2013 BCBS vs. 2014 BCBS

This beer ages well according to most, but when I tried them side by side the taste difference seemed to just be the effects of aging

 

There's no way to know. YOU like the 2013 better, and specifically, YOU like THAT bottle of 2013 that was aged at THAT temperature in THOSE conditions better on THAT day.

Look, they are both great beers and both taste delicious, and to my palate, have significantly different characters, particularly in mouthfeel. To me, the 2013 is much more viscous, almost syrupy in make up, and I think that amplifies the sweetness over the barrel character. I find the 2014 thinner, which for this beer, is a plus, allowing some of the flavor nuances to come out that otherwise felt hidden in the stickiness of the beer.

That said, splitting hairs between two remarkably made vintages of my favorite beer in the country.

 

2013 fresh was better than 2014 fresh, so I assume the same goes for 2013 cellared versus 2014 fresh.

 

I really find 3-4 years to be the sweet spot for BCS.

 

2013 > 2014 now and forever

 

Haven't done this side-by-side out of the bottle yet, but went to a BCBS event at a bar that was pouring '12, '13, '14, BCBCS '14, BCBBW '14, and Vanilla Rye out of the keg. Both my brother and I agreed that BCBS '13 stole the show- so much vanilla goodness that when tasting the Vanilla Rye against the BCBS '13, the Vanilla Rye seemed almost artificial tasting (and I love Vanilla Rye!).

Obviously, just my (and my brother's) perspective, but we ordered them as:

1. BCBS '13
2. Vanilla Rye
3. BCBCS '14
4. BCBBW
5. BCBS '12
6. BCBS '14

 

We did a small tasting when 14 was released and the majority felt it went '12 > '14 > '13. I'm purposely cellaring the rest of my '13 for a while longer in the hopes it improves to our tastes. Just goes to show what Misterbisco was talking about above...

 

I've had every year going back to 2008 both fresh and aged many times. It certainly ages great and like many others I find there can be a sweet spot after 3-4 years, although not every vintage seems to change the same way.

2014 has been my least favorite by a large margin when fresh. The mouthfeel isn't as full as prior years and although BCBS is always a bit "hot" out of the gate, the alcohol is more prominent and the rest of the flavors are less so in 2014. Hopefully time will work wonders, but I have less hopes for this batch.

For my taste buds, there have been a few different phases over the years where some vintages seemed more alike. My personal preference for the batches when fresh would go:
2008 >>> 2011-2013 > 2009-2010 >>> 2014

I have had older vintages but they all had a few years on them already so can't really compare how they were when fresh.

Of course, even the "worst" vintage of BCBS is still at the top tier of BA stouts, so it's all relative!

 

I agree. Just did an 09-14 vert and 10/11 were right in that sweet spot for me.

 

This. Also had a group tasting with these and we all thought the 12 was the best year. Most bourbon flavor still

 

I'm in the same camp as you. I only had one bottle of the 2014 but didn't think it was done as well as last year's batch. It was boozier, less nuanced, and overall less impressive than 2013. Not bad by any stretch, just not the WOW I experienced previously.

 

not that this is helpful or an answer to the OP question, but it seems like each year or at least the last few, folks have said specific batches/bottled dates were superior/inferior to others with-in an annual release. reading comments this last release it sounded like a specific bottle date seemed more prone to cosmetic issues (moldy necks, misshapen, defective bottles/glass construction etc.)

this is the first year i've managed to score varied bottled on dates - haven't done any comparison thus far myself, but assuming the batch variation others speak of is relevant, when some of us say: "This year's is better or worse than last years" or "more/less worthy of cellaring than another release" - i have to also wonder does anyone ever factor in maybe they're comparing the 'lesser' regarded batch of a given year versus a superior batch from a previous/current year & visa/versa?

 

Tbh, whenever I read someone reviewing one year to the other, I frequently wonder how much their taste pallet has changed over an entire year. I think that and memory are larger factors. I'd certainly listen closer to those who's done verticals/side by side comparisons.

 

the funny thing is, & the relevance seemed to sail right over the heads of most people, but based on a slipped quote from a ranking GI staff person right around when Hall left... GI did not brew a 2011 at all. (IF) that statement was true, i would have to assume the 2011 release was held over (& i suppose we could conclude, further aged) 2010 BCBS.

 

That would partly depend on how many batches they had in previous years. For 2013 & 2014, there appears to have been (correct me if I'm wrong) two batches for each year, but I honestly don't know if the same is true for previous years.

 

From my experience, this is my opinion from favorite to least:

2008
2009
2011
2006
2012
2013
2010
2014
2007

 

Every experience with every bottle will differ for every person. Period.