Macrobrewers & the Craft Beer Market Part 1 - Craft vs. Crafty

Macrobrewers & the Craft Beer Market Part 1 - Craft vs. Crafty

A couple weeks ago, a man by the name of Evan Parent, filed a lawsuit again MillerCoors. The reason? Because he alleges that Blue Moon's marketing, pricing & placement amongst other craft beers lead him to believe that Blue Moon was a craft beer. He also says that it violates California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act and how it's misleading and a bunch of other legalese I'm not even going to bother with.

Point is that this whole lawsuit has motivated me to write a couple of pieces regarding the whole Craft Beer vs. Crafty Beer argument. I feel that I have enough experience and know-how to throw in my two cents about this topic. Plus I feel that this is an issue that will really start to take off over the next couple of years.

While the whole argument of Craft vs. Crafty has been on the minds of beers drinkers for quite a while, it was never really bought to the forefront and was, until recently, mostly commentary of a not-so-serious nature. That all changed when this commercial debuted during this year's Super Bowl.....

When this commercial was released, the responses were all over the place. Some took an analytical approach to it, other breweries decided to put together their own response and others took this as a declaration of war on craft beer industry. It's no secret that there are breweries out there that may seemingly appear as a craft brewery to the uninformed consumer but are, in fact, owned by a macro-brewer like MillerCoors or AB In-Bev.

Who is a craft brewer?

According to the Brewer's Association, they define a craft brewery as the following:

Small

Annual production of 6 million barrels of beer or less (approximately 3 percent of U.S. annual sales). Beer production is attributed to the rules of alternating proprietorships.

Independent

Less than 25 percent of the craft brewery is owned or controlled (or equivalent economic interest) by an alcoholic beverage industry member that is not itself a craft brewer.

Traditional

A brewer that has a majority of its total beverage alcohol volume in beers whose flavor derives from traditional or innovative brewing ingredients and their fermentation. Flavored malt beverages (FMBs) are not considered beers.

These guidelines were created with good intentions as a means of helping beer drinkers tell the difference between an independent brewer and someone who was, well...............not. It seemed all clean-cut and such, but there was a problem.

A couple of years ago, there was a bit of controversy with what defined a craft brewer. One brewery in particular, August Schell Brewing, was "blacklisted" because the ingredients used their long-standing Grain Belt lager used adjuncts in the brewing process, which started out of necessity when the brewery first opened up and has been used still out of tradition. Even many thought they fulfilled the requirements of all three guidelines.

I remember when I first saw this news, I was shocked. I always have considered them to be the original Minnesota craft brewery, who will be celebrating their 165th Anniversary this year. Sure they make Grain Belt, which is their flagship beer, but they also make a ton of other styles and they aren't owned by any major corporations. In fact, I would even argue that Sam Adams is more along the lines of being big beer than Schell's is. Thankfully, a little over a year afterwards in early 2014, the BA changed their definition as to who was a craft brewer and August Schell's was finally considered to be a craft brewer again.

Compare that to the likes of Goose Island & Blue Moon, both of which are owned 100% by Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors respectively. Though Goose Island was considered craft prior to its buyout to Anheuser-Busch, Blue Moon was created specifically by MillerCoors about 20 years ago so they were never considered craft at any point of their existence.

Now here is where I become a Devil's advocate of sorts because while I do think companies like Goose Island and Blue Moon are trying to pass themselves off as crafty, isn't that really the point? If there is anything I have learned from marketing, it's that the whole idea behind marketing is so that a company can draw in and retain business long term. In fact, it's safe to assume that the vast majority of craft breweries on the market today owe their very existence, directly or indirectly, to Big Beer.

I've already explained in my review of Bud Light that the newer generation of beer drinkers, namely Millennials, are less likely to drink a Budweiser product because of lack of brand loyalty and a wider selection of beers to choose from than 20-30 years ago. One thing we can all agree upon is that macro-brewers are trying their hardest to appeal to a wider demographic and retain their share of the beer industry. Which is why Anheuser-Busch recently acquired well-known craft breweries like Elysiun Brewing & 10 Barrel Brewing.

This is, of course, something I will touch upon more in the next post.

