Founders beer releases

Per Cadre info...

Inspiration for our barrel-aged beers can come from the most unexpected places and our latest release is proof of that. Sweet and hoppy, rich and bright – this rum barrel-aged imperial IPA brewed with Mosaic hops will make you believe you’re in the tropics.

Barrel Runner will be available in 4-packs of 12oz bottles and 750mL bottles beginning in June through August. It will have an SRP of $14.99/4-pack and $11.99/750mL bottle.

Barrel Runner is preceded by KBS, Backwoods Bastard (which is now year-round) and our also not-yet-publicly announced third release, Dankwood. We have two releases in the series yet to announce.

 

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

 

I'm so confused with the decisions that Founders makes at times. They could have dropped their Imperial Stout into those barrels with a touch of coconut and people would have lined up to pay $20/4pk for a release like this. Instead they produce a beer that people may not even bother to try. Another shelf turd in the making.

 

Maybe one of the others can be VBS? Vacation Bible Schoo... er, I mean, Vanilla Breakfast Stout???

That or just throw anything in a fernet barrel /s

 

People keep buying them. That's the surprising thing for me - that so many people like BA IPAs.

 

I suspect a lot of people that are craft enthusiasts but not anywhere near the level of many BAs don't completely know what they like, but they DO know they like KBS, and they know it's "limited," and by god they are going to buy it. I do wonder how frequently people say "Oh, I forgot I dislike XYZ style".

 

I gotta believe Founders has some people high up in the company that just love BA IPAs for some reason. Just like I assume at least one of the Floyds must love him some cardamon. That's the only explanation that makes any sense to me...

 

People will try anything once. Isn't the next release something like BBA ReDANKulous? The base beer sold so poorly. But sure, let's put that in a barrel...

 

I have to admit, I was slightly intrigued when I read about this new BA beer. Probably just enough to try one bottle, though. I think my expectations for this series have been low, so seeing this one wasn't surprising. It really is amazing that they don't take some stout and use different barrels and adjuncts for this series.

 

I wonder if they worry that doing so will depress the popularity of KBS. It is one of the only "valid" arguments I can see for NOT choosing to employ that strategy.

 

When Founders has asked for suggestions for their Barrel-Aged Series on Twitter I've replied a few times asking for BA Sumatra Mountain and KBS variants made with different single origin coffee varietals (ideally sold in mixed 4 packs). These replies racked up quite a few likes and I do not recall ever having seen anyone request "lots more BA IPAs please!"

 

Well, those other beers are already happening at other breweries, so either they can get on board and take some of that market, or let others take it. Of course, Bell's doesn't really do this stuff either, so maybe that's what they look at as their competition???

 

I was thinking more along the lines of "branding," and not wanting to lose what they believe consumer spending identify as "founders." If people clamor less for KBS because of how good BA FIS was, tthey might view that as a negative (or forecast it as hurting them in the long run). Similarly, I could see someone arguing that doing all these wierd BA beers is their "branding," as people identifying them as "taking risks," or "trying new things", or "always something different".

 

Lots of valid points so far. One thing I've considered is they're catering the BA releases to be seasonal in some way. So both BA IPAs are slated for the summer. The stouts are early spring (i.e. KBS), CBS last year was Dec. So hopefully we'll see BA stouts again in the late fall and winter releases.

I know lots of people say the last thing they want in the heat of summer is a BA stout/porter/barleywine. I'm not saying I'm one of those people, because if someone wants to open a nice stout with me on a hot July night I'm not going to tell them no. Certainly I drink less of these beers during hot months, but I don't view my predilection for BAd dark beers to be a seasonal interest.

EDIT - TLDR: they're targeting the IPAs for the warmer months and the stouts for the colder months. I'm not saying I agree with the logic, but probably a factor.

 

Dankwood was on tap I want to say Summer/Fall 2016. Absolutely loved that. Much more excited for that than Rum Runner, which I think originally was to be called Rumboozled.

Oh a little birdie told me Curmudgeon's Better Half will be one of the 2 remaining Barrel Aged beers. And let the comments commence, but CBS will be in November 2018, before BCBS.
Guess time will tell if this is true.........

 

Haha, I have visions of employees pouring dust covered bottles into bourbon barrels.

 

What no recent odd side thread to hate in?