LA/OC Supermarket & Bottleshop Thread (Q4 2017)

Yes. I believe it's Scott who's bringing some very cool stuff. It's a bit of a drive for me when I have Mr Kegs right around the block. But I have picked up some cool stuff from Windsor. The homebrew stuff is a sight for sore eyes here in the middle of OC. I can see that cooler doubling in size by year end.

 

It says 37 days on the bottle.

 

Most place in the OC/LA area gets enjoy by a week later after it's bottled.

 

Curious as to what you think of Enjoy By....

 

All the Enjoy By bottles say "brewed to be enjoyed within 37 days" on the back. Even their official youtube video states it in the first 5 seconds of the video



In 2012, we decided to really do something unprecedented. Enter Stone Enjoy By IPA, a beer that is brewed specifically to last only 37 days—the shortest code length in the industry by a long shot. From the moment it goes into a bottle or keg, it has 37 days to be shipped, sold and consumed. If any is left after 37 days, we’re liable to buy it back. Seriously.

http://www.stonebrewing.com/freshness

 

@ScottWoerner
I enjoy it. Pretty much bought every release since its beginning. When 5gal Kegs we’re first available for purchase I bought 2 back to back. When 6pk bottles came out I went that route. Had one bad experience with 2nd unfiltered enjoy by. I haven’t bought the last 2 releases. I’ve got too many bottles/cans in my kegerator/beer fridge, including a 5gal keg of Critical Band and JO.

 

What was the extent of your bad experience with the unfiltered?

 

Bottom of the bottle was full of floatees. It was a bomber and I didn’t buy it day of release or when it showed up at my local. It was maybe 10 days old already. Not bad. But not good either. Doable. But first pour into glass it was so cloudy. And not in a good way. I drank half and drain poured the rest. Not sure why. I know my local always puts IPA’s in the cooler or in the back cooler. That was only my 2nd ever drain pour. I hate to waste good beer. But if it doesnt taste right.....?

 

Bummer, never drink a beer if it isn't good.

 

If it was at the bottom of the bottle, wouldn’t they be sinkees?

 

Mind if I ask where you obtained the 5 Gal JO?

 

Picked up The Spice Must Flow at Total Wine Brea. 1 per @ $17.99

 

was it behind the counter, did u have to ask for it? was it by the special release section?

 

I grabbed one at TW HB yesterday at 5. IDK if they still have any, but it was $17.99 also

 

Anyone have insight into where the distro cans of Modern Times Spaceship Earth will be available? I live in New England and have been brining back NE IPAs to my mom for a few years now, and she would love to be able to show up to a normal store (not wait in line) and pick up something similar. She’s in the Pasadena area. Help a brother’s mom out? Thanks dudes

 

It was behind the counter up front.

Picked some up at Total Wine in Brea. Looks like all the local Total Wine locations are getting it.

 

Three stores I would check out in the Pasadena area would be Whole Foods Arroyo, Vinotera on Lake, and Craft Beer Cellar Eagle Rock. They all get MT Distro. Also, if it's still on shelves, Critical Band was a pretty nice hazy offering at a great price so keep an eye out for that.

 

Not Pasadena area, but Total Wine Redondo has had a few cases for the last few days. In the back, near the cooler.

 

FYI > the spaceship has landed at Mr Kegs.

 

Grabbed a four pack of Spaceship at Lazy Acres

 

Maybe you should of grabbed another 4pk? I got me 2 4's and should of grabbed one more. I'm really liking this spaceship pale ale. Pairs well next to Critical Band.

 

One of my favorite beers. But I'm a little ticked off about my most recent purchase. Bought a sixer and didn't release till I got home that most of the bottles were improperly filled. In three of them, the beer level barely reached the bottom of the neck. Kind of annoying to get short-changed like that, especially on a beer that's about $18 for six 12 ozers. Also annoying is the fact that I reported this (politely, mind you) to Stone via their website and have not received so much as a "thanks for letting us know" reply.

