Wolaver's Ceasing Production

My guess is the hop-focused Otter Creek beers are just too popular (rightfully so) to resist producing more.

 

Sounds like the organic ingredient prices was a big factor:

However, the rising cost and availability of organic ingredients has made it increasingly challenging to create an affordable product.​

 

This is sad news for sure. Their Oatmeal Stout is top notch and I'm a big fan of their pumpkin seasonal. Once Otter Creek switched to mainly hoppy beers and added Couch Surfer there did seem to be some redundancies there. It's too bad.

 

This one sucks, tasty brews at a great price. Love the coffee porter and oatmeal stout. Maybe all the money goes into Otter Creek now. Barrel program perhaps??

 

Their Alta Gracia Porter is one of the best coffee beers made (IMO) and I usually picked some up every year, but I can't remember the last time I purchased any of their other beers.

 

If I read correctly, Otter Creek is still going on? Just this organic arm is ceasing? Being certified organic as is is a costly endeavor. Being able to put that certified logo on a label is a prohibitive cost, IMO.

 

I wish Otter Creek would do the smoked imperial porter again. Soooo Good.

 

Agree the Wolaver's Oatmeal stout was nice, but I'm very happy with Couch Surfer.

 

Had a feeling this was coming. Really glad I got to try the oatmeal stout and coffee porter before it was too late. Definitely recommend grabbing some.

 

Dang, my girl is going to be upset; she loved Alta Gracia.

 

I will be the glad owner of the last case of Alta Gracia from my beer store.. This was the first coffee beer I ever had. Sad news sad news.

 

Wolaver's beers won't necessarily just disappear. It's completely possible that the popular stuff like the coffee stout would still be produced under the Otter Creak name with recipe tweaks.

 

Going to buy all the Alta coffee I can find.

Enjoy

 

I heard from a distributor that for the most part, the recipes will remain the same, and will be absorbed by Otter Creek or Long Trail, they just won't be 'certified organic', Couch Surfer is the new Oatmeal Stout. I think having Long Trail do it's thing, and letting Mike Gerhart go nuts with Otter Creek hops, while both pick up some of the slack from dissolving Wolaver's, is going to be a good move in the long run.

 

I'll miss their Oatmeal Stout, one of the craft brews that turned me on to craft beer. But I gotta say, The Shed deserves more love than it gets. Their Mountain Ale and IPA are sadly underrated.

 

Sad these beers will be going away! Otter Creek will keep growing though.

 

Bummer.

 

Was the Wolaver's that much of Otter Creek Sales? I think this shows that they are pretty confident in their ability to sell beer even after their expansion.