Ive heard someone say something like "...this year's base beer is weak" and similar things in the past, but I just taste a singular liquid and am not really able to parse out the base from the bourbon. Its bc im stupid. Ive been drinking it for years, but maybe have just not tried hard enough to parse the bourbon flavor from the base. I realize the base they use isnt necessarily the best beer on its own, and its formulated specifically for how it will blend in the barrel, bla bla bla... Help me out, make me less stupid. I'll be cracking some very soon.
some say its big john, others nightstalker, others cook county stout. Ive heard goose doesnt release it as non-ba but I am sure they make tweaks to it every year.
As far as I know, the base beer has never been released so I don't know how anybody could compare it to previous years or know how much influence the barrel has on the base beer without tasting it. The only thing that matters is the final product which in my opinion has always been excellent. Don't think too hard about it, just enjoy.
Yeah, not too concerned about their opinion either way on it, its more for my own edification. If I'm drinking a barrel aged stout and could suss out the qualities of the base (without having had the base on its own), I'd pat myself on the back and talk about it on the internet.
This came up in a thread a while back (maybe a few years now), and I remember people saying that the base is not great. This may have come directly from Goose Island in an interview or something. It's funny how not-so-good base beers can turn into something extraordinary when aged in barrels.
I also remember that. The GI people claimed the base Stout was never intended to be drunk. It was just intended to be a solid foundation for the brew.
Is it possible some people are referring to the "regular" BCBS as opposed to the variants when they refer to "the base"?
I don't believe I have seen a stout from Goose Island other than the Barrel aged beers. Another case in point, Wild Onion makes a terrific BA RIS, but their stouts leave a lot to be desired.
This is PRECISELY what people are referring to, in fact. People have definitely tried the Cook County Stout (I think Fulton has it occasionally) but by no means is it something people try annually or have any chance of trying and then reflecting on the differences between years.
I personally think this year's regular BCBS is pretty great. Wasn't a fan of the orange, have vanilla lined up for this weekend.
Possibly before your time (5yrs ago) Nightstalker (dry hopped almost like an RIS) and Big John (cocoa). They were distributed in 5.2gal kegs and 22oz bottles. This was last brewed maybe 2yrs before they switched to the 500ml.
They have been serving up the base. https://untappd.com/b/goose-island-beer-co-bourbon-county-stout-base-stout-un-aged/1180932
The barrels said "All your base are belong to us." If you get that reference, you have a good memory for dumb shit.
