Does anyone know why this beer is so different batch to batch yet other than the fine print is labeled the same and costs the same? I've had bitter 9.9% abv versions that spent 3 months in barrels with almost no BA flavors at all that tasted like cold stale coffee to delicious 12.7% versions with over 9 months in barrells with awesome BA flavor yet it's mostly marketed as the same beer until you read the generic fine print stamp in the little box. It just seems strage and confusing for the brews to taste so dramatically different yet be for the most part sold as the same thing, why do they do this?
I think it helps them stay on their toes. The price is probably set so they make more on some batches, less on others, but overall a decent profit and easier to distribute. I think at first it was part of the draw, well before it was nationally distributed. Now I think it would be great if they rotated through their 3-4 favorite recipes.
Not sure how far back you're going, but the beer has been brewed in two totally different places (SLC, now Denver) and the different versions use different coffees and different roasters. They're probably using different barrels, too. It's the same idea, but the beer is definitely different now. Batches from Denver should be more consistent, but I'm pretty sure they've said they're still making small tweaks to it. Personally I used to think it was harsh and I think recent batches have been pretty good.
The versions I've had have been 26, 29 and 34 all from Salt Lake City. I totally understand adding different coffee each time but the large changes in abv and time spent in the barrels is what doesn't make sense to me if it's mostly sold as the "same" beer.
