Let's Remember Some Beers (In Memoriam: Old Whales)

[Lutter]

Sounds familiar.

There's a big difference between a gigantic, profitable brewpub in Downtown Chicago and a ~1500 sq ft bar with a 1BBL system in a strip mall tho.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Wasnt Stonewall Ale the only thing Stone ever released that became highly sought after?

Wait, nevermind who could forget VE 02-02-02 hah

LEL Diagonal Epic.

I seem to remember a few anniversary beers having some shine on them. Bitter Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, maybe?

Stonewall was really good the one time I tried it at a few years old.

Yeah, Stonewall was *the* rare/good one from Stone.

 

[pugsandsuds]

Wasnt Stonewall Ale the only thing Stone ever released that became highly sought after?

Wait, nevermind who could forget VE 02-02-02 hah

The first 500 mL BA beer they did was a big deal from what I remember. That one might have wound up being infected (seems like most of their BA releases were) but I think there was a lottery/pre-trade/excitement mentality for it.

 

[jivex5k1]

The Funky Buddha Lounge (where the RX labels are from) is still alive, well, and not part of the Constellation sale (that was Funky Buddha Brewery, which is a separate facility that had the same owners).

They still brew their own beer as "The Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery" well as having "Funky Buddha Brewery" (from Pompano Beach, now under Constellation ownership) beers on as "Guest Taps".

http://thefunkybuddha.com/beer/

They even make Maple Bacon Coffee Porter themselves and market as "MBCP". Heh. I do think part of their agreement was that they do not distribute so as to confuse consumers (also last time I checked they were still on a 1BBL system).... but that weird little brewery/homebrew shop/hookah lounge is indeed alive and well.

Lutter, that was my hang out for years. I saw it go from awesome to terrible and it's a ghost of what it was. To suggest it's alive and well is laughable, they don't even get the open mic crowd like they used to.
Their most popular night is the dungeons and dragons night that happens once a month, just let that sink in.

It all started when Oakland opened, the head brewer, Kevin left and went to barrel of Monks. He's the one who made those Rx bottles. They still had Morgan after that and the beer survived but eventually he left too and went to salt water. He had been working with a new brewer, also named Kevin, and he was able to fill the shoes. In fact he even brought the berliners back up to snuff which used to be brewed by a guy named Phil who randomly stopped helping them. Well the pattern continues, Kevin left and also went to barrel of Monks and then we enter the realm of Donald..

Donald had some okay beers, but the staff was still really cool to chill with. In comes a new manager who causally wrecks the place entirely causing the staff to entirely leave. That made the regulars leave.

Donald went MIA, something related to owing people money, so now Scott is the brewer. He's okay, very nice, but sub par beer. With none of the same quality and the chill bartenders gone they lost the majority of their business.

**** Ryan Sentz, he never paid his Brewers enough, made a fortune off Kevin's beers, and then sold it all. Their beers are complete **** now and I lost my local spot of 4+ years.

 

[FoudreGuy]

Surprised Henry didn't have this pulled from Untappd. Heh.

 

[Lutter]

Lutter, that was my hang out for years. I saw it go from awesome to terrible and it's a ghost of what it was. To suggest it's alive and well is laughable, they don't even get the open mic crowd like they used to.
Their most popular night is the dungeons and dragons night that happens once a month, just let that sink in.

It all started when Oakland opened, the head brewer, Kevin left and went to barrel of Monks. He's the one who made those Rx bottles. They still had Morgan after that and the beer survived but eventually he left too and went to salt water. He had been working with a new brewer, also named Kevin, and he was able to fill the shoes. In fact he even brought the berliners back up to snuff which used to be brewed by a guy named Phil who randomly stopped helping them. Well the pattern continues, Kevin left and also went to barrel of Monks and then we enter the realm of Donald..

Donald had some okay beers, but the staff was still really cool to chill with. In comes a new manager who causally wrecks the place entirely causing the staff to entirely leave. That made the regulars leave.

Donald went MIA, something related to owing people money, so now Scott is the brewer. He's okay, very nice, but sub par beer. With none of the same quality and the chill bartenders gone they lost the majority of their business.

**** Ryan Sentz, he never paid his Brewers enough, made a fortune off Kevin's beers, and then sold it all. Their beers are complete **** now and I lost my local spot of 4+ years.

I honestly haven't physically been inside since before the brewery opened so I didn't know it was that bad.

I've heard about the low pay (at the brewery) from a buddy that used to work at Jester King that worked there for a year or so (that have since left for another S Florida brewery. The cycle continues, heh)

 

[yeahnatenelson]

...He had been working with a new brewer, also named Kevin, and he was able to fill the shoes. In fact he even brought the berliners back up to snuff which used to be brewed by a guy named Phil who randomly stopped helping them.

