# Drinking Sierra Nevada Torpedo And Disappointed.



## Clutch (29/12/11)

I had my first Torpedo last week and absolutely loved it, but bought two more from another Dan Murphy's tonight and the first one tastes and smells like wort with some hops in it. Took a beer nerd leap and measured the gravity (because I'm not drinking it when it tastes like this) and it came in at 1018 which is bang on. Expiry isn't until June 2012. So what would cause this? It tastes nothing like an IPA, just sweet, but still carbonated.Has anyone taken beer back to DM?


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## NickB (29/12/11)

Would guess a handling issue - possibly got too hot or something similar... Had one the other day and loved it as well. Would love to try it off tap 

Cheers


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## RdeVjun (30/12/11)

Sadly, not uncommon with Dan imports, I can vouch for that. In my experience, overall about 1/4- 1/3 of them have the same fault of being dull, drab beer that's evidently been mishandled to within an inch of its life, despite the fact that a bottle from the very same shop a few weeks ago may have been just brilliant (happens all too often I'm afraid, TTL is a classic for this). Its very frustrating, so I never buy six packs or cartons from them, just the odd import now and then- so usually I'll grab some of local muck and support the locals.
Regardless of where the beer comes from though, you're on to it- for just about any beer the BBE date is a good starting point, that should really be the first test. Even look through the row of individual bottles for fresh stock that's been added to the back, nabbed some very fresh ones in this way a few times.
I did read somewhere though that apparently Dans were refrigerating SN imports, is that just a myth, anyone?


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## RobW (30/12/11)

RdeVjun said:


> Sadly, not uncommon with Dan imports, I can vouch for that. In my experience, overall about 1/4- 1/3 of them have the same fault of being dull, drab beer that's evidently been mishandled to within an inch of its life, despite the fact that a bottle from the very same shop a few weeks ago may have been just brilliant (happens all too often I'm afraid, TTL is a classic for this). Its very frustrating, so I never buy six packs or cartons from them, just the odd import now and then- so usually I'll grab some of local muck and support the locals.
> Regardless of where the beer comes from though, you're on to it- for just about any beer the BBE date is a good starting point, that should really be the first test. Even look through the row of individual bottles for fresh stock that's been added to the back, nabbed some very fresh ones in this way a few times.
> I did read somewhere though that apparently Dans were refrigerating SN imports, is that just a myth, anyone?



I believe theya re imported ubder refrigeration but I suspect what happens after that is at the mercy of the retailer.

I picked up a sixer of Torpedo for Xmas from Dans and it was certainly below par.


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## Howlingdog (30/12/11)

OT but I wonder when we will see this here Linky\

HD


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## WitWonder (30/12/11)

I believe part of the deal with importing these is they must be refrigerated in transit. Phoenix beers are the importers I believe. I'd suggest the handling issue is on the Dan Murphy side of the supply chain, not Phoenix.


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## big78sam (30/12/11)

The Press Club have SN Torpedo on the menu and the sommelier/waiter confirmed to me they are refrigerated during import as I was worried about freshness. I got one but still wasn't impressed with the freshness. But after the Cavalier Pale Ale, almost anything would have seemed drab :icon_drool2:


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## Kingbrownbrewing (30/12/11)

Bit of a dead giveaway when you walk into Dan's and they have stock out on the floor.

They might be cheaper but they just don't care about their beers.


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## Nick JD (30/12/11)

I've had a SN Torpedo in California and it tasted the same as the ones I buy from Dans. Great beer.


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## jyo (30/12/11)

I had a couple the other day from Dans and they were fantastic. 
I have posted this before, but to give an idea of Dan's mishandling of their beers:
I went looking for the latest LC single batch a month or 2 ago ( I am in Perth) and asked one of the shop attendants if they were going to be getting any in.
He told me that all of the Little Creatures Single batches are transported over east to headquarters and then transported to the individual stores. It's brewed in Perth FFS.


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## stakka82 (30/12/11)

the first time i ever had a torpedo it was from dans and i thought it was about the most over-hyped beer ever. not impressed.

then about a month ago i decided to give it another chance, again at dans. it was a revelation - the best ipa ive ever had hands down.

there MUST have been more at play there than just changing tastes/moods/whatever. the first one was seriously a 3-4/10, the second about 9/10!


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## QldKev (30/12/11)

I got a 6 pack of the Pale Ale for Chissy, and it's really poor. Mine was dated 08/06/12. I'll seriously look at other beers when I'm in there next time, as for the price it should be handled a bit better. 


