Finding Rare Beers and general valuation

This is I think your biggest stumbling block. Like you I either won't or can't camp out for brewery only releases overnight, miss work, etc. There are a handful of places within reasonable driving distance I could go to score very coveted brewery only releases like Captain Lawrence and Southampton but it just hasn't been possible. Lawson's and Hill Farmstead are also within reach when I'm upstate but again, schedules haven't permitted it.

You simply are not going to get these brewery only releases without actually getting out there and doing some waiting. Happily there are thousands of top notch shelf beers available everywhere, many of which are as good or BETTER than rare, one-off, brewery-only beers.

Now all that begin said, I rarely if ever get limited releases from breweries but by being a friendly guy and cultivating relationships with beer sellers in my area, I have been able to get KH, BCBS and variants, Russian River stuff, Old Rasputin Anniversary beers, Parabola, Better Half, Sucaba, FW anniversary beers, etc. Became a trader and turned a lot of that stuff into BT, Moas, Westy XII, Abyss, Bruery RS bottles, and tons of other stuff.

It seems the best way to get to try any of this more limited stuff - besides finding a good tasting group - is to do your due diligence, slowly amass a little ammo of limited (but off the shelf) tradeable beers, and study the forums to see what people are looking for. And get all the BA Kuhnhenn stuff you can...that should help!

 

save time money and happiness, drink local

 

"Rare" does not mean "not locally available". Most tasting groups I've ever heard of want to try things they can't buy themselves not just "rare" (as discussed here) brews. Find something local to you - post an ISO/FT for highly rated (though not 'limited release') locals from other places. Don't know how many trades you've done but sending out some quality locals for a brewpubs growler is an easy way contribute something to a tasting.