Goose Island Bourbon County 2017

As I mentioned before, I’ve had BCBS hundreds of times dating back to the 2010 vintage and have had no batch variation outside of the 2015 infected bottles. It could be you just don’t care for the beer, which is fine.

However, to say that every vintage after 2011 fell off after 3 years is just wrong. I’ve had every vintage since then in the past year and they’re all fantastic. I’ve never heard of someone mention these falling off after 3 years. People certainly can favor them fresh and not like the age, but to throw out a blanket statement as you did is a bit ludicrous.

 

The only real progress lies in learning to be wrong all alone.

- Albert Camus

 

Maybe you should grab a spoon since this is your first time trying a beer your ho-dunk state finally got. There is a REASON why everyone loses their mind every time this beer gets released. Consistency. Wish the same can be said about KBS....

 

No shows the beer doesn' t hold up. what was once is no more. Can still be good just not as good. It's how I felt the consistency wasn't there. If it once could age well up to 8 years and now doesn't after 3 years then something happened to its consistency. And I want to be all about this beer but I also believe the top 250 is bullshit. There are great beers not on that list and horrible beers on the list. BCBS is not horrible, like I said I liked it just not as much as other barrel aged beers. You say you had it year after year, fantastic. But when I compare to other barrel aged stouts I feel I'm missing something in the flavor in BCBS.

 

KBS isn't an ageable beer and never was but BCBS was and somewhat still is

 

It's fine if you just have a different palate than most people. Some people find sex to be amazing, and then there are random people who could do without it. It's okay to be different.

 

I just want extreme. I want extreme bourbon and it wasn't there

 

I really shouldn’t engage in this, and I promise I’m not trying to be condescending or make this personal. But, you’ve mentioned it not holding up over years...would you mind letting me know how you came to that conclusion? I ask because I thought you mentioned only having this beer a few times, which made your statement about the consistency not being there a bit confusing.

You referred to a Cellaring thread, but I don’t know what the data is like in that thread. I don’t doubt there are a few folks that have shared an opinion that led you to your incorrect conclusion (that is to say, incorrect based on the general consensus). Again, though, to make a blanket statement as you did comes across as uninformed.

I never like to say people are trolling, as there can be myriad different opinions on beers, but your posts are coming off as trolling now.

 

That's because KBS falls off after 8 months when the coffee fades. Then it's just a chocolate stout with a shot of bourbon poured into it. Yet there are still people doing verticals of the stuff? Even if it's just 3 years by your estimates BCBS doesn't have that problem. There is no fall off. Nobody trades for 3 yr KBS. 3 yr BCBS on the other hand...

 

Thank you. We agree. I'll gladly pay you on Tuesday for a Bourbon County Stout today.

 

Well, I just finished my first ever BCBCS, and it totally blew me away. The coffee flavor really added another layer to the standard BCBS, and it worked so well with the BCBS base. I'm so glad I was able to find it, and try it.

I will be traveling to the twin cities metro again next year to get another bottle of it. So worth it, now that I understand the lack of it in my central MN market.

2017 Vintage.

This beer is a very thick pouring beer. Pitch black. Minimal head, but what was there was a dark tan color.
The nose is rich with the aroma from the barrel. The barrel aroma is mixed with a touch of coffee.
Taste - The coffee is more up front, then the barrel heat kicks in, but it isn't a harsh taste, it is a smoother flavor.
Feel is quite thick and full bodied.
A delicious beer, and I'm glad I've finally gotten to try it. It is a world class stout, and the addition of coffee, just adds a new layer to this world class beer.

 

One of my all time favs. Still in my top 3 no matter what type of coffee they use.

 

I'm not a coffee drinker, but , something about a coffee beer really impresses me.

Again, so happy I got to try this, and, hopefully, will be able to get another next year - and, yes, I'll gladly travel the hour to the twin cities to get a bottle. It is worth it.

 

Please.
Stop.
Feeding.
The.
15 November 2017 Initiate Troll.

 

Hold your horses there, fella. Guy has graduated from Initiate to Aspirant. Of course, it looks like he's rated 357 beers over the last 2 weeks, which must be some kind of land speed record or something. He either keeps meticulous notes, has a photographic memory, or is doing a number on that liver.

I think this is really the crux of the issue. Most of us aren't looking for EXTREME levels of bourbon flavor. Honestly, I usually take that as a sign of a less-skilled brewer. Those of us extolling the virtues of BCBS are doing so because we enjoy the complexity that results from the interplay and balance of the different elements. If I wanted massive, in-your-face bourbon flavor, I'd just drink bourbon. On a per-serving basis, it's considerably cheaper.

 

2017 BCBS is tits, just like all of the vintages before it. The consistency here is crazy. And at that price/oz., I couldn’t give 2 shits who owns their brewery.

 

The candor of your post goes perfect with your handle avatar. Love it.

 

I've never understood the weird fetishism of the coffee variant either. I've had it a few times, each of them fresh, including that legendary first batch in 2010. It's often not markedly different from the regular and even for the batches when it does taste like a different beer, at the end of the day it's still essentially a beer cocktail you can recreate fairly easily at home. I've seen places sell it for 3X the price of the normal and it still sells out. Irrational exuberance.

And I drink 5+ cups of joe a day, it isn't like I hate the stuff.

 

I was just trying to show support that I'm not the only one who feels something is off in the beer these days. And yes I only had it once but I have read others say after 2009 it hasn't been the same. Now i don't know how many times I have to say this but I had the 14.1 version and I love whisky and beer and I have a strong palate and have had my share of different barrel aged beers and different beers in general. I know when something is off. I plan to try the 14.7 version this weekend and maybe that will be a better batch. once again support on variation from batch to batch. See some people want to pretend this is the best beer and maybe it is if given the right batch. But I feel my batch was off because as I've said already stated I found more joy in a Boulevard Whisky Barrel Stout. Let me try the 14.7 version I have and maybe my opinion about BCBS will change. And it's not hard to find this forum just look into cellar beer forum.

 

True but KBS fresh was a lot more enjoyable than BCBS fresh. Felt like I was "licking the barrel" in a KBS fresh. Did not feel that way with BCBS