Founders/ FW Sitting on Shelves

There's cans of Ballast Point Big Eye and Sculpin dated 7/25 and 7/26 respectivly in the ATX right now. I'm really digging the Big Eye.

 

Wild guess... but Central Market Westgate.

 

CM Westgate for sure. Other places should have it too.

Look for small sticker on the box

dated as such: 13206

13=year
206=Julian date (206th day of the year 2013)

Forgive me if you knew that already.

 

This is how it is for the two HEBs I frequent and others I go into on occasion. They had big stacks and end displays of Founders All Day IPA and Dirty Ba$****. Why would they think there would be such a large demand for a Scotch Ale? I did buy a lot of Double Trouble, which I don't see any more of, and Centennial Ale, but I don't think I've seen better dates since they initially got here.

Now, if they order like that for Breakfast Stout and the Porter I won't mind at all 'cause I know those will last awhile longer. Plus, I like them more.

 

I picked up a 6er of Union Jack dated 7/24 from my HEB in RR today. The other two sixers on the shelf were from April.

 

I thought the same thing was happening with Sculpin and other BP beers, but today I saw some 13204 (July 23) cans. I was surprised.

 

The fresh Sculpin/Big Eye cans are the tits.

I've been seeing mostly November best buy dates on the Ballast Point bottles coming in. If you're seeing bad dates it's because retailers are buying to much at once and not selling it fast enough.

 

I'm sorry so the cm westgates bottle were BOTTLED on 7/26 or they expired on that date?

 

If it's Firestone Walker... their dates are the bottled on date (right on the front of the bottle).

 

I was talking about canned Ballast Point IPA. Yes, CANNED on 7/26 and 7/25. Very fresh. Expired beer should be removed from display.

 

Spec's Arborwalk has expired bombers of Sculpin still on the shelf. If you can't get really fresh Sculpin, then it's not worth buying imo.

 

Went to CM PLano and Mr G's yesterday looking for fresh union or wookie for a trade and nothing newer than May, Union was all April dates.

 

Union Jack was 3/26/13 at WF Lakewood yesterday. Yikes.

 

Sadly, due to BP's silly long in the tooth best by dating, even if you pulled bottles after that date, most Sculpin would sit on the shelf far longer than it tasted good.

No way they will be honest and date them with a 3 week best by date. lol

I really hope the cans extends this to 4-8 weeks. Even then most cans will still sit around too long.

 

What the hell man? Not trying to pimp CM Westgate anymore than I already do but the Sculpin Bombers there have a Best By Nov 2013 date. FW Double Jack is Bottled early June.. not super fresh but that's what Brown is sending out now. Still much better than April.

Dear beer retailers, please do not order more hop-forward beers than you can sell in a timely manner. Move 'em in, move 'em out. Fresh beer rules.


Dear beer wholesalers, please forcast carefully and don't order more hop=forward beers than you can sell in a timely manner.

Dear beer consumers,

 

Found Union Jack yesterday at HEB Louie Henna from 7/24. Not bad for a pretty average craft selection. And it was on sale for $9.50!

 

No FW in El Paso yet. Wee.

 

It took me a few stores to find FW fresher than April, finally got a Union Jack bomber from July 12 (WFM Lamar).

Anyway, if you (general you to all TX BAs) had to choose between
A. What we have now (random fresh beers, a bunch of aging stuff)
B. A few cases (a few cases per store) of fresh beer, but only delivered once every six months, no price change.
C. Paying more to have each store get two cases of fresh beer much more often (say $1 per bomber, $2.50 per six pack, and $2 for a 4 pack; delivery every 4-6 weeks).

What would you prefer?

 

Email the breweries. Founders stopped bottling Red RyePA year-round because bottles were sitting on shelves. I'm sure they'd get on the distributors to manage inventory better.