The Misconceptions and Misinformation Surrounding Limited Release Craft Beers

Great blog!
Being a Michigander I almost feel like I've had to defend how great I think KBS is & even Black Note because of all of the hype backlash that they have been receiving on here.
To add to the blog, Founders posted a pic of them filling the barrels w/KBS for 2015 before KBS week this year so that point about determining need so far in advance is absolutely correct

 

A perceptive and thoughtful piece that attempts to grapple with a very real issue. I appreciate his consideration of both simple (i.e. supply vs. demand) and complex (i.e. defining "hype") perspectives.

I have the luxury of 15 years of craft beer drinking experience. But even I've gotten caught up by the excitement of recent developments from time to time, that even I can benefit form some perspective. It's worth remembering that beers we now regard as "common" and "ordinary" were once considered the best beers on BA and RateBeer. Storm King comes immediately to mind, which once ranked higher than KBS even. Is it any less "good" today? Hardly.

I have a similar story to the blogger's. Back in 2010, I went to a local Wild Wing where they were running something called "Bartender's choice." You got a beer for $2, but the bartender got to choose. Feeling indecisive about a selection, I bit knowing damn well that it would be beers the bar was trying to unload. And so...they brought me a KBS. And another. And another. Three KBS's (and a very inebriated me) later, I was out just $6. And the next year, you couldn't find KBS to save your life.

These may be the ramblings of a 30-something beer drinker, but I do think context really matters. I appreciate the blogger's attempt to dissect the issue. Craft beer could benefit from more pieces like Mr. Long's.

 

Love seeing the top 100 list from what is only a few years ago; lots of classics on there. This is really from 2010 though? Pilsner Urquell in the top 100 in 2010? How the times have changed, either way.

Imagine what it will look like in 2018.

 

This was not the Top 100 (Westvleteren 12 was #1 at that time), despite what that blog says. Looks like it was the Beers of Fame list from 2010; the 2014 version is really not that different (though there are a few noticeable differences).

 

Fantastic article. This should be read by all of the "crybabies" who are whining about "overhyped" beers.

 

I really doubt duval was 11 then, very much so, but i also bought bcbs and kbs at the party source then, lol. kbs was not discounted though. it sold out day of release. i was asked and was laughed at. they didnt get much. i was there once, for work, so i vividly remember.

 

I have a feeling the list in the article is taken out of context, I imagine it is the 2010 version of "Beers of Fame", at which the current list looks not much different here. (beers with 1,000+ ratings and 10 years on BA)

Hype is just beginning in the craft beer scene though, especially as wild ales are being delved into by new and old brewers alike.

Smart drinkers will wise up and not be bothered with all the "limited", "rare", or "sought after" beers and just drink what makes them happy. If they run across one such previously mentioned beers, good luck to them, if not plenty of world class beer is still to be drunk. Cheers.

 

Good article, but If you tried a beer and loved it then how can it be hyped? especially if its not distributed to your state. Zombie Dust and Heady, in my opinion, are not over hyped beer! They are both fantastic. The hype is being driving by people who now want to try craft beer for the first time thanks to social media! Advertisement is actually free now thanks to facebook, twitter, Beer Advocate and any other social media out there.

 

He probably could have made his point better by going back a few years more. A list like this is a bit more telling: http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/flashback-top-100-from-2006.6591/

I erred above myself. I meant FBS, not KBS, when I said Storm King was higher rated. But, it is true that KBS's popularity seemed to come out of nowhere. There was a (very) brief period before the beer became so highly sought.

So, yes, some flaws. But a nice article.

 

I think this article is a worthwhile read for everyone that is a regular user of this site and is really into craft beer in general. There can be so much negativity towards brewers for not producing enough, or beers that are "overhyped", and I think people lose sight of what enjoying a finely crafted beer is all about. So many of us are so wrapped up in snapping up whatever limited, seasonal, rare and barrel aged releases that we forget that beer is meant to be enjoyed, not stressing us out if we're going to make it in time to get "the latest rare beer".

Don't get me wrong, I have made my fair share of effort to get hard to acquire seasonal releases so I'm no more innocent than most of us here in these forums. What makes the biggest difference for me is that I try and keep things in perspective for the most part and try to remember a few things:

1)I'm not going to be able to get everything I'm looking for, but there will always be something else I know I'll enjoy to buy and drink.

2)I can't be too disappointed if I do miss out because so far in my craft beer journey I've been lucky to try some of the best brews in the world, and have been lucky enough not to miss out on too many things I really wanted.

