Mystery Beer, what is it??

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by JordonHoltzman, Apr 5, 2016.

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  1. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    Dear BAs, I was hoping you can help me figure out what beer I had last night.
    So I went to a new beer store on the suggestion of someone I met at a nearby beer bar. He said to check out a fridge that had a few beers with the labels removed and therefore at a big discount, but you don't know what beer it is. The only thing the workers at the store said was that they were very good beers, and potentially very well-aged beers. In addition to the 2005 DFH World Wide Stout that the guy at the bar told me to get, I see a bomber for $4.99 from Goose Island (the cap). Unlike the WWS, it has no date stamp. I could tell it's not a stout from the color, but decide to get it anyway, hoping it isn't just a bomber of old IPA.

    And wow, was I in luck! It was a delicious brett beer, that was definitely fruited and aged in a wine barrel, I just can't figure out exactly what it is. Before opening, I did a little research that tells me that it most likely is several years old, since their vintage series currently comes in the 750ml format, and this bottle is 22oz. (my apologies for the extremely large photos, not sure how to make them smaller)

    [​IMG]

    The color: a light brown with a red hue. no head whatsoever, but pretty well carbonated.
    The aroma: strong funk, grape juice, and (what I struggled on) either blackberries or raspberries.
    The taste was mostly the same, and very dry.

    My guess is that it's either Juliet or Lolita (which have blackberries and raspberries, respectively). Can anyone help tell me what it is, and possibly how old it was? And does anyone else every buy mystery bottles? Have you ever found a gem such as these?

    [​IMG]

    pics of the DFH (what I think is a 10 year old World Wide Stout)

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    #1 JordonHoltzman, Apr 5, 2016
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  2. PaulyB83

    PaulyB83 Maven (1,399) Sep 1, 2013 Michigan

    Really nice finds at an incredible price.
     
    #2 PaulyB83, Apr 5, 2016
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  3. captaincoffee

    captaincoffee Pooh-Bah (2,218) Jul 10, 2011 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I like the idea of mystery beers at a great price if you can really trust the guys selling them. Otherwise, I'd be too suspicious that they were trying to unload old crappy beer on me.
     
    #3 captaincoffee, Apr 5, 2016
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  4. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Sounds like it might also be Sofie which is partly aged in wine barrels and should show a lot of Brett character as it gets more mature.
     
    #4 drtth, Apr 5, 2016
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  5. stonermouse

    stonermouse Pundit (877) Aug 16, 2006 Massachusetts

    I'm interested in finding out why the labels were missing. I see three possibilities:
    1. Because the beer is old, the labels simply aged and the adhesive gave up and they fell off involuntarily
    2. The beer went through something traumatic, perhaps getting soaked or stored poorly, destroying the labels.
    3. Someone is having some fun with the customers, seeing if they'll bite on a game of "old beer roulette."

    I'm not sure I'd go for it unless I could tell, like you could, that that's likely a 10-year-old WWS. I would've bit on that one.
     
    #5 stonermouse, Apr 5, 2016
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  6. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    I looked into it being Sophie, but the color is just so way off. http://www.gooseisland.com/showBeer.html?name=sofie
    This beer wasn't champagne in color, it was brownish/red, and Sophie isn't described as having blackberry or raspberry, which this definitely did.

    Agreed, as I mentioned I went to the store straight from a beer bar (which happened to be a KBS release), and a guy I was sitting next to said he got the other World Wide Stout. But I admit I probably wouldn't have pull the trigger on the 2nd one if it wasn't for the buzz I had. :slight_smile:
     
    #6 JordonHoltzman, Apr 5, 2016
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  7. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    So the color in your photo is pretty close and it would defintely not be Sophie. From that color I'd probably go with with Lolita first rather than Juliet. So if were planning on buying more that's where I'd start. However, if I'm wrong that would be fine since both are really nice, flavorful beers and I'd just buy a bottle of the other. :-)

    BTW from the second bottle cap you defintely know its very High ABV but that old it could be WWS but there are a few others possible, e.g., Raison d'Extra. If it's been in that cooler for most of it's life it should still be drinkable.
     
    #7 drtth, Apr 5, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2016
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  8. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    What is it? Likely illegal to sell without it's required labeling, that's what it is. I'd suspect this program will stop sooner rather than later.
     
    #8 DougC123, Apr 5, 2016
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  9. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    Yea, I was gonna ask what else it could possibly be besides WWS... the guy that told me to get it got the other one and already opened his and said he's 99% sure its WWS.

    regarding the Goose Island, problem is I don't wanna pay $20+ for it, I just spent $4.99 on a 2012 or older version!
     
    #9 JordonHoltzman, Apr 5, 2016
  10. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    No need to be a party pooper here. And besides, it definitely wasn't a common thing that this store does, there were only 2 bottles without labels in the whole giant store.
     
    #10 JordonHoltzman, Apr 5, 2016
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  11. DougC123

    DougC123 Savant (1,186) Aug 21, 2012 Connecticut

    Interesting what people are willing to risk their permits over.
     
    #11 DougC123, Apr 5, 2016
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  12. Andy1010

    Andy1010 Initiate (0) Jan 26, 2016 Indiana

    Matilda possibly?
     
    #12 Andy1010, Apr 5, 2016
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  13. BalancingBrooms

    BalancingBrooms Pooh-Bah (2,894) Aug 22, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Probably Juliet especially if you're getting blackberries

    Possibly, color is about right but there's more pineapple funk as it ages
     
    #13 BalancingBrooms, Apr 5, 2016
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  14. Shroud0fdoom

    Shroud0fdoom Initiate (0) Oct 31, 2013 Maryland

    Or Lolita. Perhaps Lolita.
     
    #14 Shroud0fdoom, Apr 5, 2016
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  15. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    Yea, it's gotta be Lolita or Juliet. I guess if anyone on this website has experience drinking these two aged.
     
    #15 JordonHoltzman, Apr 6, 2016
  16. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    Jeez i'm glad I didn't say what beer store it was at, or Doug over here woulda been calling the authorities on them
     
    #16 JordonHoltzman, Apr 6, 2016
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  17. Brewday

    Brewday Zealot (721) Dec 25, 2015 New York

    Dogfish WW Stout or 120 IPA. They put those caps on because people were putting these bottles into cheaper packs.
     
    #17 Brewday, Apr 6, 2016
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  18. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    I know it might not be obvious from the photo, but the contents of the bottle look black and stout-like, which is why I originally ruled out 120 minute.

    Interesting though, didn't know that about why they have that green cap
     
    #18 JordonHoltzman, Apr 6, 2016
  19. Invinciblejets

    Invinciblejets Pooh-Bah (1,710) Sep 29, 2014 South Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Lolita or Matilda is my bet.
     
    #19 Invinciblejets, Apr 6, 2016
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  20. JordonHoltzman

    JordonHoltzman Initiate (0) Apr 9, 2009 New York

    Matilda? I've never had any of their vintage series before this, but looking at the Matilda description, it shows no notes of blackberries or raspberries, while the beer I had definitely had strong notes of one of them.
     
    #20 JordonHoltzman, Apr 6, 2016
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