list are Russian River, SARA, and Moonlight. I think. Maybe. I have no idea.

 

[RyanG1]

http://www.thrillist.com/drink/san-francisco/best-norcal-breweries-california-craft-beer-sf

WHERE THE FUQ IS PYRAMID!?!?!?

#recountthrilliststupidassbeerlist2014

 

[drgarage1]

WHERE THE FUQ IS PYRAMID!?!?!?

#recountthrilliststupidassbeerlist2014

Strong hashtag.

The individual judges' ratings tell you who to trust.

Trustworthy: Richard Rosen

OK: Christian Albertson and Melissa Angel

Out of their element: Drew Hall (Cerveceria de Mateveza is the third-best Northern California brewery!) and Jason Kirmse (Ale Industries is awesome and consistent!)

 

[drgarage1]

WHERE THE FUQ IS PYRAMID!?!?!?

#recountthrilliststupidassbeerlist2014

#pizzaorgasmicafruitbeersruleeverythingaroundme #POFBREAM

 

[oddapter]

I call SHENANIGANS!

A #1 ranking is worth 7 pts, #2 is worth 6, etc etc...

They only published the top 3 from each voter, so we don't have access to all of the data, but 2 out of the 5 raters gave cellarmaker #1 and one gave them a #3. That's worth 7+7+5=19 points. They also could have easily gotten more points from lower positions in the other two voters' lists.

SHENANIGANS!!!

 

[oddapter]

Apparently the graphic designer messed up with one of the lists. No Shenanigans!

 

[bdogg1]

Is Sierra so high for nastalgic reasons? Because their beer is meh these days.

 

[loeyjarko]

Is Sierra so high for nastalgic reasons? Because their beer is meh these days.

I think people have just grown sick of their yeast strain.

 

[drgarage1]

I think people have just grown sick of their yeast strain.

That's a big part of it. Their approach to hopping also makes literally all of their hoppy beers the same. I had this year's Southern Harvest two days after bottling, and you could have convinced me it was a 9-month-old Torpedo. Huge waste of good hops.

 

[falc0n26001]

I really like Narwhal and Kellerweis is amazing for what it is. I am REALLY excited for the 12-brewery 12-pack about(?) to come out too, even if it's weird ass styles. I like weird ass styles.

 

[drgarage1]

I really like Narwhal and Kellerweis is amazing for what it is. I am REALLY excited for the 12-brewery 12-pack about(?) to come out too, even if it's weird ass styles. I like weird ass styles.

I tend to like everything Sierra makes except standard California ales -- which is really bizarre.

 

[abecall98]

I go through a good 12 pack of Sierra Nevada every month. They are just a solid reliable go to for great prices. If price/availability are involved in the judging or ratings of breweries, they would be near the top IMO. None of their beers are breaking boundaries like the other guys on the list are, but the beers still taste really really good.

 

[abecall98]

Almanac ain't bad! But they aren't the best. I just had the Dogpatch Strawberry and it was really awesome. I'm confused as to how they so severely trounced the other breweries, though.

They didn't even call it "Embers", they called it "Ember".

My favorite 3 on that list are Russian River, SARA, and Moonlight. I think. Maybe. I have no idea.

I love all the Almanac sours so far, except for Sourdough. My only problem with them is that they are all starting to taste the same, and the amount of fruit is noticeably less compared to the farmers reserve series from over a year ago. The beers still taste great though, so only nitpicky bitching about it.

 

[loeyjarko]

I love all the Almanac sours so far, except for Sourdough. My only problem with them is that they are all starting to taste the same, and the amount of fruit is noticeably less compared to the farmers reserve series from over a year ago. The beers still taste great though, so only nitpicky bitching about it.

Everything just tastes like their sour culture which is not so hot in the first place. Super one-dimensional

 

[falc0n26001]

I love all the Almanac sours so far, except for Sourdough. My only problem with them is that they are all starting to taste the same, and the amount of fruit is noticeably less compared to the farmers reserve series from over a year ago. The beers still taste great though, so only nitpicky bitching about it.

Yes, exactly. They need to age their **** for longer. I wonder what's coming up after Strawberry, since they said they'd be doing a new sour every month this year. And why the hell do they not have a taproom?

 

[Arbitrator]

Everything just tastes like their sour culture which is not so hot in the first place. Super one-dimensional

The Farmers Reserve and this year's hat trick of Valley, Brandy Peche, and whatever the third one was (memory sucks) really solidified them in my eyes. Pluot was good, but the Blackberry was just all right. Strawberry is good.

They're clean and tasty -- and I'm very happy with that. The "menu" approach to sours with a rotating fruit was long an untapped market, and they have nailed it well.

 

[drgarage1]

The Farmers Reserve and this year's hat trick of Valley, Brandy Peche, and whatever the third one was (memory sucks) really solidified them in my eyes. Pluot was good, but the Blackberry was just all right. Strawberry is good.

They're clean and tasty -- and I'm very happy with that. The "menu" approach to sours with a rotating fruit was long an untapped market, and they have nailed it well.

If they would include more fruit, I would broadly agree with you. For what they're delivering, I still think they're a bit on the expensive side, but that's a nitpick. Always glad to find them on draft.

 

[loeyjarko]

it's like the same price as 3f brochacho's not sure how you can justify

 

[drgarage1]

it's like the same price as 3f brochacho's not sure how you can justify

It's a little cheaper, but I totally agree. Even to keep it local, it's just barely cheaper than Russian River sours, and given the amount of alleged fruit, they're no Russian River. It's nice that their volumes are higher, though.

 

[Arbitrator]

If they would include more fruit, I would broadly agree with you. For what they're delivering, I still think they're a bit on the expensive side, but that's a nitpick.

I think they can/should improve to grow into the pricing structure, but said price:quality ratio lets them stay on shelves. There's value in that to me, since I've given up on chasing beers down (looking at you, Firestone).

it's like the same price as 3f brochacho's not sure how you can justify

I was quite openly calling them "ambitiously priced" when they came out a few years ago, and I still think it's a little arrogant to price themselves a dollar below RR (and, as you said, more than 3F) which are superior beers.

BUT....

Almanac is easier to get as a result. When I find one of the variants that I really enjoy (e.g. Valley or Heirloom), I can stock up with relatively little fuss. I can't remember the last time I saw a Russian River sour on shelves near me. It's been at least 2 years.

 

[drgarage1]

I can't remember the last time I saw a Russian River sour on shelves near me. It's been at least 2 years.

You are definitely living in the wrong places.

 

[Arbitrator]

You are definitely living in the wrong places.

Wrong. We have an Applebee's. What do you have?

Seriously though, the places I have lived/covered in the past couple of years are: Fremont/Union City, Milpitas, San Jose, Mountain View, RWC. No RR sours.

 

[drgarage1]

Wrong. We have an Applebee's. What do you have?

Seriously though, the places I have lived/covered in the past couple of years are: Fremont/Union City, Milpitas, San Jose, Mountain View, RWC. No RR sours.

eatin' good in the neighborhood!

SF has plenty of shelf Russian River join us!

 

[stupac2]

You are definitely living in the wrong places.

I haven't seen any RR besides the Belgians no one gives a **** about in quite a while. I am, admittedly, not really looking, but still.