Toppling Goliath in Chicago (2018)

If I brewed a beer that I sold to people in the past for 25/50 bucks and saw over time that my bottles were flipped for 500+ sometimes over 1k, I certainly wouldn't keep selling my next batch at the same price, unless I hated the concept of money.

 

Personally I'd consider $200 for 2 bottles of Assassin + KBBS to be more worth it than $100 for KBBS. Since I've had neither of the aforementioned beers, a chance to try 2, and either trade a bottle of Assassin for something else I've never had or hoard it for a special occasion is more worth the trip to Decorah than spending $100 on 12 oz. of beer. Yes, the assumed price for KBBS is logically the same, but the value of the whole package would be worth more to me.

With that being said, I thought it was a ripoff even then, and now that TG has whittled away much of what goodwill they had (in my eyes), even last year's event would be viewed in a worse light.

 

Let's be honest, much of that $100 is for the photo on IG and the tick on Untappd. It can also be for the cred that comes from breaking this out at a share. I'm not above it. I'd think about paying it once. But would anyone pay $100 to drink this a 2nd time?

 

To be fair, you can see my response on this page

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/toppling-goliath-releases-and-updates.447087/page-16

To me though, there is a big difference between driving to Decorah for 1 12 oz bottle of KBBS and 1 bottle of KBBS and 2 bottles of Assassin.

 

I generally agree. Which is why I think the best route would be for TG to make this onsite consumption only. Lower the price a bit so people are more inclined to visit and perhaps add some charity donation aspect to it to raise a couple grand for a local charity.

 

Fuck paying $100 just for 50 likes on Instagram. I could buy months worth of beer at Binnys for $100. $100 for a 12oz bottle? I want a bj from the hottest woman in Iowa

 

Or make it tap-only, and make it into an actual event. Making a low bottle count release where everyone can only get 1 12 oz. bottle essentially ensures that this will command a much higher price than it should. Do I blame them for trying to make some of the money that the secondary market is making? No. But do I respect the way they're going about it? Also no. Buffalo Trace (to use the aforementioned BTAC example) could easily ask double for all of BTAC and Pappy, but they don't, despite the fact that these bottles go for easily triple (or more) what the MSRP is. TG makes plenty of money outside of KBBS, so it's not like they're hurting if they don't cash in.

An event where KBBS is on tap would be very cool; limit pours to a couple a person, have some other fun stuff on tap, give people a reason to come to Decorah and feel like they're not just paying the price for KBBS being super Instagram-worthy.

 

Agreed. It's fairly evident that TG (namely Clark) enjoys publicity and hype in some degree so us looking for the best and fairest way to release the beer could very well be at odds with what TG/Clark are looking to do.

 

I think this is more an indictment on the people willing to pay $100 than the brewery charging it. If this was in Chicago would I be willing to pony up that just to try it to see if it was worth the years of hype for something I haven't had. Maybe. (Defintitely not driving to Decorah for it.) That being said, I've been consistently disappointed by those long sought after whales it has taken year's to try. Had CBS at DLD this year, was it worth 6 years of waiting? No and that was a sub $10 pour. Not taking a chance on KBBS....

 

No, mostly because I didn't know that it was $100 bucks last year. I have been expanding my beer nerdiness in the last year so wasn't following quite so closely last year. But I would also offer that $200 for the 2 Assassins + KBBS seems more attractive to me. I think putting in the effort to drive round trip 10+ hours for a single bottle of beer (12oz no less), without getting a taste or glass, is less tempting than 3 (and hopefully a taste + glass). I don't necessarily think this was a single event that cause my hesitation, but more of another straw.

 

10 hour round trip for a single beer that costs $100 is pretty damn crazy imo. Any busses or whatever that go straight there? I just looked at the wikipedia page for decorrah. Multiple state distribution for a town of 8000? Must be really good shit.

 

This is all true but you're gonna get an MD bottle. Definitely include Pulpit Rock who will do something special as a result. It's not like anyone is arriving back in IL with one bottle of beer

 

Wait, aren't you doing exactly that if you spend $100 (arriving back in IL with 1 bottle of beer)? I thought bottles of MD can also be purchased for $40 (don't get me wrong, that's a way better deal than KBBS at $100, but still).

 

Yeah, I thought that that might be what he meant, I just wasn't sure if $140 for KBBS + MD would've changed @sportscrazed2's opinion. Also, I had no idea what Pulpit Rock was, so that was another one I wasn't sure everyone driving up would be on board for.

 

Discounted crappy hotel and the ability to buy multiple beers so I could offset the cost a bit by selling to people not willing to drive to Iowa. Never heard of pulpit rock before. Actually looking for short road trip ideas.

 

Pulpit Rock may have better beers than TG

 

I didn't realize that was where TG's ex-head brewer went (in 2015 or whatever).

 

Yay more beer for me to buy!