This is long overdue. These thoughts have been weighing heavy on me lately, and it's time to vent. Before I do so, I need to go over the rules. First and foremost, pardon the language - if I curse, it means I'm being serious. Secondly, I'm a picky asshole, and if your thoughts don't reflect mine, chances are you're right and I'm wrong. And, finally, relax..
Hey, Dogfish Head, time to step your game up!! You have the resources, the technology, and the freaking cash, so let's get it popping!!
Your inconsistency is driving me mad. I can go to the store, buy 2 six packs of 60 Minute IPA, and they are going to taste completely different. An IPA is not a beer I want to taste differently from bottle to bottle. You go on and on about your fantastic quality control methods, but they just look pretty - I haven't noticed a goddamn difference in quality. These are some Dogfish Head Beers I've had that absolutely did not resemble a previous bottle: 60 and 90 Minute, Raison D'Etre, Indian Brown Ale, Olde School Barleywine, Aprihop, Pangaea, Midas Touch, Immort Ale, Zwaanendale, Au Courant and Chateau Jiahu. Beers that are consistent: 120 Minute, World Wide Stout (each vintage), Palo Santo Marron, Black and Blue and Chicory Stout. Notice the difference?
Taste the beers before you release them. I'm glad you experiment and have the balls to take risks, but sometimes I sip your beers and think "C'mon. What the hell, Dogfish Head?" A few cases in point. Black and Blue - you mean someone actually enjoyed drinking this sweet, syrupy mess? Au Courant (the new one) - My God what an awful beer! My mouth wanted to kill itself after attempting to get down more than two chugs of this nasty, fake tasting fruit beer. Raison D'Extra - Alright already, we get it. You can brew big beers!! Now let's make them taste good. This tasted like scotch that had been mixed with flat soda and stale rye bread. Pangaea - It's definitely cool you used an ingredient from each continent, but the end product tasted like weak sparkling apple juice.
Realize your potential. Do you understand what you've brewed with Festina Peche? I don't think you do. This is the ultimate crossover beer. There's not a single person, beer drinker or otherwise, who hasn't thoroughly enjoyed the taste of this beer. It's tart, refreshing, complex yet unoffensive, and most of all, delicious. Listen to me right now - make this year round and market it to the masses.
No disrespect intended. Dogfish Head is a really good brewery, I just needed to vent. While some of their experiments go horribly, horribly wrong, some fare well. I actually really like their hoppy beers (when the bottle is decent), and that's saying a lot. 60 Minute can be one of my favorite IPA's when it tastes good, and I love love love the Indian Brown Ale. Immort Ale, Palo Santo Marron, and World Wide Stout are some of the easiest drinking big beers made on this coast. And, again, I can't get enough Festina Peche.
Alright, I'm done. I hope no one's offended. Drink less, drink better, don't drink and drive, support your local brewery, all that jazz..
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On a semi-permanent mildly serious marginally lengthy hiatus.
4 comments:
you are an idiot and have no clue about beer and different styles. Go back to miller lite something you can handle.
I confused... this is titled "Confessions of a Hop Hater", yet you mention drinking IPA repeatedly. An IPA is the epitome of a (over?)hopped beer.
I've tried IPAs twice. I couldn't handle the hops. Had to go grab a nice malty barley wine or 5 just to get the taste of the hops out of my mouth.
So... IPA and a hop hater? explain, please.
Comming from a total beer geek and homebrewer I can say I respect your position on these beers. I'm into just about all beer styles or so I thought I was intill I had a Rodenback grand cru. This is a flanders red and It made red when I spent $11 on a bottle of beer soaked in bloody bandaids for about 3 years(not that I would know but that's the best I can describe) So I understand where your comming from. I'm just glad I didn't try to brew 5 gallons of this style.
I agree with Anonymous. Why do you think different batches and vintages taste differently? It's called brewing beer. Also, learn how to taste when the beer is not ready. Just because you can buy it does not mean its ready to drink; age it, and it will taste better. Go back to Miller Lite tool.
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