Oxbow's Contract-brewed Beers

It used to be from Industrial Arts. Did they switch?

 

Contact brewing at Industrial Arts was a while ago. Threes no longer shows the name of the brewery it contracted, but on the Vliet cans, the address is of Jack's Abby. Their newest Surprise, Surprise IPA shows the address of the SingleCut North. There might be other breweries too.

 

But can we talk about their slogan “farmhouse ales”. They clearly aren’t brewed “to style” now. Does the that tradition/ style guidelines mean nothing? Should they be able to still claim that? That’s my qualm with contract. Brewing historically had brands/breweries subject themselves to the land. How can you have any integrity claiming farmhouse when your beer is brewed in a factory

 

I'm fairly naive about brewing beyond with in my basement with a bucket, but is that always the case? Couldn't one brewery be good at developing recipes but lack the quality control and whatever other processes to successfully execute?

 

Amen to that!

Cheers!

 

This is possible, hence the caveat of the breweries that don't have the means to brew the beers themselves. This is not the case for Oxbow, who decided to outsource an existing high-quality beer, which inevitably worsens it.

 

Out of curiosity, checked a few other Threes cans at the store — some brewed at SingleCut, but most are brewed at Jack's Abby, including a WCIPA.

 

Cool story I heard told by a Firestone walker sales rep. Years back, when Russian River was planning their expansion, they learned they would have some time without tanks. Russian River called FW for a favor. Firestone Walker took on the responsibility of brewing Pliny until it could be brewed in the new facility. Apparently it can be done. Nobody knew a thing, I never saw a thread about Pliny tasting wrong or different. FW had successfully cloned the most storied ipa in California. Point being, it can be done. But it’s gotta be brewed by experts and on systems that allow for precision

 

This, right here. It’s usually not and kind of the opposite. Definitely possible though

 

Almost certain the farmhouse ales are brewed in Newcastle and barrel aged in Portland so you’re safe. No factory on your farmhouse.

 

Right. And the in house Double Sunshine is so much better.

 

But it was Pliny. Few drinkers would have the palates or the balls to say it was different. What I know of FW suggests it was close to the original, but it can't have been exactly the same.