Abnormal Beer Co - Winter 16/17

They've got to keep the hype at a fever pitch. Nothing says hype like people who don't value their time camping over night for beer.

 

Abnormal must not be confident with the beer if they feel the need to "hype" it up by holding a line. If the beer is good, it will sell regardless of the sale method, in my opinion.

I've had New Money before and it's a decent beer, but I've definitely had better NE style IPAs out of the west coast. Beers that I didn't have to stand in line for.

Any ideas as to what the excuses (reasons) will be for having this be in-person as opposed to online (like the stouts)? Not enough cold storage?

 

It's easier to just sell out your entire run in a day.

• No BPT fees
• No storage
• No staffing for pickups during a "pickup window"

Don't get me wrong, I want BPT. But I understand.

 

Anyone try the beers they released today?

 

Yeah, New Money is good, and Turbidity is phenomenal.

 

FYI each batch of "New Money" has different hops so each will taste completely different. This batch #4 is awesome. Turbidity is awesome as well but feels like it needs a week or two to reach it's peak.

 

The New Money can I just had was pretty boozy on the nose. Not much of a "juice bomb"...maybe this needs time to mellow out, but this is basically the way I remember all previous batches of this beer; they're hazy, but nothing much else out of it.

I read some of these reviews after drinking and, wow, I'm either way off or people are really trying to make this sound like Abnormal is the second coming of Monkish...which, it is far from being. This isn't even one of the better hazy IPAs out of San Diego.

I will say, however, Turbidity is definitely the better of the two beers they released this weekend

 

I love the irony of the Turbidity can stating "Simply Different"...

 

Well... since it's the first Hazy IPA NE style can being produced in north county SD it is different...

 

LOL ok

 

There must be some can variation then, because the New Money can I opened last night was straight orange juice in almost a weird way. It had 0 head and a slightly acidic aftertaste (I feel like I could have convinced people it was a mix drink, not beer).

Turbidity is probably the best hazy IPA I've had from San Diego County, and up there with Monkish's best stuff.

 

VERY interesting...because the can I drank, the first I've had so far, seemed overly carbonated, to the point where the head spilled over the glass; it wasn't a hard pour by any stretch either. I'll hold out some hope that, maybe, the remaining cans will be different..

 

I get a giggle every time I read that on any of their labels or marketing collateral. They are basically a clone of so many other hype train breweries.

 

I wouldn't throw them on hype train status yet, They can actually brew non-BA stouts, whereas everywhere else there non-BA stouts are thin garbage. I love BL but I will never drink any of there non-BA stouts. Speedway and most of its variants are also underwhelming unless its BAVSS and BASS, etc. Same goes for MT.

 

So the absence of a barrel on their stouts (so far) is what keeps them from being a hype train brewery? So the fact that all of their stouts are hip deep in adjuncts, or the fact that they are now canning hazy IPA's doesn't do it for you?

 

I could care less about IPAs and at least their adjuncts aren't overly cloying, except MM, although I actually enjoy that over most Maple syrup beers. But yes the absence of barrel on them is something I personally find refreshing.

Having said that it doesn't mean they aren't part of the New Money trend. The upcoming Sunglasses and Beer combo the have coming up definitely puts them in the target of New Money Brewing. Just not Hyper Train Brewery yet. Once they start Overcharging like Tomme, have infected batches or noticeable dips in quality while increasing production/prices than they will be, but they still have at least another year IMO until they become a Hype brewery.

 

$26 for adjunct stouts that haven't been barrel aged is definitely at the top end of the pricing spectrum. Project that out to BA versions and you're looking at $35 - $40 for a 22oz bottle. That's Tomme pricing.

I enjoy their beer and will continue to buy it, but you're trying to apply selective logic to make Abnormal seem like something they're not. They're directly following the hype train handbook in almost every possible way but as long as the beers is good and I can buy it with a minimum of hassle, I don't really care.

 

I'm just saying that personally to me the only thing they have done to generate hype is do an IP release of their cans, everything else that has been generated is by customers and social media. I only blame breweries for the hype they create not what others bestow upon them. That's more of my problem with Hype Trains

 

Like the poster said previously, I am having trouble following the logic here. Abnormal is near the highest end of bottle pricing for non BA stouts. We'll take Bottle Logic's latest release Fundamental Forces as an example. Not only is the beer barrel aged, but it is 16% ABV which took some additional labor and materials to get it there. It sat in a barrel for 16 months so the occupancy time is pretty high. Finally, it's finished off with vanilla beans, the second highest priced spice in the world. The bottle was $25. Abnormal uses similar spices so I suppose we can call that a wash. But the absence of barrel aging makes that price outrageously high still.

And a brewery that has infections, dips in quality, and increases in cost makes a brewery a hype brewery? You are entitled to your opinion no doubt, but I couldn't disagree any more with this. Cost increases are part of every business. And no brewery that makes barrel aged beer is safe from infections. As you expand and increase volume, it becomes tougher to make these beers and keep them clean. It's how a brewery responds that dictates how the public views them. Lost Abbey handles most quality issues poorly and thus, their reputation is as infected as 2009 Angel's Share.

When a brewery specializes mostly in "flavor of the week" beers like wild ales, IPA's, and adjunct stouts, they are a hype brewery IMO. But don't ask me. Derek himself has admitted to trying to capitalize on hype and that hype adds extra pressure on his team to deliver beers that live up to said hype. Just my 2¢.

 

+1 The expectation here is to meet the demand (?) of trying to reach that same quality over quantity. I believe that's what Derek was aiming for. When I spoke to him about the nuttella beer release (can' t recall the name atm) during sdbw at the first weekend brunch most had preconceived thoughts that he may had just dumped a Shit town of that crap but such was not the case; It's about curating the right ingredients.