Worst Craft Breweries

[FruityHops]

Lets compile a list of the craft breweries that have left us disappointed. The ones where everything they offer is mediocre and/or of inconsistent quality.

Of course I'll start us off :

Grey Sail Brewing in Westerly, RI

I've been to their tap room a few times and sampled flights. Nothing is above average except for Captain's Daughter, except for when it isn't. That is to say it is extremely inconsistent. I've even gotten a few cans of Captain's Daughter that were obviously infected. Never again.

 

[seatazzz]

We've got one here in Sumner called Half Lion Brewing (if any of my compatriots in WA like this place, sorry-not-sorry). Went there about 6 months ago with the hubby and had a flight of everything they had on tap from a blonde down to a really dark stout. EVERY BEER TASTED THE SAME. The IPA had almost no hoppiness, all of them tasted watered down, and the basic flavor of each was bleh. I've heard from my buddy at Rail Hop'n Brewing in Auburn (shameless plug!! Great beer! In his garage! Open on Fridays & Saturdays! Tell 'em Becky sent ya) that the guy who started that place thinks he's the shiznit of brewing and really hasn't a clue.

 

[Br3w4u]

Mustang brewery in Oklahoma. All of their beers are just average and boring.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

BJ's Brewhouse. The beer is brewed off-site and should be served that way too. Bland and lifeless.

 

[Decimotox]

LynLake Brewery (Minneapolis). I wouldn't really say the beer is the worst I've ever had, but not the best. And the ambiance of the place was very...rustic. Usually rustic ain't bad. But it just felt off there. And the bar is super small. I'm sure as they grow in volume and get a bigger revenue stream, they'll make some improvements. But right now it's pretty barebones and the beer ain't great.

 

[5mooth0perator]

I think the laws regarding craft brewing are really suspicious. Many of the laws that are supposedly setting quality standards are more about cultural entrenchment. The resulting products are essentially you know "cheesy" versions of European standard brews with fancy labels.

 

[oceanic_brew]

There are way too many people around here in Halifax, NS that brew for a few years and jump into commercial brewing.

There's two breweries here that are packed all the time. One of the workers at one of them came over for a brew one night and basically detailed how my process was far more advanced.

She said they haven't even looked into water reports or mash PH yet. Their stouts taste like astringent water and they've actually put out on the market a beer that unintentionally had gotten infected.

It frustrates me that someone gave these guys 2 million to start up a brewery.

 

[5mooth0perator]

There are way too many people around here in Halifax, NS that brew for a few years and jump into commercial brewing.

There's two breweries here that are packed all the time. One of the workers at one of them came over for a brew one night and basically detailed how my process was far more advanced.

She said they haven't even looked into water reports or mash PH yet. Their stouts taste like astringent water and they've actually put out on the market a beer that unintentionally had gotten infected.

It frustrates me that someone gave these guys 2 million to start up a brewery.

In Montgomery County, MD it seems to be more about navigating the laws and local politics than about producing a product, I watched one start up get bounced, because of zoning and a tasting room that was a little too large, and the entrepreneurs were lawyers.

 

[Izzie1701]

Three ranges brewing company in valemount BC Canada. All there beers have a harsh bitter taste that turns your guts and that's comping from a guy that likes bitter IPAs. It's not a good tasting bitter it's a my stomach doesn't feel right now bitter. There also so over carbonated. It feels like your drinking a mouth full of foam every sip.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm gonna play the Devil's advocate here. I really have a hard time enjoying New Belgium's offerings anymore. IMO, over the years the quality has dropped significantly, while gimmicky named beers don't live up to their own hype or are sheer undrinkable. La Folie used to be one of my favorites... not so anymore, the complexity has vanished, now being an acetic abomination. They must make a killing with their flagship "Flat Tire," sustaining all the other ones.

 

[soccerdad]

I have yet to like an Abita beer or a Heavy Seas beer. Admittedly, I have not tried all of their offerings. Grayton beer calls their blonde ale their flagship beer. It's a drain pour.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I have yet to like an Abita beer or a Heavy Seas beer. Admittedly, I have not tried all of their offerings. Grayton beer calls their blonde ale their flagship beer. It's a drain pour.

