Pittsburgh

[preluderl]

For those of you who have been around much longer than I...

What would you say is the primary thing that's killed Gratitude Day? Inconsistency in the product? Price? The greater quality of local competition than what they used to face? Or just a combination of all of the above?

 

[Grodd87]

Poured one out for Wun Wun. RIP

The last of the Giants gone so sad. I was happy that it was him in not Davos r tormund

 

[chefduff2]

The last of the Giants gone so sad. I was happy that it was him in not Davos r tormund

I really thought they were going to kill Jon snow to **** with everyone. Sad yes, but it would have made the fans insane. What's up with little finger? I'm not sure what his angle is.

 

[preluderl]

I really thought they were going to kill Jon snow to **** with everyone. Sad yes, but it would have made the fans insane. What's up with little finger? I'm not sure what his angle is.

Nah the whole story is about Jon, Dany and The Walkers. He's not going anywhere.

 

[Grodd87]

I really thought they were going to kill Jon snow to **** with everyone. Sad yes, but it would have made the fans insane. What's up with little finger? I'm not sure what his angle is.

He couldn't get the mom so he is trying to get the daughter I think he knows his only way to power is threw marriage r ridding the backs of the Starks.

 

[kbuzz1]

For those of you who have been around much longer than I...

What would you say is the primary thing that's killed Gratitude Day? Inconsistency in the product? Price? The greater quality of local competition than what they used to face? Or just a combination of all of the above?

I think it's a combination of these three in my opinion

- QA issues those 2-3 years + there not being a BA version for (IMO) too long were killer...
- Price point compared to other options. I know there aren't a lot of barleywines available in the area, but just seeing what other breweries are charging for their "big name" barleywine releases makes me roll my eyes at Gratitude.
- No longer the only "release" game in town. Dollars being spent elsewhere more consistently. I used to "save up" for gratitude day but now I'm consistently spending my gratitude funds throughout the year...

I still love the beer and have been to a few of the releases in the past...but I didn't make it to either reg or BA release this year and have only consumed one bottle of the regular thanks to you....sooooooo

 

[Grodd87]

Nah the whole story is about Jon, Dany and The Walkers. He's not going anywhere.

Yea Jon, Dany, tryion, bran,aria and the night King will be around till the last season some of them will die for sure the last season. I would say who ever the dragon riders r 2 of them will die bc when the dragon dies so does the rider.

 

[kbuzz1]

Yea Jon, Dany, tryion, bran,aria and the night King will be around till the last season some of them will die for sure the last season. I would say who ever the dragon riders r 2 of them will die bc when the dragon dies so does the rider.

You're officially no longer speaking English, dude.

 

[preluderl]

You're officially no longer speaking English, dude.

High Valyrian, amirite?

 

[kbuzz1]

High Valyrian, amirite?

dafuq?

 

[london1o11]

But I hated the fact that they celebrated something or other at some point (last season maybe?) by taking SHOTS of Pappy!!?!?!?

A) It was free Pappy, and B) They ball hard.

 

[preluderl]

dafuq?

 

[Matthouse3]

dafuq?

 

[Grodd87]

You're officially no longer speaking English, dude.

Cut me a break I do this **** well working at a fast paced restaurant as a gm but I know I should at least try

 

[preluderl]

Cut me a break I do this **** well working at a fast paced restaurant as a gm but I know I should at least try

No, he doesn't know what you're referencing.

 

[kbuzz1]

Cut me a break I do this **** well working at a fast paced restaurant as a gm but I know I should at least try

No, he doesn't know what you're referencing.

Well, both really....

Grodd's "fast paced" typing style + game of thrones mumbo jumbo = no comprende

 

[PSUMike]

A Song of Fire and Ice is the title of the book series. Dany is the fire, Jon Snow is the ice. They are untouchable. Ayra, Sansa, Bran, and Tyrion are also untouchable at this point. Aside from that, any other character can die at any point in the upcoming seasons. That's the beauty of the story. It's unpredictable and virtually no one is safe.

 

[preluderl]

"face paced"

 

[PSUMike]

A Song of Fire and Ice is the title of the book series. Dany is the fire, Jon Snow is the ice. They are untouchable. Ayra, Sansa, Bran, and Tyrion are also untouchable at this point. Aside from that, any other character can die at any point in the upcoming seasons. That's the beauty of the story. It's unpredictable and virtually no one is safe.

Then again, I thought Rickon was untouchable as well so who the **** knows...

 

[kbuzz1]

http://www.talkbeer.com/community/threads/game-of-thrones-thread.71/page-100

 

[Grodd87]

Then again, I thought Rickon was untouchable as well so who the **** knows...

Rickon was the lost stark boy he had no connection to a god r whatever they r all doing right now. Sansa seems like she didn't care her brother died so she could rule the north. Jon will not have the north bc he is a bastard. jon has a better claim to the iron throne then the warden of the north.

 

[Grodd87]

I would also say Jamie is untouchable at this point.

 

[OneDropSoup]

Is this supposed to say "What if I told you you know nothing?".

 

[stakem1]

For those of you who have been around much longer than I...

