Side Project / Shared (2021)

will most likely get overshadowed by D15, but the tasting room website shows Shared DDH Mosaic as being on draft and available to-go in cans.

 

The brewery reopening post on Instagram (or somewhere) talked about doing IP releases again so it’s not like this is coming out of nowhere

 

Was mostly out of service for several days since I visited. Thanks, and I am glad I did too. I also was driving back on Wednesday, which would have been a nice happy coincidence for D15, but my daughter was sick, and I already had a long-trip (didn't get back till 3am), so stopping for D15 wasn't an option.

Quick feedback on everything I previously posted about:

• DB Derivation TWCP (2020): Good, but glad I didn't pay secondary. For my palate, over-oaked for what I'd prefer, but I'm also basing this on the ability to consume 12-25oz without too much palate fatigue. 12-25 is a wide range, but 12oz is a normal can, these come in 25oz bottles, and BCBS is now in 17oz bottles. I had 5-7oz, and my palate felt wrecked. I enjoyed D10 better. Great beer, but I don't think it's deserving of the 4.8+ rating on untappd. I was surprised, since straight-BA stouts (non-adjuncts) are normally my thing.
• DDH Fallen Flag/DDH OJ Run: These were sufficiently close to me. OJ was a little juicier; neither were particularly soft/pillowy/juicy, just light on the hops. Solid, but if these are representative of Narrow Gauge, I don't think I'd ever go out of my way for them. I'd just as soon drink M-43 or something easily accessible. Bit more hop-bitterness than I'd prefer too.
• UUDDLRLRBA: Probably the best of the 3. Hoppy with less bitterness (probably due to the amount of sugars associated with the high ABV). It was also preferred to the other 2 by all that tried it.
• Extra X Shipper S: Solid, but nothing amazing. Just a good IPA. Maybe it's just because I'm not a super hop head, or just because I have a bitter sensitivity, but to me this (quality wise) feels like a good gauge for what you should be able to get at any beer store without difficulty. Not good enough for anyone to go crazy over, but a solid offering that I am glad I got to try, and if available I'd buy a 4-pack of from time to time.

I'm probably more critical than most, so YMMV. My Untappd scores are almost always below average.

One more comment: Found an Oranges on Wheat in my fridge not too long ago. Reminded me of when I bought it, like, 2 years ago. I remember how excited I was to try it. I love solid, crushable wheat beers, especially in summer. Add a citrus background (or foreground) of oranges or lemon? Count me in. Man, fresh, that thing was funky. Weird esters, some type of odd almost soap-like flavoring. I remember drinking one, giving one away, forcing myself to drink another, and apparently never did do anything with the 4th. This is one that I never quite understood the appeal for. Maybe the flavors I was getting are similar to how some people can't get behind cilantro (some get soap/lavender).

 

I think we overestimate the amount of draft beer that release crowds consume, especially compared to the daily local and regular patrons. Huge release crowds--largely standing outside doing nothing, or even sharing their own beer--turn other patrons off, pandemic or not. Plus, the type of beer geeks who endure lines like that tend to prefer trying only the rarer beers available, usually moving on once they're done socializing. I'm often reminded that the money is in flagship every day drinkers flowing at volume, for most taprooms.

The online limited beer release strategy has taken hold all over the world, and it seems like breweries have taken a hearty liking to it for all sorts of reasons, number one being reduced stress levels, at least from my observations. Online releases expand a breweries reach, without forcing a huge one day crush on the taproom, by spreading out pickup times. Side Project may be one of the few smaller breweries that really doesn't need to expand its reach, but many others do. And either way, they certainly seem to have enjoyed the relief and options its provided them over the past year and a half.

I personally have a handful of breweries I would by default cease patronizing as regularly if they cut off their online releases or lotteries. Those of us who don't live close enough to breweries who drop releases silently or with short notice are drawn in by the guaranteed access that online releases afford. We spend money on-site that otherwise wouldn't exist, at least not in such reliable frequency and volume, due to not being local, and it also being convenient to drink and eat at pace without standing asses to elbows. These breweries can always count on local business, as long as they're still operating a solid business, while locals still have their chance to score a release online.

