Fall Beer Sightings (2019)

our Wegmans doesn't carry any Ayinger.

 

Having worked at the JC Wegmans, I have zero qualms saying that it's got the weakest beer selection and distributor relationships out of all of the stores in the chain.

One of the primary distributors for the store in Geneva and the rest of the Finger Lakes is Wright's Beverage. I think that they were the ones stocking the Ayinger. Their store is is small, but really well-stocked + rotated, and the staff is great. If you're up for a quick drive to Watkins Glen, it's worth the trip.

 

I agree with you about the JC Wegmans, a lot of their shelf space is taken up with beers from “near here” that never seem to move and not much of a choice of German & Belgian breweries.
Although this showed up today, I don't remember anyone carrying it last year


I can swing by Watkins Glen next time I go to Corning. Heading into Ithaca over the weekend, how is Finger Lakes Beverage?

 

I picked that up myself yesterday! It's also great, but a touch more malty than the Ayinger.

FLBC is good. They have a huge selection, but that swings both ways - both super fresh stuff from out of the usual distribution network as well as some local and regional stuff that's over a year old.

The staff has never been helpful in my experiences, and I've ever only gone late on weekend afternoons. I was the one of only 3 customers in the store last Sunday and never got even got a hello.

 

Thanks for the info

 

The little Englewood CO store where I work got Ska Oktoberfest either last Wednesday or the Wednesday before (I was away) and our first delivery of Left Hand’s Oktoberfest will be tomorrow. I believe the Denver Beer Co rep told me their Pumpkin is next week but...thinking about the conversation...it may be the week after.

EDIT— And we of course already have the SA, it seems like around the 25th of July or so. Anyway it’s been in at least 7-10 days.

 

Sam Octoberfest, Southern Tier Pumpking and Warlock, and Victory Festbier are already out, among others...

...I'll stick to reducing my stash for now, until the nights start turning cool!

 

I can't remember if anyone mentioned it, but Fat Heads G'Suffa has been out a couple weeks now.

 

Saw some Sierra Nevada/Bitburger Oktoberfest. I may buy, but my rule is to try to wait until September 1 to consume any Oktoberfests or Pumpkin Ales.

 

Okay, annual time for Fall Beer Sightings also brings out Seasonal Time to Expose bad beer distributors. Just saw a stack of HB Oktoberfest at a local... bottled in 2018. Looked for the liquor manager to point it out, but not around. This is the same distro who was passing off old Maibock earlier in the year -- beware if you're in Lake County, Illinois.

 

Yeah, I haven't seen any fresh German imports yet. Saw some Ayinger bottles, but they were coded 9075 and 9063 and I think they had been on the shelves for a while. According to the date code that @AlcahueteJ received last year (first digit is year, next three are day of the year) that would suggest they were bottled in March? Not sure if the date code is wrong or something else is going on.

I also saw some Weihenstephaner Festbier, but I think it was from last year.

The one place I have seen the SN-Bitburger collab so far only had 6-packs, so I decided to wait. Got to drink some other stuff to make space in the fridge anyway.

 

I recall them saying it was bottled in March last year, but that could be the case this year as well. That code to decipher the, well code, should still be valid I think?

Weihenstephan’s code is “easier” to decipher.

If the last number is not a “9” run away.

 

Way too early for a September/October seasonal beer.

Cheers!

 

Yeah, they're the most egregious of the imports I saw last year. At least Weihenstephan's is typically a June bottling if I recall correctly.

I wonder if this plays into the beer tasting worse the last few years...can't help, that's for sure.

 

For those in Ohio, Thirty Dog's Barktoberfest this year is phenomenal. Tried it the past few years and not all that impressed, but they nailed it for 2019 if you dig the Marzen end of the spectrum. Well worth picking some up.

 

Last week my local beer store put a case of Ayinger Oktoberfest on the shelf. I was psyched until I saw it was the 2018 batch.

 

Spaten Oktoberfest bottled 06/20ish/19.

Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest bottled 07/18/19.

Scooped both up without a second thought.

The leaves are falling in the driveway and there is football being played tonight.

 

How did you know? I thought Ayinger didn't put date codes on their packaging.

 

DFH Punkin Ale is out!

 

Someone should start a new thread with ‘favorite fall seasonal’.

Edited to add: this is a serious request