QldKev


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## kenlock (30/12/11)

QldKev said:


> I got a 6 pack of the Pale Ale for Chissy, and it's really poor. Mine was dated 08/06/12. I'll seriously look at other beers when I'm in there next time, as for the price it should be handled a bit better.
> 
> 
> QldKev



It was probably a bit young, given it was yet to be brewed (by over 6 months). h34r: :lol: :lol:


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## argon (30/12/11)

stakka82 said:


> the first time i ever had a torpedo it was from dans and i thought it was about the most over-hyped beer ever. not impressed.
> 
> then about a month ago i decided to give it another chance, again at dans. it was a revelation - the best ipa ive ever had hands down.
> 
> there MUST have been more at play there than just changing tastes/moods/whatever. the first one was seriously a 3-4/10, the second about 9/10!


Had the same experience. At first was rather ordinary. Bought some within the first week of their release in oz, then bought some more a few weeks back. Totally different beers, bought from the same store.


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## eamonnfoley (30/12/11)

Yeah given its summer now the beer has probably sat on a pallet in the sun. Especially with the large amount of stock required by Dans at this time of year. May have run out of warehouse space....


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## beerdrinkingbob (30/12/11)

kenlock said:


> It was probably a bit young, given it was yet to be brewed (by over 6 months). h34r: :lol: :lol:




Especially when it's a best before date :blink:


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## spaced (30/12/11)

jyo said:


> I had a couple the other day from Dans and they were fantastic.
> I have posted this before, but to give an idea of Dan's mishandling of their beers:
> I went looking for the latest LC single batch a month or 2 ago ( I am in Perth) and asked one of the shop attendants if they were going to be getting any in.
> He told me that all of the Little Creatures Single batches are transported over east to headquarters and then transported to the individual stores. It's brewed in Perth FFS.




My god that's ******* retarded.


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## Batz (30/12/11)

I've always enjoyed these beers and all have come from my localish DM's.

You really have to wonder though, container arrives Sydney perhaps? 
Sits on the docks before being collected and taken to a depot, there it gets unloaded and broken up for individual stores. How long and how is it treated? Then trucked off to stores all over Oz. It must be unloaded and reloaded a few times, I don't know transport companys any more than personal experience, and that has not always been good.
If 4 Pines can have problems getting beers into shops what hope do US brewers have?

Batz


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## DUANNE (30/12/11)

Batz said:


> I've always enjoyed these beers and all have come from my localish DM's.
> 
> You really have to wonder though, container arrives Sydney perhaps?
> Sits on the docks before being collected and taken to a depot, there it gets unloaded and broken up for individual stores. How long and how is it treated? Then trucked off to stores all over Oz. It must be unloaded and reloaded a few times, I don't know transport companys any more than personal experience, and that has not always been good.
> ...



funny thing is nobody is getting gushers with the sn beers.im guessing they would have had a lot worse treatment than any four pines or murrays beers but no gushers just faded and flabby flavours. its time breweries in aus stopped blaming poor tranport and look closer to home for an answer to theyre problems.


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## Nick JD (30/12/11)

I suspect also that _them beer drinkin' folk down under_ might not always get the best stuff loaded onto the boats in the first place.

If I were in the export department of a large American brewery I wouldn't fret about the Aussie market. Seriously - they'd sell more product through a single bottle store in S.F. than the whole of Oz.

We may well be a dumping ground - if they've tried VB then they probably think they could sell us carbonated horseshit and we'd drink it.


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## felten (30/12/11)

Why go through all the trouble of insisting it's only shipped in refrigerated containers, if they're purposely going to send down some inferior product? 

That makes no sense at all.


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## Nick JD (30/12/11)

felten said:


> That makes no sense at all.


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## bum (30/12/11)

Nick JD said:


> I've had a SN Torpedo in California and it tasted the same as the ones I buy from Dans. Great beer.


Funny. I bought a sixer in California ($9 at 7-Eleven) and tipped 5 of them because they were cloying as OP describes.

Anyway, if you're ever in the States - don't do this test for yourself. Grab some great beers instead.


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## felten (30/12/11)




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## Nick JD (30/12/11)

bum said:


> Funny. I bought a sixer in California ($9 at 7-Eleven) and tipped 5 of them because they were cloying as OP describes.
> 
> Anyway, if you're ever in the States - don't do this test for yourself. Grab some great beers instead.



OMG. Now we have SN Torpedo snobs. 

VB .... you had your time in lights. It's over. 

If you don't like SN Torpedo when it's fresh, you have SHIT TASTE. Or a bum for a mouth.


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## bum (30/12/11)

If you go to the States and can't find a better AIPA you only bought one beer.

Don't get me wrong - it is amazing compared to Australian AIPAs. But you probably like those. There's only two I can think of I enjoy (Hop Hog and Icon) and I've stated here numerous times that one of them doesn't even qualify, IMO.

