Oxbow (2019)

I loved Thierez and Newcastle Morning. Luppolo would be a case purchase for me. I’m stoked about Saisontino. Loved Surf Casting too. I’m probably aiming to grab a mixed case and some bottles.

 

According to their Instagram, Mash Tun is still pouring Arthur if that interests you.

 

I stopped by B&B today for a quick couple half pours. The table beer was super light, and I’m glad I only got a half pour. Not my favorite, but I definitely think there’s potential. I might’ve liked the full 750 format.

Magenta was really good in my opinion. Really nice grape/tannic element to it. I talked to a couple folks about the move to green and clear bottles. The green is a little lighter and inspired by De Ranke. It’s aim to to help with fermentation. Green bottles help. The clear bottles, it seems, is to showcase the color.

Left with Native Wild, Surf Cast, Saisonito, and the Kvass. Nice day (especially since I began at Allagash and ended at Terlinga for tacos and Oxbow Moon Rocks).

 

Just got back from the Oxford location. !0/10. Must visit.

 

I do an annual getaway with friends from college and we all bring beers from our respective corners of the country. My goal this year was to bring all beers 5.5% and under. Native/Wild the exception (which was amazing, btw) at 6.5%.

Anyway, my buddies all give me shit and come with coolers full of hops. Guess what cooler was empty first? Everyone’s like, “Oh shit these Oxbow, Allagash beers are amazing.”

 

Here is my (really first-world) issue:

I’d love to be able to afford to load up on Oxbow bottles. Like stash them in the downstairs fridge and really milk them for what they’re worth. Portland, though, is just far enough away that when I’m there I feel compelled to stop at Allagash, grab a coffee, maybe lunch, bring home some donuts. Then you grab the obligatory pours at the B&B.

So I suppose it’s less about not being able to afford to load up than it is having Portland-centric self control.

These thoughts brought you by the discovery of a Barrel Aged Infinite Darkness while organizing the basement.

Eh, I guess I’ll have to make a Goods from the Woods decision soon. My concern is the drive. And while I know Oxbow isn’t like a “get wasted in the woods” type place, it’s still a pretty long drive there and back.

 

I'm not sure if it still exists, but I think Maine Brewbus was doing a shuttle from Portland to Newcastle for Goods awhile back. Worth checking it out. I'm lucky enough that my wife only has a couple of pours at Goods and is happy, so I have a built in DD.

 

Weird, there are soo many brewers listed that I assumed all participated in the collab, but there are a few missing (Hill Farmstead, Hudson Valley were the 2 I noticed immediately). Wonder why not all were included on the collab?

 

They mentioned in the post some breweries weren't able to come a day early.

 

I've been waiting for this since the first time I tried Loretta.

 

A friend of mine in Long Island came across a four-pack of Surf Casting in his local store. $15 (which I don't even think is a markup at all). Is Oxbow distributing down there?

This isn't to call someone out for possibly reselling. I'm just curious. I live about an hour from Oxbow and I have to drive like 40 minutes north before I start seeing it on tap. I usually get all my purchases from the B&B.

 

We see it down here in Virginia. I think that Oxbow has selective distribution in a bunch of places.

 

This is accurate. They selectively distribute to markets that fit their branding strategy. I don’t quite know what that means, but I assume it means cool beer cities with consumers more likely to appreciate what they do than, say, Kansas.

Out of curiosity, are you in the Richmond or DC area?

 

DC area.

 

What does a collab with that many breweries even entail? Did they each drop a single piece of grain in? How many factors can they possibly each have a say in? Probably a gimmick more than anything. That being said... I’d like to try it.

 

That is a bit of a markup, it's $12 at the brewery

 

Though many people don't like untappd, one of my favorite things about it is seeing the random places local beer shows up across the country. Most of my friends on untappd are from different states and most of them travel a decent amount, as I do. A week or two back a friend was in Philadelphia and checked in an Oxbow beer that was on tap at a bar there (Moon Rocks). I had another friend check in some Hill Farmstead in Omaha Nebraska a few years ago at the Crescent Moon (apparently the owner had a connection to Shaun Hill). Its always interesting to see what beers show up either on tap or at liquor stores across the country.

 

My brother lives in DC and asked me a while back if I'd heard of Oxbow. The bar manager of a place called Pizza Paradiso, who my bro was friendly with, was moving to Portland to work for Oxbow. That's probably the DC/Virginia connection.

https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com...-of-guard-for-pizzeria-paradisos-beer-program

 

Tim worked down in DC for a while. Anne Marisic, who I believe was once their general manager (she’s now with MBC), worked with him there. There’s definitely a DC connection.