What's your least favorite micro brewery?

[BrianP]

Arbor Brewing.

I've not had a bottle that wasn't overcarbed or a gusher. Don't know why, everyone else on here seems to think they have excellent beer. *shrug*

Amen to that. Serious gusher issues.

 

[Sedge]

The Philadelphia area has some excellent microbrews available. I can't say I've ever tried one that didn't have at least one beer I enjoyed.

OP: maybe try Lancaster out of the bottle? I haven't sampled them all, but I enjoy their Milk Stout and Amish 4 Grain, especially for the price.

 

[BeerBudha]

Don't know if it was said yet or not but I've gotta say Thunder Canyon Brewery in Tucson. I should have known it was gonna be crap when I found out it was in a Mall. The food was mediocre and the beer was definatly not what you expect from a craft brewer.

 

[jpc]

The one I dislike is New Belgium... not that I dislike their beers, but to me they are far from spectacular, yet people seem to like them. There is something about their yeast that doesn't do it for me...

 

[jpc]

Leinenkugel. Most of their offerings seem so artificially flavored.

FWIW, they are owned by Miller and make use of corn and other adjuncts in most of their beers. Their "fruit" beers don't user real fruit either, IIRC...

 

[BillKlineVT]

Not sure if it was just a bad can, but I tried Dale's Pale Ale (Oskar Blues Brewery in CO) and it was horribly salty, not very tasty

 

[Homercidal]

Arbor Brewing.

I've not had a bottle that wasn't overcarbed or a gusher. Don't know why, everyone else on here seems to think they have excellent beer. *shrug*

Wow, I have had some real good beers from there. Not that I am an expert on their lineup.

For me, it's Atwater Brewing. I bought 3 bottles once, and one was a gusher, one had a bad flavor (Granted, it WAS a "Dirty Blonde") and the other I don't remember what was wrong with it. They have won awards, though, so maybe some of their beer is ok.

Also, Wolverine Beer from Michigan Brewing Company is a nasty bit of work IMO. Normally I really enjoy their stuff, but they do a lot of contract brewing and this is def not on my list of beers I would drink.

 

[stormrider27]

I would have to say that the one that I like the least is Sea Dog. They make way too many fruit beers for me. I did like going to their bewpubs when I lived in northern Maine though. When I moved to Portland there were MUCH better offerings though.

Storm

 

[roofpig]

I really can't think of any that I dislike, although there are a handful that I feel so-so about (Fat Tire, Sam Adams, etc.). I did go to a brand new microbrewery here in upstate New York (Becker Brewing Co) and I was not sold on any of the beers. Granted, they just started, so I'll probably try again in a year, but still.

And to whoever mentioned Rockbottom, the one in Long Beach, CA was one of my regular haunts. Hayley, the brewmaster, never failed to impress with any of her seasonal brews. I highly recommend her Blackhawk Imperial Stout and The Hammer.

 

[ytsejam]

Illinois Brewing Company

Infected keg lines. I'd be glad to never set foot in there again, but my friend's band plays there from time to time. I guess I'll just stick to bottles of Sierra Nevada. (and ask for a glass and pour it myself)

 

[BarleyWater]

The one I dislike is New Belgium... not that I dislike their beers, but to me they are far from spectacular, yet people seem to like them. There is something about their yeast that doesn't do it for me...

+1 It's their house flavor that comes from their yeast that I just really don't like at all. The Hoptoberfest and 1554 are pretty good, but I think those two beers mask the yeast profile that the other beers have. Their Lips of Faith beers are also pretty good, but those are specialties and hard to find.

My least favorite would have to be Redhook. I really used to like their beers, but then they changed their recipes when they merged with Widmer to form CBAI, and it just isn't very good anymore, pretty bland. The Redhook IPA (Ballard Bitter) was one of my favorite easy drinking beers, then they got rid of it and started making the Longhammer IPA, total crap. Redhook ESB seems to have lost a lot of its flavor and body. Late Harvest and Copper hook are gross, and the winter hook ain't much better.

 

[BrianP]

Wow, I have had some real good beers from there. Not that I am an expert on their lineup.

For me, it's Atwater Brewing. I bought 3 bottles once, and one was a gusher, one had a bad flavor (Granted, it WAS a "Dirty Blonde") and the other I don't remember what was wrong with it. They have won awards, though, so maybe some of their beer is ok.

Also, Wolverine Beer from Michigan Brewing Company is a nasty bit of work IMO. Normally I really enjoy their stuff, but they do a lot of contract brewing and this is def not on my list of beers I would drink.

Kid Rock's 'Bad Ass' beer (contract brewed by Michigan Brewing Co.) is pretty bad also. Tasted like BMC with some strange off-flavor. However I do like Michigan Brewing's other beers.

 

[mc_eric]

Kid Rock's 'Bad Ass' beer (contract brewed by Michigan Brewing Co.) is pretty bad also. Tasted like BMC with some strange off-flavor. However I do like Michigan Brewing's other beers.

Yeah, that stuff kinda sucks. MBC's prices on grain are stupid high ( like 1.50 a pound), but I still get all my grain from there.

However, the worst brewery in michigan has to be mountain town station in mount pleasant. Their wheat ale is so banana-y it's almost undrinkable, and their other beers aren't much better. They do have some fantastic food tho. (both MBC and Moutain Town)

 

[Synovia]

I don't think I've ever had a Sam Adams beer I didn't like. Even the ones that are so-so seems to be of good quality. Each to his own I guess.