I love Abitas grapefruit IPA. So I tried their purple haze (raspberry?) at a baseball game over the summer and it was extremely awful.

 

[soccerdad]

Purple Haze was one of the offenders. I talked to Hendrix about it in a dream one night. He was pissed.

 

[Singletrack]

I'm gonna play the Devil's advocate here. I really have a hard time enjoying New Belgium's offerings anymore.

No devil's advocate required. (Curious that you capitalized "devil," though ) New Belgium is clearly quasi-craft, mediocre, gateway beer. To me, flat tire is awful, but that's probably a style-preference thing. Add some hops, people!

 

[Singletrack]

I think the laws regarding craft brewing are really suspicious. Many of the laws that are supposedly setting quality standards are more about cultural entrenchment. The resulting products are essentially you know "cheesy" versions of European standard brews with fancy labels.

Oooohhhh, this doesn't sound like the usual mindless, boring, getting-to-know-you chit-chat. This sounds like you actually have something to say.

Could you expand on the way laws are about cultural entrenchment? I don't really know what that means, but it sounds interesting.

 

[Vandulus]

My vote is for Four String in Columbus, OH. I went with 3 other people and we tried 3 flights for 12 different beers total. Everyone agreed that their beers were pretty mediocre at best. I don't know if their quality went downhill or if the other local breweries just raised the bar.

I also have to nominate Great Lakes a pioneer craft brewer whose beers seem just meh these days. I visited there last year and it seems they're content to rest on their laurels versus trying to branch out style-wise.

 

[treacheroustexan]

My vote is for Four String in Columbus, OH. I went with 3 other people and we tried 3 flights for 12 different beers total. Everyone agreed that their beers were pretty mediocre at best. I don't know if their quality went downhill or if the other local breweries just raised the bar.

I also have to nominate Great Lakes a pioneer craft brewer whose beers seem just meh these days. I visited there last year and it seems they're content to rest on their laurels versus trying to branch out style-wise.

I think that's why I like Great Lakes though. Sticking to their traditional beers instead of making super hazy ipa's. I love going there to eat. Just my .002!

Agreed on Four String though.

 

[GPP33]

We've got one here in Sumner called Half Lion Brewing (if any of my compatriots in WA like this place, sorry-not-sorry). Went there about 6 months ago with the hubby and had a flight of everything they had on tap from a blonde down to a really dark stout. EVERY BEER TASTED THE SAME. The IPA had almost no hoppiness, all of them tasted watered down, and the basic flavor of each was bleh. I've heard from my buddy at Rail Hop'n Brewing in Auburn (shameless plug!! Great beer! In his garage! Open on Fridays & Saturdays! Tell 'em Becky sent ya) that the guy who started that place thinks he's the shiznit of brewing and really hasn't a clue.

Does your buddy at Rail Hop'n know your talking **** for him? Generally speaking that's not a very classy move. I'd be pissed as hell if someone threw my companie's name out there like that in a thread dedicated to bashing others in my industry.

I love it when people claim breweries like New Belgium and SA suck. I can assure you they are doing something right in the world of brewing. Beer is meant to be enjoyed, that's it, nothing more. Based on the volume of beer these guys produce there must be at least a few people out there who are enjoying the product.

 

[BeerAddikt]

Kings Brewing in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. They actually poured me an infected beer. That's unforgivable.

And I actually don't care for Boston Brewing Co...probably not a popular opinion based on Craft Beer and Brewing's "The Best of Beer" issue. Sam Adams Boston Lager is drinkable but overrated IMHO and I've never been wowed by any of their offerings other than the Scotch Ale. However, I wouldn't call them the worst craft brewer.

 

[Singletrack]

I love it when people claim breweries like New Belgium and SA suck. I can assure you they are doing something right in the world of brewing.

You're right, New Belgium doesn't qualify as "worst" IMO. Their beer appeals to masses who have moved on from light lagers, and that's just dandy. Must. fight. tendency. ...to veer into beer snob territory.

