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I tried Off Color's Berliner last night. It was good enough for me to forget about a Kenosha run for Thumbprint.
Holy ****: I was totally at your table. No, not the wasted guy or the really, really wasted guy. I knew you looked familiar...

I liked Fierce but I wouldn't put it up with NG's. Definitely less acidic than a lot of Berliner's out there.
 
Holy ****: I was totally at your table. No, not the wasted guy or the really, really wasted guy. I knew you looked familiar...

Wow, was that guy drunk. The other gentleman is one of the bartenders at Northdown, so I'm wondering if the other guy was, too. I'm assuming they were guests of Laffler as neither had ever been to the shop before.
 
Nothing worth going out of your way for. Didn't have anything too great at Half Acre today. Will say that the Kolsch is nice though.

The Dryhop/Goose collab sour at Dryhop is pretty damn good though. 3.8% abv and super tasty.
 
Goose Island Clybourn tapped Pineapple Brettanomite today. Already blew through one keg.
 
I could be way off-base - and/or just totally disinterested - but I feel like this year's 'Craft Beer Week' was as resounding failure. I am totally giddy about that even though I enjoyed some of the events this year. I mean, I'm just looking at posts on this site and the other ones but, really, by and large, there's no excitement about craft beer events. Hell, I haven't heard a peep about Revolution's event and they always do well with these things. I guess the finale is this weekend but, again, who cares?

Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with no extra-special "let's give an extra special **** this week' attitude but I do wonder what this means for next year's CCBW. Having said that... just look for me at the Lagunitas thing in 2015.
 
Who runs CCBW? I think a big part of the reason there's less excitement this year is the lack of fun incentive to check out the events. In previous years we had bottle caps collected at each event, or the map where you got stickers for each zone you visited and got you early entry to Revs closing event. It made us want to get out and try new places that we may otherwise (like this year for many of us) have skipped. I had much less interest in traveling too far from home for a beer tapping. There are also dozens of beer events now that run $60+ and it's difficult to decide what is worth checking out.

Bring the fun back to CCBW. The big events can be fun but the incentive to get on the train or bus and go to new bars is gone and the excitement with it.
 
I could be way off-base - and/or just totally disinterested - but I feel like this year's 'Craft Beer Week' was as resounding failure. I am totally giddy about that even though I enjoyed some of the events this year. I mean, I'm just looking at posts on this site and the other ones but, really, by and large, there's no excitement about craft beer events. Hell, I haven't heard a peep about Revolution's event and they always do well with these things. I guess the finale is this weekend but, again, who cares?
When you're an alcoholic, uh I mean enthusiast, every week is craft beer week.

It's almost like going out on St Paddys. All you're gonna get is a bunch of amateurs. Nobody got time for that.
 
I feel like because CCBW runs simultaneously with ACBW, everyone is more or less pimpin on their own turf. We have better events at other parts of the year (DLD, FOBAB) that just beat the hell out of CCBW to the extent that I attended not a single event (not so much as a single tapping at my local hangout) and felt like I missed nothing because you know what? We do this shot year round. We don't need a special week for it. FCBW is based around Pegs/Nooner, Huna, other sweet releases around Tampa and the rest of FL that just aren't happening the rest of the year. Move it to center around one of the great gigs we already have going with pre- and after- parties and I guarantee more feelgoods and more participation. Beer Under Glass and some of the other CCBW events I have heard are good and nice, but I don't know a lot of people who go and I don't feel like I am missing out and that seems like a huge disconnect with the other great Chicagoland events that happen year round.
 
I feel like because CCBW runs simultaneously with ACBW, everyone is more or less pimpin on their own turf. We have better events at other parts of the year (DLD, FOBAB) that just beat the hell out of CCBW to the extent that I attended not a single event (not so much as a single tapping at my local hangout) and felt like I missed nothing because you know what? We do this shot year round. We don't need a special week for it. FCBW is based around Pegs/Nooner, Huna, other sweet releases around Tampa and the rest of FL that just aren't happening the rest of the year. Move it to center around one of the great gigs we already have going with pre- and after- parties and I guarantee more feelgoods and more participation. Beer Under Glass and some of the other CCBW events I have heard are good and nice, but I don't know a lot of people who go and I don't feel like I am missing out and that seems like a huge disconnect with the other great Chicagoland events that happen year round.
ACBW?

