'16 Bourbon County Lineup

Agreed. I just cracked my 15 Rare last night and it was absolutely perfect. I had the chance to buy one today but they were asking $130

 

What is up with it being 9 oz instead of 12. Sorry if this has been covered.

 

I just had a draft of '15 (non infected) and this year's '16. Have to say, side by side this year's is much less boozy.More chocolate and notes of bitter coffee (this was standard BCBS). Same thick silky mouthfeel but disappointed that the beloved bourbon flavors and aromas are substantially lacking this year.

 

First year living in Austin, TX and first year I decided to pass on lining up after the souring nonsense last year and rumors of low allocations (also, the lack of a unique 2016 variant other than Prop). Waltzed into a Specs in the afternoon and there was unlimited regular, 1 per person barleywine and Rare. Can't help but laugh at the absurdity of it.

 

It was crazy this morning in Madison. I tried seven stores total and was able to accumulate 7 Stouts and 3 BWs. Felt fortunate/lukcy - one place was a one bottle limit and I got the second to last bottle.

 

Given the current state of things in the A2 area, you should consider yourself lucky just to find some (especially if you didn't have to wait in a line). It is always a struggle to find it in the area and this year is was literally twice as difficult.

We could buy 4-packs pre-2014. Then GI changed the format, and those places responded by limiting sales to 2 bottles per person. Now this year, those places had allocations cut to the point where they were limiting sales to 1 bottle per person, and they still sold out upon open.

For me to even consider $20/bottle has me realizing how pathetic the situation has become in this area.

 

Was it Brodie Specs? I went in today at noon-ish, got a bunch of regular, coffee, barleywine and a Rare, there had to have been 50+ bottles of "Rare" sitting there! lol

 

I was able to find 4 BCBS and 2 BCBW today but I can't find any of that coffee stout

 

Yup. I missed the coffee but to be fair I stopped by in the middle of the afternoon while running other errands in the area. Last year I lived in Chicago of all places and you couldn't find rare for under $120 unless you lined up for hours on Black Friday.

 

Agreed. I've been drinking '15s all year and they have been rich, bold, heavy, and magnificent. Had some '16 regular and barleywine last night on tap and was actually a bit disappointed. Regular was still great, but too smooth and flavor had less depth and complexity, and BW was almost bland compared to last year's.

Could it be because of the flash pasteurizing that prevented last year's accident?

 

If the beer is pasteurized how can it then age in the bottle?

 

The flavor will change as it oxidizes over time.

 

I'm curious about this as well. Will it age?

I read the article in the Chicago Tribune about BC being pasteurized this year and they quoted someone at Deschutes who claims that they have been pasteurizing barrel aged beers since 2010. I've not heard anyone mention that Abyss and the others don't age.

Oxidation is one component that won't be affected. I just don't know the other details.

 

Pasteurizing doesn't prohibit flavor evolution completely, just certain aspects of it. Oxidation still occurs, as others have said. In my own experience, doing verticals of stuff like pumpkin beers and spiced ales, certain flavors come and go over time without regard to yeast activity. Pumpkin beers taste more spice-forward after a year, coffee beers become less bitter and more balanced, etc. The one thing it does impact is flavor, and the same goes for wine, orange juice, milk, etc. Pasteurizing makes the product safer at expense of quality.

 

I had no trouble in Ann Arbor. Picked up 2 stouts on Friday and went back for the last 4 today.

My advice would be to stay loyal to a good store. Get to know the staff and owner. My guy will order whatever I want and hold it for me. In this case I totally spaced but he had me covered .
The owner of my spot was saving his allotment for his regulars. His reasoning was why would he sell to just anybody walking in the door when his loyal guys are there all the time. Might not be what people want to hear, but it happens.

As far as I know in A2, it's all gone.

 

Did GI ever say if Ohio was getting an allotment this year? Google wasn't turning up anything.

 

Do you know how it would age if it wasn't pasteurized?

 

Variants were slim pickens in central Iowa....of the two Hy-Vees in the city i went to, one had a 6 bottle limit, and the other had no limit (but sold the bottles for $2 more per bottle....got my 6 and called it a day....maybe i will get to try the coffee at some point......

 

$20?!! I spent $12.

 

Gotta give GI credit for marketing. Nice to have a product with so much hype and free word of mouth advertising. Watch what happens when Founders releases CBS.