Weihenstephan Cans!!!

Actually when AB came out with that campaign honestly it was lost on me. I had no concept at all about the freshness of the product, it was in a bottle or can we drank it. My thought then were who cares what day it was born on. They announced a date on the bottle, but I don’t actually remember the message and why it was important.

 

But if the terms of the contracts are not enforced then they are just words.

Kudos to AB for enforcing that their partner Wholesale Distributors actually perform here and remove old stock.

Cheers!

 

I don’t understand how it works on the distributor end. Retailer back to local distribution then back to where?

Where does the beer go after it’s off loaded from the shipping containers on the ship? Trucked to regional warehouses, then to local distributors? The real loser here is the brewery eventually everything back up to their door if the product isn't selling for any reason.

 

Well, as those links state:

...but it likely varies from state to state, based on tax laws (the distributor typically pays the state excise tax and can get a refund on the destroyed product) and recycling laws, local sewer reg's, etc. (I once worked for a prescription drug company and, based on FDA regulations, I had to go with the garbage hauler and watch the defective packages be "destroyed" at the dump by these giant bulldozers with steel-spiked wheels run over them a few times. Fun afternoon, except in hot weather).

Boston Beer Co., in there 2019 Annual Report stated:

Accepting the old beer might be due to a program BBC has to reuse some of the proprietary bottles:

At least one AB distributor years ago just buried the old beer but that didn't work out too well. Damn Kids! Why aren't you in school!

Large quantities of returns might wind up a industrial alcohol distillers (think that happened when the Feds outlawed the caffeinated FMB's like Four Loko) and I've read of AB distributors having programs to donated theirout-of-code beer to veterinary doctors who give it to horses to treat a disease called Anhydrosis.

I've also heard of distributors' employees helping themselves to the returned beer but don't know how legal that is, so you didn't hear it from me.

In most cases (esp. for importers) from what I understand that doesn't happen.

 

First World troubles yet again.

If it's a ten minute drive, in Boston, it's probably a 5 minute walk, isn't it?

Besides, you pay your chauffeur well, don't you?

 

@jonphisher

total wine has them both. $10 4 packs

 

Thanks to @jonphisher for pointing me to the latest thread where lagers live.

I honestly am not crazy about their regular Helles, so didn’t think much of this post about being in cans until I saw the recipe was a little different. The nose on this is incredible. Very grainy with a sweet corn note. Nice bready malt flavor, but super light, crisp, and dry. Just a touch watery/light on the finish, but this is easy to drink by the liter.

 

Your assessment is what I was afraid of: it sounds a lot like an American lager now, rather than the classic Helles.

 

I wouldn’t say that’s entirely inaccurate after my first can. It would be slightly more comparable to a few (of the great examples) of American made Helles. However, I also had it after a Stone Self Righteous, so I wasn’t expecting to pick up subtle hop notes. And to me, the light floral touch was the main thing it was lacking. It’s much crisper and drier than American lagers.

 

Sorry if its buried in the thread, but anyone catch these in NYC yet?

 

So, I decided to do a blind taste test. Firstly, apologies for the shaker pints but I didn't have two of the same German glasses to use. Second, I didn't have a fresh (enough) Weihenstephan Original so I went with a Paulaner that was canned on 11/18/20 (vs 11/19/20 for Weihenstephan). My guess on which was which was incorrect. Based on aroma and taste, blind, I actually preferred Weihenstephan. There was more sweet grain aroma and flavor, and seemingly more body despite the Paulaner looking more carbonated.

 

Can #2
Yeah. The hops, while still maybe a hair subdued for the style, are more noticeable. Still think the body is the biggest downside. Like you touched on, it makes you feel like you are drinking a Pils without the hop profile. I prefer a little more of that creaminess/fullness in a Helles. I also am getting a little more of that sulfur like earthy aroma and flavor, which is fine. Similar to a local version I like.

 

Finally got to do a side by side comparison (blind, triangle). Original bottled 8/25/20, Helles canned 11/19/20. Served in opaque cups, which was wise because the new Helles is lighter in color. The nose was closer than I anticipated, but I got a slight hint of citrus from the Helles. The body is more where the difference was clearer for me, with the Original having a more rounded malt character and the Helles being lighter/thinner in body. Both are super drinkable but personally I prefer the Original, despite it being not as fresh.

 

How is the Hefe tasting in cans? Paulaner Hefe in cans is a regular for me these days.