Bourbon County 2018

But why must the gap be filled? Or, better yet, does a gap even exist? Just drink the 12 ozs solo and share the bombers, no?

I'm fine with the variants being in 16.9 ozs instead of bombers but the "staples" (Regular, BW, Coffee) should have stayed in 12 oz 4-packs. And with that I'll stop beating this dead horse until roughly this time last year.

 

I could make every point you've made about Bourbon County Coffee except for the 8 year gap. Probably even BCS regular. I think there's reasonable arguments to both sides, but again, what I have read implies that GI is considering this "digging into their vault" to release 2 beers for a second time.

As @Sabtos noted, I'd really prefer this site to not turn into untappd for this. I'm more extreme than he is - I think that if they call it the same name (or publicly note it's the same beer but they had to change the name) it should have one entry here. As you said - just my opinion.

 

A lot of big beers vary ABV year to year. They don't have new entries for Black Tuesday every year--there are far too many variations on that theme as it is.

What about the year the grains used in Two Hearted were harvested? And the location those crops were sewn? Let alone the hops utilized in each batch, their harvest dates, and terroir? Not to mention the water and yeast.

If you get into the wine world, and the reasoning behind vintages therein, you can see a stark contrast as to why a beer that uses the same name as a previous iteration doesn't really need to be given a separate vintage. It's usually the brewer's discretion, and I sometimes take issue with that as well (see Kane, although I love their stuff). I'd rather they just put a bottle date or something in the description.

There are too many variables and ingredients in beer. If the intention, process, ingredients and quantity of ingredients are following the same recipe, scaled or otherwise, I don't think vintner's logic applies to barrel aged flavored imperial stout. That's just me.

 

Again, 8 year difference since they last made it. Smaller brewers have a hard enough time duplicating recipes they do frequently. Do you think anyone who made 2010 vanilla is still around for the 2018 version? It's going to be different.

By your 2Hearted logic, do you think there are differences in Budweiser? Isn't that know for its consistency despite using different grains from different locations and hops from different places and harvest dates and terroir? You can make a beer that tastes consistent like 2 Hearted or Budweiser, a beer you make every 8 years using different recipes, people and brewing equipment is going to yield different results.

And how much ABV difference is acceptable for it to be a different beer? If they can make version with 2% abv and one with 17% abv that tastes the exact same would you classify those as the same beer?

 

The process is pretty different.

In 2010 they aged the beer with the vanilla beans in the bourbon barrels. This year it's finished BCS and then essentially randalled/recirculated through a giant tank of vanilla beans for a period of time. (I can't remember the exact timeframe. A couple of days, maybe a week).

 

I wasn't saying a gap needed to be filled or that's not what I ment to imply. I was simply saying while I prefer the old formats. 12oz for "regulars" and 22oz for "specials" the 16's arnt the worst. Like not my favorite but they are fine. I over the 12/22 because its never ever going back.

 

I will say that I'd have been fine with 4-packs of BCBS remaining. While 12 oz. isn't my ideal size, I like getting more for my allocation.

 

It just says "added," it doesn't say when or how

 

It is circulated through a tank of vanilla beans. That’s the process for all variants this year and probably going forward.

 

If only we could get everyone to get over it. Of course, then we'd miss out on some great comments and conversation here.

 

Regular should be plentiful if anywhere similar to recent releases.

 

Screw the 12/16.9/22oz bottle debate I think we can all agree this 5.2 gallon format would be preferable if accessible!

 

I hope they resell the bcbs infused vanilla beans for $100 a piece.

 

They've posted videos on social media showing the process. They've been doing something like this for additives in most variants for a couple of years now.

 

After reading some of the posts in this page on what should or shouldn't be allowed to change when remaking a beer, I couldn't help but think to myself how it seems Tree House is getting filthy rich off of a handful of beers by giving them 50 different names.

 

Didn't know that, would like to see it if I can find it.

That really doesn't matter.

It's really the other way around. Your logic would dictate we need a new vintage entry every time a Bud plant makes a new batch. It's absurd. Batch variation, ingredient variation, brewer variation, unintentional abv variation, barrel variation are not the impetus behind a whole new beer.

The difference between 2% and 17% ABV really is an ingredient and recipe change. 13% and 15% isn't quite as much, as that range is more dependent on yeast survival rate and there may not have been much variation or straying from the original recipe.

Now, in light of the new process they're using for the vanilla bean flavor extractinator, I may lean slightly more in favor of a new entry, especially if additional changes come to light. But it's really skirting the line, and I'd rather stick with the actual name of the beer at this point.