What's with the bad reviews for Ichigo Highway?

I really enjoyed it when it first came out, but I noticed a rapid decline in the strawberry flavor in the subsequent bottles I have had.

 

Agree. Cascade Strawberry has the band aid problem too.

 

Maybe the bottles are wonky on the Ichigo Highway? I had it on tap multiple times and thought it was the best strawberry beer I've ever had from the USA.

 

I've been told that Ichigo is getting funkier over time too. Opened a bottle recently and it was weird as hell - tons of astrigent band-aid and some stinky cheese with a bit of strawberry.

Too bad since I didn't get to try it fresh...it's a weird beast now.

 

Quoting myself because I had some at a share last night and it totally tasted like band aids. The hell happened?

 

I think strawberry is a fruit that does not do very well over time in beers in general. To the Bruery and Cascade credit they have advocated drinking their strawberry beers sooner than later. I believe the ichigo bottles state to drink it fresh.

 

exact same situation for me. I didn't even finish my pour of it the first time I had it. Had another bottle last week and thought it was better. Still has an almost moldy strawberry nose and taste.

 

Had it on tap in November, was kind of average to me.

Had a bottle of it at a NYE party, damn, it was awesome.

I think I'll bring a bottle to the Reno March Madness event and see "how's it drinking" then.

I think since I still have two bottles left, I'm obligated to say its drinking well.

 

I had my bottle about a month ago and thought it unremarkable. It's pretty bizarre that the scattershot here isn't just disagreement about whether a character of the beer is good, like normal for Bruery beers, but about whether or not it's even present. Bruery usually manages better QC than that.

 

Yeah the weird band aid phenolic issue seems to be widespread. Not sure if it's due to weird by-products from the sake yeast, or some other kind of yeast-fruit interaction. But when I had it, there was much, much more to the beer that I didn't like. It was a weird funk - like rotten fruit, moldy cheese and then a touch of the band aid stuff. It's not aging well, and I'm afraid to open my other bottles.

I'm not sure if it's a QC issue, but I don't think the Bruery controls their sours as much as they should. They are the only major sour producer I know of that allows huge amounts of acetic acid in all of their sour beers, and I think it's a flaw. I know oud buins and flanders red ales typically have some acetic character, but the Bruery seems to encourage it in all their beers. Reueze, Mother Funker, Otiose, Filmishmish and others all have vinegar notes that have been putting me off lately.

 

There's a reason I've taken to only buying one of the Provisions releases. I don't think there's been a single one that was worth buying more.

I think that's what they're going for. The fact that everything they make is so unbalanced and acetic can't just be an accident. I wish they'd tone it down, because they'd have a great thing going if they could just reduce the acetic a bit.

 

Have you ever had Premiere?

 

Yes, several times, in fact. I'm not a fan.

 

Didnt get any strong phenolics in the bottles that I have opened, but some variance in the amount of blue cheesy funk, which is something I have found to be prominent in lots of strawberry sours (esp Hanssens). Ive got one bottle left so Ill have to open it this week and see if I get any of the bandaid that people are talking about.

 

Tart of Darkness? First year's was awesome.

 

I'd stop far short of calling myself a Bruery "fan", but I enjoyed Ichigo Highway.

 

I don't really like sour stouts (or dark sours in general), but that one is one of the better ones. I more meant that nothing in the Provisions series approaches the Anniversary beers, BT, CR, Melange #3, etc.

 

I've now opened two bottles, one quite yummy, one plastic-y. Got one left to try. I am wondering if something was messed up during bottling.

 

There's definitely some variation in how much people perceive the phenols. We opened a bottle on Saturday and some people found it undrinkably plasticy, while others didn't get nearly as much of that and rather enjoyed it. Everyone agreed it was a little funky, though.

 

I'm on an eternal crusade to get them to rebrew Workman's Friend, as it was probably my favorite of the lineup. Gunga Galunga really grew on me when they dumped the last of the stash back in may. In fact, the bottles I had then were probably the best of all the pours I'd had up to that point. Then again, Im also the guy that wishes the Bruery would offer up more non BA stouts.