New Arrivals at LCBO & TBS

[cfrancis]

Would the price include the deposit on the jug?

[AugustusRex]

(Disclosure: I work for LB, in case anyone didn't know)

It's not a flip top. I'm not too sure about the gimmick thing. Lake of the Woods only had growlers (not cans/bottles) and submitted to the LCBO. After their trial run they (LC) were looking for someone to do it province wide. We did it last year too, same beer. So from our prospective we're not doing it as a gimmick, we're doing it as that's what they asked. If they said we could have put the same liquid in a can we would have done that, but that wasn't an option. Will Joe Public buy it as a gimmick? Maybe. But that not the intent.

As for the liquid, that's not my place to comment. There's a lot of LB hate on here, and even if we released something amazing people will hate it just cause it's LB. So be it. I'm not a homer; I certainly don't love every beer we make and wouldn't pretend otherwise. But to say everything we do sucks is just not objective in the least. I'm not saying you should have to buy a $16 growler to be objective. If it's not the right price for you, or if LB hasn't made anything thus far you feel warrants that price, that's fine. But everything doesn't fucking suuuuuuuuuuuuck, and our pricing is no different than Monkeys or Muskoka or plenty of others.

(Insert haters gonna hate pic here)

I'm shocked that the LCBO is pushing for that format, does the markup on growlers make up for less sales? I don't see how OCB large format bottles are competing with cheaper 750 mL sitting next to them on the shelves (St. Bernardus, Chimay, Dupont, etc)

Even though my dad isn't into craft, if he was going to pick up a large format beer, he would grab what is cheapest.

[Craig]

(Disclosure: I work for LB, in case anyone didn't know)

It's not a flip top. I'm not too sure about the gimmick thing. Lake of the Woods only had growlers (not cans/bottles) and submitted to the LCBO. After their trial run they (LC) were looking for someone to do it province wide. We did it last year too, same beer. So from our prospective we're not doing it as a gimmick, we're doing it as that's what they asked. If they said we could have put the same liquid in a can we would have done that, but that wasn't an option. Will Joe Public buy it as a gimmick? Maybe. But that not the intent.

As for the liquid, that's not my place to comment. There's a lot of LB hate on here, and even if we released something amazing people will hate it just cause it's LB. So be it. I'm not a homer; I certainly don't love every beer we make and wouldn't pretend otherwise. But to say everything we do sucks is just not objective in the least. I'm not saying you should have to buy a $16 growler to be objective. If it's not the right price for you, or if LB hasn't made anything thus far you feel warrants that price, that's fine. But everything doesn't fucking suuuuuuuuuuuuck, and our pricing is no different than Monkeys or Muskoka or plenty of others.

(Insert haters gonna hate pic here)

I'm shocked that the LCBO is pushing for that format, does the markup on growlers make up for less sales? I don't see how OCB large format bottles are competing with cheaper 750 mL sitting next to them on the shelves (St. Bernardus, Chimay, Dupont, etc)

Even though my dad isn't into craft, if he was going to pick up a large format beer, he would grab what is cheapest.

I stand by the gimmick thing. The 'BO have demonstrated their desire in the past to have a variety of product formats and prices on shelves, with little to no regard for the content of the bottles. I think someone at the LCBO thinks they'll sell more beer if they have an expensive large format bottle on shelves.

[Kel Varnsen]

(Disclosure: I work for LB, in case anyone didn't know)

It's not a flip top. I'm not too sure about the gimmick thing. Lake of the Woods only had growlers (not cans/bottles) and submitted to the LCBO. After their trial run they (LC) were looking for someone to do it province wide. We did it last year too, same beer. So from our prospective we're not doing it as a gimmick, we're doing it as that's what they asked. If they said we could have put the same liquid in a can we would have done that, but that wasn't an option. Will Joe Public buy it as a gimmick? Maybe. But that not the intent.

As for the liquid, that's not my place to comment. There's a lot of LB hate on here, and even if we released something amazing people will hate it just cause it's LB. So be it. I'm not a homer; I certainly don't love every beer we make and wouldn't pretend otherwise. But to say everything we do sucks is just not objective in the least. I'm not saying you should have to buy a $16 growler to be objective. If it's not the right price for you, or if LB hasn't made anything thus far you feel warrants that price, that's fine. But everything doesn't fucking suuuuuuuuuuuuck, and our pricing is no different than Monkeys or Muskoka or plenty of others.

