Saint Arnold ICON

Any 5 or 6 tucked away? Anyone? Anyone? ... the Great Depression, passed the... Anyone? Anyone? The tariff bill? The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act? Which, anyone? Raised or lowered?... raised tariffs, in an effort to collect more revenue for the federal government.

 

Got both 5 & 6 over here! Hell, I still have a few of 1 & 2!! Also sadly found a bottle of 7 tucked in the back...

 

Thanks for the insight, awinkro and gomezman78. Perspective from the horse's mouth is much appreciated!

 

I have 1 extra #6.

I need a 1 for a full run. Last July we did 1-11.

 

If you really want those 2 bees just shoot me a beer mail.

 

I'd like to add 2 cents from someone who is relatively new to craft beer (about 18 months), new to homebrewing (about 5 months, currently with batch #4 in the fermenter), and even more recent to these forums (only reading them a couple of months in an effort to watch for new releases, and making my first posts this week)...

I've noticed the "it's SA, it can't be great" mentality around here, and don't really understand it... Saint Arnold's SummerPils and Lawnmower really vaulted me into the craft beer world. I'm from Canada, and have always had a love of beer, but never really knew a world of beer existed outside of light lagers, pilsners, and Guniness. Then I moved to Houston, and discovered SummerPils one year, which I loved, then moved into lawnmower and eventually through most of SA's portfolio... from there I've found this crazy world with so many bizarre breweries and brews, and it's amazing. I will always love saint arnold's for this.

While I've moved past it as my "go to" beer (simply because there is so much out there to try I don't have a "go to" anymore), I will always love it, and I'll still wind up having 2 or 3 pints of it a week and visiting the brewery a couple of times a year. You guys make great, drinkable beers... and you have to for this climate. Nice, light bodied beers are required here 9 months of the year... honestly I wish you guys would start canning a few of them to make it easier to use and dispose of them outdoors... but that's a separate discussion...

I very much look forward to seeing anything new you have to offer, and will be one of the first next week to pick up a 4-pack and enjoy it before I head back to Canada for my annual Christmas sabatical. Keep up the great work guys, and thanks for broadening my horizons...

P.S. Who has some BB#1 to share? I only found the one bottle, and had to drink it at the venue... would love to have a couple more, maybe one to try at home (with the proper glassware which wasn't given to me there) and maybe one or 2 to sit on... those woodford reserve barrels were super nice privite message me to make a new best friend with an ever growing cellar.

 

Straight from the Website here is the roll out dates of Icon Red/Black.

The first Icon will be a Belgian Pale Ale. Here is brewer Sam's description:

"I was going for an approachable Belgian beer that people could drink more than one of. I wanted to use a simple malt bill with British crystal malts to provide a nice sweetness that doesn't get muddled with the yeast character and the hops. To add an American element, Chinook hops were used for bittering, which adds a piney flavor. Saaz hops were added for aroma that blends well with the yeast. I selected a yeast that adds Belgian yeast character without going overboard with phenols. I wanted to make a beer that used ingredients from disparate brewing traditions that worked well together."

The Belgian Pale Ale will be packaged in the red/black labels and carriers.

"When and where can I find the Belgian Pale Ale?" you may now be asking. Here are the details:

Monday, December 10: It will be available in package and on draft in the Houston area only. While available at some grocery and liquor stores, initially it will not be available at two of our biggest retailers, Kroger and HEB, as we did not get the paperwork approved in time (our bad!) but hopefully it will be appearing in these stores about a week later. We'll let you know when this happens.

Monday, December 17: Non-Houston markets will receive their first shipments of Belgian Pale Ale kegs but not bottles.

Late January 2013: It will be available in package and draft everywhere.

 

Here is what was in their email (don't know what to make of the second bullet. I'm an English teacher so maybe I'm reading too much into it):

Belgian Pale Ale, the 1st Icon Release,
Coming December 10

It's been about a month since we've come out with something new, and we didn't want you to think we were resting on our laurels. Please welcome the Icon series of beers.

