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

[jmgrub]

I traded for a six pack of Duck Rabbit Porter once. I was super pumped. Turned out it was all infected.

I think the trade was with ASUBeer but could be misremembering.

ASUBeer answer for Duck Rabbit's sins.

 

[dimensionx]

I'm not that old money but I think the fact that these things are approximately as valuable on the secondary market as the still-relevant old whales is just absurd. First, they all taste the same. Second, they don't seem to take any particular special talent to brew well (see first point). Third, they're just going to keep getting made over and over, who cares if you're getting "Maple bacon chocolate ice cream banana smoothie latte" b1 vs b2? Finally, with the old whales there was some sense that the value was based on something. Sure, Framboos '99 probably wasn't any better than a recent RdG (never tried it so I dunno) but it was going to be different and it was objectively hard to find. The old gueuzes, at least a lot of the ones I've had, really were pretty different from comparable beers, and most tasted fantastic. Was Blauw really, like, 100X better than some 10 euro gueuze? No, of course not. But you couldn't find something that tasted like Blauw in a store, and I don't believe that's true of the pastry craze.

"You like what you like" and all that. If people like these, great! You do you. Based on what I've stumbled across I think they're fine and don't seek them out (unless it's like, "show up to a not-very-crowded bar" or something), to each their own. What I don't get is going completely batshit insane over them when they're just so... experientially fungible.

It is kind of an interesting reaction to some of these original whale beers. Some of the original whales were a product of a newly connected nationwide fanbase, thanks to the internet, and weren't actually special beers, others were pretty groundbreaking and sometimes even good.

On the other hand the pastry stout is an infinitely repeatable and easily replicated style that can have any ++flavor added to it with little effort by any brewery. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I'm a little bit disappointed when I see people freaking out over what is clearly a cash grab fueled by new brewery hype and manufactured rarity. Also I think they taste like dog **** ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[jmgrub]

Upright and Block 15 still make great beers that are desirable, they just aren't hyped up outside of the region which is a-ok with me.

Block 15 makes great beers across the board. Have crushed Golden Ticket, Animal Cookies and Sticky Hands - Tropical Slam all in the last two weeks (thanks winthrop), and they were fantastic.

Upright is my favorite brewery in Portland, and I think they make the best saisons/farmhouse ales on the West Coast (fite me Holy Mountain fanboys).

 

[Padraig]

I hope (against all odds) that Baltic Porter is the next hype style.

Kind of has been for a while in Europe courtesy of the ones coming out of Poland which is now the EU’s equivalent of Florida in terms of locals hyping the **** out of their breweries.


https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/country/poland/163/

 

[ASUBeer]

I traded for a six pack of Duck Rabbit Porter once. I was super pumped. Turned out it was all infected.

I think the trade was with ASUBeer but could be misremembering.

ASUBeer answer for Duck Rabbit's sins.

Woah. I’m pretty sure we did that trade back in the BA days.

Duck Rabbit went through a bad patch of infection issues. Sorry about that.

 

[jmgrub]

Woah. I’m pretty sure we did that trade back in the BA days.

Duck Rabbit went through a bad patch of infection issues. Sorry about that.

I was ******* with you.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

yeahnatenelson this might be the best beer centric post I've read anywhere in the past few years.

Well done.

 

[ASUBeer]

I was ******* with you.

Oh, I know. I probably didn’t need to quote you but I was just so overly excited to get mentioned twice in a thread that I couldn’t help myself.

 

[yeahnatenelson]

yeahnatenelson this might be the best beer centric post I've read anywhere in the past few years.

Well done.

Thanks! I attribute my success to being old and washed.

 

[jmgrub]

Kind of has been for a while in Europe courtesy of the ones coming out of Poland which is now the EU’s equivalent of Florida in terms of locals hyping the **** out of their breweries.


https://www.ratebeer.com/beer/country/poland/163/

Would be down to tick some hype Baltic Porters.

 

[JCastle1]

Upright
Block15

******* love both of these.

 

[KevSal]

I drank an OG (2005?) Upland Raspberry a couple of years ago and it was insanely good, nowhere near as sour as most of their *fresh* beer has been over the past 5 years, and a ton of tart unripe raspberry flavor. Blew my expectations away, I was expecting something acidic enough to dissolve a corpse.

one of the best america. sours i ever had was a 2009 strawberry upland lambic that eikhcsel brought to a tasting back in 2013/2014 maybe? jtmartino and i pretty much solo’d it, absolutely amazing

 

[JCastle1]

I drank an OG (2005?) Upland Raspberry a couple of years ago and it was insanely good, nowhere near as sour as most of their *fresh* beer has been over the past 5 years, and a ton of tart unripe raspberry flavor. Blew my expectations away, I was expecting something acidic enough to dissolve a corpse.

Never been much of a fan but their new stuff is really great. Surprised by how much I enjoyed them, would definitely buy again.

 

[JCastle1]

Speaking of Block 15, some of their Cellar Stash series beers were real nice gems. Anyone remember how great Tropical Storm was fresh?!?! That beer did not hold up with age though.

