Posted this in random beer thoughts, but I'll xpost here. Every year I get super excited about fresh Nugget Nectar, and then I see things like kegged on 12/30/14. I don't understand why something hoppy packaged two weeks ago is just now starting to ship. There are also talks in some other groups of bottles of Nugget Nectar sporting a 12/24 bottling date. It's not like Troegs doesn't have the network to get it out fresher than when it is arriving. So annoying.
This is nothing new...but it appears to be even worse since they moved to Hershey. And now people are starting to notice and speak up about it. To them, it seems like its more important to stockpile and mass release it than to trickle the release as its ready and have the backlash of questions "when is it coming here? "why did they get it first?" etc. I will say though that it was comical and a real kick in the dick to our local establishments to see all their bottles were dated Decemeber yet Philly got bottled dated less than 7 days ago when it was distro'd monday.
PCN local tours does TV segments of different manufactoring facilities and Troegs was featured on one of the episodes last year. During the tour, they came to their cold storage/staging area and John T specifically stated that he is proud to boast that not a single ounce of beer resides in that cold storage for more than 5 days because freshness matters. (That was the only time in my adult life that I actually screamed at a televison. "****ing liar" ...and if he wasnt lying, shame on them as a brewery of that size for "staging/storing" beer elsewhere that isnt temperature controlled.)
There was a time when Nugget Nectar was something to get excited about. A ****ing exquisit example of a juicy hop forward amber. I wish BA still had the historical data for when you could review a beer by serving type. Because the bombers they released in August of 2009 were the most exceptional ive ever tasted. It was an out of season batch i believe they brewed to be sent to GABF. Every year I would buy at least 2-3 cases and a sixtel. But starting in late 2010/early 2011 **** went downhill. It no longer was hoppy in the sense of being tropical, fruity and floral. It shifted to being more herbal, minty and vegetative. Around this same time they started having yeast troubles and even recalled batches of perpetual.
I know our sense of taste evolves as does our preferences. However, this has always been a real argumentative point of mine. People always joke about "this years isnt as good as last years bro" but this is one of those senarios where it couldnt be more true...only instead of last year we are talking a completely different beer from 3+ years ago and brewed in a different location.
I guess the point im trying to make is...**** it. Why care if the beer is 2+ weeks old(er) when it finally gets to you. Its not like this is abnormal behavior for them and its not the vibrant and wonderful NN of the past where 2 weeks would make a huge difference. I make these spiteful remarks but im gullible enough to still try it every year it comes out. You can bet your ass next week ill be buying at least a 4-pack of the new cans.
(Side item for consideration. When my buddy worked at Troegs in 2011. As an employee, they could buy the beer the day it came off the bottling line.) I vividly remember drinking NN with him on Christmas Eve and NYE that was bottled the day before. It took 2+ weeks for cases from those runs to show up on the floor to buy at the old brewery. However, when kegs were filled you could seemingly get them the same day.
