I almost never buy Dead Guy. I understand it is very highly regarded outside of Oregon, but among beer geeks I know, it’s mainly ignored. The reason? The most elemental of all: price. On a wall of well-made Oregon craft beer, Dead Guy, while a very fine beer, is almost always near the $10/six-pack price point. Everything else hovers somewhere between 6.99 and 8.99. That extra buck or three for Dead Guy never seems worth it, when I could so easily grab a sixer of something equally (or sometimes more) delicious.

But in a bar environment, for some reason that unfortunate “price lead” is reduced. A 12 ounce Dead Guy costs the same as a 12 ounce bottle from Deschutes, Full Sail, or Bridgeport. Is the bar making less margin on Rogue than it is on Deschutes to keep pricing simple for consumers? If not, why is Rogue priced so different from its peers in grocery stores?

I’m no economist, but I will say this – the high cost of Dead Guy in grocery stores has trained me to overlook it there, as well as in bars. If I were Rogue, I’d try to find a more logical, consistent niche: high price, superior quality everywhere OR same price, same quality (as peer brands) everywhere.

Beer Name: Dead Guy Ale
Brewer: Rogue Brewing
Price: $3.50
Sampled: May 20, 2010
Rating: 3/5
Notes: Kraft caramel, a hint of smoke, odd metallic aftertaste and sharp bite. Lingering bitterness.
ABV: N/A
IBU: N/A
OG N/A
TG N/A
Serving Type: Bottle.