Bruery Reserve Society 2014 Allocations/Discussion Thread

[ridglens]

No, first year didn't sell out (only like 330 memberships if I recall correctly) and 2013 memberships were available right until EOD on 12/31/12.

that's sort of what i remember, i was always worried when i/my friends wanted to join so we did it right away like damn DLD ticket mode, only to watch them not sell out (at least not for months) and just stop selling them haha

 

[Brubaker1]

Prospective RS member here.....anyone willing to trustee for me?

 

[JulianB1]

Black Tuesday lottery emails are going out, because I just got mine that says I didn't win. Oh well, more money to spend elsewhere!

 

[JulianC]

Sucks. Noticed it was 3 bottles per lottery entry, they maybe should've kept it to 2?

Anyway, just because a lot of us are jettisoning HS and RS doesn't mean that there's tons of people trying to get. Just with the overall explosion of this trifling hobby I can see plenty of noobs wanting in. I bet they sell out quickly no problem.

Upgraded to HS this year with a buddy. $375 out the window.

 

[bdogg1]

Im going halves with my buddy this year. Only way he would renew it.

 

[Xul1]

Sucks. Noticed it was 3 bottles per lottery entry, they maybe should've kept it to 2?

That would be the logical move, but the Bruery has an incentive to maintain the perception of rarity for BT. It's the beer that brought them recognition and the idea that they still can't meet the tremendous demand for it paints a picture of continually growing demand and desirability, which both keeps them in the limelight and helps sell PS/RS memberships. Eventually the demand will level off and/or drop but for now, they do a remarkably good job of maintaining their aura of rarity among the general craft beer crowd.

 

[JulianC]

Not everyone is allowed to haz BT without a membership. I get it

 

[jtmartino1]

lulz at "bent me over all year long" hahahah don't blame the bruery for you signing up and buying their beer, c'mon man.

They are good at branding and building a false sense of exclusivity, and I was a sucker. In 2013 they promised great things (seriously, it sounded awesome) and in 2014 they showed that they ******* blow goats with QC and avoidable infections. And throwing adjuncts at mediocre base beers.



There is better beer out there for cheaper. Period.

 

[DougOLis]

There is better beer out there for cheaper. Period.

No doubt about this at all but there aren't cheaper and better options that are as easy to get. Paying for that convenience is well worth it to me. Speaking to sours specifically (I'm not sure of any big beer comparables):

• SARA? Better quality and cheaper but impossible to get unless you're in their small club.
• Hill Farmstead? Cheaper - yes. Better - yes. Gotta trade some whales (even with some of the higher limit releases) though.
• DeGarde? Maybe the only thing that's close but no shipping and small pick-up windows.
• Crooked Stave? Dead.
• Rare Barrel? Easy to get (limited quantities) but more expensive.
• Upland? Hah.
• Cigar City? No thanks.
• Etre for the Belgians? Expensive shipping with bad packaging (I've had bottles break twice)
• Various other places (Side Project/Tired Hands/Wicked Weed/Crooked Stave 2015/etc.) without clubs? Sometimes better but more difficult and not necessarily cheaper

 

[daniel1]

• Upland? Hah.

 

[nanobrew1]

No doubt about this at all but there aren't cheaper and better options that are as easy to get. Paying for that convenience is well worth it to me. Speaking to sours specifically (I'm not sure of any big beer comparables):

• SARA? Better quality and cheaper but impossible to get unless you're in their small club.
• Hill Farmstead? Cheaper - yes. Better - yes. Gotta trade some whales (even with some of the higher limit releases) though.
• DeGarde? Maybe the only thing that's close but no shipping and small pick-up windows.
• Crooked Stave? Dead.
• Rare Barrel? Easy to get (limited quantities) but more expensive.
• Upland? Hah.
• Cigar City? No thanks.
• Etre for the Belgians? Expensive shipping with bad packaging (I've had bottles break twice)
• Various other places (Side Project/Tired Hands/Wicked Weed/Crooked Stave 2015/etc.) without clubs? Sometimes better but more difficult and not necessarily cheaper

Did you mean to leave it jolly pumpkin, Russian river, and the many Belgian sours found on shelves?

Not saying I completely disagree with you. I did
not renew (though my friends did under my account), but mainly because I want a sour only membership and have no interest in the included beers.

 

[arren]

Did you mean to leave it jolly pumpkin, Russian river, and the many Belgian sours found on shelves?

Not saying I completely disagree with you. I did
not renew (though my friends did under my account), but mainly because I want a sour only membership and have no interest in the included beers.

He also forgot about Almanac, who routinely puts out better tasting, more complex sours than The Bruery.

 

[DougOLis]

Did you mean to leave it jolly pumpkin, Russian river, and the many Belgian sours found on shelves?

Not saying I completely disagree with you. I did
not renew (though my friends did under my account), but mainly because I want a sour only membership and have no interest in the included beers.

Didn't even consider Jolly Pumpkin because I don't think they're nearly as good.

I thought about Russian River too and probably should have listed them. Quality is just as good or better but getting bottles can be hit or miss.

Probably should have mentioned Allagash too but difficulty of getting their good stuff is harder.

 

[DougOLis]

He also forgot about Almanac, who routinely puts out better tasting, more complex sours than The Bruery.

Disagree

 

[matedog]

Disagree

I want to like Almanac more, but they are on the same level of Rare Barrel of having good, not great sours. Not enough damn fruit in them either. I've loved a few (Valley in particular).

Russian River is obviously great, but pricey. Also, Supplication/Cons/Temp are going to always be Supp/Cons/Temp. Getting Beat once every 2 years is great and all, but I need more in my life, bro.

