Carton Brewing (March 2016)

I was at the Brewery yesterday and had a Warrior sample in my flight and thought it was very good. Brought home a growler last night and drank it and drinking a can now. Draft and cans are consistently very good IMO. Did not have the 5-0 so can't compare but I am a big fan of these O'dub Variants. (Cosmonaut was ridiculously good too).
And the can release tables downstairs make things very easy for picking up your cans on the way out.
My one complaint/comment is @augiecarton somehow needs to create more room upstairs. I am always standing in the middle of the room holding my glass with nowhere to go. Seems the whole back part of the upstairs room is just filled with shirts, glasses and swag that can be moved downstairs. There's enough room there for a couple more couches and some barrel tables. Although maybe there's a good reason why that can't be done. Augie?

 

i assume since it is NJ law and we are ever vigilante you have taken the tour? then i feel comfortable asking: where downstairs would you put all that stuff? besides things like the desk and computer set up, and all the festival equipment, and on premise draft cleaning stuff, and all else that is stored in that couple of feet, where downstairs would you put all the t-shirts and glasses, and so on? I guess what i am saying is "even if there was an extra foot of space downstairs we would be making more beer there rather than storing stuff." this is except of course the stuff that is stored down there like malts. hops, kegs, cleaning supplies, barrels, so on, so on, so on..." if there is a way to create more space in our little building we have done it, and if you have an idea we haven't had i would embrace it.

 

Thanks for the response Augie, hope you did not take my post as confrontational, I did not mean it that way.
I have taken he tour enough times where I could probably give it myself at this point .
I live an hour away and am there 10-12 times a year so obviously you know the logistics better than I do. Just seems like there is room downstairs where you set up the tables for retail can sales on the weekends, but again I don't know what you know.
I would even clear out that back room upstairs and get a storage space off premises to store that stuff if it meant expanding the tasting room capacity. (Or how bout a shed out back?) Your tasting room is so unique and has such a great vibe, but I (and others) often have to pass on hanging out because of the limited capacity.
Either way, the beers have been amazing lately and i do appreciate you listening.

 

no worries, at all, ever. truth is all hours that room is not tasting room it is an office for about 6 people that don't have space, and most of that stuff is spread through out the room. i would say 80% of what's over there is needed on hand at least 1ce a week so off premise storage wouldn't work.
as far as hanging out goes that's why we keep adding hours, want space to dance? come after work on wednesday or thursday, or noon on sunday or even after 6 on saturday; but if you want to be there between 2-5:30 on a saturday or after work on friday just know you are gonna make friends with most of our neighborhood. close friends.

 

This is a great point. It is really only ever packed at Carton during peak Saturday Sunday afternoon hours. Weekdays, it's easy to grab a spot at the bar.

 

I've usually used the cramped space as an incentive to talk to fellow beer heads! It all depends on where you get there. I've been there a Saturday at 12 to an empty tasting room which gets crowded by 2:30, but in the winter, that extra heat comes in nicely.

 

Warrior was MUCH better yesterday when I had it out of the can than it was when I sampled at the brewery. No idea why and I'm sure it's just me. But I really enjoyed it sitting on the porch after Easter dinner yesterday

 

The can of Warrior I had on Saturday night was fantastic and much better than the sample I had at the tasting room (which I also thought was great). Super dank with an oniony note that I love. One of my favorite hop profiles beyond the super citrusy Mosaic, Citra, Azacca, etc.

 

Super Buy-Rite in Jersey City had a bunch of cases of the 07302 (Warrior) this weekend which was very exciting as I've left without buying a single beer the past couple times I stopped by there. Definitely enjoying this more than the original o-dub. Canned 3/24/16 and it was $15.99/4-pk.

 

Hey...thanks for that, but I vote regular

 

Regular for me as well. But the five-o was better than regular for me.

 

@augiecarton Are you still at the standstill with the adjacent building to the brewery?

 

5-0 was great
Hoping the kids cooperate so I can try 07302 tonight.

 

I would like to see Bergen County represented in one of the 077 variants. Can I request it be made with.HBC-291. I've really enjoyed the beers I've had with that hop.

 

the dubviants are based around the first bars to put on boat. 5 years ago NJ bars still sold craft on bang for the buck ABV over BMC beers "sure it is $6 but its 7% instead of 5..." convincing bar managers to commit to a 4% beer hopped like a 9 was not a very easy thing to explain so we did a promotion back then by giving dub a special/unique third dry hopping for each of the bars that were serving the most boat. almost to our 5th year we are celebrating the places that have always gotten it with some cans.

 

it's not a stand still, it's just a very slow process trying to grow what is essentially manufacturing in the middle of a town rather than on the outskirts in a more industrial area.

 

This is a cool backstory thank you for sharing

We all appreciate your transparency when it comes to the expansion. Everyone here is rooting for you to make more awesome beer so thanks for sating us in the meantime! PS I am really hoping you bring back another simple summer sour! Dune was my favorite new Carton beer last year and MCTW was awesome before that.

 

What's up with Boat recently? Seems hazier and maybe slightly tweaked (for the better).

 

Dammit, now I need more Boat. I love Boat so much as the weather breaks.

FWIW it may just be variation. At times 077XX looks cloudy and others it's clear. Not sure why and I could be wrong but it seems that way. That looks hazier than any Boat I've seen, looks great.

 

I'd say it has looked this way since around January. And I have never seen hazy dub - interesting