Regional BCBS alternative

As far as the price going, I don't think anything can match bourbon county. I live real close to the Firestone brewery and it comes real close though. Parabola is just as good, if not better than BCBS, and sucaba can definitely match GI's BW.

 

The only thing that gets more hype than BCBS

 

Terrapin French toast Wake-n-Bake comes out Monday....

 

Parabola

 

We are just sitting on the stuff in my store, I have a feeling we will have it for a while now

 

The IIPL on the left notwithstanding, Jack's Abby makes some great BA beers.

 

I've got to give a shout out to Yalobusha Brewing in Water Valley, MS. In Mississippi, we don't have much to choose from, in terms of barrel-aged stouts, but they took the leap and have started a nice, small barrel aging program. The first release, Testify, is an excellent barrel-aged stout that is a nice marriage of complexity and balance that could give other stouts in the class a run for their money.

Fortunately, I'm out of state for Black Friday, so I tracked some BCBS and variants down, but had I not, I'm proud to say that Mississippi finally has a barrel-aged stout that filled a void, introduced a new class of beer to the state, and made the jealousy we've felt on Black Friday, in the past, a thing of the past. BCBS is great, but let's get real, there are so many offerings in our local communities that deserve our attention and that more accurately support the "vision" of advocacy. If an Oxonian can say this, I'm sure we all can!

 

Odd Side Ales

 

It's true. If we're comparing value then sure. However once you compare GIs distribution to Lost Abbey it's understandable that the tiny brewery can't compete cost-wise. I mean, Port Brewing/Lost Abbey really is a tiny facility. And they are easily my favorite overall brewery, making world class examples of so many styles. I don't buy their BA stuff very often because of the price, but on quality alone they can compete with anyone.

 

I would also add the recently released Lager Ness Monster is probably closer to the flavor of Bourbon County although maybe a little thinner on mouthfeel. Also, Bride Maker is a similar BA barleywine to BCBBW. Again not quite there but a great local alternative...

 

Cambridge Brewing Company just bottled and released You Enjoy My Stout for the first time.

 

I prefer this

 

We don't have too much in the DC area, but there are some great ones. I need to try Hardywood's GBS and BA GBS. We also have Dark Hollow by a little brewery called Blue Mountain, which is pretty fantastic. Not really the same as BCBS though. I do have a bottle of BA Framinghammer waiting for me at my folks' house, which I'm itching to try.

 

I was about to mention Dark Hallow in VA. I've heard through the grapevine the recipe was made by the same guy who did the recipe for BCBS but you know how these things spread.

 

Washington state has Fremont's Kentucky Dark Star and is absolutely incredible.

 

Love Dark Hollow.

 

In Cali, I'd take almost anything Firestone Walker barrel ages, Narwahl BA (just had my first one.. yum!), SLH from my very local Port/Lost Abbey, and Old Conundrum and Annularity from Fiftyfifty. I know the F/W and 50/50s would imply Barleywine BA's, but I personally consider BA a style in of its own. I love the BC brands, especially at the 2013 price points, but if I were handed something for free, I would hope its a Parabola.