BYZANTINE VISION 2017 OFF FLAVOR CONCERNS
IS THIS SUPPOSED TO TASTE LIKE A BARREL AGED DR. PEPPER?
Byzantine Vision was brewed as a liquid expression of baklava, complete with finishing additions of wild honey and hundreds of pounds of hazelnuts, walnuts, and pistachios. Last week after a few guests had written in with off-flavor concerns about their bottle, we sent out for a full QA panel on a set of control bottles. Test results returned positive for brettanomyces, a wild yeast which, while not harmful, was an uninvited surprise in this finished product.
HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?
Byzantine Vision was finished by filtering the beer through several hundred pounds of nuts. To create this "filter" we crushed and combined all three types of nuts together in a hopback, which was then flushed with steam to sanitize the combination. We have determined that the steam was unable to effectively penetrate the core of the nuts, providing the lingering natural yeast on the surface of the nuts a perfect opportunity to make its way into the finished beer.
HAS MY BOTTLE BEEN AFFECTED?
Bottles stored at or below normal refrigeration (35-40˚ F) are very likely to maintain the rich, nutty flavors as intended upon initial release. Bottles stored above this range are likely to have developed an unintentional tart cherry off-flavor and intense carbonation as a result of an in-bottle refermentation due to the presence of a few rogue brettanomyces cells.
While the beer is not harmful to ingest, and may remain enjoyable depending on your palate and/or love of a good science experiment, this is no longer the beer we intended to release to you.
HERE'S OUR PLAN TO MAKE IT RIGHT:
OUR GOALS
- Get Byzantine Vision bottles off the market.
- Ensure those who purchased bottles receive better-than-fair compensation.
- Continue to make bold, experimental beer in new ways while locking down every last step of quality control.
NEXT STEPS: CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
APRIL REFUND OPTION
Our steps of recourse will begin Wednesday, April 5th. From then until the end of April, you may bring in your Byzantine Vision bottle(s) for an Eventbrite refund if you purchased the bottle directly from us. If your bottle was purchased from one of our local accounts, you may bring the bottle(s) in to the Tasting Room for a $30 Bottle Logic gift card per bottle. Be aware that these gift cards will not work outside of the Tasting Room and do not sync with Eventbrite. Your intact bottle -- empty, full, three-quarters recapped -- and your Driver's License/Passport are absolutely necessary to pursue a refund. Without the bottle, there are no options.
MAY BOTTLE SWAP
We'll be releasing our next Stasis Project bottle in very late April. From May 1st - 31st, you may visit the Tasting Room during normal operating hours and swap your Byzantine Vision bottle for a fresh bottle of Jam the Radar, our WBC Silver Medal winning Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout finished on Cacao Nibs and Black Raspberries. Here again, your intact bottle -- empty, full, three-quarters recapped -- and your Driver's License/Passport are absolutely necessary to pursue a swap. Without the bottle, there are no options.
LET'S CRYSTALIZE THAT:
HAVE A BOTTLE OF BYZANTINE VISION AND WANT A GUARANTEED BOTTLE OF JAM THE RADAR?
Hold on to your Byzantine Vision bottle(s) until we've got Jam the Radar ready to release, then visit the Tasting Room during normal operating hours from May 1st-31st with your bottle(s) and we'll swap you! Bottles will not be ready before 5/1 and will not be available to swap after 5/31. No bottle, no swap, no exceptions.
HAVE A BOTTLE OF BYZANTINE VISION AND WANT A REFUND?
Visit the Tasting Room during normal operating hours from April 5th - 30th with your Byzantine Vision bottle(s) for an Eventbrite refund, or a $30 Bottle Logic gift card. Refunds are available from 4/5 - 4/30. No bottle, no refund, no exceptions.
INNOVATING FURTHER
Innovation is a bumpy road, and while we'd prefer a perfect track record, our inherent drive to keep pushing the boundaries of beer demands ongoing experimentation with fresh ingredients and new techniques. We deeply appreciate your support and pledge that you can always rely on us to make things right.
Please contact us directly via archive@bottlelogic.com with any questions.