Cigar City El Catador Club Thread

[FishPondManager]

So when the catador club first opened, they surveyed us and asked how we wanted beers to be released that were extra. There were 4 options... or maybe we didn't scroll far enough to see the 5th:

 

[johnyb]

johnyb could you please confirm if what is being said in this thread is true? Is DB Huna really on sale today at an 8 bottle limit? If so, why wasn't more than 1 extra bottle made available to Catador members? Seriously disappointed in this club's offerings insofar as beers go, and this definitely isn't inspiring me to renew my membership. It seems like there were more limited releases available only at the brewery for whoever instead of to members.

I'm sorry for the delay in reporting back here, but I just now got out of the mosh pit to get my three bottle allotment of Huna. Alas, I failed. I'm wearing a silver bracelet in the third row from the back, second zombie on the right with the bloodshot eyes.

 

[Ravenacht]

I'm sorry for the delay in reporting back here, but I just now got out of the mosh pit to get my three bottle allotment of Huna. Alas, I failed. I'm wearing a silver bracelet in the third row from the back, second zombie on the right with the bloodshot eyes.

Alas, I failed at the Huna quest also, you can see me at the 5 sec. Mark with a bunch of other beer crazed zombies.

 

[SeaWatchman]

I'm sorry for the delay in reporting back here, but I just now got out of the mosh pit to get my three bottle allotment of Huna. Alas, I failed. I'm wearing a silver bracelet in the third row from the back, second zombie on the right with the bloodshot eyes.

So did you plan on actually answering the question or just leaving it at that?

 

[johnnyramirez]

So did you plan on actually answering the question or just leaving it at that?

He used the same lame pic in 2 separate posts, I think he's gonna just leave it at that and evade your question

 

[johnyb]

So did you plan on actually answering the question or just leaving it at that?

yes

 

[SeaWatchman]

yes

Wow.

 

[Josh2]

yes

Is there anything that CCB doesn't thoroughly suck at?
Social media...nailed it
Event planning/hosting...nailed it
Bottle releases...knocked it outta the park.

I take that back, CCB is brilliant at making unfulfilled promises.

 

[Hindsight1]

yes

If Patrick Rue ever holds a seminar on customer service, you guys should plan to attend.

 

[Arbitrator]

Is there anything that CCB doesn't thoroughly suck at?
Social media...nailed it
Event planning/hosting...nailed it
Bottle releases...knocked it outta the park.

I take that back, CCB is brilliant at making unfulfilled promises.

They're excellent at making threads deliver.

I've never liked their beer, but god damn this is so much fun to read.

 

[johnyb]

Wow.

Just for clarity here, are you under the mistaken impression that I am some sort of CCB insider/employee? If so, for the record that is NOT the case. Just have had the icon on this and the other site for a long time but I don't believe that I've ever held myself out as an insider at CCB. I love their product as they produce hands down the best beers here in Central FL and get over there fairly often, but I'm just a regular at the tasting room.

 

[JulianB1]

The after-the-fact El Catador butthurt is probably my favorite part of the event besides the actual beers I drank. What's funny is that El Cat members who I actually spoke with there don't care that much (outside of the same general complaints everyone else has). Seems that it's all the out-of-towners whose jimmies are rustled over the sale of their "exclusive" bottles. The BA thread is amazing for this; so many people who don't care that 8000+ people showed up but who are outraged over the sale of these bottles.

And FWIW, I didn't actually buy any of them, and was handed a DB Huna after they were sold out by netdigger2 since he's awesome like that. Favorite part of that whole process was sharing a bottle of Mexican Cake with everyone around me in line and them appreciating the gesture.

 

[johnnyramirez]

The after-the-fact El Catador butthurt is probably my favorite part of the event besides the actual beers I drank. What's funny is that El Cat members who I actually spoke with there don't care that much (outside of the same general complaints everyone else has). Seems that it's all the out-of-towners whose jimmies are rustled over the sale of their "exclusive" bottles. The BA thread is amazing for this; so many people who don't care that 8000+ people showed up but who are outraged over the sale of these bottles.

And FWIW, I didn't actually buy any of them, and was handed a DB Huna after they were sold out by netdigger2 since he's awesome like that. Favorite part of that whole process was sharing a bottle of Mexican Cake with everyone around me in line and them appreciating the gesture.

