Bell's Oracle is back out again.

Saw this for $24.99 per six in grand Blanc area today... Which seems asinine to me.

 

I'm guessing Food Castle? I think I remember seeing that price, what an absolute joke. Got my 6-pack at Whigville for $14.99.

 

First one in a while to grab my hopsticles.

 

Saw some today at Binnys finally, but was bottled the 10th of July making it almost a month old. With how quickly this beer falls off not worth the price. Disappointed as its one of my favorite beers fresh but such is life. Just means more Todd the Axe Man.

 

Oracle is always very limited here in Pittsburgh. We get it, but its few and far between. We usually sell it at my store for $3/bottle with a limit of 2, just to spread it around.

Had a bottle yesterday a friend picked up this weekend at the Eccentric Cafe...and I won't be buying any more once it finally arrives here. I loved this like 2 years ago when it first came this way, but my tastes have change I guess and I find it much too bitter now. To each their own.

 

Heaven forbid anyone talk about batch variation... Why do we have to say that our "taste buds changed"? It's bullshit if you ask me, its just plain old not as good a batch as it was three years ago, and last year there was a huge difference compared to this year too if you ask me. Oracle be slippin

 

So I see you're in the "it tasted better last _____" faction. The war is coming.

edit: my friend said it was one of his new favorite IPAs, up there Dreadnaught. So I should probably tell him he is wrong/new money/should've tried it 3 years ago.

 

I opted to buy two singles - $2.99 a piece.

 

Or to each his own.. Your buddy might love Kraft mac and cheese too. Doesn't mean I have to eat that shit and say it's delicious... Also some people just have more refined taste buds/palates, but that's a whole other "war".

 

Man, they bottle a weak BBA barley wine and everyone falls all over for it. Then produce their best DIPA with a slight change in the hop profile and now it's shit at 30 days???
Fucking beam me up Scotty......

 

You really don't think that it can be debated whether Oracle is their best when Hopslam and Mars exist?

 

I was paraphrasing from above with the "best" comment. The real answer is, there ia no real answer when it comes to those three, it's personal prefrence. All solid DIPA's worthy of the title. Does there have to be a "Best"?
I used to think the term " My favorite one is the one in front of me" was an answer from undecisive people, but what it really is, is the answer to a question that has no real answer, just debate.

 

See I felt this way about last year's batch, but I was very impressed with it this year. Granted it did not blow me away like it did in 2010 when I first had it but It is pretty solid. I felt it was less of a bitter hop bomb and had a lot more citrus notes to it this year.

 

Madison got a smattering of Oracle. Most places sold it by the single bottle or two at a time.

I'd put it above Mars and way above Hopslam, but that's just my opinion. I haven't drank it yet this year but last year I remember loving it.

 

This is out again. Is this a 'behind the counter' beer at all stores? I heard this last summer and when I asked a a local bottle shop today they had it behind the counter.

 

It's going to vary from store to store and the amount they receive in. My local had a stack of it on the floor but I can see some smaller shops keeping it behind their counters.

 

Never understood why this brew is "limited", though I'm glad I could just buy a single.
The boozy burn was somewhat nice and it's plenty hoppy, but it's way way too malty. It really needs a hop variety that gives it some more character or at least keep it from dropping off so fast. It's good, but not great (imo, of course).

 

It seems much more readily available in my area (SE MI). Some places that had it behind the counter last year had it out this year with fairly liberal limits, if any.

 

any chicago sightings?

 

Less bitter up front for sure this year. But back end hop burps for at least an hour.