Victory Dirt Wolf - Why 4-packs??

How old was the bottle you drain poured?

Cheers!

 

I dont know, I bought it when it first came out in IL

 

I am just trying to get a feel for the 'drinkable' shelf life of Dirt Wolf. A number of very hoppy beers have short 'drinkable' shelf lives (before the hop fade makes the beer disappointing to drink). Some of those beers are Pliny the Elder, Sculpin, Ithaca Flower Power, .....

Cheers!

 

Awesome. I've got about a 4-5 in my fridge that I bought around the same time. I will give one a try tonight.

 

I feel the 4 pack is 2 beers too few.

 

I started my evening with a dirtwolf tonight and I was surprised at how good it still was. It was from the original bottling best by Feb 2014. It might not be knee slapping tropical good but no noticeable sign of faded hops or otherwise common faults.

 

I still haven't tried this. I am under the impression it is a year round release but the stores around Grand Rapids received one shipment that was quickly snapped up and haven't seen any since. Any thoughts or info?

 

The second shipment should be out by the end of the month. There was a lot of demand for the first one and it sold out fast.

 

no golden monkey. will stay in 6ers (and was even just repackaged 2 months ago with new graphics). Yakima doesn't exist anymore. Hop Ranch 4packs are next to come in Dec.

 

Weird- I had 2 bottles of the first batch that came out this weekend and it tasted as amazing as it did over a month ago. Not sure how your shop was keeping that beer, but assure you it hasn't changed much...

 

Just earlier, I almost brought a ten dollars bomber but then resorted to buying a 12$ sixer. Actually feel pretty happy it. I do buy bombers, but rarely.

One thing I don't like about the craft beer industry is the bombers' pricing. I still have yet to grasp my head around that. And I'm very sure others, too. Either make the bombers cheaper or switch to a 4pk format.

 

but in our area they increased the price by 25% 6 sold for $12 now 4 for $10,I find this not geared for the benefit of the customer.I like Storm King just don't agree with this practice.Cheers

 

Best by date is on the bottle. What is it?

I know it is clearly not beyond best buy date and we all have to assume you refrigerated it, so I am really grasping at straws how a beer that is a little over a month on the market has fallen off to the point of a literal drain pour.

 

Ok, don't bombard me with examples where I'm wrong, but it seems to me that most of your higher abv beers go the 4 pack route. DFH 60 minute, 6 pack. 90 minute, 4 pack. I'm sure price enters into it, but I believe the packaging is frequently predicated on abv. FWIW.

 

Most likely there's a business decision here, even if Victory doesn't sell 24 (6 vs 4 "units") for any more $ to a wholesaler, if it somehow leads to more total sales for whatever reason:

• Those who will spend $10 on beer, regardless of format
• Those who want to try it and only risk 4 beers
• Those who want maybe 3 different 4-packs than 2 different 6-packs
• Those who might not [want to] drink enough of the (same) "must drink fresh" beer within its best by date
• Etc

It is still a business, and if in the long run there is more overall demand for a four pack format, the brewery will make money. The question to them, are they losing more price-per-ounce buyers than they are gaining in the people that fall into list above?

Separately,
Agree bombers are overpriced but think to a degree they fill the same profit need of a business, but add the additional need of getting more [non-mass-produced] options to the public. It is a pseudo-R&D recoop and limited market testing that enable breweries to do what we want them to do, come up with newer and more interesting and better beers.

 

I really don't mind spending $8 for a 4pk rather than $12 for a 6pk of higher ABV beer.

 

Another business consideration is shelf space. We all are aware and causing craft brews to take more facings in the beer aisle, but there are (thankfully) a LOT of choices. But if you into a grocery store, you likely get one case on the shelf at a time, and likely not monitored heavily. (Obviously you beer-centered retailers are better at this). Is there a benefit to getting 6 customers with that case versus 4, in the long run?

 

Cant find the date, but yes It was refrigerated.
The only theory I can suggest is that it was in a mini fridge, who's temperature fluctuates everytime I open the door. Though the Deschutes hop trip that was in there just as long tasted fine last night.

 

I know that I've noticed that there are some nights where my taste buds are just off. A few times, I've had a beer I've enjoyed many times over, hated each sip, and then hung my guns up for the night. The next night, I've then had another one from the same batch (none of which ever left my fridge) and experienced the usual instant bliss. Could this be the case for you? After reading your post, I just popped open a Dirtwolf from a case I bought about a month ago, labeled "enjoy by March 1 2014" and it smells/tastes fantastic- and that's right after drinking a day-old Heady (yes, I rinsed my glass out in between )

 

And BTW thank you- I was going to go right to bed after finishing the Heady, but the fact-finding mission has proved to be delicious and worthwhile