Wild Barrel Brewing - Inner Circle

I forgot I was in this "club". They send information so infrequency everything started to go into my spam folder.

 

*******SPOILER ALERT *********
NO

 

I’m glad they’re at least not rushing the bourbon barrel beers. I don’t think I’ve had one that’s been aged in the barrel for less than a year that I’ve loved. I think we’re aproaching the year mark on their BA stouts.

Edit- Yeah I just looked it up, they racked an Imperial stout into Woodford Reserve and Four Roses barrels in Feb ‘18

 

While you’re assuming that beer (those beers?) will go to members, there’s no indication one way or the other that’s the case. Fingers crossed at least one member beer is in there, but who knows...

 

I went to the brewery website out of curiosity to see how they describe this club and there's no mention anywhere. Perhaps the club doesn't really exist?

 

Interesting to see that despite still having a profile, it doesn't seem DRBILL can be tagged. Would be nice if he'd come in here to explain the situation.

 

I've now spent the past day reading through the J Wakefield thread from the other forum that was mentioned. 75 pages in and it's been a wild ride. Only... 80 pages to go...

Why am I doing this? I don't know.

 

Because it is g'damn entertaining.

 

here's an excerpt from an email 8-2-18. Not sure what happened to these?

Here's a note from Preston:

Hello all. I'm sure that you are eagerly awaiting the first releases; I am too!

Bottles arrived just last week, and we have chosen a nice 500 ml bottle with a slender elegant- looking long neck that will be great for both the barrel-aged stouts and sours alike. Labels are in the final stages of approval and crowns should arrive any day. We should soon be able to finish testing the bottling line we plan to use to produce these initial single-barrel projects that are exclusively for the membership.

The first releases are Woodford reserve and both have interesting characteristics. The first has hints of chocolate on the nose that also dances throughout the smooth bourbon and barrel base. The second has coconut notes in the finish after the barrel and bourbon notes have laid the groundwork.

So the time seems very close at hand for the first two releases from the barrel-aged stout series; and with fingers crossed, I hope by the end of August with the next two releases following quickly after that. Sours are progressing after some fruit additions and when the barrels have something to say I'll let you know first here.

See you around the barrels.

Preston

 

What a fantastic train wreck, holy hell.

 

email 10-18-18
...Also there will be a 3rd bottle on us for one of your club releases...

email 6-22-18
Additionally we are working on a blend with Mostra Coffee that will be a bonus beer for the membership. Look for that after their anniversary party in November.

whatever happened to that bonus Mostra bottle?
So that's 20x 500ml bottles we should be receiving.

 

Every time I think it's run its course, something new happens. The members finally received their first bottles... that were leaking through the wax because they were improperly capped. Now I just got to the part where the "exclusive" only-being-brewed-one-time donor bottles was a beer he's made several times that got sold 2pp to the public.

I should probably stop commenting on an unrelated membership in this thread, but yeah, wild ride.

 

I appreciate the recaps without having to read through it myself.

 

I know it's a common statement to note beer memberships being an interest-free loan for breweries, but at least other breweries provide something in return over the course of 12 months. This "membership" was 100% an excuse to get an interest-free cash infusion to build out and nothing more. There was no interest in providing members with any sort of actual membership once they got their money, and the fact they've completely removed mentions of the club shows how little they care at this point.

 

If the Full Pint article linked below is accurate, the cost was $300 and limited to 300 people. If they actually sold 300 (not sure why they would cap it if the intention was to fleece folks) that's $90,000.

Alternate theory - they sold like 50 memberships and decided it wasn't enough to justify the hassle to actually maintain and deliver beer to the 'club' and decided the $15,000 raised was theirs to keep.

https://thefullpint.com/beer-news/join-wild-barrel-brewings-inner-circle-barrel-club/

 

If either of those if the case, and they don't end up delivering at some point, then a spate of small claims suits (or maybe a class action suit depending on the amount of members) might be in the future...

 

Once I got started reading I couldn't stop.
*********SPOILER ALERT**************
There is a second subsequent thread.

You have no idea what you are missing out on.

 

Links? I'm horrendous with search

 

Is the second one just the J Wakefield Brewing thread? I managed to read all 159 of the pages last night. Dude seems like a real asshole.

 

He was interviewed recently for a Full Pint podcast episode. I'm not sure what to think of him, but I haven't read the saga you just did.