I think I started this thread last year too... So- who's going, who knows the details, who knows what this years version will be, and the reserve version? Tickets for the VIP experience go on Sale 3/1, while regular tix are already available? @BrewsoBrewco
They seem to be. Pretty much the same price as last year ($30 plus the $2 service fee), which gets you a glass and 5 drink tokens. You can find current information on line under Oakhire Hellshire. I probably will not go this year, given my experience from last year (this will be the first one I've missed since Hellshire I). My feeling is that the quality of the beer selection at this event has steadily dropped since Matt Van Wyk left Oakshire, which makes it all the more difficult to swallow the price tag for this event. Roughly half of the beers available last year required multiple tokens for a 4 ounce pour, and considering that the token price is $2 a pop otherwise, you're looking at some pretty spendy 4 ounce pours (I paid $6 for a 4 ounce pour of Alesong Mocha Rhino at this event last year). I also happen to think that the quality of the Hellshire beers has dropped off as well. That's an easy argument for me to make considering that bottles of the H7 are still available all over town here in PDX (there was a time when it was almost impossible to find Hellshire beers in the PDX area, no more than a month after release). I still have several bottles at home of the H7 that I'm hoping will improve over time. However, I'm becoming less optimistic about that occurrence, every time I revisit it. It's a shame, as I truly enjoyed this event in the past, and I used to consider it a good value. However, I don't need any more Oakshire glassware, and I'd rather spend my $32 on 3 or 4 pints at Growler Guys or Tin Bucket, and maybe a crowler to go as well, rather than on 8 to 12 ounces of BA stuff at Hellshire.
I wont be going, but Ive never gone in the past so thats that. I too, dont enjoy 4oz pours for $8. This doesnt happen often, but there are more than a handful of events in and around Oregon where the math doesnt add up. As for Hellshire, I disagree a bit. I still think its a top notch BBA stout and the price is right. Yes it may hang out on shelves longer than it used to, but you have probably noticed this happening to pretty much every "former whale". The market is so saturated nowadays. parabola was on the shelves for like 5 months. Peche n Brett was out there as of a few weeks ago. Bbomb and KDS linger around forever. Bruery bottles that used to be in high demand are basically shelf turds now. Times have certainly changed!
Have you had a chance to try the Hellshire 7? I think you make very good points in your post, but I just think there has been a noticeable drop off in quality of the Hellshire beers. I thought the IV and V were both quite good, and the VI wasn't bad either (needed time I thought, but did seem to improve with some bottle age). However, the VII struck me as very hot and boozy, and I didn't feel the base beer held up all that well to the barrel aging. I'm assuming others must feel the same way, as otherwise I don't think you'd see a $14/$15 BA stout languishing on the shelves in PDX.
The V was on shelves here in Seattle until well after the VI came out, the VI was the same; the VII wasn't really any different.. if anything saw less of it in general. It's hard to really gauge much from that unless you know distribution numbers. As far as Untappd scores go, the VI and VII score higher than the V by .2 points; with the VI and VII being basically equal (4.36 and 4.35.) So general opinion doesn't seem to vibe with the idea that they've gotten worse; although you never know if that's hype or taste lol. I've been meaning to do a tasting of V/VI/VII myself along with the 2017 Double Barrel Especial (VI aged for an extra ~1 year). Excited to see what they have at the VIP Experience either way assuming I can get tickets.
I haven't been impressed with Hellshire beers generally so for that reason I stopped seeking them out a few years ago. I had a Coffee/Cinnamon B-Bomb at Fremont yesterday. I'm content with that.
If you eventually do a vertical tasting of those beers (5, 6 and 7), I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts about the 3 beers. As for my thoughts about the 7, that's just my opinion of course (as always, YMMV). However, as I mentioned, the fact the beer has been languishing on the shelves all over PDX for roughly a year now does lend some credence to that opinion (that the beer doesn't seem to be as popular or in demand). I host a stout party every year, and I always try to have some Hellshire beers available. I actually had to go look for a bottle of the VI prior to the party last year, as I'd drunk my stash (consisting of a couple of bottles). I was able to find some, but it took some effort (I purchased Arch Bridge's last bottle). This year, the VII is all over the place (Tin Bucket had a shelf full at $14 a pop this past weekend), which is something I've never seen in the past. Could be a lot of reasons for that I suppose, including the possibility that many consumers don't feel the VII is as good as past vintages
Yeah I'll bump this thread; also quite probable I'll be drinking the last few vintages at the VIP event. But the ratings contradict your opinion.. although I already said that.. and you already said everything you just said.. not trying to be snarky, but you kind of ignored my post and repeated yourself lol.
I would have commented if I had any idea what scores on Untapped even mean. Not trying to be snarky either, but I don't use it, and I'm not sure what the scoring system is based upon. That being said, I really am interested in what you think of the different beers, if/when you do that vertical tasting. I would think the V would show best, based on my experience with Hellshire beers, but who knows. Maybe you'll like the VII best. The only reason I commented (again) about the availability of the VII in town, was to compare the current availability with previous experiences (in a more specific way). Eh, we're all just throwing our opinions out there. I hope you're able to get into the VIP event, as I have heard nothing but great stories about it (have never gone myself, but a friend from work has gone the past few years, and she's raved about it). Unlike the grand tasting event, I've never heard anyone complain that they didn't think they got their money's worth at the VIP event. And yes, if you are able to attend, it's my understanding that you should have ample opportunity to try multiple vintages of Hellshire.
They have a 0-5 (zero means you're not rating the beer) in .25 increments scale. I find the scores there inflated, as compared to BA, but not as much as RB. Shrug.
Yeah I went last year and I THINK we had the IV-VII. I have bottles of V-VII; I do think the beer got less popular but it's a higher rated beer than it was before the VI and VII came out. VII has 1,000 less check-ins than VI, which does coincide with your seeing it on shelves more. Honestly I'd guess that has to do with competition and just generally less hype for non heavy adjunct BA's these days since those that have had it seem to rate it exactly the same as VI.
I'll be hosting a full vertical (including II, for science) in Astoria in April! Hit me up if you're going to be in Astoria the weekend of April 27th, let me know!
Completely agree with this. As a matter of fact, this was my takeaway from last year: That being said, my wife's best friend almost never drinks, but she loves BA stouts and wants to go again this year, so we'll probably go. If I have the same takeaway this year, I can be pretty positive I won't attend Hellshire 2019. It was a great fest in the past, even with the cold & rain when it was in March, but the quality to price ratio has definitely dropped significantly.
My tasting group did a full vert a couple weeks ago. 1 is past its prime, IMO. It was extremely bitter and kind of thin. 2 is a full-on drainpour at this point. Had it a couple years ago, and it was still a tolerable sour stout at that point. Not anymore. 3-6 were fine, and I think 6 was my favorite. I thought 7 was ok too, but by that point things were getting fuzzy. We didn't drink any variants. Despite conventional wisdom, I came away from the tasting feeling like Hellshire is a beer best drank fresh, or at least within the first year or so. Also, I would drink a B-Bomb or KDS over any vintage of Hellshire.
Good to know! Looking at the ABV of I, not surprised it's not doing to well. For II, I'm expecting nothing different, but have the bottle, so might as well line it up for the class photo!