I wasn't a Catador member this year, got my DB Huna from a buddy in Florida at cost, and am thinking of splitting membership with an existing membership next year but after CCB's knee jerk reactions I'm not so sure I'd give them money. Nonetheless, I don't think the issue is necessarily that they sold the Catador beers, rather how they did it. Members had a chance to buy 1 extra after giving the brewery $120(or $125?) up front to be in their society. After the brewery surveys them on how they'd like to be made aware of extra yield of the Catador bottles they turn around and sell those bottles at 6x the Catador allotments to the general public. I know it sounds like a whole lot of whining and entitlement but it's a ******** move by the brewery and a lazy way to sell bottles. It's a slap to the people that gave CCB money up front for bottles. Yes, they got their money's worth technically, but it shows the lack of customer service that CCB has. The Bruery would never do this

I also know a few people who were there, both Catador members and non-members and they all thought it was a ****** move to sell it they way they did.

 

[Dmkaz]

The after-the-fact El Catador butthurt is probably my favorite part of the event besides the actual beers I drank. What's funny is that El Cat members who I actually spoke with there don't care that much (outside of the same general complaints everyone else has). Seems that it's all the out-of-towners whose jimmies are rustled over the sale of their "exclusive" bottles. The BA thread is amazing for this; so many people who don't care that 8000+ people showed up but who are outraged over the sale of these bottles.

And FWIW, I didn't actually buy any of them, and was handed a DB Huna after they were sold out by netdigger2 since he's awesome like that. Favorite part of that whole process was sharing a bottle of Mexican Cake with everyone around me in line and them appreciating the gesture.

From being an El Cat member that is far out of town, I feel worse for the people that went and suffered through the nightmare than I do about DB Huna being sold.

That being said, it does bug me from the illusion that CCB gave it's members a swift kick in the nuts. People can argue back and forth that EL Cat was 'officially over', but the way they strung us along with DB Huna in the first place is what annoys me.

I think a lot of the annoyance of other stems from the fact that the other beers included in the club were rather mediocre from what the majority was expecting and the Huna varient is what every one was excited for. From my perspective, it felt like they held out DB Huna on a string in front of us and kept on dangling it. Being about to purchase a second bottle made it feel like they 'scrounged' up bottles for us to buy. From what I recall (and this is probably false) is that every El Cat member didn't actually get a second.

People can bicker to no end whether the club bottles were meant to be absolutely exclusive or not. The fact that it seemed they went on a lightning sale to liquidate the 'leftover' bottles is where my annoyance comes from. In my opinion it really devalues the club and in my opinion what CCB thinks of the club itself. Now I realize that El Cat club was rooted as a 'presale' for bottles, but we still had to blindly up-front the money in hopes that something cool would come out of it. I was also somewhat expecting CCB to offer up the chance to pre-buy a bottle of Huna for club members as a 'last hurrah' and thanks.

We can all agree the event was poorly ran for numerous reasons and the fact that CCB is turning the blame back on the attendees while really not releasing a statement from both CCB and directly to El Cat members - even to address our concerns - really bothers me.

I guess time will tell if anything comes out of this debacle besides essentially swiftly taking their ball and going home.

 

[Dmkaz]

Guy from instagram that had the 9 cases of Huna is doing an AMA on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/beer/comments/203a54/9_cases_posted_to_ig/

 

[SeaWatchman]

Guy from instagram that had the 9 cases of Huna is doing an AMA on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/beer/comments/203a54/9_cases_posted_to_ig/

 

[BigGene]

Ironic that your last statement was preceded by one where you picked up two cases of DB Huna. I have a sneaking suspicion that you'd have a different opinion if you were shutout and had the warehouse doors shut in your face.

I did have the warehouse doors shut in my face. i didnt get any reg Huna, until a guy offered to trade Huna for the DB. I hadnt been in the right place at the right time Sat I would have been completly shut and said Oh well. I am not entitled to anything that was on sale at Huna day. Just like when I waited in the BD Hunapoopoo line, I got shut out and I didnt bitch other than to say I hope the asshats that cut in line enjoyed it as I waitedin a 5 person line for a pur of Reg huna. Over and over again.

Oh and the DB Huna went to way more than 71 people, as not everyone purchased a case.

