Spearhead Brewing

StephenRich · Post by **StephenRich** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 9:26 am

Hey Sammy - I'm in Toronto Friday to Monday nights pretty much every week. This weekend I am heading to southern tier, so I wont be around. I would like to meet up sometime for a tasting, and am happy to host.

StephenRich · Post by **StephenRich** » Mon May 30, 2011 4:56 pm

Now live... http://www.spearheadbeer.com/

mintjellie · Post by **mintjellie** » Mon May 30, 2011 5:35 pm

Where can I find you on tap? Any places in Barrie yet?

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Mon May 30, 2011 5:43 pm

Stephen, while I welcome you to BarTowel and welcome Spearhead to the brewing community in Ontario I have to cry foul to something.

On the Spearhead website, in the description of your Hawaiian Pale Ale, you end the page by providing direct links to the beer's related pages on both RateBeer and Beer Advocate. When the Ratebeer link is clicked it leads to (currently) the only review of the beer...which is your own! To make matters worse you have scored the beer a perfect 5!

Now I'm all for vociferously supporting and marketing your products but this seems improper to me. You appear to be using Ratebeer as a means of marketing rather than as a resource for those looking to find legitimate, independent reviews of beer. Further your opinion stands unchallenged since other users cannot review this beer due to its current lack of availability. It also calls into question your impartiality as a "Beer Sommelier" (how you are described on Spearhead's website) since you have rated this beer above all others you have reviewed including Bells Two Hearted, Alesmith Wee Heavy and Avery Grand Cru. We're all entitled to our opinion but IS it your opinion this beer is brewing perfection or is it simply marketing?

Please don't think of this as an attack, that's not my intention here. I just feel that Ratebeer shouldn't be used this way. It's my opinion that you should probably stop reviewing Spearhead beers on anything other than your company's own website. I would also suggest that you either;
1) Edit the Ratebeer review to include the fact that you work for the brewery that makes the beer. That way if you truly do believe the beer is perfection people will be able to weigh that opinion against your affiliation with the brewery.
2) OR remove the review.
3) OR remove the link from the Spearhead website.

Hey, who knows, maybe you guys did make the perfect beer...I guess we'll see that reflected in the reviews as the beer becomes available. For now I have to assume that you are an enthusiastic guy who's trying to do the right thing for your new company but perhaps, IMHO, going about it the wrong way. Just my opinion...maybe not shared by others.

Looking forward to trying it for myself. Good luck with the launch next week. I truly do hope it goes really well for you.

Sincerely,
Jon Walker

robinvboyer · Post by **robinvboyer** » Mon May 30, 2011 6:08 pm

I havd to agree with Jon, this seems a little shady.

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Mon May 30, 2011 6:30 pm

According to the Spearhead website Stephen is also "assistant brewmaster" and yet his Ratebeer review (pasted below) is written as though he's discovering the beer for the first time and is apparently unaware of what makes it a Hawaiian Pale Ale until he sniffs it. Really?

5
AROMA 10/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 10/10 PALATE 5/5 OVERALL 20/20
StephenRich (22) - Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - MAY 28, 2011
What is a Hawaiian Style Pale Ale anyways? Ohh.. Once I took a good whiff it makes perfect sense; a West Coast Pale Ale brewed Hawaiian Style! That hint of fresh pineapple is really delicious! A: The aroma bursts with classic West Coast hoppy aromas of citrus, zest, grapefruit, sweet fresh pine, and bright tropical flavors of papaya, mango, lychee and pineapple. A smooth and gentle malt character balances in the back showing light caramel, sweet bread, a hint of candy and fruit. Ap: A patient pour created a sunny golden red beer with a warm haze and a tight head. Into the light it glows with an amber and ruby radiance. The foam is almost pitch white, with exceptionally dense and small bubbles, and a frothy and sticky cap on top. T: The first sip is brightly quenching and hoppy all the way. Big fresh grapefruit zest, citrus, and pineapple rush in first followed closely by other tropical flavors and some pine. The malt, just as the aroma depicts, is balancing and rich but plays a perfect supporting role to vivid and vibrant hops. Baked bread, biscuits, and a light but sweet mix of caramel and honey lean in with pale malts and more light fruit. Hops come back creating a complex flavor that is refreshingly hoppy with a deep and delicious malt backbone, leaving a crisp and slightly spicy finish that is dry, but tropical sweet. P: Since the HSPA is naturally carbonated the mouthfeel is smooth and very lush. You can tell once you see the construction of the head that this beer was built to enjoy. It shows up with a medium amount of carbonation allowing big hop aromas and flavors to break through without being overly aggressive. O: This is a perfectly imbalanced beer from Ontario that really hits the “West Coast” style well with its own twist. It is rightly bitter at 60 IBUs, and does finish pretty dry, but the bright and sweet sensations of crisp hops and fresh pineapple balance it magnificently to create a mouthwatering beer! It also presents so beautifully in its own branded glassware.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/beername/145835/