Was it because they were a profitable business and he was an unpaid "helper"?

 

[stupac2]

Stonewall was really good the one time I tried it at a few years old.

Another one I randomly stumbled onto, it was doing okay last year. Definitely not worth seeking out, though.

The first 500 mL BA beer they did was a big deal from what I remember. That one might have wound up being infected (seems like most of their BA releases were) but I think there was a lottery/pre-trade/excitement mentality for it.

Man I remember that. IIRC my wife and I both scored and we got something nice for the one we traded. Pretty funny how every one of those QMs afterward was a giant "who gives a ****?" That might've been Stone's jumping the shark moment, it certainly feels like nothing they've done afterward (with the possible short exception of "Drink Before") has moved the needle at all. (I'm aware they're still a force with the plebs, but they used to have neckbeard cred!)

 

[sacrelicio]

The first 500 mL BA beer they did was a big deal from what I remember. That one might have wound up being infected (seems like most of their BA releases were) but I think there was a lottery/pre-trade/excitement mentality for it.

Yeah Stygian Descent maybe? I saw that at the store for way to much money recently.

 

[jivex5k1]

Was it because they were a profitable business and he was an unpaid "helper"?

I don't really know why he left or if he was paid. I just remember back in the good days he was friends with Morgan, and Morgan said he did the berliners. It was before the big brewery was opened, I think he stopped before that even happened but I'm not certain. What I do know is after he stopped the berliners stopped being good until the second Kevin figured out how to do sour mashes. He got them down pat and the lounge was still going strong then. The regulars and bartenders were the best and it really did feel like a family. It's sad what it has become. I went last week to check in, the beers were bad and no one was there. The one new bartender that's actually cool said they are rebranding the place soon but who knows.

I made a post here somewhere that says something like I'm sitting in a room with strangers that was about it. Here it is:

So I went to the Funky Buddha Lounge last night...it's dead man. All the bartenders I knew and loved have recently quit due to a new manager being a major pain in the ass. It really sucks, the last manager was awesome but apparently they don't pay for **** at the lounge. There's been a lot of turnover throughout the past 4 years but I think this is the end, and it's kind of sad. Even with the turnover they hired solid people who were down to earth for the most part and liked to ******** about more than beer. That **** is gone.

It used to be like cheers, everyone knew my name, big tips and tons of comp'd beers, no need to hold a card or any of that ****, it's all gone now. I walk in to some guy I've never seen before in an empty bar and asks for my card up front, it's all just crumbling to ash.

The golden lining is the homebrew store it's attached to is still nice, the brewer works there and he's a down to earth dude. I hope they get enough business to keep it open.

Reading this post it kind of sounds like I'm overreacting to having my card taken up front, but there's a palpable change about. No longer is grateful dead or bone thugs n harmony playing over the radio... Instead it's some sad, slow jazz with the lights so dim they suck the energy right out of the room. I'm in a dark room filled with strangers now, one more beer closer to my grave.

That was from 2016, it's gotten worse since then.

 

[sacrelicio]

I never got in too heavy with whalez but I remember when Darkness was a pretty big deal. And the 750ml waxed New Glarus fruits (AKA "sours") were straight currency for awhile there. And PseudoSue bombers.

 

[lb304854]

The batch 1 750s of Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th. rmalinowski4 got an all-timer of a haul for that I believe. I got a little less but still far too much in retrospect.

 

[matedog]

All this Stone talk and I realized I had totally forgotten about those Berlin collaborations. Turns out a bunch already came out and the feedback is generally good not great. It totally fell off my radar and I haven't heard anything since they actually started being released.

 

[flexabull]

This thread! I'm going to have to post some pics tonight.

 

[ExPimp]

Found some old pictures....


First Belgian haul from 2007

My beer fridge from April 2009.

Beer fridge later that year

My 1st "white whale" tasting from when I actually had whales. Pretty much everyone at this share has "quit" beer, lol.

 

[BeersMorgan]

I think it was 2011? when I started trying to tick the BA Top 250 at the time. Got it down to these 32 left after finally ticking Cuvee de Castleton when it hit Boston a couple months ago. Slow and steady.

Brute is still one of my favorite beers I've ever had. Man I would love to go back to that bottle.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

I think it was 2011? when I started trying to tick the BA Top 250 at the time. Got it down to these 32 left after finally ticking Cuvee de Castleton when it hit Boston a couple months ago. Slow and steady.

Brute is still one of my favorite beers I've ever had. Man I would love to go back to that bottle.

Checked out the Top 250 that imperialking had printed off BA a few years back, and when we reviewed it the only ones that I hadn't ticked were Pliney the Younger and Moonlight Reality Czech (both beers I still really want to try).

