Smuttlabs: Shebang Triple IPA Release

$10 a bottle

 

Seriously. Works out to $17+ bomber-equivalent price. I can get a growler of Trillium Congress St. for that price. Or 3-4 bottles of Hop Stoopid.

 

Wow $10 a bottle must be golden hops. Mastermind is only $10 a 4 pac.

 

That is the worst part. In home brewing they are some of the cheapest hops around.

 

I'm not a brewer, but I looked that line-up and said "It's not cascade, but those seem pretty common". If it was galaxy and other harder to get varieties, maybe. But even then I'm not sure.

 

I think it might be more about the amount of grain needed to reach that high ABV and the amount of hops needs to balance it out with the right bitterness level. Not so much the hop varieties. I still agree though that it is too rich for my blood.

 

Brewing a 5 gallon batch of this ABV would be about 20 lbs of grain. I can buy it for 1.25 a lb by the lb. I would guess I would use 8 to 10 ozs of hops. With these variety's I can get them for about 12 dollars a lb. With a few extras I could guess 35 or less for 50 beers. A brewery should be buying the supplies for half that. They also should have much better efficiency than I can get. If you add a pretty good fudge factor 50 cents a bottle for ingredients is a good guess. I know they have tons of other costs and this is not the biggest. It is however is the biggest difference between this beer and brewing a pale ale.

 

Small batch = expensive. Packaging is a huge cost. If memory serves, the other Smuttlabs beers I've seen have been about $7 or $8 for a 375ml.

 

I think it's more because you need find fewer suckers to buy an overpriced smaller batch...

 

May just have to head that way on Saturday and take the tour again they should have samples after the tour just to see if it's anything special. But that's the only way I'll taste not for $10 a bottle.

 

Is this a joke? $10 for a damn 375ml? I'll pass and instead wait for Jack's Abby's Triple IPL.

 

costs too much. if packaging is driving that price, should have been draft only.

sounds like a really nice beer though.

 

Since when is 50 barrel a small batch? 1500+ gallons @375ml is not rare

 

Glad I had a taste at Beervana last week. Very good but at that price I'll pass on the bottles.

That said, my guess is now that Smutty is more of a destination brewery they will have no problem moving these...

 

I agree with everyone else. This goes too far. Too rich for my blood.

 

Yup. I'm sure you're right. but I hope not.

 

I had some at Beervana and it was one of my favorites.
I've brewed five gallon batches with 16 lbs. of grain and 10 oz. of similar hops but I rarely make something this good. It would cost me around $25.00 a case for ingredients, but what's my time worth? What's my kettle, burner, fridge....worth? What's my shelf full of books about brewing worth? The name Smuttlabs implies experimentation. That's going to add cost too.
Yes, it's expensive but I don't think anyone is retiring off the profit on this.

 

I just can't wrap my head around how this beer is $10 for a 12oz bottle and the Wheat Wine, Barleywine and Baltic Porter are 22oz for like $6. Also, how is it going to be priced on draft if the bottles are this much?

 

I'm a big Smuttynose fan and generally run over and grab any and all smuttlabs releases not knowing if they will be $6 or $12 ... this time I'll probably pass and buy a 4 pack of Big A which is awesome and like $12 for 4 pack? @ 9% abv