Samuel Adams Sales Decline

I say this as someone who probably buys a higher percentage of Samuel Adams products relative to my other beer purchases than most members of this site. And apart from Belgian dark ales and quads, I don't drink a lot of the "big" styles.

I buy many of their products because a) they're usually fresh b) they're the cheapest craft option c) they're easy to find. I'm a big fan of their Boston Ale because I like English-style pale ales a lot, it's a good example of the style, it's usually fresh when I find it on the shelves (unlike the Fuller's products and other true English beers I see), and at $9.99 a six pack it's about as cheap as it gets when it comes to craft beer on Long Island. I don't drink a lot of Boston Lager because it's not one of my favorite styles, but when I do have one I find myself thinking, "You know, this is a damn good beer."

So is the Boston Beer Company my favorite brewing company? No, but I do think they offer good beer at even better prices, so in my own small way I'll try to prevent any further year-over-year sales declines!

 

BBC has had a number of other product lines over the years - Oregon Originals, Devil Mountain (a sort of joint venture with Seagram), Twisted Tea, HardCore, Angry Orchard, Curious Traveler/House of Shandy, etc. The latter part of their current "Alchemy & Science" venture (run by Magic Hat founder Alan Newman), which has also purchased L.A.'s Angel City Brewing Co.

Granted, none that would be described as being "extreme" - that's been done under BBC's Samuel Adam's branded "Barrel Room Collection", and the "Small Batch" and "Limited Releases" series.

 

I'll say that Sam Adams is definitively a go to at most local and chain restaurants around here. The normal selections down here are Coors, Miller, AB, and Sam Adams.

 

I agree that Alpine Spring is forgettable. Angry Orchard is pretty tasty though!

 

And after the bombing in Boston, me and some friends held a beer tasting of only Sam Adams brews. They actually make some decent brews besides the Boston lager.

 

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Ah ha! So you admit Sam Adams can't brew a DIPA worth selling. ​

 

SA should shake up their stale seasonal lineup IMO. Aside from their so-so Ofest, the rest of their seasonals are abysmal. That said, I absolutely love their Double Agent IPL, and others in the "Hopology" series have been decent efforts.

 

I'll gladly drink Sam Adams over BMC if those are the only options available at a restaurant or something, but I find it somewhat funny that Jim Koch spouts off about "hop bombs" and the people that enjoy them while he's meanwhile losing market share and watching his sales decline. Boston Brewery is more than capable of making and marketing excellent beers, but if they are not willing to brew a style (or styles) that a growing number of beer drinkers truly enjoy and are willing to go elsewhere for, it should be no surprise to anyone that their profits are declining.

 

I like when you reply because I actually learn something. My point is basically that they have vast resources and choose to focus on things like FMB teas and HFCS sweetened cider instead of grade-A beers (based on my own tastes and the ratings on this site.)

 

Not one mention but their Double Bock is exceptional.

 

Koch's company, BBC, was up 18% for the first quarter - they shipped 632,000 barrels vs. 539,000 bbl. for the same period last year. (As noted in the linked PR in the OP).

With both AB and MC (which together control nearly 70% of the US) both down during the same period ( -4.1% and -3.3% respectively) it's possible BBC gained market share, as well.

 

Very cool!

 

You are correct. I should have said "sales of beer" and not "profits" in my original post. While they did see an increase in revenue, (and cider and "tea" sales) they saw a decrease in beer sales. I stand by the rest of what I said, though.

 

I should have added, DO IT WELL. With the exception of Utopias, which is one of my favorites, look at the ratings for them...

 

Agreed, New Belgium puts out way more new stuff, that I would actually buy more than once.

 

My $2.00 [$0.02 indexed for inflation]
1. They're spread too thin and part of their competition is their own non-beer brands.
2. They're getting too big and corporate-like and expect unlimited growth.
3. Their product sorta sucks.
4. They're looking for a government hand out.

 

The world class is $260 a bottle.
The one exceptional is retired, last made in 10 or 11...
And three goods...

Ok, so five beers out of a list of 173 they have made. I like Sam Adams, but they need to do more to capture a beer market that wants different more aggressive beers.

 

Their mixed seasonal offerings just contain so many clunkers that my opinion of Sam's overall quality dips with each new release. It would great if they could put more emphasis on flavor & maybe actually offer something above 6% ABV in these mixed releases. Other than their Dopplebock & the IPL they make nothing I would buy again