Ever had a brewery right a wrong?

Bought a bottle of Bell's Smitten as part of a mix-6, popped it and saw that the lip was cracked. Called them and they sent out a box with a shipping label to return it. I was told that someone (local rep, maybe?) would contact me to "make it right, even if it was only one bottle...blah blah...we want every single customer to have a good experience..." Whatever, that never happened. I know it was just one bottle and it only cost a couple bucks, but it sticks in my craw. Don't make a big production of following up if you have no intention of doing so. Geez, if they'd just tossed a bottle opener and a couple stickers or something in the box, I'd have been happy as a clam. Now, I'm annoyed and it's really soured me on the brand as a whole.

 

I have. I wrotee Sierra Nevada about stale Kellerwies and they sent me a check. Also victory sent me the goblet you see in all my pics for something , I can't even remember.

 

I wish they would make it again with 2x or 3x the coconut.

 

I bought a bottle of Pliny the Elder that was about 9 days old at the time, and it tasted just awful. Emailed the brewery to ask if there was anything particularly wrong with that batch and Vinnie sent me a hand written apology note along with 6 fresh bottles of Elder to make up for it. I'll never forget his generosity and commitment to customer service.

 

Don't mean to derail, but what is the protocol on reporting "outdated" beer to a brewery? I know with Stone, you can report this on their website, but what about other breweries that do not have this option? I ran across a few six packs of CCB Invasion Pale that are seven months old.

 

Excellent responses from:
Ballast Point
Widmer
HUB
Lagunitas

Poor Responses from:
Green Flash
Black Raven

 

I used to do it a lot and got some very positive responses...that was back when I would buy before checking the bottle date...now I just dont buy when the beer is old so it doesnt impact my wallet and so i dont take the time to report it...overall i think they do appreciate it though...it definitely impacts their wallets.

 

Had an issue with No-Li back when they were Northern Lights about charges on my credit card, and the owner managed to be hard to get a hold of and a total prick when he finally called me back. This was after years of continued patronage despite repeated bad/inept/hilariously inept service at their brewpub. It was the last straw for me, and I never went back and haven't had any more of their beers, which were rarely better than humdrum and mediocre anyway (but for quite a while they were the only game in town, so I had kept giving them business despite my misgivings).

Within a year, new breweries like Iron Goat started popping up, and better beers from outside the immediate local area were already widely available anyway, so it's been pretty easy to stick to my guns. If it were a beer desert, I might have given them yet another chance, like I seemed to always be doing before.

 

A while back I jumped into a thread about how Sixpoint was beginning to be distributed in Portland (I think the thread is still going on the Northwest forum), saying how I wished they'd distribute to WA and mentioning how I liked the can of Resin that another BA had sent to me as an extra in a trade. I happen to give a quick summary of what it had tasted like, and received a response from @Sixpoint stating that it sounded like I hadn't had a very fresh can, because my description was off, and that he wanted to send me a fresh sample. Bear in mind my experience had been a positive one, and I said so. He insisted, and sent me a 6-pk of Resin...and a 6-pk of Global Warmer...and a 6 pk of Crisp...and a T-shirt...and some stickers and coasters.

So, if that's what he does for someone who liked the beer in question, what does he do for those that have true issues? It goes without saying that I'm a fan of theirs, and made a point of sharing some of the cans with other beer geeks who were likewise impressed by both the beer and my story of how I came to have them.

 

Not sure I agree. If it's a tiny, hole-in-the-wall place that has numerous similar issues, that's one thing. A bigger entity is creating so many bottles or cans of beer it's just the law of averages that something might go wrong with a few of them.

 

"Three Floyds doesn't have to refund anything", is 100% correct. Last year at DL Day my neighbor finally got the chance to asked them about those 3 beers and they said that many of bottles were infected and they wished they had refunded peoples money back then as they have during their most recent infected beer release. Good business is righting a wrong and they finally figured it out! Look on the bright side.... with me not buying their beers there are more for you.

 

A few years back Blvd Brewing notified people that a batch of their Chocolate Ale was infected. They asked people who bought it and wanted a refund to send them a photo of the bottle and contact info. Within days, I received a refund check from Blvd. I never cashed the check, and I never will. I brought the bottle to a tasting so that we would be able to try to detect the off flavors of a known infected beer, as opposed to the claims of many that such and such a beer "is infected."

 

I like the fact that they(abita,Stone,Saint Arnold)have answered every question i have ever asked them on facebook or twitter.

 

You guys are pretty unlucky with your purchases.

 

I would say I used to be dumb and not check bottle dates until i purchases usually...havent complained to a brewery for about a year because if i cant see a bottle date/dont like the bottle date i see i dont buy...

 

Well, i am still dumb, just not about buying stale beer.

 

Also a Fat Heads fan. First time my son and I visited barmaid drew me a Headhunter and set it it fornt of me.
I was talking with my son and thought nothing of it, until some guy in green overalls comes over and tells me he's replacing the beer, because it didn't look right. Didn't know, at the time it was Matt Cole

 

Yes, I have great responses from several.

I'm probably late to the game, but my one suggestion/comment is to not go to social media on any issue you have. Contact the brewery directly. I think this is ideal for multiple reasons. 1) if you truely give a shit about craft beer you wouldnt put someone on blast on social media 2) perhaps it is an issue they are unaware of. QA may be a job far more difficult than most of us understand for a craft brewer. 3) all the cool kids are doing it. 4) if you are a ginormous douche bag and are trying to milk them for some free shit, by all means blast them on twitter.

 

When you have reviewed over 7,000 beers like I have, you are bound to get a few stinkers.

 

Clown Shoes--Had a complete gusher when opening up one of their bombers of stout. Took a photo of the disaster and sent them an e-mail. They promptly responded and gave me a $20 credit to purchase items on their online store. Worked out well.