'16 Bourbon County Lineup

A local bottle shop I frequent in town, one that historically allows a pretty sizable allotment, reported that they are getting about 1/3 of what they have gotten in year's past because their overall GI sales are way down. Sounds very plausible, and a big bummer. No mention whatsoever of it being due to dumping BCBS. Hopefully I have luck as I'll be visiting family in Chi anyway...

 

Just because places are seeing a smaller distribution than last year doesn't necessarily mean a significant quantity of BCBS was dumped. GI could have reduced production for whatever reason (increase the hype?) or is simply increasing distribution to other markets like Canada, Europe and Brazil.

 

I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing some here in SC since the bottle stores (in Charleston) have put up the Bourbon County posters in their windows this past week.

 

Or maybe they are sitting on the rest for a few weeks/months after Black Friday before having a second release so the fans who aren't camping out may serendipitously discover some at a liquor store down the road.

 

Also Ohio is supposed to be getting it for the first time this year

 

Sad day in Milwaukee. Only 3 accounts are getting coffee.

 

Nope, not getting it according to my inside source. Didn't get through state approvals fast enough.

 

Are those 3 getting less allocation? My hope would be maybe GI is pushing all the BCBS to fewer accounts so they can have a bigger release day like they do at Binny's in Chicago. Cut out all the scrubby mom and pops who overcharge for the stuff and keep it in the hands of retailers who spread the love around at recommended pricing. If GI truly has less supply of BCBS this year, that is messed up.

 

Everyone's allocation is less this year, even the distributor. I'm getting a fifth of what I got last year and I'm the number 4 GI store in their book.

 

It's pretty bizarre that a few years after the AB acquisition that had also all saying "hopefully that means more BCS for everyone!" we're having this talk...

I get what happened, and why (and I don't blame GI), but it just feels like the more things change, the more they stay the same with the big beer releases.

 

Last year Coffee was trading CRAZY high, can you imagine what this year will bring. It's going to get comical.

 

Not what I heard from my guy that works at GI. Ohio will be getting it, but after Black Friday for sure. State approval didn't come fast enough to get it here for Black Friday.

 

Discount, Rays, and...?

 

This is false. We're getting in the exact same amount.

 

According to the manager at one of the craft bottle shops in Sioux Falls, the distributor said that South Dakota will see no BCBS distribution because not enough Sophie was sold in the state. They were not told of this requirement ahead of time. Luckily it will still be on tap, though that too will be more limited than usual.

 

To be be completely honestly, besides the 4th of July AB IBNEV buy 2 get 1 free sixer deals (including bud, stella, shock top, and GI), I honestly do not know a person who buys GI products year round WILLINGLY. I think gone are the days where we feel a GI BCBS product is heralded as superior. With all this talk about odd ended disitrbution, It sounds like a lonely weird shop in OK may have the highest allocation of BCBS product.. They really need to re think their whole process. People are done with waiting in line for $14 16.9 oz bottles.

My local shop has in the past, combined the GI event with other BA IS releases, and have offered way more than what GI could offer. It becomes quite a feast for the local breweries who know consumers had money set aside for GI but they end up with nothing. So the regional and local breweries are winning out on BF for sure.

 

I guess you missed the part about me being in Milwaukee and having a different distributor then you. Thanks for joining BA just to chime in on that.

 

I think if you visited Binny's Lincoln Park in Chicago, you would feel differently. There will be people lining up the night before the release, on Thanksgiving.

The fact of the matter is, no matter how many people bitch and moan, this will still be one of the most popular releases of the year, and GI will sell out of everything they produce and distribute. And, maybe with the exception of Prop, everything will be thoroughly enjoyed by those who purchase it.

 

Do ya think the coffee version will be tough to find in southeast mi? Livingston/Oakland counties?

 

Was in one of my favorite bottle shops last night and ran into the beer manager. Since had not seen or heard anything about how they were distributing BCBS this year I asked. He shook his head, and said they had not decided yet because they were getting half what they received last year. When I asked why, he shrugged and said he understood all of Springfield Missouri was getting only half of last year, although he had no idea why.

2014 was when we first learned about BCBS (through this site). We were determined and were able to get 5 of the 12 oz. bottles with some effort. We were lucky to find it on tap on a number of occasions. Last year we all out chased, standing in line at 3 places, buying other GI products for the privilege of buying BCBS at couple places, ending up with 9 of the new bottles. It left a bad taste in our mouth, and we had already decided we weren't going to do that this year. Hopefully we get a couple bottles. It's an awesome beer, but as many have said, there are lots of other great beers out there. Good luck to all who decide to chase. Sounds like going to be real challenge in many places