Bourbon County in MA - 2015

Least I've seen in years, highest price I've paid. Doing a '12-'15 tasting as a tribute to the last bottles of this I'll ever buy. No tears will be shed.

 

I don't know enough about the industry to be sure, but I can't help but feel this is more a distributor issue than anything. I purchased 2 bottles for 10.99 and one bottle for 9.99. It's an increase from last year, but it's not exorbitant. Given that it can be gotten at a reasonable price in the state, it seems the stores selling for $30 are either being ridiculous, or the distributors are.

 

It's the distributor at the end of the day. You can't really blame liquor stores for wanting to jump on the Goose Island bourbon county hype train. As others have previously posted; the distributor usually offers stores a price break from $250 down to $85 for regular bourbon county. But these stores were offered a take 40 cases of regular goose island year round products to get 5 cases of regular bourbon county or take 70 cases to get 15 cases of regular bourbon county and be allowed to make profit between $9 to $15 dollar without causing a bad reputation for their store as being too expensive. Then again imagine if rare hit MA, I'm sure you would see stores trying to rip people off and sell them for $70 to $99 for 1 frigging bottle.

 

I dunno, if I were a shop owner the $30 tag would be a bad look, even if it's not my fault. I would probably either turn it down, or just get a case and offer free or MSRP bottles to the best 12 customers (whether 12 "holds" on an email list, facebook messaging etc).

But I am not a shop owner so mine is definitely an uninformed opinion :-)

 

Thanks for the tip. I picked up a couple of bottles last night around 9pm. Large stack of 20+ of cases on the floor.

 

Any place near Springfield where I could find some regular at decent price/limit?

 

I'd try Table & Vine in W Springfield. They got 35 cases for the first drop. Not sure what they got on the second, but their prices are usually reasonable.

 

I'll give them a call. I figured a place like that would get cleaned out super quick. That would be very convenient.

 

I found a place in metrowest with both regular at $9.49 and barleywine at $10.99. One bottle limit, so bm me if you want info, after I send my friend to mule me a second bottle of barleywine.

 

Thinking the same. I have three bottles of 12,13,and14. Have not gotten any this year but if I do, it will be one bottle for my final vertical. When I started doing the verticals it was six bucks a bottle, which would mean a six year vert (my goal) would be 36 bucks, now it would be 60 plus. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.

 

I'm heading down to Carver today with the fam. Any places I should be able to grab a few bottles or a reasonably priced case in that area or along the way?

 

The store @HuskyHawk alluded to may be on your way depending on which way you're coming.

 

Single bottle limit on regular and they are out of barleywine it seems. But Union Street liquors in Franklin will have single bottles of regular at 10.99 I believe, and the owner said he sold someone a case on Black Friday.

 

Going to be in the metro west area this weekend, any place still have bcbs sitting around?

 

there is still a lot of regular and barley still around. Where in Metro West will you be?

 

Where is there more barleywine? After getting one bottle, I can't find any more.

 

Super Liquors in Framingham has bottles of BCBBW left.

 

Dover, so super liquors in Framingham works! Thank you

 

Any tips on where to get upwards of a case of regular? I'm in CT, but willing to make a drive if I can lock up a bit without hopping all over the place.

 

East gate liquor in Wilmington had a bunch as of a week ago. I believe $9.99 per.