Product that doesn't move

The same 8 bottles of St.Bernardus Christmas Ale have been on the shelf at 1 of my stores for almost a year now. Which is good, because I'm probably gonna buy half of them in a few weeks. Thanks for aging 'em for me

 

I work for a distributor.

 

We do particularly well with Stone Pale (IMO, I am not sure how our numbers compare to other markets) on draft here in SC, especially in bars/restaurants with a strong soccer following. Not sure how it correlates, but it does.

 

we have stores with Cantillon on the shelves since 2010. Different markets mean different things sell and sours don't up here.

 

Brakspear Triple is a really good bottle conditioned strong ale available in the UK, but whenever I see it on supermarket shelves it's near or even past its sell by date. This could be because of the ABV (6.7%) or the small bottle size (330ml), I'm not sure.

 

Thanks. Helps in developing a clearer picture of how things work or ways they don't work as they should.

 

I think all stores got a little too much Eclipse. At $30 I can't imagine stores having room for the next batch

 

It's all good. I enjoy sharing the perspective of the other side if you will, even if our craft beer market isn't as developed as other areas of the US. I try to only post when I feel I can add to the conversation.

 

Well you definitely did for me. In PA I buy most of my beer by the case. In my experience here on the rare occasions when my local retailer got "close dated" beers that he ordered for me and had to send back they have been beers where the "sitting around the warehouse" has been at the distributor level. (e.g., with a seasonal that has 2-3 bottlings and he gets sent something from the first bottling rather than the third when trying to get me a fresh case). A few years ago I ordered a case of something. The distributor insisted on sending him two cases of what turned out to be the wrong beer (neither of us spotted it until I opened my case at home). I wound up keeping one of them as it was a pretty good beer and he put the other aside for the distributor to pick up. Six mos later they still hadn't taken back their case.

 

I saw some MBC Peeper bottled in November and MO bottled in January at a local store last week. Probably a case of each just sitting there, rotting. Yet I go a few towns over and another store has 3 week old Peeper and a month old MO, gotta shop around sometimes to find fresh product.

 

I think I agree with your line about the packaging. I had heard it was a great beer, but the first time I saw it in the store I almost didn't buy it because it just didn't look like the amazing IPA that it is, if that makes sense.