Founders announces Solid Gold Lager

24 packs comings soon, per Founders social media:

 

Apparently you need latex gloves if you drink this beer!?!

Cheers!

 

Founders should wrap two 15-packs together and be the first "craft" brewer to sell a 30-rack.

 

Bought today. 15pk for $13. Canned on 1/30/2018. Initial session ipa sort of hop aroma. That falls down fast. As others have stated, this feels like semi cheap beer at a higher price point. Definitely has that corn or rice back end burp flavor. Sorry thats the best I can describe it. Id love to have this blindly against other cheapO beers..

I'm torn. I did a price analysis a few pages back, and this is right within the 12pk cheap beer wheelhouse. Its slightly lacking in that co2 bite (i had a Pilsner Urquell side by side.. That one beats it handily. Flavor, bite, and flavor). I'd almost rather drop $15 for an 11pk of PU than what I see here. If Im drinking cheap beer, I want cheap prices.. Or I can get some great $8/6pks of local german pilsners with actual distinct flavor.

The only lager I legitimately buy way too often is the Weihenstephaner Original (and a local called BEER). Everything else almost feels like cash grabs. I think why stouts and IPAs are so popular is that their ABV has a bit of value attached to their price point. I dont see that ever happening with lagers.

But I do appreciate their effort. It's all talk. But I think I would throw this into my session beer lineup (only bought in 15 pks). The Same as when I see Hamms.. Only when its bought in bulk.


It definitely wasnt adverstisted well. It was within the real 12pk area as other craft beers. There needs to be a dedicated "volume shopper section"

 

I was at a party earlier, and a friend poured me a taste out of his freshly opened can. I did not like it at all. Oxidized flavors on the first sip, less on the second. It is what I associate with hot side oxidation in light colored beers.

 

Was kinda excited to buy this. $13.99 at my local per 15-pack.

But I came away pretty disappointed. Turns out not surprisingly the guys who’ve been making industrial lager for a while do it pretty well. Would rather have a PBR, High Life, Schlitz, Miller Lite than this beer.

Love ya Founders - but not buying this one again. Get All Day to me fresher, most of the stock I’m seeing in Boston area is from late Nov/early Dec.

 

New Press Release ...

FOUNDERS BREWING CO. TO OFFER 24-PACKS OF SOLID GOLD

Solid Gold is the first year-round release to launch exclusively in cans –

and the first Founders release to debut a 24-pack size

Founders Brewing Co. has been making headlines with the release of Solid Gold, a highly affordable premium lager launched earlier this year and sold exclusively in cans. Solid Gold will also be the first Founders release available in a convenient 24-pack size. The packaging innovation will be limited to the Midwest states of Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin in Meijer stores along with select participating retailers. It has a suggested retail price of $18.99/24-pack.

“We’re not aware of any other craft brewer who has experimented with a 24-pack, and this is definitely a first for us,” shares Mike Stevens, Co-Founder and CEO of Founders. “Solid Gold combines accessibility and affordability in a full-flavored premium lager, and it just makes sense to push the envelope with new packaging options that encourage trial and appeal to our consumers.”

Click here to learn more about Solid Gold

The new Solid Gold recipe features lager yeast, corn and lemondrop hops for just the right hit of flavor. Made for sessionable drinking, Solid Gold will appeal to classic lager drinkers but adds a craft character, to balance natural sweetness with a touch of citrus. True to the lager style, Solid Gold is a beautiful non-filtered beer, golden in color, with a smooth aftertaste.

Solid Gold is available year-round in 6-pack cans, 15-pack cans and on draft throughout the entire Founders distribution network – that’s right, no bottles. It has an SRP of $7.99/6-pack and $14.99/15-pack. It is available in 24-pack cans in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin with an SRP of $18.99/24-pack. 4.4% ABV, 20 IBUs.

About Founders Brewing Co.
Established in 1997 by two craft beer enthusiasts, Dave Engbers and Mike Stevens, with day jobs and a dream, Founders Brewing Co. brews complex, in-your-face ales, with huge aromatics and tons of flavor. Founders ranks among the top 20 largest craft breweries in the U.S. and is one of the fastest growing. The brewery has received numerous awards from the World Beer Cup and the Great American Beer Festival and RateBeer and BeerAdvocate users often rate its beers among the best in the world. Located in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders is a proud member of the Michigan Brewers Guild. For more information, visit foundersbrewing.com or follow Founders on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

 

Huh? Every craft brewer has been doing 24 packs for decades, at least here in PA. A few years ago the laws loosened up so you see more 12 packs or two 12 packs sold together but it is still very common to see one 24 pack aka "a case".

 

Uh, that's called a "case" of beer in the US - whether it's 24 loose cans/bottles or 4 sixpacks or any other combo (2 X 12's, 6 X 4's) packaged in an overshipper or corrugated "tray".. It's been a standard retail unit of beer in the US since Repeal (as well as before Prohibition, of course).