Antwerp Craft Beer Week?
Algonquin Craft Beer Week?
Alderan Craft Beer Week?


I've thought for years CCBW should be the week leading up to DLD. Would make a great week even better.
 
My earlier comment notwithstanding (I may have been more than a little drunk, though I still mean what I said! I regret nothing!), when a beer "event" counts as Lady Gregory tapping a sixtel of Jukebox Hero... please. I can't say who's running it this year or, really, who has run it in previous years, but **** like just makes the whole thing look like a joke.

I was at the Lincoln Park Binnys on Saturday hoping to grab a few more glasses of Sump (I did!) and there was someone next to me visiting from South Carolina who was real excite to hit up Haymarket later because of a FW event. I had to quickly disabuse him of the notion that Haymarket on a Saturday night with A. a Blackhawks game on and B. a beer event from FW going on would be anything less than a shitshow. Then I tried to convince him to drink some of Off Color's Troublesome instead of 120 Minute. I was less than successful. But then I started talking to people visiting from Ohio and I got them to try some Troublesome and they really liked it. That was my "Hero of CCBW 2014" moment for sure.

Not entirely srs. I did sit at that bar for too long on Saturday. Very srs on that point.
 
My earlier comment notwithstanding (I may have been more than a little drunk, though I still mean what I said! I regret nothing!), when a beer "event" counts as Lady Gregory tapping a sixtel of Jukebox Hero... please. I can't say who's running it this year or, really, who has run it in previous years, but **** like just makes the whole thing look like a joke.

I was at the Lincoln Park Binnys on Saturday hoping to grab a few more glasses of Sump (I did!) and there was someone next to me visiting from South Carolina who was real excite to hit up Haymarket later because of a FW event. I had to quickly disabuse him of the notion that Haymarket on a Saturday night with A. a Blackhawks game on and B. a beer event from FW going on would be anything less than a shitshow. Then I tried to convince him to drink some of Off Color's Troublesome instead of 120 Minute. I was less than successful. But then I started talking to people visiting from Ohio and I got them to try some Troublesome and they really liked it. That was my "Hero of CCBW 2014" moment for sure.

Not entirely srs. I did sit at that bar for too long on Saturday. Very srs on that point.
pukelman quite enjoyed Haymarket on Saturday.

Different strokes, man.
 
They've been hit or miss for me. I've enjoyed some offerings over the last couple festivals while at the same time some have been drain pours. Which ones did you try/specifically enjoy?
The Old Sugar barrel Intemporelle was outstanding, the Tailwinds barrel not as good but still nice.

Heaven Hill Glasgow Kiss was pretty good. Koval Rye Obfuscation was meh.

Even Rookery Rye IPA was quite good.

Having had some terrible Atlas offerings in the past I was pretty shocked by them on Sunday.
 
Never had, is it even worth going and trying on Friday?
I think the last batch was aged for a whopping 7 days.

When I tried it a few months back, all it did was add a little gin flavor & finished a little dryer. Just a novelty, and not one worth going out of the way for, IMO. If you're there anyway, then yeah, it's worth a try.
 
I like half acre, but their barrel aging program leaves something to be desired. Why not release a batch of BA big hugs or even chocolate Camaro? Instead of trying to do a gin barrel aged pilsner?
 
Au contraire - everyone has been waiting for Pipeworks to open their webstore: http://pdubs.net/store/ . Complete with snifters!

Speaking of snifters, for anyone that ordered Dark Matter/DLD snifters, it looks like they will be shipping soon!

I actually like that Tales from the Oak snifter......................





























:oops:
 
Au contraire - everyone has been waiting for Pipeworks to open their webstore: http://pdubs.net/store/ . Complete with snifters!

Speaking of snifters, for anyone that ordered Dark Matter/DLD snifters, it looks like they will be shipping soon!
I actually like that Tales from the Oak snifter......................





























:oops:

******* hell...I did not need more glassware.

Thanks for the heads up dan.
 

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