Brewery customer service

[Reviled]

What is it about alot of breweries that makes their customer service department shocking? Do they think that simple customer service rules do not apply to them? The main brewery im having a moan about is Emersons...

I have sent several email enquiry's to Emersons about their products, availability etc and have not heard even a glimpse of a reply or anything... Do they not want people to buy their products??? Is it "too hard" to reply to a customer desperately seeking one of their beers?

In my opinion, this is shocking, and should be punishable by liquidation! As anyone who doesnt look after there customers shouldnt have any...

The reason I wanted to post this rant, is mainly because I was so pleasantly surprised by the absolutely fantastic customer service from the Renaissance brewery...

I got a London Porter and a scotch ale from a wine shop, they were like bottle bombs, really fizzy and didnt taste all that nice... And after reading on here about how everyone raves about their beers being really good etc, I thought I would email them and let them know about my experiance...

Wow, is all I can say, I fired off an email, and within 30 mintues, had a reply, explaining that it was most likely due to the beer not being stored in a fridge (which was the case) and some extra fermentation happening... He even offered to post me a 4 pack of their beers in apology :o)

So big ups to you Renaissance brewery, you obviously know what customer service is.... And a big big BIG shame on you Emersons, i buy Renaissance beers now :oP

[Stu McKinlay]

Talking Wits - the latest beer and Brewer magazine has an article on this style. There is a list of the best Australasian Wits and I noticed it excluded Mac's Great White (Champion Wheat Beer and gold medal Wit at the Australian Beer Awards). Very poor.

[Dan]

Why would anyone have an xtra account anyway?

[Richee]

Because they haven't got round to changing to another ISP.

[Dan]

It only takes 5 minutes finding a better isp, then 1 phonecall, Do It, ! you can get your old email address mail forwarded to your new one for a small fee.

[Stu McKinlay]

I can't comment on most breweries because I know a lot of the brewers (so can go straight to source if I come across a problem).

However, I'll definitely vouch for Renaissance's customer service. I mentioned some issues with their beers - on the old forum here and on ratebeer - and they were very forthcoming with discussing the issue (they offered to send me beer too but I was happy just to be heard, and to see them involved in the online beer community). I've found their beers to be getting better and better too, which is really pleasing. I always liked the two darker beers but struggled with the fermentation issues in the two pale ales. The last time I tasted them, last month, they were in cracking form... hugely bitter but very very drinkable. I tried them after reading Kempicus' positive thoughts on ratebeer.

[Kempicus]

I have to say i'm slightly in love with renaissance beers.....stonecutter is in my top ten of all time and hovers around the top 5 mark, met one of the brewers at Beervana and was a little star struck i must say ;0)
I would love to try the Malborough pale ale after reading Greig's rating of it....i LOVE IPA's!

[Stu McKinlay]

Brian Thiel (the one with the goatee and hoppy accent) is definitely a top man.

Stonecutter in your top ten? Wow. so, you can stand beers without over-the-top hop wollops! You're more rounded than I thought...

[Kempicus]

Nothing in my top five is exceptionally hoppy at all.....in fact my top ten doesn't actually feature an over the top hoppy beer, a lot of very different styles are the feature.

[Stu McKinlay]

On that note:

My current top ten (from Ratebeer):
Orkney Dragonhead Stout
Fullers London Porter
Orkney Dark Island
Liefmans Goudenband
Grottenbier Bruin
Limburg Oude Reserve
Hallertau Porter Noir
Emersons 1812 Anniversary Festive Brew
Emersons APA
Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne

My current top ten (from Ratebeer, the ones that I can go out and buy today - and where I can buy them):
Fullers London Porter (New World Thorndon)
Liefmans Goudenband (Regionals)
Verhaeghe Duchesse De Bourgogne (Regionals)
Rochefort Trappistes 10 (Regionals)
Scotch Silly (Regionals)
Silly Saison (Regionals)
Emersons London Porter (anywhere)
Emersons Pilsner (Bar Edward, preferably, but can get it anywhere)
Chimay Bleue (how'd this get in the list? Maybe Ratebeer does lie!)
Traquair House Ale (Regionals)

Beer that I feel like right now: Cock and Bull Monk's Habit (The Malthouse) [or Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle black "Black IPA" - if someone would hurry up and put it on tap!]

Beer I'd drink today if I was going to have a bit of a session: Emerson's Bookbinder (Bar Edward)

Most over-rated beer: Westvleteren 12

[jt]

Emersons 1812 Anniversary Festive Brew

Was the bottled 1812 at Beervana not the regular product then ?

[Kempicus]

My top ten has nothing to do with ratebeer strangely...

Woodfords Wherry
Harvey's Best
Hook Norton Haymaker
Cantillon vignerone
HB Maibock
Aventinus
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Landlord
Fullers Chiswick bitter
Brooklyn Black choc stout

Top tens are extraordinairily fluid things though....

[Stu McKinlay]

Fluid indeed. Like my top 5 albums, they change here and there... back and forth.

I only picked my ratebeer ones because it would take me hours, maybe days, to think through "this week's top 10". By the time I settled on something to type up, I'd be changing my mind for next weeks favourites... Twisted Hop's Epiphany would probably make an appearance, as would Emerson's Bourbon Porter. Galbraith's Grafton Porter is always there or there abouts. Smokin' Bishop too (I like this year's model more than last year).

Thinking of all these lovely beers is making me jealous of Brendon, who is a few weeks away from heading to the USA on a beer trip.