LCBO Spring Craft Beer Release 2015

[Kel Varnsen]

yes, Buffalo, that magical far-away land.

Probstk is in Ottawa (as am I). Buffalo is pretty far from us. Of course, we can go to Bear World to get different brands of months old IPAs...

Or you could go to the Walgreens in Ogdensburg(where I was last weekend) and if you really want buy some Sierra Nevada Summerfest. Because what better way to celebrate an Ottawa winter.

[nickw]

And not everyone has the ability to a) go to Buffalo regularly and b) drop $200 at once on beer.

yes, Buffalo, that magical far-away land.
then go spend $50 in Buffalo on stuff that's better than what's available for $5-10 at the 'BO.
or don't spend $$ on meh IPAs that likely aren't remotely punchy or fresh when you buy it.
or just buy more Trafalgar beer to support "craft beer"'.

"I can't afford a trip to Monaco so I'm going to blow $500 on a staycation."

lotta assumptions there, sir. Well done. You must be a blast for people with differing opinions and differing life circumstances to spend any time with.

[instantkamera]

Probstk is in Ottawa (as am I). Buffalo is pretty far from us. Of course, we can go to Bear World to get different brands of months old IPAs...

That doesn't mean he/she has to call the rest of us jaded for simply having standards and personal preferences. And to be clear, you don't have to go as far as NY/MI/VT to find a beer release better than this; you just have to go back in time.

[lister]

And to be clear, you don't have to go as far as NY/MI/VT to find a beer release better than this; you just have to go back in time.

Just need a DeLorean + flux capacitor + Mr Fusion. No problem!

[probstk]

Good lord, what a jaded bunch (save for Craig, it seems)! There are quite a few tasty beers in the release and I am looking forward to trying them!

not to be rude, but i was in buffalo a week ago and this list is pure shit compared to what buffalo's "spring release" will be.
i spent $200 in Buffalo while using self restraint.
you think you could even come close to $100 with this release?

Not really a fair comparison. And why compare at all? There are a number of nice beers in this release...can't we just enjoy them?

[liamt07]

There are a number of nice beers in this release

That's just like...your opinion, man.

Underwhelming, average release.

[atomeyes]

Good lord, what a jaded bunch (save for Craig, it seems)! There are quite a few tasty beers in the release and I am looking forward to trying them!

not to be rude, but i was in buffalo a week ago and this list is pure shit compared to what buffalo's "spring release" will be.
i spent $200 in Buffalo while using self restraint.
you think you could even come close to $100 with this release?

Not really a fair comparison. And why compare at all? There are a number of nice beers in this release...can't we just enjoy them?

you can enjoy whatever you like. but proclaiming that this is a good/great release is different than enjoying a beer.

someone can enjoy a Big Mac but don't proclaim it to be a great burger.

yes, Buffalo, that magical far-away land.

Probstk is in Ottawa (as am I). Buffalo is pretty far from us. Of course, we can go to Bear World to get different brands of months old IPAs...

bear world or beer world?

if i lived in Ottawa, i'd go to Gatineau for 98% of my beer purchases. hell, you have that Beerophile thing you can so-easily utilize.

And not everyone has the ability to a) go to Buffalo regularly and b) drop $200 at once on beer.

yes, Buffalo, that magical far-away land.
then go spend $50 in Buffalo on stuff that's better than what's available for $5-10 at the 'BO.
or don't spend $$ on meh IPAs that likely aren't remotely punchy or fresh when you buy it.
or just buy more Trafalgar beer to support "craft beer"'.

"I can't afford a trip to Monaco so I'm going to blow $500 on a staycation."

lotta assumptions there, sir. Well done. You must be a blast for people with differing opinions and differing life circumstances to spend any time with.

so here's an assumption: if someone does not have the $$ to leave Toronto to shop for beer or buy more than a few bottles at a time, they'd just buy directly from Bellwoods or Great Lakes, because fresh-ass IPA is better than sitting-at-ambient-temp-for-months IPA, no?

[Masterplan]

yes, Buffalo, that magical far-away land.

Probstk is in Ottawa (as am I). Buffalo is pretty far from us. Of course, we can go to Bear World to get different brands of months old IPAs...

