New Arrivals at LCBO & TBS

[beerguykw]

for those that have had the SNPA and Goose Island, which would you say is better?

[napoleon]

Is it me, or is SN PA not worth the bother? I've had it numerous times in the US and never come away impressed. Maybe 5-10 years ago it would have been something, but now with GLB, muskoka and others pushing the IPA limit, it always struck me as a pedestrian beer...?

I'm normally the first to defend California beer, but this is now basically fairly mass market. Sierra Nevada still does some lovely beers, but this is brewed at quite large scale these days and isn't anything special. I quite like the local Pales and IPA's. Nice to see the sessionable IPA additions as well, like the Detour at the LCBO.

[AugustusRex]

Is it me, or is SN PA not worth the bother? I've had it numerous times in the US and never come away impressed. Maybe 5-10 years ago it would have been something, but now with GLB, muskoka and others pushing the IPA limit, it always struck me as a pedestrian beer...?

I'm normally the first to defend California beer, but this is now basically fairly mass market. Sierra Nevada still does some lovely beers, but this is brewed at quite large scale these days and isn't anything special. I quite like the local Pales and IPA's. Nice to see the sessionable IPA additions as well, like the Detour at the LCBO.

Just like to point out that a lot of great beers are mass produced: Weihenstepaner, Duvel, Rodenbach, Chimay, Fullers etc. It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it, is what I heard.

[Belgian]

[...Just like to point out that a lot of great beers are mass produced: Weihenstepaner, Duvel, Rodenbach, Chimay, Fullers etc. It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it, is what I heard.

This. And freshness. We could surmise that a scaled-up craft brewer will have better access to consistent ingredients that are turned over quickly, and also have a better distribution network. What goes into the bottle and what arrives to you has a very reliable chance of being fresh and consistent. Conversely if the hops are a 'make do' batch for a smaller brewer and/or if the LCBO decides to lose it in a warehouse 60 days or so, that's very tough on an IPA that might otherwise have been amazing.

This is another reason I expect Stone IPA to do well here, not because it's necessarily better than all beers made or sold here but because I'm hoping it will arrive to you in pristine form and tasting exactly like every batch, if they have their act together and take the market seriously. For a beer like that it is a good thing.

* edit * maybe I'm over-extending the idea of Goose IPA being brewed here and sold directly via the Beer Store. A little different scenario, but an interesting one.

[ercousin]

Is it me, or is SN PA not worth the bother? I've had it numerous times in the US and never come away impressed. Maybe 5-10 years ago it would have been something, but now with GLB, muskoka and others pushing the IPA limit, it always struck me as a pedestrian beer...?

I'm normally the first to defend California beer, but this is now basically fairly mass market. Sierra Nevada still does some lovely beers, but this is brewed at quite large scale these days and isn't anything special. I quite like the local Pales and IPA's. Nice to see the sessionable IPA additions as well, like the Detour at the LCBO.

Just like to point out that a lot of great beers are mass produced: Weihenstepaner, Duvel, Rodenbach, Chimay, Fullers etc. It's not the size that matters, it's how you use it, is what I heard.

+1 Just because a brewery is big doesn't mean they make undesirable beer. In my experience the bigger the brewery the more consistent their product is and free of off flavours, there are exceptions to that of course. I'm also the last guy to bash Budweiser or Coors for the quality of their beer, it's their business practices I'm not a fan of. They have distribution and serving problems like anyone else, if I have a bad BMC beer I think it's usually because of poor line cleaning (*cough*Wild Wing) or old stock.

One of their brewing scientists has done a few AMAs on reddit 2 years ago (and another 7 months ago). After reading them I had a new-found appreciation of their technical prowess. https://www.reddit.com/user/ABInBevAMA/submitted/

[Belgian]

^ I wish there were legitimate audits and oversights of many things, such as bank and insurance company fee charging practices, and anti-competitive brewery tactics to manipulate bars to exclude smaller brewers.

Like many things, there's no money in it for the goberment so they don't care about the public's interest or the little guy. It's pay to play & Ontario is for sale to the big corporate whores!

[icemachine]

^ I wish there were legitimate audits and oversights of many things, such as bank and insurance company fee charging practices, and anti-competitive brewery tactics to manipulate bars to exclude smaller brewers.

