J. Wakefield Brewing "Kickstarter"

From instagram it looks like they are brewing today.

 

I totally believe in this guy and will wait for everything to go thru. I'm confident that he will deliver and then some. I'm sure that he wants to do it right and not cut corners and I respect that. In the words of Bart Scott, "Can't wait!" Cheers to JWB and the struggle.

 

I am sure those of you who bought the OG memberships were expecting something sooner, and I'm sure JWB was expecting to deliver something sooner as well... Unfortunately the process of opening a brewery takes MUCH longer than anyone ever expects... Just look at Angry Chair in Tampa, they have been trying to get off the ground for just as long or longer than JWB, and they just opened up last month. It wasn't because they were taking their time and dragging their feet, it's because equipment takes forever to be delivered, permits take forever to be approved, inspections take forever to be completed, licenses take forever to be granted, etc.

 

I have to strongly disagree with you here. No other Florida brewery does berliners like JWB. None, by a long shot. I also believe there will be no disappointment, even out of the gate.

 

There won't be any disappointment, JW is the man, but to say he makes the best, by a long shot, is a stretch. Other than PFDF and MM, Cycle's Berliners are just as good.

 

Ecto cooliner was good, and shake field is also good. They are not great. what cycle berliner is as good as jwb?

 

Am I the only one that didn't like PFDF? Oh well, more for everybody else.

 

Agree with you here. Though sours, even more than almost any other style of beer, are very palate specific. Oh well, more PFDF for other people! I do have to say that I let the hype build that beer to be epic before I tried it and when you let that happen there will only be a couple beers in the world that can stand up (Coffee BCBS, Beatification, Pliny, MBCP, etc).

 

Loved Nothing... some sours really do it for me but the Florida Weisse movement hasn't been my thing.

 

I appreciate you differing opinion. I am excited every time a new and innovative brewery opens up but I am also apprehensive when The Hype Monster rears it's ugly head. I do have to say CCB has done some interesting sours recently, Cycle has done ecto cooliner (not my bag but somewhat similar to the profile JWB tends to have in my palate's memory) and Wakefield. 7veneth Sun has also done some very interesting and innovative sours but in very small batches. The problem with basing your entire portfolio on sours though is that it's hard (for me at least) to enjoy a couple sixer's of sours on the beach, at a picnic, watching a movie, et cetera. And it's selling a couple sixers to regular customers on a weekly basis that keeps the doors open and the side/barrel projects around. The only other way around that I have seen is to do awesome side projects and price them through the roof (The Bruery, Cascade, etc.). Not sure what his business plan is but he is doing something right to be able to open a brewery without any debt based on promises. Oh well, hopefully he does great just remember to give him a chance and maybe buy a couple sixers of his IPA too (or whatever keeps the doors open).

 

The hype is real.

If Funky Buddha has taught me anything its that just because the smaller batch brews are mind-blowingly phenomenal, that doesn't always translate to a larger scale. For the sake of my fellow BAs, I hope I'm wrong. But to put Wakefield, who is essentially a homebrewer, on the level of Shaun Hill, as of this moment, is pushing it. It's the difference between potential and kinetic energy. In five years this conversation might be different.

I respect your opinion, but setting your expectations that high more often than not is a bad move. It's better to be pleasantly surprised than sorely disappointed.

 

This is a fair assessment. We should curb expectations going in. It takes a while to fully dial in on a brewing system. I'm expecting good beer at first, but not his best. That will most likely take some time and experience in his new digs.

Does it make me any less excited? Uh, hell no.

 

Taste is obviously subjective, but RJD comes to mind. And I loved Ecto! As I said, JWB is great, I haven't had one of his beers that I disliked, just happen to like Doug's beers a bit better.

 

The buddha lounge and 7venth sun make as good if not better Berliners then jw...

 

This is the main thing people should be focussing on....it will take time to get right on a large scale..

 

I kinda wonder why 7venth Sun doesn't get mentioned more, concerning Berliners. That crew has some really good stuff being produced, but sometimes they seem like the forgotten brewery in Florida.

 

Because we're keeping them a secret. SHHHHhhhhhhhh.

 

You're absolutely right, brewing on a large scale is another ball game and something most anyone should understand. I just think he has the talent and drive to do it successfully. I am not going to go in expecting perfection out of the gate but I am going to stand by my statement earlier -- I think we'll be able to have this conversation again well within five years and JWB will have joined the ranks of the most respected breweries in the country.

 

I agree with 7th Sun being solid, but haven't been impressed with the FB Berliners I have tried. JWB's sours were the best at Hunahpu Day for the past few years. Cycle used to a lot more Berliners in the past, glad they are starting to do them again.

 

Weisse geek time?! I'm in!

Unlike most things in the beer world, his stuff lives up to the hype, imho.
Everything I've had from DeGarde is a step down in comparison, but it's the closest you can get to his stuff, followed by the criminally underhyped Night Shift seasonal berliners (Mainer Weisse is the best, and this year's batch just released this past week).
None of the other FL stuff is as good: The 15 7venth Sun berliners I've had haven't broken 4 stars, (besides the Green Bench collab, 2nd stage). FB's have been decent, and the first batch of Ecto at the fest was way better than the crowler batch... Overflow and Latestart are promising too..

He was by far the best in show at Cajun Cafe Sour Fest and Florida Weisse Bash.
Sunshine Dreamsicle, Can Eat A Peach For Days, I'm Your Huckleberry, Dragon Fruit Passion Fruit, Miami Madness, Ain't Yo Mama's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, Kryptoweisse, Moral Imperative - were all incredible and would easily be on my "If you could only drink X beers for the rest of your life" list

I couldn't kickstart him fast enough, considering it's only once a year his stuff is on draft at special events, the wait for the brewery to open has gone unnoticed to me. (Plus, paid for it so long ago, it's going to feel free when it finally happens )