The Problem with Batch 19

I think I gave it a fair review and I shat all over the Blue Moon Agave Nectar and Third Shift offerings.

To be fair, those two deserved it. Batch 19 doesn't.

 

Unfortunately her initial argument started with, and I'm paraphrasing, who cares about taste, it's a corporate beer. I am sick and tired of beer advocates, beer servers, beer geeks and beer snobs trashing BMC for their business ethics and giving goose island a pass. I happen to enjoy quite a few of ac goldens brews as well as some *gasp* BMC offerings from time to time, everything from banquet to sofie. However I do believe in being fair with our judgements, and her post calls out batch 19 for being a coors product not for flavor, and her defense of goose island is based SOLEY on product taste. Goose island really commited a cardinal sin by selling out on the ideals that we have in the craft community by selling out. As stated in a previous post GI has always leaned on bud, and has never cared about making a great product for a few people, they have always been focused on the "bigger picture" capitalist economics strive towards. As for coors beers, they are what they are, and I would venture to say that their one off beers like the ac golden sours and stouts can hold their own with budwiser, ahem, I mean goose island. Unfortunately I'm sure our politically savvy friend wouldn't have those beers on tap either.

 

My argument is about the top down vs. bottom up in this case. Coors created a product that it knows will sell because of a market it didn't create. AB inherited Goose Island because it was already a good brewery. That's the difference, that's the principle.

 

I'm also going to argue that a product like Goose Island is a really great example of why the craft beer market is expanding and growing at an exponential rate that has not been seen in this country in over a hundred years - it started out small, made a good product, and then grew by being bought out but is now a huge face for craft beer that people can get CHEAPLY because of its owner. Batch 19 was some corporate's idea of getting a piece of a pie that is a growing money pool that Coors was never a part of creating. That's my argument, its a cheap and easy way to make money for them because they're already a huge company with endless resources.

 

Ummmmm, Inbev didn't inherit anything. Budweiser bought into a market they were never a part of, and goose island sold their soul to the devil to make a buck with NO CONCERN ABOUT PRODUCT QUALITY, but rather concern about profit from selling the company. If you think the higher ups at GI, who are now leaving the company or have already left, give a damn about BCBS tasting the same next year, you're delusional. At least coors is trying to incorporate higher quality beverages through ac golden in addition to buying up breweries like blue moon. All I get from your arguments is you have an anti corporate stance on anything YOU don't like.

EDIT, just saw your next post...

Have you ever tried a sour from AC golden? Product to product the AC golden sours blow GI right out of the water.

 

Well I don't know I had BCBS this year and it tasted damn better than anything else I've had so far (other than KBS) while Batch 19 is just an average drinkable lager...which I don't think is just my opinion, you can check the reviews.

 

A few comments:

“ …in addition to buying up breweries like blue moon.” Coors did not buy Blue Moon. Coors ‘created’ Blue Moon as a proxy brewery to market their crafty beers.

“Blue Moon Belgian White, a Belgian-style witbier brewed by Blue Moon Brewing Co. originally in Golden, Colorado, was launched in 1995. Blue Moon Brewing Co. is a part of Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the craft and import division of Chicago-based MillerCoors.”

“Batch 19 is just an average drinkable lager…” I classify Batch 19 as being an American Amber Adjunct Lager (like Yuengling Lager, Shiner Bock, etc.). I can see some folks thinking that it is an “average drinkable lager”. I personally think it is a bit better than a beer such as Budweiser/Miller High Life/Coors Banquet since it has a higher hop presence and some flavor from the crystal malt addition. I personally would not classify Batch 19 as a craft beer and this beer is way overpriced at $10 a six-pack (the price at my local beer store). I will buy a six-pack of Yuengling Lager at $6 instead if I want to drink an AAAL.

Cheers!

 

I agree, her initial posts were all over the place, but my simple point is that I understand why someone managing a bar would gladly sell BCBS but reluctantly take the free Batch 19 keg. BCBS will sell, regardless of it's ownership, while the other will get returned by the customer upon finding out it's a Coors product. Like you, I'm getting pretty sick and tired of this hypocritical attitude which is why I've steered away from trashing BMC. Certainly not my favorite companies to support, but I have no problem cracking open a Bud Heavy late at night when I've got a bit of a buzz going and don't want to waste good/expensive beer at that point.

 

And if that was her contention I would have nothing to say. Batch 19 isn't bcbs, and if she had taken that stand point rather than an anti coors one I would have agreed. It sucks as a stand alone beer, however any brewery has a few misses.