Goose Island Black Friday 2012 - sexy details

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by jegross2, Nov 7, 2012.

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  1. averagejake872

    averagejake872 Initiate (0) Apr 19, 2011 Illinois

    Any word if they are just filling the spent 2012 BCBS barrels with te barleywine. Because logic would say that would yield the same amount of barleywine as this current batch of BCBS. Which would be awesome.
     
  2. pmoney

    pmoney Initiate (0) Apr 15, 2011 Illinois

    I was sitting directly across from the older guy who screamed out death threats to people if they wouldn't shut up. I'd agree it was irritating with all the chatter in the background, but I could also see how many people probably couldn't hear what was being said by Laffler. I guarantee you all didn't hear Laffler say "okay well THAT'S too much man" when he was yelling. Haha...it was over the top, but definitely added to the experience.
     
  3. BobCobb

    BobCobb Pundit (962) Jul 10, 2012 Illinois
    Trader

    Good for the old man. Had to put up with sh*t like that his whole life probably.Tired of being passive and accommodating like everyone else would have been.

     
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  4. OrionsHunt

    OrionsHunt Zealot (584) Jul 17, 2011 Illinois
    Trader

    That was not reflective of the situation, but I did like the video you posted. This was a beer tasting event; hence many people were enjoying the beer and discussing their thoughts on it. That is what happens in social settings when you enjoy the company of others. It was not a case of a couple rowdy individuals ruining the event for all.

    Too bad you had to sell your tickets because it was a great event; but it looks like you at least got the snifter, which is really nice.
     
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  5. Monsone

    Monsone Pundit (762) Jun 5, 2006 Illinois

    During the 4p session they said they have filled 700 barrels with barleywine so far.
     
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  6. Tony412

    Tony412 Initiate (0) Jan 26, 2012 Michigan

    Was anyone else underwhelmed with Vanilla on Friday? I have read quite a few people say how fantastic they thought it was, maybe I wasn't able to pick up what they were tasting, it was my least favorite sample of the day. I feel like it held fewer vanilla notes than a fresh BCBS, just my thoughts anyway. Great event, killer glassware, great people, Laffler was informative, yelling old man was intense but certainly memorable - I had a great time.
     
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  7. pmoney

    pmoney Initiate (0) Apr 15, 2011 Illinois

    Absolutely not. Every single time I get to taste Vanilla, I'm reminded why it's my favorite beer of all time.
     
  8. doogie71628

    doogie71628 Devotee (367) May 9, 2012 Illinois
    Trader

    I will join you on this. I enjoyed vanilla immensely on tap at fountainhead for craft beer week, but I got minimal vanilla flavor Friday. After rare and cherry, bramble was definitely my favorite.
     
  9. pmoney

    pmoney Initiate (0) Apr 15, 2011 Illinois

    You may have drank it too cold. My buddy drank his early in the tasting and said he didn't get much vanilla flavor. I nursed mine and saved it for last. When I gave him a taste of mine after it warmed up for an hour, he was blown away.
     
  10. Treebs

    Treebs Initiate (0) Apr 18, 2011 Illinois

    I'm not going to go back and read through to find who said it, but Bramble is really coming together at the moment. I thought it was super medicinal when it first came out, but now the berries are blending beautifully with the base beer.
     
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  11. foobula

    foobula Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2009 Illinois

    That's what I've been saying since I had vanilla and regular BCBS on back-to-back nights a few months ago (pre-BCBS 2012). While I have developed a new appreciation for vanilla each time I have it, in terms of being well-integrated into the beer, I don't find it particularly heavy on vanilla compared to fresh BCBS.

    My bottom line is that vanilla BCBS seems like a more balanced, easier-drinking beer, while fresh BCBS has more vanilla, along with more of everything else (sweetness, coffee, chocolate, booze, et al.) Vanilla BCBS is slightly disappointing if you expect it to be a vanilla bomb.
     
  12. foobula

    foobula Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2009 Illinois

    I was really impressed with the bramble I had Friday, compared to the bramble I had a few weeks ago from my pantry. The raspberry tartness really set it apart, and was more than I got from my own bottle. I'm going to crack another one open soon, hoping that room temp storage hasn't ruined my stash.

    EDIT: The Bramble Rye/chocolate cake pairing was the best of the event, IMO.
     
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  13. jefeld

    jefeld Initiate (0) Mar 31, 2010 Illinois

    It was a vanilla bomb when it was released fresh but has since 2 years later fallen way off! It is just like coffee meant to be drank fresh to enjoy full taste of the added ingredient.
     
    StoutFest likes this.
  14. Anonymous1

    Anonymous1 Initiate (0) Mar 19, 2012 Illinois

    This is what's great about beer - everyone has their personal preferences. I was underwhelmed by Vanilla on Friday, and the 4 or 5 times I had it on tap during Chicago craft beer week. Conversely, Bramble was my favorite, which seems to be the least appreciated variant.

    I just have an affinity for fruit infused BA beers. Cherry AftW might be my favorite beer of all time.
     
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  15. MarcatGSB

    MarcatGSB Initiate (0) Jan 8, 2011 Michigan

    Homer. *you live in Vanillatown*
     
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  16. foobula

    foobula Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2009 Illinois

    Adam from the Wood? I had to Google it. :slight_smile:
     
  17. yojimbo1

    yojimbo1 Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2012 Kansas
    Trader

    How do the bramble and the Cherry Rye compare to the Caftw? I too love it to no end but haven't had the Goose Island Cherry variants. Jealous of the event by the way.
     
  18. Anonymous1

    Anonymous1 Initiate (0) Mar 19, 2012 Illinois

    They're really completely different experiences, but for me, I really appreciate the way tart fruits interact with the bourbon barrel oakiness and sweetness. Some find this contrast to be cough syurp-like and medicinal, but I just cant get enough of it.

    Aged Adam has a smokiness and burnt sugar flavor that BCBS just doesn't have. I love Cherry AftW because of the balance between tart cherry and the smoky flavors in the base beer. Just a tremendously complex brew. Even "regular" Adam is incredible after a two or so years.

    Bramble and Cherry Rye have that same tart sweetness of the fruit up front, but the mid-palate fades to everything you love about regular bourbon county (molasses, oak, vanilla), and finishes with that hot bourbon burn. That heat with the sweetness of the fruit is just something that I love about those beers.

    Disclaimer: tart cherries, raspberries, and blackberries are my favorite fruits outside of beers
     
  19. Gonzoillini

    Gonzoillini Initiate (0) Oct 15, 2008 Illinois

    Unlike Coffee which oxidizes in a negative way, the Vanilla just faded so that folks like me (who thought it smelled like Yankee candle fresh) are really enjoying it 2 years out from its release.

    Cheers!
     
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  20. EseLocoSS

    EseLocoSS Initiate (0) Feb 2, 2010 Illinois

    Anyone receive phone calls yet from Goose Island about when we can pick up our Glassware?
     
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