 

the last three enjoy by have been fails IMO too sweet & malty for my palate

 

Hey all hope you are all having a very spooky Friday the 13th! Plenty of new beers around this week, here's some stuff around town right now:

Brand Launches

Captain Fatty's has debuted in LA! Vortex IPA, Blue IPA, Calypso Cucumber Sour, and Beach Pilsner are canned and out in the wild.

LA Beer (Los Angeles Brewers Guild Members Only)

Brouwerij West Dig My Earth DIPA is back-- best canned LA hazy thus far?

Concrete Jungle Joe Friday Unfiltered IPA, It's 5:00 Somewhere Lager, and The Broom of the System Nitro Chocolate Stout. If you are a fan of dark chocolate, don't even blink on the Broom of the System. Extremely recommended.

Beachwood Careful with that Passionfruit, Eugene returns for the year.

***BEACHWOOD AMALGAMATOR IS BEING DISCONTINUED IN IT'S CURRENT FORMAT*** If you see bottles around, enjoy them in this package while you can!

Arts District Traction IPA is now available in larger distribution

Phantom Carriage Muis returns, dry-hopped with Mosaic and Citra. Midnight Hour is a new one from them, aged in merlot barrels with black currants. Umm, yes!

Eagle Rock Solidarity is back! I know some of you know the glory of this one!

Other beers

Bear Republic Racer X DIPA is back, and in 6 packs!
Blank Brewing A Round on the House Imperial Milk Stout
Bruery Terruex and Jester King Bouffon sour
Hop Concept Hop Freshener Tropical and Juicy
Iron Maiden Hallowed Belgian-style pale
Mother Earth Hop Diggity IPA
Lagunitas Brown Shugga'
Lagunitas Eroica
Saint Archer Tusk n Grain Coconut Stout
Sixpoint Kold Shauer Kolsch
Uinta Barrel-aged Dubhe

GABF WINNERS

I brought in ALL the GABF winners I could bring in that were up for distribution this week. Less than 4% of beers that entered took home a medal. They had a better chance of getting into Harvard! That acceptance rate makes this year the most prestigious medal in some time, so these are really some distinguished beers, folks.

GOLD: American-Style Strong Pale Ale: Melvin Hubert MPA
GOLD: Gluten-free Beer: Ground Breaker Dark Ale

SILVER: German-Style Koelsch: Three Weavers Seafarer Kolsch
SILVER: English-Style India Pale Ale: Figueroa Mountain Hoppy Poppy IPA
SILVER: Imperial India Pale Ale: Knee Deep Lupulin River IPA
SILVER: Fresh or Wet Hop Ale: Fremont Field to Ferment Amarillo Pale Ale
SILVER: American-Style Amber Lager: Shiner Bock

BRONZE: English-Style India Pale Ale: Claremont Jacaranda Rye IPA

Brewery Group and Brewery Group Brewer of the Year: Melvin Brewing! These guys seriously deserved this one you have to check 'em out if you haven't. Presently I have: IPA, 2x4, Citradamus, Asterisk, Hubert, Killer Bees, and Heyzeus.

Oh man, that's a lot of beers. Well, if you are interested in some of 'em or all of 'em and want to make sure you can find 'em all in a one-stop-shop... hey come and visit me! We are in the heart of the West Valley and have been here for nearly 50 years. That's older than craft beer! Anyways, hope you all have a great weekend, see y'all in a week!

 

I hope this means that it's going into 16oz cans!

 

I like the way @GreenJug gets his...or her weekly supplies out to us here. It's good to see other brewery's beers out there that I've never heard of or have heard of and never tried yet. I had a can of Melvin 2x4 that I thought was way to sweet for my taste. The other cans listed here in Jugs post looks interesting. I'm going to have to see if my local stocks some of these. And Amalg bottles are on the way "out"! That only means the new 16oz cans will be next after BW's sexy new CitraHolic cans. And yes the new/old CitraHolic taste great too. And only 12.99 per 4pk! Get the fuk out man.
It would be nice to see some of our locals get on board with g-jugs and post a weekly (or biweekly) list of their latest stock.

