Variety Packs - 2019 edition

Really dug the Stone 12 pack of Tiki Escape of late.

 

I've mostly bought variety 12 packs from Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams. The only exceptions I can recall were a St. Bernardus pack years ago (6, 8, 12, & tripel), and very recently the Schlafly Lunar Lager pack. I enjoyed that, but I don't see too many future purchases of such packs due to the general lack of variety within them these days.

 

I look for them often and but dont buy them very often because many of them don't provide a variety of styles unfortunately. That great lakes one sounds good.

 

I used to buy variety packs pretty often. Now I keep seeing what you noticed. Nothing but packs of the the same styles. I don't want a pack of 5 IPA's and a strong Pale Ale. I want a variety of styles instead of a variety of IPA's.

While the Sam Adams mixed packs still have a variety of beers, they're mostly just flagships now. It used to be 2 bottles of Boston Lager and 10 seasonals. Now it's the exact opposite. While still good, I miss the older approach. They're also victims of seasonal creep, too. It won't be long before they start selling seasonals 6 months in advance.

 

I used to buy variety packs when I was trying to drink a variety of beers in my learning process of craft beers (back then few stores offered singles for mixed six packs) but it reached a point that the variety packs contained one selection of 3 or 4 bottles of a beer that I'd already had and was neutral on it. So I stopped buying them because I didn't want to feel 'forced' into buying something I didn't want. The exception has been the Short's Hoppy Holidays pack because I really like anything hoppy from that brewery, regardless that I've already had it.

 

Ditto.

If there's actual variety of beer styles I'll buy a variety pack, especially if it's a brewery I haven't tried much from. Assuming the pack is reasonably fresh, of course.

EDIT: I've had the GL pack @bubseymour mentioned and it's good. I like Yards variety pack too.

 

Last variety pack was from Great Divide, it included a BA versions of Yeti, Old Ruffian and Hibernation ale.

 

The variety pack section of our local liquor store is where I always start. If I can't find something new, I usually default to a seasonal 12 pack (6 different beers) from Unibroue. Often I will have both.

 

You know, I thought I wasn't crazy about that 1, but I kep buying it. Clearly I have no idea what I like.

 

It's their Amber Lager in that pack, Eliot Ness. Important to clarify because I don't think that beer gets nearly the love that it deserves.

 

Wow that sounds amazing, they did a barrel aged mix pack of those three? How much was it? Definitely didn’t see that here on the east coast. BA Old ruffian is amazing.

 

I went through a few 12 pks of Revolution league of hero's. I enjoyed them very much. Let's see there was northeast hero, northwest hero, Midwest hero and their classic anti hero.

 

My issue with variety packs is that I prefer darker and stronger beers - particularly BBA, but variety packs are most often lighter beers which are lagers, pale ales, and IPAs. I have found a few packs that are all BA beers or all darker beers, and I'm all over that.

 

We used to get Great Lakes, no idea where it went except to poor sales. But Dortmunder Gold was a very good beer, I’d buy it on sight.

 

I regularly bough Sierra Nevada and Sam Adams variety packs until SN discontinued their seasonal packs and SA started half assing theirs. I mentioned in another thread I will buy one Winter pack from SA, despite Sam 76 being included yet again.

The most recent pack I bought was from Elysian, called a pumpkin pack or something. My total came to less than $20 and I got 3 each of punkuccino, dark o the moon, night owl, and the great pumpkin. That's an outstanding deal and I loved the pack. Was sold out when I went to get more.

 

On occasion I'll see local breweries do this. It's rare, but they may put similar vintages of beers in a mix four pack for sale.

Aeronaut has a beer called, "A Year with Dr. Nandu", and they've done 2 years with Dr. Nandu, 3 years...you get the point.

They did a variety four pack with these last year. I think Nightshift may have done this with multiple batches of their Morph series too.


Personally, I just buy a lot of singles now for beers I don't want more than one or two of/haven't had before. And then I buy full six/four packs of beers I really enjoy.

Yeah it's more expensive, but whatever. I look for what I want first, price second (if at all).

 

I'll buy the SN ones if I can't find anything else, or in the case of the last one had a gift card to use. I wanted the Flip Side and Coffee Stout, but now I'm sitting on the remaining 3 Weight and pale ale. Not because they're not good, I just have other things to drink first.