It should also go without saying that Nick is a cockhead. Don't listen to him.

[EDIT: rogue parenthesis]


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## Mattress (30/12/11)

Wait, wait, I'm just getting some popcorn


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## Nick JD (30/12/11)

bum said:


> If you go to the States and can't find a better AIPA you only bought one beer.



I found quite a few worse AIPAs actually. Considering you can buy Torpedos at the corner store it's a supurb beer for an American Megaswill. 

If you think it's a bad version of an AIPA then I'm afraid you are probably showing your hand here. Carry on.


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## bum (30/12/11)

Nick JD said:


> it's a supurb beer for an American Megaswill.


Yep. Anyone expecting anything else should be disappointed and anyone who thinks it is anything else can safely be ignored. Don't get me wrong, they're a tremendous and imprtant brewery and must have been pretty amazing in the context of the 70s/80s market but it seems to me that they've been left behind.



Nick JD said:


> If you think it's a bad version of an AIPA then I'm afraid you are probably showing your hand here. Carry on.


I don't recall saying that, cockhead. And, yes, I am showing my hand. I did that in my first post. You can read it if you like.


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## Kingbrownbrewing (30/12/11)

BEERHOG said:


> funny thing is nobody is getting gushers with the sn beers.im guessing they would have had a lot worse treatment than any four pines or murrays beers but no gushers just faded and flabby flavours. its time breweries in aus stopped blaming poor tranport and look closer to home for an answer to theyre problems.



Are you for real?

Seriously?

or just really, really misinformed?

Or do your work for woolworths or coles......


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## DUANNE (30/12/11)

dont work for either, but why can i not get a good beer that isnt infected or a gusher from four pines murrays or redoak or grand ridge or so on with them being constantly excused by the poor transport out clause yet when i have had grey imports from usa such as stone sierra nevada lagunitas or even russian river, wich have been in a stinking hot container that has been over the equator several times , never a gusher severly oxidised most of the time sure but not infected or gushing. so where am i misinformed? am i missing something? what about bottle conditioned belgians? again long journeys bottle conditioned but end result is mostly oxidation not infection.same can be said for the british imports ive had. lets even look closer to home little creaures ive never had a gusher and they are certainly in the dan murphys supply chain. ive never had an infected or gushing feral beer either and i love hop hog and buy it regularly. so why is it that certain breweries have constant problems and others in the same supply chain do not. i support the local micro brewers as much as any one but am also sick of hearing that infections are caused by bad transport. they may be made more apparent but if the beer is bottled clean in the first place we would not see this happening.as i stated maybe these breweries should look closer to home and stop taking the easy out by blaming tranport for all of theyre woes, seriously.


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## Nick JD (30/12/11)

King Brown Brewing said:


> Or do your work for woolworths or coles......


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## petesbrew (30/12/11)

Not disappointed at all. The last one I tasted was similar to my latest Amnesia APA. I love it when that happens!

This thread reminds me of the "JS Golden Ale isn't what it used to be" thread of a couple years back.


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## chunckious (30/12/11)

It's not...


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## argon (30/12/11)

BEERHOG said:


> i support the local micro brewers as much as any one but am also sick of hearing that infections are caused by bad transport. they may be made more apparent but if the beer is bottled clean in the first place we would not see this happening.as i stated maybe these breweries should look closer to home and stop taking the easy out by blaming tranport for all of theyre woes, seriously.



You're on the money... all comes down to clean packaging. Poor/rough handling is not a cause for gushers... only a catalyst to make it become more evident.


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## AussieJosh (30/12/11)

I had one of there pale ales a friend got from Dans. Honestly i thought it was shit. I may need to try another...?


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## Tony (31/12/11)

i got a carton of torpedo (asked toe wife ot get a me 6 pack) and really enjoyd it.

But that was when it was first realeased..... may have got lucky


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## [email protected] (31/12/11)

Yep its like playing lotto buying beer at dans.
I have bought both the pale and torpedo and they have been good for me, that was also when they first came out.
Tasty, clean and well balanced beers. No they are not smack you in the face with aroma a flavour and big chewy malt. 
I have had some really fresh Aussie micros then bought the same beer a month later and its fizzy, bland and sometimes gushing.
I dont bother buying other imports any more from dans as they are all partially or completely oxidised. 
Dont really bother buying beer that often period, my location makes it hard, would rather spend the $ on making another small batch of something i have not made yet. If i have to il buy LC pale from local woolies liquor, never had a bad one, always pretty good aroma and flavour not carb problems. 
I think LC set a pretty good standard for craft beer or boutique beer in Australia in terms of consistency and quality with a decent range.


