CO Barrel Aged Stouts

I have had a few bottles of BBB that I definitely sensed the barrel in. Most I don't. Fantastic beer either way.

 

Well seeing as how they have racks and racks of barrels full of BBB, I'd say chances are high that it spends time in them. And unlike just about every other brewery, they tell you the exact dates they spent in barrels on thier website, according to batch #. FWIW its 3-6 months.
To me I get more Oak than Bourbon, which is fine for me, since I love Oak Yeti.

 

I like BBB but the variance between batches can be pretty extreme. That variance makes it fun to try and compare different batches, but hard for me to use it as a benchmark.

 

Where have you found Parabola on the shelves? I was only able to buy it out here by reaching out and asking a beer store to hold some for me.

 

I guess I say that somewhat loosely. 3 years ago you could buy it off the shelf at most major stores in town, but I suppose beer (in general) isn't the same as it was in 2013. It's still a "shelf" beer in the sense that stores get it and there is a ton of it out there, but you have to play games to get most anything now. Otherwise some dumbass will buy it all.

 

I think it's a blend of 25% BA and 75% not BA

 

You're 25% BA!

 

Yea, makes sense. Wasn't original BCBS Rare just sitting here in Colorado collecting shelf dust for like 6 years before anyone knew about it?

 

Essentially, anything that had a normal retail release was available off the shelf prior to 2011/2012. Maybe not at every store, but at least one store in each major part of the city. The idea of paying more than $20 for a beer of any sort prior to 2012 was a tough pill to swallow.

 

My friend just tried Penrose Private Reserve 1508 Imperial Stout from Pikes Peak Brewing Co. and said it was one of the better BA beers he's ever had. What makes this even more interesting to at least try is that it comes in 750ml bottles for $10-12. I think I saw this at Small Batch in Denver, but I am not sure. It's all over the 'Springs right now.

 

Bought a couple bottles at the brewery, it's been a few weeks, but from what I remember it was a tasty Stout with good barrel character, perhaps a little thin. Definitely enjoyed for the price.

 

BBB is 100% barrel aged, however it's a blend of first, second and third use bourbon barrels. Obviously the second and third use barrels won't impart much bourbon flavor, if any. It's 100% barrel aged nevertheless.

Here is a really cool write up if you're interested in how BBB is made:

http://brewtallyinsane.com/2015/10/02/epic-brewing-breaks-down-big-bad-baptist/

 

Great article. Well written. But, I still don't believe this beer is barrel aged... I've gotten literally zero barrel every time I've had it. But it's been a while. Maybe I need to revisit it.

 

All this talk about BBB got me thirsty. Sitting at Epic, having a pour right now. The blend that is on tap now has a slight bourbon character, more than I've ever picked up in a pour before but it's not dominant. The way I think see it, I don't think Epic is trying to make BCBS or some other barrel dominant stouts. They're shooting more for balance, the bourbon character is only a minor ingredient.

They also have a lower ABV non-barrel aged version (Son of Baptist) on tap if you want to do the Pepsi challenge. And, yes, there is a difference in taste

 

While not a CO Stout.....It looks like Abyss is starting to hit shelves locally here in Denver. Anyone excited about it? I feel like Abyss is one of those stouts that sounds delicious on paper (multiple types of barrel aging and ingredients), but when I actually drink it I'm a little underwhelmed.

 

I was all about Abyss until last year's. I got 2 bottles and my opinion both times was "Meh".
I've had '12 and '13 and liked them. Though I think they changed the amount of the beer that was actually barrel aged, there wasn't a huge taste difference. I don't think the quality of the beer dropped, for me, I think so many awesome BA stouts had been released between the '13 and '14 releases that Abyss now seemed mundane.
As such, I'll be skipping future Abyss releases (though if I get a chance I might do a taster in a tap room) and I'm done with Deschutes overall since I've never been enamored w/ Black Butte Anniversarys.

 

I like the Abyss, but I think it's hit or miss. Some years it has a strong "char" note that doesn't do it for me. Early versions had a lot of it, but from 2011-2014 I found the blend to be more mellow. Last year's brought the char back.
I'm all about the BB Anniversary beers though. Love 'em.

 

Has anyone tried the 4 Noses Reciprocal in bottle? I've had it on tap at the brewery and really enjoyed it, but was wondering if it made a favorable trip into the bottle

 

Diebolt's latest batch of the Commodore is very, very good. It's not real heavy on the bourbon barrel but the flavors are great. As an added bonus they increased the size from 375ml to 22oz and only increased the price by two dollars, you don't see breweries doing that often. Very solid beer.

 

I liked the earlier batch a lot. A real sleeper.