Metro DC Brewery Discussion Thread

I'm a big fan of their Sunnyside pilsner, Magnetized is also really good and the BA MOF is delicious.

 

For those wondering about Grimm pricing at Beltway Brewing.

 

I tried the Peach Vanilla DIPA at Aslin, it has nice flavors but its easily the most unappetizing looking beer I've ever seen and it has a very noticable burn on the finish.

 

I agree, its got great bourbon flavors without being too overpowering or hot, and they complement the base beer perfectly. I can't wait until they bottle it.

 

This is even worse than growler prices for this stuff in NYC, and that's at the source! They must be making some crazy margins on that. Plus it's over 2 months old and I'm sure has fallen off a ton.

 

lol

 

Peach & Vanilla Mind the hop and bringing sexy back are both kicked at Aslin. Only red invasion still pouring.

 

They just tweeted they're totally out of beer and will be closed tomorrow (Sunday). Must've been crazy there!

 

This. I have no words for those prices. Makes me wonder how their agreement is structured. Do they have to buy the kegs from Shelton?

 

I'm of a mixed mind about this. Considering the lengths NYC beer drinkers have to go to to score these beers, and the fact that these tap takeovers only happen a couple times a year, I'm willing to pay for something I'd otherwise have zero chance of tasting. Would I buy $20 32 oz growlers every week, or even every month? Heck no.

That said, Beltway really needs to up their growler filling technique, especially at these prices. None of my growlers were filled to the top, and two of them had 3+ fingers of air. Plus they don't use tubes or purge with C02, so these suckers won't last long. They seem like great people, but this is obviously pretty new for them.

 

In terms of taste, Peach and vanilla Mind the Hop = King Julius. I was unsure about the "variant" but it's pretty amazing.

 

It's not really that hard to get these beers in New York. If you're paying attention you can usually grab at least a few cans of the IPAs, and kegs hit pretty much every bar in the city. The sours are even easier to get and tend to sometimes hang around for a few days. The other issue is many of these beers they have on are old, at least by IPA standards - Tesseract is over 2 months old at this point and definitely past its prime.

 

Well, it's hard for me because I'm never in NYC.

I was aware of the Tesseract brew date when I got it, and was a little concerned, but it's right up there with the best IPAs I've had, so it can't have fallen off that much. This is my first time having it so I can't rightly compare apples to apples (or mangoes to mangoes), but the hops are pretty explosive with almost no maltiness, so I'm guessing it held up well.

 

Gotcha, that's good to hear. Someone reported in the Grimm thread that it was malty when they tried it today, but I was a bit concerned. I'm glad you liked it, and agree - it's definitely one of the best IPAs I've ever had.

 

That would make sense considering Beltway doesn't distribute anything. I'm assuming that they would have to go through a distributor so they are in compliance with the regs.

Still, how does that beer go from $28 a fill to $40? Makes no sense other than adding in a huge premium due to hype.

https://www.facebook.com/beltwaybre...8795835214140/928303117263404/?type=3&theater

 

Yea, this is totally a situation where Beltway is taking advantage of the massive hype of Grimm beers to make extra money. Tesseract is one of my favorite beers but I don't think I could justify paying $40 for a growler of it.

 

If people are willing to pay that much, good for Beltway. You can't really 'take advantage' of a willing customer.

 

I meant they were taking advantage of the situation, not the customer. I agree with you, for the most part, that retailers should set prices according to demand. However, Grimm has stated repeatedly in the Grimm threads that their intention is for the product to hit the market as affordably as possible (i.e. $5-5.50 a can in NY). They monitor the prices and try to reign in retailers who excessively price gouge. And when I say excessively, I'm talking $8/can, which is still significantly lower price per ounce than $40 for a 64oz growler. Given that, I can't imagine they are thrilled with the price premium that Beltway charges, but then again they might not have as much leverage in that situation given that Beltway helps them produce that beer.