My god, still one of my favorites of all time. Still waiting for the rebrew they promised

 

[JulianB1]

one of the best america. sours i ever had was a 2009 strawberry upland lambic that eikhcsel brought to a tasting back in 2013/2014 maybe? jtmartino and i pretty much solo’d it, absolutely amazing

I'm curious when Upland's stuff really kicked into that enamel-ripping gear that they are so infamous for now. One of the first Upland sours I ever tried was a 2013 Strawberry lambic that dimensionx brought to a share we had at De Garde in the summer of 2014. I was big into those super-sour AWAs at the time so I gave it a good review per Untappd, but I recall a lot of people had micro-pours and didn't go back, and my description of it was that it reminded me of one of those starter salads you'd get at a mid-tier restaurant with blue cheese and a strawberry-balsamic dressing.

 

[dimensionx]

I'm curious when Upland's stuff really kicked into that enamel-ripping gear that they are so infamous for now. One of the first Upland sours I ever tried was a 2013 Strawberry lambic that dimensionx brought to a share we had at De Garde in the summer of 2014. I was big into those super-sour AWAs at the time so I gave it a good review per Untappd, but I recall a lot of people had micro-pours and didn't go back, and my description of it was that it reminded me of one of those starter salads you'd get at a mid-tier restaurant with blue cheese and a strawberry-balsamic dressing.

I remember that. It literally burned my tongue and throat. Haven't had one (or seen one) since. Like 2-3 years prior I had some older blackberry and raspberry "lambic" from them that I remembered fondly.

 

[tehzachatak]

My god, still one of my favorites of all time. Still waiting for the rebrew they promised

Did you bring one of those to a gangbang a bunch of years back? Someone did. I don’t remember it being good, but I think it was already kinda old at that point.

 

[KevSal]

alright, i think it’s time to have an online upland tasting!

maybe they’re magical now lol

 

[JulianB1]

alright, i think it’s time to have an online upland tasting!

maybe their magical now lol

In one of those "sign of the times" things, Upland sours (well, some of them) are now available at my local store. One of my buddies brought at Cherry Lambic over to one of our recent hangouts, and it was really excellent. Maybe they've turned a corner or something. I recall having a few of them around 2015 (Kiwi and Persimmon specifically) that were undrinkably sour/acetic.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

alright, i think it’s time to have an online upland tasting!

maybe their magical now lol

dvelcich myself and a few others who aren't on here anymore (@drooo and mrkanable plus some others I'm forgetting) did a full Upland Lambic tasting back in the day where we took those magic berry pills that make everything sour taste sweet.

I don't get heartburn, but holy **** did I feel terrible the next day.

I'm ready to do it again

 

[JCastle1]

Did you bring one of those to a gangbang a bunch of years back? Someone did. I don’t remember it being good, but I think it was already kinda old at that point.

Yeah I brought it, it was super oxidized at that point unfortunately. It was so amazing fresh

 

[litheum94]

Upright sucks and no one should ever go there.

 

[user 306349]

Upright sucks and no one should ever go there.

who?

 

[Gonzoillini1]

Upright sucks and no one should ever go there.

who?

I've heard from a bunch of friends (lurchingbeast among others) that it is hard enough to find that you actually probably wouldn't find it unless you know what you are looking for.

True?

 

[litheum94]

I've heard from a bunch of friends (lurchingbeast among others) is that it is hard enough to find that you actually probably wouldn't find it unless you know what you are looking for.

True?

They have a sandwich board outside the building, but once you get inside, it’s not clear at all.

But really, you shouldn’t be going anyway.

 

[Gonzoillini1]

They have a sandwich board outside the building, but once you get inside, it’s not clear at all.

But really, you shouldn’t be going anyway.

Jason, I'm a Saison whore and Upright is one of the OG places that made me fall in love with the style. When I get out there (soon...) it is a must hit on my agenda.

Even if I get lost looking for it

 

[lb304854]

They have a sandwich board outside the building, but once you get inside, it’s not clear at all.

But really, you shouldn’t be going anyway.

It's even better on a Sunday when every other business in the building is closed and you feel like you're trespassing. Or when your friend disappears to go puke in his hat and you need to walk around the empty building looking for him.

 

[jmgrub]

It's even better on a Sunday when every other business in the building is closed and you feel like you're trespassing. Or when your friend disappears to go puke in his hat and you need to walk around the empty building looking for him.

Took my bachelor party attendees to Upright after about 5 hours at Tin Bucket and Belmont. Everyone was pretty drunk and I felt like I was herding cats as they wandered around the tanks in the back.

Love that place. So chill.

 

[user 306349]

Jason, I'm a Saison whore and Upright is one of the OG places that made me fall in love with the style. When I get out there (soon...) it is a must hit on my agenda.

Even if I get lost looking for it

I think I sent you a few bottles in SSF two years ago, I hope the seed was firmly planted

 

[RyanG1]

I've heard from a bunch of friends (lurchingbeast among others) that it is hard enough to find that you actually probably wouldn't find it unless you know what you are looking for.

True?

I have an all caps Upright location diatribe in a bif post somewhere. Probably should go back to bed. Just got up to use the lou because I’m oldish.