Side Project / Shared (2023)

Wonder if those are graphics for La Cote’23?

 

For those who have been to a Stout Week, how crazy is it? Like that Tuesday, more lax because it’s a Tuesday or doesn’t matter because of the bottles available? Any years better or worse because of craziness or has it just been building each year?

 

Last year even the DBD Tuesday wasn’t horrible. Obviously people were there but I’ve certainly seen the cellar far more crowded.

 

Good to know. We'll be there from Thursday - Saturday. Frankly, if I could get a sip of DB Anabasis and MJK I'd be over the moon. I'd probably mug someone for a sip of OWK if that somehow made the rounds. I highly doubt that one though.
OWK isn't on the "make a wish" foundations list of choices, lol

 

If it makes you feel any better, unless it is the new OWK you should not worry about it. At least, that was the gist from seemingly every BA that went to invitational this year. As someone that certainly has had beers that were certainly well over the hill, it’s far more disappointing to taste a “has been” than to have never tasted at all. Whatever you built OWK to in your mind, B1 won’t meet it. Not even close.

 

Just FYI they will most likely pull BBT22 and MJK off the menu a week or two before stout week like they did last year. No guarantees but I’d bet money on it. Also, per precedent, I wouldn’t count on any more that 6 or so available of any one bottle on the double barrel day, except for the new port ones that are seemingly turding.

 

Sorry for all the questions, but potentially gearing up for a visit stout week and trying to get a handle on how it all works and how one goes about it.

First people through the door, is there a limit to how many bottles one person can order at once especially if they are limited as the previous post alludes to?

 

They’ll probably let you get one. At least that’s how it usually goes whenever they have limited on site event stuff like this.

 

Do people end up splitting bottles and that’s how to get to try more offerings?

 

Yes, but when it comes to the limited bottles sometimes people go in with buddies. So, if you get in line and you are 4th, the 3 people ahead of you could all be buddies, each get a different bottle, and be perfectly content sharing between the 3 of them only.

People share all the time, but that is easy on a normal day, and from everything I have seen in these threads is hit or miss when bottles are limited like this.

 

Tuesday will be full, but I bet you will be able to walk to the bar unencumbered. It will feel quaint and comfortable and the close proximity to others does facilitate more sharing. IMO Tuesday is always the best day because less people can justify coming from out of town for Tuesday-Sunday, so most out of town folks come Thursday or Friday and stay through the weekend.

As far as strategy, there is 2 approaches. Approach 1) try as many beers as you can in 1 day. If this is your goal, then don't sit down, get there early and buy a 750mL of one of the older DB Derivations, and walk around like Santa Claus pouring tasters for everyone (if those old ones sell out, which isn't a big deal if they do, then just buy another stout it's no big deal). The nice thing about walking around and pouring tasters for others is they will do the same for you. Pro tip, never accept more than 1-2oz so you can always keep your glass ready for the next pour.

Approach 2) have larger pours of a handful of stouts (ie 5-6) and sit at the bar while making friends with the people sitting to the right and left of you. Everyone is nice and if you just stay put in one seat the party can come to you. Don't sit at the end of the bar if this is your plan.

If you are there for the whole week, no need to go ballistic on day 1. Stout week is a marathon. Also there are going to be other beers on the menu that won't be advertised beforehand, like special saisons. The nice thing about sitting at the beer vs walking around is you can accumulate 5-6 glasses of beer in front of you and revisit each as it warms.

I haven't decided if I am going yet, but if I do Tuesday and Wednesday would be the days I would go to avoid the packed like a sardine crowd of BBT vert day. I highly recommend to anyone going Thursday to get there at least an hour early to ensure a seat at the bar. BBT vertical day is always the busiest.

 

So turns out I will be in town for the weekend of Stout Week. My wife and I will be celebrating our 15th anniversary. Any pointers on what time Sat or Sun we should stop by to get good stuff but not be crazy busy. Or will the whole place be packed the whole weekend? I've never got to try any SP before since the going rate is crazy, so trying any of their special beers I'll be happy. Thanks in advance!

 

Saturday is a shit show at the Cellar. My advice, get to the Brewery at open, find a table by the window, and try a little bit of everything. Stout week is fun, but can be overwhelming. Standing outside in February in St.Louis is not how I would choose to celebrate my anniversary, but to each their own. You can always go over the cellar once you leave the brewery to check it out. They usually block off the entire street for Stout week and make it a block party. Again, not my ideal way to spend my anniversary & definitely not my wife's.

