50-50 Eclipse Vertical Tasting and Release Party -- December 4-5, 2013

[Voltron]

Mikey and I attended the 2007 - 2012 Eclipse Vertical Tasting on December 4 and the Eclipse Release Party on December 5, and I have lots of pics and so does Mikey.  I thought it would be easier to put them in an impressions thread, and after all "when two or more gather in Head-Case's name, it shall be a meet."  First up is the Vertical Tasting 2007-2012. 

 

Seeing as the event was beer and desserts, we stopped next door for sushi and Japanese beer, at a spot Dinny might have inspired

 

 

Our host Todd and his protege Alyssa

 

 

 

The good stuff

 

 

 

The snacks

 

 

Getting under way with the beverages

 

 

 

"Palate cleansers" were Nellie and Me So Hoppy at two junctures along the way

 

 

Some stand-outs among to awesomeness:  2012 Elijah Craig 12 Reserve (single cask chosen to be set aside).  Mikey likey.

 

 

 

2012 Java Coffee Eclipse with the Purple Pearl Swirl wax

 

 

2012 Gourmet Haus Staudt Eclipse

 

 

Damn, I cannot remember what was in the unmarked bottle -- was it Iced BART? -- and we lost our list due to being buzzed at the end of the evening!

 

 

Mixing it up with some amazing Annularity

 

 

And both brewmasters signed the bottle for me

 

 

Anticipation

 

 

Satisfaction

 

 

The Closer:  2008 Pappy van Winkle

 

 

This was a fantastic event that cannot be repeated because we drank up most of the remaining stocks of some early and rare Eclipse variants.  Next up will be the morning after and the Release Party.

[Grahame]

 

The good stuff

 

 

 

 

 

Approved!

[Dusty Chalk]

Thanks for sharing, Al and Mikey, it allows me to enjoy beer vicariously, since I can't seem to enjoy it directly as much as I used to (or maybe I never was, and only now am finding that out).

[jp11801]

wow what a great event and even sweeter due to the "one of a kind" nature of it. 

[jvlgato]

Wow, incredible! Thanks for the pics!

[morphsci]

Good Stuff!

[raffy]

Looks fucking epic, Al and Mikey!

 

BTW, are the 2013's now all 11.5% abv? How did the bump in abv affect the experience?

[Dreadhead]

Neat experience

[tyrion]

Looked like an awesome time!

[n_maher]

Very jealous - much fun appears to have been had.

[shellylh]

Epic!

[naamanf]

Epic indeed! Feeling buzzed just looking at the pictures.

[skullguise]

I'm a bit with Peter, can't drink like I once could.  But I will echo the awesomeness praise!

[Voltron]

Pics from the Eclipse Release Party – December 5, 2013

 

Circling the wagons for pre-game and bottle-sharing

 

Breakfast in the hotel

 

Brunch at Squeeze In on the main drag of Old Truckee.  I had Spanish Eggs Benedict with tons of chorizo and a pile of potatoes with cheese and grilled onions on them.  It was fantastic food – and a good base for the party – but man were we stuffed!

 

Mikey left one of several d-_-b marks at the Squeeze In

 

 

 

Definitely the thing to do at this particular spot

 

Here is how the main bar looked with the Eclipse rainbow, some large format Jeroboams looming, and bottles of the spirits whose barrels provide a good home for the base beer

 

The Eclipse Elves were very busy all night – filling bottle orders and pouring drafts like crazy!

 

A few glamour shots of the reason for the gathering

 

 

 

The side bar added for the party was a hot spot for sure – vintage Eclipse kegs, rarities, one-offs, and new barrel aging projects with Old Curmudgeon and others, were flowing all night

 

 

 

Here is what the scene looked like as the party raged on

 

 

 

These two brothers kept us entertained much of the evening and shared several great bottles, including Goose Island Gillian and Halia.

 

 

 

They didn’t like this shirt, however, because the beer on it looked weak!  Mikey was sure that there was going to some punches thrown because they were mocking this guy loudly but he just ignored them.

[Voltron]

This guy Nick who made it to both the Vertical Tasting and the Release Party gave his own party shirt a thumbs up and then ramped up the bottle sharing in our corner with some Hill Farmstead and Jacki-O’s goodness (among others)

 

 

 

 

 

Amazingly, we were still able to find our balance for this shot

 

Mikey checked to see if my bottle of Framboise for a Cure smelled as divine as it did on tap – and it did!

 

I wish I had taken more pics of the Epic bottle sharing going on, but the evening got away from me, as they say.  I also wish I took pics of the outdoor patio in sub-zero weather where people kept warm by huddling around a few heat lamps, smoking, and of course drinking.

Mikey and I took home a lot of beer for ourselves and some lucky folks around here.

 

 

[Icarium]

Wow what an amazing event. Thanks for sharing the pictures are incredible. Couldn't imagine a pair that could appreciate such an event more!

[naamanf]

Great picks.

Can't imagine how middle aged over weight guys with a DC and Hurley shirt have any room to talk smack. No offense to middle aged over weight guys

<--- waves hand in the air.

[jvlgato]

Are you suggesting that you're overweight? Goood Lord... Unless something very dramatic has happened recently, I wouldn't EVER say you're overweight. Certainly I wouldn't say it to your FACE! Without 10 feet between us, then running away really quickly.

Oh, I suppose Arnold Schwarzenegger at his peak was overweight according to the BMI charts. But if 99.9% of that weight is muscle, then I'd say you're doing ooooh-kay.

Don't hurt me...

[ironbut]

Awesome stuff guys!

Thanks for sharing.

[Iron_Dreamer]

Looks like it was a blast, guys!  Thanks for the pics!

[raffy]

Can't imagine how middle aged over weight guys with a DC and Hurley shirt have any room to talk smack. 

 

Tell the guy in the Hurley shirt 2006 wants it's slider phone back. 

[agile_one]

Al and Mikey ... epic event ... why didn't you invite your brothas?  Of course, we couldn't be there, so many thanks for sharing.  

 

Naaman ... you would be surprised at how much some middle aged guys, and even some old guys, can back up the smack with sudden thunder.  Just sayin'  You know this, of course, but just trying to save others from misconceptions... 

[guzziguy]

Plus the guy in the beer shirt was probably a pencil-necked hipster.

[Voltron]

 

I'm not sure how thick that neck is, but it sure ain't a No. 2.

 

The Brews Bros. were not quite middle aged, and I would guess mid-30s.  The Hurley shirt is a deputy sheriff and the bro in the purple shirt (called him Barney) said that he always has to punch people because his brother gets worked up but cannot get into fights himself because he is in law enforcement.  They weren't so bad at all until they started jeering the guy in the shirt who works for 50-50's distributor.  Still, there is no question whatsoever -- as I actually thought that evening -- that Naaman would have gotten fed up with these guys and would have clocked them both before they knew what was happening.

[raffy]

I love beer events......I generally hate other beer people in the events though. My defense mechanism, fart a lot so that these beer cunts don't go near me