Sierra Nevada Question

I'm tripping over all of them in Santa Cruz

 

"Chico County"...where's that? Last l checked Chico was in Butte County.

 

It also makes it out of Butte County. It is on the shelves in some places here in San Jose County.

 

Sorry,
I was trying to remember what SierraNevadaBill had told me like a year ago. And I'm not from Northern California. I guess I got some of the geography wrong. But it doesn't leave northern california should be the takeaway.

 

Old Chico Crystal Wheat is NorCal and Mills River Brewery.

@sierranevadabill can answer the other ones... It's a competitive world out there.

 

Porter and stouts are in regular rotation with all of the other S/N products we get

 

Because they are whalez!

 

I have never seen Stout in the LA area.

 

You're right. We do still make both Porter and Stout. Same as they ever were since 1980. The thing is, Porter and Stout have never really taken off like many of our other brands. There are pockets all over the country that stock them, and if anybody (distributors) wanted the beer we would absolutely send them some. The thing is, there are lots of breweries with lots of brands. Some inevitably do better than others.
Porters and Stout don't have nearly the appeal across the broad range as some other beer styles (read:IPAs et. al.) and so in many placed they get discontinued off inventory sheets and bumped out of grocery shelf-sets for other faster moving products.
Ask your local beermonger. If he/she hears there is demand, odds-are the beer can be brought in. You may have to belly-up for a whole case, though.

Kellerweis is similar, but not quite as scarce. Of the three (Porter, Stout, Kellerweis) Kellerweis sells the best, but we sell more Torpedo in a day than we do of the other brands in several months.

Old Chico is a different thing altogether. Those beers (Crystal Wheat and the seasonal rotators) were designed as a "thank you" to our local crowd in Northern California. The bulk is sold in Butte County (home of Chico) but Crystal Wheat (the most popular) has a longer reach, down to the Bay Area and even a little beyond.

The Old Chico rotators are also available in the Mills River, NC Taproom and gift shop, but not in the general market.

@jesskidden above hits the (painful) but honest truth in the matter. We wish all our beers were as popular as Torpedo, Hop Hunter or Pale Ale, but that can't always be the case.

-Bill

 

I've never seen Old Chico, now or when I lived in PA. Seen the porter and stout plenty of times; I don't think they get as many requests as the Pale Ale, Torpedo or even now with the Hop Hunter so they don't hit the shelves as much. I know I've had the Porter and it's really solid; I thought I had the Stout too, but I don't know for sure.

 

Loved Rain Check, unfortunately I only found it in 4 packs and the 4 pack I found only had one left in it.

 

I carry their porter...unfortunately it mostly just sits on the shelf. Not too many people interested in it. Just Torpedo, Hoptimum, and Hop Hunter is all they care about
It's a shame.
Same with Bigfoot. It's just been sitting getting no love. And its a very solid beer.

 

San Jose County?? Where the heck is that? Last I checked it was Santa Clara County.

 

I'm in Maryland and see the stout and porter fairly frequently around here. I've never seen Old Chico, but it sounds like that doesn't make it out of Cali. Do they distribute it out of the NC location?

 

If you are near a Bottle King they usually carry both.

 

I see Old Chico quite a bit here in Sacramento. I have never noticed the Porter or Stout, I guess it is time for a road trip to Chico. Luckily, I have seen Bigfoot recently, but I think the season has passed.

 

I see the porter everywhere, but I rarely see the stout.

 

I've never seen Old Chico, but do see Porter everywhere, and Stout has limited distribution in my area. I have to drive about 40 miles if I want some Stout.

 

North MS gets all but the stout for some reason. If i drive a few minutes north into Memphis,TN i can find stout. Funny how that is.

 

Thanks for the info ... as always!

Here in Texas, you have to look relatively hard for the porter and stout. We have it, but I think the only place I've seen the stout is at the main Spec's in midtown Houston. I want to say I bought the porter here in Bryan-College Station, but that one comes and goes.

Distribution ... it can be an evil bitch to figure sometimes.