Coming Soon to the LCBO

[groulxsome]

Yikes some passive aggression!

Since Goat Boy is listed as "Late Winter & Spring" availability, I would think it might not be some of the original batch they brewed a year ago? Not sure what all this year old talk is about... I don't follow.

[atomeyes]

This is a rather erroneous statement.

then perhaps give some timelines/dates to show him otherwise?
just a suggestion...

[midlife crisis]

it's 2014. local does NOT always equal "great". we're 2 years past that point.

No doubt. But equally, "American" does not automatically equal "better".

[ercousin]

it's 2014. local does NOT always equal "great". we're 2 years past that point.

No doubt. But equally, "American" does not automatically equal "better".

THIS^

We have under appreciated brewers in Ontario. Just because someone doesn't make a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout that is 12% or IPAs with citra hops doesn't mean they are a boring brewery.

There is beauty in beer balance and drinkability.


Conversely, we definitely have a lot of poorly thought out beers in our market.

[midlife crisis]

Since Goat Boy is listed as "Late Winter & Spring" availability, I would think it might not be some of the original batch they brewed a year ago? Not sure what all this year old talk is about... I don't follow.

Agreed. If it's a spring beer in a spring release, isn't it fairly obvious?

[Roland + Russell]

This is a rather erroneous statement.

then perhaps give some timelines/dates to show him otherwise?
just a suggestion...

Perhaps, both sides should elaborate on their position and even, if required, present some evidence to their claim.

Why not extend the privilege to go first to the party that made the original claim that the ST Goat Boy will be a year old by the time it hits this market.

[northyorksammy]

This is a rather erroneous statement.

then perhaps give some timelines/dates to show him otherwise?
just a suggestion...

Perhaps, both sides should elaborate on their position and even, if required, present some evidence to their claim.

Why not extend the privilege to go first to the party that made the original claim that the ST Goat Boy will be a year old by the time it hits this market.

It's not my job to confirm that this batch will be made fresh. As opposed to the only batch ever made which was a March 2014 release. I do not see it in any public statement that it is a permanent seasonal. Therefore it is a reasonable assumption from the given information that it is not.

[groulxsome]

This is a rather erroneous statement.

then perhaps give some timelines/dates to show him otherwise?
just a suggestion...

Perhaps, both sides should elaborate on their position and even, if required, present some evidence to their claim.

Why not extend the privilege to go first to the party that made the original claim that the ST Goat Boy will be a year old by the time it hits this market.

OK, all this aside. R+R, is it safe to say this is a newer batch of Goat Boy? Seems logical to assume it should be since the last batch is probably long, long sold, but people on this site have been know to make logical leaps about beer and marital status in the past.

In short, R+R, is it a late 2014 or early 2015 batch? I'm excited to try it either way.

[Roland + Russell]

then perhaps give some timelines/dates to show him otherwise?
just a suggestion...

Perhaps, both sides should elaborate on their position and even, if required, present some evidence to their claim.

Why not extend the privilege to go first to the party that made the original claim that the ST Goat Boy will be a year old by the time it hits this market.

It's not my job to confirm that this batch will be made fresh. As opposed to the only batch ever made which was a March 2014 release. I do not see it in any public statement that it is a permanent seasonal. Therefore it is a reasonable assumption from the given information that it is not.

Fair enough, it is not your job to confirm that this batch will be made fresh. Full agreement here. However, we do not recall Souther Tier or R+R hiring you to make firm and continuous statements that disinform and mislead. You could have (and still can) simply insert a question mark or two into your post and ask for clarification.

Perhaps, something likes this: "ST's site indicates that Goat Boy is brewed seasonally, in late Winter/Spring. Can you please tell us how fresh will be the batch that will appear at the LCBO as a part of the 2015 Spring Release?"

You could have at least made an assumption, based on the ST site information, that our shipment of GB will be brewed as per brewery's posted schedule (late Winter/Spring) and in time to hit the LCBO release schedule.


No. You say Ontario will be getting a year old GB and ask for comments on Weizen bock being a year old and if it can it go the second year.


Those who closely follow and discuss the Ontario craft beer scene (and we certainly count you as a long-time valuable contributor) would have noticed that Southern Tier in the past has brewed for the LCBO beers such as Creme Brulee and others outside their posted schedule.