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## neonmeate (31/12/11)

torpedo is a nice beer. it's the best beer you can buy in dan murphys by a long way. it's definitely not the best IPA in the states. hops are nice, but where it could be better IMO is in the malt body. it's just a bit too simplistically crystal malty and short on the palate.

BUT for 24$ a six pack it's about the same price for one bottle of a good US IPA (lagunitas etc) from platinum cellars.

re the gushers etc i agree totally that aus breweries are the only ones with infections. the situation's much better than it was 10 years ago where 1 out of 2 aus micros were gruesomely infected. however i've never had an infected beer from murrays or redoak? the worst culprits are usually the victorian country micros...


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## jbowers (31/12/11)

neonmeate said:


> torpedo is a nice beer. it's the best beer you can buy in dan murphys by a long way.



Duvel?! Chimay?! Weihenstephaner?!!?


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## [email protected] (31/12/11)

jbowers said:


> Duvel?! Chimay?!



Yes good intro on Belgian beer, but after trying them in Belgium(prob wont happen again) i can safely say i will not be wasting my $ on what ends up over here again from DM, nothing like they should be.
I will however dedicate much time for the rest of my life trying to emulate.


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## Nick JD (31/12/11)

Dans has a lot of great lagers.


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## Clutch (31/12/11)

Well their response time is awesome. I sent the email yesterday:



> Hi guys and greetings from Australia.
> I tried my first Torpedo down in Sydney and was blown away by it just before Christmas.
> I bought a six pack in Dan Murphy's up here in Brisbane last night and was extremely disappointed, it smelled and tasted like sweet unfermented wort with a tiny bit of Citra thrown in, not the huge flavour/aroma punch I got from the last bottle I tried.
> After checking with the home brewer's forum I'm a member of (http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=61017&pid=859944&st=0&#entry859944 )
> ...






> Thank you very much for the heads up. Torpedo is a wonderful IPA and you should enjoy it to its fullest. I am so glad to hear you were able to find our beer as we just started shipping to Australia not too long ago. The product code you sent is just what I was looking for. The product you bought is still within suggested freshness, but rough handling can change all that. If you have heard that Dan Murphys is lax in their practices then I feel this warrants some investigation.
> 
> I am going to contact our sales manager for Australia and he will check out the situation thoroughly.
> 
> ...


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## RdeVjun (31/12/11)

Clutch, you're in Brissie, Archive had it last time I was there if you want to try a different supplier. They're one supplier with perhaps more of a quality over quantity ethos.
FWIW, I tried a Torpedo from Dans when it first hit the shelves, was quite OK and helped set my AIPA compass (Tumbler OTOH was a disaster). As per KBB though, it is telling when the stock is on the shelf as well as the refrigerated section, the latter is probably where SN might be expecting to see all of it.


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## chunckious (31/12/11)

jbowers said:


> Duvel?! Chimay?! Weihenstephaner?!!?



Correct...better than those. :icon_chickcheers:


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## jbowers (31/12/11)

Chunkious said:


> Correct...better than those. :icon_chickcheers:



Fervently disagree.


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## felten (31/12/11)

My brothers mate was working his way up to dan murphys store manager a few years ago, and they sent him to the states so he could do a sommelier course for their wine range.


Going to take a stab in the dark here, but I don't think they are doing the same for their beers. -_-


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## fnqbrew (31/12/11)

A work colleague and I knocked off a great six pack of Torpedo last week over some currys. Great match. We must have gotten lucky for the Torpedos to have made it all the way up here in good nick. Only $20 for the six here, too, not the $24 mentioned earlier. Rather than buy more, it makes me want to brew an IPA again.


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## neonmeate (31/12/11)

jbowers said:


> Duvel?! Chimay?! Weihenstephaner?!!?



ok duvel's better. weihenstephan is quality but not very exciting. chimay is not good beer ... but that's OT


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## eamonnfoley (31/12/11)

jbowers said:


> Fervently disagree.



Ive bought Duvel about 8 times since moving back to Oz from the UK. And each time it's been poor compared to what I've had in Belgium and the UK, regardless of the bottlo. Belgians dont seem to travel well and they sit on hot shelves for far too long. 

In saying that I had a good Saison Dupont yesterday - I guess its a lottery!

Weihenstephen are doing something right because its always fresh and I've very rarely had a bad bottle over the last few years. And I buy a lot of it from different locations. Although it comes via Pheonix which is here is Perth.


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## Clutch (31/12/11)

Phoenix import the SN range also.