Goose Island Rambler IPA Review

Name: Goose Island Rambler IPA
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.7%

Tonight I've got a fairly new (to me) beer from Goose Island Brewing. It is the Rambler IPA, the brewery's new Red IPA. On both the label and in the video on the brewery's website, they proudly talk about how they use Amarillo & Mt. Hood hops in the brewing process.

Not to take the wind out their sails or anything but a lot of beers out there use both hop varieties (either together or separately.) Were these brand new experimental hops used in Rambler, I could say that would be worth boasting about. As for the name, maybe the brewer is an Allman Brothers fan....?

Rambler pours a clear dark orange color with very little visible carbonation. The head is thin yet foamy and the lacing is quite good.

In the aroma, I'm picking up on some moderate piney hops upfront followed with some fairly strong caramel maltiness, a bit of roastiness and some mild spiciness. I'm even getting a bit of earthiness in here as well.

The flavor has some moderate piney hops on the front of the palate with a accent of bitter hoppiness. Caramel malts also supplement the flavor as a whole and the spiciness that was present in the nose is also here as well and shows up in the back of the palate. As for the aftertaste, it can be summed up in one word: bitter. By that I mean, it consists almost entirely of bitter hops with just a hint of caramel sweetness.

You know what? This is a nice solid IPA, especially if you like your IPAs to be more on the bitter side! I wasn't expecting too much with Rambler, but I'm pleasantly surprised with just how well put together this beer is. I would definitely recommend checking this out should you get the chance.

Goose Island Rambler IPA - 8.5/10

Goose Island The Muddy Review

Name: Goose Island The Muddy
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 9.0

I've got a new release from Goose Island Brewing and it's the third release that I'll be having in the "The" Series. It's the name I've given to the limited release series that Goose Island has been releasing recently. First came The Illinois, an Imperial IPA named after Frank Lloyd Wright's conceptual mile high skyscraper that would've been built in downtown Chicago. Then came The Ogden, a Tripel which is  named after William Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago.

The newest addition to the series is The Muddy, an Imperial Stout that gets it's name from Muddy Waters, who is responsible for the creation of the Chicago Blues scene, which first rose to prominence in the first half of the 20th Century. According to the bottle, this is is brewed with licorice.

The Muddy pours a pitch black color with some high visible carbonation. The head takes on a thin khaki appearance along with some sparse lacing.

The nose starts out with rather strong roastiness with chocolate malts, dark licorice and light vanilla notes. With the exception of the light vanilla, this is a very dark & roasty smelling beer and the licorice and roasted barley work in conjunction with the chocolate malts to make this possible.

Sure enough, that dark and roasty aspect carries over into the flavor. It starts out with a strong roasted barley taste which is followed up by some chocolate malts & dark licorice before being topped off with a bitter hop aftertaste.

The body is quite hefty and the carbonation is pretty moderate. It also possesses some thickness so it does feel a bit chewy.

The Muddy is a nice, dark and roasty Imperial Stout that is sure to please fans of the style. However like The Ogden before it, the asking price is a bit high when you consider that it only comes in a 4-pack, which is around $15 before taxes in my area. My advice would be to do what I did and buy a single bottle and try it out before deciding if a 4-pack is worth the price of admission.

Goose Island The Muddy - 8.5/10

Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale Review

Name: Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.4%

It's time to look at another fairly recent addition to Goose Island Brewing's lineup. I give to you 312 Urban Pale Ale, an American Pale Ale that takes it's naming cue from 312 Urban Wheat. I do have to admit that the updated label art for both new and existing Goose Island beers is quite nice and easy on the eyes, and this beer is certainly no exception. Like some Goose Island beers I've looked at before, it once again likes to remind us it's a Windy City-based brewery.

312 Urban Pale Ale pours a clear orange color. I am picking up on a small amount of carbonation bubbles making their way from the bottom of the glass and the head is fairly thin but with decent retention. A bit of lacing here and there along the sides as well.

The aroma starts out with some floral hops, a bit of piney bitterness and toffee sweetness. There is also some encompassing dry hoppiness that lingers throughout the nose.

The taste starts out with some floral hops and dry hops which are a bit more present than they were in the nose. There's also some citrus hoppiness in there and a bit of toffee maltiness too. It does have a bit of a grassy earthiness and a bitter resiny finish.

