Toppling Goliath Releases and Updates

I think the point is we can't know for sure if they are limiting quantity so they can justify the high price/feed the hype/etc. but there's a number of other things they have done in the past that are greedy, so it's probably fair to assume they are filtering their production decisions through the lens of greed.

 

You're right. It's hard to argue with speculative conspiracy theories and vague "number(s) of other things".

TG didn't set the market price. It's likely more than $100. You, us, contributing to sites like these serve just as much a role in that market.

If you really don't like capitalism and profiteering then drink Potosi and vote for democratic socialists this month.

 

I didn't assume anything about the nature of the decision, other than it was made. I wasn't being cynical about it, and I certainly don't assume it was based on greed (in fact, if greed were the motivating, I'd argue they choose incredibly poorly). You've got me all wrong.

I don't necessarily want more BCBS or Abyss, either, they make plenty. Nor was my point that overnight they would reach that capacity. Nor did I mean to imply that distribution level amounts of KBBS is the optimal amount to create.

But, and this shouldn't need to be said except that you keep jumping from the actual production amount as if it were a fixed constant or the crazy amounts of BCBS that was made, the difficulties in scaling up to on the level of BCBS are quite different from, say, brewing a second or third batch of KBBS and doubling, or tripling their existing capacity. I am not saying there aren't challenges in this, maybe they even wanted to do this but decided the challenges were too great! But those challenges were not insurmountable, they simple chose not to face them, and instead produce 800-1k bottles.

You seem far more cynical about TG than I am (you said: "I highly doubt they could maintain quality and consistency at that scale."), I'm just curious about why they made the decisions they may have made.

That's separate from whether or not I think they were the best decision based on what they want to achieve.

And THAT's separate from how I'd want them to operate if I had my own way and TG was optimized for me, personally.

 

Is it November already!!??.....

 

I'm just making the point that if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

And I'm obviously aware that they didn't set the price but they are doing their best to drive it as high as they can. Which, hey, is absolutely their prerogative. That doesn't mean people can't come on here and call them out for what they are doing. Part of "capitalism" is consumers using their money elsewhere and having the ability to protest when companies get out of line. That's exactly what a lot of people in this thread are doing. Just because some people see both sides of capitalism doesn't mean we are democratic socialists

But hey, you're accusing me of calling fire when I see smoke so why shouldn't you call fire too?

 

That's not what I'm saying. I'm sorry if I mis-phrased what I wrote to leave that impression. I do not covet the beer, and I'm not even arguing that they should make more of the beer.

I'm curious about why they made the decision to continue making it in exceedingly tiny amounts and then raise the price to capture some of the secondary market instead of choosing a different path, and wondering about what the long term effects on their brand will be.

Most of the discussion around here IS focused on what people want for themselves, or deciding that a measure of the smartness of TG's decision by how this sale goes. I'm not doing the former and I think you can't do the latter.

 

I'm not implying it, I'm stating it, and they are being explicit about it.

If they have the means to open operations in two other states and build a brand new brewery that massively expands their capacity, and they have talented brewers, and the funding and space to secure barrels and place them somewhere, then they could have made the set of decisions that overcome whatever challenges there are to create more KBBS. It surpasses plausibility they didn't consider that option or are unaware of the potential market for it.

I think brewers doing what Anchorage and TG are regarding charging a lot for their high demand beers is inevitable and the backlash are natural growing pains. Look to comparable markets, the highest demand beer is still priced Too Low, if you're looking at what the market will bear.

I'm curious about why they thought this was a good business decision.

Separately, I don't much care for it, but what's good for me might be bad for business, and I'm in no way suggesting they should cater to me or people like me, for whatever reasons I might present.

 

voting started Oct 8th in Iowa!

 

Already did it, son, EARLY VOTING GET OUT THERE AND VOTE

 

The vast majority of us weren't going to get this beer regardless of the price. I say "a chicken in every pot and KBBS for all!"

 

I haven't read all the KBBS commotion but wasn't this $12 in 2012? I've also said my peace about this when they had the ludicrous cellar sale. You can't black list me twice TG so fuck you. 2018 Assassin wasn't even that good and 2016 was a fruity mess. Why are your hops so inconsistent too? It's pretty sad when your best, most consistent beer is made at Wisconsin Brewing. I'm spiraling. Bye.

 

On the first point. Yes TG is artificially limiting supply. They had the option to buy more maple syrup barrels and passed and simply went with 4 total. Clark is extremely cheap when it comes to investing more into KBBS production as he doesn't need to.

2nd point, It's a damn good business decision. Not only is he able to see massive profits from MD he can quadruple that profit on a small amount each year and not let a cent of the direct profit go to outside sources, IE distro and bottle shops. KBBS will never be mass produced or distributed again. Clark loves the hype and money that comes from these releases plain and simple

 

Whatever, agree to disagree. I'm glad you have all of TG's externalities on lock. You assume there's no risk. Plus, the price was the same last time. Do you really think the market wouldn't support another 800-1000 bottles at $100? Some of you just seem to get off on villainizing the man. Yea, he's probably douchey, but we don't need to characterize every decision he makes in the most cynical way possible.

Edit: Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you have a history of treating information as knowledge? Re: trying to take pictures you took of barrels as an indication of batch size.

 

Don't ever go into business.

 

TG was making money on KBBS when they were selling it for $25 a bottle.

 

Which should be all they are ever allowed to make...

 

FYI... Potosi Brewery is in Wisconsin, not Bolivia.

 

I honestly do not understand the confusion some people have with the pricing of this beer, saying it is priced too highly:

TG is selling each bottle for $100.
It will sell out almost instantly.
Therefore, it is being sold by the brewery at a lower price than its actual value.

It really is that simple.

 

I honestly do not understand the confusion some people have about the discussions about price. The Econ 101 supply and demand line isn’t quite the mic drop you think it is.

Most everyone here understands that TG is ABLE to sell out of KBBS at $100 a bottle. That doesn’t mean that the decision to do so cannot undergo any sort of broader scrutiny over what it means for what type of brewery TG is, its relationship to its customers (and the long term business consequences of that), or what it means to the larger world of craft beer. People can disagree, criticize, and question it on those grounds. To imply that every pricing decision made by a company should not be questioned if the specific item will sell is silly and tired at this point.

 

That was an efficient way to completely miss the point, considering there were about 50 posts detailing exactly why people have a problem with the $100 price tag.

If people were genuinely buying this beer for consumption at $100, your statement would be 100% accurate. Instead, it is being bought to be traded and resold as a commodity. The demand for the beer itself hasn’t dictated the rise to its astronomical price, its value in secondary has.

Folks are lamenting that this beers value is being inflated by those buying at an at least partially inflated price with no intention of enjoying it, which keeps it out of the hands of those that would, especially at the price that it is now “worth”. It really is that simple.