Variety Packs: Good Idea or Not?

I was a fan in the past of the Sierra Nevada Seasonal variety packs. The majority of Sierra Nevada beers on my local beer retailers' shelves are too old and I knew with these seasonal packs from Sierra Nevada the beers would be non-old. Unfortunately Sierra Nevada made a business decision a few years ago to discontinue these seasonal packs.

I do every year buy a 12-pack of Celebration (which is a fall seasonal) and I will continue to do so until the business dude(s) at Sierra Nevada decide to nix this brand.

Cheers!

 

I don't buy mixed packs. The urge to try one or two beers that look interesting is always squashed by the other two offerings that look bad.

 

As has been mentioned, the Sierra Nevada packs were always good and a good buy.

The pack your describing would likely have been a pass for me b/c of the wheat beer and melon beer.

I'd happily take a mixed pack of New Belgium IPAs (Voodoo, Imperial Voodoo, and 2 other random rotating Voodoos)

Further, I don't think these breweries are 'dumping' 'crappy' beers. Variety pack is what it sounds like - a mixed offering - IPA, lager, wheat, fruited beer. I'd venture a guess that very rarely does a brewery (especially the size of New Belgium) vastly out-brew market demand and find themselves looking for ways to 'dump' product.

Similar vein - I see a lot of people here crap of Sam Adams variety pack for including Sam Adams. And Sierra Nevada for including Pale Ale. 1. Those are great beers; I'm happy to drink them. 2. That's exposure to their largest and most popular brands (and arguably most approachable). Of course they want to get that into people's hands.

 

The last variety pack I bought was from Bells, and it was 3 beers I knew I liked anyways. So, I guess that’s where my opinion stands on variety packs. I’ll buy what I know I like. Very rarely have I bought a variety pack that contained something I didn’t know I wanted already.

 

Another common problem is often the variety is just a variety of IPA. Also, sometimes the bottle dates are not visible from the outside, so the IPA is up to several months old when released.

 

Yes and No.

 

The variety mixed packs used to have a better selection. No hazies or session ipas. Here are a few examples off the top of my head if I remember right. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Founders Brewing
Porter
Centennial ipa
Reds rye ipa
Dirty bastard

Bells Brewery
Two hearted ale
Kalamazoo stout
Amber ale
And I think the Best Brown ale

Smuttynose Brewing
Finest kind ipa
Robust porter
Old brown dog
Shoals Pale Ale

Victory Brewing
HopDevil
Golden Monkey
Headwaters Pale ale
Prima Pils

August Schell, Stone, Troegs, Great Lakes, Weyerbacher’s big beer series, and Sam Adams all used to have better options for their variety packs as well.

 

Earlier this summer I finally picked up the Double Nickel 15 pack and wondered why it took so long. That's one of the good ones, imo.

Also, regular purchases for me are Jack's Abby and Von Trapp.

Just yesterday I noticed a North Coast Heritage (?) pack on the shelf, and that looks like another winner with Scrimshaw and Old 38 in the mix.

 

The Smutty variety was a mainstay in my fridge for years.

I also liked the Oscar Blues w/ Dales, Old Chub, Mama's Pils & Pinner (iirc)

 

I love variety packs as long as they are not IPA heavy. Unfortunately though these days, they often are. Give me a good variety of styles in a pack and I'll usually be interested in it.

 

There was a "Belgian" style beer in that one? Those hung around for a long time here...

Cans? If I remember correctly those are contract-brewed at Gordon Biersch and I could never find a date code on the outside of the box (and, given the dates of other NC beers, I've never bothered to open it).

 

It's been the complete opposite for me. The Bottle King seems to go through stacks of them so I finally gave in to check it out for the July 4th party. The Pilsner is excellent, while the others (2 IPAs, Vienna and Belgian Pale Ale) are good enough to make for a good value.

This was bottles and is new to the store, at least. I'll go in for a closer look the next time I'm in there.

 

Ha! No, I meant the "Belgian" style beer... hung around for a long time (in my beer fridge)." The four other styles were consumed quite quickly.

I still see the packs in my local store (also a Bottle King coincidentally), but have always assumed they date from that original shipment many months ago.

 

When I lived in PHX i found myself picking up the Firestone Walker IPA pack pretty regularly the last several years i was there The Luponic Distortion APA series is underrated and very fun. They would also include three Propogator brews, a DIPA, and Union Jack which i have enjoyed for years. All told you could get it for $15-$18 at the local Kroger subsidiary.
Cheers!
Tom

 

Great for trying out a brewer's action that you've never had and your not in the red cash-wise. I must admit that I paid $28 USD for a 12pk IPA mixr from Hop&Barrel recently and I do not regret it. I wasn't trying to save money but rather wanted to dig into something new. That said, I wouldn't purchase a 12mix just to have 1 beer that is exclusive to it... Of course, I'm lying Tear out there, get the 12pk and free style it!! Perhaps turn your friends onto something you don't fancy. Maybe they will? Fun! I like mix packs. Cheers!

 

Yes. And generally speaking…



Most of the time I will have had one or more of the offerings if it’s a 3 x 4 pack.

What usually pushes me over the edge of reason into the “gotta tick ‘em all” beergeek zone is the FOURTH, new and untried beer!

This same logic does not apply to all-IPA sampler packs. I have my favorites, but don’t branch outside those except for some local hazebros.

 

The New Trail Expedition packs were pretty neat and worth the $30 for a 12 pack of cans IMO.

Each pack had four different beers brewed with a different brewery. The beers were an imperial stout or barleywine, Double IPA, IPA, and a lager.

 

They used to be my bag back in the day. Before they were a variety of IPA's. You remember, when you got a mixed variety of beer styles?
The last variety pack I bought was last year's German Oktoberfest variety. I have not seen a variety pack that I would give a squirt of piss for these days.

 

Ditto on that! I like their IPAs, but as others have mentioned, too often mixed packs from other brewers come with at least one or two offerings that I know I don't care for or have no interest in buying multiple cans to try. I wish brewers had "introduction packs" where a single 4 pack or 6 packs was 1 beer each of different kinds. I can force down (or drain pour) a single beer I don't care for, but the though of staring at 2 or 3 more just like it is off-putting.