LCBO Spring 2009 Release

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:15 pm

So yesterday I had to ask an employee to get some Orval for me out of the back of the store, it was just in. Today, I managed to snag the last bottle from the shelf.

I don't care if Orval is sending their beers in boxes made of crackers, if something sells this well, they're just plain stupid for giving it a hard time about anything.

I'm also enjoying it a LOT more than I did last year when I had it the first time (Brett characters really do grow on you).

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 11:10 pm

JesseM wrote:So yesterday I had to ask an employee to get some Orval for me out of the back of the store, it was just in. Today, I managed to snag the last bottle from the shelf.

I don't care if Orval is sending their beers in boxes made of crackers, if something sells this well, they're just plain stupid for giving it a hard time about anything.

I'm also enjoying it a LOT more than I did last year when I had it the first time (Brett characters really do grow on you).

It will certainly grow on you Jesse. Took me a while too as I recall. But now when I have an Orval, I really dig it, and I have to say that it is probably one of the most rewarding and complex drinking experiences each time.

bujubanton · Post by **bujubanton** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:28 pm

wasn't the brutal bitter under $5 last year?

now it is over $6...
is that to cover the AIG like bonuses at the LCBO?

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 7:44 pm

bujubanton wrote:wasn't the brutal bitter under $5 last year?

now it is over $6...
is that to cover the AIG like bonuses at the LCBO?

LMAO!

That must be it! Thanks Buju!

I was actually wondering where you've been...

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Sun Mar 22, 2009 10:23 pm

bujubanton wrote:wasn't the brutal bitter under $5 last year?

No, it was actually $5.95:

http://www.bartowel.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=3562

Nice try, though.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:32 am

I was lucky to grab 20 Orval in the Beach the same day they put it out.

Not even time for inventory count. Don't go by that.

(The 2004 is drinking fantastic!!!! I will A-B the two soon....)

jaymack · Post by **jaymack** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:41 am

GregClow wrote:
bujubanton wrote:wasn't the brutal bitter under $5 last year?
No, it was actually $5.95:

I for one wouldn't have a problem paying a little more for the Brutal Bitter.

carguy · Post by **carguy** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 12:41 pm

You have to admit, wouldn't it be boring to live around the corner from Premier Gourmet, and be able to buy any beer you wanted any time you wanted? Doesn't the LCBO's strangle hold on good beer make beer hunting all the more challenging, and in the end, rewarding? None of this "one stop shopping". No, we have to drive from store to store, because God forbid all stores carry all the listings from a single release, or at the same time. How much more exciting is it that we go rushing from city to city, store to store, trying to get one bottle of this, or two bottles of that before everyone else finds out about it and cleans out the inventory, never to be seen again. Isn't it exciting!

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:58 pm

carguy wrote:You have to admit, wouldn't it be boring to live around the corner from Premier Gourmet, and be able to buy any beer you wanted any time you wanted? Doesn't the LCBO's strangle hold on good beer make beer hunting all the more challenging, and in the end, rewarding? None of this "one stop shopping". No, we have to drive from store to store, because God forbid all stores carry all the listings from a single release, or at the same time. How much more exciting is it that we go rushing from city to city, store to store, trying to get one bottle of this, or two bottles of that before everyone else finds out about it and cleans out the inventory, never to be seen again. Isn't it exciting!

My sarcasm detector just exploded.........

carguy · Post by **carguy** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:06 am

At least you know it was working JesseM!

BTW, yesterday I watched them open a case of Orval to stock the shelf, and I can't possibly imagine what the LCBO's problem with the package is. Breakage shouldn't be a problem, the thing was practically armoured. If I was going to buy a box to ship bottles overseas, I'd find the company who made the boxes for Orval.

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 9:26 am

Not to mention those bowling-pin bottles have to be some of the thickest in the industry. Not great for shipping cost, but damn they're solid.

Jan Primus · Post by **Jan Primus** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:13 pm

Yeah I just openned my first 12 pack case of Orval and it is practically UPS proof, compared to any beer packaging I've ever seen nothing has been as sturdy.

On another note, are the LCBO inventory links in the original post working for you guys or is it just me?

esprit · Post by **esprit** » Tue Apr 28, 2009 11:20 pm

Good news is that Orval has agreed to develop an LCBO compliant carton which should mean that we'll see it in the stores again at some point in the future.

beerbroker · Post by **beerbroker** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 9:48 am

That is good news! Thanks for working with them, Peter.

I was actually pretty impressed by the current packaging when a dropped a full case in the LCBO parking lot and didn't lose any bottles...

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:11 am

Jan Primus wrote:On another note, are the LCBO inventory links in the original post working for you guys or is it just me?

Not just you. Looks like they changed their search engine software, so the old direct link format no longer works.