Most expensive beer I have purchased yet - yours?

[Kealia]

My wife (who is now drinking Witbiers and sours - woo hoo!) and I have declared Sundays as "Sour Sundays". For hte past 3 weeks we've shared a bottle of a local sour each Sunday night as the weekend ramps down. As I continue to look for good local offerings, a local establishment posted that they just received a shipment of Boysenberry sours from the local brewery that we've been drinking from already.

So.....I drive the short 15-minutes over there to check it out and it's not just another offering. Here is the description:

Boysenberry Sour is the very first sour project that we put together for ourselves here at Hermitage, way back in July of 2012. The base beer was actually fermented in the wood, so the beer spent its entire life inside California wine barrels. After a long, slow aging process of about two years we added hundreds of pounds of Boysenberries to the barrels and let the fruit deliciousness meld with the delicate wine-like character of the beer. The end result is a complex-yet-drinkable, pleasantly tart, fruit-forward beer that develops on the palate with every sip. Sour beer the Hermit way.

It's also $30.00 for a 750ml bottle, but I have so few vices that I decided to get it. I'll be saving it for when by buddy comes over since he and his wife and big sour fans, too. So it may be a while before I review it but it sounds and looks fantastic.



In any case, it's by far the most expensive single beer purchase I've made - what's yours? I know I'm not the only who has splurged.

[Beer-lord]

I can't recall what beer it was but I think I spent $22 on a bomber of something that none of us liked. You'd think I'd remember it but I guess I felt bad enough about it to forget it. I likely mentioned it on this forum but it was about a year ago.
I still can't get heavily into sours but I am trying. But that pic does make it look very drinkable.

[BlackDuck]

Just look at like you are buying a good bottle of red wine. $30 for that is a deal. This is no different!!

[RickBeer]

For $30 for a 3/4 liter bottle it better sleep with me too...

The most expensive bottle of beer I've purchased cost just under $3.

[swenocha]

Probably around $30. I know I paid that for a GI Madame Rose ($29.99 or $27.99) and $30 (or maybe $35) for a Yazoo Brett Saison that was a limited batch of 24 bombers (Inky got one of the two I bought). In terms of smaller bottles, I spent $16.00 on a 9.6oz 1988 JWLee Harvest Ale a few years ago at the Heorot, which was a 25 year old beer at the time. I'm looking at some $25 bottles of Yazoo sours this week, and maybe some $9 12oz bottles of KBS (if I can find one) as well. A bit of a splurge, but as someone said, not that much different than fine spirits or wine (and really nowhere near as expensive). I think Kent did a good job on the Blackstone tour explaining why he sells bombers of the barrel aged stuff for $20. I usually max at about $20 unless it's something I'm really ISO.

[Kealia]

I've never been a wine drinker, but that's what I'm equating it to in my mind. It's going to be shared by 4 people who really enjoy sours so it's worth it to me as a treat if it's THAT good.
The other bottles I've been buying are 16oz bottles that run about $10 and are outstanding so this has a high bar.

I've stopped beating myself up over splurging, though. I don't mind spending $10 or even $12 on a really good sixer. My rationale is that I would gladly pay $2.00 for a beer while out, so that price is a steal.
I just hope it's worth it.

[Kealia]

Swen,

This is from the same brewery who makes the Devil's Advocate that I sent you along with the Strawberry and Blueberry sours I mentioned before. I have high hopes for it!

[swenocha]

I need to talk to you about another swap... Sante Adairius, Almanac, RR... you're killing me out there!

[Dawg LB Steve]

Blackstones Black Belle $19.99/750 ml. Still have not cracked I open yet.

[Inkleg]

Blackstones Black Belle $19.99/750 ml. Still have not cracked I open yet.

When you do Steve, you will cry when it is gone.

[LouieMacGoo]

The most I've spent on beer is $20 for a four pack of Founders Devil Dancer.

[John Sand]

$12 for a pint can of Heady Topper, $13 for 750ml saison. I don't think I can go over that.

[Kealia]

How is the Heady Topper? Worth it?

[mashani]

Westvleteren 12 that was um... imported...

[John Sand]

How is the Heady Topper? Worth it?

It is an amazing beer. I paid about triple retail, buying it locally from a private seller. It may not be the best IPA I've ever had, but it's definitely in the top three. I also notice that since I drank it, mainstream IPAs seem a little bland. I would not buy it regularly at the price I paid, nor any other beer either. But for the first time just to try, I would say it was worth it.