Same here. I think a lot of people around here see "macro" and just shut off. Its like Indy Music fans. They're so against the concept that it ruins their opinion.

Perception and expectation is as much a part of taste as your tastebuds are.

 

[northernlad]

New Belgium and Alaskan tie for the worst. Both have a profile that offends me.

Not liking Redhook because of their association with A-B is nonsense.

 

[jezter6]

DFH.

I know you craft fans swoon over it, but their IPAs are disgusting.

Nothing I've ever tasted out of that brewery was anything but crap.

 

[BigBeachMuscles]

I love the DFH 60-90. Some others are good, but some others are way to out there for me.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Red Hook. They don't make anything I can choke down because I'm sensitive to diacetyl. All I can taste is the diacetyl.... their beers are like liquid 50c microwave popcorn.

New Belgium would be at the bottom but I *love* their sour beers... can't stand any of their regular beers. Their banana/bubblegum house strain is a big turn-off for me.

 

[OMJ]

Wow, how in the heck did someone say Troegs. I do not think they can make bad beer. Everything they offer is amazing, and that is not me being a homer, that is legit.

Agreed Ryan

I would say Leinenkugel like a lot of others. Got a sampler of theirs and gave it away after trying one of each of the beers.

 

[jds]

For me, it's the beers at Hops brewpubs. They weren't actively bad, just uninspired.
I also spent an evening at The Rock brewpub in Lynnwood WA. The beer was not good, with an extremely unbalanced Cascade IPA, and several others coming out of the taps that were still green. I don't remember much specifically, except that the beer was not very good, and the pizza was mediocre at best.

My local thumbs-up micros/brewpubs include O'Dell's, Dry Dock Brewing, and Tommyknocker.

 

[RoaringBrewer]

I can normally always find a beer or three I like from any given brewer... so I won't say any one micro I've been to has outright sucked. However, thinking back to all the breweries I've been to and sampled most of their stock, I'd say Middle Ages in Syracuse was the most disappointing to me...

I'm not sure if it was the cat they had crawling all over the bar in the tasting room (really sanitary!) or not, but I honestly thought most of the beers I tried had a similar off-flavor (maybe from the yeast they use) of cat-pi$$! There were one or two I thought were OK to decent, maybe even one pretty good, but most were bland and all had that characteristic flavor!

 

[Wikipeteia]

Brooklyn. Everything I've had from them has been so underwhelming and disappointing that I've stopped bothering.

 

[philrose]

I'll go with Trade Route/Laughing Buddha. I've sampled the ginger pale, Pandan Brown and mango-weizen.

Its too kitschy. The only non specialty beer is a dry lager.

The beer tastes okay, if you're into novelty, but I say why bother?

 

[hopvine]

Arcadia for me. I've never been outright offended by any of their beers, but they all just seem a bit half-assed and lacking in "umph".

 

[MeatyPortion]

Didn't like Fat Tire when I had it last year. Everyone raved about it. I thought it was average at best.

Same for Shiner. People told me all kinds of wonderful things about it. Meh.

New Glarus' Alt and Oktoberfest beers are pretty undrinkable. It's too bad since I love their IPA, Totally Naked lager, and Organic Ale. New Glarus is pretty wonderful all around but once in a while they make a horrible beer for some reason.

 

[Yankeehillbrewer]

Last week I had a beer called Saq-quatch by Sacramento Brewing Company. It was a Scottish type ale with Smoked Peat Malt in it. It was absolutely horrible, I had to dump it or I was going to puke. I can't even describe the flavor. I guess it was the Smoked Peat that I was tasting, and just way overboard.

 

[hukdizzle]

Leinenkugel. Most of their offerings seem so artificially flavored.

This... Fruity pebbles anyone?

 

[Jif]

This... Fruity pebbles anyone?

Seconded. Everything I've ever had from Leinie's has been horrid. The Summer Shandy is exceptionally bad (half lemonade!)

 

[novafire]

Seconded. Everything I've ever had from Leinie's has been horrid. The Summer Shandy is exceptionally bad (half lemonade!)

For what it's worth, that is typically what a shandy is, beer with lemonade.

 

[jgln]

Iron Hill

Never been there but sent them an email asking a question and they did not respond. Funny what a little dissin can do to you attitude.

Not micro brewery but two bars in south NJ I stopped going to. Went in to Nipper’s Bar in Westville Grove get a beer early/late afternoon when the place was pretty empty, just a barmaid and about 8 guys who all knew each other as well as her. Looked like laborers after work having a few. Put my 20 on the bar and sat there for 10 minutes while she laughed and talked with them. As they finished their beers she was re-filling their empty mugs way after I got there but she still had not served me. They were finishing beers and getting refills before I got my first. I got up, picked up my money. One guy looked over at me and I just shook my head and walked out. He went back to the conversation. Couldn't believe not one said to her "No, go ahead and server that guy first, he has been waiting a long time"

I think they wanted me to leave so they could chit chat in privacy.

I will never go to Eurie's in Wildwood again either. Same thing happened there only with individuals, not a group. There was like 4 people at the bar. People finishing their beers and getting new ones before I even got my first. Bartenders having conversations instead of watching the bar for new customers. Walked out and went to the Boathouse and got excellent service and every time since.

GF and Son wanted to try Euries to eat so I gave the one more chance. They have 2 hostess stations, one for inside dining and one for out but you have to pass the inside one first. No one there so we walked to the outside one since we wanted to sit outside. She told me I had to go back to the first one first. Refused to accommodate us for the mistake we made and just seat us. I walked out again.

I hate bars that treat new customers like crap because you are an outsider.