Golden Ale

I really enjoy going to a new liquor store and finding bottles of beer I'd never heard of before. This bottle of The Bruery Mischief came from a liquor store in Maryland I visited over the weekend. I've had a couple beers from The Bruery before but I've never seen this one on a menu or at a liquor store. The label says the Mischief is a Belgian-style Ale, golden & hoppy. Sounds good to me. I haven't had a bad beer from The Bruery yet, but they have all been, more-or-less, Saison style ales. I'm hoping this Mischief will be something a little different.

16 Mile is a tiny brewery in Georgetown, Delaware. It's a brewery I'd never heard of from a place I'd never heard of until I moved to Delaware about a month ago. I'd only heard a few mentions of 16 Mile in passing and the reviews were decidedly mixed, so I figured I'd give them a shot and see for myself. The first thing worth mentioning about 16 Mile is that their beers are pretty easy to spot. They come in big 22oz aluminum bottles and are priced about two or three dollars a bottles. It's pretty cheap, which is actually a downside because most liquor stores have these bottles right next to the macro tall boys where they can get lost toward the bottom of the case.

Odell makes good beer. Not many people who argue that point. The most frustrating and disappointing part of Odell's beers are their price point. Great beers aren't cheap to make, just look at the price tags on Dogfish Head and Russian River bottles. Actually, neither Dogfish or Russian River are available every where so not everyone may be aware of this, but it does bring up yet another point... Great beer is in great demand. $20 a bottle isn't unheard for a bottle of wine, in fact it's even considered a bargain in most circles. For beer however, $20 is a steep barrier to entry for most people. Some of Odell's more premium beers top out at $25 for a 750 at my local liquor store. Honestly, that's a little too premium for me. I'd love to try those beers but I can't commit at that price. This bottle of Deconstruction Golden Ale (which is a more modest $12 or $15 depending on your retailer) has just convinced me I need to save up for Odells highest tier of ales.