Bottle Logic Brewing (2020)

here's the latest from bottle logic re: Number Crunch. It's from an email sent out Friday.

"Greetings Friends,

I wanted to touch base and ensure you that I haven't overlooked your Number Crunch email! While all the liquid passed BrewPAL and BrewDEK testing at each stage of cellaring, we've sent a selection of NCB2 bottles down to White Labs in San Diego for a full panel workup in their world-class facility. We're hoping to get results back sometime next week.

Once we've got a complete picture, I'll reconnect and let you know what we've discovered and what our plan of recourse will be.

Thanks for your patience -- Happy New Year!"

It's a slight walk-back from BL's original email because the "bad capper on a stream on our bottling line" is no longer necessarily the culprit, but I'm sure we'll find out the exact reason for those off-flavor bottles soon enough. I trust BL to get to the bottom of this.

 

I am appreciative of the BL collabs with Listermann outta Cincinnati. More stuff like this is more than welcome!

Next up:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EIeKtBgiB/?igshid=5h36whc8j467

 

Yeah, they seem to have the whole "peanut butter" thing completely dialed in.

 

Man, $12.99 a bottle? Can we get those prices here?

 

12oz. How's the price per ounce compare to a BL release?

 

$12.99 / 12 oz = $1.08 / oz
Approximately ~$23.99 / 16 oz = $1.49 / oz (depending on the release price)

 

I guess that's not too bad an increase considering the huge increase in the cost of everything in Cali compared to Ohio, even Cincy.

 

I think with Listermann, there's also a notable difference in time spent in barrels vs Bottle Logic, which likely reflects in cost too. But make no mistake, they make quality stouts. Very good bang for your buck.

 

Pricing also impacts what you can offer your employees. Might pay a little more per oz, but that ensures a brewery is able to pay competitively, provide benefits, and reduce employee churn - which ultimately stabilizes and improves the customer's experience.

 

Can’t speak for Listerman, but I know for a fact that Bottle Logic’s employees are well taken care of. Competitive pay, medical benefits, and 401k contribution matching. I’m sure all that is worked into their price. I’d be surprised if a brewery as small as Listerman was offering the same benefits.

 

Plus the costs for running a business in Cali is at least 5 times more than most other states... It's why most business already left the state..

 

Seeing bottle logic in San Jose/Santa cruz.
Bottle=$30
8oz pour at beer bar of gumdrop buttons=$16

a little too much for me.

 

If you take into account the eventbrite fees, $30 per bottle is only $5 to $6 more than from the brewery. I’d probably bite at that price for some releases.

That draft price is too much though.

 

I agree. I did ultimately buy the bottle, but not the draft.

 

Do tell.

Again this. It's the primary reason above all else. All the other reasons posited are absolutely negligible by comparison.

I don't think the 3 posters above you are accepting how much LESS expensive everything is here in Ohio compared to Cali, especially Anaheim, which for all intents and purposes might as well be LA to any of us outsiders.

And to be honest, that Listermann price is extremely high for a 12oz bottle here in Ohio. Very few Ohio breweries sell any beers at that high of a price per ounce. And there's a whole bunch of high quality options to choose from.

 

While I'm not disagreeing, the bottle is 16.9oz, so at least the ratios there aren't too far off.

 

I mean I agree other than the dramatic claims that "most business left the state".

 

I was trying really hard not to say something at that for fear of this sliding into a political direction. Some companies have left, yes, but last I checked there are still plenty of businesses still here doing just fine.

 

California is the fifth largest economy in the world ( After the US as a whole, China, Japan and Germany ). That's a lot of economic activity for a state where "most businesses have left".

California also has more breweries than any other state. Most of which have created pretty deep community roots and have no plans to leave. In fact, many want to expand.

It should also be noted that Statis beers are expensive even for Californians. They are a high end product and really need to be thought of as such. There are plenty of less expensive options available.

 

That $5 premium is cheaper than the gas/flight/time it’d take to make it down to Anaheim from the Bay Area. Seems worth it, to me.

 

Yes you are correct. just not worth it for me. If it was something I specifically wanted to try then it would be.

 

Did you manifest this into existence?

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7JwRWkBYJY/?igshid=17v9gpdz7urgy

 

LOTS of reports of infection on Number Crunch b2 on Untappd. Hard to deny there might be an issue at this point. Have two bottles that have been fridge stored since purchase. Gonna crack one tonight. In the meantime, awaiting for some lab report news.

 

I trust Bottle Logic to handle it well if the tests confirm infection. They handled the Byzantine issue well by issuing the JtR as replacement.

 

Agreed, I’m not worried they won’t make it right. Just curious what happened here.

 

Fingers crossed for you on your two bottles. My Byzantines were kept cold the entire time and came out fine. The last Number Crunch I popped (also kept cold the entire time) was maybe 2-3 months back but it was still glorious.

 

I wonder if BL will ever do a membership program (other than the early bottle purchase perk from WOL)

 

I don't think they have the storage to hold bottles for a full year as some people will be out of state I'm sure.

I can see an expansion of either limits or something else for the level up peeps.

 

@bottlelogiclindsay said in a post a few months back that they weren’t planning on doing a paid membership and may consider upping WoL limits.

Personally I’m still hoping for increased limits for WoL. Now that it seems to be much easier to get stasis bottles, there’s a bit less incentive for me to make the 7 day effort. I guess that could change if they opened up proxies and shipping though.

 

I won’t be able to make it all 7 days even if I wanted to this year (out of town for the last weekend of March if it’s around the same time as last year). But yea, you’re right, it’s been much easier to get the stasis bottles.

 

Tried a 2019 NC to see what the fuss is about. Def something odd here. Metallic bright flavor, and very frothy body when it's still chilled. Nose has a little green pepper whiff. At some point as it warms enough the body coalesces and flavors come out. Like two completely different beers if you do a side-by-side.

 

I'm on the other side of the coin here. Opened my NC on Tuesday and it was delicious. Stored at 50F since it was released.

 

I’ve had 2 bottles so far. First one was great and then the second one a few weeks later was different. Wasn’t sour but, it just was off and I remember half glass poured had a head that overflowed which I thought was weird. Blamed the off flavor to my having a few other bottles earlier and perhaps my tastes were off.

Glad to see it wasn’t just me. 2 left. This is almost as exciting as the 2015 BCBS gambling.

 

Now we're in the running on whether or not these are infected; it's all in the hands of white labs results now. Perhaps a 60/40 split, the latter being bad. Who knows.

 

Anyone have the same opinion on Details & Dialects as I did? Very, very good - nailed the profile they were targeting. That's one of those beers that I could have bought 6 or 8 of if I was a local. I'd say it's probably my favorite strong ale release they've done.

 

I recall enjoying my first one (they nailed what they were going for) but my 2nd one tasted buttery and boozy and I couldn't finish it.

 

Sounds like a Fat Bastard outtake - guzzling butter. Not as enticing. I had two bottles and they were both fantastic. One of those beers that I think about every time I consider posting an ISO. Along with Paisley Cave.

 

I'm not sure how my review will shake out, but having an Arcane Rituals and it might be the best beer I've had by BL...and either way, one of the best barleywines I've ever had. Unfugginbelievable.

 

Try Sight and Mind? What were your thoughts on Sight v. Arcane if so?