Next Firestone Walker Barrelworks Release

My thoughts exactly.

 

I'm pretty stoked about this and the "mystery beer" as well that's not so much of a mystery anymore. That Mystery Beer is downright incredible and I'd gladly pay the $60 for the Bretta Weiss (which is truly fantastic - just subtle so it won't get a ton of love here amongst the hopperazzi) just to get a crack at the mystery beer.

 

Do you work for FW? I'm genuinely curious. I honestly love FW, and I think many would agree they are among the top ten, if not the top three, breweries in the United States, but, frankly, there's something wrong if you're willing to shell out $60 for an underwhelming brew. Usually I say to each his own, and I'm willing to concede you may like this beer, but can you not see how it sounds ridiculous to call this beer "truly fantastic - just subtle so it won't get a ton of love here amongst the hopperazzi"? You've also constructed a straw man, too, with this "hopperazzi" nonsense. I'd argue most everyone in this thread who has tried the beer has approached it with an open mind. Additionally, I contend that most of us have been somewhat generous in our descriptions of this beer. Look, FW is amazing, and I like a lot of their beers that some others don't have a lot of love for. The difference is I don't accuse others of hatin' and not realizing just how "fantastic" the beer is.

 

here we go...

 

So the hurt feelings come from FW not doing a special release for a beer that only has 100 or so cases at a location that is about 2 hours from L.A.?

I'd rather avoid the shit show potential and really appreciate how they're handling this. It's a very low case count. There's no way they would have wanted to do a release for it on its own and so they just released it as a side thing. You could look at the $60 as paying $15 for a bottle a beer you don't want, but why not look at it as paying for the event. It is, after all, a tasting event.

 

They could just put it out at random like the way Sante does.

I'm concerned about the slippery slope they tread once piggybacking off of less desirable releases become commonplace. I'd rather that precedent not be set.

 

There's still tickets available for the second session. Buy a ticket or be quiet.

 

It's an added bonus for something they couldn't come up with its own release for. They never sold it as a gateway, and even now that it's not so much a secret, Jeffers still isn't saying what it is to people. So it still remains a mystery beer of an added bonus for showing up to a release.

 

Damn, First FW Sour release I'm not attending due to some family stuff and this happens. Huge ISO for someone not buying their full allotment!!

 

So shouldn't there be some kreik left on Sunday?

 

Nope, not an FW employee. Do you read bios? I'm genuinely curious.

I'd also agree that most everybody approached the beer with an open mind. I also feel that most of the most vocal beer geeks don't get excited about any sour beer that doesn't rip enamel off your teeth, or any hoppy beer that doesn't instantly blow your palate or any imperial stout that isn't aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels ... and so on. Those are the folks I've come to know as the hopperazzi... it's mostly a tongue-in-cheek joke though, so let's not start calling me a hater quite so quick. Or do - whatever.

Perhaps I should have stated that "In my opinion, it's truly a fantastic beer..." but I assumed we were all able to recognize that this is just my opinion - after all, what else could it be? I'm fine with people not liking it, I just don't agree with them.

Now, on your point that there's something wrong (with me, I'm assuming) for being willing to shell out $60 for an underwhelming brew:
- I think it's clear I don't consider this beer underwhelming.
- I never said that's not a lot of money for a 4-pack of beer. It is.
- My point, and I say as much, is that it's worth the $60 to get the 4 beers and the opportunity to buy the mystery beer. As I say, I've tasted both, and I think they're both tremendous. I'm pretty excited to get a crack at a couple of bottles. Hell, if you're upset about the price just go, buy a couple of the mystery bottles and then use that one auction site we're not supposed to talk about here and sell it for a couple hundred (I'm not seriously advocating doing this).

In any case, go or don't go. The worst that will happen if you don't is you'll be $60 richer, and you won't have to choke down four bottles of beer that don't give you a hard-on. Me, I'm going. I'm going to buy some bottles, I'm going to drink them and share them with friends and I'm going to enjoy it quite a bit.

 

This was never the intended idea. A few of us beerdoes in Santa Barbara have been organizing a Santa Barbara Beer Week that is going on now, and the original release of the "mystery beer" was going to be the event for beer week. However, because of limited quantities and the big crowds, long lines and sporadic dissatisfaction that accompanied the bretta rose release (and feral one to some extent), the folks at Barrelworks decided to do Bretta Weisse as a release for beer week instead (after all, the release for Bretta Weisse had been delayed for other reasons). So - the goal was not to sucker people into buying Bretta Weisse by offering this mystery beer as well. The mystery beer is really just a special, one-time offering and there wasn't going to be enough of it to merit it's own release.

As for Santa Barbara Beer Week, if you haven't heard about it, that's our fault. It was our first run at organizing such a thing, and we're learning quite a bit. So far it's been pretty good, and with the lessons we're learning next year is going to be even better.

 

Also factor in that $60 is not just for 4 beers. It gets you a snifter and a slew of one-off/rare tastings and you do get a 10% discount on food in the taproom. To me, I guess it's just worth it even before knowing that the Kriek was going to be a surprise on there.

 

To your point about "the most vocal beer geeks don't get excited about any sour beer that doesn't rip enamel off your teeth, or any hoppy beer that doesn't instantly blow your palate or any imperial stout that isn't aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels ... and so on," it seems to me everyone here had a pretty reasoned opinion. I think most of us can appreciate a beer on its own merits. There are quite a few beers I've enjoyed that aren't "lip-puckering sour," but rather mildly tart and funky; a few of Jolly Pumpkin's beers come to mind in this regard, as do some of Logsdon's ales. I don't need all Berliner Weisse beers to taste like Tartare, but personally, I just didn't think this beer was very good, and I really wanted to like it. It's a fine beer, just not very good. But really, the point's moot. We shall have to agree to disagree.

Cheers!

 

So is there a possibility that Bretta Weisse bottles may still be available next weekend (7/19) at Barrelworks? I'll be making the trip up there on the 19th from Camarillo, where I'll be for a wedding.

 

I'm willing to bet that yeah, there should still be bottles of Bretta Weisse.

350 cases. 12 bottles per. 200 tickets for the event with 4 each plus option to buy more (4?) may not be fully taken advantage of given $$ better spent on Krieky Bones. Add in limited Barrelworks hours on Sunday and it sounds like the recipe for some extra bottles lasting next week at the least.

 

And it looks like Agrestic is the next release based on Jeffers' latest Instagram post.

 

Yeah Krieky Bones! I''ll be at the second session.

 

Just left the event. Awesome! No lines, unlimited pours, KRIEKY BONES!! Thanks FW for putting on such a nicely planned event! Please do the rest like this cause it was kush.