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Mon May 30, 2011 6:56 pm

Jon Walker wrote:According to the Spearhead website Stephen is also "assistant brewmaster"

A lot of Head brewers don't use the term 'brewmaster' (unless they have the formal training).

cannondale · Post by **cannondale** » Mon May 30, 2011 7:31 pm

mintjellie wrote:Where can I find you on tap? Any places in Barrie yet?

In The Local gastropub's recent e-mail newsletter, they mention a Spearhead release party on Friday, June 17th. They also mention that they are adding the Hawaiian IPA to their tap lineup.

pootz · Post by **pootz** » Mon May 30, 2011 7:51 pm

I recieved a news release from them in E-mail. If they deliver on only half of their vision they will be producing some good out of mainstream beers. The part I like is: "unfiltered, unpasteurized, natural carbonation" That alone is worth the price of admission to watch the show. The first offering seems to be not too edgy (by local standards) A Pale ale with Pinaple infusion....but it is unfiltered...we shall see.

I'm Hopeful.

cannondale · Post by **cannondale** » Mon May 30, 2011 7:52 pm

Jon Walker wrote:For now I have to assume that you are an enthusiastic guy who's trying to do the right thing for your new company but perhaps, IMHO, going about it the wrong way. Just my opinion...maybe not shared by others.

This is a completely justified callout Jon. In fact, you're doing him a favour.

ritzkiss · Post by **ritzkiss** » Mon May 30, 2011 9:25 pm

This was the same case on Beer Advocate, Perhaps an even more glowing review, until I flagged it and had it removed. Giving yourself a perfect 5? I call this more than tacky - just saying. Rubs me the wrong way.

I've met the gang and I love your enthusiasm and definitely hope you can deliver all the promises your mouth (and reviews) are writing. But like Jon said, while your intentions may be golden, this is not the way to promote your beer. We kind of assume you like your beer (why else make it?) so there's no need to toot your own horn, nor are rating sites the place to do it if you did need to do so.

Just a heads up meant in the spirit of you succeeding. This sort of move is bound to rub more than just me the wrong way.

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Mon May 30, 2011 9:37 pm

the rating has now been removed from RB as well

grub · Post by **grub** » Mon May 30, 2011 9:38 pm

ritzkiss wrote:This was the same case on Beer Advocate, Perhaps an even more glowing review, until I flagged it and had it removed. Giving yourself a perfect 5? I call this more than tacky - just saying. Rubs me the wrong way.

it's also explicitly not allowed on BA (not sure if RB has a similar stance). taken from the "Reviewing Rules" on the review page for any beer:

Although beer industry professionals (owners or employees) are welcome to join and participate on BeerAdvocate.com, we do not allow them to review their own beers and/or establishments. Reviewing the so-called competition is also highly frowned upon. All reviews and/or accounts that fail to follow this will be subject to deletion.

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Mon May 30, 2011 9:40 pm

At first glance the web site looks great as does the first beer they have brewed. I look forward to trying a pint!

It would be nice to know a little more about the availability of the beer though. I see that it will be on tap at 30 establishments. And that is all the info out there...

Any pans to bottle?
Brewpub on the premises? Growler fills?

Also, it appears that, according to the info on BA, this is an IPA, not a pale ale. That's great to hear! But why call it a pale ale? Marketing to the general public?

Cheers to the Spearhead team!

viggo · Post by **viggo** » Mon May 30, 2011 10:46 pm

Should be ashamed of themselves for this. What a joke