The body is pretty moderate in terms of weight and the carbonation is pretty light; A slight bite to it but not enough to make it moderate. It does feel pretty crisp though.

312 Urban Pale Ale is a fairly run-of-the-mill APA that doesn't do anything different. At the same time, if you're debating amongst yourself what to get next time you're at the store, then I suppose this would be worth checking out

Goose Island 312 Urban Pale Ale - 8/10

Goose Island The Ogden Review

Name: Goose Island The Ogden
Style: Tripel
ABV: 9%

It's been a while since I've reviewed a Tripel-style ale so for this review I'm breaking that dry spell and taking a look at The Ogden, a new limited release beer from the Goose Island Brewing Company. Recently they have been stepping up their releases of Belgian-Style ales, much to the surprise of some beer drinkers since they were bought out by Anheuser-InBev just a couple years back.

Now I've mentioned in some of my previous reviews that Goose Island loves to toot their horn over the fact that they are based out of Chicago, even though many of their beers are now contract brewed around the country. To my understanding, this was brewed in the Windy City itself. As for the name "Ogden" I'm going to guess that it's named after William Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago.

The Ogden pours a mildly-to-moderately hazy yellow color. I'm picking up a fairly high amount of carbonation, more than what I'm used to seeing in a Tripel.

The nose has fairly potent Belgian Yeast scent with a sweet citrus hop profile that gives it an almost mango-like quality. I'm also picking on some grapefruit notes and some toffee malts in the background. It smells good though!

The flavor is pretty Belgian yeast forward and a pronounced mango flavor with a distinct resin bitterness on the back of the palate. I'm also picking up on some pale/toffee maltiness and even some light piney hop notes in here as well. The aftertaste for the most part is a resin hop bitterness with a slight touch of mango fruitness.

The body straddles the border between mild and moderate in terms of weight with a bit of thickness. The carbonation is moderate and not too overwhelming, a stark contrast compared to my observations when first poured.

I found The Ogden to be a very good Tripel style ale. If I were to warrant one major complaint about this beer, I would say that it's very pricey for what it is when you consider the fact it comes in a 4-pack ($15.99 in my area) which makes me thankful I got this as a standalone bottle. All and all, The Ogden is a good representation of the Tripel-style ale and I would recommend checking it out if you're willing to spend a couple extra bucks on a good Tripel.

Goose Island The Ogden - 8.5/10

Goose Island Ten Hills Pale Ale Review

Name: Goose Island Ten Hills Pale Ale
Style: America Pale Ale
ABV: 6.2%

Goose Island Brewing recently added new beer to their lineup called Ten Hill Pale Ale. The story behind the name is the hops, which come from the "first ten hills" at the Elk Mountain Farms in Idaho, a hop farm which supposedly is quite reputable when it comes to making hops. Although upon closer inspection, I found out that Elk Mountain Farms is actually owned by Anhuaser-Busch, which is the parent company of Goose Island.

Also, I don't remember luscious hop farms being THAT close to downtown Chicago. In fact, I'm fairly certain that given the positioning of the skyline in the background, the hop farm would be located right smack-dab between Melrose Park & Lombard and there are definitely no hop farms in that area. Alright, enough nit-picking, let's get to the beer

Ten Hills Pale Ale pours a mildly hazy orange color with a high amount of visible carbonation.The head is quite soapy but the lacing is pretty good.

The nose has some nice orange peel and floral hop notes with some nice caramel sweetness and even a decent pale malt backbone thrown in for good measure.

The flavor is mainly floral hops, pale malts, mild citrus, lemon zest and a mildly bitter/resiny aftertaste but is otherwise fairly dry. The overall palate is pretty lightweight and comes along with some moderate carbonation, giving it a nice crisp feel.

All and all, I think Ten Hills Pale Ale is a solid addition to the Goose Island lineup and it's got a good enough flavor profile that I would have no problem buying this again if given the choice. Check it out for yourself and see what you think.

Goose Island Ten Hills - 8.5/10

Goose Island Pere Jacques Review

Name: Goose Island Pere Jacques
Style: Dubbel
ABV: 8.7%

Happy New Year to everyone! I hope you all had some fun last night and stayed out of trouble; If so, you are already off to a great start. To kick off a brand new year, we're going to review another beer from Keyport's Growler fill station: Goose Island Pere Jacques.