As for packaging 24 loose cans in a "suitcase", Sly Fox for one has long done it (likely because their home market is Pennsylvania, formerly known for its infamous "case law").

Can't believe other canning brewers in markets where selling beer by the case is typical haven't also used the format, but I've never seen much difference (well, sometimes a bit cheaper) when buying a case of beer if the bottles/cans are loose or in sixpacks.

Or, you know, what ESHBG said

Ah, that's what happens when you starting a reply, go looking on Google Images for nice pic of a case of Pikeland Pils, decide to get another cup of coffee, go down in the cellar and make sure the I have charged batteries for the Dewalt lights, check my dry kindling, fill up some water bottles, get another cup of coffee, check the Weather website again, and then hit "send".

 

I tried a 6 pack from Wegmans at $7.99. I thought that it was very good for the style but at that price point I will not buy it again. I purchased a case of Hamm's 3 days latter for $9.99 and enjoyed it just as much. Sometimes I just feel like having a regular traditional lager but I don't feel the need for paying craft beer prices.

 

The pic of Pikeland Pils alone was worth it! Wow yeah now that I think about this subject what annoying times those were. Many beers I wanted to try I couldn't find in 6 pack format so I would end up buying a case to have to split with friends. People would buy me a case of something for whatever reason and I remember in quite a few cases [pun intended] I would be done after three beers and then slooowly drink through the rest or give them away. Variety packs are still my friend but back then they were REALLY my friend! At least beer was cheaper back then, though.

 

Same here. I still like the variety packs, especially for breweries I haven't tried before, because I feel like it gives me a better overall picture of the brewery [and scratches the itch to tick].

....and I was also scratching my head at the Founder's statement of no other craft brewery making a 24-pack, and thinking, there's way that statement is correct. I said it earlier, but if Founder's really wanted to be unique among craft beer, they should put Solid Gold in a 30-rack format. Now that would be "innovative"!

 

I tried a Hamm's last week. It's not worth tasting honestly, and I can assure you that the Founders Solid Gold Lager is much, much better...

 

Nope!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-sunday-week-681.563003/#post-5919229

Cheers!

 

But Hamm's is made with corn syrup isn't it? You think a beer with that in it tastes better than Founder's beer made with actual corn and no syrups? I'm about to try this beer to see what I personally think, but I thought that Hamm's was so bad that I can't imagine not liking a Founders beer as much as it. When I first saw the release for this Solid Gold Lager I was a bit struck by the use of Lemondrop hops and not a German noble hop or something similar. I've seen notes of lemon drop candy as a note from those hops, so in an AAL it seems a bit weird to use, but I trust the guys at Founders and I'll see what I think of it. Just wanted to say that Hamm's is pretty bad, though it is extremely cheap.

 

I like Hamm's. I wouldn't want to pay craft beer prices for it, but you could do a lot worse.

 

Blind tasting Schlind tasting. I like seeing those Paste review things but I don't always agree with the results. At the end of the day I guess tasting and preferences are just really subjective and personal. Everyone likes what they like.

 

I have been homebrewing for over two decades and I have a Classic American Pilsner (batch no. 412) in my lagering chamber. I have brewed a CAP many times and hold onto your hat: I used corn to brew that beer!!

I learned a long time ago that it is not specific ingredients that will 'rule' how a beer tastes. It is all about how the ingredients are utilized in concert with everything else (including brewing process).

I am not shocked about your prejudice concerning Hamm's. You have prior knowledge that is brewed using an adjunct and in your mind no beer that includes an adjunct can possibly be good.

The positive of the Paste taste tests are that they are conducted completely blind. Tasting a beer blind (i.e., not knowing what brand it is, what ingredients were used,etc.) is the only objective way to evaluate a beer.

Cheers!

 

How about craft brewers doing a blind taste test?

I used to be anti-corn/rice, but I've come around to understanding it has a place for certain styles and I respect it's historical importance in American brewing.

Absolutely. Cheers!

 

I've had several craft beers brewed with corn and rice that I actually really like. I have no problem with adjuncts, more so the quality of them I guess. I actually tasted Hamm's before I looked it up on here, and saw in the description maltose (corn syrup), but honestly wasn't surprised because all of the big cheap macros use corn syrups, usually hfcs. I honestly don't care/mind what you or anyone else likes or prefers, that is a personal subjective opinion of yours. You're better off liking Hamm's because it is cheaper and so when you buy it you spend less money, but I personally would rather spend a few more dollars for a fresh quality brewed lager made with quality ingredients and that in my opinion also tastes better, which is just my personal preference. I think Hamm's does not taste as good or is a better deal compared to Founders Solid Gold Lager, and that is my opinion. Yes the Founders is more expensive, but it is more worth it for quality and taste, I think. As far as blind tastings go, for me, they are as good as regular tastings. If I had Solid Gold Lager and Hamm's next to each other I would definitely choose the Solid Gold, blind or not, without prejudice. And I'm aware that not everyone is like me.

I should also add that I really like the Solid Gold Lager. Like I said, much, much better than Hamm's without question, in my opinion.