Suggestions To GI For BCBS

I think OP has drank too much BCBS.

 

I have said it before on this forum, and it still holds true

As many experts as we have on here telling successful companies how to run their businesses, I am surprised more of you aren't brewery employees or owners.

If you like it drink it, if not move on.

 

I thought the Regular and Barleywine were back to true form this year, maybe not as good as say 2013 but great beers none the less. Would love to see the 12oz bottles back and either 500ml or 22oz bottles for variants. Also variants have gotten too complicated with adjuncts, they need to keep it simple with one, maybe two adjuncts/additions.

 

I am sure the good folks at InBev are all over your well thought out ideas.

Money talks, good beer sells.

 

It will still age or "develop" due to oxidation, which is the primary factor in aging imperials/strong stouts and ales.

 

[QUOTE="RangerBuddy, post: 5137399, member: 1109162". Or do something better with them. It would make them a lot of money in the future, not to mention the hype around its return. [/QUOTE]


OK, I am guilty of not reading OP's post fully enough I missed the part where he said "Do something better with them." What a great idea. Why didn't they think of that?

I'd dust off my resume if I were OP, with an idea like that I am sure InBev will be reaching out to you.

 

You don't think they have had to dump large amounts that were bad in the past as well? I would imagine it is standard practice with brewing and barrel aging. Big difference is each year you need to scale up. Creating the potential to have to dump more if it didn't turn out as planned. Combining with an exponential increase of people even in 2 years trying to get BCBS, so there is less to go around from just that.

I'd even add as more and more people are interested in beer, this information of them having to dump X amount etc probably comes out more than it used to. Because people just want to know everything there is to know. When it is normal business loses.

This is not a similar problem 2 years in a row. Last year was wide spread infection.

 

Right, last year there was also cross-contamination. This year it's just the poor barrels. But if you see @Highbrow 's post above, or posts on other threads, it's getting more difficult to get quality barrels lately. Once that issue is solved, if it can be, everything else will fall into place.

 

I can't imagine Bourbon County(s) directly make them that much money based on the limited production. Indirectly, yes. Because they tell retail stores, the more they buy of their regular stock, the more variants and regular they'll receive come November.

Most of their money likely comes from beers like Honker's Ale and their IPA, which are fairly ubiquitous at airports, chain restaurants...etc.

As I mentioned above, I can't imagine they'll stop producing variants, because it may indirectly boost sales for their regular year-round line-up. The regular Bourbon County contributes to that, but I wonder how much more a retail store may purchase if they're promised a case or two of Coffee for example.

Something along the lines of, "If you buy 25 cases of Honker's Ale and 50 cases of the IPA per month, we'll send you a case of Coffee in November of that year."

 

Make more of it

 

Here are my thoughts for improvement on BCBS (and rare beer in general):

1. Put more into kegs than bottles, it pretty much then requires the liquid to be distributed across a wider population. This won't really help boost sales as much in off premise, but meh.

2. Better allocate product around the country. I don't think Goose did a particularly good job allocating product geographically this year. As several mentioned in other threads, there are places where there are still case stacks sitting in stores and other places where product sold out instantly. A buddy of mine sent a picture message this morning from Texas of the 7 cases of BCBS he bought today, just from a random store display.

3. Work with wholesalers to make more Black Friday "events". I've always enjoyed beer events where it was an actual event with draft pours of variants, good company, etc. I feel like many (most?) Black Friday releases are just people waiting outside a liquor store in crappy weather. There could be a lot more fun had with it. Having attended a few of their Migration Week events, Goose can put on a strong show when they want to.

 

Now that you mention it, Goose Island should just stop making beer.

 

OP has to be trolling. I am convinced.

You got me to comment... Touche!!!

 

How did this topic maintain on here so long?? Stop making BCS? Silly.

If your rationale to postpone all production of a once-a-year-product like BCS is because of a dump issue, that leaves no opportunity for GI to correct the root cause and leave enough time to verify. Without making BCS again, and again, you have no proof you've found the ACTUAL problem and that your corrections were successful.

Problems happen. What corrective actions they put into place is what matters more.

 

I'm pretty sure High Westified is made in nowhere near the same volume as BCBS for one. BCBS is higher in alcohol, but Lagunitas is a bit of an enigma in my mind anyways. It bewilders me how they are able to make Brown Shugga and Sucks and sell it for $9.99 a sixer in Ohio.

BCBS is priced very well for what it is, IMO. Jackie O's can charge $11.99 for a 375ml bottle all day and no one blinks an eye.

 

Aren't those sentiments somewhat conflicting? I would think that pricing it closer to demand would make it even more difficult to "crack one on a Tuesday and not feel like I need to wait for a special occasion".

 

One thing they could do is ship me a bottle...still haven't had a BCBS after all these years of drinking. It truly is a cold dark world out there folks.