I have been looking for different ways to review beer because it's mainly been cans and bottles. So you could say my New Year's resolution is to review more growler-based beer and that's a resolution we can all get behind.

Pere Jacques pours a ruby orange color with a very fizzy brown head, and no lacing. The carbonation also has a very mild appearance.

The nose has some licorice notes with hints of caramel malts, plums/dark fruits, orange peel, citrus hops and toffee. Pretty malty smelling as far as Dubbels go.

The flavor is a bit more citrus focused than the aroma. I'm getting citrus hops, plums, licorice, and caramel. It's worth pointing out that it doesn't taste as robust as the nose leads you to believe.

It's got a pretty heavy body paired with some lightly carbonation. It doesn't quite give it a creamy feel but it's fairly easy to drink.

While it gives a great first impression and despite having a decent taste, the flavor leaves something more to be desired. I feel that with a bit more robust flavor, this would be a fantastic Dubbel.

Goose Island Pere Jacques - 7.5/10

Goose Island The Illinois Review

Name: Goose Island The Illinois
Style: Imperial IPA
ABV: 8.4%

You're all probably scratching your heads right now as to why I have a picture of a growler instead of a bottle above. A couple of weeks ago over in neighboring Superior, WI at a little place called Keyport Liquor introduced their very own growler fill station like the one located at Casanova in Hudson, WI.
Since Minnesota law prohibits you from filling a brewery's growler with another brewery's beer, this is considered to be quite a novelty amongst Minnesota craft beer drinkers.

Now keep in mind that Keyport doesn't quite have the selection of Casanova, missing breweries like Toppling Goliath, Ale Asylum, Three Floyds, and so forth. Right now, they have some pretty good stuff Milwaukee Brewing, Southern Tier, Sierra Nevada, Bell's, and Goose Island.

Named after Frank Lloyd Weber's vision of a mile high skyscraper called "The Illinois", we have a growler of Goose Island's The Illinois. To my understanding, it was supposedly only brewed once and it's only available on draft. Since I now have a growler, it's time to give this a proper review.

The Illinois pours a clear orange color with a fairly filmy head. The lacing left behind is pretty good and the carbonation has a very mild appearance.

The nose opens up to a fairly sweet apricot aroma with hints of piney hops, grapefruits and mild caramel maltiness. Not too overwhelming and rather mellow smelling for an Imperial IPA.

A bitter citrus hoppiness greets the palate upon drinking mixed in with some peaches, apricots and mild caramel malts. The aftertaste leaves behind a bitter resin/piney hop flavor. Flavor isn't mild but it isn't vibrant either. The body is quite heavy in terms of weight and the carbonation is has more of a moderate intensity.

The Illinois is a pretty good Imperial IPA. It may not be as robust as other beers of the same style but it's quite smooth and you definitely aren't making a bad choice by trying this out!

Goose Island The Illinois - 8.5/10

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout Review

Name: Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 14.9%

Right now we are in the midst of what I consider to be the worst snowstorm that I have ever experienced in my life. Everything from high winds to accumulating snow; From reckless drivers to poor snow plowing jobs, this storm has it all! Since I was let out of work early today due to our wonderful weather, I decided to spend the afternoon playing some Diablo 3 and having a couple of beers.

Since I have no plans tonight other than to just hang out and ponder my existence among the swirling winds of Lake Superior, I figured now would be a good time to review another beer from my bucket list. I'm talking about Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout! You'd think that it would be almost impossible to get but there seems to be a steady supply this year! The first thing that caught my eye was the ABV, which comes in at 14.9%. For comparison sake, Rum-Chata, my favorite liqueur, clocks in at 13.8%.

Now a disclaimer before I begin this review: I have had this beer once before at the Goose Island Wrigleyville taproom in Chicago but I never gave it a proper review. By the way, if you ever find yourself there, they have great food but it's pricey; Hey it's Chicago after all!

Bourbon County Stout pours a pitch black color with a filmy brown head that fades rather quickly. There also isn't really much in terms of lacing and the carbonation visible is quite high.

While it isn't anything special in the looks department, the nose is quite different. Here there are potent vanilla, oak, chocolate nibs, cherries and roasted malts. It's worth pointing out that while the aroma is quite robust, it's also very strong smelling in an almost boozy sort of way and it's no surprise when you consider the ABV.

