The Block 15 thread

Shocker... Lauren and I didn't get the latest lottery. Anyone have a seat?

 

Unfortunately, no. Kate and I haven't won the Block 15 lottery since November 2014.

 

I grabbed a four pack at 85th last night as well. The Fat Heads My Oh My IPA was pretty good, too.

 

Yeesh, I hear you. I think we "won" once

 

I tried my first Sticky Hands tonight, and must (reluctantly) admit I feel a little bit let down. This beer was undoubtedly very good and well-crafted--very 'clean,' 'balanced,' and not too bitter--but nothing in the taste or feel jumped out at me. Maybe I was spoiled by Intergalactic Hop Shop, my only other Block 15 beer, which was far and away one of the best IPAs to ever make its way down my gullet. Or maybe it was the unfairly heightened expectation for this one, based on the ratings. I was glad to finally see this in Seattle in cans, but perhaps it wasn't the optimal batch for an introduction...

 

Eh, I think this is a really good batch. I think your problem is that you expected IHS, when Sticky Hands is a traditional NW DIPA.

 

You're probably right that that was my problem, but I think the problem, according to my tastes, is that I expected whatever I drank to be a level above the 'traditional NW DIPAs' that I love from Fremont, Seapine, Reuben's, Fort George, etc...and it struck me, at best, as a decent peer but certainly no superior. I'm just one (fallible) perspective, though...

 

Basing one's expectations on BA ratings has always struck me as problematic. YOU know what you like better than any other BA member ever will. It doesn't matter how many of them think a beer is awesome if your palate tells you it's meh.

Drink what you like. Don't believe the hype.

 

Excellent advice, and I do try and subscribe to it, of course. In fact, that's ultimately what I did, as my palate told me I didn't quite love the beer as much as I thought I would--based on the hype and my own previous fantastic (if limited) experience with Block 15.

The difficult part is not arriving at one's own honest opinion in the end so much as it is quarantining one's expectations during the experience of something, based on what one has heard in advance. Hype, for example, can cut both ways--either leading you to believe that something is better than what it actually is to you, or disappointing you relative to your hopes that you end up judging it even more harshly than you would have if you'd known nothing in advance. In this case, it was probably more of the latter; and I'll be interested to see if my feelings change at all when I crack the remaining cans, now that I have some personal basis of my own for assessing the beer more objectively.

 

Yes, gather more data. Excellent use of the scientific method. Palates do change as a result of initial conditions. (As a supporting example, I enjoyed my 3rd can of this year's Fort George Suicide Squeeze a lot more than the first one.)

And with that, I'm out for a long bike ride broken up by occasional beers. For science.

 

Sticky Hands is probably my favorite consistently available DIPA - fantastic beer.

 

Of course your own opinion is utterly unimpeachable, and I must admit I'm presently enjoying can #2 a little bit more than can #1, but I'm not sure, particularly in WA, I'd call this one "consistently available". The 4-packs that showed up at Chuck's a few days ago were the first I'd ever seen in Seattle (and the first, I believe, they've ever had), though I also remember Bottleworks posting something about bottles several months ago. I can further recall having seen it on some online taplists once or twice, but never once at a place where I actually was. While we don't, needless to say, have any rare beer here in the Evergreen State, I'd certainly call this one pretty uncommon hitherto. Perhaps you have a sekrit source?

 

Well, i go to portland a lot. Its jusy down the street. Sticky is consistently available to me. FTW

 

Ah, a key detail. FTW for you indeed.

 

I have found that Sticky Hands has surprising variability.
Some of the cans have ust been good..most of the fresh draught has been wonderful.

 

I had a pint with lunch today at Lardo. Excellent sandwich, and a most excellent pint.

 

Anyone tried Consortium #8? Had it on tap this past weekend and it's fantastic. Similar to IHS, but def has its own thing going on.

 

I gotta agree, the funky hands is amazing beer. Ive had a few pours at 16 tons and picked up a few bottles.... a few being 8 so far

 

Intergalactic Hop Shop was on tap at Uptown Market over by Portland Golf Club.

man o man that beer is good