Variety packs 3 or 4 beers each?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by DarkDragon999, May 2, 2015.

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  1. DarkDragon999

    DarkDragon999 Savant (1,147) Feb 13, 2013 Rhode Island

    I just have no interest in buying a variety pack of 3 different beers each. I'd much rather prefer 4. Off the top of my head Oskar Blues, Saranac (canned) and Newcastle do the 3 beers instead of 4. Of course other companies do 2 of each but even that seems to be dwindling.
     
  2. BrewsOverHoes

    BrewsOverHoes Grand Pooh-Bah (3,485) Nov 17, 2013 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Just picked up a Devils Backbone collaboration pack 4 of each beer. Pretty sure Sierra Nevada has theirs 4x each in their seasonal varieties. Also Troegs recent variety pack I think? If I'm understanding your question.
     
  3. TongoRad

    TongoRad Grand Pooh-Bah (3,848) Jun 3, 2004 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I'd rather have three 4-packs myself. 3 bottles of a particular beer never seems enough, and I like to drink in pairs anyway so this way I can have two bottles left over for another night.
     
  4. hophugger

    hophugger Grand Pooh-Bah (3,410) Mar 5, 2014 Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Society

    So the question is......?
     
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  5. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I like 4 different beers, 3 bottles each.
     
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  6. PapaGoose03

    PapaGoose03 Grand Pooh-Bah (5,291) May 30, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I'd bet a beer that if we wanted to research this that the results would be 50-50 with 3 beers vs. 4 beers being about equal. (Ignoring the few variety packs that have 6-12 different beers.)
     
  7. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    In PA you'd lose that bet. We have lots of variety cases/packs ( because of the case law) and four is close to universal. I have bought one case with 3 that was originally intended for 4 but the fourth never got brewed for distro so eventually they changed the case label) and I have bought 1 case with six but most I buy (and I buy several, 6-8, in any given year) are 4 different beer of six bottles each without many repeats in any given year.
     
  8. Brolo75

    Brolo75 Initiate (0) Aug 10, 2013 California
    Deactivated

    I'd prefer 2 bottles each, makes sense because it would add more meaning to "variety."
     
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  9. Nctide

    Nctide Initiate (0) Oct 3, 2014 Indiana

    The biggest variety of beers I have seen in a 12-pack is New Belgium's folly pack. They have 5 beers, 2 each of 4 of their regular beers and 4 of whatever seasonal is being featured.
     
  10. Beef_Curtains

    Beef_Curtains Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Ohio

    The more variety the better, in my opinion. This is why I prefer to make my own variety packs from singles. Yes it's more expensive but it's so much more satisfying to hand-select which beers you want instead of the brewery doing it for you.
     
  11. Rodney221

    Rodney221 Initiate (0) Sep 14, 2014 Virginia

    I like 2 bottles each of 6 different styles. Seems to be a dying breed though.
     
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  12. Pantalones

    Pantalones Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2014 Virginia

    Hmm... depends.

    If I'm buying a variety pack to try out a bunch of beers I've never had before, 5 or 6 beers in a pack is the ideal (so I get to try a bunch of new beer, but at the same time get at least two bottles of each) but 4 is not bad at all either. I've always thought New Belgium's "4 bottles of the 'revived' old seasonal beer you can only get in this pack, 2 bottles each of 4 other beers" setup was pretty neat -- it's like you're getting a 4-pack of a harder-to-find beer and a "variety 8-pack" in the same box. The "6 beers, 2 bottles each" setup is really nice for getting the most variety possible (while still having two of each), but the only variety pack I've seen that does that is Blue Moon.

    If I already knew I liked the beers in the pack and just wanted more of them without having to buy a full six-pack of each, I might lean more toward the "three beers, four each" packs, though. Seems like not that many breweries (or at least, not that many that I see around here) use the "4 each of 3 beers" format, though -- I think I've only seen that with the Redhook and some Goose Island variety packs (though the Goose Island one on the shelves now is 4 beers with three each.)
     
  13. jakemn91

    jakemn91 Initiate (0) Jun 14, 2013 New Mexico

    There is one brewery in southern Minnesota that put out an 8 pack with one bottle of 8 different beers. It was a nice way to try there whole line up. It was a like a to-go flight.
     
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  14. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (4,711) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    6 different beers, 2 bottles of each.
     
  15. SammyJaxxxx

    SammyJaxxxx Initiate (0) Feb 23, 2012 New Jersey

    I prefer 4, but if they are going to include one of their year rounds (SNPA, SA Boston Lager)
    I would just as soon have 3.
     
  16. dennis3951

    dennis3951 Initiate (0) Mar 6, 2008 New Jersey

    3 bottles is best imo.
     
  17. 31Sam13

    31Sam13 Initiate (0) Sep 29, 2014 New Hampshire

    3 each of 4 kinds or 2 each of six kinds...I lean toward more variety if I am buying a "variety pack," but 3 types can still be considered a variety although it's more fun to have as many flavors as possible to try...It would be really cool to see a pack where there are 12 separate styles and one of each...
     
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  18. Scrapss

    Scrapss Pooh-Bah (2,220) Nov 15, 2008 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    3 of 4, 4 of 3, 2 of 6, 6 of 2, 4 of 6, 6 of 4....I'll try any of 'em!
     
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  19. JimKal

    JimKal Savant (1,149) Jul 31, 2011 North Carolina

    I will try a variety pack from time to time but I seem to be doing it less and less. Many of them contain at least one beer that I already know I don't like so if it is a 3 each or 4 each I just avoid them. If it is only 2 each I might give it a go. I think these variety packs are a good way to sample new beers or new beer styles if they don't contain a beer that I know I won't like. So many now contain a "session IPA" and I have yet to find one that I would buy again.
     
  20. hillind

    hillind Pundit (971) Apr 24, 2010 Pennsylvania

    As long as I like all the beers, it doesn't really matter. I think Green Flash's was a mix 8 pack with 4 west coast and 2 each of hop head red and the double stout. As long as they are good beers, bring em on!
     
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