Lets have an honest conversation about CBS

You're just going to kick your own ass if you don't go and sip it fresh. Trust me, I'm a doctor.

 

Had some of the '14 tapped recently, was a fine beer indeed. If it's only 5 min away, drive by, if there is a line longer than your willing to endure you've only spent 5min of your time, isn't that worth investigating?

 

I lucked into being in the right place at the right time last time it came out and enjoyed two glasses of it. It still remains as my favorite barrel aged beer of all time but as with any hyped up release, I feel like most people will walk away disappointed because no beer, no matter how good it is, is worth a 2+ hour wait. Of course, it's easy for me to say this now, since I've had it before and I live in CA now, which doesn't get Founders anyway. If you get to try it, absolutely go for it, I just caution that the more effort you put into finding/trying a particular beer, the more likely you are to be disappointed.

 

A 'local' ATL bar tapped a keg on Christmas day, and a friend and I took the trip up there to try it out. The place opened at 5, we got there maybe 20 minutes early, maybe around the 50th or so people in line...in, got our table, got our CBS pours, and met SO many like-minded people that we never would have otherwise. People bringing other bottles to share, etc.

Worth the effort to try it? Yeah, I'd say so. It was really damn delicious, and I'd buy it on the semi reg probably if it were available more often. But the whole experience and social aspect of it was even better.

It was like going to a Buffet concert, and the whole place was all 'fins to the left!', everyone happy to be basking in it, while also partaking in the other enjoyments of the likes of that kind of tour. Only, because of the crowd...most people didn't get an encore. But we enjoyed the main hit!

 

I fear for the future of craft beer if this time will some day be considered "the good ol' days".

 

I had some at a tasting. I can say it was an excellent brew, very smooth, complex flavors, I enjoyed what part of the bottle I sampled. I can't say it was light-years above and beyond other BA stouts, but it was certainly better than quite a few that I've had. BA stouts aren't my main goal in life to obtain, so whether it's better than [fill in the blank] I don't know.

I think my sentiments are reflected in some of the above posts, but here they are anyway:

I would go through reasonable effort to have a glass or obtain a bottle. That doesn't mean waiting in the sleet and snow in February in northern Maine for six hours on a windy day, after having to walk six miles* to get there. And any circus environment with lotteries, hoarders, mules and proxies, or secret stainless growlers cleverly concealed where I'd rather not drink it after that... forget it. Now a half hour wait wearing shorts in San Diego, surrounded by lovely ladies... sure, who wouldn't?

As for the price, there would be some cutoff point for my being willing to pay that much, but yours may be different than mine. I suspect much over $35/bomber and I wouldn't want it bad enough to pay that much, but if I were planning to share at a tasting, or with someone who really appreciated the beer and BA stouts, maybe a bit more. If I were made of money, price would be less of an issue. You only live once, and the one who dies with the most money probably should have had more fun while they were alive. But students (well, the ones going to public schools who aren't on mommy's dime, and aren't driving daddy's porsche) might shoulda ought to consider spending their money on just regular ol' breakfast stout.

*uphill both ways

 

I'd love to have the chance to try it, even if it meant waiting. Sure, the wait and the anticipation may build up to the point where the beer can't possibly live up to expectations, but that goes for pretty much anything that is hyped, beer or not. A buddy of mine had it on draft once, said it was primo and the best stout he had ever tried.

 

It seems the whole state of New Jersey wants to get down on anything in Philly, and NJ already tapped 4 or 5 kegs. we haven't done one this year..

I've never tasted it.

 

A bar here in Chicago has a tapping tomorrow early evening, and i'm sure there will be people lined up for it by late morning. Fair play to anyone who does but I would not have the stomach for the kind of scrum they will probably have to get into, or the stress of potentially missing out. I feel very fortunate to have enjoyed a draft pour at the Founders taproom this Christmas and it definitely met the hype for me.

 

A local place is tapping a keg on Friday and I'm debating on whether or not to drag my family to the "event". The same place had a Three Floyds event during Christmas week that went dry in forty minutes. Still on the fence whether or not to try...

 

I think the good ol' days were when you could buy 4-packs of KBS without having to know the beer manager, Cantillon were shelf turds. When you didn't have to wait in line for tap takeovers, etc.

 

Very memorable brew, but preferred it out of the bottle than on tap... still fantastic stuff either way.

 

Just wait until you see all the posts on BA, untapped, Instagram and whatever else. The interest will grow and grow and you'll start to think how you're missing out. Before you know it you'll be searching for it because you passed on the one right in front of you. Trust me I know. Save yourself the hassle and hit your best option right now!

 

Please don't 'drag your family' to this event. Those that do stand in line and jockey for their opportunity to focus on and appreciate this irregularly-released beer do not want their one taste of it colored by your kids' inability to keep still and have civil conversation. Just sayin.
Unless of course your family consists of 20- or 30-something-year-old children that are already into craft beer to a respectable level.

 

The original bottles were mediocre, but I can't wait to try from all of the kegs that just flooded Vermont this week. Good to see that the whole Founders footprint is getting many kegs. No more rare status on this beer.

 

I had the good fortune to drink CBS about a month ago. It's excellent. I think the maple syrup really enhances the chocolate notes in the beer. But now that I've had it, I wouldn't go to extremes to have it again.

I have also been drinking another brewer's imperial stout that was aged in bourbon barrels and had coffee, bacon and maple syrup added to it. I think it taste quite similar to CBS. And it cost me about half the price. I'm surprised that more brewers haven't caught on to this since Founders first released CBS a few years ago. I realize that bourbon barrels used to age maple syrup are very rare to come by. But there are a lot of great brewers out there and you think that some of them could brew a great barrel aged stout and just add maple syrup to it.

 

Yes...Hipster Brunch is very good.

 

Honestly, I'm glad I got to try it at a bottle share a couple years ago (meaning that I got to try it without having to trade away the kind of bottles it has always commanded.)

Honestly, I didn't see what the big deal was then, and I still don't. Good beer, yes, but there are plenty which are better and far easier to get. (Maybe it's the maple. I don't know.)

If you like it, good for you. Honestly. But I wouldn't recommend doing anything too extreme to try it.

Your Mileage, as always, May Vary.

 

I tried CBS last year during an all Founders everything tasting. It was not great. Those maple syrup barrel aged beers seem to develop an odd mint flavor after some time, as i noticed the same thing in Curmudgeons Better half.
I would love to try CBS fresh as I particularly love maple, but I would not wait longer than like 15 minutes for a pour.