Brew Dog Hop Rocker - 25% off

[Daniel Parker]

Get it while you can.. It looks like we are not selling it after next Thursday.. Selling below cost.

http://www.beerstore.co.nz/detail.lasso?BeerID=1680

If you want to know why.. click this link (2.2Mb PDF):
http://www.beerstore.co.nz/docs/lion.pdf

Oh.. and if you happen to be a trademark lawyer.. please contact me.

Regards
Daniel
The Beer Store

[Kempicus]

You gave me permission!!!!

[Barry]

In writing?

Seriously though, that is one tall order. Work drinks having only water, not sure what's worse. Or less flavoursome :)

[nzbrewer]

I wonder if their can be a value put to this storm in a tea cup.

My question is: is it worth Lion upsetting the small number of people who know about Brew Dogs beer for the value that they will be protecting their brand for.

They could have quiet easily not acted. If there are only a few cases in the country. It's not like there was ever going to be growth in a beer that sells at whole sale for $5 per 330ml bottle and over $10 in a bar. And it is a lager.

Now they have pissed of the passionate few. That are very opinionated, and have the internet and (and some governemtn jobs, hence the frequent posts)

Will this cause more damage than the value they have created from protecting the brand?

LION:
has to defend is brands, and has probably taken the actions set out in the manual to do so.

but at the expense of wildly upsetting the passionate few (including the Hulk)

I have to ask the questions?
- how widely available was Brew Dog's Hop Rocker? (Daniel how many cases did you have?)
- are any Mac's drinkers ever likely to cross paths with it?
- if they do, they are probably aware of what their brands looks like if they are ordering it.

Did anyone ever taste it?
How different is it from Mac's Hop Rocker?

[JoKing]

Looks like Stu's fellow Yeastie Boy has ratebeered it and it didn't rate to highly in his book...

TheGrandMaster (1629), Auckland, New Zealand
2.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/10 2/5 5/10 2/5 10/20
Jul 18, 2008
Bottle, pours a light gold with plenty of carbonation with a thin head. Plenty of citrus in the juicy malt aroma. A soapy palate, overriding the citrus flavours from the hops. The finish is tangy and dry, but also a bit grainy. Not for me this. Wondering if it hasn’t travelled so well

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

dangerous to use my rating to put any perspective on it - it is full of personal preferences ;-)

[nzbrewer]

unless it is black and turbid it isn't going to do well in appearance, actually 2/5 is a pretty awesome appearance rating on a lager from TheGrandMaster

2.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
6/10 3/5 5/10 3/5 10/20
Nov 11, 2007
Draught, a clear gold with a white frothy head. A fruity hop aroma. A good level of hopping, allowing the fruit flavours to come though and not becoming too dry.

Actually they are kind of similar, maybe a Mac's Hop Rocker drinker would be confused, if they where blind and didn't see the label.

[denimglen]

Drinking one now.

Pretty average, nothing really good to say. Not much happening, bready malt with a bitter finish, tastes like a beer that was hoppy that's a bit old and has lost it's hop flavour/aroma.

Has this flavour, tastes like I'm licking and envelope, weird, never had that before.

[Stu McKinlay]

Yum, glue, one of my favourite characteristics in a beer!

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

nah, not all lagers, just the bland, insipid looking ones. in fact, my average appearance score for pilsners is 3.0.

of course, i better not make too much of that, as it might influence the 'personal preferences' for my ratings out there ;-)

back to the hop rocker though. i remember being quite disappointed with it, as the other two bew dog beers were rather good

[Stu McKinlay]

The Brew Dog beers that have come into the country have been really hit and miss. I agree with Kieran from what I've come across.

[Daniel Parker]

A bit of followup..

I have been in touch with Brew Dog.. They are rebranding Hop Rocker this year, to "77 Lager".. We are waiting for the artwork to come through and we will hand label the remaining stock.

This really makes this whole issue go away.. We were just the reseller.. we didn't import it. The quantity involved was *really* small. This is not a good fight to have.

The whole Radler issue is a much bigger and more important one, but this isn't my fight either.. although I do wonder why our website was specifically mentioned.. This means that both Lion and DB are watching us. We have sold other Radlers previously.. and this Trademark looks like it will prevent us selling others in the future. They *should not* be able to trademark a style.

I also did a RateBeer.com search for the word Lion.. Looks like there a quite a few products we will never be able to import.. Who knows what other trademarks they have got.. They haven't responded yet to my request for a full list.

Daniel

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

I guess this is what happens when marketers and lawyers run a brewery...

No offence intended if any of you are either of those, I'm a b(w)anker myself...