The Vintage Bourbon County Review Thread

Excellent review! I am not a big vanilla fan, in stouts or in general, but do appreciate when it is incorporated to compliment, not overwhelm. A few years ago, the Clybourn Brewpub pulled out draft 2014 Vanilla Rye. It was an excellent variant, one of my highest rated, due to the way the vanilla blended and provided the balance you noted after a few years since the 2018 was bottled.

I didn't recall the thinness noted in your initial review. However, I went to my review notes and sure enough I see "Thinner mouthfeel than the other variants" . In fact I don't recall saying that about any other BCS pour before or since. The note was short and sweet, so I didn't find it to be Central Waters thin or I would have expanded on the thin comments, but I am curious as to why it turned out thin versus the other variants.

I didn't have to refer to the notes to remember the overwhelming vanilla extract aroma and taste, so much so that I didn't mind giving the rest of my Amateur Night Preview Party pour to a stranger who came after vanilla tapped. I thought it would mellow out in the bottle, but I don't think I ended up grabbing a bottle of it (didn't purchase an allotment in 2018 due to the Binny's 2017 release fiasco).

Never held an opened bottle overnight before (of any beer), but it should work well with this style. Looking forward to any updates regarding changes and your full review.

 

2012 Bourbon County Brand Stout - Bottled on 8/23/12 1409.

12oz bottle vigorously poured into a BCBS snifter. Little to no head and initial aromas were roasted malt with some chocolate. Taste initially was strong black licorice, followed by a chocolate finish. Warmed over an hour period and the initial licorice lessened some, but the chocolate grew stronger. No other flavors. Mouthfeel was good as always. Overall this may be past its prime - was good to drink after all these years!

 

In the Beer Talk forum, the next Beer Advocate online tasting will take place Thanksgiving Day Weekend (Friday - Sunday). All Bourbon County Stouts, current or prior years, are welcome for the tasting.

Hope you are able to join.

 

2013 Bourbon County Brand Stout - Bottled 07NOV13 1009.

12oz bottle vigorously poured into a BCBS snifter. Some dark brown head which dissipated rather quickly. Aromas of chocolate, dark fruit, maybe some barrel. At first I was worried because of a strong oxidized/wet cardboard taste, followed by the chocolate-bourbon barrel flavor. After sitting out for close to an hour that initial oxidized taste subsided and mostly barrel aged stout flavor remains. Thicker mouthfeel than 2012. Overall it turned out to be very good after warming up.

 

I'll have to dig into my cellar on this one. I have BCBS going back to one lonely 2009, and from 11 on, at least a few bottles of each year, plus a few variants. Barleywine, coffee, vanilla and I think a proprieters. One of these days I need to get in there and actually catalog my cellar, figure out exactly what I do have down there.

 

2014 Bourbon County Brand Stout - Bottled 17OCT14 1420.

12oz bottle poured gently into a snifter. Low brown head and an initial whiff of oxidation that led quickly to rich chocolatey stout aromas. Tastes like a boozy BA stout! Rich, roasty stout, with sweetness from the barrel and some barrel heat on the back end! Silky-thick mouthfeel. This...THIS is on the money!

 

2015 Bourbon County Brand Stout - Bottled 12NOV15 1047. 14.3% ALC/VOL

16.9oz bottle poured into a snifter with thin brown head. Roast malts, chocolate, barrel aromas. Chocolate taste, some barrel heat, fades to some vanilla from the barrel. Like the 14, silky viscous mouthfeel. Overall very tasty (and not an infected bottle). This beer aged well for the past 5 years!

 

So I miscounted - I actually had 2 2009 BCBS. Decided to open one tonight.
|Even after 11 years, it's a bit hot. But tasty for all that. lots of chocolate, plenty of the bourbon left.

