Stop buying Westvletern beers - that's the message from The Bros! Despite the hype around this unique Flemish beer, why buy it when you could make the pilgrimage to Belgium and enjoy it en-route? The Bros are urging consumers to ignore the hype and only buy Westvletern beers when they make the journey to the beautiful country of Belgium and enjoy them with friends, family, or just to savor the taste themselves. So why bother buying it when the experience of travelling to Belgium for it is so much more memorable?
Do you find yourself wanting to buy Westvleteren beers? Have you been sold on the allure of being able to have a rare, limited edition beer from Belgium? The Bros have some advice for you: think twice before you buy!
The Westvleteren Abt 12 has been highly sought after for quite some time, and is particularly alluring for craft beer aficionados. With its limited edition of only 4500 cases per year, it really is a rare and coveted brew. However, The Bros urge consumers to ignore the hype and only buy Westvletern beers if they make the pilgrimage to Belgium.
If you’re one of the few lucky enough to visit the Sint-Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren, Belgium where the Westvleteren beers are brewed, you can enjoy the authentic experience of buying it directly from the source. Unfortunately, many consumers have to rely on resellers to get the beers, which has resulted in shady practices throughout the distribution and resale process.
One of the issues with Westvleteren is that the pricing for the beers through 3rd party resellers is astronomically high. It is not uncommon for resellers to charge up to four times the average retail price for Westvleteren Abt 12. It is almost double the retail price for a 75cl bottle of Westvleteren Blond.
Shortages are another problem when it comes to resellers. If the availability of the beers is limited, there is nothing stopping resellers from withholding their inventory, either completely or partially, until their target price is met.
The last problem that The Bros have with resellers is that the authenticity of the beers is often questionable. It is well known that exclusive beer bottles often change hands multiple times until they reach the consumer, with each passing of the beer often raising the cost. This means that the beer you’re getting may not be authentic Westvleteren beer.
If you purchase Westvleteren beers through a 3rd party reseller, the consequences can be far reaching. For starters, resellers are encouraging the exploitation of breweries. This leads to the beer being sold at prices that aren’t supported by the industry. It also prevents legitimate beer enthusiasts from having a chance to purchase the beer at a fair price.
These types of activities also encourage fraudulent activities. It is not uncommon for unscrupulous resellers to take advantage of the inflated prices by selling replica beers or beer of lesser quality. This can lead to your craft beer experience being ruined because of a sub-par product.
The Bros urge consumers to think twice before doing business with 3rd party resellers when it comes to purchasing Westvleteren beers. They advise that consumers buy the beer directly from the source, or purchase beer through retailers who are fully transparent about the provenance of the beers.
In addition, The Bros suggest that consumers become more familiar with the Westvleteren brand and be mindful of prices that are too good to be true. By informing yourself, you can be sure that you’re getting a genuine Westvleteren beer, and that the brewery is getting compensated fairly.
Westvleteren beers are incredibly sought after, but it is important to be aware of the consequences when buying it from 3rd party resellers. Remember, The Bros advise you to only buy Westvleteren beers if you make the pilgrimage to Belgium, or through retailers that are transparent about the beer’s provenance. Understand the consequences involved when you buy from 2nd/3rd party resellers, and make informed decisions.