Now we have "The End of History," a beer Alan McLeod (accurately) calls "dada" because it's sold for more than the average Las Vegas mortgage and packaged in a stuffed stoat. Or, if you prefer, squirrel. Let the backlash begin.At a certain point, one imagines that this kind of hyperactive desire to keep the publicity cycle churning will collapse under its own weight. I believe this is that point. Good luck fellas--holler when you've brewed an actual beer again.
Further comment. I should have mentioned that the beer is 56% (chemical analysis revealed it's stronger than the 55% reported earlier), only 11 or 12 bottles are available (reports differ), and that it costs roughly $1000 per. For those of you scoring at home, that's the same price as Lagavulin 30-year-old, a different Scottish potable. Your choice.
Yet another comment (and video!). It is axiomatic that a blogger's readers are smarter than he (more brains) and as such, I have been won over by commenters. And also this video:
Long live the stoat.
It seems that when your entire brewing run produces 12 bottles, there's a good chance someone with enough patience-and equipment- is going to outdo you.
ReplyDeleteI can see a hundred homebrewers getting it in their heads to condense a 6 gallon Belgian Golden into a 1 gallon carboy and setting some burly yeast to work on that syrup.
Still, the taxidermied bottle covers are quite an exclamation point on the entire thing. I can see New Zealanders doing much bigger bottles with possums.
No, I actually find this pretty humorous. Stupid beer names that include hop puns are much more annoying.
ReplyDeleteJeff, I think you missed the point (surprise). Like DA, I find this very humorous.
ReplyDeleteBrewdog has received quite a bit of criticism on their battle for strongest beer in the world. Brewdog is not stupid, Public criticism brings Attention - Attention brings stupid beer geeks who will buy anything that says Brewdog on the label due to the hype. In this "End of History" series, Brewdog is basically sticking out their Dr Wortish tongue and saying, 'We've gone from absurd to ridiculous in this battle. Lets do something really obnoxious and squeeze out every ounce of hype we can get. At the same time achieving their Strongest beer goal and poking fun at the whole concept and battle." You know all the fuzzy tree rats with beer bottles rammed up their ass will be purchased. So, Brewdog will get the last laugh! It's great!
What's their biggest worry? PETA?
An old friend once told me, "It's Beer, not Brain Surgery. It really doesn't need to be taken so serious."
Maybe this is the pinnacle for craft beer? Have we reached the peak with a tongue-n-cheek poke in the eye. Maybe it's all down hill from here...?? What more can brewers do with BEER?? Beer enema anyone??? ;-}
You're making compelling points, gentlemen. I'll relax and enjoy the show. I do wonder how much intentional comedy there is in the stuffing of a stoat and the Scottish pronunciation of stout.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting really sick of this ABV war that seems to be going on right now. I'm not sure this is entirely good for craft beer. And stuffing them into dead animals does not really help.
ReplyDeleteThe only benefit I can really see here is the attention that BrewDog is getting. It's more attention to craft beer and you have to give them some credit here for pushing the envelope yet again.
I would love to see some reviews of this stuff when it's finally tasted. I for one though, won't be paying the $800+ price tag :)
Ilya
Apparently the Germans fired back at the previous BrewDog offering finding that the ABV was lower than claimed.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinypic.com/player.php?v=3313pk7&s=6
llya,
ReplyDeleteI've tried the first two, Tactical Nuclear Penguin and Sink the Bismark, and well... they weren't very good... and that's being nice.
These beers are liquid marketing plain and simple. But with that said it is a nice humorous break in the monotony of IPA after IPA that we typically see.
Overall I haven't found Brewdog's beers to be that great. I liked their approach with the Paradox barrel series and while in Scotland I had a nice hoppy amber called 5am Saint and a good dark cask ale, but most have been rather so-so to blah, but I'd be a liar if I said I didn't want a stuffed squirrel wearing a tuxedo with a bottle shoved through it's arse on my beer wall.
I agree with your take on this entirely. It is simply "liquid marketing" as you put it.
ReplyDeleteI can't call BrewDog my favorite brewer either, but they do produce some good beer I think. I wouldn't rate them as average or subpar, but certainly there are better craft brewers out there than BrewDog.
Have you had a chance to try to their Bashah Black Double IPA that was a partnership with Stone?
And yes...I would love one of those bottles. Leave the beer out of it, just give me the dead squirrel. ;)
Ilya