Going to great lengths, only to be disappointed.

It's never and always worth the hassle.

 

Waited for hours for some of the 2014 vintage Bourbon County Coffee Stout, while the stout was very good, it was definitely not worth the hassle. This slight disappointment was amplified since I just tried batch #59 of Big Bad Baptist, and it was equally as good, with ample amounts sitting on the shelf for a much better price as well!

 

Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Biscotti Break. I had always seen the regular one but never bought it, thinking I'd save my money for the day I found the BA version. Finally found it at a bar, drove there as soon as I could, ordered it right away... Yeah it's a pretty decent stout.

 

The only time I've had to wait for a beer is when Jackie O's has a bottle release. As I'm waiting I get to drink from their amazing tap list, and I've never been let down by any of the beers that I've brought home.

Also, nice avatar @Badfish!

 

I basically don't chase beers.

More important for me is the matter of overpaying for beers that are disappointing. I have found that most beers costing over $1 per ounce were disappointing when I considered the quality vs the price.

Therefore, I RARELY go above that ratio anymore.

Avery Tweak and Rumpkin are two notable exceptions as I find them both to be exceptional examples of their respective styles.

 

Dark Lord. Even for how fun the event can be, thr beer and hassle getting it is not worth it. Big Hugs was a bit of a let down this year too. Worth is, Founders CBS on draught.

 

I have never camped out, stood in line, or anything similar for any beer. I have occasionally paid over $1 an ounce, and I've also been fortunate enough to simply stumble across a handful of rare beers in the course of my normal activities.

Not a single one of those instances has been so much better than similar beer I can pick up off a shelf any time I wish for a reasonable price with no lines that I would have considered it even halfway worth the additional effort or expense. In some cases, like KBS, I actually found out I preferred the shelf beer outright, like regular FBS.

 

3 Floyds gumballhead this year sucked, and as always a major pain to track down and obtain. Too many other great beers out there to chase their offerings anylonger.

 

This is why I don't go to great lengths to get any beer. I have never had any beer in any style that was much better than the other top beers in that style.

 

I have waited in line for Pliny the Younger a couple times at the brewery and i will never do it again! Don't get me wrong, the beer is GREAT! I'd even say world class, but 5+ hours in line is just something I'm not willing to do again. That being said, if you have never waited in line for the Younger I'd recommend that you do it once and see for yourself.

 

I might catch some heat for this one, but honestly Hill Farmstead did this for me.

I was going through a stout craze last summer and decided I needed to get up there and try their Everett Porter, since its held in such high esteem. The night before going I ended up drinking some moonshine and was incredibly hung over the next day, but decided to make the trip. Luckily I was only an hour and a half away from there, so it wasn't a crazy trek, but waited in line and sampled some beers and they seemed good, got some bombers and left, 3 hours back home.

The Everett was good, don't get me wrong, good is doing it a disservice really, but I just was not blown away by it, despite all the excitement and whatnot. The best part about it for me was just the freshness really.

 

Founders KBS and CBS. Barrel-aged beers are a dime a dozen nowadays, and while CBS was smoother, sweeter and less boozy than most, overall, they were both just meh.

It probably doesn't help that if I ever want it, I have some of the highest quality BA beers near me on tap, year-round. But, at this point, partially thanks to my disappointment in KBS and CBS, I think flavoring your beer with bourbon kind of misses the point of beer in the first place.

I'm honestly stunned by this. Hill Farmstead made one of the best beers I've ever tasted--Mary. Not only was it more than good for a pilsener, and I have so far hated just about every pislener I've ever had, but it was great, not just for a pils, but for any style of beer. However, that's the only HF I've ever had the pleasure of trying so..can't comment on the others.

I actually found Dark Lord to be worth it. Yeah it was cold and rainy, but the line was short at the time we went, especially with all the cool people sharing unique bottles. But when we got our hands on our first DL on draft, it was heavenly, a little too much, since I didn't realize the ABV and it was so smooth going down we finished it off a little too swiftly and had to take a breather for about an hour.

 

I waited in line 4 hours for bc rare and was given a wristband ensuring that i would get a bottle. when i get up to the door. they cut the line off after the person before me telling me they forgot to account for how many bottles the employees were keeping for themselves. luckily they miscounted their miscount and I still got the second to last bottle but wtf. the people in line behind me got screwed. oh and they charged $80 for rare (foodery northern liberties)

 

KBS searched and searched for it this year finally got some in a trade and on tap. Good but not worth the effort that i went through.

 

Two Years Ago....

Driving back from Montreal Jazz Fest through Vermont. Stopped off at Heady Topper....line out the door on a rainy, Monday afternoon in July. People taking 6 cases out to their car at a time. Tons of out of state plates in the parking lot.

So amped....we get in line. After about 15 minutes....we get inside.

Once inside, I tried a sample of Heady while we waited to purchase...

I dunno...I think that was the first time I was "let down" with a beer. Don't get me wrong, it was damn good. Wife gave the green light for 2 cases. I only opted for one. it just didn't meet the hype for me. Shared that case with friends and enjoyed the rest over the next couple of weeks. The other part of that day we drove down and gravel, and sometimes dirt, road to a little grocery store looking for Lawson's. Alas, there was none. At ACBF, Lawson's Double Sunshine was worth the hype....Heady...its good, but honestly, I could take it or leave it.