 

Green Jug is a regular spot for me, but I don't go as often as I should because I get a lot of my beer from the breweries directly, and with growler fills, online sales, and beer memberships it keeps me pretty well stocked.

 

Anyone seeing Citraholic cans in NE L.A./Pasadena area?

 

Pretty decent week for new releases; a smaller amount of beers all told, but some real hits coming your way! Here's some stuff you might be finding around town now:

LA BEER
Iron Triangle Powerbomb IPA in cans. Pretty great job on this one for a first-time canning.

El Segundo Clear A.F. is a firm-footed retort to the haze craze, this one pour clear unlike...

Indie Found that Juicy Double, a hazy DIPA. Love these guys' stuff, I'm already sold out on this one.

Santa Monica PCH Golden Porter. A pale stout/porter is really nice to see in package out of taprooms, looks like people are digging this one.

Other Beer
Lagunitas Born Yesterday was bottled Monday!
Sam Adams Winter Lager is out, as well as the other Christmas classic...
Sierra Nevada Celebration, the "original" fresh hop IPA!
Green Cheek/Sierra Nevada Impossible Germany, a barrel-aged festbier
Fremont Bonfire Brown is their winter seasonal.
Oskar Blues Death by Coconut
Oskar Blues Ten Fidy
Boulevard Whiskey Barrel Stout in 4pks
Epic New England IPA w/ Citra
Grimm Double Negative
Avery Rumpkin

Christmas Beer as of this week
Sierra Nevada Celebration
Samuel Adams Winter Lager
New Belgium Accumulation
Lagunitas Brown Shugga'
Ridgeway Santa's Butt, Reindeer Droppings, Bad Elf, and Lump of Coal
Mikkeller Hoppy Lovin' Christmas
Mikkeller To/From/VIA Mikkeller

Isn't funny how this time five years ago, it'd be so much more browns/porters/stouts than all these IPAs out now?! Well light, dark, hoppy or malty, if you see something you like on this list, or just want to find it all under one roof, you can always come and visit me! Please buy my Christmas beer. Have a good weekend all, beat the heat!

 

Vinotera posted it on Instagram a couple days ago. Worth calling them to see if it such around.

 

Any KRBC River Buddy cans sightings in the HB/north OC area. My local mr kegs was suppose to get some in this week. Promised by the Stone delivery boy/kid. He failed again. I spoke with him at Total Wine on Weds and he promised he was going to deliver on Thursday. Fail. I need my Buddy fix.

 

Hi there,

From Chicago and New to the LA area (I live in DTLA). I was wondering what the Goose Island Bourbon County Stout Release scene is like here. Are there a lot of places that get variants? Do they typically release on Black Friday? Just trying to gauge/prepare for my hometown favorite.

Cheers!

 

Typically yes on black Friday not all stores get the variants which are the first to go. But it seems the stores with the most GI sales throughout the year get the variants.

 

Bob?

 

The past couple of years we've gotten quite a bit of BCBS, with last year having a couple of "waves" of it being release.

There have been SOME Coffee and Barelywine available, but usually only to a handful of stores and usually only a case or so at most, with a 1 bottle per person limit. I think a couple of places might've had a Rare or two last year.

I've not seen any other variants for sale in store the last few years.

Who knows what we will get with the other 3 variants this year, but probably not much, if any of those.

 

Regarding the other 3 variants:

Proprietors: Like every year's Proprietors, this one is distributed exclusively in the Chicagoland area
Reserve: This variant will only be available in Illinois and Kentucky (http://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/drink/beer/ct-food-bourbon-county-stout-tasting-2017-story.html)
Northwoods: This will see limited National distribution (http://www.chicagotribune.com/dinin...-lineup-2017-goose-island-20170609-story.html)