2016 BCBS Chicago Release (Black Friday & Beyond)

I was ticket ~1020; the security guy was prepping the doorman about how to let people know they were running out of shit, I guess they didn't do a good job communicating that clearly to people without tickets. I heard that at the door, around 11:50 AM.

 

It was $14.99 at Binny's, not bad for a high quality stem. $30 - way too much.

 

So - eyes wide open with this plan, no butthurt here - kudos to the LP Binny's staff for handling neckbeard nation with a smile.

Woke up and hung with the kid until 8:30ish. Ran some errands on the way, got to LP around 9:30 (after stories last year about the leisurely stroll multiple times through the line until noon; note: everyone else took this story to heart too, but arrived slightly earlier). Last ticket (#1100) had to be 60-100 in front of me. That said, I was one of the final 10 they let in the door before they shut it down. There were double-dippers ahead of me, and behind me (100-200 left behind me). Full allotments only ran out maybe 20 people ahead of me, tops - so they accommodated another 50-80 people without tickets. As I was "in the door" I at least got something - which turned out to be a single 16 BW and a single 14 BW. Only store I tried, beelined it home to get back with the family and continue the day.

Meanwhile, everyone around me was getting texts like "Johnny got Rare, 2x every variant, and 15 regulars - home in 90 minutes" - so it sounds like local Binny's and Jewels might've been the better play.

Sounds like most got what they wanted in a relatively stress-free day, if you started the hunt before 9:30 like me - I'll either stay home completely next year, local, or motivate to get there maybe 30 minutes earlier

 

Drank 14 regular on tap today. Local place had 14, 15, and 16. The 14 was amazing. Super fudge.

 

Yup, exactly what I love about it!

 

My recommendation (only because it worked out for me) is to just hit up a different Binnys if the line looks small at around 8.15. If you get shutout, fuck it. You at least didn't waste 4 hours.

 

16 is Bananas good too. For all the shit we give goose, straight BCS is still the best beer in the world, and it will mix with just about any adjunct Stout and make it bettter.

 

Yep. Until they actually sell it for what it's worth, this is going to happen.

 

I was there and it wasn't my first stop of the day. The line didn't get too long until just before 11:00. They appeared to have 12 cases of regular, 3 each of BW, Prop, and Coffee, and no Rare. How much '10, '12, and '13 BCBS they had is anybody's guess. They were good about communicating and they crossed stuff off the sign as it ran out. The deal was you could get two '16 Regulars and one of anything else. BCBS 2010 was the first to run out, followed by Prop, which ran out just a couple of people in front of me. I was okay with going home with coffee, so that worked out. I thought everything there went well except for the slow checkout process. I get it though, they only have one register and this was unavoidable. All in all, I give BT a thumbs up.

 

I stopped by the Lincoln Square Jewel on our way home from Binny's (about 12:30pm). They had a case of regular behind the service counter that I could see. Exchange went like this:

ME: "Are there any limits on Bourbon County"
CLERK "We sold out hours ago."
ME: (points to case with at least 10 bottles visible behind desk)
CLERK: "Oh, that's reserved"
ME: "There's no reserving it!"
CLERK: "I'm buying it all when I get off, babe"
ME: (laughs, walks out)

For the record, she was around 70 years old. She's not drinking a case of Bourbon County.

 

There was a guy in front of me at Binnys grand that clearly looked homeless and and no idea what BCS was. He was asking the clerk a bunch of questions on what could be buought.

He was definitely a paid mule.

 

I wasn't in love with 16 yet. I drank a bottle of 15 yesterday. Infection date but was still great.

Could be the 16 didn't wow me today because we were also drinking an 11 King Henry

 

Has anyone gone to the whirlyball place here in Chicago? They have templeton rye on tap but wasn't sure if I can just go there and drink or if I'm forced to play whirlyball haha

 

I might have been the only person inline at Binny's who had showered today. Just an observation.

 

Nope. There were at least 2 of us.

The guy in front of me though had clothes that I would be embarrassed to have my brother wear, let alone the Salvation Army.

(Take the brother comment as you will)

 

So, I've had prop 4 times now. Completely different each time.

Fobab - undrinkable
Prop day - fan-Fucking-tastic
Clybourn tasting - ok, not great. Heavy on pepper.
Clybourn bar - better than what they poured us at tasting. Nowhere close to prop day good.


I would say at this point, my plan is to have a bottle of regular to open with each bottle of prop to cut it. I mixed at the tasting, and it made the beer much better. I honestly think this is what they did at prop day.

 

From the looks of this thread, there was more Rare sold in Chicago than there was regular Bourbon County in the entire state of Michigan.