Central waters black gold questions

Yes, its a bomber (22oz bottle).
The base beer for Sixteen was used to brew/age batch 2 of Black Gold. Confirmed by Paul and Annello today.
Yes, 500 Bombers were released today in Amherst.

 

I thought I overheard aged a year in 22 year old barrels.

 

I was told that it was 16 aged another 11 months in 20 year barrels...so very similar ro everyone else (11 months - 1 year)
Label:

On the right side it has the date 10-11-14, but no description of what the bottle contains. If you want to 100% confirm with Central Waters, they will respond on Monday. Just use the Contact Us link on their website.

 

No one said the exact bottle count other than "around 500", "less than 500", "approximately 500"...heard all 3 from employees.

 

Was it confirmed that they sold all of the BG?

 

Around 3:30 there were roughly a dozen bottles left when we wandered back there, so if they didn't sell it all there were at most a handful remaining.

 

Does anyone know if their rye barrel aged porter will hit distro?

 

I don't think anyone can definitively say whether it will or not. It was a brewery only release...they could put it into distribution but they of course could not as well.

 

How much was the bomber, what were limits?

 

Black Gold: $16, limit 1, roughly 500 bottles
Rye Barrel Chocolate Porter: $9, limit 6
16: $15, limit 6

 

FWIW, I'm more inclined to hold onto Black Gold this year simply because Sixteen is a phenomenal, grossly underrated stout and I can only see it being improved with an extra year of barrel aging as it was already quite mellow at release, whereas 1414 was already hot at its release as well as 15- another year in barrels definitely made it quite hot and bourbon forward. And I'm hearing it still is incredibly hot. Given what people are asking for it already (and getting), I don't call this defending my bottle's value, but that's like, just my opinion, man.

 

I agree with that thought process. I was very happy to hear that 16 was the base of this years Black Gold. If additional barrel aging makes 16 better...well I'll be a happy guy.

I dont want to create a new thread, but Id love to know finalized trades for Black Gold 2014.

 

This thread is so depressing considering I'm in Utah. Hopefully this fun event will continue years to come!

 

So, how much 16 was actually made???
8 per person on its initial release, was readily available for nearly 4 months after, and here it is again... 6 per person while a good amount was held back to make the Black Gold. I feel like they could have put this in 6 packs and distributed it across the country. lol.

 

I think the fact that it was only available at the brewery kept it around a deceptively long time. Most folks from Milwaukee, Chicago, and even Madison only make it up there once or twice a year. @ $15 a pop not everyone bought the 8 bottle limit, so that kept it around, too. Plus, there was very little trade market for it (ha) so nobody went out of their way to grab it as trade bait.

All of those factors kept it around for a long time. But I still think they brewed less of it than they did of their distro BA beers- they send tons of the Brewer's Reserve stuff out now, it's pretty remarkable.

Anyone hear anything about a BA Space Ghost?

 

My Girlfriend and I opened up one of our bottles last night. It sure was hard waiting that long to crack one, but after 8 hours of drinking beer Saturday, we were not going to crack it when we got home.

I know it is the same beer as 16, just aged longer, but it sure seemed thinner as it poured. In the smell I noticed a lot less of that big chocolate aroma 16 has and more of a toffee caramel smell. Almost zero alcohol smell. Taste was similar to the aroma. I got not too much of the chocolate that 16 has, and a ton of sweet toffee caramel. Some hints of bourbon, no alcohol taste or burn. Not to say there was no alcohol because we felt it after we finished the bottle. Hard to say what we like more, BG or 16. Both are excellent. 16 is much more bold while BG is more subtle and delicate with hints of many different flavors. My girlfriend said she probably prefers 16 where I probably prefer BG, although both are 2 of the best, if not the best, beers I've ever had.

 

Barrel-aging is a funny thing. It's unpredictable because you've got liquid going in and out of the wood for months (years). Some barrels end up absorbing a % of the beer, others don't. Some impart more or less whiskey/wine/etc. flavors and even alcohol. I don't know if it's possible for a barrel to thin out a beer, but I don't think it's completely outside the realm of possibility and would probably have something to do with the wood cell structure or grain structure "trapping" some of the thicker molecules in the beer... but that's all layman's guessing on my part.

I do know that some barrels end up producing fewer oz's than are originally put into them. Whether or not the remaining liquid is more or less thick would be a fun, educating test to take part in.

 

Would be great if it did; we cracked a bottle yesterday, and it was absolutely terrific – a complex but very drinkable BA porter to start with, and the chocolate took it to another level.