2015 Michigan BCBS & Black Friday Thread

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by croush, Oct 29, 2015.

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  1. croush

    croush Pooh-Bah (2,407) Mar 20, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Since we've now seen postings for Indy, Milwaukee & Chicago, I figured I would start a Michigan thread. I'm going to be back in the Detroit area (Troy) for Thanksgiving this year, so am hoping to score a little bit of something. That being said, I looked at last year's thread and it sounded pretty bleak. Do people have suggestions for which store is the best bet? The stores on my radar have been Champane's, Holiday, 8 Degrees, Whole Foods, and Costco. I did call Champane's and Holiday last week, and they basically had no information at this point and said they wouldn't know until a week or so beforehand.

    Have people heard anything regarding availability, etc. for this year? I've seen other threads mention cities that know they are an "official" city and/or getting Rare - anyone have insight on those topics?
     
  2. borto1ms

    borto1ms Initiate (0) Sep 18, 2013 Michigan

    No info for this year, but if I remember right, Champanes did their release on a day after Black Friday last year. And then it was just for one bottle of BCBS for something like $5.99 and there were 90 some bottles available. They sent out an email with the announcement. Would guess this year would be similar.
     
  3. westlaunboy

    westlaunboy Pundit (882) Mar 31, 2010 Washington
    Trader

    Yeah, save for the price, that's pretty typical. I think I paid ~$7-8 bottle, and every place I found had a one bottle limit except for one place that did a lottery for...wait for it...two bottles.

    As for variants, I've still never seen anything but regular or BW in a non-lottery situation, and even then I've never actually scored anything but the Regular in 3 years of looking.

    Of course, this is all based on the old system where Reg/BW were in 12oz bottles. The move to 16oz could exacerbate these problems.

    So, with all this in mind, I doubt we'll be an "official" anything, and your best bet might be to have some friends back in Illinois pick up what they can for you, and just relax on Black Friday rather than driving around for hours to get 3 bottles of Reg for ~$40.
     
    #3 westlaunboy, Oct 29, 2015
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2015
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  4. wezzul

    wezzul Initiate (0) Dec 17, 2009 Michigan

    All the variants (other than prop) were around here last year, though the Vanilla didn't come out until maybe a month later due to a label issue, from what I understand. Obviously, they're a lot harder to get but they are out there, and I'd expect Rare to be here in some very small quantities, but probably *that* will be in a lottery situation.
     
  5. core42

    core42 Pooh-Bah (1,862) May 5, 2010 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

  6. croush

    croush Pooh-Bah (2,407) Mar 20, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I had a feeling I would get some feedback like this. I will most likely try a quick hit of one store (or two) on Friday or Saturday, but not bother with hours driving around. Similar to what you said, it would be much better to spend time with my kids than drive around getting frustrated or disappointed.
     
  7. westlaunboy

    westlaunboy Pundit (882) Mar 31, 2010 Washington
    Trader

    Yeah, it's a huge bummer. BCBS might be my single favorite beer, and it seems like it's scarcer here than almost anywhere else in the country, and I'm not really clear on why, given that Michigan practically borders Chicago.
     
  8. wintbs379

    wintbs379 Initiate (0) Mar 13, 2009 Michigan

    Because Michigan doesn't sell enough Honkers Ale :confused:
     
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  9. onespartan

    onespartan Zealot (687) Nov 1, 2008 Michigan
    Trader

    Personally, I'm done trying to score a few $10 bottles of regular BCBS in the Detroit area. The only places that don't gouge sell single bottles, maybe 2. This year I'm going to Odd Side for the Hipster Brunch release to pay a very fair price for an outstanding beer. And maybe trade a few for some BCBS.
     
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  10. croush

    croush Pooh-Bah (2,407) Mar 20, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I was actually debating on trying to swing by there on Saturday on my way back to Chicago, but don't think I can convince the wife it's "on the way" enough. Not an ideal setup when driving back with 2 kids either.
     