Sunday may be more manageable, but my guess is there will be a line to try D3 and D9. You will probably have to get there at least 45 minutes before open to guarantee a pour of either. If you don't care about slaying whales and just want to have fun, I would recommend getting a pour at open at the cellar and then heading over to the brewery again as their menu should also be pretty great.

If you choose to chase all the whales, make new friends, and ditch your wife, then I can get you the number of a decent divorce lawyer...

 

Thanks for the info! Woof. Sounds like I won't be visiting at all My wife doesn't enjoy the beer but puts up with my shenanigans as long as it's not a huge inconvenience, which this sounds like it is.

Any chance any other places around the St Louis area will have special stuff on tap as well since they know how big of a weekend it will be at SP?

 

No.

If she will go along with your shenanigans and you don't want to subject her to the dark side of your hobby, then you can consider going to Shared for an hour around open (I can guarantee it will be quiet) or just head to the brewery or cellar an hour before close (most people will have filed out by then). You'll be able to try a couple beers and your wife won't be disappointed with your life choices.

 

Saturday and Sunday both seem kind of “light”… i’m wondering if they’ll tap things later in the day but just haven’t announced them yet?

 

Perfect. Thanks for the info and happy Stout Week to all attending!!

 

I don't remember them blocking the street for Stout Week, only for Cellar Anniversary.

 

This is excellent, thank you. It’s one night and one night only for me and that’s Tuesday. It could change and end up being a no go totally, but that’s the plan today.

 

The REAL shit show happens later in the evening or the following morning, depending on one’s bowel patterns & motility

 

Tavour exclusive BA stout

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnxn552LcyO/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

Well..... I guess it was a good time to move to a Tavour state.

 

I swear Cory must have gotten a bulk discount on cinnamon.

 

Hopefully we're not looking at KoD prices...

 

Overseas accounts? Looks like the taproom will get some as well

 

Looks like a 375cc

 

Honestly it sounds like a parfait, wonder what the price will be

 

CDC 11 & Fuzzy are gone from the webstore

 

It’s a DB AND has adjuncts. No way this is less than $50. Plus tavour pricing. I feel like over/under is $75.

 

Quaint preditction. King of Darkness was $100 for a 375ml. Now granted, Anchorage was involved in that too.

 

Seems like Tavour pricing has added about $25 to hot Anchorage beers over actual Anchorage pricing. If that follows true for SP, I feel like it's going to push above the $75 mark, but I'm trying to be optimistic. I don't even have tavour - never have - but I'm excited that more people will get to try what is expected to be (obviously) a very good beer. Although there is obvious overlap with other beer nerds, I know that many that use tavour are a population of people that likely have tried many if any SP beers, so that's exciting.

 

I think my favorite part about this is that you can’t get it if you’re local because Tavour doesn’t operate in MO

(No, I’m not counting on site because that’s a given)

 

This seems like as good of a time as any:

Awhile back there was some discussion about where exactly you can find SP beers that aren't at SP. I know that at least 1 store (a few?) in CA (LA specifically, I think) has seen 1 or 2 of the CdC as well as the recent Single Farm (NZ). Not sure about anything else. And on Tavour, was it just Merci?

Has anything ever popped up anywhere else? Just kind of curious. I know they always make plenty of Merci, but seems like some of the beers that have sat for an inordinate amount of time (e.g. blueberry Flanders) would be candidates for these...satellite drops. But, I think I've only seen the beers above mentioned.

 

LimeVentures I'm sure got a bunch of distro for california and wherever else they service. I've been to a few bottle shops here in the SF bay area and have seen white labels on the shelf for $25-30 a pop

 

Oak & Steel here in KC has had one SP tap nearly continuously for the past 6 months; going back through my Untappd history, it's been La Belle Fleur, Grisette, Biere Blanche, Saison du Blé, La Ruche, Loam....and a bottle drop of Tête 2020.

 

Parallels is $35 (via SP anyway). Also OWK b2 confirmed for LC.

 

Never got to try B1 so to say I’m stoked would be an understatement

 

That LC email has me unable to stand up from my desk for a bit....

 

was shocked by that price tag (in a good way) until i realized it’s technically a shared beer…

i remember not so long ago (although it feels like a lifetime now) when shared BA coffee shop vibes b1 was $35 for a 750mL.. {insert huge sigh}