Hazel's Nuts

The second guy in line was at his first beer release.

Also? McLovin looked more like someone else. But now I can't remember who he looked like. It was fun yelling "McLovin!" and "Kia!" his way for hours.

 

What a great guy Manning is! Owns ABInbev distributors and openly shills Bud at the end of the Super Bowl. Beer lovers unite!!! http://deadspin.com/peyton-manning-can-eat-shit-1757781250

 

FWIW, just got off the phone with Odd Side Ales; still have everything left except Hazel's.

 

Thanks for sharing the Deadspin article and sidetracking the thread at the same time. It's another garbage rant from an author who is angry at the world.

Whether he was sincere in his statement or he did it for the monetary gain, I'm having a hard time understanding why some beer snobs are all up in arms. Sports and advertising go hand in hand, you new to this world?

Bet you wouldn't be upset if he owned a share in Oddside and he said he was cracking open a bottle of Hipster Brunch when he got home...

 

You'll figure out beer snobs at about the same time the world ends. Clearly, you're not one of the elitist's in this ever changing landscape (nor am I). All you can do is just laugh at them (as shaming has little effect).

I'm guessing these snobs have never been told NO in their lives...


Back on topic though:

@joshflashgordon Can you talk to Reid and have them start opening the pub at about 6am for the next few months? It's going to be torture working in Grand Haven and being unable to stop in to Odd Side for a beer after work . I'll likely just swing in before work each day to get a crowler, bottles, etc...(and hope like hell the boss doesn't have an issue with some beer in my cooler haha).

 

Man, after reading through this I'm extremely hesitant to make plans to visit Founders next month for the KBS draft release at the pub. If this Oddside release is indicative of the current west MI craft scene idk if I'm up for it. I went last year and got in line an hour before the pub opened and my group was cool with that. Any more than that not so much.

 

Difference with Founders is, if you go to KBS week with tickets you're guaranteed allotment. Oddsides was a crapshoot

 

Totally different scenario, you have to have a ticket to get KBS bottles whereas Oddside is not ticketed

 

Emphasis mine.

 

The shit show is for the bottles. I got to Odd Side at about 3/3:30pm on Saturday and the place was nearly empty, with all the good stuff on tap. If Draft is what you are after why wait in line before they open? Pretty sure KBS was on all day (as well as CBS) last year, with exception of the earlier days in the week where you had to find it at a neighboring bar.

 

It shouldn't be bad. I have gone the past several years for the draft release and although there is a line, there is plenty to go around and will be on all day. Especially since KBS week has become a thing and most people have had their fill of KBS by that Saturday. That being said, I usually got there around 8-8:30am and cracked bottles with friends at the front of the line, and sharing with some of the others waiting as well. It is definitely a good time. Also, if you like bottle shares, there is a great one that happens at the Springhill Suites out on Alpine the Friday night before. Keep an eye out for the post, this was last year's - http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...re-march-13th-at-springhill-suites-mi.258273/ .

 

Agreed 100%. I've gone to the last few Black Friday releases and barely anyone knew who OSA was. I showed up a little early with a friend, expecting a line, and nobody was there. Was great and morningwood was/is a great beer. I found it hilarious how everyone was going nuts for the 1 bottle they allowed this year, when you could have bought CASES of it the past few years without issue.

Beer releases are getting crazy lately, and not just Michigan. I think social media really has done a lot of harm for the hobby...I remember going to Brewery Vivant for the Paris release and people who had never had the beer (or been to Vivant) and were buying the case limit (or two if they dragged their SO with them). It sold out in record time and people got shut out. Lo and behind, people tried one and realized they didn't even like it, and then were trying to trade away their cases. I can't imagine dropping 100+ dollars on a release without having a beer from that brewery before. People just bought it because of all of the social media hype and people saying how much they loved it.

 

Ewwwww, its sour. At least be familiar with a style (and like it) before buying the beer. I'm guessing the same thing happened for WBG as well.

The hype ship has kind of sailed a bit with KBS and with the ticketed release the crowds are spaced out over several days.

 

Ya that is it exactly. Drives me nuts to see people line up like for something they have no idea what it even is...and get there 12 hours early.

There was some douche canoe and friend were mad at Founders, during their cellar sale, because he drove 3 hours, got there 3 hours before they opened and there were no bottles on sale. No where did they say there would be. Its crap like that, that is totally ruining the scene.

 

I decided to go to this release because the beer was memorable from GTOTM and I had been meaning to check out their spot...along with Mitten and Perrin. I talked to several people in line to find that many had never tried Hazel's before...completely dumbfounded me as people walked out with their 5 cases. I basically stood in line for 2 hours in complete amazement of what was happening and the lust for a hazelnut flavored niche beer...finally decided to called it quits, grab a couple draft pours, and chalk it up a loss. It did seem to me that a lot of the people there were locals, which is fantastic if that was the case. Either way, let me just say that I was very happy to try it on draft...struggled to get down the pint for sure...money better spent elsewhere...

 

This is the first time Odd Side has done a release at which some of the people who were already in line before doors opened got shut out on the bottles they came to buy. That seems like a major inflection point, especially when the tap room opened early for the release.

 

To each their own...I love it. This batch has been noted as being very different from the last release during Black Friday. I haven't tried this batch yet, so I wouldn't know personally. I think part of the problem is that a lot of the MI BB trade bait has been dwindling lately...KBS is seeing distribution in almost every state (and most people have gotten their fill and/or moved on to other things), BBPt5th has gotten a MASSIVE upgrade to the amount produced, Dragontrax traded great with first batch but underwhelmed during second batch, and Black Note is closely sneaking up to 2 years without another releases. What do you do? Make hype and grab whatever you can!

 

People seriously only buy beer just to trade? Lol

 

Or better yet stop worrying about trading for other beers and drink it yourself. Trading has ruined the beer scene in my opinion.

 

Does this mean we can start using the term FMB's now?