2014 Bourbon County Brands release - Chicagoland

I was not implying that you were saying wine making requires no talent. I was simply highlighting that wine making, at the highest levels, is as dependent on the talent of the wine maker. However, I agree with the availability of proper ingredients being different. Ultimately it is an "apples and oranges" situation.

 

Yes, people are stopping trucks to ask them where they are bringing BCBS constantly. Thats probably slightly irritating. Nothing compared to the hundreds of phone calls every tiny little "X & Z Food & Liquor & Lottery Cards" store are fielding every day. Seriously at this point there is very little point in calling anyone because they are either already actually sold out, or going to give you wrong info to keep you from calling back. Every employee that has anything remotely to do with Bourbon County handling is being harassed and I don't blame them a bit for being irritated to the point of lying.

 

If I owned a liquor store that got any BCBS, I would release it unannounced a case at a time on some random Monday or Tuesday night starting in February. But then again, if I did that, the Goose Island gestapo would probably arrest me, break my knee caps, and reduce my allocation even further (or eliminate it) the following year.

 

Yeah, if they aren't going to price it appropriately (read: MUCH higher). I like the idea of small stores putting one bottle/4pack out at a time on the shelves at random times throughout the year.

 

Most of the stores probably wish they didn't get it. The $50 a case profit isn't worth the time they spend dealing with customers they won't see until the next bourbon county release.

 

Ditto. Heck, even LP Binny's used to do that. I remember wandering in there in 2012 (IIRC) and randomly finding some coffee bombers on the shelf.

 

I just had an interesting experience. Called a place on the way home, which I hate doing, it was my local grocery store, asked about BCS, guy told me reluctantly they had it but could only sell the regular as other customers who came in in the last few weeks had asked and they started a list. I asked to get on the regular list, and he said just come in. I head in about an hour later, and its all in plain site behind the counter. The guy in front of me asks if they have any variants left, and he says no, mind you you can clearly see the vanilla rye. Next up, I told him I just called and he asked my name, which I never gave in the first place, and he said oh yeah you want regular or barleywine? They were absolutely miserable in there. I think everyone involved hates the game this has become...

 

What jewel was this?

 

I really don't get this whole deal with Goose and the new distribution. Who is winning here? Jewel, Costco and Walgreens? They don't give a shit about Bourbon County Stout, they just happen to sell a ton of cheap beer. The people that frequent these stores for beer do not want Bourbon County. The people who want Bourbon County shop at their local beer stores that care about and cater more to craft beer. So what this leaves is an entire city (at least in Chicago) of absolutely pissed off, frustrated customers. The only places that got any real amount of any BCBS sold it all in 1 day with lines several hours long to get a bottle or two. None of our favorite small shops seem to even be certain they are going to be able to get any BCBS. I mean, how is it that even this week there seem to be almost 0 BCBS going out? Yes a few places here and there but many places who receive their Budweiser deliveries Monday and Tuesday and were expecting BCBS never got it, and have no assurances of when or if it will come.

Yes I am ranting. I am somewhat furious, and not 100% sure who to even be mad at. It isn't just me. I know several largish groups of people working together to "hunt" down some BCBS, and coming up with nothing or nearly nothing. Is this what Goose wants? Its most loyal customers spending hours a day to try to get their first bomber variant and come up with nothing, when just last year this was a significantly better (for the consumer anyway) release? I really don't know anyone happy or even satisfied with this years release at all. Yes this could change in the next week or so if a ton ends up going out, but the complete lack of communication and information has done some damage in the minds of many already.

 

I'm a homebrewer with extensive capping capabilities, doesn't change my bomber hatred.

 

No, you're right. I love GI, and BCBS is the only beer release I HAVE to get each year, but even I'll admit that this year sucks. Am I disappointed by how impossible it is to grab anything this year? Yeah, but that's not the big issue. The big issue is how screwed all the little guys got this year. You've got Chris from the Beer Temple having to come on here and let people know that he doesn't have enough product to do a whole weekend of BCBS like he has before, when Walgreens, WALGREENS is stacked to the rafters. You've got places like Archer Liquors so upset that they are seemingly disavowing knowledge of GI's existence. You've got other stores reduced to lying to customers because they have no idea what the hell is going on. You've got dedicated bottle shops not getting any variants because Whole Foods, CostCo, etc. got them all. Honestly? That really sucks, and I feel bad for all involved.

I really hope this was a one-off, and that we'll start seeing dividends from GI's new barrel warehouse next year, because as things stand...not good. The quality hasn't dropped as some feared, but distribution is really messed up.

