Founders KBS in MA

True. The gist of what one particular manager was that there are a lot of craft beers for him to sell and won't be made or broken by selling one brewer's beer. He felt like he (and his customers) were being jerked around.

I don't disagree with your sentiment, but I can also understand way a retailer of any kind would stop selling a product at their stores if they felt like the folks who supplied it to them weren't being forthright with their business practices. Especially if that store sold hundreds of competing products that would allow them to stay in business.

 

Craft Beer Cellar got 24 bottles to sell to people who showed up at 5pm today. I think they also did a lottery for some others, but I just picked that up from someone's tweet reply and can't be sure.

I also figured a ton of people would show up, so I didn't try too hard... but I was stopping by for a Troegs tasting that started at the same time.

Rolled up about 4:45 or so and there was maybe 15 people in line. I jumped in, and we didn't hit 24 until right before 5. Definitely expected more people, but I'm certainly happy with the result!

 

A little bird told me Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge got a case, but they're only allowing one bottle per customer.
Ask for Kenny the beer manager!

 

Kenny is a good guy!

 

It seems like discussions/arguments come up every year.

Founders brews great beers and tries to make them as accessible to as many people as possible. This means some will be happy and others will be unhappy. This seems true of any special beer release, it's impossible to please 100% of the beer geek crowd (sometimes it's probably hard to please over 50%). Personally I'm glad they distribute KBS to Mass and glad they bottled and distributed CBS too. The fact that they have expanded production is a great effort to please more people while building their business; although, I'm sure this will lead to many post next year along the lines of "KBS is not as KBSy this year, last year was more KBSy"

Like most things in life, the more personal effort you put in the more likely you will be one of the happy ones .

This is one of the few beers I actively seek out. Amazingly, phone and email technology can make this task rather simple. It's really not that hard to score a bottle or two (even this year) if you put in at least a little effort. Meaning if you actually know the beer buyer at your favorite store that carries Founder's and actually buy more than special releases there, then you have to ask early (meaning maybe even before March ). This means it may really only be hard on those who are new to the scene.

 

Any word on any KBS St Pattys Day tappings (other than Green Street)?

 

All three stores I found it at the employees got zero bottles.

 

I got 2 bottles today, all I had to do was ask (in NY, not MA). I think you get lucky with timing. I doubt it will be better than the Speedway Stout I had about 6 or 7 years ago, but we'll see. Agree that the hype over almost all beers is stupid and unwarranted. I had also missed the Nugget Nectar release this year but found it today in large display stacks. Pricey though ($13.99).

 

Two of the three cases L knife got, wish they were mine but this is my salesman's van. Sold by the 4 pack to a few select accounts.

 

it was tasty but didn't rock my world. The Speedway was better and also 10-Fidy from the keg. I liked the CBS at EBF12 this year....that was real nice.

 

Did you think speedway could use some age or good to drink now?

 

My 2 cents: I had kbs on draft thursday night at farmhouse in burlington. I thought the beer was awesome, perfect body, nice well rounded flavors. My fiancee and I put in a lot of work sourcing the beer while we were on vacation in VT, and we were lucky to score a few 4 packs from a few stores.
As far as founders/ availability, as someone already mentioned above, it seems that it is by design that vermont got more cases than MA. Vermont is a new market, and they want the product out there. I am a 110% capitalist, unlike many people, and I believe founders can do whatever they want with distribution- it is their beer, their business.
If i did not get any kbs, I would still be drinking a lot of other great beers which are available. But since I did, I just consider myself fortunate.

 

Did VT actually get more? Are you sure it just doesn't seem that way due to the much larger demand for it in MA?

 

I am pretty sure vermont got 40 cases, plus some in keg for farmhouse grill and tap and 3 penny taproom. I can't comment on mass's allocation.

 

I have no experience with aged beer, at least done so by myself. I know what age does to wine, but regarding beer, I drink it right up. I would say if your Speedway is somewhat recent, drink it. If it is over 3 months old, let it fester for a few years. I had some old Bigfoot out of a keg and it was impressive.

Dude, AWESOME avatar....I grew up on Steve Austin and can't wait for season 2 to come out!

 

speedway is best 6-12 months after bottling.

 

Speedway is coffee heavy, and general rule of thumb on coffee heavy beers is to drink fresh. Coffee fades over time much like hops. That said, Speedway is a big beer that can hold up fine over time, it just turns into something a bit different, not necessarily better. I prefer it fresh, but it's not one I feel super strongly about. (Like regular FBS - don't age him!)

 

To add a data point, I lucked into 2 bottles (their limit) at Blanchard's in JP on Friday night. They seem to get a fair amount of Founder's in. $7 / bottle.

 

I'd take exception to your commend about FBS (I assume you're talking about the Breakfast Stout). It tastes as delicious 6 months down the line as compared to a fresh one. Yeah the coffee fades a little bit but it's a nice thing to experience.

Another coffee stout that ages well - Goose Island BCBS Coffee Stout..

 

To me 6 months is more about a beer "holding up", which yes, I agree, FBS does fine, even if it's not as potent as totally fresh. I would define "aging" more in terms of years, with the objective to get something that tastes better at the end of the aging process. FBS after a year or two is just a shell of its former self.