Commercial beers that let you down?

[Gigan]

Pliney = over rated, but good. Ale Smith X , I heard great thing about it but tasted too piney for me..

 

[bottlebomber]

DFH 120 wasn't worth drinking. World Wide stout was interesting but still just not what I would call good.

 

[bottlebomber]

Pliney = over rated, but good.

Agreed. The problem with Pliny is there is no way ANY beer could live up to the hype that it gets. It is excellent, and fairly unique of a beer. But there are so many great beers now that it's just not reasonable to put one so far above the rest. Of course it will disappoint.

However, if you want to taste TRUE disappointment try standing in a line for 5 hours to try Pliny the Younger. I am pretty convinced at this point that the worlds best beers are coming out of our garages.

 

[tdogg]

I just had a bottle of Kentucky Breakfast Stout ad I have to say that all I could taste was bourbon and chocolate. not my favorite.

 

[dukes]

DFH 120 wasn't worth drinking. World Wide stout was interesting but still just not what I would call good.

I agree with the 120. I haven't had WWS in almost 10 years. I hear it get's really good after a few years of cellaring, but I can't speak from experience. DFH did say they were putting WWS on hiatus this year to make room for a few new yearlong offerings.

 

[spearko520]

well - the last time i drank a case of blatz, i really didn't get the diarrhea that i used to- i guess their product is on the decline. Also vitarroz malta - terribly underattenuated...

 

[Gigan]

Agreed. The problem with Pliny is there is no way ANY beer could live up to the hype that it gets. It is excellent, and fairly unique of a beer. But there are so many great beers now that it's just not reasonable to put one so far above the rest. Of course it will disappoint.

However, if you want to taste TRUE disappointment try standing in a line for 5 hours to try Pliny the Younger. I am pretty convinced at this point that the worlds best beers are coming out of our garages.

True

 

[binjamike]

The wife and I went to the coast an bought a growler of dead guy. So unimpressed they charge so much more than other beers and I'm not seeing it. Now I do believe that Deschutes brewery is putting out some awesome beer!

 

[tdogg]

agreed. The problem with pliny is there is no way any beer could live up to the hype that it gets. It is excellent, and fairly unique of a beer. But there are so many great beers now that it's just not reasonable to put one so far above the rest. Of course it will disappoint.

However, if you want to taste true disappointment try standing in a line for 5 hours to try pliny the younger. I am pretty convinced at this point that the worlds best beers are coming out of our garages.

amen.

 

[chiteface]

It's hard to get DFH120 around here, but I would rather have a 90 anyway. Rasputin RIS tasted fine, but definitely overhyped, not enough flavor. Would rather have a Founders RIS, now that is a BIG and surprisingly clean yet complex beer. Founders Centennial IPA tastes to me like a watered down version of Bells 2hearted. Boston lager. 600 pound monkey...Mostly agree with the previous poster that the best stuff today is probably being brewed in garages...or maybe really tiny brewpubs.

 

[PosterGuy]

I had very high hopes when I brought home a bottle of this beer today.
Boy was I disappointed.
About the only thing remotely Belgian about this beer was the bottle format.
Maybe it's the cumin (something I would reserve exclusively for cooking).
Reminiscent of an English bitter gone terribly awry.
I'm a bit sad because I really like what these folks are doing up there, but they won't be around long brewing beer like this.

 

[edgeoftheUS]

Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild - On tap in Portland at a place across from Rogue - Slightly soured, hints of acetobacter with a cough syrup viscosity. Difficult to finish but each drink I kept telling myself it can't be this bad. I had Lagunitas Czech Pils bottle recently and their IPA on tap at Tenaya Creek in Las Vegas a while back, both of which I enjoyed. This brew not so much.

Schlafly Pilsner - On tap in Kansas City. Cant say it was a disspointment b/c I had never heard of the brewery before, and had been drinking Boulevard all week so I wanted to mix it up, but this pour was the worst beer I've ever consumed. If benzene and diacetyl somehow made their way into my glass, I wouldn't have been surprised. Maybe they pitched some stressed yeast into a nearby fracking resevoir....

