I worked in a beer distributor outside of Philly and I remember the sales reps from Victory and the wholesaler stating they're going to start canning the Headwaters Pale Ale and the Summer Love. I haven't ran into them and I am assuming they're behind schedule on it because the headwaters was supposed to be 100% canned. That summer love in cans would have been amazing.
Ya, summer love can 12pks are out. Granted, a bit behind schedule, which is probably delaying headwaters, but to be fair, summer love is their main priority right now heading into summer. I expect headwaters cans in july, but cant guarantee it.
The canning line was delayed in shipment, but as noted Summer Love is out now. HW later in summer followed by other goodies in time.
I guess people drink Headwaters, but it is not one of Victory's better beers. Seems a waste of canning capacity better spent on Prima.
I agree, I rather see prima but maybe that's their reason. Prima sells well either way, maybe they are hoping canning headwaters will increase the sales of it
Headwaters, to me, is actually a highly under-appreciated beer. Had it on tap about 4 years ago and have been keeping it in steady rotation ever since. I think it is a prime example of a classic American Pale Ale, really well balanced ala SNPA. I for one, will be happy to crush cans of it during the summer months.
Victory's yeast doesn't mesh well with hoppy beers, in my opinion. And it's not so much that Headwaters is a bad beer, but that it's not anything special when stacked up with other readily available pale ales. Where Prima is pretty much the head of the class as far as American-made N. German pilsners are concerned.
Also, there is a chance that Prima would cannibalize sales of Summer Love if it were out now in cans as well.
Summer Love cans in NYC. No Headwaters yet - but Headwaters was not announced for official release date, only Summer Ale
I read somewhere that Headwaters is now their best seller. Shocked the shit out of me as my thoughts mostly mirror yours.
It was for a while right after it was first released but after that initial surge settled down it seems to have stabilized at about #6 in sales as of a year or so ago based on information from the brewery that a regular user of BA posted in a thread in late 2013. No idea if its changed since then.