2015 Crime and Punishment

The last release of Crime and Punishment were hands down the worst two beers I have ever had.

 

I think that each release should get a different listing. Vintages matter for certain styles of beer.

 

I don't think a different listing is necessary. I think the expectation with releases like this is they can change. I don't think the drop in heat is a bad thing, I still want to try this year's versions. I'm also want to pick up double bastard in the rye and southern charred.

 

@StoneGreg New listing = new excuse to the wife. Keep them coming!

 

Well, I'm glad an industry hero thinks I'm #1 A+ at something! Seriously, I love many Stone brews, so I don't intend any disrespect, and I appreciate the sentiment of seeking public opinion on this. But since you asked how we felt, I'll say that it seems like you're asking for a do-over on the listing, or on that beer in general. It's Stone's lowest rated beer mainly because it was too hot, so you lowered the heat on the new version, in spite of how much you and your mother both love it. So why tone it down unless you're trying to apologize to and placate the tons of people who couldn't even drink the first one, rather than just saying it's a new recipe and calling it a new beer? (Hence that selling out analogy we were talking about, maybe not to the man, but to BA ratings and public opinion, as politicians are known to do.)

If Stone wants C&P's reboot to be seen as a new product, call it 2.0 or C&P 2015 or something else altogether in the new listing like you've done with other beers and that would be fair. But if a new listing is just to stop the bad reviews of 2013's version from scaring people off, there are plenty of brewers who use a new recipe or ABV from year to year who try their best and just deal with changing opinions.

 

I think it sort of makes sense to go the route of Night Shift's Morph IPA, and do a new listing EVERY time a beer is released and the ingredients have changed. Enjoy By, for instance, should not be the same listing every time unless it uses the same bill across the board, right? I'd say the same goes here. If it's not the same beer, it's not the same beer!

I'd say Crime (2015) and Punishment (2015) should work fine!

 

Let's be fair here Greg, I highly doubt that, Crime and Punishment are collecting dust on shelves here while all the other barrel aged Stone beers, if they make it here to NYC, are gone in minutes.

PS bring back RIS Espresso please!

 

Is the burn from the new Crime and Punishment as severe as this one or?

 

You got it. I love the backpedaling and subsequent pretentious responses that surfaced. Done in a classic hipster fashion no doubt.

 

Okay Greg, my bad. I'll eat the humble pie. I've been an arrogant bastard this time and let my cynicism get the better of me. I didn't consider what I'd written to be a "conspiracy theory accusation," so much as a response to what seemed to be the most likely scenario, but if I'm wrong, then shoot, I'm wrong. Last thing I'd want to do is chase you or anyone else out of these forums which I visit pretty regularly and use to gain a lot of pleasure and info. And I do genuinely appreciate that you guys are asking the public's opinion on a potentially touchy subject.

But getting right down to the point, you asked what we, the drinkers and writers of BA, thought of creating a fresh listing for a new C&P series, and my answer was and remains as follows: Call it something else like "Crime 2015" to distinguish it from it's predecessor and it deserves a new listing, like with Ruination 2.0. But keeping the same listing despite using a recipe that, for whatever reason, is significantly different from its predecessor would be disingenuous. I hope the stuff sells well, and I hope I enjoy it, unlike the last version which still sits on store shelves and my 3 friends and I couldn't even finish a bottle (I made the rest into a bbq sauce).

 

Why would we not want to see a new listing here?

We don't rate the name of the beer, we rate the beer. If the recipe has changed then a new listing will give us a clearer picture of what people think about the new recipe verses the old recipe.

 

@StoneGreg , i have seen this on the shelves in the greater Phoenix, AZ area over the last week and have avoided based on the 2013 release reviews despite my love of spicy foods. Given my respect for Stone's contributions to the craft beer world and the fact i am a sucker to try the Stone creative releases as evidenced by my sampling of the latest Stochasticity release, i will seek out Crime and Punishment this weekend!
BTW @Todd @Jason my vote would be to have a separate listing for the new version which is what we do on this site with many other brews which would honor the accounting principle of Consistency!
Cheers!
Tom

 

This is the main takeaway from this thread. It's time, Greg.

 

Nice try, Greg. Trying to throw us off the scent are you now? I seriously doubt you have tricked a single BA into believing that you don't have a time machine...

I love to hear that you tweak your beers that possibly need improvement. Nice work.

 

Because taking a shot at Lagunitas calling them sell outs for partnering with Heineken isn't disrespectful.

 

Thanks @StoneGreg for chiming in and talking to the us. You're doing it right man, the beers are solid, especially for national distribution. I dont think some of users understand what that takes as a whole to make it that far. Old Guardian is a personal favorite of mine with some age on it and I still have a 2013 Espresso RIS in the cellar waiting to be drank. Thanks again for making good beer.

 

I didn't even know about the re-releases until I was at the bottle shop just a few hours ago! The first round of Punishment is possibly my favorite beer I've ever had, and since it was so startlingly unique I've been lamenting for the past two years that I'd never have anything like it again. I found one lone bottle of the 2013 Crime at that shop a few months ago and was treasuring it...drank it last week and adored it. Never been so happy to see a supposed one-off beer come back!!! And my boyfriend and all of my friends hate it so...I never have to share again!! Tonight I picked up the new Crime with great joy, and I look forward to buying several bottles of Punishment when I see it *fingers crossed*

As per the thread, I think new listings would be quite nice, since the recipe has apparently changed. I loved how incredibly hot the last batch was, but what really got me was the aforementioned unique flavor of the caramelly sweetness + hot sauce. So if you say that flavor comes out more, then I'm all for it.

Cheers and thanks all at Stone for making this Punishment-lover a happy beer drinker tonight!