Oskar Blues' BA Ten Fidy Fiasco
In a highly anticipated release, Oskar Blues Brewery and the Tasty Weasel taproom in Longmont released their awesome Barrel Aged Ten Fidy and Barrel Aged Java Ten Fidy. However, the release didn’t go as expected. Luckily, the OB crew are class acts and the next release will go much smoother than this one.
“Plain and simple…we fucked up.”
Dan Wiersema, Oskar Blues’ Digital Media Manager, posted an apology a few days after some harsh backlash on social media and at the taproom that day.
We got to the brewery early, at about 11:40 (about 20 minutes before the posted release time.) As we walked in, we passed multiple people with armfuls of the release beers, and even someone using a furniture dolly to cart around 6-8 cases (~24 per case) down to their car. Most early birds had around 2 cases (~40 beers) and were enjoying the beer on tap.
At noon, a line wrapped around the interior of the taproom with most people near the back worried they wouldn’t get any cans. Only twenty minutes later, the BA Java Ten Fidy was gone. We stuck around for another hour and most people left with a small number of BA Ten Fidy cans…but most weren’t happy. As Mr. Wiersema said above, the initial order was short, the pricing was higher than advertised, and an early opening left customers angry at the taproom.
So, what’s the good news? The OB crew admitted their mistakes openly and honestly. While that doesn’t get Java into the hands of customers, at least they did the right thing…even with mud on their face. From what we saw, most people were able to get a taste of the beers, or in a crowler, even if the crowlers were overpriced.So where do we go from here? It looks like OB is learning from the release. As stated above, they’re going to have release of the Rum Barrel Aged Death by Coconut and Rum Barrel Aged Ten Fidy on December 17th.Rules will be a lot more strict. Some highlights: Lines will open at 8 a.m., with wristbands given out at 11 a.m. No crowler or growler fills will happen, and the beer on draft will be limited. Further, they will only be selling to people with a wristband, when called, with a maximum of 12 cans per person. IF they cans last until 5 p.m., a new line will form for unlimited purchases.We’ll be there to see if this system will work better for the masses. We’re really excited for the Rum DBC, and we’re sure many others will be as well. Show up early to this one, and be ready to follow the rules to make sure you can get some beer. (Bring a bathroom buddy-line holder friend while you wait.) No prices are released yet, but we’re guessing about $15/can.