Why does Founders never have any Class 3 on tap?

Can't....telll...if....serious. It absolutely is. Same exact line-up they brought to summer earlier this year. Other than the timed tappings, those are all bottled offerings that are on tap every day. I've had every single one of those beers numerous times living down the street from the brewery as have most Founder's fans. Hell, they have a half dozen brewery only beers on tap right now that they could have brought for people not from GR. Shorts, Dark Horse, Green Bush all brought it hard....same as they have at previous beer fests. Hell, even New Holland brought something they don't normally have. Founders, Bells and Jolly Pumpkin have all brought their normal offerings and limited one offs. They aren't competing for the state market anymore like those other breweries. They have become content with Michigan and are focusing on other markets. These breweries used to kill it at Beer Fests. This past year they had looking glass and dave's not here on tap. Those were the only two beers I've gotten excited about from them in quite some time. They could easily do a handful of barrels with experimental beers all the time to put on tap at their brewpub. Much smaller breweries do it.

 

The problem is not the bottom half of the list, the top half always makes me scratch my head. Why does Founders always insist upon bringing beers we have all had and always have access to? They are one of the only breweries who does this. I am not saying that every beer you bring needs to bring the heat but I would love to see Solid Gold, Bitter Old Man, Cream of the Rock, Main Guy Mango or some of the other taproom only offerings more than grocery store sixers.

 

Yeah, that was sarcasm. I don't know anyone who would scoff at that lineup, no matter what the first half of the list is. They could've put all BMC products on tap alongside the timed tappings and you wouldn't have heard a word out of me. Now I get what you and kzoobrew are saying about the top half of the list, and kzoobrew especially has a point with switching the easy to get brews with the one offs offered at the tap room itself. However, I just can't look at a list like that that has some of the best beers they make (and are among the best in the world), hear someone say that it's embarrassing, and take them seriously.

 

Agreed, that's a solid lineup of their stuff. No embarrassment on Founders part at all.

 

and to go along with the last few statements, there were LONG, read it LONG, lines for each of the time tappings. People still want those beers. Founder is OK...

 

I'm actually inclined to agree with this. I've been to Founders probably 5 or 6 times over the past year, and they never seem to have anything all that interesting on tap. Compare and contrast to someplace like Hair of the Dog (AftW and Matt bottles), Kuhnhenn's (usually something pretty awesome on tap), Cascade (always a great small batch sour on tap), or even Bell's (usually a one-off sour, Black note, small test batches, etc). The main part of the draw when visiting a brewery, at least for me, is the innovation.

It also doesn't help how disappointing the past few backstage series beers have been, and let's just say I'm not particularly geeked about Bourbon Barrel aged Double Trouble.

 

Check out their twitter feed sometime if ya don't already. I routinely see this exact same line-up at tap takeover events in New York, Philly, Chicago, etc. Call me crazy but it would be nice to see them do something a little different for the biggest Michigan craft beer event of the year which happens to take place in their hometown.

 

Also, on a side note, I live less than a mile from the brewpub and have been going to KBS day for as long as I remember it happening. This year is the first year I will be shut out of buying bottles at the brewpub and it's the most KBS they have ever made. Seems a little odd...and when I offer to host a tasting for out of towners, they all want to make sure it's okay if they can bring their 4 mules with them. Even their ticket sales nowadays favor out of towners over locals. I don't feel entitled to anything just pointing out another way in which it seems their attention has shifted. Reds Rye and All Day IPA are becoming seasonals because they have expanded their market so wide they can't keep up their production or maintain appropriate quality. Reds rye, man. That's a sad day for MI beer.

 

In other news, there are bottles of centennial from 9/25 sitting all over VT.

