Vintage Bourbon County Stout bait and switch?

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by unclejazz, Sep 12, 2012.

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  1. unclejazz

    unclejazz Maven (1,333) Oct 24, 2011 New York

    I was at a bar I don't normally frequent, but had some tasty beer on tap twice in the last week. When finishing up my pint today, I decided to look at the bottled beer list. I saw a list for both 06' and 07' BCBS(!!!) priced $15 and $14 respectively. Having had both at a tasting about a month ago, I decided to ask about getting two bottles of '07 to-go. The bartender said fine and looked at the coolers and eventually went to the bar's cellar to get some. He returned after a few minutes and with 2 four packs. He goes to ring up the transaction and realizes the price is different from the menu. He had earlier mentioned that some of their prices were different, so here is where it gets interesting. He says, "the price in the computer says $25, menu says $14. I'm gonna call the owner". Now, a $14 bottle of 2007 GI bourbon county to go sounds fair to me. $25, not so much. After calling the owner he comes back to say that it is in fact $25. I am not a guy to argue and he did mention that some prices had changed, even before I looked at the menu. I politely declined the purchase and went on my way. What I am curious about is your feelings about the almost doubling in price and what your ceiling for a beer like this would be?
     
    #1 unclejazz, Sep 12, 2012
  2. semibaked

    semibaked Pooh-Bah (1,897) Mar 27, 2007 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah

    I would of done what you did in this situation, plus I would never go back to the place. It isn't hard to change prices and let your customers know about it.
     
    #2 semibaked, Sep 12, 2012
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  3. FUNKPhD

    FUNKPhD Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2010 Texas

    I wouldn't have paid the 15$/bottle. I believe I got mine for 5,99$/bottle.
     
    #3 FUNKPhD, Sep 12, 2012
  4. evilc

    evilc Initiate (0) Jan 27, 2012 California

    If it makes you feel any better, I paid $35 for a single bottle of 08' at a pub. =)
     
    #4 evilc, Sep 12, 2012
    Eriktheipaman and FUNKPhD like this.
  5. IceAce

    IceAce Pooh-Bah (2,274) Jan 8, 2004 California
    Pooh-Bah

    Lemmie see...

    • Bartender hands you menu and says "some prices may have changed"
    • You order a beer and discover that, in fact, a price has changed
    • You come here to report a 'bait & switch'
    I continue to search for a problem.
     
    #5 IceAce, Sep 12, 2012
    woosterbill, AaronRVA, dcloeren and 10 others like this.
  6. jp7161

    jp7161 Zealot (628) Dec 22, 2011 California
    Trader

    I would have paid the $25, because I haven't had it yet. There is a cost to store and cellar stuff, plus a retail markup. I don't really think that price sounds that crazy for an 8 year old bottle of presumably properly cellared beer.
     
    #6 jp7161, Sep 12, 2012
  7. Aml42000

    Aml42000 Initiate (0) Jul 21, 2011 Washington

    Nearly doubling the price from something on the menu which is already marked way up is pretty sleazy IMO. I would stop frequenting the bar. There is a place in Denver with a vintage list and a disclaimer that "some items may not be a available". I sat and went back and forth with a server trying to order for 20 minutes as she kept coming back telling me they didn't have each bottle I ordered. When I finally complained to the manager, he kept falling back on their availibility disclaimer. I understand the OP's frustration.
     
    #7 Aml42000, Sep 12, 2012
  8. garbercury

    garbercury Initiate (0) Jul 6, 2007 Pennsylvania

    FWIW...Just did a BCS vertical tasting and the 06' and 07' were fading badly...Still good brews, don't get me wrong, but definitely fading...
     
    #8 garbercury, Sep 12, 2012
  9. RochesterAaron

    RochesterAaron Initiate (0) May 24, 2007 New York

    I was out to dinner a few years back and saw the menu listed 120min on tap. I had never come across it on draft so I ordered one. The waitress comes back and says "the beer manager says it is bottled not draft", I said fine because the price was right. She comes back and says, "it's actually 90min not 120min". I said okay again. She showed up with a bottle of 60min. I think it was more about uneducated staff than trying to pull a bait n switch though.
     
    #9 RochesterAaron, Sep 12, 2012
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  10. black13

    black13 Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Oregon

    Wow, from 120min on tap to 60min in a bottle. Thats a pretty uneducated staff.
     
    #10 black13, Sep 12, 2012
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  11. black13

    black13 Initiate (0) Apr 11, 2010 Oregon

    Unless my calculator is wrong, the 07 BCs is only 5 years old :wink:
     
    #11 black13, Sep 12, 2012
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  12. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,145) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Leave one of these for the "tip"-
    [​IMG]​
     
    #12 jesskidden, Sep 12, 2012
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  13. Levitation

    Levitation Initiate (0) Aug 7, 2009 California

    so some prices changed, as warned beforehand, and you are upset?

    so some items turned out not to be available, as warned beforehand, and you are upset?

    is this serious thread?
     
    #13 Levitation, Sep 12, 2012
    AgentZero, kevinscott, ehammond1 and 3 others like this.
  14. FosterJM

    FosterJM Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2009 California


    Is it fair to say Touche in this instance.

    Cheers!
     
    #14 FosterJM, Sep 12, 2012
  15. hegemonycricket

    hegemonycricket Initiate (0) Jul 17, 2012 Chad

    This thread is much closer to a bait and switch than the incident in the story.
     
    #15 hegemonycricket, Sep 13, 2012
    stevegoz, ehammond1, ao125 and 9 others like this.
  16. evilc

    evilc Initiate (0) Jan 27, 2012 California

    I thought the bait and switch was gonna be he got a normal BCBS instead of a PvW one bottled 10/12/07
     
    #16 evilc, Sep 13, 2012
  17. camil1mj

    camil1mj Initiate (0) Oct 4, 2010 Michigan

    $25 is not unrealistic. A local store that had properly cellared 08 BCBS sold it for $20 a bottle without a problem. Keep in mind, that this was a store, not a bar. Bar prices are always higher.
     
    #17 camil1mj, Sep 13, 2012
    brewbetter likes this.
  18. Rempo

    Rempo Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2010 Indiana

    You have to average in the age of the Pappy.
     
    #18 Rempo, Sep 13, 2012
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  19. unclejazz

    unclejazz Maven (1,333) Oct 24, 2011 New York

    I am glad to hear all you come out the woodwork for this one. I have two opinions about this experience I would like to share. The first is that this price increase say less about the bar and more about the demand exceeding the supply. Another bar posted bottles of CBS for $85, and people must have gone as spent the scratch, because the bar no longer has any. The other opinion is how overpricing vintages can allow the beer to go south and not be consumed before too much oxidation and fall off occur. As mentioned in the OP, I had recently tried both the 06' and 07' in a vertical. I felt the 06' was no longer any good, while the 07' was amazing. I am basically saying that it is disappointing to watch great beer go bad in a cellar just because they put it too far of a reasonable price.
     
    #19 unclejazz, Sep 13, 2012
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  20. Levitation

    Levitation Initiate (0) Aug 7, 2009 California

    i can agree with that. i've made the same argument about trading. i look forward to so much over-the-hill beer flooding the trade forum in the next 3-5 years.
     
    #20 Levitation, Sep 13, 2012
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