Devils Backbone Brewing Company Partners with Anheuser-Busch

Per Einstein you would have kept drinking eight points and kept wondering why you didn't like them...

 

I disagree with that.

Many startups cannot hold a candle to beers by Goose Island, Ballast Point, Devils Backbone and many more that could be named. Certainly some will do well but at the rate of 3/day opening, many will not. Some of the new stuff I have recently had is just awful.

Even if GI IPA not your thing (and decent to me)-- Sofie, Matilda, BCBS (ok hiccup this year) is world class stuff.

 

Mmmmm just the word Czech pils makes my mouth water. I feel bad that such a connoisseur like you can't appreciate all styles of beer for what they are. If I only liked iPas and bold flavored stouts and wild ales I wouldn't take that as being positive or say im a connoisseur. Your passed comment made no sense and made you sound a bit Douchy in my opinion.

 

I've had eight beers from DBB, the one I rated highest, both overall and relative to style, was the Vienna Lager (which I rated above SABL and Brooklyn Lager) 8 point, not so much.

 

I should have specified. Many users on this website who's opinion I respect on more traditional/basic lager styles that I enjoy (Vienna lagers, Pilsners, Helles..etc.) have spoken very highly of Devil's Backbone.

I like Jack's Abby a lot, but some of their more basic beers (for example, non hop forward or barrel-aged) have been hit or miss to me. They don't quite compare to the imports (when fresh) and some of my more favorite examples from American breweries like Troegs. Their overall profile is very good though, but their best stuff is "Americanized" and are not particularly what I look for most of the time. I did have their Red Tape Lager for the first time this year though, and it was a fantastic Munich Dunkel in my opinion.

That being said, even if they did produce the best German Pils and Helles on Earth, why does having ONE brewery that produces high quality lagers mean there shouldn't be more in my area? We have Trillium and Treehouse too, does that mean we wouldn't welcome Hill Farmstead, Lawson's, or Russian River with open arms? Or that we don't "need" them?

Actually, you could make the case we don't necessarily need more hoppy beer in Boston, but I dig Vienna lagers, and there are very few of those. Bring on Devil's Backbone.

 

So hilarious how lager is such a dirty word to some on BA.

 

Drinking my last Double Pacific Ale from this winter's DB collaboration pack, I'm wondering what impact this news might have on those projects. This ale and the Seven Summits stout from that pack were (to me) excellent. Might the INBEV deal change the willingness of other breweries (e.g. Wicked Weed, Thunder Road, et al.) to deal with DB?

http://www.thunderroadbrewing.com/the-road-to-collaboration-making-devils-backbone-adventure-pack/

 

I think I remember predicting this months back, and you hoping that this would not happen. its indeed sad, because they do a really good job with their German styles. A sad day for the industry

 

I am relatively closely located to DBB and the initial shock I had wants me to hate this deal. Even if ownership and management is staying in place we have sold out to the very folks who mock us. As someone who wants to support/drink local it sucks. Sure, DBB will still be in out backyard producing beer in our backyard (for now) they will receive funding from a much larger entity. As a local consumer it sucks.

Speak of the quality beer DBB makes I do not think anyone who knows them can argue that they brew some of the best beers (by style) available anywhere in the country. Sure, they do not have anything largely available that blows the mind but their Basecamp and Outpost locations have quite a lot of offerings there the everyday consumer cannot find outside the breweries. Some are solid. Some are not. What is distributed is often their tried and true brews. Again, not mind blowing they they are by style and no one can argue with the medals DBB has been awarded. I believe they are the most awarded brewery in the country so it's an obvious target for big beer.

Finally, from the standpoint of the Crandall's I expect there is no time better than now to invite the support in. Call it a sell out or whatever. They are not exactly Spring Chickens and I understand the want to take care of themselves and their family. DBB is only 8 years old and they are coming away with a very (probably extremely) nice compensation. I just hope all of that flows down the channels and allows not just the management team to stay in tact but also many, if not all, of their employees. maybe give them a raise to stay on? It's often said that you don't get rich by being in the brewery business but DBB is the exception. They are literally in the infancy of their business (8 years old) and they just got presented the golden ticket. The Crandall's were more than well off before and they are going to be extrenely comfortable going forward. I truly do hope the motivation stays in tact and they continue to stay the course of doing what has been done for the past 8 years and AB-InBev allows them to practice independence (though I think new limitations will comes over them.) Only time will tell.

