Is all dogfish head beer expensive?

[Homercidal]

I have tried a few DFH beers, and I love their MO, but honestly, I can get their cheaper beer styles from a local brewery (IPA's, etc.) like Bells or Founders, and I think they are actually better. But I do like to try the oddball beers, if only to check it out.

What they do is often unusual and usually expensive to produce. That's why it "costs more".

 

[ongreystreet]

I am a huge fan of Dogfish, but we've had it in Maryland/DE long before a lot of other people have.

Some of their beers are well worth the recognition, such as the 60, 90, 120 minute IPAs, I think most people will agree this is their forte, and well worth a try even at the steeper prices.

Some of their other beers are probably on a similar level as your local brewpub or brewery. It's really supply and demand, if people are willing to buy DHF beer for twice the price of their local and their demand is such that they can't fill all their orders, how can you blame them? The consumer is driving the price, not the brewer.

 

[scoundrel]

Ya I feel a bit spoiled living in Maryland and having a lot of Dogfish variety, but I find myself passing over the 4 packs out of principle (with the exception of a rare splurge on Midas Touch). With so many great craft beers out there its hard to justify repeat purchases of DFH 90 min. As much as I love DFH, there are lots of great beers like Bell's Two Hearted that I can't get and would gladly pay $15 for. I think its worth it to pay a high price once to try DFH but I'm sure its easy to find good craft brew anywhere in the States or Canada.

 

[Navy_Chief]

While I will agree that they are not necessarily the best out there I do enjoy several of their beers on a fairly regular basis, simply because there is nothing else I have found competing with them: Midas touch, Raison d' etre, Palo Santo Marron.. I need to try the 90 and 120 sometime, there is a shop down from where I work where I can pick up singles of things to try them which is nice.....

 

[brew2enjoy]

We get all the specialty brews they sell in the big wine bottles around here. They usually run about $10. Sometimes its worth it, sometimes they are a little too crazy. But I enjoy trying different beers. I picked up a bottle of their "Nameste" a few weeks ago and it was fantastic!

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I'm fairly indifferent on DFH. I don't like IPAs and none of their more exotic beers really speak to me. They do seem fairly expensive for what I see around here so even if I liked IPAs I probably still wouldn't drink it.

 

[SumnerH]

stone is more expensive. ABA is $18.99 per 6 around here.. DFH is up there too but probably $10-12 for a 6er

Regular ABA isn't sold in six-packs, and it is a much pricier style of beer (American Strong Ale) than anything Dogfish sells in 6-packs. The Oaked ABA is sold in 6-packs in the $18-19 range, but that's a long-time oak-aged beer that's definitely expected to be pretty expensive--the closest Dogfish Head comp is Immort Ale, which is $17 for a 4-pack (though that's closer to Oaked Double Bastard so you can't really compare prices there).

If you're comparing to 6-packs of Dogfish 60 Minute, Stone IPA would be the appropriate comp. Generally they're priced about the same; around here (DC, east coast), Stone's about a buck a sixer more, but at my brother's place in LA (west coast) Dogfish is a buck a sixer more.

I think Dogfish has some great stuff. *****'s Brew, Immort Ale (once cellared for a year), 90 Minute, Burton Baton, and a few others are great, and 60 minute, Raison d'Etre, the Indian Brown, and others are quite solid.

Their problem is an obsession with uber-big one-offs that tend to be overpriced and have many more failures than successes--somehow they're held up as the premier east coast brewery when plenty of breweries on the east coast like Allagash, Portsmouth, Cigar City, Foothills, etc have much more consistently good offerings even among rarities and one-offs than Dogfish does (so do Bell's, Three Floyd's, Founder's, and Goose Island in the midwest or Russian River, Lost Abbey, Stone, and Alesmith on the West Coast just to pick a few at random).

 

[dvdanny]

stone is more expensive. ABA is $18.99 per 6 around here.. DFH is up there too but probably $10-12 for a 6er

maybe it's location, around here Stone's is the same price as DFH.

Stone's oaked ABA is around $18 for a 6pk, DFH's Palo Santo (also a wood aged beer) is $12 for a 4pk, so for their super premium beers, they are the same.

