Founders/ FW Sitting on Shelves

I've been picking up 6/26 bottled Double Jack 4-packs the last few weeks at HEB in Austin, fwiw.

 

Grabbed a 7/12 union jack bomber last night in south austin

 

How much is a 4 pack of that?

 

$12, iirc. Better value than the bombers.

I've only seen them at HEB in that format (I usually shop at Escarpment, but they definitely have them at Mueller& 41st St/RR)

 

$11.89 for the 4pk at Spec's.

And I'm always surprised at how fresh our FW stock is. It's sad I can get fresher Cali beers than some local stuff like Endeavour.

 

It's true. I've bought SN Torpedo that was TWO DAYS out of the brewery at HEB (most of the time less than 2-3 weeks old).

 

We didn't even get Founders and Firestone Walker in Texas (DFW market first I think in both cases) until mid-April, and the shipments came in just a few days before that. Surprised to hear there is still April inventory out there, but I haven't had this on my purchases. That being said, it's just now really reaching its end of shelf life at 3 months for the hoppy beers. Distro should take back old product at that point.

 

My local HEB (Lakeline) went nuts on the initial release. There is still a ton of leftover FW and Founders stuff from April-ish. I feel like I've pretty much gotta check every bottle date when I'm there. However, with the new Drafthouse and Twin's (opening soon) going up right next door, my beer purchasing options have increased pretty substantially.

 

I feel that I find more fw and founders fresh than I do something like dogfish. I can't find a bottle of anythn without at least 2 months on it. It's a bummer because 60 and 90 fresh are outstanding.

 

I agree 100%. It's a shame we have these incredibly hoppy beers that we don't get until they are already old. Founders seems to be the exception as people have noted - always pretty fresh. FW and Ballast Point aren't even worth buying. I rarely see Ballast Point that isn't within a month or two of its expire date (so 4 or 5 months old), same with FW. I saw a bottle of Union Jack on the shelve at Whole Foods downtown Austin this weekend expired.

Until the distributors, who appear to not know what they are doing since they sell more Bud than craft, understand they are doing the breweries and customers a disservice I don't expect it to change. They are probably thinking no one wants to buy these new breweries, when in reality it's because they order too much/or let it sit too long in a warehouse.

 

I can usually find FW fresh, but do see quite a bit that's over 2 months old. Union Jack is great, but fall quick after the first month. Nonetheless, I don't see much FW sitting other than DBA and the Solace wheat. Founders sitting it totally sensible...other than limited KBS, all we've gotten is their middle of the row stuff. I'll buy more when they start sending us their better beers.

 

Plenty of TX brewers providing the goods that its easy to overlook most of these new "imports".

 

Austin: E1G has 6/25/13 Centennial IPA, btw.

 

specs brodie did have six packs of union jack dated from February. That's pretty bad!

 

Spec's Brodie... who until recently had 2011 Sailing Santa still on the shelves (actually, that might still be there somewhere, lol).

Specs Brodie is where craft beer goes to die.

 

I love and hate specs Brodie. The good is that they generally get almost everything (occasionally I find some stuff doesn't show up like upslope, eel river etc) the bad however is they get everything and alot of it. Way too much product ships to that store just to sit there and die. I realize Austin has a drinking problem but no one and I mean no one is drinking all that Firestone walker fresh nor the endless pile of warm shelf sitting stone/dogfish. I hate that stone product which I believe flips out when they have it just sitting out is just there forever.

 

that would make me question if they're forward dating their bottles.

 

They don't really date... they do Julian codes on their bottling line that only weirdos like me know how to read.

I got the time from SN just now and it's currently 2143114:15, lol.