What would you say is the primary thing that's killed Gratitude Day? Inconsistency in the product? Price? The greater quality of local competition than what they used to face? Or just a combination of all of the above?

As silly as this might seem... the packaging of gratitude use to be the most beautiful, recognizeable aspect of that beer. Yes, it was excessively labor intensive but **** if I didnt feel like buying that beer was worth it based on the effort alone that went into it. Having a silk screened label/bag that matches the wax color and then every bottle being hand signed and numbered was truely amazing. Nothing else in the beer world was packaged like it.

Then.... to take that away and keep the price the same (or increase it) is hard to swallow.

To be fair. Back when I was really adament about buying gratitude, you could go to the brewery a couple months after it was made available and get a case or more with no hassel, lines or waiting. It was the only "once a year" trip I made out to Pitt for beer. That was also before Voodoo had ever done a barrel room release. Now, I need to budget my time/money/effort and 10 times out of 10 I would rather just take a trip out there when my schedule allows and simply drink everything thats on tap at Voodoo and take growlers home from there.

Another thing about releases. I think there are so many breweries doing it now that everyone cant patronize all of them. You gotta pick and choose and Gratitude just kinda fell to the wayside as other places are offering more shiney bells and whistles that grab peoples attention.

 

[kbuzz1]

Is this supposed to "What if I told you know nothing?".

everyone's a meme critic

 

[PSUMike]

everyone's a meme critic

 

[OneDropSoup]

everyone's a meme critic

Grammar is meaning, yo.

EDIT: And half the time when it seems like I'm criticizing something, I'm actually confused & wonder if I'm missing some inside joke.

 

[PSUMike]

Punctuation Nazi doesn't have the same ring to it.

 

[tommyguz]

The first time shuggy and I ever conversed it was over the fact that he thought I was a moron for enjoying gratitude fresh after its release. (Or something like that?) This was in reference to years 2008-2010. We later met in person at the 2013 release I believe. I tried some of his homebrew and we came to a mutual understanding that taste preferences can be wildly different between 2 people.

I enjoy gratitude. I REALLY enjoy gratitude. To the extent that shuggy was in line with me and when Scott sold the last of his vintage bottles (2005 for something like $60 per bottle?) shuggy offered to buy me one since he had no interest in spending that much money.

Fast forward to today... anytime im drinking an american barleywine that is new to me, I cant help but compare it to the american barleywine I hold up on a pedestal - Gratitude. The oldest years, I agree, were the best. Last time I had a yellow wax 2007, it floored me. Fabulous. I have mixed feelings on the 2006. Some bottles ive had have been very different from others. Im talking both orange wax bottles as well as the unlabled ones he sold for onsite drinking and even opened to share with us at the 2013 release. 2005 is liquid gold and I think the rest are in a weird place. Maybe will be better with time? Despite the lack of carb, I enjoyed the steal of a bargain the 2011/2012 flatitudes were. $40 a case???? Yeah, I bought like 6 cases. I intended to force carb them myself but after drinking them as-is, I felt they were good enough without the carb and dealing with carbing them myself wasnt worth the hassel.

I cant comment on the green wax bottling as I havent had one since it was freshly released. I can say though that the unwaxed 2008"A" bottles are kindy trashy. Scott said the weirdness has and will continue to fade but honestly, every bottle ive tried has an oxidized cardboard/burnt aftertaste. 2009 and onward all taste very similar to me - with nuance you really have to dig to find. Some of them just seem different in comparison to one another. I dont know, its been too long since ive sat down and drank multiple vintages side by side for comparison purposes.

Despite loving gratitude, im over it. It has changed. The beer scene has changed. I have changed. Lots of things are different now including people's attitude about beer and releases. Instead of it being fun and enjoyable hobby, its all business now. ****, even the people who I use to drink with are sketchy and hesitate to open beers because god forbid, everything now has a dollar value assigned to it.

Well said.

As silly as this might seem... the packaging of gratitude use to be the most beautiful, recognizeable aspect of that beer. Yes, it was excessively labor intensive but **** if I didnt feel like buying that beer was worth it based on the effort alone that went into it. Having a silk screened label/bag that matches the wax color and then every bottle being hand signed and numbered was truely amazing. Nothing else in the beer world was packaged like it.

Then.... to take that away and keep the price the same (or increase it) is hard to swallow.

To be fair. Back when I was really adament about buying gratitude, you could go to the brewery a couple months after it was made available and get a case or more with no hassel, lines or waiting. It was the only "once a year" trip I made out to Pitt for beer. That was also before Voodoo had ever done a barrel room release. Now, I need to budget my time/money/effort and 10 times out of 10 I would rather just take a trip out there when my schedule allows and simply drink everything thats on tap at Voodoo and take growlers home from there.

Another thing about releases. I think there are so many breweries doing it now that everyone cant patronize all of them. You gotta pick and choose and Gratitude just kinda fell to the wayside as other places are offering more shiney bells and whistles that grab peoples attention.

Well it seems you aren't very good at budgeting to come out to drink stuff on tap at Voodoo since you are only coming 1x a year. Maybe you should budget better.

 

[AnotherPint4Ole]

Damn, no GOT spoilers!