 

[dvdanny]

even their regular APA is $14 a 6 pack.

DFH 90min is $10 for a 4pk so if anything DFH is slightly more expensive per bottle.

Bitches' brew was probably the worst beer i've ever drank in my life.. anyone who says they like it are lying through their teeth. or are just DFH zombies following the lead..

I personally don't like it myself but this is a pretty dumb statement, just like there are people who don't like certain types of hops in their IPA's or prefer malty over hoppy or vice versa, or the best example would be fruit beers (huge division on who likes them or not). This is a troll statement if I ever heard it.

EDIT: Bevmo has Oaked ABA for $14 a 6pk and Ruination for the same price. DFH retains it's overpriced beer crown (not saying I don't like them though).

 

[SumnerH]

http://www.martysfinewine.com/r/products/stone-brewing-co-arrogant-bastard-ale

even their regular APA is $14 a 6 pack.

Whatever they're selling there isn't regular Arrogant Bastard. They don't package that in 6-packs. It's probably the oaked AB, which uses exactly that same descriptive paragraph.

http://www.stonebrew.com/arrogantbastard/
AVAILABILITY: 22oz Bottles, 3 litre bottles & Draft

http://www.stonebrew.com/oaked/
AVAILABILITY: 12oz Bottles, Six Packs & Draft

EDIT: And $14/6-pack is a rip-off for the APA even on the east coast. Total Beverage on the east coast carries the IPA and APA for $10/6-pack.

 

[IamNash]

The way around this? Many manufacturers make a fake beer with coloring and flavoring added to seltzer water and alcohol.

I would take your expensive beer and a fully stocked family mart with chu-his down the street any day over my favorite liquor store here

 

[benthe8track]

I'd pay 20 bucks for a case of DFH if I could get it locally.

 

[tchuklobrau]

i will agree bitche brew was not i had imagined it 2 be. especially after watching that episode of brewmasters. blend that with the jiahu and u get a reall kick a beer

 

[Shinglejohn]

I just payed 14 bucks a bottle for 120 minute ale from a bar in NYC cause i cant get it in Ohio. But i figure why not? Where else will i 20% beer? PLus after several weeks i still havnt tried it. This is some special occasion stuff. Its down in the ol' lad's wine cellar.

 

[SumnerH]

I just payed 14 bucks a bottle for 120 minute ale from a bar in NYC cause i cant get it in Ohio. But i figure why not? Where else will i 20% beer? PLus after several weeks i still havnt tried it. This is some special occasion stuff. Its down in the ol' lad's wine cellar.

Don't get your hopes up. As I said, there are some Dogfish beers that are awesome--almost nothing beats a 1 or 2-year aged Immort Ale. That's in my top 10-15 beers of all time.

But 120 is just a syrupy sweet saccharine mess. You'll drink it and wonder where all the hops that are purportedly in it went. It does pack a wallop alchol-wise, but it's an atrocious, atrocious beer. Even a 2-3 year old one is at best "drinkable", but not very good. You definitely don't want to drink one younger than a year aged--it's like drinking 50/50 everclear and maple syrup.

You might disagree, which would be great--but at least have some other great beer to open that night as the crowning piece. Call it a night to open X and Dogfish 120, with the 120 as the 2nd-to-last. At least then the worst case is you love X at the end of the night but didn't like Dogfish 120, and the best case is you had 2 great beers you love to end the night. Don't put yourself in a position where you're expecting the 120 to be some great beer to end the evening, though, even if you like balanced beers (and especially if you like hops). Unless you like drinking super-sweet malt bombs, 120's likely to be a surprising disappointment.

EDIT: And, again, I think the Dogfish 90's a great IIPA. I'm not really a hop-head--sours and the smaller Belgians are my favorite beers, and my favorite hop-centric beers are things like Port Brewing 5th Anniversary, Bell's 2-Hearted, Ballast Point Sculpin, and other stuff that's pretty hoppy but not ridiculously so (I'd definitely rather open a fresh Sculpin than a Hop 15 or a Pliny the Elder). Even for me, the 120 has pretty much zero hops and nothing other than sugary-sweetness to it--it tastes like mashed in an IIPA but forgot to add any hops at all. It's not just a try at something crazy that failed, it's a pretty objectively terrible beer.

