DC/MD/NoVA Beer Updates (2020)

I love their RM but had some other beers in the queue and thought that it would last longer. It was gone before I knew it.

 

Looking for some intel on Black Friday. Anyone have any insight on how long BCBS variants usually last at the DC Costco? Do I need to be there at (or before) opening, or do they last a few hours?

 

Glad I read about this place from my fellow BAs, only an hour from my house and I’ll definitely be doing a Thanksgiving weekend excursion over to this place. I venture over that way fairly frequently, as several good brewers are in the area (and if weather is nice sitting out in the countryside is very nice).

 

Any Sierra Nevada Dankful sightings in MD? I’ve been looking in a few stores over last 2 weeks in Frederick Co and haven’t seen any yet.

 

I don’t know about DC Costco, but I went to Pentagon Costco just got back now, they had about 20 cases of the Original and about 5 cases each of 3 different variants (caramellized, #4 and Kent Fog). Good luck!

 

As far as I can tell, it did not. It looks like we got regular, Kentucky Fog, #4, Carmella, and, in DC and MD, Anniversary.

 

I'm late to the BCBS research this year, of the variants avalable in the area, Kentucky Fog / #4 / Carmella and Anniversary, what's the early word on the street as what variants are getting the higher ratings? Any price checks and quantity intel worth sharing? I'll probably stop by a few stores in Frederick area over Sat/Sunday to see what may be left. I'm always good for 1 bottle of regular per year. Just a great beer, don't necessarily need the variants.

 

Anniversary is clearly the early favorite. The reviews it's getting are not just high--they're staggeringly high. You may need some luck (or a secret honey hole) to find bottles of that lingering at this point.

On the other side of the coin, Kentucky Fog is clearly in last place. Professional reviewers loved it, but they also predicted it would be a highly polarizing beer, and the masses have made clear what side of that polarization they fall on. I don't think I've seen a BCBS variant pull ratings that low.

 

I did a flight of all 6 yesterday and thought Anniversary, Birthday, Caramella, OG, Kentucky Fog, Special #4 in that order.

Bday/anniversary were far and away the winners (no surprises), but I was pleasantly surprised by Caramella, definitely my favorite of their wheatwines thus far. Very much on the sweet side though.

Kentucky Fog is as advertised, so if black tea and honey are your things you'll probably dig it.

Special #4 did nothing for me. Not sure I could tell the difference between that and CBS in a blind taste test.

 

I am a little confused.

You say #4 “did nothing for you”, yet you say “you could not tell the difference between that an CBS”.

You do not like CBS?

For the record, I have not tried Original, but did try three variants, Kentucky Fog, Caramella and #4.

I liked #4 the most, yes it is similar to CBS, yet it has more coffee presence than maple syrup (completely reversed from CBS for me), thus I enjoyed it more as it is less sweet than CBS.

Caramella was unique and tasty,

Kentucky Fog was foggy...

Cheers!

 

Accurate

 

Gotcha. Cheers!

 

Has anyone signed up for the Aslin Mug Clubs for 2021 or in the past? Is the price worth it?

 

I never did, though I considered it in the early days back in Herndon. It seems like the biggest advantage back then was getting a bigger pour at the taproom, and then after that closed, getting first dibs on cans. Now I gather that the main advantage is getting access to the aged bottles. But I don't follow the details closely any more. Hope that helps.

 

Given that Aslin does mostly adjuncted bottles, are "aged" bottles really that much of a perk?

 

I think he just means barrel aged, not cellared.

FWIW, anyone in the South Riding/Brambleton area, Brew Birds in Stone Ridge has a pretty nice selection as of late. I think they keep updated inventory on their website.

 

That makes sense.

 

Any Willitized sightings in Maryland yet?

 

Man, this forum has really died out on participation where has everyone migrated to? For what it’s worth, picked up Willetized in Frederick yesterday...only $12.99 a 4 pack at Riverside Liquors, what a deal.