Tired Hands... Why?

[netdigger2]

Let me preface by saying that this is completely legit- no hate intended.

I want to know what the big deal is about Tired Hands.

It seems to me that no one is ISO, yet every PA homer replies to every FT thread on either site offering Tired Hands growlers like they're the next Hill Farmstead. I don't get it.

IMO it looks like Tired Hands is a brewpub with slightly above average beers featuring unnecessarily long names.

Is it just Homer hype, or should I really seek some of their offerings out?

 

[grandmeaulnes]

every beer ive had from them has been great (not a homer i live in sd). awesome experimental saisons and berliners, fantastic ipa/apa offerings. solid ba offerings (i liked guillemot a lot). only miss ive had from them was the snail stout.

i do think jean broillet is cut from the same cloth as shaun hill, if not quite operating at the same level of brilliance (yet?)

 

[SwoldierBoiTellEm]

They brought by a case of beers for us to share at an impromptu tasting we had during the EBF disaster earlier this year and everything was mind blowing. I went to visit the brewery several months later and had everything on tap. Granted, not all of it was mind blowing, but it was all at least solid. They make great, fresh beer and aren't afraid to be creative with flavors (or names, as you noted). As a result, I'm always ISO anything from them (check my profile for proof!).

Believe the hype

EDIT: oh, and the food there is insanely good too

 

[Eli323232]

I think they are definitely worth seeking out, far from a homer here. Some of the best PA/IPAs I've ever had. Super dope glassware too.

 

[grandmeaulnes]

if i had to critique their current mo its that they dont bottle enough. as far as trading goes, i like their beers a lot but i have no desire to do trades for their growlers (unless theyre extras or an expansion or w/e).

 

[bum732]

Pretty hit and miss for me. But their hits are fantastic. It seems like many new breweries nowadays are hipster as ****, so the ridiculous names don't even faze me anymore.

 

[SwoldierBoiTellEm]

if i had to critique their current mo its that they dont bottle enough. as far as trading goes, i like their beers a lot but i have no desire to do trades for their growlers (unless theyre extras or an expansion or w/e).

THIS

They don't bottle much and when they do they seem really limited and not even publicized very well (intentionally, I believe). Jean doesn't seem to care about the whalez hype. Also, their special beers on tap don't usually last long.

 

[Adam Jackson]

It's the candied bacon.



For me, it's a mix of a few things. #1 since I'm admittedly a fan of Hill Farmstead is that Shaun Hill has signed off on Jean by having him at 2 of the festivals and collaborating together on a few things. Jean also helped with Shaun's Biere de Garde which became Biere de Norma. Second of all is jean is insanely prolific producing hundreds of different beers a year which makes the ticker in me go a little crazy. Reminds me I need to return these growlers to callmemickey ASAP. Finally, his use of wild yeast, citrus fruits and the overall art, branding they have going on really appeals to me.

Therefore I'll try to get every TH I can get my hands on. All TH beers I've had were better than a 3/5, most were 3.5+

If I couldn't have HFS local to me, I'd take TH in a heartbeat.

 

[Wagon Circler]

Only had hand farm and a few growlers. Insanely jealous of people who are local to great breweries like this. You ********.

Anyways, Only guy I remember doing what OP was saying is retail1duder and that's only because people (MordorMongo ) used to call him out and ridicule him.

 

[grandmeaulnes]

THIS

They don't bottle much and when they do they seem really limited and not even publicized very well (intentionally, I believe). Jean doesn't seem to care about the whalez hype. Also, their special beers on tap don't usually last long.

exactly. jean seems primarily concerned with experimentation and keeping killer (if non-whale) beers on in the pub. this is admirable to me.

that said, bottle releases should be bigger - not huge - but maybe comparable to SARA - and more frequent imo.

 

[MordorMongo]

Only had hand farm and a few growlers. Insanely jealous of people who are local to great breweries like this. You ********.