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## jbowers (31/12/11)

foles said:


> Ive bought Duvel about 8 times since moving back to Oz from the UK. And each time it's been poor compared to what I've had in Belgium and the UK, regardless of the bottlo. Belgians dont seem to travel well and they sit on hot shelves for far too long.
> 
> In saying that I had a good Saison Dupont yesterday - I guess its a lottery!
> 
> Weihenstephen are doing something right because its always fresh and I've very rarely had a bad bottle over the last few years. And I buy a lot of it from different locations. Although it comes via Pheonix which is here is Perth.



Not talking about freshness/handling problems, was just referring to the beer. If there has become such a bias to hop forward styles that a good IPA can be seen as far superior to benchmark examples of classic styles, then that's a damn shame.


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## pokolbinguy (31/12/11)

Just grabbed a six pack of this from Dans in Phillip
ACT about 30mins ago and just cracked my first one. Will finish reading this thread and have a drink and report back.

....ok so I have tasted it, and it's good, is it $25/6pk good.. Maybe not. I tried a local beer from bowral the other day, Pigs fly pale ale and while it's lighter at $20/6pk in a IGA bottleshop it is a great beer. The Torpedo has a good nose and very good body. Plenty of hops and the pallet hides the 7.2% alc very well. Don't think I will be driving anywhere tonight!! 

Overall a good beer but at the equivalent of $100/ctn I won't be buying it too frequently. But hey it's holiday season. On the other hand if I can brew a replica I will be a happy man.

Glad I tried it none the less.

Pok


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## matho (31/12/11)

haha i was reading this thread yesterday and i decided to stop into camperdown cellars and picked up a bottle, quiet a nice beer inspired me to brew last night 

cheers


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## Gout (31/12/11)

i got a Sierra Nevada Torpedo a few weeks back after a mate in the US told me he was having one and it was nice, I grabbed some from Dans here is melbourne and it was not very exciting, in fact i didn't enjoy it.

I'd love to try a fine example but there is no way i will risk it buying it again given the hit and miss nature of dan murphys


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## bum (31/12/11)

I've had it a few times from Mr. Murphy and never had one ruined - just faded pretty hard.


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## kalbarluke (31/12/11)

I've tried the Sierra Nevada pale ale (twice) and the Torpedo (once). The first time I tried the pale ale it was like there was a party in my mouth - a really delicious beer with heaps of flavour and a nice bitterness. The second time it was just bitter without the nice "late hops" flavour and really disappointing. The torpedo was like the second time I tried the pale ale but twice as bitter.


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## lukiep8 (1/1/12)

Just to clear up a few misconceptions in this thread.

Sierra Nevada is shipped to Australia in refrigerated containers. It is warehoused refrigerated and delivered to independant liquor stores refrigerated. Given the large quantities being brought into the country, they are landing over on the east coast in Melbourne, as well as Perth, and Sierra Nevada, as far as I am aware, do bottling runs based on quantities being ordered by the importer.

What happens in regards to Dan Murphy's/Woolworths, is because they receive their beers in a large distribution warehouse, that is owned and operated by themselves. If you want to buy your Sierra Nevada a couple of bucks cheaper then a good independant store, from Dan's, then it really isn't the fault of the importer/distributor or Sierra Nevada.

P.S. Remember, all seasonals only go to Independants too :icon_cheers:


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## Muscovy_333 (22/1/12)

Not sure what the consensus on the Torpedo is but i had a crack and it spoilt my saturday evening...

I'll put it in context; headed to Ballarat for the beer festival Sat morning, didnt pre-book tickets as a couple of fickle mates couldnt make the commitment and left it to the last minute. 
Turned up at the gates at 1pm on the dot, only to have the wooden tressle dragged in front of me and a big water guzzling security guy, say "well thats it fellas, no more tickets!"
We reply "WTF". And he says "head back in an hour or so". 
We wandered off for a coffee and headed back to find a line a few hundred people deep, being drip fed in. 
Waited 2 hours and made our way to the front. Just before we got to the gates a mate rang and said he was on his way from Melb and would arrive in 40 min. 
We got to the gates, pulled out our wallets and said, "can pre-pay a ticket and leave it at teh gate for a friend?" The answer "NO!"
So we said "Oh wow, that is unfortunate" and wandered off......I hold my judgedments as obviously it was their first crack at running the festival.
PLAN B: head to the bottlo (Dans) and grab a hand full of craft style beers with the $45 bucks each we saved from entry. 
Got a great selection....
Until we tried the Torpedo!
We all love hops, and a punchy beer, but this tasted like absolute shit....not a balanced beer, alcohol burn and a one dimensional hop slap!
I am very reluctant to give it another shot. One of the fellas lived in the States for 5 years and said it tastes the same there...

