Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition Stout 2018

I am for sure sad for a number of people in this thread...and their taste buds.

 

I like your ranking. I also have not had BA Expedition, so I don't know where to place it either (yet) but it would have to be an outstanding beer to beat out Black Note.

 

If you like the bourbon that you get with BcBS, then I suspect you would like BAE more than black note. If you feel like BCBS is not balanced because of that, then you would not.

That said, BAE after a year is about like BCBS after 3-4 in terms of the bourbon mellowing.

 

I guess I can play the game too but I'm upping the hairsplitting ante:

17 BAE>>>>vintage BA Pt5 > 16BAE > Black Note > 6 month old KBS > CBS >fresh KBS>>>>2017 Pt5 (the 2017 specifically had a light barrel presence, was good fresh, but faded fast)

 

Our taste buds must be way different. BCBS does have a great/strong barrel presence, which I love. One reason why I'm not a big fan of BA Expo & Black Note is that I never get much barrel at all. I've been really surprised at people mentioning how barrel forward BA Expo is.

 

It's the most bourbon-forward stout I have had - I think - that's not BCBS.

Always interesting how different taste buds can be .

 

Very interesting indeed. I just looked at my first check-in from July 2017, and I noted it as having "hardly any bourbon". What's somewhat interesting is that my rating for it has gone up by 0.25 each of the 2 subsequent times I've had it, so maybe I'll get up to some of the scores of others with the last bottle or two I have. I just had one in August and enjoyed it, but still found it pretty basic. But, maybe I'm just a #pastryboi nowadays.

 

There it is ladies and gentlemen. Announced on instagram Monday release at the general store.

 

I might be an idiot, where do you see it announced?

 

I just looked at their IG, and there was a video showing BAE getting bottled, ending with a text note saying it will be at Gen Store Monday, and other areas (dist) later or something like that.
I don't see it there now, and I didn't see it the first time I checked either; but the video did pop up the second time I checked this morning.
Edit ...
https://www.instagram.com/stories/bellsbrewery/ - the second video/story

 

I see it now, thanks!

 

So start looking for it at Chicagoland Binny's around the middle of next week, or end of next week, I'm assuming?

 

God I hope it takes longer. I am gone all next week. Indiana sometimes gets it the same week as Chicago. Let's hope for 1-2 weeks later!

 

I’m hoping against hope this is available easily. Black Note sat around in Chicago for weeks,

Hoping that quality, non-adjunct stouts just aren’t cool anymore. That would make my life easy.

 

I really really really want this to be the same as trying to score a 4 pack of anything else where, if you are on it the day that it lands, you can get it without killing yourself.

That's not too much to ask, is it?!

 

Paging 2008 ...

 

Here’s to Hope!

 

I'm not holding out hope it will be easy to find. I'm preparing the bottle hounds for quite the hunt. Plan on scouring the countryside in a scorched earth take no prisoners hunt to the last empty shelf. Drag the wifey along to the stores. It's almost Halloween so maybe some costume changes for shops that allocate? I'm not the guy who just bought his limit, I'm a random dude out in public in a head to toe clown costume with a similar voice tone but a terrible British accent.

I'm kidding of course. Actually am I? I don't know anymore. The spirit of the hunt is in control now...

 

Hey us tickers gotta get that tick

 

No way this hits distro in chicago next week, usually bells stuff takes awhile, I mean hell hopslam is a few weeks old before the stores get it