Founders Black Party (2014)

Great seeing you guys! I need to make it out to Chicago soon.

 

Black Party tap list updated with new beers for the night session:

 

Black-mothereffing-Biscuit

 

The 2011 night session, perhaps?

 

You know its not this year cuz the growler pricing is off and there's a different sign up. Good try tho . I bet u got a few people excited with that one.

 

Founders to me is bittersweet. I love to see how far they've come, especially in the past 3.5 years I've been going to the taproom. That being said, can't help but point out the relative limited offerings this year. I'm not trying to knock or bitch or moan but the past few parties they've thrown have seemed to be limited to their mainstays/seasonals.

 

Would have to agree with you that this year's Black Party offerings, while solid, did not have the same "Wow" factor as those from prior years.

 

I can understand your views, and appreciate you stated them more calmly and respectfully than most, but I would like to point out what Founders has been up to over the past few years. Between the expansion of distribution, expansion of the brewery and the expansion of the tap room, Founders was forced to change their focus. Founders main objective had to be maintaining production of their staples, one offs and experimentation becomes less important at this point.

I think we have already begun to see the tide change, the number of one offs and experimental batches over the past several months has certainly increased. Founders may never get back to turning out all sorts of limited offerings at their parties again, but I feel that the next few years will be a better indication than the previous few.

 

Couldn't agree more that we are seeing that transformation into more of a "business" and less of a small town micro brewery. With each passing market expansion, we're seeing more and more tied up production that's having to go to staples (lots of All Day!). I agree and I think the pilot system has helped get back to what it was like a few years ago and really look forward to what they come up with. It's a torn place to be wanting to be semi-selfish with having such a great brewery in your back yard yet wanting all the hard work Mike and Dave and the team have been putting into the brewery and the community for the last sixteen years to pay off for them.

 

All in all it was an enjoyable party. I loved the MF Milkstout!

 

the BA Maple Syrup Black IPA was the best beer they had. Was disappointed no KBS devils cut but oh well. The party was a great time and already looking forward to the next one!

 

I'd say over all a great party. I agree there wasn't quite the "wow" factor like previous years, but kinda understand with the whole expansion lately. The BA Maple Black IPA and the BA Imperial Black IPA were my two favorites. The Cran-Cub was not quite what I would expect from them, but was an ok one-off for the party. I have to say that there were more "wow" beers for me the next day at the Dank 420 IPA party at Hopcat the next day !!! Awesome taplist !! Plus got to grab growlers of Shorts Super Fluid, Double hopstache (shorts 29th anniversary beer), and Dark Horse's Smells like a Safety Meeting. Hope everyone had fun at both party's and it was good meeting all the new people !!