Every serious beer lover needs to check out the rare beer club… because:
If you’re like many of us beer lovers here at Mantelligence, you enjoy trying new brews… and one of the best way to do so is through a beer of the month club.
Beer of the month clubs are fantastic services that ship you new, hand-selected beers every month for a reasonable price.
Today, we’re taking a look at one of our favorites, in the rare beer club review:
Contents
What is the Rare Beer Club?
The Rare Beer Club sends out two separate beer styles each month. No two months will have the same beer from the same breweries (unless you want to reorder)
The hand-crafted, artisanal brews come in 750mL bottles (about 3 pints total) that are usually cork finished and wire caged, and include a monthly newsletter that showcases the beers of the month, highlighting the histories, profiles, and food pairings of each beer.
There are three buying options:
- Two 750mL bottles per month @ $35.95 + S&H
- Four 750mL bottles per month @ $53.95 + S&H
- Six 750mL bottles per month @ $70.95 +S&H
You can receive any of these on a per month basis, bi-monthly, or every three months.
The Rare Beer Club: Reviewed
Michael Jackson – “The World’s leading beer critic” according to the Wall Street Journal – started the club in association with Kris Calef, The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club’s original founder and current president.
Jackson passed away in 2007 but his desire to discover the best beers in the world has lived on through the club.
So what makes the Rare Beer Club worth it?
1. Experienced Brewmasters and Beer Judges
For the folks at The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, craft beer is in their blood.
The panel has over 100 years of combined experience traveling the world in search of the finest artisanal beers brewed by creative and passionate brewers. Many of them occasionally work with those brewers to create some limited-release beers for the club.
They have also judged beers at some of the largest beer festivals in the world, including the Great American Beer Festival.
With experience like that, you know they’ll choose only the best beers to send you every month.
2. A Foolproof Beer Selection Process
The beer judges for the Rare Beer Club employ an intense tactic when tasting beers for the club:
The blind taste test.
By going in blind and only knowing the style of beer they’re tasting, no biases of where the beer comes from or who its brewed by are able to influence the tasters’ decisions when rating beers for the club. They rate each beer based on one decision: How good it is.
In doing so, they’re absolutely certain they’re sending you only the finest brews every month.
In fact, only about 20% of the beers tasted are good enough to be selected for the club.
3. Ridiculously Rare Selections
Many of the beers in the Rare Beer Club are exclusive selections, made only for club members. One example is L’epouvantail Noir by Jolly Pumpkin, an oaked saison with blackberries and pumpkin, which was one of October’s rare beers of the month.
Some featured beers are also perfect for aging. One January 2017 selection from the smallest monastery brewery in Belgium, the Achel Trappist Extra by St. Benedict’s Abbey has a 9.5% ABV and a thoroughly malty character, which allows it to be stored in a cool, dark place and saved for a special occasion.
Occasionally, the club even sends out Imperials and Extreme beers that are meant to be sipped like fine spirits. The ABV is always high (sometimes more than 12%!) and is packed with strong flavors that are bound to keep you thirsty for more.
4. Brewers Who Innovate
As you can tell, the beers selected for the Rare Beer Club are in the club for good reasons.
That’s because the people who brew them are passionate and constantly trying new things. Many of the featured brewers experiment with ingredients like cocoa, chili pepper, and unusual hop and barely varieties. Most age their beers in oak, bourbon, or cedar barrels before distributing them.
And of course… tried and true brewing methods are taken advantage of but exploring new practices such as novel fermentation processes are often utilized by brewers in the club.
Want to get this club for yourself or as a gift for someone?
What’s the Difference between the Rare Beer Club a Normal Beer Club?
If you haven’t realized by now, the Rare Beer Club isn’t like other beer of the month clubs.
Why?
- The club only sends out craft beers you’d be lucky to find on store shelves (most of them you won’t!)
- The 750mL bottles employed by the RBC aren’t common in other beer clubs. In those you’ll mostly get 12oz. bottles or cans.
- Sometimes a brewery will debut a beer with the club before its officially released, which isn’t always common in other clubs.
- It’s one of the few subscription boxes we recommend.
- You can reorder beers that you can’t get enough of. Drink a bottle now and age one for later!
What, Exactly, is Rare Beer?
Rare Beer is beer that’s… well… Rare!
It’s brewed in small batches, isn’t usually widely distributed, and comes from breweries you may not have heard of and might never get to visit.
Rare beer is brewed using cutting age techniques, with uncommon ingredients, by people who, much like you, love beer.
Take a look at why we think the Rare Beer Club is the beer subscription service for rare beer…
Looking for More Beer Club Reviews?
If you don’t think the Rare Beer Club is exactly what you’re looking for, check out our reviews on some other beer of the month clubs:
- The IPA of the Month Club is perfect for those of you who only want hops.
- For a wider selection of 120z. bottles, the Craft Beer Club is a great bet.
- For a review on all our favorite beer clubs, take a look at our all-encompassing Beer of the Month Club reviews.
In Conclusion
When it comes to finding rare beer, the Rare Beer Club is your best choice of all the beer of the month clubs.
Passionate brewers who are constantly innovating provide unique beer selections that are tasted, tested, and shipped directly to you by a team of judges who like you, understand that trying new and exciting beers is one of life’s greatest pleasures.
