How much is too much to pay for
beer? Can a beer cost too much? That’s a relative question, of course. For
many people, most microbrews and imported beers are too expensive to
purchase regularly, but when you think about it, they really are a bargain.
Consider the superior quality and greater quantity of ingredients that go
into craft beers, and you will more than likely come to the conclusion that
the old adage, “You get what you pay for”, is so true when it comes to beer.
Think about the difference in price between most microbrews and mass
marketed lagers like Budweiser and Miller. A six of Bud generally runs about
$4 to $5. Not bad at all for six beers, but these aren’t beers that will
bowl you over with flavor, to be sure. For about the same price though, you
can have a six of Saranac or Brewery Hill. Not bad at all. But wait, let’s
kick it up a notch, for an additional $1 or so there are beers like Samuel
Adams, Pete’s, Shipyard, and Red Hook. These will set you back a mere $6 or
so, a real bargain for some very delicious brews.
Most other microbrews will cost about $6.50 to $7.50 for a six-pack, and are
for the most part well worth it. Some imports will run you a bit more than
that, at times $5 a bottle or so. To some that might seem excessive, but
consider what our wine-drinking brethren can pay for a bottle of the really
good stuff, often ten times that amount. Beer drinkers are exceedingly
fortunate, since we can purchase a sampler pack of 5 years worth of Thomas
Hardy’s Ale for $25, or a 750ML bottle of Ommegang for $4. Incredible,
simply incredible.
Of course, we have our expensive beers in the beer world too. Pharaoh’s
Gold, based on an old Egyptian recipe, will run you $100 for a 12-ounce
bottle. I haven’t tasted that one yet. Samuel Adams Millennium ale is twice
the price and twice the size, $200 for a 750ML bottle. I have tasted this
one, and can advise you to stick with the $5 bottle of Triple Bock instead.
Millennium is a good beer, but not worth $200.
All this said, as beer drinkers we also need to be smart consumers, and I
have always been of the opinion that Merchant du Vin, a Seattle based
importer of fine beers, overprices their beer. The Duinen abbey ales are no
exception to this rule.
Duinen Tripel pours to a light orange color with a thick, very creamy head.
The nose is rich and very fruity, strong with alcohol too. The palate is
rich and yeasty, full of funky Belgian horse blanket flavors. The finish
warms slightly with a 9% by volume alcohol content, and spices become
apparent. There’s also a harsh, somewhat unpleasant astringent bitterness
that prevents this brew from being as good as it could be.
Duinen Tripel runs $5 for an 11.2 ounce bottle though, and to me is
therefore overpriced. Try a 750ML bottle of Affligem or Chimay for a dollar
or two more. You’ll get twice as much of a better beer
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.