The flavor is very vanilla and chocolate forward with oak, cherries, and roasted malts. The bourbon characteristic here is also very strong and makes itself known in the flavor, which has a boozy kick to it. The aftertaste is a mix of sweet vanilla and roasted malts.

The body is pretty heavy and thick and the carbonation ranges from mild to moderate. In terms of palate feel, you shouldn't have too much difficulty drinking this.

If you have been paying attention to my review, I shouldn't have to tell you that this is best enjoyed in moderation because this is an Imperial Stout that will grab you by the neck collar, throw you onto a table, run you across the length of the table and toss you into a wall, which then it'll proceed to laugh at you and flick a cigarette in your direction. With that said, it is quite robust and will please anyone who's looking for a stronger Imperial Stout.


Goose Island Bourbon County Stout - 9.5/10

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Review

Name: Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale

Style: Wheat Beer

ABV: 4.2%

Goose Island Brewing loves to make it known that they are a Chicago-based brewery, despite contract brewing some of their highest selling beers out of state though they still continue to operate in Chicago and continue to make beers in their original location.

For those who are not familiar with Chicago, 312 is the area code which the city uses and is used by the majority of residents in Cook County. It's either that or 773, which is used primarily in the surrounding suburbs and/or counties.

While it bears the area code in which I once resided, it doesn't remind me of Chicago as much as Honker's Ale does. In any case, let's take a look.

It starts off with a hazy yellow color with a soapy head, with a high amount of carbonation and decent lacing along the sides of the glass.

The aroma has a strong cereal grain scent with wheat, pale malts, grassiness, slight floral hop notes and some mild skunkiness.

The taste is mostly cereal grains, pale malts, some slight wheat notes and mild earthiness. The hops present in the nose are nowhere to be seen here. Aftertaste is a mixture of grains and pale malt sweetness. Tastes more like an adjunct lager than a wheat beer, in my opinion.

Body feels a bit heavy with some rather strong carbonation. Doesn't feel all that good considering the flavor.

If you're looking for a good wheat, this one will disappoint you in almost every way because it tastes more like a Bud than a Wheat Beer.

Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat - 4/10

Goose Island 25th Anniversary ESB Review

Name: Goose Island 25th Anniversary ESB
Style: English Special Bitter
ABV: 6.4%

It would appear that many major breweries around the country right now are celebrating their 25th year in business and Goose Island Brewing is no exception to this. So to celebrate, they have released an ESB (English Special Bitter) to mark the occasion. Most beers in this category tend to be in the mid 5% ABV range; This one comes in at 6.4%. Also unlike Honker's Ale, which is now contract brewed out of Fort Collins, CO thanks to the purchase by AB-InBev, this one appears to be brewed right in The Windy City.

25th Anniversary pours a clear orange color with a foamy white head. The lacing initially appears to be somewhat lacking but it does leave behind a rather abundant amount. There's also some mild carbonation visible here as well.

The nose is fairly citra-hop forward with some caramelized malts, grapefruits, and some yeastiness. For an ESB, it's rather hoppy & fruity with all things considered.

It's got a mildly bitter piney hop taste upfront along with some citrus hops, roasted barley and grapefruit notes. There's also some mild malty & biscuit/yeasty flavor in here, but it's overshadowed by the hop and fruity notes.

The body has some weight to it and the carbonation is in the middle in terms of intensity, which allows you to take in those extra flavors.

For an ESB, it's very hoppy. As such, it does feel a bit imbalanced because of the sheer hoppiness which makes it a bit harder to recommend. Still it's a pretty good beer but not exactly one that I would go out of my way to try again.

Goose Island 25th Anniversary ESB - 7.5/10

Goose Island Honker's Ale Review

Name: Goose Island Honker's Ale
Style: English Bitter
ABV: 4.3%

Goose Island Brewing brings back a flood of memories for myself when I lived in Chicago. No matter where you went in The Windy City, you could find this beer (amongst many others) at pretty much any bar and restaurant in the Chicagoland area. In fact, for quality purposes, I would recommend reading this review while listening to the song below because Chicago is a pretty awesome place plus this song, like the beer, reminds me of Chicago.