(Insert haters gonna hate pic here)

I'm shocked that the LCBO is pushing for that format, does the markup on growlers make up for less sales? I don't see how OCB large format bottles are competing with cheaper 750 mL sitting next to them on the shelves (St. Bernardus, Chimay, Dupont, etc)

Even though my dad isn't into craft, if he was going to pick up a large format beer, he would grab what is cheapest.

I stand by the gimmick thing. The 'BO have demonstrated their desire in the past to have a variety of product formats and prices on shelves, with little to no regard for the content of the bottles. I think someone at the LCBO thinks they'll sell more beer if they have an expensive large format bottle on shelves.

Interestingly enough I am not sure it is an Ontario only thing. I was in BC back in July and just about every store I went to, every brewery was pretty much only doing 6 packs or 650/750ml bottles. Breweries that were doing single tallboy cans were few and far between. Which is too bad because I like that format better, plus from a cost point of view it was hard to justify paying $6-7 or more for a big bottle of beer when the 473/500ml cans were usually in the $3 range.

[ckoop]

honestly, saying a brewery's beer is average in ontario is the same thing as saying it sucks, because the average beer put out by the hundreds of middling OCBers does in fact suck. we are a long way from the point where we can say that the average beer produced by OCBers is "good."

[ercousin]

I'd rather hear people discuss why they think a brewery sucks or is average than just saying "I don't like Pilsners therefore LoB sucks". What do you not like about these beers? Off flavours, balance issues? Otherwise I'm just prone to think that all these opinions are based on biases against marketing/branding and preference for other more intensely flavoured styles like hoppy beers, sours, and imperial stouts.

In my, albeit limited, experience with LoB I would say that anecdotally the beer at the brewery tastes clean, bright malt with quick finish. However, often when I've had a bottle from the LCBO (rare occasion) I get stale malt (oxidation), which causes lingering grainy and sometimes cardboard flavours. I believe we were told on our brewery tour that LoB does test dissolved oxygen in packaged beer, which is surprising considering how often I've sensed oxidation in their packaged beers. LoB seems to have grown quite a bit from the brewery that opened in 2010. From what I saw at the brewery (visited almost a year ago) the QA hadn't caught up quite yet. No micro lab at that time. Would be happy to hear if this has changed since I last visited, I think they were working on constructing a 2nd building behind the brewery hall at the time.

[midlife crisis]

honestly, saying a brewery's beer is average in ontario is the same thing as saying it sucks, because the average beer put out by the hundreds of middling OCBers does in fact suck. we are a long way from the point where we can say that the average beer produced by OCBers is "good."

I'm the one who said they are average so let me respond to that. I don't agree with your assertion that "average" equates to "sucks". LoB beers have been, in my experience, well-made, free of faults, pleasant to drink and not super flavourful. Maybe my standards are lower than yours but I have found them perfectly acceptable. I don't particularly seek them out (except for the day I went to the brewery) but if handed one I would drink it happily. Ontario beer that sucks, on the other hand (IMO) is Coors Light, Blue, Canadian, discount lagers, etc, and a few from OCB members that have had consistent quality control issues. (I also agree with pretty well everything ercousin says just above in assessing LoB).

BTW, there are 55 breweries in the OCB according to their web site, not hundreds.

[MatttthewGeorge]

In my, albeit limited, experience with LoB I would say that anecdotally the beer at the brewery tastes clean, bright malt with quick finish. However, often when I've had a bottle from the LCBO (rare occasion) I get stale malt (oxidation), which causes lingering grainy and sometimes cardboard flavours. I believe we were told on our brewery tour that LoB does test dissolved oxygen in packaged beer, which is surprising considering how often I've sensed oxidation in their packaged beers. LoB seems to have grown quite a bit from the brewery that opened in 2010. From what I saw at the brewery (visited almost a year ago) the QA hadn't caught up quite yet. No micro lab at that time. Would be happy to hear if this has changed since I last visited, I think they were working on constructing a 2nd building behind the brewery hall at the time.

The brewery expansion is to start late next year with a 2017 opening. Until then you are indeed correct, no micro lab. As for the bottles it sounds like you're speaking of the 6 pack standard bottles, which we are no longer in. Just cans and 750s now. I too have tasted cardboard from the standard bottle but I can't say I've detected it from the cans. Maybe I'm wrong... sure hope not!

[ckoop]

honestly, saying a brewery's beer is average in ontario is the same thing as saying it sucks, because the average beer put out by the hundreds of middling OCBers does in fact suck. we are a long way from the point where we can say that the average beer produced by OCBers is "good."