It did admittedly feel great about 5 years ago though to stop ticking in any form or fashion and just enjoy the experiences.

 

[jivex5k1]

Checked out the Top 250 that imperialking had printed off BA a few years back, and when we reviewed it the only ones that I hadn't ticked were Pliney the Younger and Moonlight Reality Czech (both beers I still really want to try).

It did admittedly feel great about 5 years ago though to stop ticking in any form or fashion and just enjoy the experiences.

How did you cope with losing the false sense of accomplishment it used to provide?

 

[Lutter]

I had a King Henry last year at a bottle share and it made me incredibly depressed.

What was once the best beer I've ever had is just a shell of its' former self.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

How did you cope with losing the false sense of accomplishment it used to provide?

Collecting TalkBeer likes has apparently replaced that sense of accomplishment in my soul.

 

[jivex5k1]

Collecting TalkBeer likes has apparently replaced that sense of accomplishment in my soul.

Yeah that's what I use. I can pump up your numbers if you want.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Yeah that's what I use. I can pump up your numbers if you want.

 

[rmalinowski4]

The batch 1 750s of Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th. rmalinowski4 got an all-timer of a haul for that I believe. I got a little less but still far too much in retrospect.

It was Black Note. You gave me the tip that they were on sale unannounced. I got Isabel Proximus and a fruited lambic, maybe Hommage or Fou. Opened the Izzy at DLD. Good Times.

 

[brian4beer]

I think it was 2011? when I started trying to tick the BA Top 250 at the time. Got it down to these 32 left after finally ticking Cuvee de Castleton when it hit Boston a couple months ago. Slow and steady.

Brute is still one of my favorite beers I've ever had. Man I would love to go back to that bottle.

That apple brandy huna growler was crazy good

 

[lb304854]

It was Black Note. You gave me the tip that they were on sale unannounced. I got Isabel Proximus and a fruited lambic, maybe Hommage or Fou. Opened the Izzy at DLD. Good Times.

Oh yeah, it was me who packaged Black Note and BB Plead batch 1 for waelz.

 

[fogindex]

Don't remember the full story, but it was a Quad aged in Red Wine Barrels with Sour Cherries added to it that I believe Peter Hooey brewed for his daughter's birthday.

I remember when I finally got to taste it with Dunt and dvelcich quite a few years ago, and it was spectacular. Tasted like Three Philosophers with a much bigger body and richer finish and was absurdly complex.

I remember when I used to trade IrishGurl4 (pretty sure that was her handle on BA) for full 12 bottle cases of Odonata Saison as well...

A local bottleshop buyer opened that with some friends at a tasting many years back, was pretty good!
It was on the shelf at CBS (as well as many other Odonata bottles) for much longer than it should have been.

 

[JulianB1]

Oh yeah, it was me who packaged Black Note and BB Plead batch 1 for waelz.

Was OG bottled Black Note in a corked & caged bottle that looked similar to the Expedition logo, or am I just imagining seeing such a thing on the BA profile page for the beer back in the day? To be clear, I don't mean the c&c 750s that were released around 2012/13 or so and have basically the same label as the current ones.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

Was OG bottled Black Note in a corked & caged bottle that looked similar to the Expedition logo, or am I just imagining seeing such a thing on the BA profile page for the beer back in the day? To be clear, I don't mean the c&c 750s that were released around 2012/13 or so and have basically the same label as the current ones.

IIRC, Black Note was a draft-only beer for it's first few iterations and at some point there was some employee bottle fills and Expedition Stout labels were thrown on, a little bit like 2003 BCBS.

 

[JulianB1]

IIRC, Black Note was a draft-only beer for it's first few iterations and at some point there was some employee bottle fills and Expedition Stout labels were thrown on, a little bit like 2003 BCBS.

That actually makes a lot of sense heh. Yeah I knew it was available on draft for a while, in fact a growler of it was the big "draw" at one of the first bottle shares I attended, for the birthday of an online acquaintance who's now a good friend. I wasn't 100% sold on driving 90 minutes to a bar to hang with people that I'd only talked to online (now I'll drive 16 hours and do that) until he mentioned (using an easily-deciphered riddle "dark musical symbol" or something like that) he was bringing that and Curmudgeon's Better Half (which I had then - late 2012 - and don't believe I've had since). I practically sprinted to the car and hit the road. I'd recently gotten back from a trip to the west coast so I brought a fresh Pliny and a bottle of Sucaba. Everyone was totally jazzed to try both, especially the Pliny which practically earned me god status that night.

I know it's been said several times already in this thread, but: man, simpler times.

 

[wuntrikpony]

Collecting TalkBeer likes has apparently replaced that sense of accomplishment in my soul.