I remember having this very beer for the first time at Giordano's along Rush Street about a block from Michigan Ave. We were waiting for our deep dish pizza to finish up when a buddy of mine recommended that we have a beer while we wait and Honker's Ale was his recommendation. I thought it was pretty good at the time and we ended up having a couple more pints to go along with our meal.

But there is however a bittersweet anecdote to all of this. You see Goose Island was bought out by AB-InBev in 2011 and while I personally don't think it's hurt the overall quality of the products, Honker's Ale is now contract brewed out of Fort Collins, CO but their more specialty beers like Bourbon County and Pepe Nero are still brewed in Chicago at least to my understanding.

Honker's Ale pours a copper color with an amber hue and a slight hazy appearance. There is a high amount of carbonation and a semi-foamy head.

The nose has a semi-pungent yeast and bready scent with a slight floral hop aroma and some pale malts to go along with it.

Like-wise the flavor is fairly comparable to that of the aroma but with a slightly more profound yeasty/biscuity notes.

The body is moderately carbonated which slowly subsides and it's a pretty light weighted beer. It also has a pretty crisp and refreshing feel to it, adding to the overall drinkability.

This is by no means a complex tasting beer, but it manages to still be a good one. It's one of those beers that's perfect for any occasion and I'm happy to say that despite the InBev purchase, this still is as good as I remember it. Like the label says: You'll look forward to it time and time again!

Goose Island Honker's Ale - 8/10

Top 10 Beers I would like to try out (Part 2 & New Format)

Continuing on with the Top 10 Beer list from my previous post, it's now time to reveal the second half of my list. I've also changed up the format just to see how it works out so if you absolutely hate it and want it changed back, just let me know. Anyways, onwards with the list!


5) Russian River Pliny The Elder

Any craft beer fan knows that Russian River's Pliny the Elder needs no introduction. Widely regarded as one of the best beers in America multiple times, people will regularly form lines or camp outside the brewery just to get their hands on what many consider to be the Holy Grail of Craft Beer....

So why isn't this higher on my list? Since Pliny the Elder has so much hype regarding how awesome it is, I start to question if it actually does live up to the hype or not. In my past experiences, I've had similar experiences with movies, TV shows and even video games which have had hype surrounding how great it is. When I finally get around to experiencing it, I occasionally will come to the conclusion "Wait, THIS what everyone has been talking?" With that in mind, I would like to try this out one day. Since Russian River's is distributed in places very far away from me and I have no beer loving friends in California, it may be a while before I finally get to try it out.


4) Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

When I lived in Chicago, you could pretty much find Goose Island anywhere they had beer. Now I've had this before at the Goose Island Wrigleyville Brewpub and it was a fantastic beer but I never gave it a proper review and I would love to have some more again. I do know it's distribution is sporadic but it's not impossible to find. I will try to keep my eyes peeled for this in the future; Ya know, for science!


3) Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine

If you know me, I love my Barleywines, and I love my barrel aged beers. Central Waters Brewing offers the best of both worlds with this Barleywine. I think obtaining this will be a bit easier for a couple of reasons. The first is that they are located in neighboring Wisconsin and they distribute here to Minnesota. The second reason is that I've actually seen this on shelves in Minnesota so it's a matter of being at the right place at the right time.



2) Cigar City Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout

A couple years ago, I did a beer trade with a friend of mine who lives in Florida. I sent him some Surly and in exchange he sent me some beers from Cigar City Brewing, which the only major craft brewer in South Florida. When I tried them out, I was blown away with how good it was, especially the Jai Alai IPA & Cubano-Style Espresso Brown Ale. It wasn't until after I looked into Cigar City's lineup that I saw Marshal Zhukov's Imperial Stout; Knowing how awesome my beers from Cigar City were, I knew I had to try to get my hands on this. Hopefully I can arrange something in the near future but for the time being, it's a no-go.



1) Firestone Walker Double Jack

Firestone Walker has been at the top of my list of breweries to try out ever since I got into craft beer, but they currently do not distribute to the Midwest, they are only distributing West of the Rocky Mountains at this time. If I had access to Firestone Walker, this would be my first beer to try out because I love my Imperial IPAs like no one's business.


I hope you enjoyed reading because I enjoyed sharing this list with you. I have other obligations I must attend to at this time, but look out for a review later tonight!

Cheers!