Like many things, there's no money in it for the goberment so they don't care about the public's interest or the little guy. It's pay to play & Ontario is for sale to the big corporate whores!

People and business complain about Nanny State government enough as it is. You get them inspecting tap lines and the CFIB would go ballistic

[darmokandjalad]

for those that have had the SNPA and Goose Island, which would you say is better?

It's extremely close. They are both solid pale ales that would be perfectly acceptable for everyday swiggin' purposes. I liked SNPA marginally more, but Goose IPA is cheaper so I'm more likely to go for that one again.

[beerguykw]

for those that have had the SNPA and Goose Island, which would you say is better?

It's extremely close. They are both solid pale ales that would be perfectly acceptable for everyday swiggin' purposes. I liked SNPA marginally more, but Goose IPA is cheaper so I'm more likely to go for that one again.

Finally,. someone answered my question! Thanks. Which would you say has the more bitter hop profile? I didn't find the SN had any bitterness at all.

[Kish84]

for those that have had the SNPA and Goose Island, which would you say is better?

It's extremely close. They are both solid pale ales that would be perfectly acceptable for everyday swiggin' purposes. I liked SNPA marginally more, but Goose IPA is cheaper so I'm more likely to go for that one again.

Finally,. someone answered my question! Thanks. Which would you say has the more bitter hop profile? I didn't find the SN had any bitterness at all.

Just buy some fresh Headstock or Naughty Neighbour and call it a day. I bought some Headstock 2 weeks ago that was 2 days old, fucking fantastic.

[beerguykw]

I've already got both in the fridge for the weekend. Along with some Pompus Ass, Canuck, Red Racer, and a few other randoms.

[Jay-Brew]

I have had SNPA several times in the States (or have brought back home) and once recently on tap here and wouldn't mind getting some to revisit it. I see that it's showing stock in all sorts of places, so I called the downtown Kingston store to ask if they had any given that stock wasn't showing. Based on when they typically get stuff in I thought it was odd it wasn't here by now. Was told they have none and aren't getting any in. I asked why and was told that it's probably because they have too many beer SKUs. She gave me the product number and said I could call the other stores here. Based on what each of the stores get, I would be very surprised if any of them get it. The downtown store typically gets most of the releases so I am not trying to complain, but I find the LCBO extremely frustrating some days. They have all sorts of beer that sits on the shelves forever, which apparently prevents them from bringing something in that will actually sell. They are many examples. They totally screwed it up with Heelch O' Hops, which is probably a respectable beer, but it's hard to know when LCBO introduced it to stores when it was three months old. The list goes on.

[Lukie]

Finally,. someone answered my question! Thanks. Which would you say has the more bitter hop profile? I didn't find the SN had any bitterness at all.[/quote]
Just buy some fresh Headstock or Naughty Neighbour and call it a day. I bought some Headstock 2 weeks ago that was 2 days old, fucking fantastic.[/quote]


I concur. A fresh Headstock is divine, my number 1 IPA ever since Red Racer has gone to the dogs. But even Headstock got old very fast, for weeks now its already fading from its glory

[Craig]

for those that have had the SNPA and Goose Island, which would you say is better?

It's extremely close. They are both solid pale ales that would be perfectly acceptable for everyday swiggin' purposes. I liked SNPA marginally more, but Goose IPA is cheaper so I'm more likely to go for that one again.

Finally,. someone answered my question! Thanks. Which would you say has the more bitter hop profile? I didn't find the SN had any bitterness at all.

I haven't had a SNPA in ages, but my memory is that Goose is more bitter, where SNPA tends more to the aromatic side.

[beerguykw]

It's extremely close. They are both solid pale ales that would be perfectly acceptable for everyday swiggin' purposes. I liked SNPA marginally more, but Goose IPA is cheaper so I'm more likely to go for that one again.[/quote]


I haven't had a SNPA in ages, but my memory is that Goose is more bitter, where SNPA tends more to the aromatic side.[/quote]

I got around to trying the Goose this weekend and I agree, it is more on the hoppy side. I can say they were both worth a try, but I won't be going out of my way to get either of them any time soon.