Ska Brewing is Pretty Cool...

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GreenwoodRover

me-no-r-no Nice Guy
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So I live in chicago and don't get a lot of Ska Products, but the stuff I had was awesome (their Canned ESB, and their Pinstripe Red Ale), however my last batch was real funky. Astringent, over carbed (it took 10min to pour and the head was 4" from a 12oz bottle in a tall weiss glass) so i though i would send a "heads up" to Ska (long but worth it, names changed/annomized where appropriate):

Bill,
I love your beers and enjoy them frequently. Being from Chicago I
was not really aware of your company or produces until about a year
ago. I first came across your Canned ESB at Sam's Wine and Spirits
and instantly loved it. It's my official fishing beer. I also had
a few (well several) Pin Stripe Ale (from bottles) at HopHaus in
Chicago, another great one.
I'm writing to express a concern. I picked up a 6pack of Pin Stripe
at Whole Foods in Chicago (at Petersen and Cicero) last saturday.
I was psyched to see it there in their chill chest. I put it inot
my beer fridge until tonight hoping to enjoy with some college
basketball. I think there's a problem. It may be over carbed and/or
infected. My first glass took 10min to pour and was all foam. I
chalked it up to my exuberance. The second I was more careful, same
result and there was a cloudy haze (almost like a bottle
contitioned, young, homebrew. It's also a lot drier than I remember
and definately hardly any residiual sweetness I rember from the
bottles at HopHaus.
I'm not bitching, just giving you a heads up. Maybe it was just the
trip from Durango to Chicago, or mayber there is an issue.
Eitherway I'm sure the batch I have was many ferementers full ago....
Cheers and keep up the good work.
-GwR

GwR,
Ironically, I just flew back from Chicago yesterday, and
back in the office today. Our sales rep and I ran around to
several accounts, Whole Foods and Sam’s being just a couple.
Anyway, I’ve got a guy on the street simply checking dates, he is
doing a pretty good job of pulling out of date beer, and the
situation you described below sounds like old beer. It is odd
however that you got it from the cold box, as that is usually the
key…keeping it cold.
Before I go too far, I would like to replace your
purchase, and tell you that we appreciate your business, and
loyalty. If you send me your phone #, I can have our rep in
Chicago, XXXXXX, give you a ring and replace the bad beer you
bought.
So that being said, if you’ve got a couple of bottles
still laying around, check the bottle date code on the side for me.
It’s an alpha numeric system, JFMAM ect. followed by 12345.
Basically the month and week the beer was bottled. I think what
might have happened, is that the beer was delivered fresh, and whole
foods, being a big store probably had a big load of beer sitting in
a warehouse warm, and their rotation got away from them, you’ve got
to think they probably have something like 700,000 sku’s from
vitamins, to produce, to beer, and this one simply didn’t get
rotated, and as a result old beer like 6 months plus ended up in the
cold box after sitting warm. The date is the easiest place for me
to start to get this fixed.
Anyway please accept my apology, we strive to have every
Ska experience be the best, and please let me know how I can go
about getting your purchase replaced, we value you as customer and
want to show you our dedication to this.
Thanks, Bill


Bill-
Wow - I never thought I would get a response, let alone one so fast.
Kudos to Ska and your customer service skills.
No apology necessary, and while I appreciate the offer, I wasn't
fishing for free beer so I'll have to pass. I just wanted to give
you a heads up.
From what I can tell the label was notched at "S". I could not
discern a week that was notched.
I'll probably just stick to Sam's since beer is their trade.
If you don't mind I'd like to share your response message with my
homebrewing board to let them know what a stand up company you guys
are. Keep up the good work.
GwR


No problem at all GwR, and thanks for the Heads Up. We do what we
can. I'll make you a deal, go ahead and pass this onto your
homebrewing board, if I can pass your e-mail address onto John. That
way the next time he is doing a tasting he can give you a shout and
somehow we can get you a couple on the house for going out of your way
to let us know of a problem.
We do appreciate it. I'll try to get <our rep> over to that Whole Foods to
check on the dates and talk with the beer manager asap.
Cheers, Bill

Now I'd say thats a pretty cool company. This exchange took place over the course of 36hours, the lag was mostly on my end.
For my dime a company that cares that much will always get my business.
 
ska is good people. Grew up about 30 minutes from where they're at. My wife's brother lives there. I almost always drink it while I'm there. I have to admit that they are quality people whom take pride in their work. It's pretty common is stores around here, but it's still a niche product; something about Durango just sets people off....smelly hippies ;-)
 
I love Ska and carry all of them at my store here in Chicago. (ESB, Decadent, True Blonde, Dubbel Blonde, Imperial Porter, Ten Pin, Buster Nut Brown, Pinstripe Red.)