So is the consensus that this is a good example of an IPA, or is it just beer drinkers bravado???


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## ledgenko (22/1/12)

I still stand by my original comment .. This is one of the best American Beers I have tasted ... I was happy with SN Celebration but normally a little let down by American beer as a whole ... as I am with Australian Mega swill ... Thank god for brewing at home ... and beers for jobs ... FIsh ... your Amber is Good .....


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## fred1066 (23/1/12)

ledgenko said:


> I still stand by my original comment .. This is one of the best American Beers I have tasted ... I was happy with SN Celebration but normally a little let down by American beer as a whole ... as I am with Australian Mega swill ... Thank god for brewing at home ... and beers for jobs ... FIsh ... your Amber is Good .....



have to second that However their pale ale is slightly better


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## Kingbrownbrewing (23/1/12)

I suggest everyone that has had a bad torpedo from Dan's writes to sierra nevada and tells them.

They take that sort of thing very seriously, and it might give Dan's the kick up the arse that they need in regards to looking after craft beer.

Previous posters have done this, and received replies from the brewery quite quickly.


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## Snowdog (25/1/12)

I gambled on re-arming my torpedo tubes with ordinance from Dan's since Archive Next Door didn't have any the last couple times I was there, and the first two fired and hit their target well. The BB dates were late October 2012.


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## Fish13 (25/1/12)

King Brown Brewing said:


> I suggest everyone that has had a bad torpedo from Dan's writes to sierra nevada and tells them.
> 
> They take that sort of thing very seriously, and it might give Dan's the kick up the arse that they need in regards to looking after craft beer.
> 
> Previous posters have done this, and received replies from the brewery quite quickly.




write to SN then they kick phoenix beers in the arse. since they are the importer for it.

stupid american 3 tier shit!!

http://phoenixbeers.com.au/


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## lukiep8 (27/1/12)

> write to SN then they kick phoenix beers in the arse. since they are the importer for it.



Phoenix are doing nothing wrong. They are refrigerating everything to Australia, and to all independant liquor stores.

Don't blame the importer/Sierra Nevada for bad Dan Murphy's practices. Buy your beer from a well reputed liquor store.


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## Snowdog (27/1/12)

fish13 said:


> stupid american 3 tier shit!!




It's the "stupid American 3-tier shit" that broke the brewers strongarming the pub owners to carry only their beers. Prohibition/repeal/& the subsequent myraid state/local laws afterward may have been, and be a pain, but this alone was worth it.  


I try and buy My SN at the indies (Archive, etc.), but on occasion it just doesn't happen.


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## Fish13 (27/1/12)

Snowdog said:


> It's the "stupid American 3-tier shit" that broke the brewers strongarming the pub owners to carry only their beers. Prohibition/repeal/& the subsequent myraid state/local laws afterward may have been, and be a pain, but this alone was worth it.
> 
> 
> I try and buy My SN at the indies (Archive, etc.), but on occasion it just doesn't happen.



but now it allows the big 3 to control what beers are the distribution trucks. so you can not sell your beer i you can not get it on a truck. and are you going to risk one of there contracts to run craft/mirco beers?

i cant access the phoenix beer sight so i can order straight from them to bypass dan murphy's poor handling. I watched them on wednesday load pallet into there storage area that had been sitting there for over half the day...


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## argon (27/1/12)

LUKIE said:


> Phoenix are doing nothing wrong. They are refrigerating everything to Australia, and to all independant liquor stores.
> 
> Don't blame the importer/Sierra Nevada for bad Dan Murphy's practices. Buy your beer from a well reputed liquor store.


It's not about blaming Sierra Nevada or Phoenix. It's about having Sierra Nevada (and to a lesser extent Phoenix) to apply pressure to the retailer to handle their stock properly. Only problem is, Dan's is bigger than Sierra Nevada so they will most likely ignore them.


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## Nick JD (27/1/12)

argon said:


> Only problem is, Dan's is bigger than Sierra Nevada so they will most likely ignore them.



_It is currently the sixth-largest brewing company in the United States.[2] The brewery produced 786,000 barrels of beer in 2010.[2]_

And another interesting bit of info:

_The brewery is powered by solar energy, having 10,000 solar arrays covering its rooftops and parking lot.[15] In all, the brewery uses 2.6 megawatts of solar electricity on premesis.[16]_


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## argon (27/1/12)

To elaborate... Dan Murphy's owned by Woolworths limited Who have revenue of $54 Billion in 2011, profit $2.14 billion and employ 188,000 people


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## Rina (27/1/12)

Sierra Nevada is still a marginal line in Australia they're not going to have DM quaking in their boots.


