Hop Ranch or DirtWolf

Hop ranch will change from week to week, drink one every few days and eventually it will be the same as you remember it last year, did you pick it up uber fresh last year?

 

I got a case last year. First bottles were straight onion/garlic and I didn't like it at all. With some age (like 2 weeks more), that mellowed into a very fruit-forward flavor. I am getting more berries in this one than onion/garlic but there are some notes present. But above all else...cardboard. I'm burping cardboard.

I don't know if it's me losing my mind or just shit luck but I seem to get a lot of bad IPAs from Victory. I love Victory. Prima Pils is essentially the reason I am on this site. It's a staple in my fridge. But, their IPAs taste worse and worse anymore.

 

@PSU_Mike

Here is a pic of HR 2013.


Here is one of HR 2014.

You can be the judge..

 

So my memory isn't as fucked up as I remembered

 

I'll still pick up a sixer, but that picture tells a tale that worries me.

 

It should @TongoRad. This is a different beer and NOT for the better. I am not pleased. I've had 2 thus far and I am thoroughly disappointed.

 

Yeah I had another case reserved at my distributor but I am not going to be buying that. I guess I have plenty of time to cancel my order..I know the dude is going to bust my balls after I made em eat a case of Duck Rabbit Baltic porter he tried to push on me after I had infection issues with year before.

I am an asshole, but I work to hard for my money to spend it on mediocre product.

 

It's not like he won't sell it. @FatBoyGotSwagger.

But, I think we need @Starkbier in here on this. What the hell happened to Hop Ranch, man? It's not the same beer and completely disappointing.

 

Mt. Laurel is in Burlington County, which is Ritchie & Page's territory as the Victory distributor.

West Deptford is in Gloucester County, which is covered by Victory distributor Konrad.

Both R&P and Konrad are AB houses - which IIRC is true of most of Victory's NJ distributors - the exception being Nash (Miller house) in the urban counties in the northeast.

But, unless the store in West Deptford specifically ordered Hop Ranch, they still might not carry. The retailer determines which available beers they will carry from the wholesalers they buy from. Not every store decides to carry every label from every brand available - distribution is not automatic for every brewery, brand or package. Sometimes you have to ask your local store to order a beer - unless they know there's a demand, they might pass on a beer (esp. one that did not sell for them previously). And, of course, the local distributor themselves might not carry a specific beer or package.

 

I was talking to my brother about this over breakfast, I mentioned Hop Ranch was a little different this year. He said you guys arguing about year to year batch variation are morons then I said no its not just the taste but the proof is in the pictures. He tried to be rational and say photos mean nothing.

Its a new age of beer..If you put out a product that does not look like it is supposed to is it even the same beer?

I'm going to call the new batch Hop Rancher because it is not Hop Ranch.

 

Or: Hop Ranchette? (< will also work if they do a "session ale" version. ).

 

if you look at the December 2014 photos on untappd, a number of them look close to last years color.

 

You guys are funny. The lighting in the second picture is orange....according g to that, Victory changed the colors on the label.

 

yes, I haven't had it this year nor last year, but it does look like there is a slight color difference. The pictures in this thread obviously have different lighting differences, exaggerating the difference.

 

I keep trying to get on the Dirtwolf bandwagon. Great price, local beer, etc. I like it, but can't quite see what the fuss is about. Hop Ranch, however, I love. Unfortunately, the one I lovei is limited in availability, and the one I merely like is available year round ( yet somehow rarely fresh).

 

December 20th 2013.

December 22nd 2013.

December 31st 2013.


This year...
December 3rd 2014.

December 5th 2014.

December 6th 2014.


I think Hop Ranch was released earlier this year than last so the dates don't match up exactly. Also those guys on untapped posting pictures of Ranch were probably drinking Ranch S or Ranch R or just plain ranch as there was a lot of that going around last year. I am only talking about the Hop Ranch.

 

I hate telling old people facts because they can't believe it and or don't accept it. Nothing better than telling someone older than 60 that they don't know what they are talking about, alzheimer's is a bitch.

 

Just picked up a case from Victory this past weekend, bottled on 12/3. It's exactly like I remember last year. Fantastic.

 

Thanks for letting us know Hop Ranch is out. For me HR wins over DW hands down. I have not tried this year's HR yet, but I stopped buying DW because I found it too boozie.