Other Half Brewing

I had Cool Summer Bro last night at Covenhoven and didn't think the smell was that strong. Super tasty beer, can't wait to see what else they do with Brett.

 

I love horseblanket as much as the next guy. Unfortunately, horseblanket was not the aroma coming out of my glass.

 

Weird - because I couldn't stand the Lembeek - was like Camembert. But didn't get that at all from Cool Summer. Like @Kanger when I had it (at the brewery) it was light on the brett to me

 

For some brett beers I get that smell, but not too often. The Lembeek 86, and also Sixpoint's Lichtenhainer, were nothing but feet funk in smell and taste. Brouwerij Lane said they tapped the Lembeek once and the smell just from the drip off was stinking up the whole place. But then they said after a day or so, the flavor and smell mellowed out a lot.

I can see where the "barnyard/horseblanket" description fits, but I tend to notice vinegar smells from brett beers.

But I guess it has everything to do with what style of beer it is and whether or not the brett has time to mellow out.

 

Well, horseblanket, body odor, and cheese all have been descriptors for the same aromas, in my experience. Was it vomit smell, garbage smell, or what? Wouldn't be out of the question for a keg to have become infected with pedio or clostridium, or other foul bacteria. Was it also overcarbed?

 

Perhaps my perception was colored by jbarone's description of the aroma as "septic tank" (which strangely made me want to try it) but that is the aroma I got as well. I've definitely had "barnyard" before (not sure what horseblanket is lol) but this wasn't barnyard.

Funny thing is I brought the Cool Summer growler to a friend's place (who's not huge into craft) and he thought it smelled fine. Maybe he was just being polite haha.

 

It was fecal. Bad fecal, not rustic barnyard. My friend thought the same thing. There was nothing suspicious about the carb level. I'm glad others have had good experiences with it though because the beer is a great concept. If I see it on draft, I am going to try it again.

 

Clostridium produces this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butyric_acid

 

I don't think it was butyric. Butyric smells like vomit.

 

Well, I'm stumped.

I have never smelled fecal in beer. For which I am happy.

 

Speaking of brett:


From Twitter - "Sampling our Brett Saison barrels and @VBStillhouse barrels."


https://twitter.com/otherhalfnyc/status/505027856301580289

 

Interesting to hear so many extreme

Just curious, where did you have it on tap...was it at the brewery?

Just wondering if it was a bad keg, bad line, or what. I've had it 3 times so far at different locations (Mission Delores, Pony Bar HK, and Grand Central Beer Pantry) and so far no problems, and I've enjoyed it quite a bit.

 

At the brewery on the first day they had it. It's a little strange, but I feel like I have loved every Other Half beer that I have had around town and been a little underwhelmed when I've been to the brewery.

 

Unfortunately, I have. Once I had a cask English pale from a great UK brewer and the smell was abominable and reminiscent of you know what. Tasted good enough to drink (quite good, unbelievably). I had to take really big gulps (easier with cask ale). The cask was in NYC, and I figured the blame was due to this. I don't know, but the beer clearly wasn't tip-top. A year later, I had a different cask beer that had a hint of that same odor. Different UK brewery, same style.

 

Funny, I have had about 7 different Other Half beers now, every one on tap at the brewery, and each was top quality for style.

First day of release? Wonder what day that was, and how soon after I tried it?

 

It debuted on 8/14. Not that it should matter, but it was almost certainly the first keg because we were there essentially at opening. I thought the Koksijde was the star that day, but I can't wait for some more Motueka.

 

Crazy, I had it the next day, was there near to opening too, before a High On Fire show is how I remember. Smelled and tasted heavenly, definitely some aroma hormonal going on, lotta earthy brett notes, kicked back to a citrus and funk in the taste profile, just how I like it. Complex, easy drinking, just right hop and funk mix. No fecal. Strange, huh?

 

I got a bit of stinky dog poop on the nose as well, along with the citrus notes, but I kind of liked it.

Then again, I like farting under the blanket and then letting it simmer for awhile, for what it's worth.

 

Can anyone report on if they still have the bottles there? May stop by tomorrow.

 

Was Brooklyn Brewery in the hottest part of Brooklyn 20+ years ago when they first brewed beer there? Was a cool music venue Brooklyn Bowl next to them 10 years ago? Was there a chic popular hotel there even 3 years ago? Was there a hot bar on every corner even a year ago? No. The neighborhood changed. Brooklyn opened in an industrial neighborhood because the rent was cheap and the space was available. First time I went to the brewery 5 years ago I didn't even trust parking my car on the street. Now I can leave the damn thing unlocked with the keys in it and the worst thing that will happen is a bike ends up in the trunk and some douchey hat is on the seat. Breweries being in the business of distributing beer and not necessarily selling it direct from the brewery, open where there is a large enough space at a cheap enough price. Yeah these hipsters think its cool to open in a slightly gritty neighborhood but if they could afford to be in the nice neighborhood with all of the affluent foot traffic they'd do it in a heartbeat but only because it would be good for business. This is all business guys. Just remember that. Now I have heard that some of the Other Half staff isn't exactly winning any awards for customer service. But I've met one of the owners and the bartender I dealt with on my one trip was a really nice guy and they even broke out a bottle from their own stash to share with us, not an other half bottle. i think it was la vermontoise. They seemed like nice guys. If there is an issue with a staff member not being customer friendly I'm sure they'll deal with it. Don't just assume they only want hipsters. Your money is just as green as theirs and green is all that matters when running a business.

C.R.E.A.M.