(Newport, OR) – More news on the Rogue Ales front . . .
The Rogue XS Series was previously available in large-format ceramic bottles but the brewery decided to go back to its roots, returning the series to 7 oz. nips beginning this year.
From John Holl of the New Jersey Newsroom, “Currently, the Russian Imperial Stout is on shelves. In April, it will be replaced by the Imperial Red. Summer months will bring the YSB English Bitter and I2PA. Late fall will bring [McRogue Scotch Ale] and by December the Old Crustacean Barley Wine will be on shelves.”
One interesting thing that the Newsroom piece mentions is that these should retail for $3.99 [and some are reportedly charging $4.99]. With these being 7 oz., that translates to $6.84 or $8.55 for a single 12 oz. bottle. The brewery has drawn criticism for its pricing in various beer forums. The latest example is a Beer Advocate thread in which the brewery is cited by no less than 22 different users for being overpriced. To the brewery’s credit, they addressed this criticism head-on in an interview with the New School blog back in January (that must have been one tense interview).
In other Rogue news, as reported previously, Chatoe Rogue Single Malt Ale was recently released and Chatoe Rogue OREgasmic this summer.
“One interesting thing that the Newsroom piece mentions is that these should retail for $3.99 [and some are reportedly charging $4.99].”
The wholesale price on those bottles is almost $3.50, so a $3.99 retail would equate to less than a 15% margin.
It’s obvious Mr. Joyce has never worked in a retail environment if he thinks a 15% margin is reasonable or sustainable.