The canned ESB is pretty much my house beer, i always have a six pack in the fridge.
 
I like Ska a lot. I have a sixer of Pinstripe in my fridge right now. I try to go through Durango at least twice a year. It's a nice area and there are a few good breweries all packed into that town. Their beers are great in their taproom!

I had a similar experience with their Blonde Ale a couple years ago. It was no fault of the brewery. I got a six-pack from my in-laws (they don't drink beer) that they had in their pantry for about a year. It was very highly carbonated and was hard to pour a glass that wasn't completely foam. Buying a fresh sixer provided a much more pleasant beer!
 
Ska is good company. Very nice of them to do that for ya.


If you guys havent tried it yet, make sure to try their new canned IPA... Modus Hoperandi. Absolutely delicious.
 
I love Ska and carry all of them at my store here in Chicago. (ESB, Decadent, True Blonde, Dubbel Blonde, Imperial Porter, Ten Pin, Buster Nut Brown, Pinstripe Red.)

The canned ESB is pretty much my house beer, i always have a six pack in the fridge.

What is your store? I love their ESB but was not really impressed with their IIPA (the one with wax on the 22oz bottle)
 
What is your store? I love their ESB but was not really impressed with their IIPA (the one with wax on the 22oz bottle)

Sam's in Highland Park.

And just to let everyone know, Ska has released a new beer, Modus Hoperandi, which is a session IPA that comes in 6 pack cans. I ordered a case, so there will be 3 :)) :mug: ) available here at my store as of tomorrow.
 
Sam's in Highland Park.

And just to let everyone know, Ska has released a new beer, Modus Hoperandi, which is a session IPA that comes in 6 pack cans. I ordered a case, so there will be 3 :)) :mug: ) available here at my store as of tomorrow.




Ska is good company. Very nice of them to do that for ya.


If you guys havent tried it yet, make sure to try their new canned IPA... Modus Hoperandi. Absolutely delicious
.

:cross::mug:
 
kuma's corner on belmont (best burger joint ever) has a few in their repertoire... the ska buster nut brown is a brilliant beer.
 
kuma's corner on belmont (best burger joint ever) has a few in their repertoire... the ska buster nut brown is a brilliant beer.

Wow. I checked their website they have an impressive menu (both beer and food) Best of all it's about 10 blocks west of my new office. I've got to check that place out.
 
Actually, i'm going to Kuma's tonight with some co-workers...i've been going there since before the media went ape****, so i'm good pals with half the staff and can always get a table :D:D

And yah, HP is pretty far up north, but i live in Rogers Park, so the commute isnt terrible.

And think about it this way: Plan to go to Perfect Brewing in Libertyville, and then drop by the store to pick up beer to drink while you're brewing.
 
Maybe Kuma's Should be the site for the next Chicagoland HBT meet-up...
this is from their site at the bottom of their Beer Menu:
" Death to Miller and Budweiser&#8230;they are over-produced and inferior products that prevent passionate craftsmen from sharing their gifts with all of us."
The only thing I could see on their menu remotely BMCish was PBR Cans...
 
Actually, i'm going to Kuma's tonight with some co-workers...i've been going there since before the media went ape****, so i'm good pals with half the staff and can always get a table :D:D

And yah, HP is pretty far up north, but i live in Rogers Park, so the commute isnt terrible.

And think about it this way: Plan to go to Perfect Brewing in Libertyville, and then drop by the store to pick up beer to drink while you're brewing.

I would but I rarely make it out of the city :(

Maybe Kuma's Should be the site for the next Chicagoland HBT meet-up...
this is from their site at the bottom of their Beer Menu:

The only thing I could see on their menu remotely BMCish was PBR Cans...
Im down :mug: Also tomorrow if the first Thursday Chicago Beer Society
 
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