Advent Beer Boxes

squonk · 07-12-2023 8:56am #1

I got the advent box from beer cloud this year and made some posts on a few I thought were decent so far. I took a sneak peek after it arrived last month but had another look last night and, now I’m drinking through it, it seems like a bigger thing. 90% of the cans are either IPA or Pale Ale.

It being a wintertime Christmas box I’d expect more choice to be honest. Also I associate winter with red ales, stouts, porter and darker maltier beers. None of that. There was a can of GBB Bay Ale and another of GBB Ostera which was fine but hardly exciting. There’s also a raddler and a sour and a non alcoholic IPA. I know craft beer has kind of turned into a byword for IPA these days with other varieties being notable mentions but IPA is lower down on my list of favourite types to be honest. It’s grand but I do like stout, red ales, bitter, weissbier etc. I think Beer Cloud just played to the crowd or lived in there own bubble putting that box together.

I think this might be my first and last advent box really or else I’ll put something together myself.

BeerNut · 07-12-2023 9:52am

I think this is an inherent risk when you allow someone else to pick your beer for you: you may not get beers you like.

It's funny how there is a very vocal group of people (I'm one of them) who say they prefer dark beers, and/or red beers, but if you talk to anyone who sells craft beer for a living in Ireland they'll tell you IPA is the only thing that sells.

q2ice · 07-12-2023 9:57am

Wow. That looks like a proper beer-fuelled writing experience. I say experience because it appears as if there were multiple edits before posting.

"I got an advent calendar from beer cloud a month ago (for free?). I opened it then to try it out and was happy enough. Was on a ladys night last night* and decided to start drinking through the beers. As it was a Christmas Advent calendar, I assumed it would contain a variety of beers that I associate with Christmas but it only contains pale ales. I don't really care as much for pale ale and am disappointed. Beer Cloud must have been trying to appease the crowd by selecting the more popular types of beer or else they were living in a bubble because their selection is not what I would have selected.

This is the last advent box I get, otherwise: I will end up drinking them on my own and will suffer/I am only causing myself pain by getting more"

*could be either lady's night or lazy night.

How many beers were in the box? What time did you start drinking? Given it was close to 9am when you posted. ☺️

Was it a random selection or did they advertise what types of beer would be included?

Odd that you would slate their choices for selecting types that would appeal to most people instead of catering specifically to your tastes. Their objective would surely be to sell more.

squonk · 07-12-2023 10:01am

Interesting BeerNut. Maybe it’s a proportional thing. I know my beer orders tend to be less focused on the IPAs and note in reds, porters and really anything else. Mind you the every one of my tie off order there are probably 15 ipa centric orders arriving. I notice really that even in winter bite you have to go looking for stouts these days. Lots of breweries are front cheers with varied IPAs but what stout is there is likely big imperials with high ABVs. Grand but not a casual drinker. I find actually that the big inroads kind of shut in my shelf. I still have some from last Christmas. You need a tins to drink them and I’ve you get into spring it’s less appetising.

squonk · 07-12-2023 10:10am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121465445#Comment_121465445

I’m on my phone and wheeling at the same time with crap keyboard auto predict. Not slating their choices per se. I’m bemoaning the lack of variety. The selection wasn’t advertised. I’d have advertised it as an IPA forward Christmas box if it was me. The good thing about a craft pub for me is a few old favourites in there mixed with guest breweries and styles. You can switch styles all in one evening.

The box contains 24 beers. It’s 70% IPA based. That to me is boring. I wouldn’t even mind 8 ipas 2 pale ales, a few stouts, a few reds/lagers and then sours and something surprising.

irish_goat · 07-12-2023 10:21am

A funny trend I've noticed in recent years is for breweries to release "winter IPA" and it's just a regular IPA.

BeerNut · 07-12-2023 10:33am

Yep, yesterday Hopfully released "Xmas IPA" which is just a very average pale ale.

squonk · 07-12-2023 12:31pm

I suppose it’s a cash in thing. Add Christmas to seen this time of year and Pele will try it. Funny but IPA reminds me more of summer than winter. Seems more like a summer beer to me.

wexdevil · 07-12-2023 12:56pm

I used to always get the Mikkeller one because there was always a fairly decent mix in them but they didn't do one this year. I went with an advent box from Moersleutel and so far out of the 7 days there has been 4 stouts(3 imperial) 2 quadruples and 1 hazy ipa. All heavy stuff which is quite the contrast to the box my partner put together which has been all sours so far. Problem I have now is that I haven't been able to try them day by day so I have quite abit of catching up to do this weekend.

Yeah Right · 07-12-2023 1:24pm

Yeah the Mikeller one last year was great, raging they didn't do one this time around.

@squonk I feel you, this has been bugging me for years (I even posted about it last week). It's a tad annoying when 85%+ of the choice you have is limited to two or three very similar styles. It's bad enough that some pubs/taps are laid out like this, but the whole point of a beer advent calendar should be variety. It's pretty unforgiveable, really, and smacks of the distributors simply getting rid of old stock. Bad form, IMO.

squonk · 07-12-2023 2:21pm

I just checked some cans from the beer cloud box and the dates are well out into 2024 so I can’t say they’re shifting old stock although I suppose it might still be hanging around for a bit with them.