3)I love drinking a great beer, whether it is a KBS or a two hearted I can pick up anywhere with a decent craft selection.

I think people really into craft beer as a whole sometimes lose perspective when we're blinded by things like "barrel aged", "limited release", "brewery only" etc... when what we really need to do is relax, and enjoy whatever finely crafted brews we can get. The world keeps turning and the next release is always around the corner. And sometimes the best beer in the world is the one you're currently drinking.

Cheers!

 

#&$% that! I want AAAAALLLLLL the beers!!!

 

Simple, one wide-spread mis-use of "hype" on this site is the "excitement surrounding a beer created by any one praising it." So there are lots of BAS who seem to think that if you say in public you tried the beer and loved it you are "hyping the beer." Also, if there is a beer that lots of people are excited about and they try it but don't find it exceptional, or are disappointed by it, the beer has been "over hyped." Both of these are so far from the original meaning of "hype" that its actually funny.

 

This isn't a bad article, but I think it does overlook a few important things:

1. While there are many factors that can limit sought-after beers (hop availability, barrel capacity, etc..), many of these beers are limited only by a brewery's priorities. A good example of this was Terrapin's Cinnamon Wake N Bake. Terrapin COULD have shifted more of the regular Wake N Bake to the Cinnamon version, but they chose not to. Instead, accounts that have carried Terrapin since day one got a single case of CWnB bombers, but yet that have more regular WnB than they can sell. Both the WC Moo Hoo and CWnB were kept scarce in order to manufacture an air of exclusivity ("hype").

2. Founders makes a metric shit ton of KBS. The reason that it's so hard to find is that they spread it very thin. There are distribution models where they could do a better job satisfying demand in certain areas (i.e. rotate which states get KBS on a yearly basis, for instance). However, Founders needs to be in lots of states to sell all the Centennial, Pale Ale, etc... that they pump out (as fantastic as it is, they makes loads of those beers).

 

Curious about two things. How did you find out that Terrapin deliberately chose to create a scarcity of those beers as oppoed to, say, being locked into a production schedule they couldn't change?

Second, where did you obtain the information that Founders existing contracts with multiple distributors would or could make it possible for them to saturate some markets every year on a rotating basis while totally cutting off others.

Thanks.

 

The problem is that people hype up KBS and Black Note so much. They expect it to taste like something beyond this world. When they finally get it and taste it....they become "disappointed".

 

I think this is also the same Cam Harris who ran the unwanted whale BIF and rigged it so he would always get the best box. He would also drive to VT and buy $3k worth of Heady and 80 growlers at HF.

Edit: and 2010 was not much different than today. There was plenty of early AM lines to stand in at bottle releases and everyone was chasing 200 count whales from the Bruery. The top 100 list was filled with stuff like PtY, Black Tuesday, Darkness, BA DL, BA Speedway, and Westy 12. All much harder to get back then. I don't even think there was a Cantillon was on the list.

 

great point about the time it takes in the fermentors

 

1. I'm in Athens. The statement from Terrapin was that they "didn't know how popular those beers would be." Believe that if you want. Terrapin could have chosen to up the percentage of the WnB that was dedicated to making the special release, but they didn't. In other news, those to special editions weren't worth the asking price (IMO), so I'm fine with the way it worked out.

2. Founders probably does have to supply KBS to those distributors under terms of their contract. If that's the case, didn't Founders choose to enter into that contract? If that's how they want/need to distribute their beer, then that's fine. It's their business model. The point is that a different business model could mitigate the perceived scarcity of that particular beer.

 

I enjoy the hunt for special beers. I had a great time getting Last Snow on Tuesday, it was a good time. The Nib Smuggler release party was pretty fun too.
Huna weekend was amazing...my god, as much as people say it was a shit show I had an awesome time at the fest itself and the entire weekend.

The key to keeping it enjoyable to me is restraint. For example, KBS, I wasn't going to drive 3-4 hours to secure more than 2 bottles. But you'd better believe I have a trip lined up to get a case of Zhukov this year. It's more so because it's an excuse to take a trip to Tampa, I want to take one anyways, so why not just be patient and wait until Zhukov is released to go. Then I not only have a great trip, I get some awesome beer.

I drove about an hour and a half to get 3 bottles of Life is Like. You know what, I had a good time doing it, the store owner is cool as hell and shared some homebrew with me that someone gave him.