Does KBS fall off?

Coffee is an additive in KBS and coffee is notorious for falling off so if the coffee falls off then other flavors will come more to the front.

 

i think there's bottle or (more likely) palate variation. your subjective tasting varies from drinking session to drinking session, more than you would want to accept (at least if you're a reviewer, or if you like "ranking" beer).

e.g. i grabbed 2 bottles of 2011 KBS, keeping one bottle for myself and giving one bottle to my friend in boston. we have pretty similar tastes (though he's less into coffee), yet i thought my bottle was perfectly balanced, while he thought it was a wayyyy over the top bourbon bomb.

it would be great to exert full control over palate variation (if not bottle variation), but it's probably not really possible. just have to try your best for ideal drinking conditions (shrug).

 

Yes. Aged KBS is terrible. Don't age it. After the 2012 release I had a 2011 (kept in my wine fridge at 55 degrees since I got it) and it was just awful. Nothing but stale coffee. Don't age KBS.

 

Just had a 2012 the other day and thought the bourbon had mellowed a pretty decent amount compared to fresh. Still an amazing beer, just with less booze heat.

 

Gah.... This makes me nervous for my 5 year vertical next year.

I had a 2012 tonight, and it drank great. Very smooth with tons of chocolate. Personally, I enjoy it with a year on it. It's splendid.

 

Shrug. You might think it's great, I just don't.

 

I had a 2011 last night and I have to agree: not much coffee to speak of, just bitter chocolate and bourbon. And alcohol. Not a horrible beer by any means, but I prefer it fresh when all the intended flavors mesh.

 

KBS is inconsistent imo. I have gone through a case of the 2012 since it came out. I love them all - but I have had some super hot ones, totally boozy - some mellow ones - some in between. All served @ 60F. I actually prefer it at 70, room temp.

 

There is significant bottle variation with KBS. CBS is similar in that way too. But the majority of people don't seem to care.

 

Opinion: It's amazing fresh but nothing remarkable when aged >1 year...

 

Lol, I found a year old bottle to be kind of a mess with faded coffee flavors but a lingering coffee bitterness.
I loved the beer at two years old though. Amazing chocooate notes. I actually prefered 2010 to a fresh 2012.

 

I have a bunch of 07s in my cellar that I keep for nostalgia only - Not very good at this point.
Actually I should take them all off temp control because it's a waste of good space.

 

Each year KBS has variation (ex 2010, 2011, 2012). And then within those vintages, my experience is that the flavor profile changes a lot during the first year.

 

Hmm, maybe that's what I've experienced with my bottles. The first one I had was amazing, the last one I had was hotter. In between, some variations.

 

I just finished a bottle dated 2/17/12 and it was already pretty "Meh." Lots of stale coffee flavor and not much bourbon. I think I'm officially a KBS "hater." Not that I hate it, I just think it's pretty overrated. For the record I've had it fresh, slightly aged (like tonight), and aged over a year, all on multiple occasions, so this wasn't my first one or anything.

 

KBS is liquid gold,
Love it fresh, love it old.
Here's another thing I think-
Send me all you will not drink.

 

Fresh KBS is really good, but it isnt a good one to age for very long. (for the better)

I recently tracked down a 08' Kentucky Breakfast Stout (last old label, and last year brewed with vanilla), and as bad as I hate to say it, it wasnt all that good at all. Didnt even really seem like KBS anymore...

 

I had a 2010 bottle of KBS recently. Thought it was phenomenal.

So I opened another one a week later. Thought it was mediocre.

I tend to echo the comments that KBS has significant variation. I know your palate and mood affect things...but this was a night and day difference.