Founders/ FW Sitting on Shelves

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This. It happens ALOT to me and I suspect a lot to other people more than they realize. The palette is a mysterious and complicated thing. And allergies in Austin suck.

 

+1! Mosaic is my new favorite local IPA. It's delicious.

 

I think it's just over saturation with IPAs and DIPAs. While their year round stuff is good it's not that great. I'll get a Sculpin for my single IPA and Enjoy By for my DIPA.

If we were all being honest, the only beers we really want are the seasonals and barrel aged stuff because it sets itself apart. They need to focus on more on upping production on those. I'm sure the markup is crazy on those.

 

Agreed, although I haven't found a best by date on it

 

I still see 06-06-13 DJ at a few places...

 

None can win when what is currently being sent out from the Brown warehouse is bottled Dec. 1st 2013.

It's not just retailers but distributers that have to forecast carefully and not over-order and to be honest it's probably a whole lot harder for distributers.

Kudus to Ballast Point and keg1 for sending just the right amount of those Sculpin and Big Eye cans, getting them to stores within a week of canning and doing it cosistently. BEK has been doing a good job with Stone, Dogfish Head and Victory too.

 

The Smith Street Spec's in Houston has had really fresh Double Jack recently. I've had less than 2 week old from a couple different bottling dates.

 

I noticed this with 90 minute yesterday. Bottled 3/12/14. Picked up a 4pk without hesitation at my local HEB.

 

I've noticed this too with those three. Then again I am still finding the old label Sculpin bottles around.

 

God, look what Stone has done to us.

 

Perhaps, but that's the way it should be. Everybody disagrees with me, but I think IPA's should be WAAAAAAY more limited, or brewed in smaller batches. They need to spend more resources brewing big barrel aged beers. They make a ton of money on those anyway. Better than IPA's sitting on the shelf for a year.

 

I'm all for making more "durable" beers. But honestly, I think people go a bit overboard with the freshness thing.

 

Last Sculpin I bought was in cans from Specs Smith Street. Was noticeably old and very disappointing. Don't know that I'll buy any more until they go to 'bottled on' dates like others are going. Too much of a crap shoot for an expensive brew.

As to those who think people 'go a bit overboard with the freshness thing', I have three cans of Sculpin in my fridge I will give you at no charge. Just send me your address and it will be on its way.

 

They have julian date codes on the bottom of the pack.

 

Yup, they're using Julian dates on the bottles now too. I wish all breweries did bottled/canned on dates. "Best by" dates are arbitrary and at worst, meaningless.

 

How do you interpret their codes? They sure as hell didn't have an easily understood date.
Bottled on: 3/4/2014 ? No
Bottled on: 03042014 ? No
Bottled on: 20140304 ? No
Bottled on: Mar 4 2014 ? No

SC 349 ? Yes. Who the hell knows how to interpret that crap? Why should they have to?

 

http://www.ballastpoint.com/date-stamp-guide/

tl;dr the number under the "SC 349" is the Julian date code

 

cant read all the posts but ill sum up.

founders>than any fw.

and the ones i want are either on the shelf because they are seasonal, not ltd release.

I dont notice any "sitting on shelves" that at least cant deal with aging.

but again, i could give a fuck about dipas or ipas which imo are the only beers that i can see benefiting from this whole freshness angle. where stouts, porters, reds, ambers can take a bit of age.

again, didnt read the whole thread, but reacting on the inital post.