Latest Pipeworks Releases and Updates (2018)

Just to clarify, my original post was not regarding the level of coconut in the beer, just the "off flavors" that made it smell almost chemical or astringent.

 

I agree. They are at least tied (with all of the other breweries that are bomber only) for the most expensive brewery in Chicago and a lot of their beers seem like they are experimenting on the consumer's dime. I do appreciate the innovation and how they take chances, but I wish that they would lock down recipes and techniques before sending bottles to retail. I would be much more forgiving if they weren't charging such a premium for their beers.

 

Speaking of experimentation, how is Kwingston's Kitty Cat-Tina?

 

Sorry, meant this year's KBS. This year's bourbon county was top notch.

 

Plenty of bitching from folks that don't understand how a small business grows.

Their business model has done them very well thus far and is setting them up for the future so they can expand as quickly as possible.

Never thought Id see the day where people on beeradvocate would be ripping on a young local brewery for putting out new beers every week. You clowns knew the motto from the beginning. small batches, big beers. What did you expect? The same batch every other week?

Look at the ratings they have ammassed on this website. They've produced like 40 beers that have earned a 4.0 or better. Most would call that consistancy. You moaners are complaining about subtleties in beers being brewed on what is essentially a giant homebrew system. Go drink some 312. its pretty consistant (from what i hear)(not a compliment)

 

- if you are worried about the bottle not having enough coconut for your trade partners, swing by the brewery and we'll make it right. pm me and let me know if that's an option.

- i don't remember making excuses for our beer often... but it's odd that these coconut beers have been the thing that gets people all riled up. some people find tremendous amounts of coconut and some can't find it at all... i don't think this is a bottle to bottle (consistency) thing i think coconut might be one of those flavors that has a wide range of sensitivity on the tongue (like cilantro). batch to batch though, we've also stated that we are constantly working on our stouts to improve the #1 thing we and seemingly most consumers find lacking, which would be the body of our stouts. we're happy with the last batch of S'more and this TNA because we think we might have resolved those mouthfeel issues. one thing that happens when you increase mouthfeel is the added viscosity can cover up other (adjuncted) flavors (yes, sometimes the added mouthfeel can actual help carry flavors too). we think you are correct that the chocolate is much more pronounced in these latest stouts and a reason for that would be the added mouthfeel seems to bring that out more, while at the same time diminishing or hiding some of the more delicate flavors, like coconut. i can't promise we'll nail it down next time because there'll be a next time after that and then you'll here it some more from us... but we'll keep working on our beer to make to get it where want it to be... and maybe we'll never get there who knows. i guess this just sounds like a lot of excuses. ;-)

 

This is the exact sentiment.

But since the first thing that wanted to be addressed was whether my trading partners would be content with their beers, I'll save any troubles and stop sending them altogether. It's a similar slap-in-the-face response like the time they told somebody straight up that they didn't know the difference between a low-carbed beer and the flat ass bottle they had opened (Date Sugar Yeast Magik) and then low and behold a week or two later: 'we have quality control issues with our capper' with no acknowledgement of the previous dismissal. Damn fine job.

I would list the few times that excuses have been made/given, but I'd be nitpicking about 6-7 batches or so out of the 300-whatever number they're on now, from 4-5 of the 100+ beers they've released. Small percentages, sure, but that's all it takes to turn people off.

Serious question then, if the inconsistencies are such at this level, you think when they get their hands on equipment that allows for higher volume, that those are just going to go away?? I guess at least the format pricing will (hopefully) be more favorable by then.


Sorry, not really though, but for all the praise that goes on amongst the incarnations of this thread, sometimes the reality check of a viable complaint needs to be had, so realization may come that no, they can't just get away with putting out whatever the end result is at this overpriced format then making up for a sub-par product on the next go around and still charging as much.

 

We haven't even gotten to page 25 yet. Looks like I lost my "Latest Pipeworks" over/under.