 

[lightjt]

Avondale in Birmingham, AL has been the worst craft brewery I have visited, as opposed the Good People in the same town that is top notch. New Belgium I think has always had an "off" flavor. I spend several years living in Europe and grew to really like German and English beers. I am now back in the PNW and find brewery's out here lack selection, tons of very good IPA's but I want a nice English Bitter or a German Helles. The Helles from Ninkasi is horrible.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

You're right, New Belgium doesn't qualify as "worst" IMO. Their beer appeals to masses who have moved on from light lagers, and that's just dandy. Must. fight. tendency. ...to veer into beer snob territory.

You hit the nail on the head right there and on both sides of the fence. Widely available commercial brews are filtered to make them very clear which also removes some of the best flavors. Conversely, snobbery leads beer guys to cut smaller breweries a lot of slack. Unfortunately, that is also a double edged sword. If one says, "that beer sucks", when many people like it, it shows how refined ones palate is.

 

[5mooth0perator]

Oooohhhh, this doesn't sound like the usual mindless, boring, getting-to-know-you chit-chat. This sounds like you actually have something to say.

Could you expand on the way laws are about cultural entrenchment? I don't really know what that means, but it sounds interesting.

The difference between a "micro brewery" and a "craft brewery" is regulated. A micro brewery produces and consumes beers on site, whereas craft breweries may consume some on site, but also bottle and distribute. The regulations on craft are tighter and involve certain "standards" about the beer which are ostensibly to ensure a safe product, but on the face have weird rules about using minimal amounts of adjuncts, which seem more inline with European traditions, however the "craft" brews are seldom as well executed. It reminds me of a similar industry the cheese industry, where unaged cheese is banned, and never really tastes as good as the cheeses in Europe, well except for he pepper jack, which needs more pepper.

 

[foam_top]

You're right, New Belgium doesn't qualify as "worst" IMO. Their beer appeals to masses who have moved on from light lagers, and that's just dandy. Must. fight. tendency. ...to veer into beer snob territory.

I enjoy the majority of New Belgium's line-up and I'm far from light lager transition. If being a beer snob means enjoying less beer then count me out!

 

[Bilsch]

Quite the task to pick out the worst from such a large pile of bad.

 

[trav77]

Avondale in Birmingham, AL has been the worst craft brewery I have visited, as opposed the Good People in the same town that is top notch. New Belgium I think has always had an "off" flavor. I spend several years living in Europe and grew to really like German and English beers. I am now back in the PNW and find brewery's out here lack selection, tons of very good IPA's but I want a nice English Bitter or a German Helles. The Helles from Ninkasi is horrible.

Interesting... Just finished reading a thread about Altbier in Düsseldorf. I've yet to make the pilgrimage but towns where they have refined a style and associated tradition to this point always really appeal to me. Maybe that's an outsiders view. Maybe the residents clamour for their local breweries to make NW IPA. I doubt it. Not criticizing you in any way for this opinion just an observation!

Also why is there a thread to slag the efforts of hard working people? There are a lot of breweries that suck and suck hard. They'll all meet each other at the bottom in a competitive industry without our help.

 

[smurfjuice]

Careful now, this is how you kill a business ... just saying' ... :beard:

 

[Bilsch]

There are a lot of breweries that suck and suck hard. They'll all meet each other at the bottom in a competitive industry without our help.

Similar to movie reviews.. I'd rather have a good idea in advance if the beer sucks.

 

[trav77]

Similar to movie reviews.. I'd rather have a good idea in advance if the beer sucks.

Spend a few bucks on a few bottles. If you don't like it stop buying it. Simple. You're not buying a car.

 

[K_Sweets]

My vote was for a place called Crooked Letter Brewing Company in Ocean Springs MS. Worst beer ever and it was a married couple, brother in law and maybe the parents who attempted to run the place. The brother in law was the brewer and the beer was straight crap. Their IPA had no hop taste whatsoever and the other beer tasted nothing like it should have. I had to look the place up real quick to remember the name and am happy to say it's reporting to be permanently closed. Having your brother in law who has no clue what hes doing in order to save money is never a good idea. Hire a real brewer next time. Coming from California at that time and that being my first experience to Mississippi beer, I was concerned. I'm glad I was only there for a few months.