LMAO

I don't have an opinion of them as being like a macrobrewery but, like you, I opt for other things almost every single time. I think they make very average beers much of the time. I was very impressed with their Noble Pils, however.

Yup. I had a Hop Hound Amber Wheat(Michelob) last week that was an absolute pathetic attempt.

Uh, yeah. Definitely not me. My name has a capital A, and I'm not pregnant.

Their Noble Pils is great. I'm probably in the minority, but the Blackberry Wit was good as well. The Impy stout was average, and the Imperial Wit was not that great.

I think part of the source of my impression is the fact that Sam Adams brews in multiple breweries around the country. It just doesn't seem like you should be able to call yourself a craft brewery when you get big enough to have multiple breweries.

That said, New Belgium is starting to get up there in size, too, and I still try theirs quite a bit. So maybe I'm just a homer.

Interesting factoid I just learned from Wikipedia: Sam Adams is currently the largest American-owned brewery. That doesn't mean it's the largest brewery in the US, though - it's just that all the big ones are owned by international companies.

That's a fair point. I've heard talk of New Belgium planning a second brewing facility, too. Somehow Sierra Nevada still makes all their (mostly great) beers in one facility and they are second only to Boston Brewing Co. in sales amongst craft breweries.

Yeah, NBB has been actively considering opening up a brewery in California for a couple years now. From my NBB insider friend, the big hangup is that they're really big on company culture, and they're not sure if they can replicate that culture anywhere else. Fort Collins pretty much IS New Belgium in terms of culture these days.

I didn't care for the Noble Pils. I think I'm going to go open my other Blackberry Wit, though.

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I like their Mothership Wit.

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I'm actually not much of a fan of that one. Too "spice-y" for me.

This is as good a place as any to throw props out to Reaper for suggesting I hit Flying Saucer in P&L. I tried beers that I couldn't even pronounce, and they were all damned good.

BONUS FACTOID - The waitress working behind the bar had the patrons laugh at a guy that ordered a pitcher of Coors Light.