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Steven Coulson
Steven has been drinking beers, wines and spirits for decades and has a propensity to go about them at length after a few drinks.
Latest Posts
- Dissecting The Beer Menu – An Irish Pub & Layered Brews
- Has anyone else noticed that every “limited release” somehow stays on shelves for months?
- Dissecting The Beer Menu – An Irish Pub & Layered Brews
- Headed to Asheville – looking for top breweries to get German style in cans / bottles
- Does anyone else feel guilty drinking beer alone because it’s supposed to be a social experience?
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The Illusion of Limited Releases in Craft Beer: A Disappointing Trend
In recent months, it seems that the charm of the “limited release” in the craft beer world has begun to wear thin. Have you noticed this too? Take, for instance, a visit I made to my local bottle shop recently. Among the usual selections, I stumbled across a barrel-aged stout that has been labeled as “extremely limited.” This particular brew has been languishing on the shelf since October, all the while boasting a shelf talker that touts a mere 500 cases in existence. Yet, there it sits, untouched, for a staggering price of $25.
Once upon a time, beers like Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) and Bourbon County Brand Stout (BCBS) generated genuine excitement, often leading enthusiasts to camp outside shops just for the chance to score a bottle. Fast forward to today, and I can waltz into a well-stocked store and pick up vintage 2020 BCBS as if it were a common lager. It’s hard to ignore the fact that these “limited” brews are released in quantities so vast that many sit on the shelf past their recommended consumption date.
The facade of scarcity that many breweries have constructed is starting to feel more like a marketing ploy than a thoughtful distillation of brewing craftsmanship. Instead of creating a true sense of rarity, it appears that breweries are flooding the market with “limited edition” options, resulting in an abundance that diminishes the excitement.
As someone who deeply appreciates the artistry behind craft beer, I find it increasingly frustrating to shell out premium prices for what often turns out to be a diluted notion of exclusivity. Either these breweries need to commit to truly limited offerings, or it’s time to abandon the charade that their contact-brewed barrel-aged varieties are rare gems waiting to be discovered.
Let’s hope that the craft beer community can return to delivering on the promise of rare and exhilarating brews, rather than leaning on an overhyped gimmick. After all, the thrill of the hunt for that elusive bottle is part of what makes the craft beer journey so rewarding.