Why is this beer so expensive?

Then maybe they could have priced this beer even higher? As long as people like you buy the beer it can not be argued that the beer is over-priced.

Frankly I was hoping that your answer would be "no" since there is zero incentive for the beer industry to lower the price of this beer as long as people like you are willing to pay the price.

This message is not solely directed at you: the beer industry will continue to charge high prices as long as the beer geek market is willing to pay those high prices. They would be stupid to do otherwise.

Cheers!

 

Yeah- and I'm sure we all have overpaid for beers that push our buttons. This one didn't push mine, so I did balk at the price and grabbed a Double Bastard instead.

But if it had the word 'smoked' on the label...

 

They're there for the protection of the beer. Haven't you heard of the Escondido Mafia? It's really an Army of Gargoyles at Stone HQ.

 

@StoneGreg might be able to explain better "why it's so expensive".

 

I haven't pulled the trigger on any in the 500ml bottle series but man is it tempting. I'll probably spring for the Box of Bastards. That just looks like a killer deal and I'm interesting in trying Depth Charged Double Bastard.

 

I'd guess it "so expensive " because it still sells very well. If it didn't they wouldn't . So don't buy it.

 

I wonder what high priced beer could possibly pay for? Think about your job for comparison.

For the brewery
More equipment
Better equipment - bottle dating for example
Allow for expansion
New beer

For Employees
Health Insurance
Paid Time Off
Retirement Savings

Yes, low prices are great, but premium pricing can have other benefits.

 

Another one for your list: increased profit solely for the brewery ownership.

Cheers!

 

it takes time, labor,rent and utilities to produce....someone has to pay for it....they aint gonna give you a drink at a loss because you look good

 

Breweries will continue to test the limits of what will we pay. See FiftyFifty Eclipse, Ballast Point six packs, Cascade Sours etc.

Especially with something barrel aged or that isn't time sensitive, breweries care less about it maybe sitting for a month or two at high prices. There's a limit to what we'll pay, we just haven't gotten even close to finding out yet. See: BCBS Rare.

 

Also, how much of that beer leaks out and evaporates?

 

I don't buy any Eclipse (good but way overpriced), Cascade (mostly way too sour, the good ones are well over $40), and normally just grab singles of Ballast Point. Those are great examples of breweries that have gone too far and lost me. There are as good or better options out there for less money IMO.

 

Yes, being a smart ass! You bought it anyhow. That's why they get the asking price because you and most of the other price complainers still purchase it.

 

Compared to wine and spirits the markup on beer is rather small.

 

Well, it does have the word "char" in the flavor description.

 

I don't know!? I DO KNOW! You could barrel age some PBR slap a 10.99 price tag on a 12 oz bottel and people would line up for it.

 

Some additional things that I don't think anybody has mentioned yet.

The description of the beer says that the barrels are first-use Kentucky Bourbon barrels.

Since most (if not all) Bourbon distilleries sell their used barrels to a middleman rather than directly to a brewery, this would require additional time and labor costs beyond regular simple barrel aging as it would mean insuring that none of the barrels have been used for anything except Bourbon (e.g., Rye) and that this isn't the 2nd or 3rd batch of beer to be aged in those barrels. Not surprisingly first use barrels cost more--about $200 these days for first use barrels--than do 2nd use barrels (essentially free).

The description would also mean that the barrels came from one or more Bourbon distilleries located in the state of Kentucky (not all Bourbon is distilled in Kentucky). So this means that somebody who gets a reasonable hourly would have to sort through a warehouse (probably in Lexington, KY) full of used Bourbon barrels to find, pull out, and load only these barrels suitable for re-use by brewers (not all first use barrles can be used by breweries) and get them on a truck to the Brewery.

As noted before many times, more labor=higher prices.

 

Do you think it should be selling for less? If so, why? The market is what dictates the price, people are buying it (you included) so until that changes, there is no reason to lower the price.