Costco Brewer's Advent Calendar (2020)

My loving sister bought me one in 2018 and the beers were not good. Most were very can-bound and nearly undrinkable, as I recall.

I was just at her house (600 miles away) so she gave me a 2020 (and one for my son) to take back. We will not wait until December to start - they are probably over the hill enough already. Sitting in her garage for weeks can't have helped. Advent will start before Halloween this year.

I've seen some others out there (including BREWDOG!!) but I get a Costco from my sis.

With gifts it's the thought that counts! I'm an atheist anyway!

 

I'm trying to drink through these before they go bad, spoiling the fun of an Advent calendar. I had a great idea (as I cracked open the third of these).

I can reenact Bad Santa by refilling the calendar with whatever brews we like and throw in a Pepsi or a Bud Light because "they can't all be winners, kid."

 

Kind of late entry to this discussion - I might be the only person who opened their beer calendar on December 1st.... Anyways, I thought it's a nice start, liked the Flötzinger a lot. The breweries and beers appear to be legit. There used to be beer calendars out there where the majority of the "craft" beers were from made-up, obscure breweries, produced and canned all in the same place. This here seems legit. Not the most creative assortment, but I enjoy the fact that I get a beer every day that I could not buy anywhere else stateside. When I go to Germany over the holidays, I will most likely enjoy many beers superior to what's in the beer calendar, but all things considered I think my wife gave me a nice gift.

Prost!

 

I’m doing this in order. On beer 16 right now. Not bad not great. A couple have had that metal taste and a couple were pretty floral, but overall a fun purchase.

 

I was super excited to get this collection of 24 beers. Played the game and waited until Dec 1, yum pretty good beer. Dec 2, another pretty good although very similar beer. Dec 3, the same experience. By Dec 6, I’m feeling like I’m rotating through the same handful of very similar, mediocre beers. This might be harsh, be it’s like going from a Bud, to a Coors, to a Miller. Over all the selection was very boring. I won’t be doing it again.

 

I just had a great idea! Beer Advocate should do a beer advent calendar highlighting unique beers from across the country!

 

My suggestion would be to take them out of order to mix things up.

I didn't get this year's box, but a friend bought last year's, consumed 4, and then for health reasons, sold the remainder to me.

So, that left me with 20 beers.

Of those, I rated 1 as outstanding, 5 as very good, 6 as good, 3 as enjoyable. Leaving 5 as less than enjoyable. IDK how many are repeats year over year, but I know some are.

These are the ones I rated very good to outstanding (the top of the list is the outstanding one):

Ladenburger Weizenbock Hell
Kress Bayrisch Zwickel
Käuzle Helles Lager
Kartäuser Doppelbock Dunkel
Schlossbrauerei Rheder Original Pils
Hallertauer Hopfen-Cuvee

The ones that were below enjoyable were:

Bürgerliches Brauhaus Altbairisch Hell
Herrnbräu Jubiläums-Sud
Egerer Perlenzauber
Egerer Bären Weisse
Zwönitzer Rauchbier

YMMV, of course.

 

I'm sure it's 3x the price as the Costco one, but my wife gets me an advent box from Craft Beer Cellar every year. They always do a fantastic job, with a great variety of quality beers.

 

Where does she get that from?

 

I bought the pack last year and it was kind of average in terms of most of these beers are on par with typical German grocery store beers and qualify as a beer which doesnt blast you with flavor.