McKenzie Saison Vautour question

Exactly Mike. I've really enjoyed being able to go into McKenzie's with little hassle and get what I wanted to get. I frequent the place often and don't want it to turn into a zoo just for bottles and then have everybody leave and not come back until the next time they do bottles.

 

I totally understand what your saying and nor do I want that to happen either. I just wanted to be know if they have anything to purchase before making an hour drive. I guess what I am saying maybe updates of upcoming releases with some more detailed descriptions so it does keep everyone asking the difference between the 3 vautours. I do like the ability to walk in and grab some buggy beers.

 

I've been to each brewery multiple times over the past few months with hopes of picking up bottles to no avail. At one point I was told there may be some bottles in late fall...maybe I missed them. But yeah I used to love going out of my way to travel to McKenzie's to pick up amazing funky and sour saisons with no hassle. And I agree it was nice that they were kept low key. But it's very frustrating when the staff gives you wishy washy answers and has no idea whether there are bottles or not. So if Ryan or Nate aren't around it really feels like a wasted trip other than to try something on tap. But their taps always seem mediocre compared to the bottles and often seem watery and under carbonated. Not to mention frequently served in frosty glasses *cringe*. At one point I gave Ryan my email and he said he'd put me on a list with updates on bottles. I never heard anything, even when bottles were available. I just want to taste how good their bottled beer was again, because it really was top notch. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

Oh McKenzie. How did I never contribute to this thread...

- Over Christmas they did release new bottles. "Long Winter's Nap". I picked up some bottles as Malvern and it was out of 144 bottles. I believe it was a Winter Warmer aged on Apple Brandy oak chips. There was also a rye whiskey aged Old Ale called "Evil Uncle Ernie" on draft that the bartender thought had been bottled for future release. I may have the styles reversed on these.
- The sour quad "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night" was referenced as having been bottled this fall in one of their email newsletters or somewhere.
- Some idiot put up a FT: with a bunch of Vautours a few months ago http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/ft-mckenzie-saison-vautour-s.56622/
- As far as I know, Ryan's original bottling of Vautour (old label pictured on the BA page, with gold wax, labeled October 2009) was part of the first gold medal winning batch at GABF. Like Axic10 said I've heard the first gold medal batch was "clean" but then they've also told me they've never bottled the "clean" version. http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...kcurtin.com/?p=1280+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
- 2010 Vautour again appears in gift baskets with Oer Faute and St. Romain, still no du bois distinction http://communities.washingtontimes..../last-minute-guide-great-gifts-beer-drinkers/
- To me, Vautour du Bois being the "sour" bottles of Vautour is a partial myth. In Early 2011 Ryan had posted to the now defunct blog on McKenzie's web page that there was a batch of Vautour aging in a favorite barrel (or particularly funky, etc) that would be released soon as Vautour du Bois (basically a single barrel release but not really any different than normal). Then they never released them. Later that year (September?) they released some more Vautour without the du Bois distinction. I asked him what happened to the du Bois barrels and he basically said he forgot. A few months later, some bottles showed up with du Bois labels. Then for next few months bottles would randomly be for sale with and without du Bois. In my experience outside of expected batch variation for a wild barrel aged beer, I haven't tasted much difference between Vautour and Vautour du Bois.
- McKenzie also used to like to sell bottles with and without labels, sometimes just with wax, sometimes just blank bottles with the beer name written on the case box, sometimes blank labels with no beer written in, completely arbitrary numbering (it's not worth relying on the "Batch of 360"), etc. So in theory du Bois meant "funkier or sourer than normal" and this is sort of backed up by the one time they released both "Vautour" and "Vautour du Bois" bottles simultaneously. But there were other times that they weren't released together and I'm skeptical that whatever labels laying around were just used.
- Other bottled things during this time: Grisette Brux, Tristessa, Cuvee McK, Saison Brune Reserva, La Faute, Oer Faute, St. Romain Strong, Wallonia delux, Beire de Garde and an "unreleased" Apple Brandy Biere de Garde that some idiot bartender sold me a case of one time thinking it was Vautour.

tl;dr In any form, but particularly bottled, Vautour is an amazing saison. Drink it if you can find it.

(And if anyone can help clear up my deranged narrative of this, please do)

 

Resurrecting this thread. Anyone heard any updates recently? Tried calling Devon and Malvern for bottles to no avail. But that doesn't mean they don't exist. Mostly the answer I get is " we have growlers". Thanks

 

I was sitting next to forget his name again brewer from McKenzie's the other day. Nothing yet. They just released a barley wine and stout though in bottles. Very limited.

 

Barley Wine and RIS were released yesterday at the Devon location

 

As of 2 minutes ago they still have both, but a large percentage of the staff doesn't know I had to ask a couple people. Anyway, each bottle is limited to 36 bottles total, so if you want them, go now.

 

I love how this place refuses to get its fucking act together... for years people have been loudly and publicly complaining about how annoying it is to ask bartenders for bottles and get blank stares in response. Is it that hard to have a staff meeting/email to let them know they have fucking bottles to sell?

 

Anyone had the the BW and RIS yet? I'll be fairly close by tomorrow and thinking of stopping in to grab some...if they have any left. I see the stout has a review and a had but nothing about the BW yet.

Also I'm hearing they're releasing the apple brandy biere de garde and a wild ale of some sort at Malvern...next tuesday? Was hoping to get my hands on a few of those but looks like I have to come home and go to work Monday morning and all week in NYC.

 

I have never been to McKenzie's, and would love to try Vautour someday. After reading this thread, I would like to ask this question:

How the fuck is this place profitable?

 

I think they're profitable in the same way Iron Hill is profitable - an adequate line-up of regular beers that aren't too crazy and don't turn anyone off, then an occasional treat sprinkled into the mix for the beer geeks.

 

Picked up a couple bottles but haven't tried any yet. Hopefully not too hot right out of the barrel.

 

I see. Just from this thread (and others) it always seems like a mess. I guess us beer geeks are a small % of the business.

 

Are they barrel aged? I didn't see an indication of that on the bottles and didn't even bother to ask the person that handed them to me. I was under the impression that they were not.

 

The release announcement on FB state they were from 2012. And there was no mention of them being barrel aged

 

The menu said at least one of them (probably the Valleymaker but could have been both) spent a year in barrels but it could very well have been both. Damn, wish I could have checked that but someone asked to see the menu. I don't even remember what kind of barrels.

 

I wouldn't put them quite as good as Iron Hill on their beers. But yeah, they get a lot of non-beer geeks for lunch, dinner, happy hour, cocktails and just about any other time. Devon is even putting in a patio seating area and they've only been open a year +

 

No mention of Irma Extra yet! I loved that beer.

 

I wonder if that's the same Biere de garde from 2 years ago I mentioned in my novel above. It was good then but hasn't aged well.