I'm the one who said they are average so let me respond to that. I don't agree with your assertion that "average" equates to "sucks". LoB beers have been, in my experience, well-made, free of faults, pleasant to drink and not super flavourful. Maybe my standards are lower than yours but I have found them perfectly acceptable. I don't particularly seek them out (except for the day I went to the brewery) but if handed one I would drink it happily. Ontario beer that sucks, on the other hand (IMO) is Coors Light, Blue, Canadian, discount lagers, etc, and a few from OCB members that have had consistent quality control issues. (I also agree with pretty well everything ercousin says just above in assessing LoB).

BTW, there are 55 breweries in the OCB according to their web site, not hundreds.

Yeah, i here you. I guess my definition of sucks has more to do with value and level of personal taste enjoyment. While I can drink lots of the various beers put out by OCB and not pour them down the drain, I would still think they suck since I probably would be paying more for it as it's "craft" and I' personally don't get any more enjoyment out of drinking it than I would a blue or whatever. Most of them are just safe, bland version of styles with fancy labelling and craft marketing to sell themselves. They don't stand out as unique and flavorful. So to me, and it probably is too black and white a definition, that sucks.

I'm not sure where I got 100s from, I could've sworn there are a lot more coming out these last two years. 55 is still a lot of breweries pumping out pedestrian beer (not all 55).

[midlife crisis]

Yeah, i here you. I guess my definition of sucks has more to do with value and level of personal taste enjoyment. While I can drink lots of the various beers put out by OCB and not pour them down the drain, I would still think they suck since I probably would be paying more for it as it's "craft" and I' personally don't get any more enjoyment out of drinking it than I would a blue or whatever. Most of them are just safe, bland version of styles with fancy labelling and craft marketing to sell themselves. They don't stand out as unique and flavorful. So to me, and it probably is too black and white a definition, that sucks.

I'm not sure where I got 100s from, I could've sworn there are a lot more coming out these last two years. 55 is still a lot of breweries pumping out pedestrian beer (not all 55).

Fair enough. Coincidentally, I see that Ontario Beer Network tweeted today that there are 113 microbreweries in Ontario, so I guess a lot of them aren't in the OCB.

[spinrsx]

new:

COAST TO COASTLESS
LCBO 435347 | 750 mL bottle
SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES
Price $ 9.95

LENOIR BELGIAN ALE
Canada | Bell City Brewing
LCBO 437236 | 473 mL | $ 2.95

MILL ST TANKENSTEIN
Canada | Trillium Beverage Inc.
LCBO 437459 | 750 mL | $ 9.45 | SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES

TBW 6 BOROUGHS RYE PORTER
Canada | Amsterdam Brewing Company
LCBO 438093 | 500 mL | $ 7.95 | SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES

[Kel Varnsen]

new:

COAST TO COASTLESS
LCBO 435347 | 750 mL bottle
SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES
Price $ 9.95

I can't wait to pick up a bottle of that commemorative, Canada Day beer. In September.

[Lukie]

new:

COAST TO COASTLESS
LCBO 435347 | 750 mL bottle
SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES
Price $ 9.95

LENOIR BELGIAN ALE
Canada | Bell City Brewing
LCBO 437236 | 473 mL | $ 2.95

MILL ST TANKENSTEIN
Canada | Trillium Beverage Inc.
LCBO 437459 | 750 mL | $ 9.45 | SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES

TBW 6 BOROUGHS RYE PORTER
Canada | Amsterdam Brewing Company
LCBO 438093 | 500 mL | $ 7.95 | SEASONAL/LIMITED QUANTITIES

That Porter sounds pretty interesting. But let me guess, it must be some special barrel aged concoction, so we must overpay by about $3/bottle.

[Napalm Frog]

That Porter sounds pretty interesting. But let me guess, it must be some special barrel aged concoction, so we must overpay by about $3/bottle.

Pretty much.

[ckoop]

That Porter sounds pretty interesting. But let me guess, it must be some special barrel aged concoction, so we must overpay by about $3/bottle.

Pretty much.

actually, $8 for a barrel aged porter is pretty solid if you ask me. considering no ones bats an eye at bellwoods' $13 500ml barrel aged offerings and most other BA bottles that hit the lcbo are $12+, i'd be surprised if many felt this was overpriced. now whether it's any good is the real question, given amsterdam's track record, i'd give it a 50/50 shot that this will be worth buying more than one. hope i'm wrong!