Rare Barrel Founder's Society

[stupac2]

This. Also, it's an odd size so I can't really use it anywhere else.

Is the size listed anywhere? Those things are actually really variable so you could just say it's whatever the closest size is. Plus a lot of places are pretty liberal about that, I think SARA will fill them.

I still find it weird that even places that fill whatever get all anal about sizes. Like "We'll fill 1L but not 32 oz" is ridiculous. If you fill a standard 1/2-gal growler to the cap instead of to the fill line you've overfilled by way more than the difference between those two sizes. Can these people not do math? Do they not understand measurement errors? I don't get it.

 

[RyanG1]

What's the deal?

Ambassadors are being offered a second growler for fills different thenote the 32oz? ceramic one?

 

[tosh1]

One of my ceramic ones holds just under 31oz the othet close to 35oz.

 

[rrryanc]

What's the deal?

Ambassadors are being offered a second growler for fills different thenote the 32oz? ceramic one?

Did you have a seizure at the end of this comment? Are you OK?

 

[matedog]

One of my ceramic ones holds just under 31oz the othet close to 35oz.

Which one has more, Founder or Ambassador? I'm losing free ounces of beer here!

 

[tosh1]

Ambassadoe is bigger. As i recall this was discussed earlier, others had different results. Measure them!

 

[jethrodium]

Which one has more, Founder or Ambassador? I'm losing free ounces of beer here!

My Ambassadors of Sour growler is bigger, but I definitely have talked to people that have said their Founders growler is bigger.

 

[bdogg1]

Well you all know how guys work....

 

[matedog]

I just emailed them asking them about it.

Got a response:
"Unfortunately we won't have the option of a discounted membership without a growler/glassware combo. The growler and glassware will be new next year and we do hope to start having a couple of different beers available for fills by early next year so hopefully that makes multiple growlers a little more useful.

We also priced our club a little different than most in that our $300 membership includes $300 retail value of beer and we essentially include in the growler and glassware for free, where as many other memberships provide you with less that $300 worth of beer and charge you for all the included merchandise, discount card and other included features.

If you do decide you don't want another growler, which I can understand, I have seen some people sell or trade their growler for cash or beer. You are welcome to go that route to get either some cash to use as you please or some beer you haven't tried as we will fill the growler for anyone that is in possession of it. If you have any other questions, let me know. "

Lame, I guess I will make further suggestions next year. Also the claim about retail value is a bit suspect.

 

[DanzBorin]

To me being an out of towner the growler is almost useless.

 

[bdogg1]

I will take the second growler off your hands LOL. I will let my guest fill it when we go to the release parties.

 

[matedog]

I will take the second growler off your hands LOL. I will let my guest fill it when we go to the release parties.

It'd be my third. I got enough growler clutter as it is!

 

[ABSTRACTlegend]

It'd be my third. I got enough growler clutter as it is!

I would gladly take the third off your hands lol

 

[stupac2]

Also the claim about retail value is a bit suspect.

A bit? It's ridiculous. The retail price of their beers are $25 except for these, and as far as I can tell there's no meaningful difference between the types to justify that cost (witness Immortal Soul, which would've been $25 but for some reason they liked it so much they put it in the club and now it's a $30 beer).

If they were charging the same price for non-club beers or if the club beers had anything about them that differentiated them from the non-club beers it'd be one thing, but since neither of those conditions are met that response is inane.

 

[mzdoja]

^Agreed.

With the exception of Soliloquy, the public release bottles have been some of my favorites. Why they didn't double up the fruit on some of their Maps barrels and release that batch as ambassador was beyond me. Would have been quite awesome imo.

 

[tosh1]

Picked up Impossible Soul bottles earlier.
Seems the official line is 'much juicier in bottles, really good'( more than one staffer, four times in total I heard it).

Anyone open one?

I actually enjoyed it on tap, and did not dislike the lilly lemon thing as much as expected.

 

[mzdoja]

Re-enrollment for ambassadors for the 2016 club started today. Still undecided on this one.

 

[buzzword]

I'm out.

Re-enrollment for ambassadors for the 2016 club started today. Still undecided on this one.

 

[matedog]

I'm in. Yeah, it could be better, but it's conveniently located and it's nice having first crack at all releases (though that's less of an issue now with all the expansion).

 

[bdogg1]

I'm in. Yeah, it could be better, but it's conveniently located and it's nice having first crack at all releases (though that's less of an issue now with all the expansion).

its still nice not having to go there on release day and dealing with the crowds.

 

[matedog]

I asked them for the chance to taste the beer before we are asked to buy extras.

Caught up with Alex today. Sounds like this was something they were working on revising for next year. The solution he proposed was to keep the on sale period for an entire week, with the new beer being available on draft through the weekend. So in other words, it goes on sale on Tuesday for the eager beavers, every other Ambassador can try it on draft during the weekend (if you happen to live in the area, or at least see the Untappd responses from those that do) and still have a few day window to buy it. I didn't see any big issues with this approach.

 

[bdogg1]

Caught up with Alex today. Sounds like this was something they were working on revising for next year. The solution he proposed was to keep the on sale period for an entire week, with the new beer being available on draft through the weekend. So in other words, it goes on sale on Tuesday for the eager beavers, every other Ambassador can try it on draft during the weekend (if you happen to live in the area, or at least see the Untappd responses from those that do) and still have a few day window to buy it. I didn't see any big issues with this approach.

That works for me.

 

[Spoonsock]

Picked up Impossible Soul bottles earlier.
Seems the official line is 'much juicier in bottles, really good'( more than one staffer, four times in total I heard it).

Anyone open one?

I actually enjoyed it on tap, and did not dislike the lilly lemon thing as much as expected.

Opened a few of them up. Tart, bitingly so. Quite good, and looking forward to aging a few.

 

[BrandoSF]

Ambassadoe is bigger. As i recall this was discussed earlier, others had different results. Measure them!

My founder growler is 2oz bigger than my ambassador. 36/34 I believe

 

[bobsacamano1]

still on the fence. this is gonna go down to the wire for me.

 

[cayenne1]

I am out. Decided on joining Libertine instead. Even though its only been 2 years I have gotten bored of their beers quickly. There are a few base beers all oak aged and the other difference is that they add different fruits/ingredients. I would have loved to see different barrel treatments at least. Maybe that will happen in 2016 but I am not spending $300+ to find out.

 

[cardinalbruintriton]

I'm out as well.

I'll still get the taproom discount, I'll still be able to fill my growler, and I'll still be able to stroll in on a Sunday afternoon for bottles (if I'm inclined to do so). In my case, I'd rather not pay $300+ to essentially keep my right to have first dibs.

 

[stupac2]

I offered to trade a barrel-chair for a membership, but otherwise I'm not renewing. I think if I still lived in my old place I would've renewed, I just don't get there as often now that it's way less convenient.

 

[DougOLis]

Yeah, I'm out this year too. I like their beers and there haven't really been any that I truly disliked, but there's not many that I really loved. There's enough options out there now that I don't feel as compelled to needing them again. There was a chance work was going to take me to the Bay Area and if that would have happened I probably would have renewed again, but I don't think that's not going to happen now.

 

[johnnyramirez]

I'm also out. The best beers are their dry hopped stuff and I can grab growlers of it even without the membership