Keeping your taste palate in check.

Yeah, I feel ya. The only non BA Stouts I can even think about drinking now... Are Stone IRS and Even More Jesus.

 

Drinking Bourbon County Coffee right now by the way...

 

Once all your money is gone and you realize you've traded all your quality beers for beers only marginally better than more easily accessible beers, you will suddenly enjoy a shelf beer again.

It's part of the process. Enlightenment is expensive.

 

Stop drinking them so often and you won't care as much. Save BA stouts for special occasions, stick to easy to find quality locals for weekday drinking.

 

I tend to think of regular stouts and BA stouts as two distinct styles, makes it easier to appreciate both only for what they are, not what they could be.

 

If you get Bell's, then stock up on Expedition Stout. I wish I had brought more than 2 bottles back from my trip to Florida. No, I don't feel like driving to PA, DC or VA for some either.

 

So you just had Hunahpu?

 

That's what happens when you only drink extreme beer. You destroy your palate. If you avoid the big stuff for a while you should regain your abilty to detect and appreciate nuances and subtle qualities again.

 

I spent a good couple years drinking pretty much just double IPAs, imperial stouts and barleywines. What a stupid thing to do. A well made pale ale is a thing of beauty. Now at least half of what I make at home is 4% or less and when I did try KBS for the first time this year, I wasn't terribly impressed.

Moral of the story: don't sleep on beer just because it wasn't in a barrel or isn't over 8%. You miss out on some truly exceptional beer that way.

 

Why is "less extreme" beer a downgrade?

Oh right, 'Merica.

 

Well freaking said sir! I was going to say the same thing. I appreciate and understand a good stout for what it is and a good barrel aged beer for what it is. World Class is World Class when you get to the elite beers of each style.

Cheers!

 

That's what I was thinking! After I had the pleasure of a 6oz pour of Huna Barrel Aged in Brandy Barrels, I thought, "I'll never find another beer that good". And so far, I was right. That was last November....the good news is that the mind allows one to forget that, and move on. Lot's of terrific beers out there just waiting to be tried. I just don't expect them to match up with the best one I've tried. But who knows what's lurking around the next corner?

 

I think only a select few barrel aged stouts are better than their comparable non barrel aged version. Most are just a hot mess of bourbon but a select few let the stout flavors come through and meld perfect with the bourbon and barrel notes.

 

A similar story happened to me. I had tried FIS first before FBS. When I drank the FBS, I found it mediocre after being impressed with the Imperial Stout. I will give FBS another shot after a nice palate reset.

Side note: @sjverla KBS was unimpressive to me as well. Too much booze heat, hardly any bourbon or coffee on the flavor.

 

I agree with others above in that I don't consider BA stouts (or BA barleywines, or DIPAs, etc.) as in the same category as their non BA counterparts. A BA stout and a RIS don't resemble each other very much according to my palate.

And, I can never understand how a higher ABV brew can be compared to a lower one. Different drinking experiences.

I can go out to a pricey steakhouse and get a perfectly cooked ribeye and I'll enjoy it tremendously. But that doesn't mean I won't enjoy a perfectly cooked hamburger just as much. They're two totally different experiences.

 

Waaa?

 

I like the aroma on KBS, don't get me twisted. The flavor though was a huge let down. I'm glad I got to try a fresh batch, but I prefer KBS with some age on it.

 

I always keep some FBS around bc of this issue

 

Totally agree.

And thank you for saying ribeye, rather than the usual "filet mignon"