  11. core42

    core42 Pooh-Bah (1,862) May 5, 2010 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    The reality is that we have so much amazing beer in Michigan that we don't buy Goose Island beers very often. People fall in to the Bud/Miller/Coors crowd or the drink local craft crowd in Michigan & if you grew up in MI then your first craft beer was likely Bells or Founders. The Michigan Brewers Guild does a great job of highlighting MI beer all around the state so even new craft beers drinkers are going to drink MI craft vs out of state craft
     
  12. Donco

    Donco Pooh-Bah (1,639) Aug 12, 2013 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Try Philly...just as scarce there last year. Not chasing this again like I did last year....:confused:
     
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  13. LambicPentameter

    LambicPentameter Initiate (0) Aug 29, 2012 Nebraska

    I was in Kansas City last year and had the best Bourbon County haul I've ever had--two 4-packs of regular, a 4-pack of BW and (*gasp*) a bottle of VR about a month later (with much thanks to the beer guy at my old bottle shop for thinking of me and holding one of his 6 bottles!).

    Given what I'd heard about BCBS release in Michigan, I was worried about going from riches to rags, so to speak, but it looks like I'm going to be back in the KC area for Thanksgiving and the following week, which will be nice because I know more or less what to expect and shouldn't have trouble getting some. It will be interesting to see how things change with the use of the 500 ml bottles this year. As long as I can get a few bottles of regular and BW, I will be a happy camper. Hell, one of each would honestly be good enough.
     
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  14. croush

    croush Pooh-Bah (2,407) Mar 20, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I see this posted quite often on the boards here, and wonder if the stats really back it up. I think MI does do a good job of marketing its own beers (at least GR and Kalamazoo do), but I hear of CA having plenty of BCBS around and can't help but think of all the big craft brewers out there as well - are people in CA buying more GI products than Stone, Firestone Walker, Sierra Nevada, etc.? Being from MI originally, I love the state and hope to move back there sometime, but I've never subscribed to them having that much more amazing beer than other states (I'll duck for cover now :wink:)...that's not a knock on MI beers so much as a statement that there is a lot of great local beer around different areas.

    Regardless of the reason, it looks like we shouldn't have high expectations for BCBS this year again.
     
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  15. wezzul

    wezzul Initiate (0) Dec 17, 2009 Michigan

    What are you basing this on? A few people on a forum saying that they personally didn't find very much in years past?
     
  16. core42

    core42 Pooh-Bah (1,862) May 5, 2010 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It's less about the quantity of the great beer (although there is a ton when you consider Oddside & Shorts are MI only & pump out a new beer every couple of weeks) but more about the pride that people take in drinking MI beer. Oberon is completely meh to beer geeks but SO many Michiganders can tell you how it was their gateway beer into craft. CA has tons of amazing beer but the overall percentage of the population in CA that drinks craft (specifically local craft) vs the percentage of Michiganders drinking local craft is, in my guesstimation, much much lower...I have zero quantifiable data to back this up. GI has told retailers that the amount of year round GI beer sold does have an impact on the quantity of BCBS that shows up so that backs up the theory
     
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  17. croush

    croush Pooh-Bah (2,407) Mar 20, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    More than just a few people. Most of the people in the 2014 Michigan thread said it was bad last year and the year before. I did notice that you were one of the people (or perhaps the only person) that did pretty well, so hopefully I can do as well as you did. But, what else would I have to go on? Unless all those people are lying, which is unlikely, that seems like the best information to go on. Plus, my brother lives in the area and has mentioned he has only ever been able to snag one bottle of regular.
     
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  18. croush

    croush Pooh-Bah (2,407) Mar 20, 2015 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yep, you are probably right...just wondered if maybe you knew a little extra inside info with backup data. Based on the info that GI provides BCBS based on year round GI sales (which does make sense, and is what I'd do if I were them), then it certainly does seem like MI would be buying less compared to other states. And MI folks do have a lot of pride for their state, so your theory seems to make sense. It just seems strange to me other states don't have that same pride over their beers, since I think there is great beer all around.

    Funny you mentioned Oberon, as I was trying to think of what my first craft beer would've been. I couldn't think of what it was, but when I saw your post, I realized it was Oberon.
     
  19. archiebunkerjr

    archiebunkerjr Pundit (910) Oct 25, 2010 Michigan
    Trader

    I will throw my name on a BCBS list or two but I won't chase after it on Black Friday. Oddside, Founders and Dark Horse will host events between Black Friday and March 2016 to sell their barrel aged stouts. And I thought the latest Black Note bullshit was that it would be released this winter. There are too many excellent brewers bottling too many excellent barrel aged stouts in Michigan that I won't waste my Black Friday running store to store to pick up one bottle at a time - for an inflated price.
     
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  20. core42

    core42 Pooh-Bah (1,862) May 5, 2010 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I wish that I had some insight on BCBS but last year I went to LP Binny's & the year before that I scored 2 bottles all year
     
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