 

[DougOLis]

Did you mean to leave it jolly pumpkin, Russian river, and the many Belgian sours found on shelves?

Not saying I completely disagree with you. I did
not renew (though my friends did under my account), but mainly because I want a sour only membership and have no interest in the included beers.

Oh. And about the Belgians, would definitely take Cantillon and 3F but getting them easily on the shelf is another matter. Tilquin I do drink a lot of and isn't too difficult. Others (Boon, Cuvee Rene) are good but not necessarily better; at least compared to the best of the society offerings.

 

[jtmartino1]

No doubt about this at all but there aren't cheaper and better options that are as easy to get. Paying for that convenience is well worth it to me. Speaking to sours specifically (I'm not sure of any big beer comparables):

• SARA? Better quality and cheaper but impossible to get unless you're in their small club.
• Hill Farmstead? Cheaper - yes. Better - yes. Gotta trade some whales (even with some of the higher limit releases) though.
• DeGarde? Maybe the only thing that's close but no shipping and small pick-up windows.
• Crooked Stave? Dead.
• Rare Barrel? Easy to get (limited quantities) but more expensive.
• Upland? Hah.
• Cigar City? No thanks.
• Etre for the Belgians? Expensive shipping with bad packaging (I've had bottles break twice)
• Various other places (Side Project/Tired Hands/Wicked Weed/Crooked Stave 2015/etc.) without clubs? Sometimes better but more difficult and not necessarily cheaper

You're clearly a sour guy. How many awesome sours did The Bruery put out this year?

2? 3 maybe?

For a $300+ membership?

Lolz

The Bruery allocations this year were absolutely dominated by weird ****** strong ales, unintentionally infected beer and 15+% bottles of syrup that wish they were BCBS variants.

 

[domtronzero]

they ******* blow goats

 

[sacrelicio]

No doubt about this at all but there aren't cheaper and better options that are as easy to get. Paying for that convenience is well worth it to me. Speaking to sours specifically (I'm not sure of any big beer comparables):

• SARA? Better quality and cheaper but impossible to get unless you're in their small club.
• Hill Farmstead? Cheaper - yes. Better - yes. Gotta trade some whales (even with some of the higher limit releases) though.
• DeGarde? Maybe the only thing that's close but no shipping and small pick-up windows.
• Crooked Stave? Dead.
• Rare Barrel? Easy to get (limited quantities) but more expensive.
• Upland? Hah.
• Cigar City? No thanks.
• Etre for the Belgians? Expensive shipping with bad packaging (I've had bottles break twice)
• Various other places (Side Project/Tired Hands/Wicked Weed/Crooked Stave 2015/etc.) without clubs? Sometimes better but more difficult and not necessarily cheaper

Yeah, if I lived in CA I'd do RS in a heartbeat. There aren't really any better clubs and you can always trade what you don't want.

 

[sacrelicio]

You're clearly a sour guy. How many awesome sours did The Bruery put out this year?

2? 3 maybe?

For a $300+ membership?

Lolz

The Bruery allocations this year were absolutely dominated by weird ****** strong ales, unintentionally infected beer and 15+% bottles of syrup that wish they were BCBS variants.

Wait, do you mean new sours?

 

[drgarage1]

Yeah, if I lived in CA I'd do RS in a heartbeat. There aren't really any better clubs and you can always trade what you don't want.

There is no trade market for RS beers.

 

[sacrelicio]

There is no trade market for RS beers.

Never.

 

[JulianB1]

There is no trade market for RS beers.

I trade $4$ for Bruery RS beers, often sending "rarer" stuff. Zero ***** given.

 

[drgarage1]

I trade $4$ for Bruery RS beers, often sending "rarer" stuff. Zero ***** given.

This is news to me.

 

[DougOLis]

You're clearly a sour guy. How many awesome sours did The Bruery put out this year?

2? 3 maybe?

For a $300+ membership?

Lolz

The Bruery allocations this year were absolutely dominated by weird ****** strong ales, unintentionally infected beer and 15+% bottles of syrup that wish they were BCBS variants.

Yes, I definitely am a sour guy but my point stands even more for big BA beers. There aren't really any other clubs for those other than Cigar City and I'm not about to trade for the hottest new midwest or south adjunt stout. BA Speedway is a good option as a SD resident but probably not for other people and I'm not sure it's better that BT or the BT variants. BCBS is ******* great and semi-attainable but that's once a year with impossible to get variants. Parabola is another option but it sells out immediately in limited quantities. BT/CR/MW/Wineification are definitely the easiest to get high quality barrel aged stouts.

As for the number of sours they put out this year, I was definitely underwhelmed but I knew it wasn't going to be a great sour year going in. Next year looks a whole bunch better though.

 

[stupac2]

YThere aren't really any better clubs.

lolwat? SARA is better by like a million times.

There is no trade market for RS beers.

There is, but it's not big and it's kinda a PITA. The only real trade market is international.

 

[DougOLis]

lolwat? SARA is better by like a million times.

Yeah, but isn't that invite only to like 150 people?

 

[stupac2]

Yeah, but isn't that invite only to like 150 people?

It's expanding this year (supposedly anyway), but you didn't put any restrictions on your statement.

 

[DougOLis]

It's expanding this year (supposedly anyway), but you didn't put any restrictions on your statement.

That wasn't my statement. It was someone else's. I previously mentioned them as being better and cheaper but impossible to get.

 

[stupac2]

That wasn't my statement. It was someone else's. I previously mentioned them as being better and cheaper but impossible to get.

They're not impossible to get. I've traded for SARA as much as I've traded it away, and it's not really that hard. Maybe if you want Westly, but if you just want some Bernice it's not hard to get, and should be getting easier.