Big Rock's a coming...

[Tapsucker]

Interesting. Now we should be able to get their one off beers.

http://www.thestar.com/business/economy ... tario.html

You're not missing anything. At all! They may well have brewed close to 50 different beers last year, but their tasting panel need a smack around the head, as some of the stuff put out isn't very good, IMO (which probably counts for zero), and within the craft community, their releases just add to their reputation of being a bland, not very good brewery.

I'll try to keep an open mind, but I have heard a lot of references to them chasing the brett/sour fads. Makes me wonder if what they are opening is a brewery or a dairy.

[saints_gambit]

I do not believe that they have chased those fads at all. In fact, one of the main problems is that when they try to do adventurous things it is as though they are being created by a man who has had the idea of a complex, eccentric beer described to him without ever tasting one.

There was a beer they did called Cuvee Bru that had Pinot Gris grapes in it. Now, you'd think that this would be a sour beer or that they would use some kind of belgian yeast not unlike Deus or that maybe they would use the yeast on the skins of the grapes to ferment part of it or that maybe the beer would use some kind of NZ hop to highlight the fruit character or etcetera... It did none of these things. It was as though someone was trying to reinterpret a few relatively complex and difficult ideas and the only input they had was reading other breweries' labels for information.

I have actually tried the majority of these one off beers and I think that they have made some progress. They made a Wet Hop beer that would have competed in Ontario. They made a Barley Wine that had a lot of potential for aging. They made a canned mild that was quite nice. They are batting something like 4/50 on one offs. I think that partly it is because there is not the same kind of community for brewing that there is in Ontario. Ideas don't get shared and information doesn't get conveyed in the same way.

All of the success that is possible for them in Ontario is going to come from complete dissociation from what they have done already. Whoever the new brewer is, it all rides on whether he or she can compete with the Ontario market.

[Belgian]

Maybe they're starting to see some of their tap lines being taken over by local craft... Their recent brewmasters select endeavor (or whatever they call it) certainly hasn't worked.

... they were certainly operating like a big business (like Sleeman)....

Sleeman who? Same story with them I recollect - the 'special' recipes like the Porter they were pushing a few years ago, to look more 'craft' since legitimate craft beer had been taking over the ultra premium category.

Is this too late too little? And trying to be neither fish nor fowl... I am amazed at the inability of some larger breweries to adapt and innovate, make better stuff. Samuel Adams level at least.

I believe any Big Rock product I'd buy today, I'd not even want to finish it. With brewers like Central City kicking their ass hard, I would almost expect an Extinction Event of all these lesser-quality 'craft' breweries, these dinosaurs of the 1990's mindset.

[Tapsucker]

So what I gather from these comments, Big Rock's portfolio is still no threat nor a treat to anyone.

Ah well. I'd love to see Central City set up shop out here, but they would probably drive a couple locals out of business.

[atomeyes]

so basically, let Big Rock take up shop here, hope local DBs don't support them blindly, wait for them to go tits up and sneak in and open a real brew pub?

[BakaGaijin]

So what I gather from these comments, Big Rock's portfolio is still no threat nor a treat to anyone.

Ah well. I'd love to see Central City set up shop out here, but they would probably drive a couple locals out of business.

One of the articles posted quoted the head of Big Rock saying they were going to hire a brewmaster for Toronto and that they would let the Brewmaster brew whatever they wanted. So, I guess there is a glimmer of hope that they hire a talented person and stick with this train of thought.

Regardless.....I tend to think this venture will be very successful.

[northyorksammy]

if there is a decent brewer, he will leave to start his own brewery within 1-2 years, as the evidence shows

[BakaGaijin]

if there is a decent brewer, he will leave to start his own brewery within 1-2 years, as the evidence shows

I believe that evidence shows that talented brewers that don't like being told what to brew will leave to start their own brewery.

I'm sure that many talented brewers would love the oppourtunity to have carte blanche to brew whatever they want and not have to deal with the headaches and the financial burdon of starting their own brewery. It's a lot of work with extreme financial risk to start your own brewery. I would think there are some that would prefer to collect a nice pay cheque, have fun, and not have to worry about investing everything they have into a brewery that could go tit's up in the end.

[atomeyes]

if there is a decent brewer, he will leave to start his own brewery within 1-2 years, as the evidence shows

I believe that evidence shows that talented brewers that don't like being told what to brew will leave to start their own brewery.

I'm sure that many talented brewers would love the oppourtunity to have carte blanche to brew whatever they want and not have to deal with the headaches and the financial burdon of starting their own brewery. It's a lot of work with extreme financial risk to start your own brewery. I would think there are some that would prefer to collect a nice pay cheque, have fun, and not have to worry about investing everything they have into a brewery that could go tit's up in the end.

iain murdoch and mike lackey say hi.

[Torontoblue]

The founder of Big Rock, Ed McNally passed away last night, http://worldofbeer.wordpress.com/2014/0 ... 1925-2014/

[Belgian]

The founder of Big Rock, Ed McNally passed away last night, http://worldofbeer.wordpress.com/2014/0 ... 1925-2014/

I will pour out just a little Centennial IPA & wish him a good journey.