Never heard of this brewery yet all of a sudden the trade boards are filled with everyone looking for this beer. Added yesterday with 26 ratings on untappd and reviews look good, but seriously - what gives?!?
They're a very small brewery in southwestern Illinois- maybe an hour from St. Louis. I've only had a few fruited sours and some IPAs from them, and they have all been really well done. Pyrite, released this past Saturday, is the first in their new barrel-aged stout series. I believe they said on Facebook that there were only about 250 bottles. Reviews look good, for sure.
Why does everyone talk about the "St louis hype machine"? What about California? Or Florida? Or Iowa? Or New England? Sure Tree House, Angry Chair, JWB, Bottle Logic and TG all make great beers. But not all of them are winners. Yet, every time they have a new release, the rest of the country has to give up their right arm for a bottle. Why is it that every time a midwest brewery produces a great beer suddenly it's part of the "hype machine"?
I mean, when you consider SP, Perennial and Main & Mill, just to name a few, and now White Rooster close by, you're talking about Ground Zero for world class brews. Couple that with low bottle counts, Corey King's worshipability, and the amount of activity on the STL Craft Burrito trade page and you have all the makings of hype. I think I'm even leaving a big brewery or even two out, too. It's fucking crazy, man. And, trust me, the hype is very much real in Florida, except, somehow, they're far worse.
They are all bad. Florida, California, Iowa, Chicagoland, New England and St.Louis. They all just take turns at being perceived as ‘the worst’ based on what’s being released and timing I guess. All those regions make good beer too, so that’s not in question. But just like all other regions and areas, St.Louis’ perception of being ’the worse’ will pass too, once people get their fill and a new shiny toy comes along.
