The Bruery Reserve Society Membership

I know a $195 price ticket for a reserve society seems steep. However, split between 2 people (my husband Dave and myself) plus all of the perks definitely makes it worth our wild. Unfortunately it is already past the date when you can sign up, Jan 1st 2010 was the cut off. But you can sign up for next years probably around the end of 2010.


For instance, we drove up to The Bruery, which is in the middle of nowhere in OC in an industrial park (what's up with these great breweries in industrial parks? Avery is the same way....I know it's cheaper but it makes them hard to find and you have to totally be on a mission to get there, which we were). Anyways, we drove up on our way back from Palm Springs to pick up our first 'delivery' of a barrel aged Partridge in a Pear Tree (booyah), an Autumn Maple and a White Oak (which is already sold out).  People that signed up later got a barrel aged Autumn Maple instead of the Partridge as they only release 250 bottles of the barrel aged Partridge. 


These three came with the membership price as well as:


-in October a 2010 Black Tuesday and a barrel aged 2 Turtle Doves
-a reserve society hoodie
-Access to Reserve Society-only events-barrel tastings & special release parties
-Access to purchase special bottle release allocations
-15% off all tasting room and Bruery Provisions purchases 
-Access to special growler fills
-First right of refusal for 2011 membership


Plus for the anticipated releases, which we have 1st access to with a 15% discount-

Anticipated 2010 Special Bottle Releases:
- Oude Tart - Flemish Red (which we already bought our 6 bottle limit- spent 18 months in Cabernet barrels)
- Melange #1 - Flemish Red / Imperial Stout Blend
- Melange #3 - Barrel Aged Strong Ale Blend
- White Zin - Sour ale with Zinfandel Grapes
- White Oak - Blended Barrel Aged Wheatwine / Golden Strong Ale
- 100% barrel-aged Coton - Barrel Aged Old Ale
- Black Tuesday Imperial Stout - Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
- 100% barrel-aged 2 Turtle Doves - Barrel Aged Holiday Beer
- Perhaps a few other releases up our sleeves

We tried the Humulus XPA, Rugbrod, White Orchard and Saison Rue,  while we were there picking up our first shipment. And we are going back next weekend for the first Reserve Party 'inauguration'.
-- Orchard White
-- Rugbrod
-- Saison Rue
-- Mischief
-- Hottenroth Berliner Weisse
-- 2 Turtle Doves
-- Saison De Lente
-- Trade Winds Tripel
-- Autumn Maple
-- Humulus XPA
-- Melange No. 5: DBJW
-- Oude Tart

Limited Beers Poured on the Hour (varies every hour):
-- Papier (plus the 100% barrel aged versions)
-- Black Tuesday
-- Partridge in a Pear Tree


So far, so good as far as price goes for us...
Not too bad for a cheap southwest ticket and a cheap hotel in the middle of nowhere OC. At least I know we will have a good weekend...reviews to follow!

2 Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Ah, the beloved 12 Days of Christmas carol. I can just hear my mother's off pitch voice now.  You see, we have a family tradition around this song- (which my husband will find out about this year).  Someone gave my grandmother a set of plates where each plate was a verse from this song. Every year, we all had to sing our part at whichever verse our plates bestowed upon us before we ate. However, these plates had a flaw. Below each verse, say "8 Ladies Dancing", it says "...And a partridge in a pear tree". But you weren't suppose to sing this part, just the person who had the pear tree plate would sing that every time. Everybody knows this song. Each year it is chimed into our heads at each Walgreen's and Mall that we go to. Yet somehow, each year someone manages to sing the pear tree line out of order. It's usually the older folks at the table. Now matter how many years we sing this, it still happens. None of us younger folk ever want to be engaged in this forced holiday tradition yet we are still there singing our line- and everyone's usually off key. My father would classify this in our family, as our "Christmas Torture".  So seeing the name 2 Turtle Doves, around a Christmas Beer wouldn't usually entice me to buy it just because of my predisposed conception of this song. Yet reading the label-2 Turtle Doves, Belgian style dark ale brewed with cocoa nibs and toasted pecans and 12%- this seemed like something quite interesting to try.

It was a very deep mahogany color, almost black, with a good creamy mocha head. It had a slightly sour beer smell to it that was lost once you tasted it- a little sour beer tease if you ask me, but nonetheless delicious. It also smelled like a deep dark toasted chocolate and a hint of caramel...The first sip had a roasted nutty flavor...deep nutty malt that ends with a  chocolate kiss. It is absolutely full of flavor and pretty smooth for the strength. It's a fairly unique tasting beer and I highly recommend it to anyone. It's my idea of a perfect holiday brew- I am not a large fan of too much spice- but cocoa nibs and toasted pecans are very holiday for me!  Each year The Bruery releases a new version to this song, with last year's version being "A Partridge in a Pear Tree", which was a Quadruppel, 12%, brewed with their own dark candy sugar, and a completely different beer. I am quite satisfied with this year's version and look forward to what they put out for the 3 French Hens next year. This is the type of Holiday Christmas Carol tradition  I can enjoy-

Get yours at City Beer- $11.99- while they last and impress your friends at your holiday table.