Why wouldn't a brewer remake a highly rated beer?

I expect it's a combination of factors which, added together, simply make the reward not worth the effort.

 

High ratings don’t necessarily equal sales.

 

One thing to consider is that a beer, even though highly rated, can lose its cult status for some reason, resulting in decreased hype and sales. One thing that could cause this is a drastic increase in production while maintaining the price. Increased production removes the "thrill of the hunt", causing customers to question why they should pay so much for a beer that while highly rated, has cheaper competitors that are nearly as good. Also consider that the high ratings were likely influenced by the cult hype in the first place.

Decreasing production may not help once the cult-status spell is broken, and folks realize how pricey and not-totally-unique it is. Perhaps lower cost and make it year-round? Or suspend production for a couple of years? Just saying that high ratings don't always equate to excellence and profit.

 

I would imagine that it is a straight up business decision. The short of it is that a brewery is a business and a business needs money to survive the same way we need food and water.

 

It might even have something to do with consistency. They might not be able to do it again like they did the first. Especially with anything barrel aged.

 

In the instances that prompted you to post this - were all the brewery’s customers clamoring for the beer? Or was it just a handful of BAs/nerds putting up high ratings here or on other ratings sites?

There’s all sorts of other reasons. And perhaps they just wanted to keep it as a one off special

 

I’d certain stuff like say Tree house “very” variants and juice machine and whatnot could be made as much as the core lineup but they make them limited to drive up hype and keep the neck beards lining up.

 

Just going off of CBS's re-release, I could see exactly why a brewery would avoid recreating a mystic cult classic. Sure, beer nerds seemed to buy the living hell out of it, but it also seemed like* many would not buy it again, and that it didn't live up to the hype. Founder's may have made quite a lot off of that release, but reduced future sales as they scratched and soothed the itch developed over several years (2011 to 2017?).

*Based on my reading of this forum; not scientific data.

 

Not too long ago, Founders KBS was a hot commodity in my area. Not exactly the cult status of CBS, but definitely something you had to seek out to obtain. This year, for the first time ever, I have seen KBS (four packs and 750s) sitting on the shelves, readily available. I wonder if Founders produced too much of it and it's losing some its mystique or perhaps the re-release of CBS had something to do with it?

 

Small batch, limited release, years pass.

The person who brewed the beer doesn’t work there any more?

Their other beers are so popular and successful at keeping the lights on they don’t have time or enough brewing capacity to fit it into their schedule?

 

The thread can end now.

 

Also see ST Pumpking from a couple years ago.

 

It may have high ratings but as a whole what if it did not sell as well as one of their other beers verse the time/cost to make it.
Cheers.

 

That was a dark period for beer - when something like that was sought after

 

Everyone knows the easy to find beers don't taste as good as hard to get beers!

 

I traded for that beer and I am still mad about it.

 

I totally agree. KBS is now a very expensive although great shelf terd, at least in my area that now has to compete with other great beers in the same category on a daily basis. I can still walk in and buy it at will. We started getting sip of Sunshine and the same thing happened. It has totally lost it's mystique and is now a very high end shelf terd competing with many other great beers in the same category. But on the other hand Founders and Lawson's do a killer job in the "business of beer" and probably know exactly what they are doing.

 

My friend is a brewer here and told me they are ever evolving and always on to the next thing