Founders CBS - Final 2018 Barrel Aged Series release.

I have been fortunate to have had them all and have a couple bottles of '17 left. For me, it can be hard to recall the subtleties. One impression that did stay with from the 2017, however, is that I found maple really softens and at a year, very little is there compared to release. I felt like it shined at a few months old. Was less sweet, felt more integrated.

On draft yesterday the 2018 was "fresh" and I look forward to a side by side.

 

Our palates are complete opposites, all I get now is a maple bomb which rocks to me.

 

I stopped at the grocery store yesterday for a work errand. They had four bottles each of CBS and Darkness on display by the W&S register. Easy pass, since I was on the clock; however, at $23.99 and $19.99 respectively, I'm out in any case.

 

Interesting

I will do a 17 18 s x s soon.

 

When you wake up let us know how it went, if you remember

 

$30 a bottle here in socal. oof

 

$21.99 at one of my local shops in Birmingham - 1 bottle limit. I missed out last year so I picked it up. Based on what many have said in this thread, I may wait a couple of months to open it.

 

Picked it up yesterday for $25.99 at a local shop here in Asheville. Limit was 2, I bought 2. I’ve never had any of the previous years and am curious enough to get 1 for now and 1 to age ~6 months or so.

 

I haven't tried the new one but I've heard that 18 is better than 17 by a long shot if you prefer heavier maple flavors.

 

Finishing off my last one from 2017. The maple is a little more pronounced than I remember. Picked up 2 more yesterday. I won’t keep them long.

 

Obviously beating a dead horse but with how the maple is that pronounced, 12 oz is literally the perfect format for this. Hell, 12 oz is perfect for any stout imo. Less is more

 

Doesn't matter if we pass or not, founders has already made their bank as its all been sold to distributors

 

I opened my first one yesterday and drank it over yesterday and today.

130pm: at opening poured 8-10oz into a tulip glass, champagne stoppered the bottle. Fridge temp and drank over 2 hours. Pitch black with a deep brown head. Full of dark, bitter chocolate, dark roast coffee, and maple. Lots of maple, not over-poweringly maple-forward, but it’s there, you know it, and it balances the bitter of the chocolate and coffee really well. Bitterness fades as it warms.

12am: poured 8-10oz into a tulip glass, champagne stoppered the bottle. Fridge temp and drank over 2 hours. Bitterness from the chocolate and coffee is still prominent. Maple is there, but less in-your-face.

6pm following day: poured 8oz into a tulip glass. Fridge temp, drank over 1 hour. Bitterness is all but absent, carbonation is much lower. With maple up front, the chocolate and coffee have become side players.

 

If you are in the Raleigh NC area get your bottle from Whole Foods! Good stock and $22.99. Peace street market trying to limit people to one, act like they don’t have it, all hush hush and mess, and charge $33.99 for it! Ugh so beat up! Ok, psa over haha, just watching everyone’s dollar!

 

My son in law picked me up two bottles and didn't ask for the money. So given what he has consumed from my inventory over the past year, I guess it cost me about $175 per bottle.

 

had 2017 a few days ago and 2018 tonight, there is a pretty big difference. i usually prefer any beer fresh, but this was honestly kind of a mess. i had to try it to see for myself, but i would definitely recommend listening to everyone who says to age this. the 2017 with a year on it was really, really good, coming from someone who is not big into stouts.

 

I walked into my first attempt to find CBS in Western New York at 1pm and found an entire shelf full. The clerk said that I was only the second customer looking for it. CBS was 24.99 with no limit. The store has gotten 3 cases. I purchase 3, hid the receipt so my wife doesn't find it, and will store it for at least a year. I had 3 last year. Drank one fresh and was not impressed. Drank another after 6 months and still was not impressed. I drank the last one the day before this years release and was blown away.

 

Seriously though I would consider drinking one before the year mark since you have multiples. I don't plan on buying any bottles this year but I had a taster on tap and I thought it was delicious fresh this year. Don't know how different the bottles and draft version are.