Free Will Brewing (2023)

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic' started by jmdrpi, Apr 1, 2023.

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  1. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Looks like the regular ralphius is different this year? The label reads aged for 8 months to 2 years in various spirit and wine barrels. I'm intrigued!

    Also it looks like there are bottle counts on the labels I don't recall seeing before.
     
    #41 DIM, Nov 24, 2023
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  2. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Regular is always a mixed blend but maybe not any 2 year before. I think theyve had the bottle counts on the labels before.
     
    #42 jmdrpi, Nov 24, 2023
  3. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    :flushed:

    I'll submit an update to the listing on BA
     
    #43 DIM, Nov 24, 2023
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  4. VodkaPong87

    VodkaPong87 Pooh-Bah (2,060) Oct 9, 2020 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hope there’s some left for us outsiders on Monday!
     
    #44 VodkaPong87, Nov 24, 2023
  5. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Grabbed one at random and 3 year whiskey/hoodoo chicory liquer is my first of the season. Almost didn't buy this and that would have been a mistake. Uniquely interesting and amazing is a rare combination. Still trying to wrap my head around this one.
     
    #45 DIM, Nov 24, 2023
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  6. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    This is the label from the bottle of 2022 regular Ralphius that I drank last night.

    It only mentions a variety of Bourbon barrels so seems like blending in some of the other barrels is a new thing for 2023. You can also see in tiny print the bottle count of 1,400.
    [​IMG]
     
    #46 jmdrpi, Nov 24, 2023
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  7. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Hey I got one right on this thread! If you try the new one soon I'd be curious to hear what differences you notice.
     
    #47 DIM, Nov 24, 2023
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  8. VodkaPong87

    VodkaPong87 Pooh-Bah (2,060) Oct 9, 2020 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    #48 VodkaPong87, Nov 27, 2023
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2023
  9. jts211

    jts211 Savant (1,109) Aug 5, 2018 Pennsylvania
    Trader

    If these do not make it up on the site today, then they may be in distribution throughout the 3 local PA counties. If and when I see them, I will shoot you a PM if youre interested in a trade.
     
    #49 jts211, Nov 27, 2023
  10. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Holy hell, I can't believe they sold 1,400 bottles of Reg. Ralphius at $17 per. Sorry man, that sucks. Last year there was like 9 options available the Monday after. I guess this'll be my last batch of these, family stuff usually takes up the entire weekend. I was lucky to sneak away last Friday for several hours.
     
    #50 DIM, Nov 27, 2023
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  11. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Ralphius sales were definitely faster this year. A buddy of mine tried to get bottles at Perkasie on Friday evening and were told they were sold out of everything. Which seemed crazy for even the Regular to be gone
     
    #51 jmdrpi, Nov 27, 2023
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  12. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    With 6 fewer variants, there was around 30% fewer total bottles, assuming similar bottle counts.

    Hope they have 20 or more variants available next year!
     
    #52 DIM, Nov 27, 2023
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  13. VodkaPong87

    VodkaPong87 Pooh-Bah (2,060) Oct 9, 2020 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Goose Island right now:

    [​IMG]
     
    #53 VodkaPong87, Nov 27, 2023
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  14. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    In the past couple years, the barrel variants have been 300-350 bottles each, while adjunct variants like Vanilla and Coffee have been 1,000.

    This year the Vanilla label says 720 bottles. And there was no Coffee or Mocha this year. So that's a big drop off right there.

    I couldn't find the master count list from 2022, but this was from 2021:
    https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...-updates-etc-2021.653023/page-14#post-7386947
     
    #54 jmdrpi, Nov 27, 2023
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  15. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Interesting how much lower the bottle limits were that year. Plenty of 6 bottle limits on 350 and under bottle counts. Do you recall how much was left the following Monday? I'm glad they moved toward a barrel-forward Ralphius program. I did like the adjunkted tiny cans I tried this year though.

    The bottle counts are really hard to read this year so I got the magnifying glass out which only helped a little. A few random samples

    Apple Brandy 720
    Grand Marnier/Mezcal 363
    2 year Basil Hayden 293
    2 year Heaven Hill 258
    Both 3 years around 350

    In summation, great beer and a really well-run release day for my first, and probably only, ever stand in line for beer experience. Going to do my best to spread the enjoyment out over the winter. Hope they have availability for cyber Monday next year. :beers:
     
    #55 DIM, Nov 27, 2023
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  16. DIM

    DIM Grand Pooh-Bah (4,788) Sep 28, 2006 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    lol, doubt they ever heard of tiny Free Will
     
    #56 DIM, Nov 27, 2023
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  17. Steve_Studnuts

    Steve_Studnuts Maven (1,355) Apr 21, 2015 Pennsylvania

    Well shit; I was looking forward to nabbing a handful of Ralphius. Oh well. They're really quite expensive anyway ($20/12.7 oz. if memory serves). And I think I still have a bottle of the two-year Canadian whiskey variant from last year. I'm sure it will tide me over.
     
    #57 Steve_Studnuts, Nov 28, 2023
  18. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Regular was $17, Two Year aged and other variants were $20, the couple of Three Year aged variants were $25. All 375ml bottles
     
    #58 jmdrpi, Nov 28, 2023
  19. jmdrpi

    jmdrpi Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,989) Dec 11, 2008 Pennsylvania
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    Not sure how much made it until Monday that year.

    I'm guessing they have probably just diverted more of their barrels to the various non-Ralphius stouts they have been releasing the last couple years. I agree that most of the ones I have tried have been excellent - particularly Crooked Trails and Breakfast Epiphanies.
     
    #59 jmdrpi, Nov 28, 2023
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  20. Steve_Studnuts

    Steve_Studnuts Maven (1,355) Apr 21, 2015 Pennsylvania

    I love both of those.
     
    #60 Steve_Studnuts, Nov 28, 2023
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