Fatamorgana: change in format=changed beer?

Where the ages and storage conditions the same? Before I started looking for other explanations I'd eliminate those particular variables first.

 

It's definitely different. The Crazy Mountain one felt a lot more generic to me.

 

It's now brewed at the old breck 471 kalamath which crazy mtn owns now.
Different brew IMO.

 

Had it on tap a week ago and it was delicious but not creamy mouthfeel. First time I have tried it so I have no other previous experience with it. Not too surprised if it changed a bit under new circumstances.

 

Completely agree. I grabbed a new bottle of it recently and was hugely disappointed. Zero aroma, thin body, oxidized hop flavor. I remember it being up there with Hill Farmstead IPA's. Cloudy, dank/citrus, creamy body with an aroma you couldn't stop smelling.

 

I picked up a bomber of it back in '12-13 when I was living in VT and it rivaled everything I had locally up to that point. Haven't had it since, so it's sad to hear the news because it has always been such a nostalgic beer to me.

 

Crazy Mountain's mediocrity definitely rubbed off on this batch.

 

But it can explain changes in hop presence, there isn't any guarantee that the changes you are experiencing are linked to one singular thing, thus the best practice of isolating variables.

Edit: You make a good point though, storage and age aren't the universal explanation for what ails beer.

 

Sounds like Recipe Reach. If a Contract brewery is given the recipe but cannot find an abundance of one or more key ingredients, this is going to happen. Wait a while and see if it gets back to normal. If not, then it's a Brewer's Problem.

 

As a driver for the distribution company who carries Fantamorgana and has had both iterations of it, Crazy Mountain is to blame for the hollow shell of the beer it is now.

 

I had it on tap last month and it was very hazy. Not as creamy as the New England-style Grimm and Singlecut beers I've had, but pretty close.

 

Hey guys, just thought I would add my two cents here. Henok, from Omnipollo was at the brewery and brewed this batch as it was the first time we brewed it for them. If there are noticeable differences, the only thing that I can think of is that this was a much larger brew size than what they have done previosuly, so the first batch may have been a learning curve on everyone's part. I can assure you that we have been doing a lot of stuff for both Omni and Stillwater and that the beers have been coming out great. Henok makes some unbelievable beers so don't let this one deter you.

 

Not sure how often Henok will come. Brian from Stillwater comes once a month and Henok has been here twice. A little harder for him to come over from Sweden. So far we have brewed 4 of his beers I think and I am not sure how many more he has planned with us or if we are sticking to those 4. We do always have a dedicated line from both of them at our tap room, usually what we brew at our facility, but we did just have Cellar Door on from Stillwater and we didn't brew that at our location.

 

As far as I know they will always be available. We are brewing more for them then they have ever had the chance to have. I just don't know if we are sticking with the first 4 we are doing or are going to have a wide range of stuff to do for them. Crooked Stave is the distribution company for them in CO, they would have a better idea of how much they get on a monthly basis.

 

I never knew they were mediocre, but thanks for filling us all in. I've enjoyed all the Crazy Mountain beers I've had.