 

[IffyG]

I just payed 14 bucks a bottle for 120 minute ale from a bar in NYC cause i cant get it in Ohio. But i figure why not?

That's a steal if you bought it at a bar. I just spent 12 bucks on a bottle of World Wide Stout at a liquor store in Nashville...

 

[BrewFrisco]

DFH 90 is good, no doubt. But way overrated and priced accordingly. I'll take a Sierra Nevada Torpedo any day over it. And you get 6 of those! For some reason the 4-pack thing bugs me. Where I live, DFH90 is 8.99 for 4 and SN Torpedo is 7.79 for 6. So that ends up being my everyday beer.

OK.. I must be living under a rock or just don't give decent beer the same attention that I give great beer but.... I tried this Torpedo stuff and really find this beer undrinkable. I could possibly agree to having something else in it's place but that Torpedo is not even in the same ball-park...in terms of taste or quality. I could almost taste the mass production....

 

[Rikadyn]

Meh, All beer has it's fans and it's foes. I mean I despise super hoppy beers, and prolly could write a book on how Bell's is overrated and horribly inconsistent year to year.

 

[rwinzing]

OK, I have held my tounge long enough. Most of us on this site are brewers correct? DFH beers tend to have many more ingrdiants then most "average beers" the 90-Min is 4X the grain and 10 x the hops. This is a major factor to the prices. Also a lot of the difference in prices through out the US is distbtors not DFH themselves. I think it is in line with the top notch craft beers. How much are we paying for Hopslam right now? 18.99 a six pack which is a DIPA like 60 minute. Founders sells Devil Dancer 15.99 a four pack.

Sorry Rougue beers are not on the same level as DFH, Founders, Bell's etc.

I am a DFH apoligist I feel like they have gotten some backlash but in my opinion they have always stayed true to who they are. "Off center Ales for Off center people"

 

[rwinzing]

Bitches' brew was probably the worst beer i've ever drank in my life.. anyone who says they like it are lying through their teeth. or are just DFH zombies following the lead..

Wow....how do you know what I think of beers. I think Bitches Brew was one of the best new beers I tried this year, Maybe you need to develop your palet a little more.

We all want "craft beer" to get some national respect but when they do we slam a company like DFH. I don't get it.

I love most DFH brews not all. But I also enjoy tons of different breweries some well know others not.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I am a DFH apoligist I feel like they have gotten some backlash but in my opinion they have always stayed true to who they are. "Off center Ales for Off center people"

I do think it's funny that now that DFH was featured on the Brewmasters show it's become acceptable to piss on them. Is DFH the new Sam Adams? Whipping boy for beer snobs everywhere?

 

[Danbreeze]

Bitches' brew was probably the worst beer i've ever drank in my life.. anyone who says they like it are lying through their teeth. or are just DFH zombies following the lead..

Never knew your opinion was representative of the entire craft beer drinking community?

As a Dogfish drinker for the last 10 years, my thoughts are this. Are their regular beers (60 min, Chickory stout, Shelter Pale) too expensive? Yes

Are their speciality beers worth the pricetag for trying? Absolutely. I thought Bitches Brew was a tasty unique beer along with Black & Blue, Theobrama, Chateau Jiahu, etc....

 

[rwinzing]

I do think it's funny that now that DFH was featured on the Brewmasters show it's become acceptable to piss on them. Is DFH the new Sam Adams? Whipping boy for beer snobs everywhere?

Man, I think you are right. I love the world of Craft Brews and wonderful and different beers that are out there. DFH is a flagship who is one of the breweries that paved the way and made it so we can go in our local liquor store and have a choice besides BMC. If you don't like their beers fine, but respect what they do.

Cheers

 

[Airborneguy]

I do think it's funny that now that DFH was featured on the Brewmasters show it's become acceptable to piss on them. Is DFH the new Sam Adams? Whipping boy for beer snobs everywhere?

