Half Acre (2019)

Is there still the traditional wait outside in line Benthic release or was the online the only one?

 

I believe it's online-only, although I'm unclear how the business card raffle on Lincoln works.

 

Wasn’t it that if they were contacted, they got their own online purchase link? Wouldn’t have to fight the general on-sale?

 

Friar Tuck's, Binny's, or a third store I'm not aware of? I'm going to be down visiting the family for Thanksgiving, and then again for a week ish around Christmas, and heaven knows I'm going to need a beer or two.

 

That could be, I instantly forgot it was an option since I'm lazy, so I didn't pay much attention

 

I’m surprised that no one posted this yet. Guess we are inundated with stout related events right now.

 

It's a little like Goose Island also announcing a porter release a few weeks after BCBS release and expecting people to go nuts for it... Big Hugs is the Jan Brady to Benthic's Marsha.

 

Makes me so happy to read this. For years I was on the "I don't get Big Hugs" train, and then Benthic dropped, and I really didn't get it.

With that said, Big Hugs day is a cool event at HA, so even though the beer itself isn't that interesting imo, the variants and stuff happening at the Lincoln location are pretty fun.

 

For someone like me who has only been to HA a handful of times, and never on a big release day, what level of shitshow would the wife and I encounter there this Friday night around 9:30pm?

 

I really love Big Hugs but I will admit I'm not the biggest fan of the variants. Vanilla and BA last year were both just OK as far as stouts go these days. I love me some regular.

I may be biased in it's what I drank on my first date with my missus though.

 

Half Acre Lincoln is almost always crowded AF on a Friday & Saturday night in my experience regardless of a release or not.

 

See, I prefer both Vanilla and BA to regular. But I'll be the first to admit that even then, I don't find them particularly special for the style.

 

To me the Big Hugs beer is average, but the marketing and art behind it are phenomenal. I love the new kitten art every year. If I were at HA I would have just put the Big Hugs name and art on the Benthic formula. Benthic's branding is meh.

 

OK, in that case does anyone know if the Friday pickup party extends to Balmoral, too? I realize bottles can't be picked up there, but will Benthic and variant drafts be on at Balmoral?

 

This is exactly why I don't go to HA Lincoln for drafts any more...ever. Much easier just to go to the relaxed atmosphere of Balmoral.

 

Agreed, I love the yearly Big Hugs designs. Benthic is okay, BH is next-level.

This is why I sadly rarely go to HA for drafts period. Balmoral is out of the way, and any time I can get over to Lincoln (usually after work or on a weekend) it's packed. Luckily they've always got fantastic stuff in the shop, and I prefer to drink at home anyway.

 

I've only been to Lincoln once, prefer the Spiteful Brewing Half Acre Daily Double.

 

Lincoln only

 

Same. I always enjoyed Big Hugs, but the variants never did much for me. I think its a very good coffee stout, but by no means amazing. And once people starting lining up for hours to get it, I was out.

 

Let’s not kid ourselves here. Benthic sees time in a barrel, big hugs doesn’t. Hence the lack of excitement for the latter