 

This is a problem unique to a place like SP, but I've posited in this thread before that I'd love to know what % of purchases in the taproom are due to people that stop while on a trip. This is ignoring people who come in strictly for releases and locals. Seems like every time I have ever stopped I end up casually talking to someone that (1) isn't on BA, and (2) seems to know not-that-much about beer, but knows SP is well known, and produces great beer. I swear a huge % of their sales pre-COVID (and maybe now that both are open for on-site consumption again) are from people like this. Whether people are on vacation, driving through for something else, or just on business trips. What does huge mean for me? Man, it feels like it is 25-40%, but I dunno. People spend so much during big events...it's hard. When I was there on Sunday, a guy told me him and 2 other buddies dropped over 3k during the last BBT in-person release. Everything I just said is now dwarfed by these events.

 

i see your point for sure. it’s basically the same old story: what’s good (convenient) for some isn’t good for others and vice versa.

side note: i’ve seen plenty of people stay for draft / on-site of whatever the day’s particular release is. it’s typically the flippers that dip once their bottle is in hand (although i know some people have quite the trek back home ahead of them and others may just have social or family obligations).

 

Nailed it. From the 9/10 IG post about reopening.

 

First with the caveat that I'm a non-local and it's a slower work day. It'll be interesting to see what happens with in-person vs. online releases but seemingly online is part of their go-forward strategy otherwise a (not cheap) investment may not have been warranted in moving their e-commerce platform to Shopify. I can't claim to be one of the locals that helped them grow the brewery from a small "side project" to what it is today but I do plan on contributing to their growth to the best of my ability as a non-local which unfortunately is primarily be through online sales. I don't overestimate my worth to them as a customer as surely locals supply adequate demand but providing for online sales does allow non-locals access without having to deal with the difficult trade/secondary market. Virtually everything I buy is for personal consumption but acknowledge there's too many people in this game purely for profit and it's impossible to police it.

Locals have access to something that the rest of us can just stare at in jealousy - on-site consumption. It's truly amazing what they make available (many of which I can only dream of trying someday). While I understand the packages are a necessity to compensate for lack of on-site sales, it's a cost of entry for me and quite frankly has forced me to try some styles/beers I wouldn't otherwise have bought (and happen to enjoy many of them). Perhaps there will be an online/in-person blend at some point in the future with packages for online and single bottles for in-person but time will tell.

It was only about 18 months ago when I looked at BBT and thought "sounds like a great beer that I likely will never be able to get". While I don't want to understate how difficult the past year has been for a lot of folks, at least beer as a hobby has been a nice solace and significantly helped by getting access to these whales (for me). Long ago, I remember trading an arm and leg to get my hands on Coconut Vibes (excited about the new release btw). Also, I had that same "ahah" moment the first time I tried BBT (2017 batch) similar to having my first can of Julius after waiting in the gravel parking lot at Monson years ago.

Anyhow, this is nearing tldr status so will stop now but happy Friday everyone and great that SP has kept up the quality so it's worthwhile to have these discussions!

 

Speaking for me and the crew I travel with only, but I had 2 pours of La table or sunsets for every BBT3/D13 I had on that amazing weekend in 2019. I think you'd be surprised at how much draft is sold in between pours of that world class dark stuff. I don't think any outside bottle sharing happened that weekend that i recall. Not after noon anyways.

 

I echo this. We don't get to SP often, but my last memory was at the brewery splitting a bottle of D10 with my wife, savoring the bottle over 4-6 hours. In between, we split pours of pretty much everything on draft, along with one or two bottles of vintage Fermier. Cannot wait to do this again.

 

Sunny and 60s here just outside of Boston, but rain and ba barleywine at The Cellar doesn’t sound too bad either:

 

Anyone wanna meet at the cellar tomorrow afternoon for a bottle split?

 

Never bought from SP before but have wanted to try some stuff from them. Do they do proxies for the release? How long will they hold orders, may be going there in Mid-October.

 

They do allow proxies for orders and bottles are supposed to be picked up within two weeks.

 

Oh thanks. I definitely missed that…

 

Heading into town tomorrow night and looking to buy an on-site bottle of D15. Do I have to split that with someone? I know some breweries require 2 people to open a bottle of big stouts. If they do require 2 people, anyone want to split a bottle with me tomorrow (Tue) night?

 

No such requirements at Cellar or brewery tasting room as I always enjoy on-site stouts on my own.

 

the better question is: is it for sure going to be on the menu?

 

With Instagram being down I believe Beer Advocate becomes the next viable option for the Coconut Vibes release announcement.