Random Beer Thoughts

[phing]

Also nostalgic for the Kate days. Lot of fun back then. Everyone reminiscing about Kate should give Mott the Lesser a spin.

 

[seedavid]

I was picking up some Carton beers and saw some Industrial Arts so I bought whatever was actually canned this year (a couple of the Industrial Arts beers the store had were from 2017) when a worker saw me. He saw what I had in my basket and told me about a couple of beers they still had "in the back".

He got me an Industrial Arts Wrench and a Carton/Trillium collab. I guess it pays to spend time looking at the dates on cans like a nerd.

I feel like I'm always seeing people rave about Wrench now. I remember having it the first time they canned it and I just thought it was ok. Has it changed in some way, or is my mouth just wrong? How much should I drink in order to figure this out?

 

[WhalezB4Rarez]

I feel like I'm always seeing people rave about Wrench now. I remember having it the first time they canned it and I just thought it was ok. Has it changed in some way, or is my mouth just wrong? How much should I drink in order to figure this out?

This will be my first time having this beer so stay tuned!

 

[JCastle1]

They were actually ahead of the time as I had a Double Oaked Kate the Great a few years back that was oxidized to hell, but one of the first "double barrel aged" beers I can remember.

Aged on oak chips rather than barrel aged if I remember correctly.

 

[trickytunadicky]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fejnation/albums/72157628328099323

2011

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fejnation/albums/72157625994246466

2010

I'm sure I have more somewhere, but my photos on Flickr are all jumbled together.

Here is @fear025’s video from 2010. This is the year I was so proud Jay made his own friends that I didn’t go. I have no recollection of what I did for my own birthday that year. Every year since has been at your place.

 

[jmgrub]

Here is @fear025’s video from 2010. This is the year I was so proud Jay made his own friends that I didn’t go. I have no recollection of what I did for my own birthday that year. Every year since has been at your place.

So many blasts from the past. Tyranena still doing those BA 12 oz bottles?

 

[trickytunadicky]

Since we are talking about Stoutfest and blasts from the past... enjoy.

 

[jmgrub]

Since we are talking about Stoutfest and blasts from the past... enjoy.

Was khazadum of legal drinking age at the time of filming?

 

[2plums4one]

Biggest HotD fanboi I know is keef. Dude has cases upon cases of their beer. abawol01 can confirm since he supplies them lol

Yea there's a guy in Charlotte who basically started the craft beer scene here about 20-30 years ago. He has a boatload of HotD magnums from some of the very first batches. Same guy popped a SA millennium about a year or two ago with me and a B1 utopias. Quality guy right there. His name is Juan and he doesn't internet very much.

 

[trickytunadicky]

I just want to say that I sent that video to a friend and her response was “I like how this video looks real special, but it’s just a normal Tuesday for you now.” Deceased.

 

[BadJustin]

Since we are talking about Stoutfest and blasts from the past... enjoy.

Who is that nerdy looking guy at the end with the glasses?

 

[trickytunadicky]

Who is that nerdy looking guy at the end with the glasses?

They are all nedry guys with glasses. Even the ones not wearing glasses in the video. I live that you can hear AleWatcher yelling in the background. Typical Chicago share experience.

 

[lb304854]

but other breweries that plug along making the same beer that was hot/chased/great 5 years ago are now considered passe' by the very people saying that "new money" is ruining beer by chasing the newest/hottest/trendiest beer.... while they themselves are ignoring the great beers of just a few years ago.... because they're chasing the newest tick.


and thus the snake eats its tail while the snake is being eaten by a mongoose hellbent on destroying america

Yeah, nobody talks about Hill Farmstead or Cigar City anymore...

 

[JulianB1]

There were really 4 A-list non-BA stout releases in the old (pre-2013) days:

-Dark Lord Day
-Darkness Day
-Kate The Great Day
-Hunahpu's Day

It's interesting how out of the 3 that are still going, they have all (Darkness Day as of this coming iteration) morphed more into big beer festivals/drinking parties and are progressively less and less about the release of the base bottles (obviously for DLD and maybe Darkness Day, BA variants are still a big draw). Of the 2nd-tier legacy stuff (Sexual Chocolate and BA Sexual Chocolate releases, etc.) there doesn't seem to be basically any hype whatsoever, at least from what I've noticed, and a lot of it goes out into considerable distro now.

Is there anything obvious I'm forgetting? I deliberately wasn't counting BCBS and Black Friday, but I suppose that fits in somehow.

 

[Jnorton00]

There were really 4 A-list non-BA stout releases in the old (pre-2013) days:

-Dark Lord Day
-Darkness Day
-Kate The Great Day
-Hunahpu's Day

It's interesting how out of the 3 that are still going, they have all (Darkness Day as of this coming iteration) morphed more into big beer festivals/drinking parties and are progressively less and less about the release of the base bottles (obviously for DLD and maybe Darkness Day, BA variants are still a big draw). Of the 2nd-tier legacy stuff (Sexual Chocolate and BA Sexual Chocolate releases, etc.) there doesn't seem to be basically any hype whatsoever, at least from what I've noticed, and a lot of it goes out into considerable distro now.

Is there anything obvious I'm forgetting? I deliberately wasn't counting BCBS and Black Friday, but I suppose that fits in somehow.

Not as big anymore but http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20180414/beer-lovers-line-up-for-mott-lesser-release

 

[jmgrub]

Not as big anymore but http://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20180414/beer-lovers-line-up-for-mott-lesser-release

Was the original Mott the Lesser release barrel-aged? For some reason I recall it being just oaked like KtG.

