Quote:
Originally Posted by ODLS1
You all do realize the higher the alcohol the more malt is needed (for the beers we are talking about)? The hoppier the beer, the more hops used. The cost adds up. Then consider the cost of packaging, shipping, rising cost of everything these days, distribution, etc. It sucks but what can you do. I don't like it either, but I see where they are coming from.
Bourbon barrel beers are so expensive because bourbon barrels are so damn expensive these days. EVERYONE wants them - tons of breweries and other distilleries use them (American/Canadian/Scotch/Irish Whiskey all uses them, not solely of course). It use to be they couldn't get rid of them or you could buy them for like $15. Now they are over $100 per barrel, of course I'm sure breweries make deals to where it ends up being cheaper in bulk, but still, that ends up being a huge cost. If you're putting a big beer in it, you can only use that barrel once. You can use it again for a lighter style, then it's pretty much done.
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I definitely see this part of it, but I remember not too many years ago drinking imperial IPA's from the local brewpubs for $5-6 a pint, now it's $7-8/12oz.
The other thing you are getting at with the big beers is opportunity cost because of the length of the fermentation. If they are using a tank they could run more batches of a pale that sells well in the same amount of time it takes to put out the one big beer.
I get the cost of things, and I like supporting smaller local businesses even if it costs me more to do so, but I think the trendiness of beer drinking is afoot as well and I am not as big a fan of that.