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## blakie21 (27/1/12)

Surely though SN wouldn't want people who have spent that much on beer (which most people who shop at dans don't spend 80 odd bucks for a carton ) to think why the hell did I pay this much the beer isn't even good. 

Then people won't bother buying it anywhere else because its pretty expensive unless you know how good it is. Personally I haven't had a bad sn at dans but tried a 4 pines kolsch which was terrible, later finding out it was probably left in the sun for ages.

In saying all this, at least there is a big company with some decent beers. I hate going into a bottle shop and the best beer there is coopers or euro lagers.


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## Rina (27/1/12)

True enough but who else is SN going to for a national distributor? They're stuck with DM.


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## bum (27/1/12)

Phoenix?


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## lukiep8 (27/1/12)

You are unable to buy direct from Phoenix unless you go into their wholesale showroom in Morley, Western Australia.

You can order direct from other reputable places that ship around the country, like the International Beer Shop, Slowbeer, etc. etc.


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## bum (27/1/12)

They're still the national distributor for SN, right? And not Dan Murphys?


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## lukiep8 (27/1/12)

That's correct. Dan Murphys are only a retail outlet, but in saying that, Woolworths does whatever the hell it wants, so if they don't want to look after the beer they are selling, no one will be able to change their minds.


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## Ross (27/1/12)

LUKIE said:


> That's correct. Dan Murphys are only a retail outlet, but in saying that, Woolworths does whatever the hell it wants, so if they don't want to look after the beer they are selling, no one will be able to change their minds.



If that's the case & if Dan's (or anyone else for that matter) aren't distributing refridgerated as per Sierra's conditions, then Phoenix should withdraw supply - simple.

Cheers Ross


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## [email protected] (27/1/12)

Ross said:


> If that's the case & if Dan's (or anyone else for that matter) aren't distributing refridgerated as per Sierra's conditions, then Phoenix should withdraw supply - simple.
> 
> Cheers Ross



Yep exactly, what Dans does to beer is not good for perceptions of beer in general.
Last SN offerings i had from dans were absolute rubbish, undrinkable.


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## argon (27/1/12)

Ross said:


> If that's the case & if Dan's (or anyone else for that matter) aren't distributing refridgerated as per Sierra's conditions, then Phoenix should withdraw supply - simple.
> 
> Cheers Ross


My understanding is, that the arrangement for distribution is limited prior to the point of sale. That is, once Dan's (or any other retailer) receives it from Phoenix, they may display it wherever they chose, refrigerated or not.


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## QldKev (27/1/12)

so, we have gone from a bad few bottles to no more supply :angry:


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## Rina (27/1/12)

Heh they could always could go to 1st Choice....


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## Fish13 (27/1/12)

Rina said:


> Heh they could always could go to 1st Choice....



or cellebrations


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## Snowdog (28/1/12)

My last visit to Dan's Albany Creek had a pyramid of SNPA up front by the registers with some big promo signage. Out of curiosity I checked the cold storage and found only the usual crates of sun-baked mega-swill suspects. Not even Little Creatures, which also has a note on the label to "keep cold" could be found in there. The only cold SNPA/Torpedo/Kellerweiss was a 6-pack or two in the display chiller.


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## manticle (28/1/12)

Curious as to whether anyone has actually tried complaining to DM management about the way they keep their beer and been brushed off or whether it's all just assumption? I just tried to find an email contact but 'website is experiencing high traffic at the moment. Please try again later"

So I will.

I doubt much will come of it but surely it's worth it to see what the response is?


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## Kingbrownbrewing (28/1/12)

I know that phoenix are quite concerned about this, but as has been previously stated, once they deliver the stock refrigerated, it is out of their hands.

Be very interested to hear the results manticle.


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## manticle (28/1/12)

> Hi,
> 
> Dan Murphys has a reputation for carrying a very good range of Australian and international beers.
> 
> ...



Will see what response I get. Hopefully I've worded it clearly enough.


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## Dan Dan (28/1/12)

manticle said:


> Curious as to whether anyone has actually tried complaining to DM management about the way they keep their beer and been brushed off or whether it's all just assumption? I just tried to find an email contact but 'website is experiencing high traffic at the moment. Please try again later"
> 
> So I will.
> 
> I doubt much will come of it but surely it's worth it to see what the response is?




A while ago, I bought a carton of Little Creatures from Dan Murphys, got it home, put it in the fridge, chilled it, opened one, tasted it, and then said WTF?? Checked the use by, about 2 months past. Let it slide, as it was still drinkable, but not great. Next time i bought a carton from there, same thing again. So I called them up and complained. "Hold on to it and we will give you a call when we get some new stock in". That was nearly 2 years ago, so I'm glad I didn't hold my breath. Makes we wonder how long there stock sits around for. Must taste really funky by now.....