Anyways, Only guy I remember doing what OP was saying is retail1duder and that's only because people (MordorMongo ) used to call him out and ridicule him.

I've actually liked most TH things I've had. Hayden is certainly guilty of hyping them back in the day but they are decent beers across the board for sure.

 

[netdigger2]

Alright, I will start seeking them out a bit. I'm blessed to have immediate access to Westbrook, COAST, Anything in Asheville (LAB, Wicked Weed, Green Man, Wedge, Pisgah, etc...), so I didn't want to get into more trading if it really wasn't worth the hype.

 

[bearsonacid1]

I've had a lot of beers from them and have been overall impressed by their work. My first visit to the brewpub was coincidentally on Only Void day. The beers on tap that day were outstanding. OTOH, I went there again this past weekend - HCS was nice and I liked Dr. Grasshopper a lot but the rest of the beers weren't anything special. It probably wasn't worth going out of the way for while I was in Philly.

One problem I notice is that most of the beers I've had suffer from low carbonation, even in a glass right off the tap. Not sure if this is very common since I've only bee there twice but it could also be why people talk about the growlers going flat all the time. People haven't sent me a flat growler but they are somewhat lower in carb than I expected.

 

[duceswild]

169 active beers on BA currently....is it just me or do many of these taste/seem to the same to you all as well? For a relatively young place I'm shocked how they continually roll out new beer after new beer. While they may not be going for whalez they sure are trying to drum up hype in other ways IMHO.

No hate meant, as I've enjoyed some of the stuff from them, but some of it tends to blend together for me.

 

[JTC28111]

The real problem isn't that TH isn't worth the trade, it's A) that so many Philly people are big into trading and psyched to have a HF-esque place that they think will be the next big thing and B) They do too many one offs to build rep

 

[Previously]

+
Great marketing/design/artwork
Always good beers; some great beers
Creative and forward-thinking brewers
Interesting, thoughtful recipes
I've heard the place/space is wonderful, but have not been myself

-
Lower than optimal carbonation, especially in shipped growlers
New beers are rarely perfected because they're off brewing something else instead
Silly, and often stupid, names that don't have anything to do with the beer in the glass (at least to the layman)

 

[callmemickey]

New beers are rarely perfected because they're off brewing something else instead

As a local who is there two/three times a week, I actually view this as a positive, not a negative.

First, it's cool to experience raw experimentation and get to try the occasional/frequent gem. Second, while many of the beers aren't "perfected"/re-brewed, Jean/Jon/Magick are constantly improving their overall skills by seeing what works and what doesn't. Frequently you will see a beer style/concept brewed under one name be brewed under a different name with some tweaks.

 

[Snarf1]

Alright, I will start seeking them out a bit. I'm blessed to have immediate access to Westbrook, COAST, Anything in Asheville (LAB, Wicked Weed, Green Man, Wedge, Pisgah, etc...), so I didn't want to get into more trading if it really wasn't worth the hype.

Tired Hands misses are better than the hits from most of the AVL breweries.

I'm not particularly interested in IPAs, but I've had saisons from TH I preferred to those I've had from HF. It's ok, I can take the impending hate storm.

 

[housepants]

Tired Hands misses are better than the hits from most of the AVL breweries.

I'm not particularly interested in IPAs, but I've had saisons from TH I preferred to those I've had from HF. It's ok, I can take the impending hate storm.

No one will dust up a hate storm with you on this site for having the wrong opinion.

 

[xnicknj]

+
Great marketing/design/artwork
Always good beers; some great beers
Creative and forward-thinking brewers
Interesting, thoughtful recipes
I've heard the place/space is wonderful, but have not been myself

-
Lower than optimal carbonation, especially in shipped growlers
New beers are rarely perfected because they're off brewing something else instead
Silly, and often stupid, names that don't have anything to do with the beer in the glass (at least to the layman)

Pretty spot on analysis for someone who lives 3k miles away

I do agree with callmemickey on the experimentation though - for those of us in the area, it's fun to see the beers progress and change over time. One of the funnest things about TH is you literally never know what you're going to get when you visit.