I've knocked their beers for at least 4-5 years. I've only found 2 I would ever spend money on again. BUT, I don't knock Sam, his "vision" or his ideals. No one forces me to purchase his beer, so I don't need to knock him just because I don't like their beer.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I've knocked their beers for at least 4-5 years. I've only found 2 I would ever spend money on again. BUT, I don't knock Sam, his "vision" or his ideals. No one forces me to purchase his beer, so I don't need to knock him just because I don't like their beer.

I don't mean nobody disliked DFH before but it seems like after Brewmasters it became cool to hate on them. I don't know if that many people disliked the beers and didn't say anything or if people liked it before but decided it is uncool now.

 

[munche]

I don't mean nobody disliked DFH before but it seems like after Brewmasters it became cool to hate on them. I don't know if that many people disliked the beers and didn't say anything or if people liked it before but decided it is uncool now.

100% accurate. I had a beer blog operator start insulting me madly because I refuted his inaccurate claims about DFH. Kinda funny.

 

[j1laskey]

Dead on.

All everyone who "thinks" they know craft beer around here talks about is Dogfish Head. I really can't stand most of what they brew, and can only tolerate some other stuff.

Well said. DFH is overpriced ego beer. 30 dollars for a 4pack without being imported??? Sam your killing me?

 

[AdamPDX]

I've always thought Dogfish Head was great, just incredibly overrated.

I've seen single bottles of Indian Brown Ale for $1.90 at some stores and around $9 at others. I've also found 90 Minute for $2 dollars a bottle and up to $6 elsewhere. It's usually expensive, but sometimes you just need to find the right store.

 

[munche]

I've always thought Dogfish Head was great, just incredibly overrated.

I've seen single bottles of Indian Brown Ale for $1.90 at some stores and around $9 at others. I've also found 90 Minute for $2 dollars a bottle and up to $6 elsewhere. It's usually expensive, but sometimes you just need to find the right store.

Yeah, reading more of the thread, you guys are getting reamed for beer. DFH isn't all that expensive as beer goes....$7.99 for 60 minute, $8.99 for a 4 pack of Green Flash West Coast, $7.99 for a 6er of Racer 5, $7.99 for Ranger IPA...*shrug*

I find it interesting that homebrewers will compare, say, a 6%abv low IBU IPA from Sierra Nevada to a high alcohol, high IBU IIPA to Dogfish Head and wonder why the DFH beer costs more. Or wonder why an 18%ABV/70IBU stout wouldn't have massive materials and equipment costs.

Most of DFH's beers aren't always drinkers, and I've had stuff from them that wasn't my cup of tea, but they're always interesting and I'm never sorry I tried it.

 

[AlphaKing11]

I just bought a sixer of the 60 minute, and a 4pk of the 90 DFH (1st time)and stone IPA and some GI IPA, I like the goose Island best and it is the cheapest. The 90 was too sweet for me...I liked my second batch of AG better

 

[BeachedBumm]

dogfish head has some good beers. there IPA line is especially good. however i find they have just as many bad beers that are overrated and not worth the price tag. Raison and ImmortALE come to mind. they are worth trying once in a while but for IPAs my money is going to good ol Stone ruination. pricey but damn good. Stones new slogan is "its not expensive, youre too cheap." Hangar 24 in Redlands, CA makes a pro am IPA that is right on par with any IPA i have ever had. their double IPA far surpasses DFH and they run about $15 for a growler. And theyre just a real small local brewery.. if they had a "off centered" tv show im sure their prices would probaby increase as well though lol

 

[munche]

dogfish head has some good beers. there IPA line is especially good. however i find they have just as many bad beers that are overrated and not worth the price tag. Raison and ImmortALE come to mind. they are worth trying once in a while but for IPAs my money is going to good ol Stone ruination. pricey but damn good. Stones new slogan is "its not expensive, youre too cheap." Hangar 24 in Redlands, CA makes a pro am IPA that is right on par with any IPA i have ever had. their double IPA far surpasses DFH and they run about $15 for a growler. And theyre just a real small local brewery.. if they had a "off centered" tv show im sure their prices would probaby increase as well though lol

Hangar 24 is literally the closest brewery to my home and I don't even drink them. They put too much orange into EVERYTHING. Different Strokes I suppose. If you can get a hold of it, try Bootlegger's Knuckle Sandwich. Probably one of the best local IPAs north of San Diego County.