 

Fall Fest:

Bell’s Brewery
Black Note
Bourbon Barrel Aged Cherry Stout
Bourbon Barrel Aged 9000
Kal Haven
Octoberfest
Oberon
2011 Cherry Stout
Best Brown Ale
Two Hearted Ale
MBG 15th Anniversary Ale
This One Goes To 11
Deb’s Red
Double Cream Stout
Le Batteur
Le Pianiste
Le Contrabassiste
Oatmeal Stout
Hopsolution Ale
The Oracle
Sparkling Ale

Dark Horse Brewing Co.
Crooked Tree IPA
Raspberry Ale
Amber Ale
Boffo Brown Ale
Reserve Special Black Ale
Scotty Karate Scotch Ale
Perkulator Coffee Doppelbock
ONE Oatmeal Stout
Oktoberfest
Edacsac Dekoorc Eert IPA
Plead the 5th Imperial Stout
Bourbon Barrel Plead the 5th Imperial Stout
Murf’s Reeb
Kmitka Kolsch
F.F. Dekoorc Eert IPA
GingerRed Imperial Red Ale
Homosapien Trip Ale Raspberry Tripple
Homobourbon Sapien Trip Ale Oak Aged Cherry Tripple
Death Star Lover Raspberry Chocolate Stout
Sahti Finnish-style Ale

Founders Brewing Co.
Dirty Bastard Scotch Ale
Centennial IPA
Harvest Ale Wet Hop IPA
Breakfast Stout

 

I agree this was a good lineup but Founders didn't bring anything good to the Summer beerfest KBS isn't even that good its good but it's not world class like everyone holds it out to be at least not fresh its too hot CBS is world class of course they didn't bring that to the summer fest and look at how big the lists of other brewerys like bells are dark horse is Founders just doesn't seem to care about MI anymore IMO MI should get at least 50% preferably 100% of special releases the rest split evenly with the rest of the states its not like KBS CBS or stuff like that wouldn't sell out here if Founders wants to distribute their other stuff outta state good for them but keep the specials local or at least in MI until then I'll do my part and not buy Founders with the exception of KBS and CBS

 

.........

Here are some periods for you. Feel free to use them, I can get you plenty more if you run out.

 

We're talking about this again?

 

I have only read a third of it....but this thread is redonkulous! (not you moniterpop)

Time to get it locked up!

 

You should have someone take you to the emergency room...that doesn't sound right.

 

Probably the biggest factor is the cost of the ingredients in the Tier 3 beers when compared to the brewery's other beers. Secondarily, the smallness of the batch that limits the supply when compared with the perceived (or hoped for) demand of a special beer so that a higher price is the result. A typically higher alcohol level also helps the bartender to protect himself from an over-serving situation, thus I think this is also a reason for a smaller pour, which is typical for these beers too.

 

After reading through a bunch if this "conversation," or debate, I couldn't help but think of Shorts and the way they "entitle" those in Michigan to Shorts beer. Founders expansion and recent distribution to other states is indicative of their goal in becoming a major international player in the beer industry. However, I don't anticipate, or hope that the quality of their beers will suffer in doing so. Unfortunately, in the future they may lose some loyal followers though as the once "craft" becomes production, as expressed by some of those in this forum.

 

*sigh* Not this again.

Founders is in "expansion mode". Their owners have decided that they want their beers in as many markets as possible. That's a fine business practice, but by doing so, most breweries are spreading themselves very thin, which means there are less experimental beers that can be released to all of the market and less one-offs. This includes one-off releases at the brewpub as well.

For beer nerds who like to try new, experimental, barrel aged beers, it's a bummer. But nowadays there are plenty of other breweries who are filling that gap - Greenbush, Odd Side, Kuhnhenn, Dark Horse, Shorts, and dozens of other breweries that are in Michigan constantly release new and exciting one-off beers that you go try. Do I wish Founders catered more to people like me, who like trying new beers on tap instead of their yearly/seasonal offerings? Absolutely, but there's plenty of other breweries filling that void nowadays.

 

I hope that's sarcasm. We're (presumably) all adults here, so we don't need nanny forum mods protecting us from ourselves when a thread gets too "redonkulous."

 

Obviously this thread is still open 24hr+ after the comment was posted so I guess we don't have much to worry about. Move on, nothing to see here.