 

[JulianB1]

Kate the Great was originally/usually aged on port-soaked oak spirals, right?

 

[sherm10161]

Kate The Great definitely had a port-barrel component to it. I remember it being the first beer I'd heard of aged in a port barrel (or whatever the port treatment was) and thinking it would taste odd.

 

[Jnorton00]

Was the original Mott the Lesser release barrel-aged? For some reason I recall it being just oaked like KtG.

Batch 1 (Spring 2015): Aged in apple brandy and port barrels before blending
Batch 2 (Winter 2015): Aged in apple brandy and port barrels with a small amount aged in Woodford Reserve barrels for 2 months before blending
Batch 3 (Spring 2016): Aged in apple brandy, port, bourbon, and Mount Gay rum barrels before blending.
Batch 4 (Winter 2016): Aged in apple brandy, port, Mount Gay rum, and scotch (Lagavulin) oak barrels then blended.
Batch 5 (Spring 2017): Aged in apple brandy, port, Ardbeg, and Barr Hill Tom Cat gin barrels.
Batch 6 (Winter 2017): Aged in apple brandy, port, Barr Hill Tom Cat gin, and Amontillado Sherry barrels.
Batch 7 (Spring 2018): Aged in apple brandy, port, Sazerac rye whiskey filled red wine barrels, and Sherry barrels.

 

[jivex5k1]

Here's a blast from the past:

https://briansbeerblog.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/hoppin-frog-b-o-r-i-s-the-crusher/

I used to run a beer blog. In case you don't want to bother clicking, an excerpt:

Mmmm… she certainly looks like she could crush somebody. It’s like a black hole formed in my glass and is now sucking all light deep into her bowels. And the head must trek through her darkest depths to catch the slightest glimpse of the world above. It succeeds, and grows with pride to an impressive size, basking in the freedom as long as it can before the beast sucks it back down to the netherworld. You can really tell the head wanted to escape, it clings to the sides desperately as it’s strangled back down to the briny deep, but nothing can escape… BORIS. I fear my nose may be sucked right into the glass, but it’s a risk I will bravely accept for the sake of my faithful readers!

I really thought I was extremely funny. Eventually I ran out of double entendres and stopped blogging.

And of course here's the picture of me from a beer festival back then, which was also the first time I heard of and tasted a Wakefield beer.

Spoiler: nsfa

Boris did, in fact, kill me.

 

[2plums4one]

Yeah, nobody talks about Hill Farmstead or Cigar City anymore...

Can we talk about how great Freetail Woodicus was in like 2011?

 

[jmgrub]

Batch 1 (Spring 2015): Aged in apple brandy and port barrels before blending
Batch 2 (Winter 2015): Aged in apple brandy and port barrels with a small amount aged in Woodford Reserve barrels for 2 months before blending
Batch 3 (Spring 2016): Aged in apple brandy, port, bourbon, and Mount Gay rum barrels before blending.
Batch 4 (Winter 2016): Aged in apple brandy, port, Mount Gay rum, and scotch (Lagavulin) oak barrels then blended.
Batch 5 (Spring 2017): Aged in apple brandy, port, Ardbeg, and Barr Hill Tom Cat gin barrels.
Batch 6 (Winter 2017): Aged in apple brandy, port, Barr Hill Tom Cat gin, and Amontillado Sherry barrels.
Batch 7 (Spring 2018): Aged in apple brandy, port, Sazerac rye whiskey filled red wine barrels, and Sherry barrels.

Thanks! Guess I could have Googled that.

 

[jbeezification1]

Here's a blast from the past:

https://briansbeerblog.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/hoppin-frog-b-o-r-i-s-the-crusher/

I used to run a beer blog. In case you don't want to bother clicking, an excerpt:



I really thought I was extremely funny. Eventually I ran out of double entendres and stopped blogging.

And of course here's the picture of me from a beer festival back then, which was also the first time I heard of and tasted a Wakefield beer.

Spoiler: nsfa

Boris did, in fact, kill me.

RIP

 

[juliolugo]

Anyone had Boulevard Grand Cry? Kind of intrigued. Is it pretty stouty? Or more quad?

It's actually damn good. Good blend of the two, and plenty of barrel. In the vein of the FW anniversary beers, but only $16 for a 4-pack.

 

[Brez071]

Kate the Great was originally/usually aged on port-soaked oak spirals, right?

Yup, aged on port-soaked spirals.

KtG Day was a blast, aside from standing outside in the cold waiting for a seat to get in. But once you were seated, she warmed you right up. I wouldn't stand in line for a beer nowadays, but I have fond memories of the few years I went.

 

[gregkoko]

Beer has changed so much in 5 years. What were the 4 packs back then - $20?

Speaking of how things used to be, when was the last time any of you guys thought about Kate the Great? When was the last time anyone really cared about a non-barrel aged, non-pastry RIS?

I miss Founders Imperial Stout...so much

 

[tikk]

I miss Founders Imperial Stout...so much

They don't make it anymore?

 

[gregkoko]

They don't make it anymore?

Nope

https://foundersbrewing.com/latest-news/2017/2018-update-full-availability-calendar/

 

[Sam Fu]

Nope

https://foundersbrewing.com/latest-news/2017/2018-update-full-availability-calendar/

Well that’s just dumb

Edit: I forgot that non-adjunct non-BA stouts have a hard time selling. Sigh...

 

[tikk]

Nope

https://foundersbrewing.com/latest-news/2017/2018-update-full-availability-calendar/