Bissell Brothers (2018)

Strawberry and raspberries on the Seed 2016

 

We've been seeing small drops of cans on Thursday lately. That is subject to change though, we post to social media when it hits each time.

 

Quick question for you all -- will be headed up this Saturday to start a nice week vacation in Maine and will pass through Portland around 11am. As I wrote earlier, I would love to pick up some BB cans to take with me. Last year I did the same and was out of BB about 15 minutes after they opened, given the new location and the "seed" release this Saturday, should I expect much different? If there's no way to tell, then no problem! Thanks for all the help you all give on these boards...

 

It has been a bit of a wait now up there. This Saturday will be the first time they bring back a cans only line which should speed things up a bit. I am not sure if there will be a cash only line like Industrial way days.

 

Thanks so much for the response. Looks like I'll definitely stop by and see what it looks like.

 

heading up to BBB tomorrow (Friday). saw that they released Baby Genius yesterday, there's no chance that lasts in cans until tomorrow, right? Anyone know?

 

Im sure it was gone yesterday but they have some disto. I saw Mb&b had cans 2 4pack per person today.

 

Bissell Brothers with Josh Schlesinger and 2 others.
20 hrs ·
Happy to announce that we have inked a distribution deal with Sleek Machine Distro and as of next Monday will no longer be self-distributed!‪#‎mainebeer‬

 

I'm curious about Sleek Machine... I think it started as their green delivery van and maybe they sold it off to be run as a separate business?

 

It was in fact the Green Bastard. The quote in the article by Peter makes it pretty clear they will be close partners.

From a recent BA article:

His first account? Bissell Brothers, which has now surpassed Maine’s production cap on self-distribution. Though for legal reasons a distributor needs to be a company independent of a brewery, it’s clear the brothers feel more than a little sense of ownership over Sleek Machine.​

 

Flight was delayed this morning. Didn't get in until 1:15 and was at the brewery at 2. Was fully expecting a massive line and no cans left.

Was pleasantly surprised to find a small line and ton of Seed (Substance was sold out). Got myself a case and a couple beers. Seed is a killer of a summer beer and the color/haze is incredible.

Cheers to Bissell, love the new brewery!

 

OK, I have a question about these guys.

I first went to them years ago when I heard talk about the Substance while waiting in line at Hill Farmstead. They were saying it's the new Heady Topper.

I go to Maine all the time as I have family in Falmouth, so I decided to check them out.(again this was years ago). All they had was substance when I went. I thought it was good, but certainly not HT. But great for a small shop. Time goes on, people are going fucking nuts for these guys. Seeing civilians with Bissell Brothers swag at every brewery I go to. I try it a few more times and am still not totally sold. I even was there for the very last substance/swish release.(swish was pretty great, substance was just fine. Still, nothing really blew me out of the water). A few times I grabbed it on draft at various locations and really liked it.

THEN, my wife and I spent a week in Portland just this past week and Substance was everywhere on tap. I had it at the tiny tap room and was floored. It was hazy as can be, pillowy, and just amazing. I was really blown away by how good it was. Even just the appearance was different than any batch I had previously tried. Looked like quicksand. The smell was intoxicating.

I thought maybe the new brewery brought more advanced equipment, which yielded a better beer. It's no question these guys are trying to make hazy juice bombs...swish aside this was the first time I had Substance that hit that mark. I had never really tasted that intense peachy hop juice that I was getting on draft.

So I went to the brewery and bought my allotment. Brought them back to Boston, and poured one into a glass. I noticed immediately the haze was not as apparent, it was darker too. It didn't smell as pungent, and the taste wasn't there either. Certainly better than what I've had in the past, but not what I was tasting on draft. I actually have photos I'll upload in a little bit.

Do these guys suffer from consistency problems? Just to clarify, I've never once had a Bissell Brothers beer and not really enjoyed it, but the beer that I had on tap was other wordly...up there with Fort Point Pale Ale. Is this a can vs. draft thing? Should I let my cans sit a while?

Even the reviews on this site for the substance are polarizing. Some people are enamored, some people think it's just a really good IPA.(which it is on its worst day imo)

Jesus Christ I'm a spoiled beer asshole. I guess when you live 3 miles from Fort Point it's hard to not be.

On a side note, the guys that work at the brewery have been, and still are really awesome. They run big release days better than anyone else.

Also, while in Portland I managed to grab pours of Diavoletto, Nothing Gold, and Reciprocal. NOthing Gold and Reciprocal were both very nice, and Diavoletto...I would love to drink about 50 ounces of that on a sunny beach. Reminded me of Trillikini.

 

There have been some consistency issues, but I've never had a can that was terrible, just not as good as it can be. They also changed the yeast in Substance about a year ago, and of course some people freaked out. I also find that Substance drops off really quickly. I've been blown away by a can one day, and two days later find it to me just meh. Other factors probably play a role in that, but I don't think it holds up well beyond 10-12 days or so.

 

Wow! A can that drops off that fast? Maybe some serious oxygen issues.

 

Did Seed cans sellout Sat?

 

I don't want to sound like I'm bad mouthing Bissell, by any means. I love their beers, and I don't think they all drop off that fast. I just think Substance falls off faster than a lot of beers. And again, there are always a lot of factors that affect why a beer may blow me away one day and not seem as amazing a couple days later.

 

Public drinking is one thing but if a state agent hears about it, things could get ugly on many levels. Can't understand why people can't wait, why jeopardize a breweries way of doing business / suspension or loss of license in a worst case scenario.

 

Doubt it is oxygen issues however when you package beer that has soooooo much junk in it anything can happen. I want to see what happens to a beer like this when it is left warm for a few months ... ;-)

 

Fairly certain they did.

 

Lol, way to blatantly skirt Maine's self-distribution laws by "selling" your own in-house distro fleet to you own employee, textbook shell game move. Clearly they will still be in entire control of their own distro.