Goose Island Bourbon County - 2024 (Chicagoland)

I passed along what I heard last week, but wanted to hold off posting that tidbit until after the formal release. I wasn't told the specifics about which barrel only variant was planned / held back.

Here is something that was posted publicly by Guys Drinking Beer in their newsletter. I can see Goose Island adding the planned sixth release if it is ready in time for bottling and distribution on Black Friday.

 

Minus the coffee (which I miss also) this is pretty much what they've done. 2 out of 3 isn't bad in my book.

EDIT: Nevermind, didn't realize the barleywine had so many adjuncts. I retract.

 

I wouldn't count this years Prop as bringing back BCBBW. It intriguing in the way that Prop should be, but not the standby classic you know you'll love if they put out the old barleywine (especially if they can find a way to get back to third use barrels).

 

Oh, fuck! This was a baller lineup, short and sweet, up until I looked more into the barleywine and it isn’t just a barley wine in really good barrels like any rationale human would want, but instead they took the fake label Prop stout and turned it into Pad Thai Barleywine…totally disappointing. Just give us a high level barely wine once a year like Rev does 5+ times a year….

 

Upon receiving the all-caps subject line of BOURBON COUNTY BRAND FAMILY:

NOTHING MAKES ME MORE EXCITED THAN MEETING THE BRAND FAMILY.

 

Is it just me or does the link go to '23 BCBS?

*Looks like they fixed their mistake.*

 

So, a lime and hot pepper barleywine and then they ruin the first coconut stout they’ve done in a minute by dumping ginger in it?

Even the “pared back reboot” has already jumped the shark.

 

My first reaction was that macaroon should've been this year's Prop, but I think it's kinda fun that the BW gets the royal Chicago flag treatment instead. Looks like a fun lineup, which is basically all I ask from GI at this point.

 

I look forward to buying all of these when they’re 50% off at Mariano’s!

 

This pretty much sums up my thoughts on BCBS the last 10 years:

 

Want the Vanilla Rye. Really hope it's "ONLY" $24.99 here, but fully expecting $29.99 to try to recoup the losses of the supposed lost 6th variant

 

So couple quick thoughts:
1. I like the smaller lineup, hopefully that translates to better availability overall in non-Chicago areas.
2. Worried that Vanilla Rye will be meh and not as good as the original, a la last year's Backyard.
3. Total ew on that Prop BW. I don't think ANY adjuncts should go into a BW, let alone those.
4. Nice to the see cask-finish come back after the success of AE. Maybe not AS excited for this one, but it's got a high ceiling for sure.

 

Was availability bad in Michigan? We still can't get rid of it, stacks and stacks of most variants at every Binny's

 

I think Michigan receives less BC than any other state.

That is only a half joke. Also, I would say it is payback for all the FIBs jokes, but some of those IBs are FIBs.

 

IB = irritable bowels? FIB = full irritable bowel?

 

Illinois Bastards and Fucking Illinois Bastards.

As in, all of you are Illinois Bastards, but there are a select few of you that remain outside of the nearly eclipsing subset, Fucking Illinois Bastards.

 

This is what Michigan gets for constantly calling itself the best beer state or claiming Grand Rapids as the best beer city, while at the same time complaining about lack of BCBS and Three Floyds.

 

I was thinking: Fix the fucking roads, and we’ll consider distributing BC.

 

So, it's funny. For non-boxed variants, it's actually been better. Even awesome, I'd say, last year. I know of places that had Backyard and Banana sitting on the floor weeks, if not months, after the release. I probably should've been more specific and said the boxed/Reserve/rare variants. AE and ER were VERY difficult to get last year.

But yes, in general, Michigan gets TERRIBLE BCBS distro, especially outside of the major metro areas of Detroit and GR.

 

In lieu of the announcement of Vanilla Rye returning I decided to crack my last bottle of BCB 2018 Vanilla. As a defender of this beer and proponent that you can never have too much vanilla I do wish that I cracked this one sooner. While the vanilla levels were through the roof when enjoyed fresh an artificial Betty Crocker-ness is now more apparent. The base beer no longer has the weight to support the deteriorating flavors and thus feels disjointed. If this one is still sitting in anyone's cellars I'd say enjoy it now but maybe just having it would be more appropriate.