 

I would agree with most sentiments (actually wait till Thursday to see if my case of Prop comes through)… but why should Goose care. They are going the way of Sam Adams (huge brand), which is a smart business decision.

It sucks for the faithful (craft) goose drinkers but that is business. They want to create a huge brand and a make a lot of money. You do that by pushing your product into larger stores where more people shop. The mom and pop shops were great when Goose was trying to make a name for themselves, but your average american goes to the corner grocery store or walgreens to grab a case for Sunday football. Not to the craft beer store 3 miles away with slightly higher prices. Now they are part of AB-inBev and they can get the shelf space at those bigger corner stores where more people shop (Walgreens, Costco, Jewel / Grocery Store equivalents in other markets).

Furthermore, you build a brand by making a nationally recognized name (Sam Adams) getting 1000 people to line up outside in Chicago weather for your beer helps to build that name recognition. Then when random people walk into Walgreens they remember news articles about goose island see 312 on the shelf grab a sixer or a case. Sending out BCBS to a bunch of small stores that sell it to the local/ regulars doesn't do anything for Goose's brand. Having TV coverage and youtube videos of multiple lines at the big stores with people waiting outside in the cold for 17 hours does.

Not saying I like it, but I understand the business decision behind it. Also, I'd prefer to wait in line for a few hours at a big store for a few bottles at a decent price than the mom and shop craft store selling bombers and 4 packs for $49.99.

 

They could have lined up elsewhere and gotten a complete set of beers, yes. Just down the road at Binnys on Grand, or Binnys South Loop, you could have lined up as early as 5:30 or 6am and still gotten the full allotment of 1 of each 4 pack and 1 of each bomber. Also, I'm not a big fan of having to stand in 1 of 10 3 hour long lines to get who knows how much of a beer, and maybe not even the ones you wanted most. For the majority of people that went out on BF, if you did not get what you were looking for at the first place you went, you were probably out of luck for the entire day/week.

What is so wrong with wanting more than 1 of something that is produced on a pretty huge scale? The argument you're making is the one you hear most at seriously limited releases, like a dozen case release. Yes at those kind of things you shouldn't expect to be able to have more than 1 of the beer and you go into such a release knowing that. This is vastly different. These are beers distributed to nearly ever state, so it really should not be so difficult to track down 2 or 3 bottles of each kind when you live in spitting distance of the brewery and barrel house. Proprietors is literally Chicago only and has been pretty much nonexistant despite being made in the same quantity as previous years.

You cannot demonize trading and trade partners so much to a community that exists largely in part to trading. Other than the very rare event with tappings from these places, how else would have of us ever have the opportunity to try breweries like Hill Farmstead, Cigar City, Russian River, Cantillon, etc. There is nothing wrong in wanting to be able to send 1 or 2 bottles to trade partners especially when there is SO MUCH BCBS it should not be a problem.

For the people buying quantity of 312 (how many of you on this board do that? I would guess nearly 0) they had it in absolutely no way easier to get BCBS. Those places that sell boatloads of 312 did not take care of their "loyal" customers at all. They created massive events that you had to wait around in the cold for 3+ hours to have a small chance at getting the beer. How is that helpful to the very rare loyal Walgreens customer looking for BCBS?
You really didn't have to have any ins last year, as almost every little liquor store around the Chicagoland received some of all the variants. It was relatively easy to spread around with little to no effort. How you can argue that this situation this year is better for the consumer makes absolute shit sense.

 

Jay case, this years release sucks (compared to last years)

 

Yea this year's release is horrible. Last year all the shops had it by Black Friday as promised by Goose. This year it's all scattered around with places not even knowing if or when they are getting any. But hey, I will never buy any AB-inBev or any of Goose Islands regulars/seasonals. BCBS and the variants are all I will ever spend my money on. Their other beers suck.

 

You take that back about Sofie! And the (ever growing) family of sisters are pretty decent!

 

The worst thing about all of this is that the beer is so good. Its in a tier of its own in my opinion, at least among what's available to me here in Virginia. Everything about this release makes me want to just say fuck it, I'm done with it, but I don't know if I can.

 

Well if you can't finish off a whole 10 more oz of beer within a few days, I'm not sure how to help you. I don't disagree that bombers are a bit more of a commitment (and almost always cost considerably more per oz, which is the real travesty here) but I'd hardly swear off the entire format for... reasons?

 

I do enjoy me some Gillian and Juliet, especially with some age on them. But for the price they charge, I don't see myself buying anymore of them.