Merry Christmas?

+1 to this. I have been doing the exact same thing. I missed out on a lot last year for both fall and winter seasonals using the logic that they should still be around at the proper time.

 

I've seen Hoppin Frog's Christmas offering at a local bottle shop (no idea if it's a leftover or not), but the Goose Island Christmas I've seen is last year's, unless they aren't using the new labels on the 2012 stuff and I just missed it.

 

I'm so glad you brought this up. The topic of seasonal beers coming out too early has never been discussed before.

 

If you'd started complaining about this in June you'd be ready to start complaining about winter beers by now.

 

John's in Iowa City has 2009 GI Christmas Ale bombers for sale that went out this week...beer dude there told me that randomly GI made a few cases available for sale a month or so ago and he figured what the hell and bought all of em.

 

The Hoppin' Frog Christmas Ale was definitely from last year.

 

I think it had something to do with this year being unusually hot, at least that's why all the pumpkin beers were out so early (the pumpkins ripened faster than any other year) and also why BCBS was out so early.

 

Call me crazy...but what would the weather have to do with the release of BCBS

 

Sorry, but I don't think that's true. Don't most breweries use canned pumpkin anyway? We had pumpkin beers hitting shelves in late July -- breweries did that not because pumpkins had ripened months before, but because they wanted to have their beers out before other breweries.

 

I like it when the Christmas Ales (winter warmers) are merchandised next to the pumpkin ales..... it lets me know that there is an entire section I can completely disregard while looking for something good to try.

 

i'm so glad you made this comment. a snide remark during a repeat discussion has never been made before.

 

that's just what I read. And the bourbon county thing Is what GI said so i'll take their word for it.

 

Um... I know you are but what am I?

 

recycled topics are inevitable. i wouldn't let it bother you.

 

It doesn't bother me. I like making snide comments.

 

They are called Quarterly releases, not "holidays" releases, people. Come on.

Christmas beers will never come out right before christmas, because right after christmas, who is going to buy it? The more time before the holliday they can sell the product, the more units they can actually sell. Especially when it calls for getting people in the spirit.

They always come out like this:
spring beer: jan-mar.
summer beer: april-jun
fall beer: jul-sep.
winter beer: oct-dec.

 

*looks at holiday beer* NEXT!

 

Jubelale is all of the Safeway's in Spokane already.

 

I hope Celebration has lots of spices this year.

 

Damn you, damn you to hell for bringing this up!

PS: It's all about getting on shelves early and selling out early. Still, as others have said that's not this years Mad Elf.

PPS: Bring on the Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout now!