Bourbon County 2018

The years kind of bleed together for me, but I remember the first two or so years it was brewed (this would have been after the initial KH release if I recall, when it was in the maroon/gold labels) it was very very well done. I've had it every year since then too and while the newer vintages are fine, compared to what it used to be, it's not close.

 

Good question. Regardless, because of the number of variants (and the kind of variants as well) I expect this year's shit show at LP Binny's to be even worse than last year.

 

FTFY

 

Yep, you are guessing.

I actually like the newer versions better, 2016 and 2017. ikr

 

I get that the former use BCBS barrels were at higher risk for infection to use a third time for the barleywine, but the former stout barrel is what separated BCB Barleywine from a crowd of other top barleywines. Why they can't barrel the barlewyine and then blend in a bit of the BCBS regular in to achieve a similar flavor to the original is beyond me.

 

I think that's all in your head. I don't think the stout being in there previously added any flavor, I think all it did was actually tamp down the barrel influence that a second use barrel would impart. There I said it.

 

It really made all the difference.

Unfortunately, I think with whatever happened to the Reserve BW last year, they are probably done using this approach.

 

meh, really dsiagree

There was a huge difference between the first releases and the most recent ones.

 

So, does anyone know why Reserve Barleywine has check ins on Untappd. And they've clearly bottled it? A question I've been meaning to ask. Maybe only a small amount was salvageable and it went to employees or something?

https://untappd.com/b/goose-island-beer-co-bourbon-county-barleywine-reserve/2425324

 

Yes.

 

I know it went out to the vendors who did the collaborations (specifically the hot sauce). Possibly was kegged too?

 

Or maybe it was totally indiscernible from the regular barleywine so they weren't going to be able to charge a premium for it selling it side by side without angering customers. If they wanted to release it later (Good for up to 5 years, right? Wink) they could. They would just need to somehow put some distance between it and the current barleywine series by doing something like taking the current barleywine out of the lineup for a year or if they made a ton and it is too late in the year they could add something like coffee to it to make it a much different flavor profile or then release something like a wheatwhine that tastes different enough from a barleywine that when a consumer compares the BCB Wheatwhine to a BCB Barleywine Reserve they exclaim "Wow, that Reserve has so much more flavor!" even though the Reserve tastes exactly like the normal barleywine.

Or maybe it had flaws and they covered it up with coffee...

 

Yep between this and the fake beer labels it's like neck beards playing checkers while Goose/InBev playing chess.

 

But checkers is an easier game, shouldn't we be winning?

 

I’m super pumped about Prop. It’s essentially BA Big John, which is one of the best beers Goose has made.

 

Never thought about it that way--actually forgot Big John had nibs.

 

And the base is the same for both BCS and big John - Cook County Stout

 

Big John was fantastic. Good call. Never looked at it that way.

 

Big John only had cacao nibs, so it leaned to the bitter side (I loved it as well, btw). I'm expecting Prop to be a bit fudgier with the addition of actual chocolate. I'm actually hoping it ends up being more like Baudoinia, which was like a glass of fudge BCS. It was amazing.