One person's shelf turd is another person's treasure

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by Sir_Whats-his-face, Oct 30, 2015.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
Page 1 of 6
  1. Sir_Whats-his-face

    Sir_Whats-his-face Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2015 Oregon

    I went shopping today and found that the supermarket I was at had several bottles of Parabola available. Since I hadn't seen it in a few months, I asked the clerk about it, and he said they had tons of it; more than they can get rid of, so they put it back on shelves. FW's other proprietor's beers also sit on shelves for months around here, sometimes even for over a year. I can say the same for Pelican's Mother of All Storms and all of Deschutes' barrel aged beers.

    I think we can all agree that these are very good and pretty sought after beers. but they're expensive, so they often just sit there. They are, in other words, the definition of a shelf turd around here. So why is this such a pejorative term? Sometimes great beer sits there. And due to the alcohol content of these beers, they can sit there for quite a while.

    What sought after beers just sit there on shelves where you live?
     
    #1 Sir_Whats-his-face, Oct 30, 2015
    2beerdogs, charlzm and russpowell like this.
  2. TCJ0100

    TCJ0100 Initiate (0) Oct 9, 2014 California

    To me shelf turds are either beers whose formats, price, or desirability makes it so they sit past their prime. I wouldn't say that Parabola is a shelf turd under the best of circumstances, I think you just found an extremely rare/unknown cache. When people say shelf-turds they are usually talking about like 22 oz of Scuplin, the quart Sucks, or 6-packs that just don't move but aren't desirable past a certain date because of low-ABV or hop fade.
     
    #2 TCJ0100, Oct 30, 2015
    MUTINY, bubseymour, laketang and 4 others like this.
  3. IPAandGreenChile

    IPAandGreenChile Initiate (0) Jun 25, 2014 Colorado

    Bomb! Just sits on shelves in Denver.
    Not sure how hard it is to get elsewhere. It's highly rated so I'm guessing were just lucky here.
     
    #3 IPAandGreenChile, Oct 30, 2015
    StrappingYoungLad, Brolo75, tylerstravis and 3 others like this.
  4. Hrodebert

    Hrodebert Savant (1,024) Sep 2, 2013 Michigan
    Trader

    I have a local grocery store that has Chimay, red, white, and blue,that has been sitting on the shelf ever since I have been shopping there. These beers, in this store, are the definition of shelf turd.
     
    #4 Hrodebert, Oct 30, 2015
    HorseheadsHophead, laketang, HoppedChef84 and 1 other person like this.
  5. russpowell

    russpowell Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,292) May 24, 2005 Arkansas
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    The price man. sits on the shelf here...
     
    #5 russpowell, Oct 30, 2015
    Professor_Yeesh, SixThousandDollars, BourbonJersey and 5 others like this.
  6. MisSigsFan

    MisSigsFan Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2013 California

    One store just always has FW Proprietors sitting around. While other stores are well out, this one has Helldorado and Velvet Merkin right now. The Deschutes BAs sit at most stores here as well.
     
    #6 MisSigsFan, Oct 30, 2015
    foundersfan1, charlzm and HoppedChef84 like this.
  7. westcoastbeergeek

    westcoastbeergeek Initiate (0) Sep 16, 2015 Canada (BC)

    Where is this store, I need to visit it!
     
    #7 westcoastbeergeek, Oct 30, 2015
    JonnyBeers, foundersfan1, Axtimusprime and 1 other person like this.
  8. westcoastbeergeek

    westcoastbeergeek Initiate (0) Sep 16, 2015 Canada (BC)

    British Columbia, Canada - basically almost any $35+ bottle, exception to ultra rares

    Cascade - the $40-$50 price tag doesn't help
    Brooklyn Black Ops - $40+ seen lots of 2+ year old bottles
    Fifty Fifty Eclipse - $50+ bottles sit on shelves
    Many lesser known USA breweries - so many bottles of Burnside, Breakside, Coronado and others sit for months/years that I never buy them. With our markup, they are all way over priced.
     
    #8 westcoastbeergeek, Oct 30, 2015
    SixThousandDollars, CRObighit2, rogerdandy and 2 others like this.
  9. Das_Reh

    Das_Reh Initiate (0) Mar 25, 2013 Florida

    Pretty much every Belgian import inevitably becomes a shelf turd.
     
