2019 Founders Releases

Unless the pricing drops to the $14.99 tier the year round decision is stupid.

 

I'd definitely consider buying it more frequently.

 

Anyone go to the Oktoberfest release today? Just getting a feel for inventory if it'll last through the weekend (should, right? It's just an Oktoberfest...)

 

To each their own but there’s no such thing as too much coffee in a beer to me. Never drank one and felt that way. It’s lke saying there’s too much fun. The more variants the better. More beer please. Cheers!

 

Could it be just that a brown ale doesn't have the heaviness you've become used to in imperial stouts and porters? A friend of mine mixed it with Breakfast Stout because of that and loved the result

 

I’d bet on it. This one seems to fit the mold of Mothership releases like Mucho Lupu and Cerise and those hung around for a while. (Unlike Panther Cub and BBA FIS which were gone in a blink)

At least I hope so. Gonna try to grab a sixxer or two tomorrow.

As an aside, I’m hoping for MF Donkey Stout to make a return. Maybe one of my favorite stouts ever...

 

When's harvest ale seeing distro? Any sightings of it out yet?

 

Just saw it hit Chicago today.

 

I don’t know this for sure, but I have wondered whether the decision to make KBS a year round was a result of their (unknowingly) own doing. That is, hype always existed, and as they increased production to meet demand, they did not account for demand dipping as a result of other suitable substitutes. But, it has. But they already ramped up. Because it is so well liked, they can probably keep (or maybe even slightly lower?) production, keep it on shelves year round without changing much. Because it will always be there, people may buy a little less, but that may help them by allowing them to decrease production and put those barrels to a different use.

Everyone seems to get what they want in that case, and Founders most importantly gets to make it, say, 2-4 times a year in smaller batches than say, once for a big national push deadline of 1 Apr.

 

You are probably right. KBS is sitting in massive stacks at every Binny's I've been to. They probably made that much again, saw their sales this year, and decided to just spread it out over the course of a year. If they bring their price point down (which Binny's has already done from around 26 to now being 19.99) then more people would buy. They cannot expect people to still pay that much for KBS when there are a ton of other great barrel aged beers on the shelf at lower price points. I like KBS, always have, and still enjoy it from time to time, but I could live without it at the original price.

 

Most Binny's I've been in have had it for $17.99. Solid price for it, IMO.

 

Back in the day, KBS at store cost was about 15 bucks, so that's a good price.

 

Yeah, I'm fine with paying $4 and change per beer for a very good BA stout.

 

What other very good BA stouts are available at $4-5 per beer? (Not trying to be confrontational, just trying to think of what else is really at this price point, since my brain has a case of the Mondays) Especially one with adjunct involved? I know that most people consider Revolution's Deth's Tar to be a good value, and I can't remember if that's $20 or $25 per 4 pack. But the equivalent would probably be Café Deth from them, and I think that is $25???

 

Tar is $25, I believe, and Cafe is $30 or $35. So you're looking at roughly $6-9 per beer.

I'd say the other very good BA stouts available at that price are the CW Brewers Reserve series. They're some of my favorite beers, and at a very good price point when you realize they're like $3.75 per beer, and they offer a wide range of styles and adjuncts. I love em because I can always have some quality BA beers sitting in my fridge for a good price, and they're great to crack open when I want to have a BA beer or two while I watch a Blackhawks game or something on a weeknight, when it's just not practical to crack bombers.

The Odd Side BA releases are also solid, typically, and have lots of different adjuncts available any given year. Can pick up stuff like Hazel's Nuts(solid beer) or Rye Hipster, Hipster Brunch, etc. for like $5-6 apiece.

So there are some options out there, but it's limited.

 

I've never been able to get into KBS and I've tried, but Founders Breakfast Stout is phenomenal.

 

It's my beer of choice for mornings when I'm smoking meat on a weekend. Pop a brisket or pork shoulder on at 6 or 7am, start with some Irish Coffee, then around 10:30am, switch up and have a couple breakfast stouts, and then move into haze once it hits noon or 1pm, and it's warmer out. That's basically my meat smoking routine these days.

 

At 2018 Release, Kroger’s had it on sale for 16.99. If I look, I think it’s pretty easy to find for 19.99. I don’t know if I ever consistently see it for less. $4-5 is a solid price though.

Guess I did not need to quote you, yours just seemed most appropriate.

 

I never drink much in my meat smoking days, but I sure do when I am making something that I am actively cooking for 6+ hours (between prep and cook), which includes Gumbo (I make all my own stock for it also), and homemade sausages - especially Boudin.

It’s tradition, now!

 

I'm not getting hammered, but I enjoy having some drinks when I do it. It's usually like two cups of irish coffee from about 6am-10am. Then a couple of breakfast stouts from 10am-noon. Then some haze when the sun gets high and it starts to get warmer out. If it's fall or spring, and stays in the 50's or low 60's all day, then it's usually BA stouts after the breakfast stout, instead of haze, and I'll usually crack a bomber, and drink on it for the next 5-6 hours(if solo).