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## Rina (1/2/12)

I'm in the ambivalent category. I took all the precautions picking one from the back of the refrigerated section etc but yeah not exactly mind blowing. Little hop aroma, little hop flavour but the beer was well-balanced and did not taste like wort. It's hard to know if it didn't make the trip well or it's just hype. I mean it's exceptional on beer advocate. 
Well a $5 bet I won't take again.


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## manticle (1/2/12)

Well besides the automated "we have received your query...." I've got no response as yet.

I'll post here if that changes but currently we are looking at an organisation that doesn't give a rat's arse about the state of their beer and how it's perceived. Odd they even bother selling it if that's the case.


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## mika (1/2/12)

Local Dan's I occasionally buy from doesn't even keep High stock turnover like Corona refridgerated, no chance for craft beer or something a bit special.
As mentioned previously, Boycott Dan's and support the local guys doing the right thing.


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## eamonnfoley (1/2/12)

Simple - dont buy from Dans. They are cheaper than other bottlos for a reason - they move massive stock. And something has to give (quality).


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## Rina (1/2/12)

But the convenience! I can't wait for slowbeer to open again.


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## manticle (2/2/12)

manticle said:


> Well besides the automated "we have received your query...." I've got no response as yet.
> 
> I'll post here if that changes but currently we are looking at an organisation that doesn't give a rat's arse about the state of their beer and how it's perceived. Odd they even bother selling it if that's the case.



And they replied. Take it or leave it but at least they read it and didn't just provide an automated response:

*Dear Andrew,*



Thank you for your enquiry.



Over the last few years we have implemented DCs across Australia in order to deliver to our stores 3 to 4 times per week and this eliminates the need for us to leave beer outside, as these deliveries are received straight from the DC into the stores. There have been occasions during busy times, such as Christmas where sometimes pallets are outside for a short period time, however we try to ensure that this does not happen. This is not just for beer, wine and spirits are also delivered through our DCs



At Dan Murphys we strive to make every shopping experience enjoyable and appreciate your enquiry as it allows us to ensure we continue to meet our customers expectations.



Were pleased to receive your enquiry and would like to thank you for shopping at Dan Murphys.



Kind regards,

*Dan Murphys* Customer Service Centre

Phone: 1300 72 33 88 (option 3) 

Email: [email protected]


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## Kingbrownbrewing (2/2/12)

They didn't really address the fact that it is not refrigerated in store...


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## manticle (2/2/12)

That's true. Maybe I should have been more specific in that regard.

I might shoot them another email and see. They say they aim to answer within 24 hours but this took about 4 working days. Still it's a response.


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## Rina (2/2/12)

King Brown Brewing said:


> They didn't really address the fact that it is not refrigerated in store...


I don't know- I expect the usual line of having limited refrigeration space etc. Has anyone tried returning beer saying it wasn't up to scratch? Maybe that's the only way they'll listen.


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## [email protected] (2/2/12)

Rina said:


> I don't know- I expect the usual line of having limited refrigeration space etc. Has anyone tried returning beer saying it wasn't up to scratch? Maybe that's the only way they'll listen.



I have once - Chimay that was rubbish oxidized sherry, i was going back to the same area the next day ( 2 hour round trip)
otherwise i would have returned all my shit dans beers. I poured the beer back in the bottle through a funnel.

Anyway they were happy to swap it for another, which when i got home was also shit. 

They are owned by woolies and anything woolies you can generally take back without any questions asked.
I do it all the time at my local woolies, with prices as they are for food and alcohol these days if it aint up to scratch back it goes. 

Funny though i have never had a bad beer from the woolies liquor attached to the supermarket...


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## mwd (2/2/12)

Bought a six pack from the local Dan's last week cannot say I was impressed slight aroma and a good bitterness but nothing to get excited about. Not like my all time fav Brewdog Punk IPA. They only had two bottles in store so not even a four pack to buy.


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## Rina (2/2/12)

Beer4U said:


> Anyway they were happy to swap it for another, which when i got home was also shit.


You can't win really.


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## Clutch (2/2/12)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Bought a six pack from the local Dan's last week cannot say I was impressed slight aroma and a good bitterness but nothing to get excited about. Not like my all time fav Brewdog Punk IPA. They only had two bottles in store so not even a four pack to buy.



I've had both and I wasn't fussed with the Brewdog offering.
Sucks that you can't get consistency.
I was kinda bummed about the whole thing but then I had a pint of the Feral Hop Hog on tap at the Wheaty in Adelaide 2 weeks ago and I'm stoked on it.


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