08 Darkness...what will it take?

I meant that the mentality of winning/losing a trade and thus holding on to an old beer like that with the intention of scoring something just as rare/aged/wale-ish seems stingy and against the spirit of advocacy.

 

Especially if your old beer is over the hill and you're just holding it hostage with the intent of trading up.

 

I'm not trying to argue with you about this. I don't expect anything, I just have faith in this community and the quality of the advocates here, based on what I've encountered and thus don't think this was a fluke. I also know that I have started to form great trading relationships with some awesome advocates who aim to help a brother out whenever they can and I'm not the only one who feels that way. Hell, this wasn't even my trade.

Which of these beers was brewery only, btw? I've never owned any of them but I thought they were all distributed.

 

Ahhh. Thanks.

Then no, I don't think that trading an unbelievably tasty, world class, one off, widely distributed brew in its prime like BCBVS (plus Bramble) for a 5 year old (and thus very mellow and possibly oxidized) version of a world class beer that was once brewery only (plus a 4pk of wet) is trading up.

I would much rather have the goose island beers...and had I not helped my buddy make this trade, we would have been drinking them at Darkness Day. Personally, I would be crying inside if it weren't for the fact that my friend is scoring his #1 personal wale and couldn't be happier.

 

I didn't say it wouldn't taste good (though it would be hard to guarantee that it will have held up and I don't have any idea what the conditions of its aging were like)...but letting a beer cellar in perfect conditions for even a year will mellow it out, just think what 5 will do. You also can't deny that oxidation could be an issue. I'm just saying there is more of a risk than with something that you have tried recently and know is drinking perfectly.

 

Were you sharing your experience? I really thought you were just playing devil's advocate, which I'm not opposed to, but if you have an experience to share, I'd love to hear your opinion. Knowing that someone with a good reputation around here has tried 2008 Darkness and thinks it's the bee's knees makes me feel better about my friend's trade. I've only been able to read some very mixed reviews from January.

 

Not to say, that I don't feel good about this trade...I'm very pleased that both sides seem very happy. I just would be more pleased to hear that 08 Darkness is alive and well.

 

Ummm...where did I take a shit on '08 Darkness?

I mentioned that aging beer isn't always the best decision from a taste standpoint as things eventually fall off...

Said that I didn't think either side was trading up and that I thought it was a fair trade. I also said that I'd rather have the Goose Island said of this deal (I also mentioned at one point that this had to do with the risk factor of not knowing how the 2008 beer was stored and that I think BCBVS and Bramble are in their prime and very delicious. I also mentioned crying inside, which may have been taken the wrong way, but it was a joke based on the fact that we were going to be drinking his BCBVS at Darkness Day if he hadn't been able to score an '08 Darkness by then.)

I never shit on Darkness or the 2008 vintage. I did say that I disagreed with the following assertions...

[08 Darkness...what will it take?] to which he answered...

My point about real advocates only had to do with the notion that there are people out there who will part with things without "winning" a trade or getting apple for apples. That was it.

 

Dude...I'm not getting anything. Didn't shit on Darkness '08. Don't think BCBVS is a whale of any sort (but I do think it is delicious). I didn't call anybody out for not being an advocate, in fact I did the opposite by saying that I have faith that there are plenty of advocates on this site that no one should worry about something like this being that difficult (which it wasn't). I meant what I said and said what I meant...no more no less.