Black Friday Bourbon County release

Same as you, Cambridge.

 

Just heard from someone that the distributors are using the "a pallet broke in transit" excuse for scarcity again this year

 

Just left Hugh's. They had a vertical of regular BCBS from 2013-2016. My favorite was the 2013, but YMMV.

My waiter was cagey when I asked about Coffee which had been advertised there. Assume they tap it later tonight?

They did have the Vietnamese Coffee from Speedway on tap. If you haven't tried it, it's pretty fantastic. Highly recommended. KBS '16 on tap as well.

 

Everett Total Wine had them all behind the counter up front. Regular was 2pp at $9.99 and Barleywine 1pp at $13.99 (I think). Happy to find them there!

 

Was at Hugh O'Neill's earlier. '16 BCBS and coffee were both advertised on menus, but was told they did not have them. Didn't get the sense they kicked, but echoing above that maybe they're saving them for later for those not off today. Who knows. Did mini vert, '13-'15, instead.

 

Any tips on the right spots to hit on the Cape today?

 

Would have to think Kappys in Falmouth, and Lukes in Yarmouth got some.

 

I don't know. I'd be interested in seeing actual numbers before believing these stories people are repeating from AB reps

 

Maybe GI will take note of people frothing for the Coffee and actually make enough to have it available like Regular.

I don't hunt this beer ever but would go out of my way to give them $13-14 a bottle for that coffee dankness

 

1 PP everywhere I know of in Vermont at $12.99.

 

Mass got an insane amount of regular BCBS last year, seemingly much more than previous although the format switch may have helped that. Seems slightly less this year, but still stores with a pallets worth. NH got basically nothing last year (like the whole state got less than some MA stores) and slightly more this year.

 

Nope, and I do apologize to anyone who made the trip based on my erroneous information - I was simply reporting what an assistant manager told me in person on Wednesday. I was given bad info and passed it along - sorry everyone!

As for my hunting today, I was lucky enough to be #8 in line at Gordon's (couldn't skip this one, a mile from my house) and walked out with 6 Regular, 2 BW, 1 Coffee, plus 2ea 2014 Regular and BW. Also got a decent swag bag from Goose Island which included 2 shirts, a poster print, a mini coffee mug, and a half (quarter?) pound of whole bean coffee - the same used in this year's BCBCS.

Knowing I missed the Coffee at Kappy's and Supreme with their early opens, I swung by 4 other spots in Arlington, Cambridge, and Newton which had Coffee last year. None got it this time around, and their prices for Regular ranged from $14.99 - $17.99, and BW $16.99 - $21.99. Hoping there's some left over elsewhere later this weekend for a more reasonable price, otherwise I'll be happy with my early morning haul.

 

Perhaps '16 kicked? I had that and the others there earlier. Tap list was awesome, as I said before in this thread. They did advertise coffee beforehand, but maybe they didn't get it...? I don't know of any bar in MA that got a keg of the 2016 coffee, but someone correct me if I'm wrong...

 

Just tried Gordons Watertown and Martignettis. Nothing at Gordons, which surprised me since they had a ton, for weeks after black friday, last year. Probably 10 bottles left at Martignetti's, $12.50 per, no limit.

 

Perhaps. I was merely going off of Untappd checkins for the venue and saw none for '16. So, not necessarily the best source by me. Either way, I was there at 12 and it wasn't "busy." Surprised if both kicked that quickly even if there were merely sixtels of each. Good on you for scoring '16. Lucked into some draft of it elsewhere myself.

 

So, while I still love Hugh's, I opted to go up to the York River Landing for this year's BCBS release.

'A' for effort on their part - I totally got the feel they KNEW today was going to be busy and did everything they could to prepare for it...but, like bad weather, you can't really fully understand what you're in for until you're actually in it. They were a bit overwhelmed. Still, everyone kept their humor and everyone kept their cool. I enjoyed myself...

...which is to say they had a great selection and options for good flights. I was more than happy to walk away having tried a few new (to me) drafts and having had a good burger (and waffle fries!) Plus York is BEFORE the tolls...which saves a few bucks along the way.

Happy to have made the trip - I'll have to sneak back to Malden soon, though.

 

Anyone know any spots with Barleywine in the 495 corridor south of the Pike?

 

Sounds promising. As I said earlier in this thread, I'm still going to try my luck there tomorrow, and see what's left. Regardless of how I make out, I want to head to Idle Hands anyways. And I've never been to Hugh O'Neill's.

 

I did the same at York River Landing, would not have made the trip up to only attend this, but was continuing to Portland for family gathering so..

It was actually quiet when we arrived at 11:30 but things quickly got overwhelming for the staff so we didn't get checked out til like 1:30. However I put together a nice flight of 2016 BCBS, 2012 Big John, Black Albert and Mott the Lesser. Tough to narrow it down for sure.

 

As of the 11 am open, they had not received their shipment of this year's BCBS. I was squaring up to leave around 1230 and I asked about the '16 and it just got tapped, so if you arrived at 12 then you may have gotten there just before it was on. There also seemed to be a lack of communication/understanding between the main bar guy and the other people there from what I witnessed which could also explain. With regards to coffee, I was told they were not getting any this year. From talking to others, it also sounds like no kegs of coffee made it out this way.

All that said, it was still a terrific, if pricey, line up of beers they had offered. Not quite as good as what they had for the craft beer week several months back, but a solid line up of stouts none the less.