Side Project / Shared (2023)

Finally getting around to opening this one. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. Cheers!

 

Lol I like your style and agree. Bottle on me if you’re ever in STL.

 

Made a cannonball run to Side Project this weekend. What an incredible bottle list for on-site consumption. Was fortunate enough to try some heavy hitters over the past month from numerous world class breweries and I want to say that MJK might be the best beer I’ve ever had. Even something as good as OWK paled in comparison to it.

 

Totally agree. MJK was special. Was a tad disappointed with OWK. Was wanting more vanilla.

 

I don't know that i've heard anyone say that it was easy to get in LC. i'm sure experiences vary though.

 

I thought the same thing. OWK was excellent, but it came across more as a top tier non-adjunct stout because I didn’t detect any vanilla in it. Different styles of course, but having it next to MJK wasn’t fair because MJK completely blew it out of the water.

 

I’ve never had OWK, so asking for a reference point. Are either of you sensitive to Vanilla (as in, you detect it when it is barely there, e.g. Vanilla Deth), or more the opposite? Personally, I always have a hard time detecting it unless it is obvious. If you’ve ever read someone describe a stout without vanilla as having “so much vanilla flavor from the barrels” - yea, I think those people are crazy or lieing and describing subtle nuance as a hammer.

 

I will say that I feel like I get faint vanilla in some barrel aged stouts that do not have it listed as an adjunct, but I’ve also had the earlier Derivations that contained vanilla, most recently Derivation 13.

 

Vanilla is my favorite adjunct. OWK had it but it was very subtle. Strong on the nose. For me, initially I got barrel, then slight vanilla, and finished with heavy chocolate. Very complex but was wishing for more than subtle vanilla especially when they mentioned it was the most vanilla they’ve ever added. With all that said, it was still a great brew, it really showcased the barrel.

 

Just out of curiosity, how quickly did you drink your pours? And what size of pour? Because I would agree the vanilla was muted when cold but it was much, much stronger as it warmed near room temperature. I've had this convo several times with people at the Cellar with little variation from person to person.

 

6 oz and let it warm up at least 20-30 min.

 

6 ounces as well, but drank it over the course of 20+ minutes but I started drinking it as soon as it was poured.

 

Lots of people out there doing a complete disservice to these beers drinking them way too cold. I don’t even refrigerate stouts or barleywines anymore. Just drink them at room temp.

 

Speaking of: parallels is far better warm than cold

 

100%. especially vanilla stouts. the vanilla never pops until it’s close to or at room temp.

 

This is in part on the taproom though, I mean there's only so much responsibility on the lowly town [pastry] drunkard. Not everyone is walking around carrying an infrared thermometer or has the time to leisurely let a pour warm up. The cellar even pours at different temps, so it's odd they choose the 45° cooler. Has anyone suggested they store it in the warmer one?

I actually never realized this. I'm really surprised MJK is in the colder one too. I pour all my stouts and barleywines straight out of the [literal] cellar all year long, but that's even too cold for me in the winter (it's 50° down there right now). Right now I bring my bottles upstairs and let them sit on the counter for a short period. But that's at home.

 

Does storing at a cooler temp, at least in a keg, have anything to do with the stability of the beer over a longer period of time?

 

So, now that we know the package for VWBBT, any guesses as to the total price? I'm thinking 50+30+30+20, so $130 plus tax? But maybe $50 is cutting the barrel hype short.

 

I think that’s a good set line. Hasn’t du Blé always been $20? SdF $25 for the last few years? Loam was $25 as a comparison for Vidal.

Maybe those get a price increase as well, but I see the VW being in the $60-65 range.

60/65 + 25 + 20 + 25…in line with the 130/135, just in different places.