Beers similar to KBS

Alewerks Cafe Royale
Hardywood Bourbon Sidamo
Goose Island Bourbon County Coffee Stout
Epic Big Bad Baptist
Bell's Black Note Stout
Firestone Walker Parabola

 

Central Waters - Peruvian Morning

 

BA Old Rasputin XV was very similar although expensive.

 

BBPt5

 

Olde Hickory Event Horizon--extremely well done from a small craft brewer in NC. Try it.

 

I had KBS at the release party and did not find it "hot" or "boozy" at all like I did with BCBS and Black Note. I don't think those are good similarities. I had Peruvian Morning and Event Horizon at the KBS bottle share party and those were amazing and, IMO, better comparisons.

 

I don't know if you can get it, but New Holland Dragon's Milk is decent.

 

Peruvian morning is the closest I've had. That's a great beer

 

Big bad Baptist,

 

Big Bad Baptist was pretty damn good.

 

^ This

 

Jack's Abby Bourbon Barrel-Aged Framinghammer

 

I love BBB, really, I do... but I haven't found a batch yet that actually tastes like bourbon.
Sure, tons of chocolate, espresso, malt. It's a delicious beer, but not a lot of bourbon character.

 

Just had the Jacks Abby last night. Very close to KBS

 

Most bourbon barrel-aged stouts have really rough edges (which I kind of like). I've never come across anything as smooth as KBS (except for CBS and Against the Grain's Bo & Luke, which you'll likely never find). I've never had Peruvian Morning, but I have heard from numerous people that it's the closest thing they've come across.

Since nobody else has mentioned it, I'll throw Hoppin' Frog's Barrel-Aged BORIS the Crusher out there. It's not in the same league as KBS drinkability-wise (or flavor-wise since it's not a coffee stout), but it is a really nice beer that's found on shelves and therefore not hard to find or trade for.

Weyerbacher Heresy is also very easy to find. It lacks the body and intensity of flavor that KBS has, but it is pretty smooth (almost like a barrel-aged porter).

 

This year's FBS is very similar to this year's KBS.

 

Peruvian Morning is really amazing and very much under the radar, until now. My liquor store guy actually recommended it to me. We were talking about BBA stouts and my reluctance to open my BCBS. He said try this one first. He also said it is so perfectly smooth that, if he had nowhere to go, he could sip on them all day long. Now that I've had both, he's right. (Plus, Central Waters offers up no InBev guilt). I do want to try KBS because I am such a fan of Breakfast Stout. With all the other BBA stouts people you great BA's are listing here, the KBS whale can swim off into the sunset this year with no regrets. My whale hunting skills are modest, at best.

 

I've been hoarding one of these since I passed through NC last January per recommendation by the dude at Binnys.

 

In addition to Peruvian Morning, I had a bottle of Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout last night. I thought it was also a pretty good comparison to KBS (which I had the night before). Similar aroma and appearance. Taste was a little more toned-down IMO.