St Arnold vs Founders

How about $7? Which is what I paid.

 

Depends on the beer.

Uncle Jacobs was $10 and that's an all day everyday pickup for me at that price.

BB series is tough because 2/3 of them have been BBA Stouts that aren't as good as BCBS and cost $1-3 more than BCBS.

I think it's a good start though. Once pricing comes down to $6 a bottle everywhere (for off site consumption), then we will all be much happier I'm sure.

 

Central Waters BB Stout was something like $3/bottle. That's a great deal.

BCBS costs $5-7 bottle (usually around $6) and it's not a hassle to get it to go. KBS was $6-7/bottle. Those are both generally regarded as world-class stouts and they are 40-50% cheaper per bottle. Those may even be great deals.

In Dallas (don't have Houston or Austin for personal reference) I haven't seen a BB beer for less than $10. For what I consider to be an average beer, I don't think this is anywhere near a good deal. $7 would be nice, but I'm clearly not looking in the right places (perhaps by geography and not so much choice).

 

Speaking specifically of BB beers, the price I mentioned is brutal.

Agreed fully on your statements about these stouts relative to BCBS (we did a side-by-side with BCBS '12 and there was no comparison).

Re: pricing coming down to $6/bottle, is this news from St. Arnold? If not, I wouldn't bank on this happening. Not often do prices decrease on anything, let alone a trendy, well-publicized consumption movement.

 

Some places charged $6/bottle in Houston. Not many. But some. Typical price does seem to be $10, though.

 

nothing official... just my opinion with what it needs to come down to on average...

Cost was $3.71 a bottle if I remember correctly. Might have been $2.71, but I think it was $3.71.

 

You also can't compare retail to bar pricing. KBS/BCBS in a bar would run you $10+.

 

I can because there is no retail pricing for BB beers in my area. They are all sold at bars. If they were sold on shelves at Whole Foods or at Lonestar Beverages, then you'd be right.

 

This for sure...

BB is in a weird position because it isn't a shelf beer at all. It's distributed to restaurant/bar accounts. The only reason there are $6-8 in the world are because some places are willing to let them walk out the door. I still think $8 is a little higher than the to go price should be, but most of these places will argue that it's meant to be bar pricing, but if you want it to go, it's your choice.

 

Maybe you took me too literally. I mean its a good thing they got going, I'm happy to see them experimenting and putting out new stuff. Deal as in price, well that depends on where you buy it. I got both of mine (1 and 2) for under $7 from my local places that get it. I'v seen places gouging on twitter feeds and other online sources saying $15+. All depends on where you're getting yours from I guess.

 

Unfortunately I paid $10 a bottle for three bottles of BB3. I was happy to get my hands on a few bottles and gave one away to a friend who had to chance of landing one. Bad part for him is he dropped it in the parking lot and never got to try it.

 

Sponge to mouth.

 

BB2 hit retail stores in NE Tarrant over the last month or so (unloading inventory ?), and was priced $5.50-$6, basically same as a bottle of KBS sold for (and what one would expect for Bourbon County to retail for if sold as singles).

 

Thanks for sharing. I had no idea this had happened as I don't make it to Tarrant Co. often.

Honestly, though, I wouldn't pay even that much for BB2. Maybe for 1 or 3, but definitely not for 2. The fact that it has a 4.11 rating on here speaks to the level of homerism in TX. Not representative of the intended style.

 

Actually, fresh it was tasty, but nothing special. After a few months its developed quite nicely. What is representative for an Old Ale aged in wine barrels with cherries?

I think 4.11 is a decent score for this beer.

 

Founder's lineup kicks the shit out of Saint Arnold... whose only regular release that might eclipse Founders is Endeavor. Even then, it has to be fresh.

BB2 has actually been my favorite of those releases... at least they tried to do something unique instead of making a thin BA stout that any brewery with a few barrels could make.

 

This beer does little to invoke the style in which it's presented. When I drink an old ale, I think of the strong caramel, toffee, sweet-sipping notes of beers like Kuhnhenn 4D, Great Divide Hibernation (although this year's tasted rushed and harsh), North Coast Old Stock, Hair of the Dog Adam, or, to remain topical, Founders Curmudgeon. I think of beers that have high ABVs (8% at minimum, more like 9-10%). BB2 does not exhibit these qualities to a degree that makes me think it is an old ale. If they made a true old ale it should have some reminiscence of the style's qualities, not be dominated by flavors that would usually be considered off or accidental within the style (tart and sour cherries). They may have done something new to their iteration, but they did little, if anything, to master the beer that underlies their modifications.

I shouldn't speak for anyone else here, but I think awarding points for creativity is a practice that will lead our brewers down an ugly path over time. This encourages producers to spend less time understanding the chemistry that leads to consistent, well-made beer, and more time trying to stay ahead of the creativity curve. It's much akin to the proliferation of shitty pop music drowning out the desire to become a truly talented, classically-trained musician. People are losing appreciation for true art because it is incredibly easy to make something and expose thousands, if not millions, of people to it because of our uber-connected world.

While I fully support and frequently consume creative beers, I buy them hoping they will be executed well. If they aren't well-made, they don't deserve good ratings. Period.

 

5/17/13 Endeavor up here in DFW as well - by far the freshest I can remember seeing up here. Grabbed a bottle, should have grabbed a couple more.

 

Good for you, you don't like BB2. I don't think you are alone. I for one really do like it, and so do many other people. Read my other reviews, I am far from a TX homer. It also came out pretty much exactly the way Saint Arnold intended.

 

Im with you on The Dirty Bastard (as I havent tried KBS or the Backwoods Bastard). Seeing that Dirty Bastard was their rebirth beer, I think it shows that Founders can do some good stuff.