Someone said something about the beers being mediocre. I dont thing so. Other than DG but I'm not fond of sours. What we in ECC did get were beers that CCB normally doesnt produce. I think that was cool. Maybe most people thought that they would get first crack at the regular special releases like BA Big Sound, El Mercialogo, BA Huna. And they were disapointed at that. I think everyone just needs to get over it and move on.

Also a whole lot a butt hurt from Cali posters on the site and BA. Excuse us, but the Bruery isnt the end all be all. They make a few really good beers but they also make a **** ton of stinkers. (at least what we get here in FL) Oh by the how is that $10 six pack of world class IPA or pale ale or red ale from the Bruery, Oh wait they dont make any. How was that infected bottle of WC or Winefication or the other 4 or 5 beers that happend to this year that made it out to the public. Nothing from CCB got released infected they caught the Amplitude. made sure it was good and sold it to EL Cat members.

 

[JulianB1]

Guy from instagram that had the 9 cases of Huna is doing an AMA on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/beer/comments/203a54/9_cases_posted_to_ig/

Apparently this was also the guy responsible for that "It's My Birthday!" shitshow at the brewpub months ago where they were selling Leon and a few other things.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/leons-grandson.151053/

 

[johnnyramirez]

Also a whole lot a butt hurt from Cali posters on the site and BA. Excuse us, but the Bruery isnt the end all be all. They make a few really good beers but they also make a **** ton of stinkers. (at least what we get here in FL) Oh by the how is that $10 six pack of world class IPA or pale ale or red ale from the Bruery, Oh wait they dont make any. How was that infected bottle of WC or Winefication or the other 4 or 5 beers that happend to this year that made it out to the public. Nothing from CCB got released infected they caught the Amplitude. made sure it was good and sold it to EL Cat members.

Wineification wasn't infected. And The Bruery will acknowledge their mistakes and refund the cost of infected beers, not pasteurize it and make it the rarest beer in a society membership. They also make a world class IPL in Humulus Lager. The point of bringing up The Bruery is they know how to run a society. Their beers may not be the best (I'm not buying anything more from them until likely June) but they know how to treat the people who bought in to their society. CCB didn't.

 

[Brez071]

How was that infected bottle of WC or Winefication or the other 4 or 5 beers that happend to this year that made it out to the public. Nothing from CCB got released infected they caught the Amplitude. made sure it was good and sold it to EL Cat members.

I don't follow CC releases too closely, but wasn't Big Sound (possibly the BA version?) infected last year or the year before?

 

[stupac2]

Also a whole lot a butt hurt from Cali posters on the site and BA. Excuse us, but the Bruery isnt the end all be all. They make a few really good beers but they also make a **** ton of stinkers. (at least what we get here in FL) Oh by the how is that $10 six pack of world class IPA or pale ale or red ale from the Bruery, Oh wait they dont make any. How was that infected bottle of WC or Winefication or the other 4 or 5 beers that happend to this year that made it out to the public. Nothing from CCB got released infected they caught the Amplitude. made sure it was good and sold it to EL Cat members.

WTF are you talking about? Unless I'm forgetting someone johnny and I are the only ones from California posting in this thread, and I specifically said that I didn't care. And any comparisons to the Bruery were made because the Bruery's society is run really well, unlike Catador (and I think this is just undeniable, Catador was not run well). I also don't know if any of the CCB beers were infected per se, but they only released, what, 6, and many were flat-out bad. I think that's a far worse ratio than the Bruery typically has, but at least with the Bruery when something sounds terrible I don't need to buy it (well, usually, I guess 5 Golden Rings was the exception here, usually the included beers are solid). Also, lulz at CCB releasing a world-class IPA, Jai Alai is one of the most in-state homered IPA there is. You guys think it's world-class because there's nothing better around, not because it actually is.

Finally, CCB released a number of infected beers a few years, including BA Big Sound as mentioned. I'm not sure why you're up on your high horse about this, but you clearly shouldn't be.

