Westvleteren Abt 12

Lexicon · Post by **Lexicon** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 4:56 pm

Is this beer available anywhere closer than Premier Gourmet?

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 5:38 pm

I've never seen it listed in the consignment lists of either Esprit or Rubiyat, and I don't recall seeing it at either Smokeless or the Bier Markt (at least not recently). So I'm guessing not.

I do, however, have a bottle on hand at the moment from a friend's recent visit to Premier. I will likely be enjoying it this coming weekend, so I'll soon find out if it's worth the hype (and the price - it cost me around CDN$18 for a 330 ml bottle!).

Greg

Lyle · Post by **Lyle** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 6:05 pm

How much did you pay??? I'm not in the store right now, but I thought our price on the Westy 12 was $9.29 per bottle. Has the US/CAN exchange rate gotten that bad? Still, it is probably the most expensive ~12oz bottle we sell...

Cheers

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 7:09 pm

I believe it was $10.49 or $10.99, which translates to the CDN$16-$17 range. And the person who picked it up for me declared what they were bringing back and paid taxes & duty, so my share of that pumped it up a bit more.

Not that I'm complaining, mind you. When you can buy a bottle of a fine brew like Aventinus any time you want for dirt cheap (CDN$2.45), spending the big bucks on something special once in a while doesn't hurt quite so badly.

Greg

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 7:22 pm

Yes, the exchange rate has gotten that bad. $1.00 US is aobut $1.65 CND. So, Westy at $9.29 US would cost us about $15.33 US. Then there's the wee bit of tax. Also, if you get stuck paying the duty, the cost could go up to over $20.00 CND. My last trip to Premier cost me about $160 CND and I only bought twelve beers and two glasses. Not that I'm complaining, I'm glad that I could find stuff like Westy & Rochefort 10. Usually, when I go to Premier, though, I end up buying US micros strickly for economic reasons.

It really is expensive for us Canucks to travel to the States. Take a fast food (I know that sacrilege on a craft beer site). In Canada, a typical meal cost $5.00-$7.00 CND. I find that in the States the typical meal costs $5.00-$7.00 US which adds up to about $10.00 CND. That's expensive. Or a soda costs $1.25 regarless of currency. Ultimately, though, we do end spending a little less on gas. Save about $5.00 CND filling up.

On top of all this, we are spoiled when it comes to the price of beer in this province. It is really quite inexpensive to buy the beer that is available. Orval, when it was available, costs something like $3.80 CND a bottle. That would be about $2.30 US. We do, however, have to put up with the LCBO for that pleasure.

Cheers, Joe.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jcappadocia on 2003-02-11 19:24 ]</font>

Lyle · Post by **Lyle** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 7:37 pm

Sheesh! Maybe we should talk about digging a tunnel from Toronto to Buffalo?! I feel for you guys. We certainly appreciate your business and your tremendous good will!!

If you stay overnight you don't have to pay the duty right? If a group of Bartowelers ever wanted to organize a trip to the states, I'd be happy to help with arrangements. Maybe you guys could swing over to Cleveland and visit Great Lakes BC, or go the other direction and visit Cooperstown, Ommegang, etc. Hotel rooms in Buffalo are pretty cheap.

If you want - we could always organize a 'bartowel event' in our cafe. We could arrange a tasting of whatever beers interest you. Themed, random selection, specific breweries, whatever you want. That way, everyone would get to taste everything, without having to each buy individual quantities, pay the duty, etc. Also, it would remove some of the fear of paying $5-15 for a bottle and not knowing if you will even like it. In general, we'd probably just charge for however much beer is consumed (which would probably only be 2-3 bottles of each, assuming 3-4oz samples), and we could probably throw in some cheeses and/or chocolates to pair, a talk about the beers, etc. Depending on the timing, I may even be able to get a brewer/importer to show up and talk. Also, I’d be happy to help arrange a pub-crawl of Buffalo if you want – Flying Bison, Yaya Brewhouse, Buffalo Brewpub, Pearl Street, Sterling Place, Alternative Brews, Pizza Plant, or wherever else.

Anyway, think about it, talk about it, and if you’re interested – we could set something up in the Spring.

Cheers

joey_capps · Post by **joey_capps** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 7:50 pm

Actually, we have to spend 48 hours state-side to not pay duty, but even then we are only able to bring back 24 bottles or thereabout per person. Usually, though, it depends on the goodwill of the customs agent. I've been in the states for one evening, declared the beer and not had to pay the duty.

Now, if you were to come to Canada, Lyle, . . . kidding BTW (for you LCBO trolls)

Cheers, Joe

P.S. Seriously, I'd be game for a beer night in Buffalo, and dammit I going to get to Great Lakes before too long.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jcappadocia on 2003-02-11 19:55 ]</font>

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Tue Feb 11, 2003 8:01 pm

Lyle...

Canadians can claim a duty exemption on up to CAN$50 worth of goods if we're in the States for 24 hours or more, but we are not allowed to include alcohol or tobacco in that exemption. After 48 hours, the exemption rises to CDN$200 and can include some booze & smokes, but even then there are some weird rules to keep in mind. After 7 days, it goes up to CDN$750.

As for a Bar Towel night at the Premier, that sounds like a fantastic idea. I'm sure there would be a dozen or so who would be willing to come down for that, myself included.

Greg