Getting Tired of Bourbon Barrel Stouts?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by starrdogg, Dec 22, 2014.

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  1. starrdogg

    starrdogg Initiate (0) Jun 21, 2010 District of Columbia

    So I'm sure this is going to spark a lot of backlash, but I've noticed in the last several months that bourbon barrel stouts just don't do it for me like they used to, particularly those that are just normal stouts put into barrels without other ingredients involved (such as coffee, spices, vanilla, etc.). I've recently had a number of fairly highly-regarded stouts like BA Narwhal and 3 Brothers Resolute that frankly just bored me. Even regular BCBS doesn't do it for me like it used to (the Coffee is another story though . . .)

    Anyway, I'm far from a BA stout hater generally, and I credit Bourbon County as one of the primary gateway beers for sending me down the craft beer rabbit hole ~5 years ago. But I dunno, this style has just gotten so omnipresent that a beer really needs to stand out within the style for me to find it interesting anymore. Anyone else feel the same?
     
    #1 starrdogg, Dec 22, 2014
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  2. Hop-Droppen-Roll

    Hop-Droppen-Roll Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2013 Minnesota

    To my knowledge, the only time a barrel aged beer has been available in my rural market was a few weeks ago, when we got BCBS (none of the variants) for the first time ever.
     
    #2 Hop-Droppen-Roll, Dec 22, 2014
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  3. Stevedore

    Stevedore Grand Pooh-Bah (5,096) Nov 16, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Its okay to give your palate a break. BA stouts are pretty much over-the-top in flavour and there's only so much a palate can take. Switch it up, drink something else for a while, come back to it in a few months.
     
    #3 Stevedore, Dec 22, 2014
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  4. SweetChicken

    SweetChicken Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2011 Massachusetts
    Trader

    Yes, yes I do feel ya. I took a 180 and went straight to sours.....
     
    #4 SweetChicken, Dec 22, 2014
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  5. starrdogg

    starrdogg Initiate (0) Jun 21, 2010 District of Columbia

    Yeah, I do wonder if it's just palate fatigue and that I've had a lot of these such beers lately. Probably a good move to change up styles for a little bit.
     
    #5 starrdogg, Dec 22, 2014
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  6. Ish1

    Ish1 Initiate (0) Feb 25, 2010 Minnesota

    I never tire of a well made BA Stout.
     
    #6 Ish1, Dec 22, 2014
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  7. TNeedles

    TNeedles Initiate (0) May 11, 2013 California

    Same here OP..getting kind of burned out on BA stouts. Even if they are the really good ones. The good part is you can just cellar them properly, and come back to them when you're ready!
     
    #7 TNeedles, Dec 22, 2014
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  8. MisSigsFan

    MisSigsFan Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2013 California

    I like BAs sometimes, but they can be way to sweet and over-the-top like Stevedore said. I also feel like many people think just because a stout is barrel aged it's automatically good.
     
    #8 MisSigsFan, Dec 22, 2014
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  9. Roguer

    Roguer Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,811) Mar 25, 2013 Connecticut
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    No backlash...but definitely a big nope from me. I am not getting tired of them. There are definitely some mediocre versions getting pumped out, but I blame the breweries, not the style as a whole.
     
    #9 Roguer, Dec 22, 2014
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  10. Hop-Droppen-Roll

    Hop-Droppen-Roll Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2013 Minnesota

    You may all send your spares to me :stuck_out_tongue:

    Is everyone as tired as that old cliche comment as you are of Barrel Aged stouts?
     
    #10 Hop-Droppen-Roll, Dec 22, 2014
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  11. yemenmocha

    yemenmocha Grand Pooh-Bah (4,116) Jun 18, 2002 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah

    Yes

    Tired of them.

    Only want a few per year.
     
    #11 yemenmocha, Dec 22, 2014
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  12. Ranbot

    Ranbot Pooh-Bah (2,463) Nov 27, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Barrel aged stouts certainly get a lot of attention, but I think their popularity peak has already passed. I think the peak of BA stouts was when Black Tuesday was released and the hype train has been moving to sours. There are so many brewers doing barrel-aged beers these days that it's not nearly as unique as it once was. I also think the recent surge in low-ABV/session beers my have pulled attention away from the big BA stouts, but maybe that's just me.
     
    #12 Ranbot, Dec 22, 2014
  13. keithmurray

    keithmurray Pooh-Bah (2,967) Oct 7, 2009 Connecticut
    Pooh-Bah

    *Marshawn Lynch's Voice*

    Yeah

    I'm finding that I don't enjoy them all that much. Only on a 'now and again' kind of basis.
     
    #13 keithmurray, Dec 22, 2014
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  14. BostonPhilly

    BostonPhilly Pundit (789) Apr 11, 2012 Massachusetts
    Trader

    Your ultimate answer would be Tart of Darkness... But all jokes aside,Go back to drinking Budweiser for a bit and come back to them after you've aged a few. I have found this is a good way to calibrate your palate and start fresh.
     
    #14 BostonPhilly, Dec 22, 2014
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  15. Zonk

    Zonk Initiate (0) Dec 2, 2014 New Jersey

    I kind of equate it to a big rich dessert. Can only take so much of the over the top flavors.
     
    #15 Zonk, Dec 22, 2014
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  16. BeerMeBro720

    BeerMeBro720 Initiate (0) May 2, 2013 Ohio

    Agreed! Last weekend at the Kuhnhenn Winter Solstice, I much preferred the regular 4D to the BB4D. To each his own I guess :slight_smile:
     
    #16 BeerMeBro720, Dec 22, 2014
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  17. ThickNStout

    ThickNStout Pooh-Bah (2,142) Mar 8, 2011 Georgia

    I had a similar revelation last week. I was drinking a bourbon barrel aged stout and thinking that it was great but not as great as the cabernet barreled version of the same stout. I figure that part of the reason has to be that the market is much more saturated with bourbon barreled beers than with other barrels. I still love bourbon barrel aged imperial stouts but at this point I've had so many that it is becoming increasingly difficult to wow me in the style.
     
    #17 ThickNStout, Dec 22, 2014
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  18. derftron

    derftron Pooh-Bah (1,663) Feb 8, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    I definitely feel ya. I dont have the same lust for the style that I used to. that said, I still love barrel aged beers. BA Barleywine is my current favorite. Love barrel aged Old Ales as well
     
    #18 derftron, Dec 22, 2014
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  19. tylerstravis

    tylerstravis Pooh-Bah (2,487) Feb 14, 2014 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm tired of mediocre non-adjunct BA stouts for sure. I tend to keep trying them, but I really should just be sticking to the tried and true ones.
     
    #19 tylerstravis, Dec 22, 2014
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  20. klawburke

    klawburke Initiate (0) Mar 30, 2013 Massachusetts

    It's hard to get tired of a style of beer when there are so many different styles of beer to choose from
     
    #20 klawburke, Dec 22, 2014
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