Same case here. The original batch of Goat Boy was sold out a long, long time ago. The brewery did not even have a commitment from the LCBO (notice to purchase or NTP) at the time when the first batch of GB was brewed - the application for the 2015 Spring Release was actually submitted around the time the first batch of GT was undergoing fermentation. As a matter of the fact, the NTP was issued just some ten days ago. The actual purchase order along with the shipping date yes has to be issued. However to make it for a Spring release the beer will be shipped in February.

The "Ontario friendly" bottle label was finalized just a few weeks ago...

In other words, we would be absolutely helpless and without any hope if we were to try to get a year old GT released in Spring 2015.

Perhaps it is too much to ask for, but in the future a simple inquiry would clarify any confusion. We will certainly answer promptly and sincerely and if we are unable to do so, a clarification would be sought from the producer.

Forgive us for protecting the reputation of a very fine producer and a great partner. We can't tell you how much we appreciate Southern Tier's continuous commitment to this market that is now over 8 years long without any interruption in supply.

Hope this clarifies the situation, if not, we will seek additional information and proof such as photos, documents and DNA evidence.

Cheers and best of luck with the snow storm today.

[lister]

Speaking of Southern Tier, will we see Creme Brulee again?

Oh and for whoever is the Rogue agent, what about their Hazelnut Brown?

[dale cannon]

Hi Roland + Russell,

How are you?

I sincerely appreciate your continued facilitation of Southern Tier product availability in the Ontario marketplace.

Recently, I have not seen any fresh 6 packs of their IPA. Latest bottling I'm seeing on LCBO shelves is mid summer. I ordered a bottle at Bier Markt last week and sent it back as it was bottled last June. Is there fresh IPA out there, and if not is there another shipment coming any time soon?

While we're talking, can we expect to see any of their IIPA's either general list or seasonal releases sometime soon? e.g. 2XIPA, Gemini, Unearthly...

Cheers!

cannondale/dale cannon

[nickw]

That was a very informative response, R+R, thank you. It certainly satisfies me, and I'm sorry other members here made you have to write it. But now we all know more about Southern Tier's relationship with Ontario than we did before, so a net positive...?

[TheSevenDuffs]

That was a very informative response, R+R, thank you. It certainly satisfies me, and I'm sorry other members here made you have to write it. But now we all know more about Southern Tier's relationship with Ontario than we did before, so a net positive...?

Well said...

[Roland + Russell]

Allow us to offer a combined answer to some individual questions.

ST IPA is shipped every three months and it is entirely possible that some, hopefully really miniscule, quantities from the previous shipment are lurking around in a few bars or stores. Obviously, we are trying to strike the best possible balance between freshness and low cost of bulk transportation. When achieved, this leads to a great tasting product at a reasonable price.

Product calls are nowadays limited in most cases to 4 applications per agency. We think you will appreciate how hard is to put forward a selection of 4 applications, when trying to take into account often conflicting objectives such as a brand's growth on the market, introducing new brands, styles or regions and so on.

Needless to say, we're 100% committed to the growth of Southern Tier in this market. New submissions are being made, and we are simultaneously pushing for alternative ways of bringing their beers to Ontario.

Gemini happens to be one of our favourite beers of all times, so for this selfish reason too, we will strive to bring it again in the near future.

Given Southern Tier's popularity and ever growing demand we feel rather lucky that they still continue to engage in this market despite the unique demands it presents.

Many, many thanks for your support and please do not hesitate to contact us at any time with your questions, requests and concerns.

Cheers!

[Malcolm]

Hi Roland + Russell,

How are you?

I sincerely appreciate your continued facilitation of Southern Tier product availability in the Ontario marketplace.

Recently, I have not seen any fresh 6 packs of their IPA. Latest bottling I'm seeing on LCBO shelves is mid summer. I ordered a bottle at Bier Markt last week and sent it back as it was bottled last June. Is there fresh IPA out there, and if not is there another shipment coming any time soon?

While we're talking, can we expect to see any of their IIPA's either general list or seasonal releases sometime soon? e.g. 2XIPA, Gemini, Unearthly...

Cheers!

cannondale/dale cannon

Mmmmm...2XIPA...I just love that stuff and have been wanting to see it on the Lickbo shelves for a while now.