I think this is good news overall. I like the lesser commitment and cheaper price per bottle. For those of us who have been in for 5 years or more, it actually comes out to $20/bottle when you factor in the two freebies.
The semi-annual pickup is annoying, but as long as my trustee doesn't mind, then I guess it is worth it for cheaper bottles. I'd rather them base it on how many bottles you have stored at once. Don't make me pick up bottles if I only have 6 bottles being stored.
Also, they seemed to have reigned in the overly sour beer. It was getting too intense for a while, but almost everything I've popped open recently has been well balanced. Using saison base more often has helped. I visited the brewery recently and really enjoyed everything I had.