I've sent 1L growlers and bottles to people around the country and received pretty much all positive feedback. The supposed 'hype' from some of the locals can get a little overblown, but I still feel most of the 'bouquet throwing' is warranted.

If I was going to complain about anything, it'd be the prices. It might be the most expensive brewpub/brewery I've been to in the entire country (save for Cascade) esp when ordering half pints that are often $4.5 each.

 

[cry me]

By my untappd count, I've had 88 of Jean's beers and I'm hard pressed to remember a single one that was less than 'pretty good', with several being great or phenomenal. There are a few things I don't think they do particularly well, barleywines and stouts come to mind, but even those are still far ahead of what most small breweries are putting out.

 

[JulianB1]

I've had two experiences with Tired Hands. The first was a growler of Infinite Energy that xnicknj sent me, which was excellent and inspired me to make a wheat IPA (probably my best hoppy beer I've brewed). The second was a week ago when I stopped there on the way to New York to meet Nick and have some beers/dinner. The beers were all first rate by my tastes. They are definitely going for an "HF-ish" style of beers by having lots of different hoppy beers and saisons. I really like the variety, I loved the mouthfeel on their beers (closest to what Shaun achieves that I've had, but still not at his level), and the food was to die for. The menu isn't big but it's well thought-out and pairs perfectly with drinking beer. I also really enjoy the "indie coffee shop" feel of the venue itself.

True (and unfortunate) story: I invited ForkAndSpoonOperator but he said he was going to be busy with work and couldn't make it. Lo and behold he gets off early and is at the other end of the bar while I'm there with xnicknj. Of course I hadn't bothered to check my messages on here while driving and didn't know that until the next day. So we were maybe 30 feet away from each other without knowing it. Oh well, definitely I'll be back again sometime and we can hopefully meet up then.

 

[MordorMongo]

I've had two experiences with Tired Hands. The first was a growler of Infinite Energy that xnicknj sent me, which was excellent and inspired me to make a wheat IPA (probably my best hoppy beer I've brewed). The second was a week ago when I stopped there on the way to New York to meet Nick and have some beers/dinner. The beers were all first rate by my tastes. They are definitely going for an "HF-ish" style of beers by having lots of different hoppy beers and saisons. I really like the variety, I loved the mouthfeel on their beers (closest to what Shaun achieves that I've had, but still not at his level), and the food was to die for. The menu isn't big but it's well thought-out and pairs perfectly with drinking beer. I also really enjoy the "indie coffee shop" feel of the venue itself.

True (and unfortunate) story: I invited ForkAndSpoonOperator but he said he was going to be busy with work and couldn't make it. Lo and behold he gets off early and is at the other end of the bar while I'm there with xnicknj. Of course I hadn't bothered to check my messages on here while driving and didn't know that until the next day. So we were maybe 30 feet away from each other without knowing it. Oh well, definitely I'll be back again sometime and we can hopefully meet up then.

This is why name tags should be required in all aspects of like. My countless letters to my congressman concerning this remain unread.

 

[ncaudle]

I love their brews and will trade for their bottles (ok, their stouts leave something to be desired) but I no longer pursue TH growlers, they just don't know how to do it.
you don't have to counter-pressure fill to have a good growler but a $1 investment in a hose to bottom fill their growlers would do a world of good...

 

[stakem1]

i love this thread

 

[cfrances33]

I'm admittedly one of the biggest Tired Hands fans out there. One of the few breweries I will trade for, even if there is not a single review for the beer I am interested in. While Jean may not have homeruns every time, I am generally impressed by every beer I have the chance to try. I like his experimental approach, because 9/10 times, they are executed much better than other breweries taking the same level of experimentation.

