Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition Stout 2018

I can see that. I hadn’t liked it last year but thought this years was better. I’d never compare it to BCBS either...don’t find them similar at all.

 

It was plentiful in Chicagoland beer stores.

 

It was not plentiful in any of the Chicagoland stores I frequent unfortunately. I never even saw it.

 

Yea I was able to score 2 bottles but I had to call around a bit to find them.

 

There were pages and pages dedicated here or in the Chicago stout release thread to tracking down BAE in chicago. Lots could not find it. You may have been able to piece together a case, but that's by far the exception, not the rule. Stores did not receive more than 3 cases by what I can tel, and most received only 1 or 2 cases.

 

I would consider that as plentiful considering BAE used to be a limited release brewery only Stout. I also think that Chicago land probably had a similar distribution footprint as Michigan the state it was brewed in.

 

Lots of people got between 1 and 4 bottles. How can you compare that to BCBS and replacing it if you can't get more than a 4 pack?

 

Because not everybody hoards.

 

I assume this was directed at me.

You may have missed it above, but the person I was responding to was specifically talking about BAE being plentiful, and obtaining a case (24 bottles). So, that argument is moot.

 

I just shopped the day it hit distro. Got lucky that it was on a day off during the week. If I went out on Black Friday and hit up a bunch of stores I could probably do just as good with bourbon county as I could with bourbon barrel expedition Stout. Timing is everything.

 

You’re right that you go lucky. Very lucky. Most people never saw BA Expo. Comparing it to BCBS is silly - you can find BCBS on shelves for a couple months here (and longer in other places). BA Expo sells out the same day it hits shelves.

 

Thank goodness it’s just beer. There are a lot of silly people in the craft beer crowd. Me included. I bet if you look BAE is still available on shelves in Chicago. You just gotta look!

 

Bells beer finder has 185 retailers that got the beer. Sure most have dried up, but I bet several retailers still have it on shelves. How hard do people want to work to find “xyx” beer to buy? That can usually determine how much beer you get. Wether you go to a few stores on an off day during the week or wait in line overnight at a beer store for a one day release.

 

In Illinois most places got only one case, which all sold immediately even in out of the way places in central Illinois. Trust me, I’ve looked. It’s gone by now here.

 

okay, out of 185 retailers. Guaranteed at least 10 stores still have bottles somewhere.

 

Not sure how you can guarantee anything. Entire regions got 6 4 packs total. You keep making promises you can’t back up though and ignore those who have put in the leg work already.

 

Agree that it is just beer, and I don't think anyone on here is being silly or complaining they didn't get any or much. But ultimately, there was a post saying BAE was much harder to find in Ohio than BCBS. You responded to a post saying BAE was plentiful in Chicago. That implies that it was close to as plentiful as Bourbon County. That just isn't accurate, and people on here are just appropriately clarifying your comment.

 

This is true. I happened to scratch together a 4 pack last weekend by stopping at a few liquor stores that I found on the beer finder. I particularly targeted liquor stores that were pretty rural, yet close to the interstate, and had just popped up on the finder. My friend and I bought both stores out and we both ended up with a 4 pack, which averaged out to $36 per 4. They were being sold in singles, up charged, and one had them behind the counter, so even these joints knew what they had to some extent. At one of the places the lady asked, "Were you the ones that just called about this? I couldn't understand what you were saying." It was not us, and whoever it was, dibs! These places were south of Chicago by quite a but, but north of Kankakee.

 

Fair enough.

 

It’s all about timing. I shopped early. There is still BAE out in the wild. Even in Chicago! How can I prove it? Should I find some BAE, buy it & post the receipt with time & date highlighted?

Time has passed since initial distribution. Sure there isn’t much left, but there is definitely BAE left on shelves. Maybe one bottle per store with an occasional anomaly of a four pack to be had.