@wexdevil i feel your pain about the big beers in your box. Last night I had an alcohol free next up and tonight is a racket beer. I couldn’t hit even the 5-6%ers every day and work the following day. I wouldn’t mind a few big beers in my box for weekends but there isn’t much of that either.

irish_goat · 07-12-2023 3:04pm

A simple idea for the offys could be to include an option at checkout, either light beers only or a mix. That's how Beer52 works.

the beer revolu · 07-12-2023 4:10pm

I fail to see how it's ever a good idea to let a stranger pick your beers.

Insect Overlord · 07-12-2023 4:17pm

Mother Mac's Advent Box in Limerick a few years back was flawless. I doubt they made any profit on it, but as an exercise in beer selection it was superb. One of those nice little pandemic one-offs.

squonk · 07-12-2023 4:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467300#Comment_121467300

It’s a far point and at the very least, lesson learned. On another note though it works with me and music. I love having a friend or colleague recommend an artist or play me some of the stuff. It gets you out of your comfort zone which is always good. If there is one thing good about this box it’s get me drinking breweies I wouldn’t normally consider. It’s just not a very inspiring selection other than that

BeerNut · 07-12-2023 4:48pm

But would you buy music based on the recommendation of a record company executive or record shop owner? 😜

squonk · 07-12-2023 4:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467470#Comment_121467470

Indeed and true. Still it’s themselves there fooling as they’ve k lost this customer for next years ones though I’m sure there will be someone to replace me. 😀.

adaminho · 07-12-2023 7:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467323#Comment_121467323

I have the list here somewhere. I'll post it later on.

adaminho · 07-12-2023 9:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468167#Comment_121468167

@Insect Overlord might have the order mixed up

1. Wicklow Wolf Locavore hop harvest 2020

2. Yellowbelly Red Noir

3. Rascals Candyman Chocolate salted Caramel Pastry stout

4. White Hag Dark druid Chocolate orange pastry

5. Western Herd Home brew winner 2020 farmhouse saison

6. Mescan 7 virtues

7. Wicklow Wolf Madmex Imperial mexican cake stout

8. 8⁰ Black ball

9. Stone Barrel Spectre

10. Treaty City Barrel aged Red ale

11. Otterbank So it begins saison

12. Wide street Funky Friday wild pale ale

13. Dungarvan Coffee and Oatmeal stout

14. Dotbrew State of mind Barrel aged blend

15. Kinnegar Double Bunny Dneipa

16. Otterbank What time Double you call this saison

17. West Kerry The Night Porter

18. Blacks Worlds End Chocolate vanilla Imperial stout

19. White Hag Dark Druid Chocolate Coconut pastry stout

20. Lineman Astral grains

21. Lough Gill Wild Irish Gose kettle sour

22. Dingle/Porterhouse Around the clock 2020

23. White Hag Eggnog

I'm missing a couple.

Insect Overlord · 07-12-2023 10:08pm

@adaminho As far as I remember, I never tasted the Eggnog beer from White Hag! I think I eventually poured it and a can of their green St Patrick's Day beer down the sink after they both went way over the Best Before date.

I think DOT Brew - Throw Away Play (New England style DIPA) was one of them?@adaminho

adaminho · 07-12-2023 10:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468857#Comment_121468857

It could have been the Dotbrew, didn't have the list but remembered I had photos of most of them.

squonk · 07-12-2023 11:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121468745#Comment_121468745

Now that looks like an advent calendar box to get excited about.

Yeah Right · 08-12-2023 9:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121467470#Comment_121467470

That's a terrible analogy. The executives at Beercloud aren't picking your beers for you and yes, millions of people worldwide have bought music based on the recommendations of the people working in the record shops.

BeerNut · 08-12-2023 9:51am

Fair point. Instead of a recommendation, it's more that the person in the record shop takes your money and gives you whatever record they think you should have.

squonk · 08-12-2023 10:33am

Yup. I know there’s a risk there allowing Sheerins to pick your beer but you’d have to think that someone conscientious would try and cater for a wide audience. If we’re using a music analogy again, it’s like a wedding band. They don’t get to play the deep cuts and challenging numbers they probably want to have you hear but they play some well liked stuff from every decade to cater to as wide an audience as possible nobody gets entirely what they want to listen to on a night out but nobody is completely Sinead or bored either. So basically vary your selection well, don’t go too much into the weeds with anythjbg very big or polarising and cater to as many styles as you can.

Id see these as a tasting menu. Get people exposed to styles and breweries they wouldn’t normally try and get them out of the comfort zone.

BeerNut · 08-12-2023 12:02pm

They probably think they are doing that, it's just that so much of what's available to select is IPA. I blame Sinead.

squonk · 08-12-2023 12:22pm

Who’s Sinead?

Yeah Right · 08-12-2023 12:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121469946#Comment_121469946

Sorry, I just read back over my last post and it comes across a lot harsher than I meant, so apologies if it looks like that.

I'd say an even better one would be "the person in the record shop takes your money and gives you copies whatever they have loads of out the back".

BeerNut · 08-12-2023 12:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470634#Comment_121470634

You mentioned her in your post.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121470721#Comment_121470721

Haha, yes, a cynic might think that subscribers to the Advent music box get all the leftover 8-track cassettes, but I couldn't possibly comment.

Advent Beer Boxes

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