Does anyone else have a problem with the Zymatore Project?

I assume all their partner breweries know and approve of the program - they are shipping them beers in bulk containers, after all.

(Also, in normal industry terminology, B. United is an importer, not a distributor.)

 

I have to presume that you didn't read the site thoroughly and decided to draw your own conclusions first. Here's an excerpt:

"All of the beers & meads that are used in the Zymatore project were used with the permissions of the breweries involved."

 

A simple case of "careful what you ask for" (if you ask me).

e.g. Reissdorf Koelsch ages in Madeira barrels; Aecht Schlenkerla Helles "Bock Version" (whatever the hell that is...) aged in Petit Verdot barrels.

After all, in the 1980s, when croissants came into vogue, we slapped a cheeseburger on them and called them a Croissanwich....

 

I blame the hypodermic needle of green dye in kegs of adjunct lagers for St. Patrick's Day, which begot DFH's Randall and it's imitators (and pocket-sized units), and now this...

It is a little perplexing that a beer culture that is shocked at people who sprinkle a little salt in their beer or hang a piece of citrus fruit on their glass or in the neck of their bottle, approves of this.

Of course, did anyone really "ask" for it?

 

My only problem with it is that the beers are not very good and sold for exorbitant prices. I think it's an interesting idea in theory.

 

Have they released the Zinfindel BA Berliner Weiss yet? Sounds good.

 

B. United is worried that Hitachio Nest Ancient Nipponia or Smiske Extra is too mainstream?

 

This beer is my problem with the zymatore project. And by problem, I mean problem that it isn't in my belly.

 

Jess is right, as usual. These sound like a cool idea and I'm all for experimentation, but if it ain't as good as the original don't bother putting it out.

 

Doesn't bother me any more than the fact that there are folks who buy Single Malt whiskies from distilleries to make their own label blended scotches with or that there are folks in Belgium who buy lambics to age in their own barrels to make their Gueuze blends with. Its not like they stole the base product or the brewer didn't know what was being done with they beer they sold.

 

I will not try to be biased but I will say that Matthias who is the owner and brewmaster of B. United, is to me one of the most respectable owners I have had the privilege to talk to and so I trust in his endeavors and support what he does.

 

I have nothing to do with the Zymatore project, but it seems to me that the idea of a blender/ager/affineur is a very old one in the world of beer. Look at labels from 50 -100 years ago, and you'll sometimes see the names of the bottlers sometimes portrayed just as prominently as those of the brewers. It apparently mattered a lot "whose" bottles of Guinness you got in those days. More recently, at The White Horse in London, Mark Dorber, considered by many to be the best cellarman in England, always dry-hopped cask-conditioned Bass Ale and laid it down for many weeks. "His" Bass was distinctly different, and it drove the folks at Bass nuts....except for the fact that he sold more Bass than just about anyone in the country. If these brewers have decided to take on Matthias as a collaborator, why should this bother anyone? After all, you might note that YOU (collectively, anyhow) are almost surely the reason this is happening, yes?

 

Exactly, Garrett! I have noticed that the most hauls of the die hard beer geeks tend to go towards beers that are blended/aged, just as you described. Much wisdom in your words, my friend....

 

That's an interesting anecdote regarding The White Horse. The ins and outs of British pub culture never fail to entertain, I keep intending to make a trip over there to make a concerted effort at immersing my self in it for a week or two... but never quite find the time.

And I know it's been said previously in these forums, but Garrett, that hat is spectacular.

 

Agree with all that you have said here. It's all about giving the people (i.e. beer geeks) what they want. However, as Afrokaze said above, if it's not as good as the original I don't see the point (save for experimentation for experimentation's sake). Kinda reminds me of when, say, the Lemonheads covered Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson."

 

I have had a few Zymatore Project beers and they have all been worse than the base beer. I don't know if B. United hired a respected barrel program manager to head this project, but I would bet they didn't. The ones I had were curiosities at best.

I have no problem with the idea, but the execution seems rather lackluster in my opinion.

 

Couldn't have said it better. If it's no good, it won't sell.

 

your opinion of the quality of the product not withstanding, you are going to lose this bet.
B. United and Mathias are not pikers in this world of beer.
Cheers.

 

It's a rather interesting endeavor, if you ask me. I tried one of them, don't recall which, at The Trappist in Oakland. I believe it was aged in whisky and pinot noir barrels but you could get all three flavors out of the beer. Started off wine-y like pinot noir, slight hoppiness of beer in the middle then finished with a slight whisky note.