Forget bear world, Bottle Caps is better.... Was there this past weekend and picked up:

Bells Two Hearted Ale
green flash palate wrecker
Lagunitas Lil sumpin ale
Founders double trouble
And dfh 90 min

Plus it just off the 81 on Arsenal St.

http://www.bottlecapsbev.com

[spinrsx]

Doesn't double trouble get released in the summer? Shades of bear world

yes, Buffalo, that magical far-away land.

Probstk is in Ottawa (as am I). Buffalo is pretty far from us. Of course, we can go to Bear World to get different brands of months old IPAs...

Forget bear world, Bottle Caps is better.... Was there this past weekend and picked up:

Founders double trouble

[Kel Varnsen]

Forget bear world, Bottle Caps is better.... Was there this past weekend and picked up:

Bells Two Hearted Ale
green flash palate wrecker
Lagunitas Lil sumpin ale
Founders double trouble
And dfh 90 min

Plus it just off the 81 on Arsenal St.

http://www.bottlecapsbev.com

Any issues with expired beer from those guys? Last time I went to Bear World was about a year and a half ago, and of the 12 beers I got back at least half of them were over 6 months old. Some of them over a year old. When I contacted the store via email, they told me the issue was partially due to their distributor. My worry would be that Bottlecaps was getting their beer from the same source (which is also the distribuotr that supplies SN beers to the Walgreens I mentioned) so I am curious if you had any issues.

[spinrsx]

My problem with both of those places (bear world/bottle caps) is the ridiculous markup they charge on the singles if you break up a 4/6 pack.

Bottlecaps isn't as big as bear world, so I'm sure they have an easier time moving inventory, but there are still some out of date bottles around. Also, from my experience Bottle caps is a little bit less expensive than BW.

[Kel Varnsen]

My problem with both of those places (bear world/bottle caps) is the ridiculous markup they charge on the singles if you break up a 4/6 pack.

Bottlecaps isn't as big as bear world, so I'm sure they have an easier time moving inventory, but there are still some out of date bottles around. Also, from my experience Bottle caps is a little bit less expensive than BW.

Good to know about the prices. What gets me is that a lot of beers don't have dates on them or are in formats that are hard to read unless you know. So for example when I was in Ogdensburg, I saw the Summerfest then saw a 6 of Torpedo next to it. The torpedo bottles didn't have any dates on them, but considering they were sitting next to another beer from the summer, I had to assume they were just as old. I saw SN products at other stores too, and figuring they all come from the same warehouse I stayed away.

That said I was looking at my emails from the bear world guy and in his reply he basically said that some of the beers I bought, appeared to have been delivered to his store that were already 8 months old. I am kind of a bastard about this kind of thing now because it pisses me off so much. If I am in the states and see beers on the shelf that are really old, I will usually take a minute or two to email the brewery. Hopefully if that happens enough things will change.

[atomeyes]

Doesn't double trouble get released in the summer? Shades of bear world

September, i thought.

[Masterplan]

Doesn't double trouble get released in the summer? Shades of bear world

September, i thought.

Jul to September. I've never had it before and was in rush so I grabbed it.

Like you say most of the beers have no brew date, or random codes. The ones I did see were mostly nov/Dec ish.

According to the cashier the GF Palate Wrecker just arrived...

Should probably split this off into an eastern Ontario cross border run thread....

[nickw]

if i lived in Ottawa, i'd go to Gatineau for 98% of my beer purchases. hell, you have that Beerophile thing you can so-easily utilize.

yes, Buffalo, that magical far-away land.
then go spend $50 in Buffalo on stuff that's better than what's available for $5-10 at the 'BO.
or don't spend $$ on meh IPAs that likely aren't remotely punchy or fresh when you buy it.
or just buy more Trafalgar beer to support "craft beer"'.

"I can't afford a trip to Monaco so I'm going to blow $500 on a staycation."

lotta assumptions there, sir. Well done. You must be a blast for people with differing opinions and differing life circumstances to spend any time with.

so here's an assumption: if someone does not have the $$ to leave Toronto to shop for beer or buy more than a few bottles at a time, they'd just buy directly from Bellwoods or Great Lakes, because fresh-ass IPA is better than sitting-at-ambient-temp-for-months IPA, no?

There, that wasn't so hard, was it?