Many beers Jean produces are not flavor bombs - they a subtle, well crafted beers with an intricate balance of flavors. If you are looking for a flavor bomb, I suggest you turn elsewhere.

RE carbonation issues - while this has been an issue since inception, it has progressively gotten better. Originally, they did not have a dedicated tank to purge growlers with CO2. That has since changed, and I find nearly all of my growlers to have good carbonation, and even stay past a week. I suggest you do not trade for 64 ounce screw tops, because they lose their carb much faster.

Additionally, Jean does not craft his beer with the intention to growler it. Tired Hands was created as a Belgian style cafe/brewpub, where his beers would be enjoyed exclusively on tap. They are gently carbed on tap to promote a degree of drinkability and certain mouthfeel. This does not necessarily transfer well to growler fills.

Finally, and my only TH complaint, is their bottled products. I have found many of them lackluster, with the exception of HandFarm. Even with that one though, there is much left to be desired. I think the size of their space limits their ability to age beer in barrels for prolonged periods, and the finished product seems young and unfinished. I think as they obtain more space, their barrel aging program will improve.



TL/DR Ignore this guy, because he has a ******* Tired Hands avatar.

 

[stakem1]

I read just the OP and im taking none of the replies made into consideration (I will come back and re-read them all after making this post.) You have uncovered a very unique topic in bringing this up. Lets see if we can ID all the unique stuff going on here.

Fanbase/Location:
I am not sure to what extent this happens in other areas but what ive seen from this area is crazy regarding trading. Some people attend these releases and are racing to be the first one to post up a trade. It happens nearly every time with Bullfrog. I will be in line trying to buy my bottles and someone else in line is inevitably trying to trade them off like they are the next black cherry bomb. It doesnt take long for a single release to flood the trade forum with more offers than there are requests.

The brewery itself:
They make some pretty good stuff centric to what the current "fad" is. All they have to do is brew the exact same recipe several times using different adjuncts or fruit combinations and it will be a hit every time. The beer didnt turn out the way we want it? Fine, pitch wild yeast. Still not good enough? Throw it in a barrel. Presto - 1 bottle limit sell out.

Admittedly though, when their beer is good, it is REALLY good. But on average, I think most of their beers are blown up and over-hyped. I really dont understand how after a year of operations they still **** up their growler fills.

 

[franch]

half and half. going to TH is awesome and you won't have a beer under a 4/5 there, with many 4.5+s. putting those beers into a growler seems to deduct a full two points. their growlers just aren't great. other than handfarm, their bottles have been middling at best. handfarm can easily compete with the HF saisons like arthur as an example of a fantastic american barrel aged saison.

 

[Max]

almost everything has been mentioned in this thread already, but i'll still list my thoughts. i live 15 minutes away and still don't get there as often as i would like... probably 4-6 times/month.

the 1-Liter growlers are the way to go. in fact, i've started filling 1-liters almost everywhere i want a growler. but all the time at TH specifically. the immediate comparison everyone likes to make is with Hill Farmstead with good reason. remember, rarity tastes really really good. and TH is very, very accessible to many. i trade many TH growlers but so far have only done so (fairly) locally. OH, MI, VA, NY, etc. not much beyond that. even with that said, i had a growler of mother animal (the base for one of the last bottlings, father beast) in my fridge for about 2 months and it was great when i drank it. the beer had fairly low carbonation to begin with and the style obviously lends itself to lower carb levels, blah blah blah. it certainly would not have worked with a PA/IPA.

suffice it to say the locals do hype it pretty well (*cough*hayden*cough*) but for the most part it's worth it. because it is more accessible, growlers do not trade for crazy stuff but the few beers that have been brewed multiple times do not last long on tap.

i love the experimentation. with the food too. Adam Jackson mentioned the candied bacon; i'm required to bring some home if i go without my wife.

sometimes i wish they would brew a few of my favs a little more.

 

[franch]

mother animal will taste great out of the barrel