No love for OEC?

Yo quiet down about OEC, no one else needs to know about them.

(But seriously though, one of the most beautiful breweries I've been to and they are making some of the best/most interesting beers in New England as long as you aren't looking for hoppy milk water.)

 

Cool write up.

OEC is the best. Their beers are all different and interesting. It's my favorite place to hang out. It's never too crowded. Let's keep it that way

 

I have heard of OEC but have never been down to the brewery. I am a fan of several but not all sours. There are plenty of people who don't like them at all though. I'm guessing it is not as well known yet because they aren't tapping into the current IPA boom. Less demand for sour beers so less exposure as well. I definitely need to get down there and check them out though. Maybe a Black Hog, Kent Falls and OEC trip. I'll have to check and see if that's a possibility.

 

In what world is OEC unknown? Is everyone on this thread brand new to BA? Most people I know regard them as one of the top breweries in the state. The only brewery I can think of that I definitely like more is NEBCO. OEC and Beer'd are 2a and 2b. Steady Habit and Kent Falls after that.

 

The thing about OEC is that they do not usually brew any hoppier beers or IPAs, which most people search out for now-a-days, and their pricing format can get expensive. Most bottles range in the $12-15 area and can get more expensive from there, which can outprice a lot of consumers. Their beer also does not really get distributed and you never see it anywhere on tap.

That being said, however, OEC is doing some of the coolest beermaking in New England. They have an incredible operation and insane blending program and our producing some of the best sours i've experienced. I recommend to everyone to go and try the 7 sampler flight, it's expensive, but worth it, and represents the types of beers they have available.

I love OEC and have enjoyed the multiple types of beers that I have tried from them however I can understand why it's not very popular among a lot of the craft beer community. In many ways the beers OEC is brewing are more like wine then beer. It's also hard to personally crush a bomber of Tempus solo so a lot of their beers require drinking friends/ sharing which some people simply don't have the time for.

 

I feel like I have entered the twilight zone with this thread. I thought everyone knew about OEC. They have always been well known for people who drink sours. Also, they were on tap at Row 34 two weeks ago for those of you saying you've never seen them on tap. They were also on tap that the ginger man around their opening...

 

Tony . . .

 

There beers are on tap all over Boston, so I'm not sure this is true.

 

No one outside of the NE knows about them, and let's keep it that way!!! Hahha

 

To my understanding, OEC beers will never be distributed in CT. Something to do with distribution through B. United, crazy. This explains why I can get personal OEC bottles sent to me at my place of work, but will never be allowed to sell those same bottles at the restaurant.

 

Wow, great write up. I just got stuck on your blog for about an hour reading older stories. Love it!

 

Yeah, good luck with that...

 

With what? Getting him on here?
I went to high school with him, and he is also my B. United salesman, and an all around great guy.

 

I don't think they are known very well outside of CT, but within the state they are pretty highly regarded. I didnt make it to the 2nd anniversary this year, but I went to the 1st anniversary event last year and it was wild.

Their sours are very creative and unique and seem more about making cool beers than about slapping a label on a fruity and slightly tart beer for the summer crowd.

 

Made my first visit last month on a Friday which meant I could only buy bottles. Bought a few of each. Beautiful brewery, all the beers were great. Might go again next week, a quick trip there and back. Do they announce which bottles are available anywhere? I'd hate to drive two hours for the same swag.

 

Everything is on their website.

 

I feel like they don't market as much as other breweries partly because the bottle counts for their releases are absurdly low, like around 300 every time, with 2-3pp allotments. Not saying that's the only factor, but if they blew up even a quarter of the rate of someone like Tree House, releases and parties at the brewery would be a mess. OEC is content with where they are, and I am too. It's not everywhere where you can get multiple CASES of world-class sours on any given Saturday! Enjoy it while it lasts people!!

 

I see three bottles under the June 4th anniversary banner, is that their offerings as of right now? Searching the rest of the site is does not reveal anything else. If that's the case I'll hold my trip off until they have five or six bottles to bring home.

 

Normally you would click the light pink colored "Tasting Room & Visiting" and it would list drafts and bottles, however the last week or so it has had a server error 500 issue.

 

They average at least 5 bottles at a time. The current list is on their tasting room page, which appears to be down right now. You could give them a call and ask what is or will be available. If you arrange it beforehand, you can pop in on a weekday for bottles even during non-retail hours.