    #9 Das_Reh, Oct 30, 2015
    evilcatfish, BecauseWhalezbro, degbert and 2 others like this.
  10. Ieatlambfries

    Ieatlambfries Maven (1,344) Dec 5, 2003 New Jersey

    There's some Mikkeller turds at a few shops I know of. Mikkeller hasn't been distributed in my state for at least 2.5-3 years.
     
    #10 Ieatlambfries, Oct 30, 2015
    evilcatfish and FenderOffset238 like this.
  11. StJamesGate

    StJamesGate Grand Pooh-Bah (3,766) Oct 8, 2007 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    At €8-10 a bottle in Ireland; KBS, Brooklyn BCS, and GI BCBS just sit and sit....
     
    #11 StJamesGate, Oct 30, 2015
    foundersfan1 likes this.
  12. oldbean

    oldbean Initiate (0) Jun 30, 2005 Massachusetts

    Sooooo much Cascade.
     
    #12 oldbean, Oct 30, 2015
    Brolo75, Immortale25, beermeplz and 5 others like this.
  13. BeerGreg

    BeerGreg Savant (1,159) May 17, 2013 Illinois

    A few months ago, we had another couple over for dinner. The guy knows I'm a hop head, so he brings a bomber of Sculpin...with the old label. Thing was like three years old. I asked him where he got it and told him he should go ask for a refund. He enjoys good beers as well, just didn't know to look at the bottling date. It was good for a laugh though.
     
    #13 BeerGreg, Oct 30, 2015
    foundersfan1, Axtimusprime, Lucular and 4 others like this.
  14. beersnobraven

    beersnobraven Initiate (0) Jul 12, 2014 Illinois

    I've seen the same bottle of Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel on the shelf of my local bottle shop for about three years now before I bought it myself the other day. Also, they always have a ton of Samichlaus, which I love but I guess no one else does because they have a stock of dusty old bottles from 2013. Well, at least now I have a supply of beautifully aged Samichlaus available to me!
     
    #14 beersnobraven, Oct 30, 2015
    rogerdandy likes this.
  15. MaltLickyWithTheCandy

    MaltLickyWithTheCandy Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2013 Maryland

    I can only dream of a world where i can just walk into the store and get a parabola "shelf turd" anytime i want.
     
    #15 MaltLickyWithTheCandy, Oct 30, 2015
    SixThousandDollars, gibgink, BeerDunson and 14 others like this.
  16. CHickman

    CHickman Pooh-Bah (2,854) Jan 7, 2009 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Agree, the price is too high for the size of the bottle. BOMB! is a great beer, but the cost is out of whack.
     
    #16 CHickman, Oct 30, 2015
    StrappingYoungLad, scbeerman, Gemini6 and 3 others like this.
  17. KingEdward

    KingEdward Initiate (0) Jan 6, 2010 North Carolina

    Sits on the shelf in asheville too
     
    #17 KingEdward, Oct 30, 2015
  18. KingEdward

    KingEdward Initiate (0) Jan 6, 2010 North Carolina

    In its home state i hear its only 7dollars in asheville its 10
     
    #18 KingEdward, Oct 30, 2015
  19. KingEdward

    KingEdward Initiate (0) Jan 6, 2010 North Carolina

    Old hickory omega point has been on the shelf at earthfare in asheville since its release at a cost of 24.99
     
    #19 KingEdward, Oct 30, 2015
    Blueribbon666 likes this.
  20. CHickman

    CHickman Pooh-Bah (2,854) Jan 7, 2009 New York
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Lots of stuff sits on the shelf by me in NY, most collecting dust; Belgian's and stouts are fine by me as they age well but the low ABV and fresh hopped brews should not sit there as long as some places leave them. If (big if) these places were smart, they would discount the old beer and push it so they don't have bad/skunked crap leaving a bad rep.

    Regarding all that aged Parabola and Deschutes available out there, I will gladly arrange to buy as much as possible and ship it out east if you care to share the name of the place. Like an adoption, I have a nice home for those bottles.
     
    #20 CHickman, Oct 30, 2015
    algebeeric_topology and foundersfan1 like this.
Page 1 of 6
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.