I was pleasantly surprised by Sammy A's Barrel Room Collection. I had put them off my radar assuming the only beer they put out I would really enjoy would be the out of my price range Utopias. They Nailed it in my opinion, full of body and flavors and did not break they bank... any thoughts?
I liked the tripel and stony brook a lot when they first came out. I've purchased the Stony Brook probably 5 times since then, because its a decent budget sour, but I do (and I cant believe I'm saying this) feel like it's changed quite a bit since it first came out. It doesn't taste quite as good or complex as I remember it being in the first few bottles I had. It's certainly possibly my palate/taste has changed... just my 2 cents.
Generally I have liked the ones I have tried. Stoney Brook Red is probably my favorite, 13th Hour is OK, and my wife likes the New World Tripel. I have mixed feelings about the New World Tripel. Got two bottles from dinner guests. We had one relatively fresh and it was pretty tasty. It did not fare well with age - color and flavor were both shot. Not undrinkable, just a significant drop off in my opinion. Whether they "nailed it" or not will be a matter of debate, but as far as being pretty decent stuff at a reasonable price I'd agree with that.
I've had both the Stoney Brook Red and Thieteenth hour and found that they were both pretty good beers, easily worth trying if you haven't.
I've generally liked them. Had the 13th Hour, the New World Tripel, and the Stoney Brook. All solid offerings.
I've only had a full bottle of the Thirteenth hour and I thought it was great. A nice, complex, full flavored beer. I also tried the Tetravis at the brewery and I can't wait for this one to be released. I think the Tetravis might be one of SA's best brews.
Another vote for Stony Brook Red. I like it despite that its name reminds me of my nasty bitch sister in law.
Stony brook red +1. Also like the kriek. Since we are discussing the barrel room collection though I have to say, if you ever get a chance to try the kosmic mother funk straight, do it. I sampled kmf at the ACBF in 2011 and it was great. For those that don't already know, KMF is the sour ale that is blended into all the barrel room beers to in varying amounts.
Delicious. I went to the party at the brewery to open ACBW and it was definitely the tastiest brew I had there. EDIT: The KMF that is.
I've only had the Stony Brook. I enjoyed it, but wasn't overly impressed. It was good enough that I want to check out some of the others. The price definitely makes them worth trying.
