Otter Creek Double Dose returns in September

Yeah, I completely agree with the price point comments in this post. No matter how you look at it, the only way $17/4 pack for an 8.5% double IPA can be justified is by whether consumers will pay for it. And I will. Once. Even when many Boston stores will break them up and charge $5 / bottle, I will still pay it not only to enjoy it, but to get that one more "tic" in the top 250 list. Pricing for craft beer is totally out of control and despite the high regard that Lawson's, and now Otter Creek sits in the eyes of most BAers, my high opinion of both brewers has receded ever so slightly because of this.

PS - Thanks to Mike at OCB for his post previous to this (we must have been typing at the same time) - thanks for listening to the feedback!

 

I agree, those are all stellar buys (dunno why the Brothers give Limbo only a 70, they must have gotten a bad bottle or sumpin...sumpin...)
You're lucky to find those at that price. I shop a lot of stores, and the lowest I've seen Sumpin2 was $11/6, and Limbo I've never seen lower than $11, and it was offered yesterday at $13/6 at a store with admittedly high prices on most of their stock. Larry I don't keep track of, but I agree he's a good DIPA. The other two are a bit different, Sumpin2 is a hoppy wheat and Limbo not listed as a double although it's clearly high on the hop side. I certainly would never kick any one of those out of my beer fridge.

 

the beer was good enough @17$ to buy it again....but hey thanks Mike! this helps

 

Appreciated!

So it's the distributors/retailers who are jacking up the price? I suppose if DD is that hot, it's hard to resist squeezing extra profit out of the consumer. We have been told that Alchemist has threatened HT retailers with withdrawal of deliveries if any retailer tops $75/case or $15/4. But I believe he is his own distributor (?) so he may be in a better position to police the retail pricing of his own products. He also distributes to a much more limited immediate market than most. In any case HT has remained the same price for at least two years or so. At least many BAs in and near NE get to buy some DD at our local stores, albeit at perhaps inflated levels.

 

Paid $18.99 a four pack last week, they had them hidden away in the back with one on display at the register for sale, when she told me the price i was shocked, but of course i bought it anyway. Very good but another hype job IMO, the same place charged $32 a 12 pack for Beer Camp which was in the end even more of a ripoff

 

Yeah, they are all different beers, but I can tell you the number of times I've said..."I wish I had a double IPA"...zero. Limbo has an ABV that is in the DIPA ballpark, and while Little Sumpin2 doesn't, that's great, because Extra does and Sucks does and those are awesome too. I just want it to be a good IPA, and ignore the rest.

But my current thinking is to give props to anybody who can give me a great beer at a great value. Went to a tasting Saturday and had Narwhal and Breakfast Stout side by side (more or less). Wife and I both liked Narwhal better...price was about half. Easy decision.

 

Top 5 IPA in my opinion

I would put it in the class of DIPAs right behind Heady Topper and PtY.

 

I was happy to try a single this year, but the hop profile is 180 degrees from last year though it is still a good IPA.
I'll pass on stocking up on this and "Lawson's" Sip of Sunshine.

 

Why am I going to by Double Dose at even $15 a four pack when I can get Mastermind for $10!

 

2013 and 2014 look, smell, and taste quite different.

To anyone that says "oh, here we go, another last-years-batch-was-better guy," I'd like to point out two others I know have said the exact same thing about this beer and none of us are typically "that guy." It's possible all of our palates changed the exact same way, but I'd say that's very unlikely.

 

Can you compare the two at all? Have one coming my way and wondering what to expect? (I know, I know, keep an open palate and all that)

 

Doesn't matter. OC is legit. Naysayers be damned

 

I've heard the same thing from a friend of mine who has never been to my knowledge "that guy". But, we haven't gotten any here yet so I haven't had the opportunity to see for myself.

 

2013 was a dank tropical fruit bomb. 2014 is boozy, bitter and lacks the tropical/herbal notes that were prominent in last year's version. It seems darker too. It almost looks like an amber ale. I hate to be "that guy" too but it's a very different beer this year.

 

It was little darker in color than last year's, less hop "pop", a little sweeter, boozier, and had a slightly heavier mouthfeel. Despite being bottled at about 2 weeks before my consumption, it was reminiscent of how an older DIPA can get. It was still pretty damn good, but it didn't taste like the same beer to me.

 

Stole the words out of my mouth. Exactly my opinion on the notes of '13 and '14, even down to the color. I thought I was crazy at first when I noticed the color was different. I hate being "that guy" too.

 

beat me to it, but nailed it. ok, sounds like we're all saying the same thing...

 

Interesting stuff, all -- thx for the notes. Didn't have the '13, so I won't be able to compare, but interested to take a crack at this one.

 

My description was from a 1 day old bottle.