Bell's Hopslam-limited release-WHY?

The expansion was pretty much done last year. They make more Hopslam than a majority of breweries make beer.

 

This is the first year that Hopslam was available in Massachusetts. I grabbed a 6-er when I saw it at my local, cause....
I'm going to pass from here on out. Glad to have tried it; for a long time it was one of the highly regarded beers.
I see it more as a reasonably hoppy barleywine than anything else. Good bitterness, but not much aroma or flavor. It's a 01/15/19 canning run too, so it's not like it's old or anything.

 

If it were available year-round, it might become a "Flagship", which people would then avoid in favor of other limited brews.

 

The answer of this is kind of obvious. Moving it to year-round would likely result in a decrease in sales.

I bet there is less Breakfast Stout being sold annually now than when it was a seasonal.

 

I know the sales of Backwoods Bastard have also ground to a halt since it went year round...and it is a fan-freaking-tastic beer.

 

Yeah, one of my favorites. Quite expected the dip in sales. I don't know what Founders was thinking really.

 

Hmmm, I dunno about breakfast stout. I'd bet it is doing fine year round. My reasoning: how many brewers can offer a cheap keg of a stellar coffee stout year round/ or 4-packs to stock the store. They aren't competing with hazy IPAs or fruity sours, and at its price point it is likely an easy mover at stores. Just my guess.

 

We have tons sitting on the shelves here too. No desire to try it as I don't like IPAs and have never liked a beer from Bell's but it looks like most stores received a huge shipment. Maybe because I live less than 2 hours from the brewery.

 

The one good thing about beers like Backwoods though is they age well, so when your periodically in the mood to grab one from the shelf, there is no worries about stale/oldness. Sending any type of hop forward "drink fresh" beer to year-round is almost always the kiss of death though.

 

I paid 19.99 for a six pack, it's good but not great for that price. I feel it's like a tradition to have it every year like Nugget Nectar and other once a year releases. It definitely is hype, I agree with @DoctorZombies wife. Create a demand and raise the price, I also think many stand in line breweries do the same.

 

Cases of it just sitting here at the last local shop I stopped by, and even some hanging around at Whole Foods. It's been there for a few weeks too, I assumed the demand had died down.
I bought my annual can of it, and yep....still too sweet/syrupy for my personal ipa tastes.

 

Let John Mallett handle the answer:

 

Well, Bell's beer in South Carolina is distributed by local wholesalers who typically by law can sell only to licensed retailers, so you're complaint would seem to with your state's alcoholic beverage commission for licensing the store and the regional Bell's distributor for selling them the beer, not Bell's.

 

It's plentiful where I'm at. It lasts a few weeks, and sometimes I find it after a few months when it should have been long gone. So don't necessarily blame Bell's, it may be your distributor or stores.

 

Wow, OP. It sells out within two days in your area??? If that's not an exaggeration, that's incredible. It's lasts sometimes for several months now where I'm at. Just long enough to get old.
If your experience isn't an exaggeration, it means either your area is behind the times--or, you're lucky for it--depending on your perspective. That was my experience with Hopslam five years ago. Not so much nowadays.

 

I was in St. Louis a week and a half ago. It was gone within a few days there. It does happen in some areas, but it's a distribution issue, not necessarily a production issue.

 

I'm hard pressed to buy FBS when java stout and coffee Baltic porter are on our shelves.

 

meh ... its showed up in VT for the first time this year, and while its pretty solid, definitely sitting around. i think as everyone else has mentioned, the little hype still remaining for this beer would be killed if it became a shelf turd.