I haven't done a side by side but I've had both two months apart. I don't recall a distinct variance if there was one. I thought both were wonderful when I was drinking them.
I have not done them side by side, but have had a bunch of bottles from both batches. I think the new batch is better, as you can actually taste some of the barrel, even though it is still barely there.
To me, b1 is sweeter and richer, while b2 is a tad less sweet but more drinkable. I don't think I could pick a fav though. I LOVE both batches equally!
B2 seems a little more balanced in that the Hazel Nut flavors were not as dominant. B2 a little thinner?
Funny, I thought B2 was thicker compared to B1. Have a bottle of each though, I'll try a side by side soon and report.
Only had B2 (thanks @archiebunkerjr for the trade) and thought it was tremendous, my favorite Oddside to date. Like a majority of Oddside beers, just wish it had more barrel presence. Going to make it a point to go next year and get B3.
^This. I don't claim perfect sense memory, but I found B2 to be better balanced and thus more enjoyable. More barrel as well. Body is just right for me.
I didn't have batch 1. But i drank it under another name over the summer. At that point it was like getting hit in the face with a fist made of hazelnuts. Overload. Batch 2 was much more balanced and enjoyable.
How does Hazels (B1 or B2) taste compared to Ahh Nuts? Is it safe to assume this is the same beer, just with a different name? If they're different beers, how do they differ? I was considering trading for a couple of Hazels just to try (given the response on here), but since I didn't particularly care for Ahh Nuts (I thought it was way too sweet with little to no barrel character), I'm not sure it would be worth the effort - especially if they're very similar.
Slight edge to B1 for me but that's solely based on memory alone; tried the first batch in December and again last month. My thoughts seem to match up to what some have already posted; slightly less hazelnut flavor with more barrel in B2. I dug the unbalance that B1 had vs. B2 but I'll say this, the second batch is still damn good.
Drank them for the first time a day apart (B1 on the release day of B2, and B2 the very next day). I felt like there was tons more hazelnut in B1, almost too much. I liked B2 a lot better.
