Half Acre (2020)

Well, El Senor Pastry vs. Pastry Boy....it's come to this.

I had BA Snowball recently, which is super hyped...and it fell well short. Looking back at my check-ins, the only one that seemed to stand out to me was Coconut Fionn. I have yet to try BA Adjunct Trail, but do plan on getting a taste of it sometime.

 

Concur, get BA Coconut Fionn instead of Snowball.

 

FoBAB Bronze medal winner sour Cliffs releasing tomorrow Curbside per IG.

 

Burl is officially the first hazy I’ve enjoyed from HA. This is a damn fine beer.

 

It's really really good. Still have a couple cans left. May pick up more.

 

Burl reminds me of some Other Half beers. This isn’t a bad beer, just lacking some flavor explosion. It needs some bold bitterness on the back end to balance out the delicate sweet like HB’s Farmed Fresh does.

 

I haven’t seen them post it anywhere, but I assume Balmoral is only open for pickup? No outdoor seating right now?

 

Yeah, nearly positive they closed that off. I think it was around the same time they transitioned to that market type thing they have there now.

 

This is correct. Pickup is inside through the front entrance. It was a bit of a bummer to see the taproom without barstools

 

Pickup only - BUT the cafe is open inside. I got an Americano to go yesterday to help fuel the ride back to Plainfield and Oswego.
(COVID SUCKS - but the highways were not crowded making it an easy drive home at 2pm)

 

The truffles are fire.

 

Sounds like the Lincoln location any night it is packed.

 

yeah my benthic pick up was today and the balmoral tap room was a ghost town. Kind of eerie. I really feel for these small breweries during this time. My first time there and it seems like a cool set up and awesome having spiteful right next door. Excited to go back once everything reopens in 2023

 

My pickup was Saturday and I felt sad as I walked through to get my box. Was just thinking how much a friend and I looked forward every year to Big Hugs release and hanging in the taproom.

 

They should just convert the dining/bar spaces into a barrel warehouse. I get we're in a pandemic, but it seems like people are going crazy with the barrel aged beer purchases. It's like the Dutch Tulip Mania of the 1600s. Put barrel aging and imperial stout and limited release together and people have nothing better to do but blow the money. If I were these guys I would be ordering as many barrels as possible and coming out with a Catch Hell release with 3 variants and looking forward to quarterly barrel releases thereafter until we are out of the woods.

 

Not a bad plan. Your right these BA releases are where’s its at for these breweries. I don’t know if there is one that hasn’t sold out. Old Irving sold out of BA krampus and that wasn’t even a hyped release

 

I absolutely love the tasting guide included in the Benthic box. It reminds me of the liner notes that came with Blue Note jazz records back in the day.

The people closest to the process gave very specific thoughts on each beer, not only with descriptions but a suggested drinking order.

More of this, please. I don't mind paying a premium when I get this level of detail.

 

Agreed as I enjoyed the brochure. It was written in first person. Any idea who wrote it? Come to think of it, I don’t know the names of anyone on the brew/cellar team there.

 

Having my first taste on a compromised palate...but this 2020 "regular" Benthic is borderline incredible. A long way from the bomber version of just 2 years ago.

Can't wait to try one as the first beer of the night...

 

yeah, I drank a 2018 double dose a couple nights ago and thought... oh man, I think 2020 regular is bigger, badder, scarier.

I thought about cracking a regular to do a side-by-side but I am getting older and wiser.