 

[bottlebomber]

Lagunitas Little Sumpin Wild - On tap in Portland at a place across from Rogue -

They messed up this last batch. I've had it before and it was excellent. This last batch was just short of nasty. Belgo by New Belgium is the best example of the Belgian IPA I can find lately. It's damn good.

 

[edgeoftheUS]

They messed up this last batch. I've had it before and it was excellent. This last batch was just short of nasty. Belgo by New Belgium is the best example of the Belgian IPA I can find lately. It's damn good.

Interesting, maybe ill give it another shot if I see it next year. Haven't had Belgo by NB, can't say I've seen it in the far NW either.

 

[Getzinator]

I'm surprised at the frequency of seeing DFH on here, but maybe that's just my DE pride. I like a lot of their stuff, and the fruity beers are actually pretty damn good for what they are (Raison D'etre, Punkin, Aprihop). By far the worst DFH I've ever had was Festina Pesche. Peach beer, as my buddy described it: "Vomit."

Also, I'm rather underwhelmed overall by Magic Hat. #9 is drinkable, but nothing else I find noteworthy.

 

[edgeoftheUS]

By far the worst DFH I've ever had was Festina Pesche. Peach beer, as my buddy described it: "Vomit."

Festina Peche is what vaulted the significant other back into beer drinking so I can't hate on it even if its not my taste. DFH calls it a neo-berliner weiss, in reality it taste like a highly carbed fruit syrup soda to me.

I brew berliner's sans fruit and buy lambics for the Saturday/Sunday soccer/football events in place of buying wine. I was surprised by the number of woman who said they didn't like beer, but drink both of the aformentioned in copious amounts. I was even more surpised by the number of men who "only" drink stouts and imperial ipa's fall back to the berliner weiss when they think no one is looking.


In terms of underwhlemed beers, I'd also have to add Elysian Night Owl on tap this year. One of my favorite pumpkin beers but I always get bottles. Had it on tap on Sunday and was sadly underwhlemed. Taste was harsh and had some bitter notes at the end, similar to when spices are added to the boil and not the whirlpool or primary.

 

[bottlebomber]

My wife will hardly ever drink beer but she's a sucker for those horridly sweet blended fruit lambics.

 

[Airborneguy]

I had very high hopes when I brought home a bottle of this beer today.
Boy was I disappointed.
About the only thing remotely Belgian about this beer was the bottle format.
Maybe it's the cumin (something I would reserve exclusively for cooking).
Reminiscent of an English bitter gone terribly awry.
I'm a bit sad because I really like what these folks are doing up there, but they won't be around long brewing beer like this.

They've been around for a long time and that beer is universally loved. Just goes to show that not everyone has the same tastes.

 

[r2eng]

They've been around for a long time and that beer is universally loved. Just goes to show that not everyone has the same tastes.

May have been old - I have had many (ok, too many) of these - got a bad one a month ago and couldn't get the second swallow past the molars...

Just had a fresh one yesterday - big Belgian goodness.

Just something else to toss out there - I love IPA's but be careful of the order in which you drink these! My latest IPA tasted like dirty carpet after a Port Mongo (awesome, BTW). The next day, my IPA magically tasted great again.

 

[+HopSpunge+]

I quit buying 6packs from consumers beverage (our brew store in bufahole), because they are old and oxadized 1/2 the time. Got sick of bringing them back and the slack jawed kid workin the counter thinking i'm trying to scam him or something. Alot of the six packs don't have dates on thier packaging. Now I just fill a growler everytime. It's a limited selection however. I need a full barrel system so I do not run out of fresh homebrew damit :guzzle:

 

[bnmir]

Just finished an Avery Kaiser imperial oktoberfest. Carb was low, very thick and cloyingly sweet. I was disappointed and have never had a bad specialty avery before.

 

[tom_gamer]

Just finished an Avery Kaiser imperial oktoberfest. Carb was low, very thick and cloyingly sweet. I was disappointed and have never had a bad specialty avery before.

