Other Half (2019)

Haha @rozzom, that beer seriously smacked some sense into my tastebuds. It was like when I had my first NEIPA. Suffice to say I'm looking for more imports and a broader range of styles to drink through the holidays.

Overall though I'm just trying to wrap my head around the value of these conversations that we float in and out of about what's acceptable to put in beer, and whats the value of a certain style or whatever. I'm thinking aloud with no real conclusion in mind.

I remember learning about the geographic origin protections afforded by EU regulations and thinking how silly that was. In 'Merica, if you make good monterey jack cheese don't matter if it's from California or New England cows! You could label it, sell it, and let the market decide! And wasn't that nice, that consumers were empowered, not bureaucrats? It's a light-hearted subject now, but it will become a weapon at some point. How backed into a corner of declining sales do the macros have to be to get their legal teams and lobbyists to agitate for regulations that "clarify" what can be sold as beer? And because of existing regulations around alcohol sales, they could conceivably, in some areas of the country, diminish the availability of craft beer. Just look at the meat companies and their reaction to plant-based meats, or the stupid egg industry/mayo flap.

If we're truly lovers of beer, we ought to have a cogent answer to the question of what's the value of defining beer and how to define it, otherwise someone else will make that decision for us, and we don't really know how it will work out...and I point that out just as a way of encouraging the ongoing discussion, and making room for people who want to stake out strong positions on the matter.

 

I would love to know the OG and FG of the big OH stouts. While most of the adjuncts they add to their beer increases sweetness, I’ve found just some basic OH stouts way too sweet as well. Generally, the higher the FG the sweeter the beer will be as there are sugars left over that were not consumed by the yeast. Although the OG would have to be way up there to create these 10%+ stouts and still have tons of sweetness left over from the high FG.

In most cases you could use the FG as a sweetness indicator but again, there are other factors at play (adjuncts, vessels for aging, etc.)

 

Wild difference between today and the HDHC ACE release. Walked up at 11 no line, tap room has a handful of people but nothing crazy. Forever Simcoe tasting real nice and haven’t had reg Citra Daydream in a whole, refreshing at 6% glad I grabbed a 4, shades of the old days when everything wasn’t 8.5%-14%. Although I will say tasting this OH really has nailed down that flavor profile at 8.5 so well

 

So does that mean Velvet Magnum BA and 2019 should be released next Saturday, the 14th? Will be visiting up from MD and last year's VM is one of my favorites.

 

From everything I’ve seen on social media I’m operating under that assumption

 

If social media tells me anything there are going to be quite a few releases this week. I’m betting there will be some sort of Stout release Tuesday alone with another Stout Saturday. We know the 2 Velvet Magnums are coming, and BA Snowbirds was released this time last year. Plus Hours is doing a bottle release this Friday at OH (They posted about it a few months ago on Instagram. It’s gonna be a fun week.

 

snowbirds for days this Tuesday at 5pm - two new, two BA

 

All FG's arent the same. Elevated FG via lactose/maltodextrine/malt/back sweetening with other sugars or adjuncts will all have different perceived sweetnesses/body. They're probably all quite high FG wise though. Angry Chair is around 1.048-1.052, I wouldn't be surprised if other half was higher than that

 

⁠This Tuesday, 12/10 at 5pm is our annual Snowbirds stout release with with our Florida stout padawan @jwakefieldbrewing This year we have 2 fresh versions and 2 Bourbon Barrel Aged versions.⁠⠀
--⁠⠀
Snowbirds 4 Almond Joy Topped Molasses Maple Banana Ice Cream Imperial Stout (15.0%) The saga continues with a mouthful of eponymous flavors + cacao nibs, wild Thai banana, cinnamon and milk sugar. Like heading south for the winter. $18 per bottle, 6 per person. ⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Snowbirds 4 Carrot Cake Imperial Stout (15.0%) It's like pure cake batter, in stout form. It contains carrots, vanilla, cinnamon, pecans and milk sugar. $18 per bottle, 6 bottles per person.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Snowbirds 3 Imperial Stout (16.0%) We laid it down in bourbon barrels before conditioning it on a whole host of delicious adjuncts including Marcona almonds, cacao nibs, coconut, toasted coconut, vanilla, coffee, and Ceylon cinnamon. $24 per bottle, 4 bottles per person.⁠⠀
⁠⠀
Snowbirds 3 Imperial Stout (16.0%) Aged in Bourbon Barrels with Marcona almonds, coconut, toasted coconut, and wild Thai banana. This is our Pastrytown VIP version, barrel aged. Like bourbon soaked banana bread. $24 per bottle, 4 bottles per person. ⁠⠀

 

Agreed. That’s why I said generally. Every beer is different. I wouldnt be surprised to see some if their beers in the 1.060 range - which is the OG of the most recent belgian blonde I brewed.

 

yay! 4 beers I cant drink.

I know I sound like a broken record but enough of the fucking nuts in stouts. It’s just a way to charge more $ per bottle, and from talking to many people, it adds very minimal attributes to the beer.

 

I’d say nuts definitely add stuff to the beer. Almonds increase the pastry-ness with marzipan notes. Snowbirds has always had nuts, not like this is a surprize

 

Here to say that the latest batch of Vapor Ringz is tasting pretty damn incredible right now.

Vape em if you’ve got em.

 

Anxiously awaiting Snowbirds Stuck on the BQE with Finback.

 

Not gonna lie. I'm kinda glad OH is dropping these at 5 instead of noon so there's no chance of me being able to buy them. Christmas is already hitting my wallet hard.

 

Haven’t had the OH collab but thanks for putting it on my radar! On the topic of boozy ice cream, the ample hills / widow Jane was delicious

 

that ample hills widow jane ice cream was absurdly good

 

I'm in the boat of actually wishing for a noon release because I have a 4pm flight and this time of year it's easy to leave the office. I think OG Birds 2 are two of my favorite stouts and I missed Birds last year as well. They should have BA version on tap this weekend? ... they definitely had the Willet Bourbon on tap last year I think...

Having said that, strong pass on the non-BA versions...why they gotta add the 'tose and completely change the beer?

Also, I guess the VIP version is aged 9-10 months only? Or it was in the barrels well before Pastrytown?