Hardywood Gingerbread Stout: The Aftermath

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic' started by uvachief, Nov 11, 2014.

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  1. uvachief

    uvachief Savant (1,117) Nov 8, 2013 Virginia

    This past Saturday, November 8th was the Hardywood Park Craft Brewery release of Gingerbread Stout. Over 1,700 registered to come to the tasting room and try as well as buy 750ml (25+ oz) bottles and 32 oz crowlers. The line stretched all around the facility and was several hundred deep for several hours on Saturday. Sunday was a little disappointing as the brewery sold out within an hour and over 100 in line were turned away after waiting for hours for the tasting room to open. Much to the brewery's credit, they opened on Monday at 2:00 pm and started selling to consumers again. Retail stores also got their first shipments of 750ml bottles. Some with a few cases, others with a dozen. Social networking was a flutter with posts of store shelves with bottles in stock. Some of the larger retailers, like Total Wine, sold out within an hour even with 12+ cases. However, as the madness subsided throughout the day, you were still able to find a few bottles here and there at local grocers. I picked up 4 and left 7 behind for others to enjoy. More shipments arrive today and supply does NOT appear to be an issue. However, a word to the wise: The gingerbread stout does not age well. It loses its delightful spice and full bodied flavor as time wears on. I expect lots off bottles to linger well after 6 months but they won't taste the same. Trade for yours now and enjoy it this winter as it should be enjoyed. Old bottles can be preserved by turning them one a week and storing them properly at the right temperature but regardless of how much care you take to preserve them, the flavor does dissipate. I do feel like it is almost criminal that most of the beer world cannot enjoy this epic stout on draft. It is a whole horse of another color on draft. Cheers! Enjoy! Happy days are here again!
     
    #1 uvachief, Nov 11, 2014
  2. John_Beeryman

    John_Beeryman Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2014 Virginia

    Yay, Virginia has its own hard to get cult beer......
     
    #2 John_Beeryman, Nov 11, 2014
    LeeEvolved and pmarlowe like this.
  3. jayluf

    jayluf Initiate (0) Mar 26, 2014 District of Columbia

    thought i was about to click on a friday evening pre-release debacle rant. :slight_smile:
     
    #3 jayluf, Nov 11, 2014
    Cubatobaco, HopAttack3, pmarlowe and 1 other person like this.
  4. leantom

    leantom Initiate (0) Nov 20, 2011 Indiana

    When I was living in RVA a couple of years ago, I used to see this beer all over the place. Since all of Hardywood's other offerings were garbage, I passed it up. Kind of regretting that I did, but not kicking myself over it.
     
    #4 leantom, Nov 11, 2014
  5. Rekrule

    Rekrule Initiate (0) Nov 11, 2011 Massachusetts

    I think people just like waiting in lines. It's a very good stout. But to wait for hours for it? Ha. Fuck that.
     
    #5 Rekrule, Nov 11, 2014
    AngusOg, bushycook, jivex5k and 3 others like this.
  6. PaulsBrew

    PaulsBrew Pundit (756) Sep 24, 2012 Virginia
    Trader

    The Barrel Aged version is where its at...
     
    #6 PaulsBrew, Nov 11, 2014
    heatwaves, DrinkDrankPunk, flipdog0 and 1 other person like this.
  7. imbrue002

    imbrue002 Initiate (0) Oct 10, 2014 Maryland

    So...how much does Hardywood sell the bottles for?
     
    #7 imbrue002, Nov 11, 2014
  8. TonyLema1

    TonyLema1 Pooh-Bah (2,890) Nov 19, 2008 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah

    I'll never see that in my part of SC, the only Gingerbread Stout I've seen is the Merry Mischief from Sam Adams, I had it before, but I don't remember liking it
     
    #8 TonyLema1, Nov 11, 2014
  9. newyork326

    newyork326 Initiate (0) Jun 23, 2013 Virginia

    Its 10 bucks a bottle.

    And as someone who was down there on Friday for the Pre-Release .... It was absolutely terrible to turn customers away to save more beer for the next day.
     
    #9 newyork326, Nov 11, 2014
    Cubatobaco, killerjetski, LeeEvolved and 1 other person like this.
  10. KevinZ2301

    KevinZ2301 Crusader (463) Jan 22, 2014 North Carolina

    They delivered as promised and even had to apologized for delivering as promised . ENOUGH already. This post is for POSITIVE attitudes only !!
     
    #10 KevinZ2301, Nov 11, 2014
  11. newyork326

    newyork326 Initiate (0) Jun 23, 2013 Virginia

    They delivered as promised...? Please elaborate.
     
    #11 newyork326, Nov 11, 2014
    spitshaded likes this.
  12. jayluf

    jayluf Initiate (0) Mar 26, 2014 District of Columbia

    this going to get distro'd to nova? tried some at SAVOR. zomg.
     
    #12 jayluf, Nov 11, 2014
  13. beernuts

    beernuts Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2014 Virginia

    I do agree that this beer is much better on draft. I think that's where most reports of this year's being better than last year's come from: people had a bottle last year or recently, then tried this year's on draft while picking up their bottles at the brewery. Its still great in the bottle, but its phenomenal on draft.

    Also agree that its best consumed fresh. Enjoy everyone!
     
    #13 beernuts, Nov 11, 2014
    LeeEvolved likes this.
  14. bushycook

    bushycook Zealot (681) Jan 31, 2011 Virginia

    Yeah, not hard to get.
     
    #14 bushycook, Nov 12, 2014
  15. John_Beeryman

    John_Beeryman Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2014 Virginia

    I'm sure they're working on it :slight_smile:
     
    #15 John_Beeryman, Nov 12, 2014
  16. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    It was only terrible for those that didn't get in line soon enough. Everybody wants the rules to favor them.
     
    #16 jmw, Nov 12, 2014
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  17. John_Beeryman

    John_Beeryman Initiate (0) Jul 19, 2014 Virginia

    See? Lines, frustration, bickering. We've become a Florida or California now :slight_smile:
     
    #17 John_Beeryman, Nov 12, 2014
    floridadrift and Jnashed like this.
  18. DCgolfpro

    DCgolfpro Initiate (0) Oct 26, 2011 Maryland

    It's not exactly bud light in terms of availability either.
     
    #18 DCgolfpro, Nov 12, 2014
    John_Beeryman likes this.
  19. bushycook

    bushycook Zealot (681) Jan 31, 2011 Virginia

    No shit, it's a seasonal release. Every time I've bought it since its inception it's been at a grocery store, not a specialty bottle shop. Hell, I even got some at WalMart last year. They're making plenty, and this will hit distro in VA. The traders and hoarders are the only ones worried about getting their 8 to 16 bottles. Shouldn't be too hard to snag a couple.
     
    #19 bushycook, Nov 12, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 12, 2014
  20. fire34fighter

    fire34fighter Initiate (0) Dec 31, 2013 Virginia

    Gbs and bgbs are pretty easy to get.....last year you could walk I to any tw in nova a month or two after it released and pick up a good amount of bottles.
     
    #20 fire34fighter, Nov 12, 2014
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