Half Acre (2020)

Drank one Friday and it’s very good! Once it warms up - silky, coconutty, some barrel heat. I’m a fan.

 

Stopped by Balmoral yesterday on a whim. Was hoping to grab food, kitchen was closed. Hung out in the beer garden for a couple pours, nothing crazy on tap but everything was excellent.

Asked if there was any Benthic available, was told very politely to check back Monday. It was clear they understood the sale was a shit show but are trying to make everything right for those that were already promised an allocation.

 

Anyone else notice a lingering plastic/glue smell from their Benthic cans?

 

Maybe - I did think it was super strong smelling when I picked it up, and promptly put the cans in my fridge. If I remember tomorrow, I’ll go sniff again to see if they are still glue-y. I’m avoiding alcohol today, so when I report back later tonight instead, you’ll know that I’m weak.

 

New Half Acre cans always have a glue smell to them to me. Idk what kind of labeling system they use but it really is distinct. I think the box is also giving off some glue smell. My entire basement smells like glue.

 

Vanilla Benthic is delicious. I think I maybe prefer regular though. But man do they nail a silky feel on Benthic that is hard to find. It is one of the standout features

 

So I popped a regular this evening. I found the coffee to be more prominent than previous batches, which is great. I enjoyed it, but definitely think it’s the richest batch they’ve done. By the end of the can, the sweetness became a bit much. But I think others will appreciate it for that.

 

A side note to #trufflegate...when I went to pick up my order today, I was talking to the staff at Balmoral about the magical confection that unlocked orders. They mentioned the truffles are Vanilla Benthic and not Cherry Vanilla or whatever the Tock description stated.

That doesn't change the cluster of a release, but if I was roped into buying the truffles, that would have made me feel a slight step up from furious.

 

Anyone know if they had any extra glasses for sale? They weren't available when I purchased my allotment in the second emailed release

 

I asked about the t-shirt when I was there Saturday and they said to check back online soon. I would maybe send them an email too.

 

I forgot to mention that HA almost jipped me out of a 2-pack of Benthic. I purchased the 8-pack and two extra 2-packs. But I got home to find only one extra 2-pack. I specifically asked if both packs were inside as the way he worded it sounded like he only included one. I should have checked before I left, but they were taping boxes up. Either way, I drove back, explained, and they made it right. Appreciate their service. I was worried they thought I was trying to cheat them. But he remembered me asking and said it’s sometimes confusing the way it appears on their screens.

TLDR: Double check your box before you leave, and HA customer service is excellent.

 

I opened one of my Xtra Dubl cans last night, and was completely blown away. If you are in the camp of wanting more coconut in Benthic, this one is definitely for you.

TONS of coconut on the nose, and that's what you get instantly upon the first sip. The coffee begins to come through mid-palate, and it's a really nice bitter and roasty transition from the coconut. Towards the end of the finish, a huge wave of chocolate follows the coffee, way more than I've ever tasted in Benthic (or variants). While harder to pick out due to the amount of adjuncts, the barrel presence is still there, and finishes off just a wonderful beer.

Without question, Xtra Dubl is in my top 5 beers I've had in 2020.

 

I loved the half a can of regular I got to try last night via a bud who was up for an outdoor mini-share. I'm kind of terrified to think how much more flava the Xtra Dubl contains. Maybe I'll crack one after my Wednesday pickup....

 

I initially wasn't going to have an Xtra Dubl last night, but how much I loved the regular the night before forced my hand a bit. Regular immediately made me wonder how the variants turned out, based on how much I enjoyed it.

I don't know if I'm happier having tried Xtra Dubl, or knowing that I have one more can of it.

 

Drank an Xtradubl tonight. Not as thiccc as vanilla, which is fine. Very silky smooth. I agree with @Jangoon24 ‘s assessment - coconut aroma, coconut upfront followed by the coffee and a slight bitterness, but coconut never fully disappears. Lingering mouthfeel has some barrel to it too. Overall this is my favorite of the three (didn’t get the larger Benthic package).

 

Opened a regular Benthic last night and was disappointed. Very hot and boozy, to the point where it overwhelmed the adjuncts. I’m hopeful it was just a one off experience and I’ll enjoy the other cans more.

 

Interesting, I didn't get that at all and I didn't have anything to drink before it (unless you count my soaked liver from the night before). And I'm usually sensitive to strong booze. But again, I found it quite sweet, so that may have been masking it for me.

 

Half acre did not respond to my email (that they solicited) asking if anything could be done about my order not going through. Spent 20+ minutes trying unsuccessfully for it. Pretty annoyed by the whole experience.

 

Did they finally get back to you? A friend of mine who got shut out finally heard back but they're only offering the 8-can package now.

 

"Dear Guests,


We are working to offer a final sale for Benthic. We apologize for the delay, we received a high volume of calls and emails, some of which were multiples from one guest. It took time to sort out who needed to be contacted, refunded, rescheduled, and otherwise assisted with their purchase. We are a small staff due to the pandemic and we tried to offer a safe and positive experience. We know this did not go as planned and we’re deeply sorry. This was a technical error on a platform that resulted in disappointment and frustration surrounding a really beautiful beer.


We have you on our list as someone who wanted to purchase a Benthic package, either both or one option. We will be able to offer the 8 Pack of Benthic and 2 Variants (Vanilla and XTRA DUBLE) but are unfortunately sold out of the 10 Pack, which included Cherry Brandy and Old Ben Blend. We make as much as we can of these variants, but are limited in production. Each year we increase our volume but demand still exceeds our ability. If you were able to purchase an 8 pack already, please do not attempt to purchase another.


Please reply if you’d like to purchase an 8 pack and we will get you set up with a private link to your email to complete your purchase. It may take this afternoon (potentially this evening too) to create the sale, so please know that we see you and will take care of you as soon as we can.


Benthic, in it’s delicious original form, will be available at both locations later this week. If you would like to wait for that release and purchase through our website or in person, that is also an available upcoming option.


Thank you for your patience, interest in Benthic, and support of Half Acre."

I think they did a good job trying to sort this all out