Darkness in Chicago

Yes I do remember.

2013 - it showed up the third week of January 2014
2014 - it showed up the fourth week of October.

hope that helps.

 

2013 - a little late
2014 - a little early
2015 - just right

 

There was a second batch brewed in 2013 that was mostly for Chicago as they re-entered the market. That is why it was later, the first batch hit the Twin Cities market at the usual time.

 

Anyone heard any updates on this hitting Chicagoland?

 

As stated by Surly prior to Darkness Day, it will be in December. That's a long ways away in terms of beer time. I don't think we'll see any update for a while on this

 

Anyone seeing this yet?

 

Yesterday Surly posted that it was en route to Chicago. I would assume we would see it in stores over the next week or two.

 

I've asked Binny's and another store, and nobody seems to know for sure yet. The 2 Binny's I talked to were pretty clueless about when they would get it, which is rare.

 

I just came from the Grand location and the guy I spoke with thought the middle of December.

 

This is saying this week for Chicago . . .

http://mybeerbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/12/sury-darkness-barrel-aged-darkness.html

 

I hope so!

 

Surly tweeted yesterday that BA Darkness was available in MN, IL, and IA. What "available" means is up to you to determine. Also, what about non-BA? My local shop seems about as confused as we are.

 

I agree...

 

Over on the Midwest side, it looks like kegs are starting to show this week and bottles next week. Sounds like something happened to delay the bottles a week there but not sure what that was.

 

That Emporium event is here in Chicago on Thursday, so my guess is the bottles start coming in next week or the following. Surly usually mentions when stuff is coming to IL, but that typically just means it's going to the distributors and they don't know when the retailers will get it. That's what I heard them say in the past about another release (Abrasive or Axeman).

 

I hope my local bottle shop gets it. I'm not even going to try with binnys after the Abraxas and BC Rare. I can't imagine them putting more than half their allotment on the floor. I can't speak for some of the city binnys, but certainly a few in the burbs.

 

I'm hoping everyone loses their shit over the BA version, so I can at least grab the non-BA one. I liked standard '13 more than BA '14, so I'm curious to try this year's regular.

 

Just did a 2012-2015 vertical with a group. This year's is quite grassy fresh, but should age great. 2012 and 2013 are drinking well at the moment. 2014 (BA'd) was not as good as I remember when it released.

 

Surly rep told me on twitter that it drops in suburbs next Tuesday.

 

BA '14 was only partially barrel-aged. The BA '15 is 100% BA and a different beast from the 2014 version. It is selling out in minutes all over the Twin Cities, so best of luck getting bottles in Chicago.