New England Brewing Co lookout thread

Has anyone been to the brewery in the last few days? I was hoping for an update on the Coffee Oatmeal Stout.

I was in there briefly on Saturday to say hi to Matt, and he mentioned that the new stout would probably be ready around Thursday. It's 5.2%, 6˚ Plato, and has received multiple coffee additions in the fermenter. I'm seriously, seriously excited.

P.S. I think we should shut down this thread and stop talking about NEBCO in public, since the place was an absolute, wall-to-wall madhouse on Saturday. It looked more like a Final Friday than a normal day of growler sales, and was decidedly worse than when I went to Hill Farmstead on a Saturday in the fall. Wasn't it only a couple months ago when Saturdays were a good time for a handful of guys to hang out there and share some beers without getting lost in the crowd? I mean, I'm happy for their richly-deserved success and all that jazz, but get off my lawn!

Just spotted 5 cases of G-bot at Premier Wine and Spirits in Fairfield brewed on 2/14

Wow! Really?

I haven't been there on a Saturday in a bit...

Really. I had to park all the way down at the Winchester, and the only place Matt and I could talk without getting bumped into constantly was in a corner behind the forklift.

If you can get your growlers another day, I'd recommend giving the place a wide berth on Saturdays from now on. If February was that crowded, I can't imagine what summer will be like.

As you said, awesome for them. They deserve it.

It's pretty crazy that even 1-2 months ago, you could go in there and chat and open bottles no problem. Not any more...

I feel like a NEBCO hipster now.

I think (hope) that this wall to wall popularity Woosterbill speaks of is just a blip. Not that the NEBCO guys don't deserve all the accolades/success in the world, but I wouldn't be surprised to see things calm down over there once Spring hits. I feel as though many of our local breweries have seen a major uptick in visitation over the last month. I was at Half Full's open house on Friday and it was a zoo, we had to wait 15 minutes to get in and the place was sardine-can packed. I've also heard that the Two Roads tasting room has had some very high traffic days recently. Despite the fact both are newly established breweries, they are becoming popular very quickly. It seems like on these cold winter days hanging around a brewery is something that's interesting more than the hard-core beer geek.

Once things warm up, I'd be surprised if people are going to spend a nice afternoon a dark/crowded brewery. Then again, maybe this is a sign of things to come in Southern CT. As Davey101 acknowledged, now I know how the cool kids in Williamsburg feel!

Are growler fills available every day? Do they have Ghandi Bot year round?

It will be brewed sporadically year round. Growler fills I believe everyday except Sunday.

And Gandhi Bot is brewed somewhat regularly, but call ahead to be sure.

Thanks everyone. I assume they sell growlers there? Is there a tasting room as well?

I would call ahead on growlers. Ran out on Saturday. The big crowd the last few weeks are because of the living social tours. It expires soon so last minute tours.

They usually have glass available ($4), but call ahead to check since they run out from time to time. They will refill any brewery's growlers, though (although they hate HF 750s).

There isn't a tasting room proper, but they have a small bar set up near the front of the brewery where you can get your samples and fills. While not exactly luxurious, it's one of the friendliest breweries out there and well worth a visit.

Ah, a Living Social thing. That helps explain the apparent insanity. Here's hoping that things calm down soon, but that NEBCO also gains a new crop of loyal fans.

I called earlier today, they said they'd have 3-4 offerings tomorrow

Wowie wow wow.

https://twitter.com/NewEnglandBrew/status/306766251374542848

I love the cease and desist letter from Lucasfilms they've got on the wall. Serious badge of honor.

Just saw this on The Ginger Mans Facebook....

...Fancy Pants??

and cask IST - i hope that's not on something or i will probably drive all the way down just for that

It's probably coffee. That's what they had at Prime 16.

Anybody been by for growlers today? Haven't heard if the coffee stout is on yet

Yes, $10 for a growler.

And it's filled with roasted deliciousness.

Beer advocacy at its finest! Another perfect example of the modern BA.

all i want is Gandhi Bot. How can I make this happen??

Cheers to you too!

The staff weren't enjoying it, since they were being run ragged. The customers weren't enjoying it as much as people normally do when they visit NEBCO, since it was stiflingly crowded and the wait for growlers was seemingly endless. Sorry I want beer to be fun for everyone involved, and don't find shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on a normal day to be an enjoyable atmosphere at my favorite brewery.

I can totally see where you took me as being selfish/entitled/hipsterish, and of course I was being all those things in a self-consciously tongue-in-cheek way (cf. the "get off my lawn" cliché portraying myself as a grumpy old man), but the fact remains that it is entirely possible for something to become so popular that it's no longer as special as it once was, and I sincerely hope that never happens in this case.

I hope NEBCO is able to keep up with their richly-deserved success, and I'm not going to stop encouraging new people to go there and become devoted fans like me. But I'm also not going to promise not to piss and moan a bit when things aren't like they were in the good ol' days, so I hope you can indulge this "modern BA" when he waxes nostalgic.

They'll have more tomorrow.

Also, you should try some of their other beers, since GB isn't the only delicious thing they make.

Cheers!

Braking up the wrong tree here my friend...
Review the thread, Woosterbill contributes more to this thread than most. He is a Beer Advocate and an even better NEBcO advocate.

My trees don't grow brake sir.

A simple observation on a common theme. "let's keep all releases a secret so us loyal locals can benefit"

Just a typical modern BA type of thought. As for nostalgia, I miss the unselfishness and generosity of the BAs of Christmas past. It really all started in the trading forums and leeched its way out.

In my opinion, If I drive 300 miles to a brewery then I am a customer that is exaclty like the customer that lives right next door. Thats why I get to cross 50 borders without getting my ID or citizenship checked.

So is the only way to keep track of whats available via this thread? There website doesnt offer much info. I'd be willing to trade some Heady for Gandhi. I'm in MA, on the South Shore.

They update their facebook/twitter pages fairly often, with what's on for growler fills etc. The webpage is not the place to go.

And BM me if you want some Gandhi Bot.

They are pretty good about keeping people updated through Facebook and Twitter, those are your best bets beyond this thread (which is actually one of the best sources of NEBCo info).

Cases upon cases of fresh Gandhi at Ninety 9 Bottles in Norwalk right now. I scored a 4 pack yesterday when I was buying some Enjoy By 4-1-13.

How much for the enjoy by.....curious.

Cheers

$7.48 before tax. I also grabbed a 6er of the Mayflower Spring Hop there for $9.00

Can anyone confirm sightings North or East of Fairfield and New Haven County? I've got to go to New London on Monday, but the lowest corner of the state is too long a detour.

I'm on your side - I know he was half joking but that mentality is a dangerous thing. You'll certainly never hear any business owners complaining that they're getting too popular.

From last week

If you knew Mr. Wooster bill,I'm sure you would take a different stance.
He was just having fun with his statement,thats all.