The Bruery (2025)

Weird to do two different BA coconut stouts in the same month, right? I mean they sound great, but would have been nice to space out, if I'm being picky

I loved BA Threes Cocompany the last time.
I wonder what the base is for Popular Opinion. Maybe SHIT since it's hovering around 15%?

 

The member details page says 44 bottles for the year. Pretty sure it always said that. So four months where we only get three bottles.

 

Yeah it looks like they're back to consistently doing monthly non-BA adjunct stouts. Which...meh.

 

I didn't even think about that... Maybe a subtle April Fool's?

Condensed milk is shelf stable in the can... But I thought needed refrigeration once opened?

 

Popular Opinion

I enjoyed this, but as someone mentioned earlier the price point is really high and I'm not sure why. It doesn't feel justified, even if the coconut was really expensive to add.

I assumed the base was SHIT based on ABV, and flavor profile backs that up. Given that, one of the better SHIT variants IMO. It's a bit thinner than I'd like but also has a nice creaminess (which sounds like a catch-22 but somehow isn't). That's also why I don't think it's Monster base, cause it's not thick enough for that.

The coconut flavor is great, and good vanilla from the marshmallow too. Lots of flavor and everything well balanced. Sweet but not cloying.

 

Flying High

This was great. It's what you'd expect. Enjoy!

Very boozy, but not harsh after four years in the barrel. Tons of bourbon flavor at first, and then the malt opens up as it warms. I like the mouthfeel - not thin like some BT's.

Definitely better than regular BT. Beyond that people's preference will probably play into whether they like it more or less than other premium bourbon variations, Reserves, etc.

I'll definitely buy more if it's still up next time I order... but also if it's sold out I won't cry just cause I have so much BT as it is.

 

April Showers

It's tempting to hum and haw about whether "fermented in oak" is a fair exchange for "oak aged"... but at the end of the day this is just a damn good beer.

Pretty similar to my notes from the original 2020 release (which I also thought was damn good). Lots of well balanced flavor, with peppery Belgian yeast being the most forward.

My only complaint... which I know I say a lot these days... is the price point. I specifically remember in 2020 the $20 for a 750ml being out of line. Credit where credit is due, when you factor in their understandable price increases the last few years and the premium for smaller format, I do think they've effectively lowered the price point on this beer... just not quite enough to make it an easy buy.

 

Opened an Elizabeth Rutherford tonight and enjoyed a glass. I don't think it's my favorite wine hybrid, but probably above average if I ranked them.

It's six years old, and what was notable is how similar it seemed to my notes from when it was fresh.

 

The new BA Threes Cocompany is great. Just as good as I recall the original, and I prefer it hands down over Popular Opinion.

Cocompany has a nice creamy body I like. It's sweet but not overdone. Lots of coconut.

 

Opened a Melange a Trois and am really liking how it's mellowed after two years. It's still very flavorful, but now components feel much more unified and less disjointed to me. When it was fresh I thought it was a bit above average, but now I think it's excellent.

 

Sounds good https://mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com/2025/04/the-bruery-adding-toasted-delight-bba.html?m=1

 

Cellar Dives from me:

Last week I had a 2017 BT Port. Pretty awesome. Wish they'd get over the Madeira fad and come back to Port.

Tonight I opened a 2019 Pie Happy and it's fantastic. I've always loved this beer and it's still tasting great. Fresh and vibrant flavor. Also confirms my opinion on Barrel Pie, which was not sweet enough for me. The Bruery has overdone sweetness on plenty of beers, so I think it's great they're trying to do some that dial it back and create a broader spectrum of experiences. My own taste preference is that Pie Happy benefits tremendously from the sweetness in this instance.

 

Opened a 2022 BT Rye.

It was great, enjoyed very much. Harshness has mellowed, now just boozy and warm. When this was fresh I really liked that it had a lot of body relative to most BT and that is still true - I dig that a lot more than the ones on the thinner side. Tons of barrel character (though the malt is there too). My palette could never call this out as "rye" vs bourbon. That's maybe more a judgement on me than the beer though. Above average vs regular BT, but probably not memorable (which isn't a slight - I'm happy to buy that)... maybe similar to how I felt about Flying High. A good balance of different but safe.