Side Project / Shared (2020)

closest I've gotten to this is a BCS vertical which I'm guessing isn't in the same league

 

I would say just about all of it. Was very oxidized. I'm sure it was just as good as 2018 and 2019 fresh.

 

it was ok opening weekend. really hit its sweet spot in January / February of 2018.

 

I've popped a lot of old ass stouts this year and I'm surprised a 2017 waxed bottle would be that oxidized. Still reporting back next weekend...

 

does the wax really make a difference though? feel like that’s all for show.

 

Had a bottle of BBT 17 in Jan 2018 at the Cellar and thought it was amazing. Had it again on draft at the Cellar this year for Stout Week and it was just ok, got blown out of the water by 18 and 19. Not sure if it fell off or what but not too bummed about missing out on it today.

 

I think it would make some difference. What do I know though? I'm still sitting on 2 of those bitches. We'll see if it ends up being a $50 drain pour.

 

It's def not drain pour bad. It is important to qualify that it is being only compared to 2018 and 2019 BBT lol. If someone said let's open a 2017 BBT I say fuck yeah.

 

Yeah this. I would guess if I had a 2017 on it's own and not next to 2018, I would enjoy it a lot more.

 

i would say “why haven’t you opened it like 2 years ago?!?”

 

Yeah, 18' and 19' are monsters. That's fair.

 

Same reason I haven't opened my Fuzzy mag from the old Perennial release days. I just use all my beer as paper weights.

 

Did the BBT vert blind last week. Yes, 17 was the easiest to pick out and came in last. But it was still a world class beer and tasting as good as it ever has (maybe even better). It’s just that 18/19/R were made when Cory had move blending stock and ultimately took it up another level.

I bought one of the packages today without hesitation and look forward to doing a 5 bottle BBt vert after next release.

 

A couple weeks ago we opened one of my two bottles of BBT3 that have been fridge stored since release. This is the only BBT I’ve had, although probably cracking a Rye this or next weekend. Picked up last weekend and gotta pace myself on working through every release since I went up at the end of June.

Yes it was amazing, but my girlfriend and I both agreed everything was slightly muted compared to fresh. We definitely preferred it fresh. In my opinion unless you’re just doing it for the novelty of seeing how it holds up, drink non-adjunct within 12-18 months, and adjunct within 6 months and preferably as soon as possible.

 

couldn’t agree more. those beers are conditioned in the bottle for a while anyways so when they’re released they’re ready and i’m just not one to gamble on a 1pp $50 (likely more this year) bottle. bottom line, those stouts will eventually start to fall apart.

 

Another thing I think people don’t consider with stouts like these is that the beer itself is already about 2.5 years old when it’s released. The only thing fresh about it is the flavor profile from the barrels. I believe the main reason these BA stout recipes are not good fresh is those rough characteristics make the beer hold up against oxidation, which there is a lot of when it sits in a wood barrel for roughly two years. When the barrel flavors start really fading at the two plus year mark, the oxidation really becomes prevalent because the beer is pushing five years old.

 

Having drank BBT3 a dozen or so times since release i don’t really agree that it’s lost anything. My personal opinion.

 

I think our difference of opinion is because this was my first time having it since BBT weekend and you’ve had it many times in between then and now. The difference to me would be more pronounced as opposed to trying it once a month or more since release.

 

I think it depends on the brewery. I've had some where it seemed like the wax didn't really do much at all, some vintages of Dark Lord for example.

On the other hand, I've had several vintages of East End's Gratitude, some almost a decade old at this point, and have been absolutely astonished at how pristine the liquid in the bottle has been, not to mention the carbonation and head retention. Their barleywine is so air tight and so well packaged it's absolutely mind blowing, and I can't imagine it would have been the same with just a cap and no wax. But again, not every brewery/process would have the same outcome.

All that said, I had BBT b1 shortly after it had come out, on draft at a festival, and wasn't a huge fan of it. Hence why I never chased b2 the following year, and then it blew up. Now I'm dying to try RBBT because I'm a huge rye fan but yeah...not holding my breath.

 

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