Splurge for special beer(s)

Any of the Weldwerks Medianoche variants. I'd suggest rye vanilla or peanut butter cup. Not sure how available they are in the secondary market though. BA Abraxas would be nice but I dont think you can get one for less than 200

 

If you're in the Park Ridge area, try BeerOnTheWall. They usually carry a good amount of limited release stuff that you don't see at other beer stores. However, not having been in there for about 2 months, I can't say what their selection of BA beers is like at the moment.

 

You might be able to pick up one of the Dark Lord variants roughly in that range if you negotiate well.

 

I will recomend Wild Onions "Drago". I will not vouch for the flavored varieties, but the stuff in the red cans is mighty good

 

You’ve only “seen it all” once you get to see the cashier's face when buying such a beer. It never fails.

Atilla The Hen is the imperial version of their Kentucky Ryed Chiquen (see below). I've bought each of these a few times and they make such a mess in the shopping bag. Good for a laugh, but more importantly, a joy to drink.

 

Might as well go for something stupendous
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15237/47100/

 

Yeah, that beer is what the kids call fire.

 

Oskar Blues/Cigar City Bamburana (see my avatar) might still be on the shelves somewhere. I'd buy eleven or twelve 4-packs of it with your $200 and call it a day. I'd get more myself, but it never turned up here, though got some in a trade. This beer is incredible.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/2681/382422/

 

2 or 3x $60-80 scotch is a better celebratory bang for your buck IMO.

Unless you don't like scotch of course.

 

I’d buy Westy 12 if it was my money. Have fun!

 

Utopias?

 

Do people honestly spend over $100 on a single bottle of beer? That seems insane. I've spent that much on scotch and really nice ryes and bourbons, but that's entirely different. That lasts months, if not a year. What on earth do you get for that much? I'm the world's biggest beer fan, and am in love with big BA stouts, but my plebian was has never even seen the likes of these ultra-hyped trade whales such as:

Abraxas
Dark Lord
Darkstar
KBBS
Handjee
Black Tuesday Reserve
Hunahpu
BCBS Rare/Prop
Fundamental Observation
SR-71
Mornin' Delight
Assassin
Etc...

I've only heard they're amazing and have always wanted to try one. How much do these things actually cost? Someone offered to trade a BA Abraxas for Vanilla BCBS but I turned it down. I can't fathom spending $100 on a single beer. Is this for multiples? Do people do realistic $4$ trades for these in the trade forums? I'm a fsirly seasoned beer guy, but I have no knowledge of the secondary value hype world of beer. I keep out of that mess.

$200 could get you a Rhetoric Orphan Barrel 23yr or a Highland Park 18, or even a Van Winkle bourbon, if you're into that whole scene. Most I've spent on a beer was $20 for a BCBS variant, and that was a truly amazing beer. Seems like a situation with a whole lot of diminishing returns.

 

I'm not calling you out for your financial decisions. If you have that much disposable money that you can spend $100 on a bottle of beer, then go for it. I don't criticise friends who drive $175,000 cars. More power to you. I can't justify it because to me, $100 makes the difference of having rent for the week, food for the next two months, or gas to get to work. If that's pocket change to you, then that's great.

My question was more directed at the general thread audience, and legitimate questions about the cost and availability of the aforementioned beers. You do you, man. Cheers.

 

I’ve bought off the secondary market albeit many years ago, but there can be some reasonable values out there for beers you want to try outside of your market.

Honestly if I could find a place that would ship me 6 fresh Pliny’s I’d buy them. Most of the sites I’ve seen were always a one bottle and always sold out.