I stopped at my favorite beer store here in Ohio Thursday night to pick up a few IPA’s. I was just about done when I saw it, Tasty Crack Cans! I grabbed be some Hell or High Watermelon, and Brew Free or Die. Had the watermelon, and it great. Gonna go try the IPA now. Good job Shawn!!! Now I know what all the hype on TBN is about.
I find the IPA sickeningly sweet, personally. If you want good canned beer, look out for Caldera beers from Ashland, OR.
Found them in PA and bought a case of IPA it last week. I don’t think it is a bad beer at all, but certainly not an A list IPA. I might buy it again if the situation called for it (like it I was heading out to the pool or back packing or something) but wouldn’t go out of my way for it.
Still have not cracked my can of IPA, but will tonight before heading back to Idaho in the morning. Bummed out to hear it’s sweet. Sure love me some dry IPA.
Relax and enjoy the beer, Weaz. It is far from horrible. “Sweet” is relative. I agree that it is not dry enough for my tastes, but it’s a good enough IPA to enjoy. I do think it is hyped a little more than deserved. Strictly my .02.
In SF, Brew Free or Die is often on sale, making it a really good deal for a commercial IPA (particularly since buying it locally means it is really, really fresh). I don’t find it too sweet. Pretty tasty for an everyday brew.
I had this beer again last night (still have several cans left) and it does have a little mroe sweetness than I care for in my IPA, personally. Perhaps it has some dark caramel malts in there, and I generally don’t care for dark caramel malts in my IPAs, personally. But I think freshness is the key here - this beer should have never been shipped across the country. There is little hop flavor or aroma, some unpleasant bitterness and a heavy malt sweetness that is not in balance.
I would like to try this beer again - the next time I in in California. I would not pick it up locally again.
I’ve bought a few sixpacks of Brew Free and Die locally (it’s brewed in this city) and though it is on the sweeter side of IPAs, when fresh its hop flavor is quite pronounced and it’s a refreshing, non-caramelly beer. I keep trying to carve out a weekend night when we can get to their restaurant and have their beer on draft.
I can’t bring myself to buy watermelon wheat…
Are you buying it in cans and where are they brewed? IIRC the cans sold in PA are brewed in MN by Cold Spring.
Of the three sold in PA, I liked Monks Blood the most.
I didn’t realize it was contract brewed. IMO they fudged up the IPA.
AFIK, all canned 21st Ammendment beers are brewed @ Coldspring.
There was some PR on a few blogs when the cans were first released that they flew out to MN to ensure that the beers coming off the line were to their satisfaction.
Everyone likes it in the can.
I’ve had Watermelon Wheat, BFD IPA, and Monk’s Blood…all were great. What a great packaging too. Lighter, non-breakable…now if we could just figure out how to do this at home cheaply, think how much we can save on shipping to competitions.
I have looked into canning operations for our brewery and, its not cheap, especially since you have to order a literal truck load of cans! Trying fitting that in your garage. 