 

[BeachedBumm]

Hangar 24 is literally the closest brewery to my home and I don't even drink them. They put too much orange into EVERYTHING. Different Strokes I suppose. If you can get a hold of it, try Bootlegger's Knuckle Sandwich. Probably one of the best local IPAs north of San Diego County.

do they bottle it? and where can i find the bottles and/ or brewery? thanks

 

[Frodo]

Fullerton, CA apparently. Never heard of them myself, but the googles know:

http://www.bootleggersbrewery.com/

 

[Ralelen]

In Connecticut the DFH are usually $9.99 for both the 60 and the 90. Hell I just paid $15.99 for a 750ml of Imperial Stout Trooper.

 

[Homercidal]

I just bought a sixer of the 60 minute, and a 4pk of the 90 DFH (1st time)and stone IPA and some GI IPA, I like the goose Island best and it is the cheapest. The 90 was too sweet for me...I liked my second batch of AG better

Goose Island IPA is damn tasty! A friend brought some to a party and I was pleasantly surprised!

 

[JasonToews]

I dont know, there is good beer out there for friggin cheap! My favorite beer "Konig Ludwig which is a weiss beer which is delicious and is only 2.20 canadian for a 500 ml bottle. I am a beer snob, I will admit it, also being a home brewer I know how cheap it is to make good beer. Thus I always him or haw when buying a 4 pack of beer at the price of $15 that I may not even like. I purchased Sierra Nevadas "Celebration ale" which I will highly recommened, it came in a 6 pack for 8 US. I understand the buisness point of view, heck they have a tv show, so I can understand that people will probably pay what ever they ask for just because of their popularity.

Anyways I suppose im ranting.

cheers!

"while drinking "La Binchoise Blonde" from Belgium, another amazing beer at $2 canadian a bottle

 

[brew2enjoy]

I dont know, there is good beer out there for friggin cheap! My favorite beer "Konig Ludwig which is a weiss beer which is delicious and is only 2.20 canadian for a 500 ml bottle. I am a beer snob, I will admit it, also being a home brewer I know how cheap it is to make good beer. Thus I always him or haw when buying a 4 pack of beer at the price of $15 that I may not even like. I purchased Sierra Nevadas "Celebration ale" which I will highly recommened, it came in a 6 pack for 8 US. I understand the buisness point of view, heck they have a tv show, so I can understand that people will probably pay what ever they ask for just because of their popularity.

Anyways I suppose im ranting.

cheers!

"while drinking "La Binchoise Blonde" from Belgium, another amazing beer at $2 canadian a bottle

Their prices have been the same for years, way before the TV show aired.

I live about 20 minutes from the brewery so I have easy access to any of their beers and this is my perspective: Good beer cost more to make, all of DFH beers either have special ingredients or tons of hops, barley etc... It's been that way for years. If you like it, buy it. If you don't want to fork over an extra few bucks to try it, then don't.

The first DFH I tried when I turned 21 was chicory stout.....didn't really care for it. Then I tried the Shelter Pale Ale and that turned me on to the 60 & 90 minute varieties. I have tried just about every beer they ever made. Some of them are amazing while others just weren't for me, but I like what they do because I like trying different and interesting beers. Even the ones I didn't like were worth the money because I appreciate what it took to make it.

 

[Edcculus]

I hate it when people get worked up over craft beer prices. Yea, its expensive compared to BMC. Craft brewers are making a LOT less beer, spending more time aging it, and often putting in more raw materials for the higher gravity and highly hopped beers. Yea they are going to be more expensive. Are you going to drink 6 or more DFH 90 min IPAs in one night, I doubt it. We have such a huge variety of beer available to us now, from some of the best breweries in the world, and you are complaining about price? Just go back to your 30 packs of Busch Light and call it a day. The fact is that most of us in the US can go down to the beers store and pick up a 750mL bottle of some of the finest beer in the entire world for less than $30. Can that be said about wine?

 

[JasonToews]

good points.