Here is what it is:

• A beer series that we have been planning since at least 2006, and maybe earlier.
• As originally conceived, these beers would be iconic of their styles. That concept has morphed greatly over the past six or seven years. Now Icon releases may, or may not, be iconic of their styles.
• Each release will be available for about three months. You should not have to take off work to get these beers. But feel free to.
• We may rerelease the same Icon again in the future. Or maybe we won't.
• We will be releasing Icon in four packs of 12 oz bottles. The four pack carriers will be color coordinated with the bottle labels, but the carriers will not have the beer style printed on them. The bottles will include the beer style on the label and a little description on the back of the bottle.
• The four pack carriers are recyclable with us just like the six pack carriers. They count the same value as a six pack since the carriers cost us the same.
• There will be four color combinations used in the Icon series packaging: Red/Black, Blue/Black, Gold/Black, Green/Black.
• Icon will also be released on draft.
• Most of the Icon releases will be from recipes conceived and refined by our brewers. Occasionally, a recipe inspired by a winning entry from the Big Batch Brew Bash will be released in this series.
• Icon releases will probably be in the 4% to 8% ABV range.
• Stronger special releases will be reserved for the Divine Reserve series.

 

I also do not get the "It's from Saint Arnold's so it isn't good." I'm really excited about all the things that Saint Arnold's has planned. I haven't been into craft beer long enough to sample every beer that they have ever made but I have liked everyone that I have tried so far.

It's also good to know that this beer will be available for three months. Hopefully we won't have the people that run out and buy 6 cases just to post them on Craigslist to try and make a profit.

 

Hopefully we do so they waste their money.

 

So wait... You have actually only tried the very first in the DR series and a couple of the last few of the series but you feel knowledgable enough to discredit every other beer in the DR line as well as any future offerings the brewery may make.

Why don't you use YOUR palate. Try the beers and give an INFORMED opinion. If you try them and don't like them, so be it. Last time I checked DR4, DR9 and DR11 all medaled. Three beers you intimated we're too thin. One of those which you admittedly never even tasted.

 

Since you apparently cannot read I PURPOSLY stopped chasing the DR series because IMO, they where not worth it. And I never tried 4 or 9 since I PURPSOLY stopped going after them. Why would I want to spend my money on expensive 6 pks when I didn't like the previous offerings? Because they are brewed in Houston? And I never said 4,9 or 11 where to thin. You ASSumed I did when, I clearly stated I have NEVER tried them and I was only commenting on the ones I have had. You assumed it was a blanket statement and if you would of read it more closely and with an open mind you would of understood what I was saying. Just because a brewery is local you don't have to like everything they brew. Bud Light is brewed in Houston as well. Do you nut hug them too? And I you would of read more post I liked the 11 and never said it was to thin. I was referring to Pumkinator and some of reviews of BB1. So, chill out and relax. It's just beer. And for the record I don't like sours or Saison's which is why I don't buy JK beers anymore. Am I allowed to do that to or do I have to love and hoard JK because they are brewed in Tx too?

 

And if you would of read the entire conversations, the brewers, other members and myself had a pretty good discussion and everything came out peachy keen. But, if you want me to run out and hoard more DR series from others just to say I have it, well, that's pretty damn crazy. I would rather others who enjoy that style get it then someone who doesn't.

 

But you're doing it all wrong. You don't buy those beers to drink them - you hoard them so you can trade for other beers you won't drink. That's how the system works.

 

I agree. You never know what you are going to like from which brewery. I like IPAs but can not stand NB's Ranger. Yuck. Looking forward to what SA has to offer with this new venture.

 

All I have to say is that ICON is, I mean will be REAL good. I have n't tried it but if I did, I would be very happy with the results I am quite sure of it. (This review is from notes)

 

Really glad that this isn't a beer I have to track or hunt down. The fact that it will be available for the next three months is a huge plus. Excited to pick some up tomorrow.

 

Gonna be a big beer haul today... Spec's DT, here I come!

 

Any sightings today? I heard tomorrow for Smith St. Spec's, but haven't heard anything else.

 

D&Q just tweeted he has it.