One really stood out to me here: AleSmith hasn't lost a damn thing IMO. Amazing beers, but maybe that's just me. (No. It isn't)
I actually always felt like they were over-hyped, and then I haven't heard anyone mention them in a long time and I haven't seen a new release of theirs on the shelves in probably two years. I feel like Green Flash, Alpine, and Stone get so much buzz up here (Portland, OR) that I assumed it wasn't so much a distance thing, but a reduction of buzz. Maybe they're focusing on the local market more - which would explain it.
To be clear, my original posting wasn't about not liking older breweries, quite the contrary. I miss pale ales, balanced red ales, porters, and stouts on nitro (every other style is on nitro now in bars except for stout!). I am sick of IPA's with added flavors. If I never drink another $11 "farmhouse ale" again, it will be too soon. In fact, 95% of what I brew or buy is standard to-style beer, and I sometimes miss the beers that got dropped from my local shelves and taps when breweries have "freshened up" their brand (RIP BridgePort ESB and Sierra Nevada Porter). I just didn't understand how/why. Now I think you guys have brought up some points.
1. Head brewers leave (I never thought this would make much of a difference in larger breweries, but apparently it does).
2. Distribution/Marketing/Etc means that I may not see/hear about a beer, because someone else does (may be the case with AleSmith)
3. Small business capacity issues and willingness to remain in a sustainable niche market (if it pays to make Old Rasputin all day every day, why would North Coast do anything else?)
4. Expansion-related issues limit experimentation.
5. Corporations buy breweries and ruin them (Red Hook, Pyramid, BridgePort, Mendocino) - but maybe the most recent round of buy-outs will be better-handled (Ballast Point, Lagunitas, Elysian, 10 Barrels, Cigar City)