 

2016 Bourbon County Brand Stout - Bottled 07OCT16 1450 13.8% ALC/VOL

Poured from a 16.9oz bottle into a snifter - no head although some lacing. Aromas of chocolate and barrel (no surprised). Very smooth taste - chocolate is more subtle than prior years. Finishes with a dry feeling and some barrel heat. Mouthfeel is silky but thinner than prior years if that makes sense. Overall very drinkable but not as complex as prior years. I would note that this bottle had little to no sediment - prior years had a lot at the bottom.

 

2017 Bourbon County Brand Stout - Bottled 07SEP17 12:34 14.7% ALC/VOL

Poured from the 16.9oz bottle into a snifter. Not much head to speak of - aromas of chocolate and black licorice. Taste is roast chocolate with some vanilla notes from the barrel. Very smooth and medium mouthfeel. Overall this is holding up well and tastes like BCBS.

 

I've drank through 14-19 the last week. The 14 had fallen off the most, I'd say. But the 15-19 were all excellent, and different. Tasting notes escape me now buy they were all tasting really good. I might splurge and go buy the overpriced vertical that's turding away at Binnys.

BTW @Beer_Economicus that snifter you have in your post up top.....I need one of those like I need air.

 

It looks like I will be in town for this, so if it's still open, I'm in. I'm normally in a small village in TN so acquiring this has been a challenge most years. But there are a couple in the cellar now and I anticipate being able to get some this year.

 

Cross post from BCBS Online Tasting Thread (link)



My preference was 2013 then 2014 and then 2012. 2012 was clearly losing the bottle with oxidation although there was still some barrel presence and other remnants of BCBS past. 2014 was still in good shape flavor wise and a fine, fine iteration of BCBS. However, 2013 seemed to have a 'whole greater than the sum of its parts' quality. Aroma was not ideal but the meld of flavors was the best of the three. Having said this, I don't think 2013 has much longer until it moves into the 'BCBS bygone' phase like the 2012. Sadly, after digging into the cellar I still have a 4pk of 2012 and no 2013 bottles left. Drink fresh(er), folks. PS: Anyone interested in a 4pk of 2012 BCBS?

 

Anyone have a 2012 cherry rye recently? The most recent review on beer advocate is from 2 years ago.

 

2018 BCBS

I'd post an image but Postimage is acting funky tonight, reading images in ok but not returning any urls. Anyway this was my second Black Friday event and I only picked up one of the regular BCBS (unlike this year where I picked up 3) so I don't have any unaged to compare it to but this tastes great. The carbonation is still producing a full head and there's no sign of any oxidation or off notes. Smell is very rich of malts, barrel and booze along with a molasses tinge to it. As it warms it gets better but being this is December and I'm in my attic in front of the stereo (BCBS makes all music sound better; I finished a record review tonight with imagery and insight I'd have never reached otherwise) it only gets so warm. The taste mirrors the smell. The mouthfeel is very rich and full.

I don't care what anyone says, there's something special about BCBS. And at one pint and nine ounces it's perfectly priced where it's at, plus it's just the volume to sip over the course of an evening and experience something very pleasant all by itself.

 

Here's my belated image

 

This thread seems to have gone dormant for three months. Anyway during the post Black Friday BCBS group tasting there were quite a few comments on how good the 2019 version was. Not having had access to lots of opportunities to buy multiple bottles of the non variants then (unlike 2020 where I snagged three bottles of the standard at what I thought were reasonable prices) this is my first tasting of that year's version



As soon as I popped the cap the booze just permeated the immediate vicinity. Even before it warmed to room temperature the taste had a richness that let me know I was in for something special. Once warmed up the smell has a malty boozy molasses texture I can't get enough of. But even though it's obviously boozy it's not excessively so; for example I've had some Evil Twin similar alc level concoctions where I had to moderate my breathing to prevent a massive coughing jag. This was much more balanced. Just an outstanding experience.

I'm open to suggestions on an optimum way to consume the 2020s.

 

I'm sure the 2020 will age great as all the BCBS do, but I thought the 2020 was the best fresh that I remembered over the last five years. In the past I thought they were a bit too hot for me fresh, but not the 2020.