Surly Darkness: value for money / value for time & trouble

Its had for me to justify the bottle prices or prices at other pubs/restaurants for non-barrel aged darkness when 10oz pours are $7 at the brewery. I'll get it at the brewery every time if it's available and I'm visiting.

Its a great beer but I honestly prefer a lot of the other stouts sampled in that article, even more so when you look at the costs that you quoted. EMJ, tenfidy, expedition are readily available and world class. Even rum king has lasted longer on the shelves, is cheaper and an amazing stout.

I also don't think that it ages as well as expedition or founders RIS, another reason I don't buy the bombers.

 

This is exactly why I stopped running to every beer release and scouring shops for the latest limited drop. If I stumble upon a Darkness or [insert rare release], that's great, but there is almost always something nearly or as delicious for a fraction of the price on the shelf. It's a liberating feeling to let go of the chase!

 

Something smells fishy about this paste "blind" taste test, did Omar and co conduct this at there tap room? If I was on that panel I wouldn't have even have guessed that this years darkness was a stout. Sorry I'm being a negative Nancy or a sour Susan, or what have you- just sayin....

On the other topic of price, to me it depends on the product. I'm willing to pay for an outstanding beer. I've payed $10-$13 dollars for 12oz beers that were not worth the bottle it was poured in, on the other hand a lot of people gripe about bourbon county rare's $60 price tag and I was blown away by that beer and was not upset about the price tag. Hands down the best beer I've had and in my opinion worth the price of entry. But certainly a special occasion beer, not I'm bored on a Tuesday night beer.

In my closing arguments, you have to pay for quality but when you do pay they need to deliver. This is where being selective comes into play

 

Circular logic- pay lots but when you pay lots it better be worth paying lots but when pay lots it better be worth....

Very, very few .rar whale beers are "worth it" on an objective scale when money, time, etc is taken into account. I won't discount the subjective pleasure of obtaining something difficult to obtain, of participating in a group, etc etc etc. Those are real factors that obviously influence the way a person may perceive what they are consuming.

But at the end of the day I've found I'm happier (and less broke) just drinking solidly made local beers without trying to chase stuff anymore. That's just me, your preferences may varry.

 

Bang for the buck, I like Big Sky Ivan The Terrible. It is excellent in quality, and cheap. Around here it is less than 21 cents an ounce. Unfortunately not very wide distribution.

Also, Central Waters Satin Solitude is excellent though not as good as Ivan, but only about 12.5 cents per ounce! Again, not widely distributed.

I didn't care that much for Darkness and have one in my cellar I am considering trying to trade for a Rum BA Fidy.

 

I agree with most arguments made here however I think that part of why people chase the harder to find beers is because they want to experience what the brewery has to offer for their annual special release. That's why I go after them at least.

Are they always better than what's easy to find? No.

Is it always worth the effort to obtain? No, we've all come across the over hyped beer that you'll probably never repurchase.

I always found that bottle sharing with a beer buddy is way better when it's a limited release. No one gets excited over a beer you can get anytime for a special occasion- although some of the ones that are available anytime are certainly delicious.

Craft beer as a hobby is all about the experience in my opinion; I've come across beers I wasn't crazy about but very glad I tried them.

I think getting at least one bottle of the hype beer is worth the chase. Then you could decide for yourself if it's worth another hunt.

Different strokes for different folks.

Cheers!

 

Huh? That's the best reason to drink great beer. Make the beer the "special occassion". Cheers

 

I think George Hunter Stout is the best value imperial stout made in the state. Even at a national level, I would rank it among the best at the $0.15/oz price point.

 

Not just the price point, but the ABV. At 8%, I think George Hunter (and similarly Big Bear Black from Bear Republic) come across just as "big" as a number of Imperials in the 10+% range. Fundamentally, I want to drink as much beer as I can limited only by calories and what I consider an appropriate amount of alcohol; in the long run, 8% lets me drink more good beer!

 

Understood darkness isn't everyone's favorite, but It doesn't mean that's how everyone feels.

2016 darkness isn't even a stout? Not sure what that means, but it tastes delicious to me. It's a hoppy ass sweet imperial stout w notes of dark fruits (raisins, prunes and cherries).

Do I like other beer more? Sure, but it doesn't mean I don't love some darkness (enjoying 2015 right now). I'll take it any day over FIS, expedition, or even rum king (which I love). To me it's far more complex.

 

No

 

Yes.

That said, there are several seasonal imperial stouts out there in four packs that are excellent. Narwhal & Plead the Fifth are two that I have trouble passing up whenever I see them, because I know I'll enjoy the crap out of them whether I drink them tomorrow or in September.

And thanks for the George Hunter recommendations, that's one I haven't tried yet & will have to seek out.

 

2015 Darkness was an all-time top 5 beer for me. Great mix of complex malt, brown sugar sweetness and tons of hops. This year's was good, but I missed the intense hop resin of last year.

That being said, I think FIS, Narwhal, Old Rasputin, Undead Party Crasher, and Yeti are top notch, go for a fraction of the price of Darkness, and don't require taking an extended lunch break on a Monday in October to acquire.

 

Me personally, I am in the "No" camp but to answer the OP's question of:

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder is the phrase that comes to mind. It is an individual determination I would say, not an objective fact. I only mention it because I hate to get this question in the beer store simply because worth it to me and worth it to a customer (that I know nothing about, it's different when it's a regular) are two completely different things.

 

I'd argue that if you are in a Surly market well served with draft kegs that it is well worth the $6-7/10 oz it runs in DSM, sometimes less. I will buy fewer bottles and buy more glasses/growler fills of draft now that I'm in a well-served Surly market.

 

Yeah, I almost mentioned the cheapness and availability of draft Darkness in Omaha. We've had a 1/2 and a 1/6 on the crowler machine ourselves. And there's at least one bar that I know put it on a few days ago. Seems like it has been almost continuously on somewhere since Oct. More draft than bottles it seems which is fine with me.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what did a crowler of it go for?