2016 BCBS Chicago Release (Black Friday & Beyond)

Go to local stores in distribution area? If so, is there a map showing distro area? Thanks

 

Anyone have information on how releases do in January/February? I'll be staying during those months and was wondering if prop will see another wave of distribution besides the initial

 

Yes..you'll need to just camp out generally a couple hours at least before a decent sized store opens and get in line to get bottles. There's no list supplied by GI where product is going, but most stores that are sizable will at least get a case of regular BCS. Chicagoland area is your best bet, but I'm sure places like Rockford, DeKalb, Moline/QC would get something depending on where you're coming from.

 

My experience is that there's usually another, but much smaller wave of regular that heads out in in the month or two after Black Friday. Many bars will hold their Bourbon County nights between December-Feb as well, with sometimes opportunity to buy bottles (at a premium of course)

 

Last year they accidentally sent the wrong ABV BCBS to Georgia and it all got sent back. Goose sent it all over Chicago and the suburbs. I wouldn't expect another big second distro like we saw last year.

 

There's usally second wave a week or two after Black Friday, but it's pretty small, and usually just regular bcs.


Prop will likely be long gone unless the store is holding it back.

 

Don't think I'll be lining up this year now that I tried prop. Didn't care for it.

 

Anyone have the official word on Whole Foods BC release? Black Friday/BF weekend or are they waiting a week?

 

Way too much smoke for my liking with a very unpleasant spiciness. Would love to try it again in a different setting but couldn't drink more then a couple ounces of it.

 

I'm going to prop day, so I'll get to make a real decision then, but my first impression - this beer blows.

 

I skipped fobab this year, but I'm definitely disappointed by what I'm hearing about Prop '16 so far. I figured after last year they'd really have this one locked-in from a balance perspective, and it sounds like the opposite. I also am pretty surprised it's as spicy as it sounds, since that's something a lot of people (myself included) don't enjoy at all.

Given that I will probably pass on coffee and barleywine, it could be a pretty disappointing year for me, BCS-wise.

 

Also have a hard time with spice, but is this something where Prop down the road a few years gets better? Hard to bet on that.

Hopefully some good vintages are offered for release.

 

I love spice, but I understand a lot of people don't. Maybe this will loosen up the Prop trading market a bit for this year? It's been pretty nuts in previous years.

 

To say that '16 Prop will be polarizing is an understatement. Count me in the camp who didn't hate it when I tried it at FOBAB. Currently its flavors are extreme to the point of being obnoxious. What I could see happening with this beer is:
1. It mellowing out over time like I had hoped for with '15 Prop (we all know how that turned out) and
2. People balking if the price is marked up too greatly whereas in the past, they would scoop it up regardless of the cost.

 

It's the perfect beer for this election season...50% of people are happy to have a little spice in their beer, while the other 50% were turned off when they heard it was black and had mexican peppers...

If you don't like hot peppers, the beer isn't for you, plain and simple. Just like if you don't like pineapple, you should avoid pineapple beers. The beer was very chocolatey to me, loved it. The pepper spice could fade some, but it was like eating hot spiced food where the more you have, the more you have to keep eating to prevent the burn from setting in. Anyone have any hot pepper beers for reference that they can confirm have mellowed out the spiciness over time?

As for a polarizing beer, this might explain why the national Rye variant isn't seeing the light of day this year....


@SeanBond if you liked coffee and barleywine in previous years, the coffee is the only consistently spot on thing they do with BCBS and is probably the best GI release this year. The barleywine, though not as complex as the stuff aged in the bcbs barrels, is an extremely delicious barleywine and well worth the price if you like them.