Foothills Bourbon Barrel Sexual Chocolate 2017

I don't think it's, 'hate'.

A of of folks in NC had Foothills as their first craft beer experience, and keep wanting Foothills to be the best brewery that they grew up with.

Foothills often puts out some very good one offs that never see it to bottles (Dead and Berried, all the SC variants), and with the competitive nature of the burgeoning craft beer market, it would be amazing to see Foothills grow with the craft beer scene and offer these really tasty choices to the customers.

With as many new breweries that are popping up in Winston, I have a choice as a consumer, so I go for the same Jade I have had for years, or do I go down the street for something new?

 

As @c64person said, I don't think its hate, I think its worry. Worry that a beloved NC brewery is getting left behind. For better or for worse, a lot of breweries that get left behind these days end up closing or hurting financially. I doubt that any of us (and I know I don't) want that to happen to Foothills. I'd love to see them changing things up and bottling some different stuff.

 

As a couple others noted, there's no hate at all. I'm just concerned. I have no doubt they're making money, but they aren't doing things that interest me anymore. I'd love to see them do a BASC variants set like Olde Hickory did with Spectrum (even though they weren't very good).

The Triad is ready for a large brewery to do creative things. Where is our version of Richmond's The Veil or The Answer? It may end up being Wise Man, but nobody has crushed it at that level right out of the gate. Foothills is squandering a huge opportunity, in my opinion.

 

I think someone called them "lazy". No hate?
Look, I got it. You are afraid they are going to age into CBC, old highland, or duck rabbit. I doubt they will - too many seasonal series- but I see your point. I get the happiness series less than I used to and rarely drink jade anymore.

Having said that, They aren't the veil, nor should they try to be.

 

I am pretty happy with Foothills (as long as my Hoppyum doesn't have floaties). I'd be happier if they start bottling that HOTM Double Simcoe DIPA on the regular.

 

I think one thing that people are missing about Foothills is that they aren't trying to be the next cool, hip brewery making hazy ne ipas or juicy fruity sours. They are focused on brewing well made consistent beers that aren't necessarily catered for us beer nerds. I'm pretty sure hoppyum is the number selling craft six pack in NC. (If you believe the shelf labels at Lowes anyway)
Also you have to consider that their smallest fermenter at their production facilty is 100bbls and they have a 50bbl brewhouse. Could they sell 100bbls of a ne ipa in enough time that us beer nerds wouldn't complain about freshness.

 

If that's what they're aiming for, that's cool. But it'll mean they'll become less relevant as noted above. Not sure why they'd both with BASC and Hops of the Month if that were completely true though. No one is saying they should start making NE IPAs (at least no one that I've noticed in this thread). But something cool like BASC variants? That's right up their alley.

Not that I'm going to dispute it, but that really surprises me. I figured it'd be something like Dale's Pale Ale or something along those lines.

Again, doesn't need to be a NE IPA. Just something interesting and different. Don't they still have the brewhouse in the brewpub functioning? Sure they aren't brewing 50bbl of the one-offs that they put on draft at the brewpub.

 

Totally agree about the BA Sexy variants. It would be awesome for them to put some of those in bottles. Maybe next year.

 

Raw sales isn't everything (Bud Light isn't the best beer in the country...) but I did chuckle at this comment. Irrelevant to who? They sell 40,000+ BBLS a year, second biggest in NC and right on Highlands tail. They may be irrelevant to the traders and ultra geeks, but they move on to a new prettiest girl in the room every 6 months anyways.

 

And Highland has, in the last couple years, started doing a number of one-offs and experimental beers on draft. No, I don't think them being irrelevant to beer geeks is the death knell for the company. But it sure would be nice if they could continue to appease both their mass market as well as the beer geek market that they've hit pretty well until the last year or so. If that's not in the cards, oh well. Certainly won't make or break the brewery.

 

Fyi. Bottles still available at Brewpub. Cheers!!

 

I mean if anyone wanted to make the Highlands comparison, seems they are keeping up with the times and canning a NEIPA and trying new recipes out, which is awesome. I have hugh respect for how they are running their program.