I was thinking of picking that up today, I guess I'm glad I got a 60 min IPA instead

 

[jsberry]

I like the mainstream Sierra Nevada products, but their more unusual ones are pretty weak. Ruthless Rye, and the "Beer Camp" floral IPA and Otameal Stout, were all just kind of weak-bodied and tasteless to me.

 

[Getzinator]

Festina Peche is what vaulted the significant other back into beer drinking so I can't hate on it even if its not my taste. DFH calls it a neo-berliner weiss, in reality it taste like a highly carbed fruit syrup soda to me.

I brew berliner's sans fruit and buy lambics for the Saturday/Sunday soccer/football events in place of buying wine. I was surprised by the number of woman who said they didn't like beer, but drink both of the aformentioned in copious amounts. I was even more surpised by the number of men who "only" drink stouts and imperial ipa's fall back to the berliner weiss when they think no one is looking.


In terms of underwhlemed beers, I'd also have to add Elysian Night Owl on tap this year. One of my favorite pumpkin beers but I always get bottles. Had it on tap on Sunday and was sadly underwhlemed. Taste was harsh and had some bitter notes at the end, similar to when spices are added to the boil and not the whirlpool or primary.

Well hey, I'm glad that there is at least someone who likes the Festina. I don't know, but that fermented peach flavor is just not friendly on the palate.

Also I generally am quicker to blame the place I'm drinking the beer from if the tap doesn't taste good. One of our local bars does Yings and Wings on tuesdays, and their Yeungling is just not up to par. Still, $2 so I drink it anyway.

 

[Hammy71]

Just finished an Avery Kaiser imperial oktoberfest. Carb was low, very thick and cloyingly sweet. I was disappointed and have never had a bad specialty avery before.

Last year's was excellent. Just tapped the BYO version I brewed back in the spring....kick arse. I'm not even going to bother making my usual Oktoberfest brew next year and just make this.

 

[Hamsterbite]

Green Flash West Coast IPA (1st time, seemed stale and weak on hop aroma. Will give it another go.)
Firestone Walker DBA (Have had before many times and loved...last one was not the same)
Widmer Okto Festival (I just don't think I care for this one at all)
Heretic Shallow Grave (Didn't live up to the hype, but good)
Russian River Damnation (Ditto)
21A Back in Black (Seemed too dry and thin. I know BIPA's are supposed to be dry, but this was too extreme imo)

 

[Mojzis]

Magic hat hasnt impressed me.

Fat tire was okay.

Ommegang i think is pretty awful in general, but thats my own opinion.

Had an abita vanilla double something or another and it sucked.

 

[hoops_hops]

Rogue dead guy. Everyone I talked to love it. I just thought it tasted like stale burnt cedar.

 

[drainbamage]

Magic hat hasnt impressed me.

Fat tire was okay.

Ommegang i think is pretty awful in general, but thats my own opinion.

Had an abita vanilla double something or another and it sucked.

Magic Hat was exactly what I had in mind coming into this thread. #9 was one of those beers I had heard people rave about for the longest time, but upon trying it, I couldn't stand. I don't like the tangy, sour aftertaste contributed by the apricots, and the mouthfeel seems too syrupy for a pale ale. I thought maybe I just had a pint from a dirty tap line at first, but the couple times I've given it a chance since then haven't been any better. I give them credit for what they're doing, it just doesn't do it for me.

Fat Tire is decent, but maybe a little overrated. I'd classify it with stuff like Shiner Bock and S.A. Boston Lager as "gateway beers" for people starting to get into craft beer.

You bite your tongue about Ommegang though!

 

[mbauer013]

I got to through all the 21 A beers I have had into this thread, Watermelon Wheat, Back in Black and Bitter American. Maybe its the fact that I used to listen to the brewing network alot (before they pretty much just started interviewing commercial breweries) and they always talked it up. When we finally got it in my area I bought every variety and gave it a go. Really was impressed with anything I tried especially at 10 bucks a six pack.