Alesmith Big Bottles - No Love?

I like Speedway - pass on the rest.

 

I have the same dilemma. They're still great beers, especially Speedway and Grand Cru IMO, but perhaps the hype train has moved on. They're just not rare enough anymore. They could be a few dollars cheaper as well.

 

I just tried a fresh btl of Alesmith IPA and was underwhelmed. I even thought the Pretty Things Meadowlark IPA was superior

 

Agreed, their IPA didn't blow me away.

 

Previously I was a huge fan of Alesmith IPA, I ranked it as one of my favorites. But recently I have found it rather inferior when compared to others such as Maine Lunch, or even Green Flash West Coast considering how accessible that is.

Still think Speedway is fantastic, but would buy it much more often it was at a $12 price point instead of 15 or 16.

 

Damn - $16 for Speedway I would not pay.

It's $10.99 here, but yeah a local =)

 

The price is why things like these, the Nebraska Brewing beers, and Lost Abbey barrel aged stuff moves extremely slowly, if it moves at all. Too many good options for less to pay a premium for no reason.

 

According to the beer that sits on the shelves at the places I shop, I think you can say that about most high priced bombers/750's that aren't "new" to the local beer geeks.

There is no brand loyalty in craft beer. And sometimes I wonder if the majority of high end craft beer sales are only to one-time buyers.

 

For me this is 100% true, I rarely buy the same beer twice unless it's in a 6 pack form and sessionable.

 

I would have nothing left to drink if I did that

 

Their IPA is great, but $7.99 here. That's $26 for a 6 pack of an AIPA. Speedway is $15.99 as mentioned earlier. Alesmith is way too expensive.

 

hah. Well I have 2 kegs of homebrew on tap at all times too. No need to buy much beer these days.

 

This, to a large extent. One and done is all too common. No matter how good something is (and I'd say Alesmith IPA is solid and worthwhile when fresh), there's a lot of trying something once and not bothering to revisit, as there's probably a new bottle to try.

And, on that note- market glut. New England gets way, way too many breweries and bottles. It's nice having the selection in some ways, but it also means that there's so much on the shelves, and lots of it gathers dust. Especially at semi-premium bomber/750 prices.

And a lot more people watching their money... why go for a single 750 of Grand Cru or Old Numbskull when you could get a 6pack of something that might be slightly less exciting but that will leave change in your pocket?

 

I honestly think they're about as solid a brewery as you can find. I've never had an AleSmith beer I didn't thoroughly enjoy. It's pricey, but for a once in a while treat, their stuff is top notch.

 

They're way overpriced in New England. $16 is a good price on Speedway - $18-$20 isn't unheard of. That said, Speedway still moves pretty quickly around here.

Their other big bottles are nice enough, but not worth the $15 or so for them. Why am I ever going to pay $15 for the Grand Cru when I can get something from Unibroue for half the price, or a world class import for $10-$12?

 

I like Speedway and Horny Devil, but I understand the issues on price. Not to mention the fact that living in CT, I have to cross the border in NY to get it. I am also a huge Green Flash guy, and now that they are here in CT, I don't really need to travel for Alesmith

 

I've seen the same thing. The only thing that moves is Speedway. The others just sit. When they were very hard to get, they moved. Now, with the lack of 'rareness' and lots of competition, they may be doomed.

 

The problem is in New England, Alesmith is priced as a special occasion brew. And there has been a large influx of such brews at similar or lower prices. I still splurge now and again for my Alesmith faves, Wee Heavy, Yulesmith and Speedway, in that order. But as a rule, Alesmith is just too pricey to be in an everyday rotation for many people. To be fair, it has traveled 3000+ miles to get here, but there are beers that can compare that didn't have to go so far or price so high because of gas costs.