 

[johnnyramirez]

WTF are you talking about? Unless I'm forgetting someone johnny and I are the only ones from California posting in this thread, and I specifically said that I didn't care. And any comparisons to the Bruery were made because the Bruery's society is run really well, unlike Catador (and I think this is just undeniable, Catador was not run well). I also don't know if any of the CCB beers were infected per se, but they only released, what, 6, and many were flat-out bad. I think that's a far worse ratio than the Bruery typically has, but at least with the Bruery when something sounds terrible I don't need to buy it (well, usually, I guess 5 Golden Rings was the exception here, usually the included beers are solid). Also, lulz at CCB releasing a world-class IPA, Jai Alai is one of the most in-state homered IPA there is. You guys think it's world-class because there's nothing better around, not because it actually is.

Finally, CCB released a number of infected beers a few years, including BA Big Sound as mentioned. I'm not sure why you're up on your high horse about this, but you clearly shouldn't be.

Arbitrator did post once laughing at the entire situation.

 

[daniel1]

Also a whole lot a butt hurt from Cali posters on the site and BA. Excuse us, but the Bruery isnt the end all be all. They make a few really good beers but they also make a **** ton of stinkers. (at least what we get here in FL) Oh by the how is that $10 six pack of world class IPA or pale ale or red ale from the Bruery, Oh wait they dont make any. How was that infected bottle of WC or Winefication or the other 4 or 5 beers that happend to this year that made it out to the public. Nothing from CCB got released infected they caught the Amplitude. made sure it was good and sold it to EL Cat members.

WTF are you talking about? Unless I'm forgetting someone johnny and I are the only ones from California posting in this thread, and I specifically said that I didn't care. And any comparisons to the Bruery were made because the Bruery's society is run really well, unlike Catador (and I think this is just undeniable, Catador was not run well). I also don't know if any of the CCB beers were infected per se, but they only released, what, 6, and many were flat-out bad. I think that's a far worse ratio than the Bruery typically has, but at least with the Bruery when something sounds terrible I don't need to buy it (well, usually, I guess 5 Golden Rings was the exception here, usually the included beers are solid). Also, lulz at CCB releasing a world-class IPA, Jai Alai is one of the most in-state homered IPA there is. You guys think it's world-class because there's nothing better around, not because it actually is.

Finally, CCB released a number of infected beers a few years, including BA Big Sound as mentioned. I'm not sure why you're up on your high horse about this, but you clearly shouldn't be.

 

[evilc]

oh waaaah the Cali posters. Florida rules!! wah wah

 

[Jaminjohnson]

******* coastal states

 

[franch]

lol -- Florida homers throwing shade at Wineification to prove that ccb > bruery. I've seen it all.

Sincerely,
Rustled El Cat member

 

[Arbitrator]

Also a whole lot a butt hurt from Cali posters on the site and BA. Excuse us, but the Bruery isnt the end all be all. They make a few really good beers but they also make a **** ton of stinkers.

"B-b-but The Bruery, sir!"

I think the Bruery and CCB are equally horrid. Dos Costas Oeste is the Captain Planet of ****** saisons.

 

[JulianB1]

"B-b-but The Bruery, sir!"

I think the Bruery and CCB are equally horrid. Dos Costas Oeste is the Captain Planet of ****** saisons.

We opened all three variants of that at a tasting and I think between the three, a full bottle ended up down the sink due to gushing.

 

[Bluecane]

Apparently this was also the guy responsible for that "It's My Birthday!" shitshow at the brewpub months ago where they were selling Leon and a few other things.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/leons-grandson.151053/

Was that Lasering or whatever? Did I see him on here? Or maybe that was pre-my-ban and I saw him elsewhere.

Edit: sorry about any confusion.

 

[BigGene]

lol -- Florida homers throwing shade at Wineification to prove that ccb > bruery. I've seen it all.

Sincerely,
Rustled El Cat member

I wasnt trying to say one was better than the other. But I did it wrong. I was pointing out that both have exclusive clubs. Both make a **** load of beer and variants of those beers. And that CCB didnt do what we thought they would and just give us first crack at the beers that were hard to get last year. We got one offs that they will probably not make again. Other than the 12 days of xmas beers the allotments for Hoarders are the same beers evey year Correct?

I really dont care, its just beer, I am bored at wok.

Agreed Dos Costas were just bad gushers.

 

[franch]

Other than the 12 days of xmas beers the allotments for Hoarders are the same beers evey year Correct?

No. Both RS and HS have different beers every year. Some are the same beers (BT, CR, some seasonals), but the vast majority is either new or a beer that wasn't brewed last year. If it's crazy popular maybe it gets remade like Grey Monday.