Bourbon Barrel Aged Stouts

Dragon's milk is year round and available everywhere. A great starting point for sure.

 

Hoppin Frog is available here year round, a bit price, and I don't think it's as good as Bcbs. But as with anything it's worth a try, Nebraska is also year round, even more expensive, never had it.

 

Anderson Valley Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel Stout, @6.9% she drinks like a dream too and yet still gives you enough bourbon and complexity you're looking for in a BBS.

 

I will second Dragon's Milk, probably the most readily available and also the most underrated. Big Bad Baptist is also easy to find most of the year. If you want to go non-barrel aged, Lagunitas imperial stout is pretty good and also really cheap. All of the Hoppin Frog stuff is worth checking out as well.

 

Schlafly Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout is available year round around here. Not sure about NJ. I second Dragons Milk though.

 

If you get Great Divide, they've usually always got some version of barrel aged yeti out

 

As already mentioned dragons milk is probably the best as far as quality of a regularly available bbs.

Kentucky bourbon barrel stout is up there in this category. While it's no bcbs, it is still barrel aged with plenty of barrel character that I prefer over many year round non bourbon barrel stouts.

 

Not everywhere... Luckily I got my dad to pick me up a bottle of it when he went to Michigan.

 

Dragons milk is really good I recommend it. I would also have to recommend BA Siberian night, I'm not sure on availability of it but it is very underrated.

 

Big Bad Baptist. One of the best easily found BBA stouts.

 

Indeed!!!

 

I find I have more luck just rotating through seasonals as they're released. KBS just came out and you're pretty much halfway to BCBS being released again (with the least bourbon barrel stout-y season, summer, approaching).

You might be drinking these faster than I am, but BCBS, KBS, Central Waters BBS, Siberian Night, and a couple other beers make it easy to bounce between seasonal offerings. I would also recommend getting into barrel aged barleywines to enjoy the seasons!

 

Dragons milk for a third

 

By far, the best BCBS alternative I've found for value and taste is Central Waters Brewer's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout. It is rated as 93% as good as BCBS based on BA score, at about 1/3 to 1/4 the cost. Admittedly limited distribution, but I believe it recently changed to year-round availability. I keep this on hand. Concur on Dragon's Milk as well, wish I could get more of the variants.

 

I know this isn't a BBA stout, but if you haven't tried a Founders Backwoods Bastard (Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy style) you don't know what you are missing. Just finished my last one and wondering why I didn't stock up whilst they were in season. Stretch your wings young one, try some other styles! I too prefer stouts, but really folks, this is excellent.

 

A combination of the cost to produce, the time and space required to barrel age, and the availability and cost of barrels.

 

I don't think CW BBS is year round now. They rotate Brewer's Reserve barrel aged beers throughout the year.

Lots of beers mentioned on here that don't find national distribution, so may not be available to the OP. I like the idea of getting a decent amount of the seasonal ones that come out and drinking them throughout the year. I do that with KBS, BCBS, CW BBS, among others.