 

I can't wait to do a side by side now of batch 284 and 384. My expectations, both are going to taste great. If they taste different, I'm not gonna get all jacked about it. If 384 tastes bad (never had a bad tasting PWs beer), I may be bummed. But life goes on. Paying $20 for Bully Guppy, that was a true example of profiting off a mistake. Paying $11 for a more chocolate than coconut beer, oh no... (Sarcasm)

So many times though I see people slam beers because they don't understand the style. I don't think the original complaint was necessarily this case. The flavor could have been off, but it does stand to reason about the viscous mouthfeel trying to compensate for more body.

Sounded like PWs was trying to make it right, didn't sound disingenuous to me.

 

are you that guy now...? =p

not trying to be a slap-in-the-face response, but consistent light hearted banter (always a theme on these threads going back to the first iteration). i was being serious about swinging by the brewery.

the DSYM exchange wasn't meant to be a 'we know best' thing... that beer was very low carbed to begin (lowest we've done). the capper issue seems to have been prevalent at various times since our inception and only affected a small percentage of bottles from various batches. DSYM had multiple people saying 'flat' (at a more frequent occurrence than the normal capper issue on other batches) so it was worth asking if it was actually flat or merely seemed mostly flat... sorry if it came off pompous.

much bigger and older breweries (with pricier equipment) still combat QC issues constantly. we're just a little more visible and we choose to be so that's okay. it's a mistake to think that we aren't doing everything economical possible to improve quality in every aspect of our product... and we'll continue to do so by taking a major leap towards that goal next year. better and larger equipment can eliminate some qc issue while others might arise as well, but usually more the former than the latter.

also, we don't think we are experimenting, we like what we put out and most of the beers that get the worst reviews are the ones we really dig... maybe we have terrible palates idk

 

AGREED, I loved razbeardo and bluebeardo. No idea why those aren't rated higher.

 

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/latest-pipeworks-releases-and-updates.103315/page-7

- also looking back at the DSYM thing (aug 11th), I never said the person reporting the flat bottle didn't have a flat one, i said that the bottle i opened as a result of the thread was not flat and there was a possibility of misunderstanding the VOC of the beer. then in the very next post (also aug 11th) i made a comment in jest acknowledging that there could be a capping issue. and we didn't wait two weeks to announce a quality control issue with the capper we acknowledged it in response to DSYM after we got a picture of two bottles that were visibly crowned differently (aug 13th)...
[silver lining here though, don't think i got around to PM'n people with issues like i said, so i shall do that now =p, looks like i have 8 people to PM including vasinger]

- Doosh thanks for being an active part of all the pw threads, there is always room for complaints on here and that's one of the major reasons why we are on here is to figure stuff out... and get real feedback that can lead to conversation. would you feel better about us if we brought back the wax on the bottles ;-)

 

Sorry to have kick up a shit storm, but I was really just wondering if anyone else noticed if theirs tasted off, or if maybe I got a bad bottle. I tasted coconut and chocolate and the carbonation was fine, but smelled like chemical which I have not tasted in any other abduction except a B1 OTA that smelled like straight up acetone.

 

no worries, like mentioned above this is how we improve. could you hold the 2nd bottle for us and we'll trade you something else for it or replace it. we'd like to see if we can replicate the smell you are referencing.

 

Feedback: Of any brewery/brewery rep/employee on this site, you post by far the most excuses and "O, sorry, I didn't mean it that way" or "O I'm sooo sorry I shouldn't have said that. I really meant to say...."

Either don't post while drinking or hire a PR person to post on here. Shouldn't be hard to find a more competent person...

My opinion, 2 cents, and constructive criticism.

Did I go too far? :/

 

yeesh...

i don't see any 'o i'm sorry's or drunken rants in this latest thread... see, progress my man, progress

also what's a PR person?

 

I wouldn't mind this. Completely useless but makes the bottles so pretty. Plus the OCD part of me REALLY hates having half of my Abduction bottle collection waxed (Abduction, Coffee, Raspberry, Orange) and the other half unwaxed...

 

I am guessing a Puerto Rican person ?

I am still a newbie so I haven't had any carbonation or flat issues. I do have to say the second batch of TNA had tons and I mean tons of coconut flavor. I had to compare it to BC Proprietors which in my mind is the best chocolate coconut flavor stout.

 

No soup for you!

 

"PR" usually means "Public Relations" btw.