So these are a couple of the cans I picked up this week. The 21st Amendment Brewery has made the investment in a canning line, and beer–good beer–in a can is becoming more mainstream all the time as can technology and canning techniques have improved dramatically, and more breweries are making the investment, I’m sure we will continue to see more and more craft brews in cans. Actually I can guarantee it. See it is less expensive to can beer than it is to bottle it, so I’m certain that we will see a shift. Only the corked beers will continue to be sold in bottles…this is my prediction.
Ok, so I picked these up as well as a couple of Monks Blood Belgian Ales also in cans. I’ve been hearing so much about the 21st Amendment brewery and their beers, when my local beer store (Brewforia in Boise, for my Boise readers) got theirs in I just had to run down and pick some up. I also picked up the Three Philosophers and some sort of axle grease stout that I will be drinking tonight with my buddy in Twin Falls. Headed there shortly for a day of hard labor.
I also picked up a bottle of Van Winkles Family Reserve Rye that I am bring for tonight as well. I picked that up because I have so far had a pretty bad rye experience with the Old Overholt that I reviewed a couple months back, and I figured if I spent $60 on a bottle of rye it ought to be pretty damn good. I wasn’t disappointed either. You can look for my review of that in the next couple of weeks. So what did you pick up this week? Or perhaps you are planning to get something after payday, what are you planning on? Let us know, we’re interested to hear about what will be coming up in your world as well. Have a great rest of your week everybody you’re just about over the hump!
-Don and Jim
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Nice cans! Seriously, like the design. Was going to head down to @brewforia to pick me up some 21st Amendment myself. The watermelon scares me a little. Not a big fan of fruit in wheats. But definitely want to try some of their brews.
Can or bottle is a BIG discussion. Kinda like box wine vs bottled wine. Maybe you need another post just devoted to that.
I’ve heard that the watermellon is super subtle, but I’m with you Chad, as I’m not a big fan of wheat beers to begin with.
I think that cans will remain a novelty in craft beer for quite a while. I appreciate them (I love Dale’s Pale Ale) but it’s tough to pay a premium for canned beer, even if it has practical advantages.
I’m not a huge fan of wheat beers either, but I thought the watermelon may complement the wheat rather nicely. I’m going to open it up tonight at my friends house. I’m thinking his wife might enjoy it.
We talk a lot about it here. Especially lately with good brews in cans like ten fidy and old chub from Oskar Blues. Big Sky is also canning Moose Drool and Trout Slayer, too bad the beer inside isn’t that great. I’m not a huge fan of fruity beers either, but I can’t help but be drawn to them since I love all fruit! I’m hoping the Monk’s Blood is good. I’ve hear a lot of good things about it.
I’ve been tempted to try the 21st Amendment beers…curious to see what you think after you’ve tried them. There’s another brewery here on the east coast that cans their beer – SlyFox out of Pennsylvania. I agree that canning will be the norm someday.
As for what I picked up for the week, I finally got my hands on Troegs Nugget Nectar and had me a taste last night. Not sure what all the hype is about but it was good, not great. I do have another bomber and look forward to having another taste. I also picked up Lagunitas Cappucino Stout. For the Super Bowl, I am going to get my growler filled at a local brewery (Cricket Hill) – not sure what I’ll get. They specialize in session beers.
Session and growler go together nicely unless you are sharing! Jim got some Nugget Nectar too. He might have posted about it today, not sure. I know he has something put up. Cans are the wave of the future for sure. very recyclable and portable for a more active lifestyle. Not to mention cheaper and better way to package beer!
I liked the Nugget Nectar-it almost had a peachy flavor in the first sip. That or I’m imagining things. Either way, I enjoyed it.
I’ve heard the label on the bottle is kind of peachy colored too. I wonder if it is subliminal?
I think may be subliminal. Or they knew the taste was there and chose the color of the packaging and the “nectar” name intentionally.
I’ll choose the “on purpose answer above, as otherwise I’m a weak minded loser!
You said it….not me.
Yes, tasted the peach flavor right away. It was a “nice” beer – I wouldn’t go crazy searching it out. I was expected more of a bite – it kind of wimped out; almost tasted like Magic Hat #9. The label is very peachy in color…you’re onto something there Don with the subliminal thing.
Perfectly put – it’s a “nice” beer, and I think a really well made one. It’s not like Mad Elf (oh Mad Elf, why do you only come but once a year!) which is a big, bold, sweetie of a beer, but it’s still a quality brew that’s a little unique. I got a six pack of it on Friday, and that’ll probably do it for me.
Three Philosophers is a nice brew. Van Winkle. Yum! Another awesome Buffalo Trace offering. When I lived in KY, I used to get 54 gallon barrels from Jim Beam. Normally, there would be 1/2 to a 1/4 gallon of uncut bourbon left (not bad for $10). I would take that bourbon and filter it through my coffee pot. Then I bought a $30 barrel from Buffalo Trace that had been for that Rye you are talking about. I put about 3 gallons of Jim Beam into the Rye barrel and left it sit for a few months. At the end, I had about 2 gallons of wonderfully strong and uncut bourbon. After that, I put about 2 gallons of water per barrel for about 2 weeks and made some lemon-aid from the 20% ABV water. Then I sold the barrels to people that wanted them for the same price I got them. It was awesome…that’s one of the things I missed most about KY.
It’s obvious who is a brewer when you read some of these comments! That lemonade sounds tasty, Mike. Hmmm…Mike’s Hard Lemonade…you might have been on to something.
It wasn’t cloying like the commercial product of the same name. It was nice and sour…plus, extremely sneaky. We loved it.
WOW! The benefits of being from the Motherland! Great job Mike!
I think canning may be the way of the future. As a process, its going to have some difficulties meeting the ease of bottling, but you’ve got to love the ease of drinking. Its going to have some of the hurdles to overcome that the synthetic cork and screw-top wine bottles have dealt with. There’s a brewery in Michigan that can’s also, and while I wouldn’t say its top of the line stuff, it’s great session beer.
Oskar Blues has shown me that cans are as good or better than bottles (less light and air exchange), so the practicality of cans makes all the sense in the world. However, I paid $14.25 for a four pack of Ten Fidy a few weeks back, and couldn’t help but thinking it was a bit dear for four cans of beer. Of course $14.25 is a lot to pay for four 12oz imperial stouts of any kind, but still, I think the cans played a part in my thinking. That’s the real hurdle – overcoming the perception / expectation that cans bring with them.
Right, and it’s not like the current “Best method of serving” (kegging) isn’t done in aluminum anyway, because it is. It doesn’t taint the beer at all. I think it could work.
Oh, I agree that cans are superior. Except when it comes to shelf appeal.
Yes, but if you are a beer store owner they are more convenient.
Hell or High Watermelon was the only canned beer I’ve had other than Guinness in recent memory. I think cans make perfect sense but there’s just something about beer from a bottle that will be hard to let go of. For the Watermelon beer, I thought it was great for the summer and didn’t think it was too fruity. I’d get it again.
I picked it up just because I picked up everything they had from 21st amendment. I figured why not. I had a Monks Blood last night and it was very good!