Currently on the Shelves at Hill Farmstead (January 2015)

Whoa

 

Too much for me to participate

 

Not so clear cut-
"Freshtix will contact winners via email to complete the transactions."
"You will be given instructions on completing your purchase."
"Winners will be contacted upon draw and required to pay $47.70 plus $2.37 [SIC, should read $5.37] credit card processing fee to complete their winning entry."
"Should buyer fail to pick up their bottle, he/she forfeits their bottle. Winners who fail to pick up their bottle will NOT be refunded the $47.70 or service charges."
Not clear what happens if you are selected, sent an email, but decline to complete the credit card processing.

 

OK, all but one.

 

Maybe I would do it if I lived near there. But giving a 4 day window to be there makes it tough. Let alone the $45 price tag plus tax and fees. I am sure they will sell all of them and it will eliminate the craziness of people showing up and not being able to get one.

 

yea this is going WAY too over the top for beer.

 

We only have ourselves to blame for the hype.

 

This is specifically structured so that only people who can be there on specific days will enter. Or, those people + the people who don't read the fine print, which is admittadly a lot of people.

 

Is this the highest retail price yet for a US beer (putting aside Utopias, which I don't really consider a beer)? Can't think of one higher (also need to put aside large format bottles, too).

 

YMMV, but less/oz than Double Barrel Damon, which I thought was totally worth it to at least try once, even not being a huge stout fan. And you're already likely spending more in gas to get there, etc. etc.

 

hmmm...

 

This is a tough decision!

 

Yea, this makes it seem like you can go back out if you win a day youre not available on.

 

I suspect that unless this is an extremely small batch, this system ensures that almost everyone who wants it will get it, maybe even almost everyone who enters only one day. So that's great. The goal is obviously to limit craziness and early arrivals and drama and it will almost certainly work. That said I'd probably never pay $53 for a beer. I don't doubt that it's excellent and took a lot of time and money to produce, but I personally just can't do it.

 

I see Saturday being the biggest day for those who work and live far away.

 

No way. Shaun has said it's on the same scale as Art, which means 1,000 bottles is optimistic. I think interest will well outstrip that.

 

Art lasted several days (a week?) without a lottery, and I would think that name would have a bit more hype attached (as well as releasing in stick season rather than snow season). Could be wrong, but the bar for entry here is very high and I think that bodes well for the people who really want it.

 

Dammit, I've been working on this poem for months and then they go lottery system on me!

 

No, Id venture to say Ann is one of their most 'legendary' beers

 

I can vouch that I won't be in on this either, and quite a few others I know feel the same way

 

This send a little rough over $50 a bottle then have to take a day off from work. Still have to drive 3 hours each way and only god knows what weather we have on those days. I'm out!

 

They will have your cc info because you will need to pay the entry fee to register, so I'm guessing they will just be able to charge the cost of the bottle if you win. By entering the lottery you agree up front to pay the bottle cost and associated fees if you win.

 

Like the process, though not the price. Will absolutely have to be a split-it-with-a-friend proposition.

 

Well this should changes things a little bit and hopefully deter some people from just entering without thinking.

Via Twitter:

@Bobbypaulson109: @HillFarmstead if you enter and are chosen are you forced to buy the bottle? I hope this is the case, it will deter a lot from entering.

@HillFarmstead: @Bobbypaulson109 Yes. It's written in their somewhere...

Looks like if you enter you are forced to by that bottle of you win.

 

This is correct. Check out Twitter. They just replied to my question. Or look in the other feed about the ann release.

 

Why enter a lottery for a day you know you would not be available on?

 

Hmm, per HF on FB: "If you somehow won all four days, and you can only make it 1 or 2 days, you can always decline the days you can't make it. You're not out any money unless you complete the purchase and then fail to show up."

So it does sound like you can still back out if you enter and win. This contradicts my earlier comment.

 

Serious question? Have you met the average 'beer advocate'? There are plenty of people who will submit for all days. If they happen to get more than one, they may not be able to get off work weds/thurs or something like that.

 

Special Note:

Should buyer fail to pick up their bottle, he/she forfeits their bottle. Winners who fail to pick up their bottle will NOT be refunded the $47.70 or service charges. Forfeitures will be used to support local charities via donations and future fundraising events.

 

Looks like we have contradictory posts from FB and Twitter

 

at least it weeds out the mules for the most part.

 

Wow. Welcome to Bordeaux? I guess if the market will bear it...

For me, no thanks. Its a saison. Im sure a delicate and phenominal one that I would love to try, but just not at that price.

 

My above post has now been contradicted by HF on their Facebook page.

 

At least we won't have to bitch about mules.

 

Can someone clarify two things for me?

1. Is Ann THAT much better than Art? Ann is $10 more, plus you need to go through this system that makes it extremely difficult to go and get it. As someone mentioned before, Art lasted about 4 days.

2. What if there's a big snow storm? Or you get sick? Or anything else unforseen that can happen? Will they make exceptions? $53 is too much for this kind of risk.

 

1. Ann is a HF legend. HF knows this, price vs. demand

2. If you're not willing to go to hell and back over a $53 beer DO NOT ENTER.

 

Fair enough. Thanks. IM OUT

 

I would say yes, but everyones experience is different. They are both awesome. Ann is unlike any saison Ive had before or since. But all of their beers are unique tasting.

 

You can also call your credit card company and dispute the charge, someone with more experience with credit card fraud can chime in, but if you don''t receive your goods and there's no proof that you did get it, the charge should be refunded...anyone have any experience with a situation like this? You would not be lying to the CC company about not getting what you paid for...

 

Except you agreed to the terms.

If people can't make it on a weds-fri, don't enter. Why people would enter knowing they won't be able to get up there is beyond me. Also, "like a concert", if you can't make the show because you're sick, they don't refund your money...