Alesmith Releases (2017)

I'm obviously out of the loop on this, but does anyone know if Alesmith is offering refunds or credits for infected Old Numbskull?

 

Haven't heard of any infection????

 

Opened a bottle a week and a half ago that was clearly infected and I've heard a number of other reports of bad bottles. No idea how widespread the issue is but if you have bottles, I'd refrigerate and drink them soon.

 

Cracked a Rumskull tonight and my wife immediately commented on the putrid smell from three feet away. Bottle has been refrigerated since pick-up and it tasted like old, funky apple cider. The latest untapped reviews haven't been much better. Considering the premium pricing on these bottles, I hope, and would expect, that Alesmith will make things right.

 

I was bummed the bottle I got was a pure rum bomb. It would of needed a long time to mellow out.

 

You meant Rumskull in the first post, right?

 

Second this, please clarify.

 

Ah, yes. My bad - referencing Rumskull in the original post.

 

i cant remember which group it was but someone PM'd them on facebook and they said they are looking into it and adding their name to a list of people to reach out to once they decide how to handle the issue. probably a good idea to shoot them a message on FB if you have bad bottles.

 

Opened my bottle of Old Rumskull today and it was indeed sour. First time I've ever had a problem with an AleSmith beer.

 

Mmm maybe thats why the bottle was drain pour, it certaintly didnt taste like a barleywine. Was disappointed with it.

 

Rumskull definitely has an issue.

 

"Hi Scott! We are actually getting ready to send out a communication to customers via Eventbrite regarding the situation. Here's a copy of that communication:

AleSmith Old Rumskull 2017 Bottle Return and Replacement Old Rumskull is beer that we’d been dreaming of making for a long time. It was made using our award-winning Barleywine aged in 23-year-old rum barrels from Nicaragua. Can’t miss, right? That’s why we were so bummed to hear about the off-flavors our customers were tasting in the bottles. After running comprehensive quality tests on several bottles we had saved, we found the presence of wild yeast and souring bacteria in some of our aging barrels. So, what does that mean? The carefully selected and inspected barrels this beer was aged in are made of oak, which is very porous. Usually, these pores provide a ton of amazing flavor compounds that impart delicious notes of vanilla and caramel. Unfortunately, those pores can also harbor microbes that can change the flavor of beer in an unintended way, which is what happened in this case. If you stored your bottles below 40F, they have most likely retained the rich, caramelly flavors that we intended. Those that were stored warmer may have reacted negatively causing flavor change. This in no way is harmful to consume, however, not the ideal flavor profile we intended. What’s the next step? If you feel your purchased bottle of Old Rumskull had these negative flavor attributes, we want to make it right. Here are your options: REFUND If you would like a refund, come by our Tasting Room between July 17th and August 17th during the hours of 11AM and 10PM Monday through Saturday, or 11AM and 9PM Sunday, and we will refund your purchase. We can verify your purchase through Eventbrite, so all you will need to bring is your Driver’s License or Passport, and your full/empty bottle(s). Refunds will only be given in person. SWAP We have several delicious barrel-aged beers currently available in bottles in our Tasting Room. If you’d like to swap your bottle of Old Rumskull for one of a different beer and/or merchandise of equal or lesser value, excluding .394 and Sublime Mexican Lager products due to the nature of our arrangements with the Gwynns and the band, you can come to the Tasting Room between July 17th and August 17th and we’ll make the trade. We will also be unable to swap your bottle for one from an upcoming special release due to the limited nature of those releases. And again, we can verify your purchase through Eventbrite but you will need to come to the Tasting Room in person and bring your identification and bottle(s). Going forward We are committed to making the highest quality beers possible, and sometimes that requires us to learn from our mistakes. We truly appreciate your support and we promise that we will continue to learn, try new things, and uphold our commitment to our loyal customers. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Questions Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions."

 

Certainly better than nothing.

 

It's no Jam the Radar...

 

Looks like I need to start saving "bad" beer bottles for a month or two in case.

 

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3045556

$37 for Velvet, a bit cheaper than I was expecting.