 

I was (and still am) ambivalent about Devils Backbone being sold. There is a part of me that would prefer they remain independent but since I do not live in Virginia (or their current distribution region) I will confess that by a change of ownership and increased distribution there is a part of me that sort of welcomes a change in ownership. This may sound self-serving to you but what good is it for Devils Backbone to remain independent if I can't enjoy drinking their beers? The status quo may be just fine for you since you can obtain their beers right now but it sucks for me since I can't.

There are no simple answers here but frankly given what has transpired perhaps the 'debate' is academic. AB InBev owns Devils Backbone and you and I need to reconcile this situation. Maybe you may feel that purchasing Devils Backbone beer under this situation is not worthwhile but I will most certainly be buying these beers once my local beer stores obtain these beers.

It is a very dynamic craft beer market right now.

Cheers!

 

A lot of their beers, IMO, are average, but they do put out some beers that I have been very pleased with. I hope things do not change unless it is for the better...The Adventure sampler pack with all collaborations was quite good..

 

As someone who enjoys trying new beer and has never even heard of this brewery, I'm excited to maybe get a chance to try some of their stuff now. That's really all I can say.

 

AB realizes that high quality craft beer must become part of their overall portfolio. I agree there are better craft breweries in the Charlottesville area including 3 Notchd' and Blue Mountain. DB has had the best distribution outside Virginia and is the best known VA craft brewery. Should be another feather in AB'S cap.

 

I just hope that J Oliver still shows up occasionally at a small craft beer fest like KGB in Charlottesville like he did in Jan 2016. DB is a more than solid brewery that produces continually high quality beers that are outside the usual BA-popular bubble -- i.e. schwarzbier, vienna lager, helles. If they didn't make these styles, nobody would so I am glad other may get a shot at seeing these around the country. Their collaboration 3.8% IPL with NoDA was unbelievable -- maybe my beer of the year. An example of the fear in a deal like this: DB has proclaimed that decoction is worth doing because it makes a beer special even if the contribution to the flavor is small. I hope that the spirit of doing things like decoction are not bye-bye after this. I fear it will be. But time will tell.

 

Impressive BBL/yr too. I think some reports were 62k. I think NMs top 3-4 breweries barely produce that much combined, with one sitting at 28 yrs old, another 8, and another 6. Most of those took slow methodical thought out approaches to their growth.

Home brewers get caught on that vision of crazy growth but more often than not, its truly all about your financial backing. The extreme beer geek could even argue why support the Crandalls, who are already well off? To me that shows that we haven't quite reached that level of criticism. We may get there one day. If it's good beer, we'll drink it, is one thing I think most people follow through with for now.

We have one brewery in town. They're getting a Revenue Bond passed for them for immediate growth, and have a world class canning line before even having established beers. I guess it doesn't matter how you get there. Some grind. Some are lucky. Some hard workers. At the end of the day luckily it's all relatively good beer.

 

The key is if Jason stay's on board. I've been drinking his beers since he was at Gordon Biersch in DC and his one-offs there were amazing (talking to you Danzig). It will be interesting to see what he does.

 

That's an interesting use of an apostrophe.

 

Damn grammar and punctuation police strikes again!

 

It was an interesting point on the radio interview that Steve Crandall gave yesterday that he mentioned management would be staying in tact for years and years to come. Said he would continue to be CEO. His wife would still be there and Hayes would still be COO. He made no mention of Jason being in it for the long haul. I know the brewmaster may not be technically considered management when it comes to the business side of thing but he is a big reason for their success. I would expect anywhere that Jason would want to explore other opportunities so we'll see how long before he makes a move.

 

But my problem with your argument is that Boston Lager is still one of the highest rated beers in the Vienna Lager category. Not because its a boring category, but because it is honestly a fantastic representation of that style. Same thing with Devil's and Great Lakes Eliot Ness. Just Like Wicked Weed's Pilsner and Burial Shadowclock are both blistering fantastic Pilsners. Are they gateway or approachable? Yes. Are they still craft beer in a craft style? Yes.

Lets stick to the latter. Dont degrade a craft Pilsner because its a pilsner.