KBS 2017 in California

I guess this thread is a testament to how palates and standards change over time. KBS used to be one of the better examples of barrel aged stouts out there. Now if it isn't KBBS level it's meh. (hyperbole of course) Personally, I'm happy to be able to walk into my local shops and buy a good and affordable barrel aged stout in 12 oz bottles with no fuss. What else is out there in that format besides High Westified and Parabola?

 

How can you give this to someone whom has no palate for such beer yet have them say one is better than another? Sure, most will say that ten fidy is Much more flavorful than kbs however, this is a bad (analogy) to be used with someone that's not familiar; you said it yourself:

"He doesn't know much about craft brew world, so he was not aware of the hype. "

 

Errm items from prairie artisan ales & evil twin?

 

Yeah, he's not on here following news or trying to see what the line up is for the Bruery anniversary party. He still enjoys craft brew. The dude has had some solid brews, he just doesn't need to record it on untappd or think about it 24/7.

I get it, some how your feelings were hurt. Sorry, I didn't mean to come off like a jerk.

 

I think most people would say BCBS and Parabola are better than KBS. But if someone likes KBS more, more power to them. It's cheaper and easier to find.

My best experience with KBS was when I first had it, when Founders made their debut in San Francisco. They brought 6-month aged 2015 KBS to a local craft bar. I really loved it, particularly since I wasn't wowed by 2014 BCBS. I felt KBS was much more balanced and complex.

But I've since had 2016 and 2017 KBS on tap on release, and felt disappointed for completely different reasons. I had 2016 in a bottle back in December and I enjoyed that, so I'm hoping 2017 gets better with a little age on it. Granted, KBS isn't one of those beers that gets better with multiple years, but IMO it is better after multiple months.

 

It feels like this thread is a bubble of those who are disappointed in KBS. The 2017 version holds a 4.5 on Untappd after 27,000+ check ins (Parabola 2017 and BCBS 2016 are also in the 4.5 range), so it would seem most people out there are enjoying theres.

 

RE: Prairie
Good point, though, their BA beers out here aren't cheap. I recall them being between $12-$14 a piece.

RE: Evil Twin
Never knew they had BA beers in 12 oz bottles.

 

Drank my first '17 last week and unfortunately it did have that spent coffee grounds taste. Bummer. I really liked last year's version.

 

Bit the bullet last night and tried a bottle of 2017. Sigh . . . like every year I've tried, it's a bitter, charred, unintegrated beer that tastes like someone added a shot of bad whiskey to it. Even without comparing it to other beers, I just don't understand the appeal. Maybe it's like the way some people claim to taste onion in certain IPAs; i.e., something in my palate?

 

to be honest & this goes for BCBS as well, i think there are definite batching / bottle date variances that grand scale might not be that noticeable or a big deal to the average Joe that really digs barrel aged / coffee beers etc. across the board, but can be enough of a nuance for someone sensitive to specific aspects to just dislike a run altogether.

secondary to the point above (entire batch variation) i think there may also be variation issues depending on where in a specific batch or bottling date ones bottles come from. i.e. if there is heavier sediment or concentration (from settling) towards the end of the batch, that range of bottles may show a difference (good or bad) from early bottles in the same batch.

third, lately i hear a lot of complaints about "green pepper" flavor emitting from stouts. the rate of these same flavor complaints seem to be way higher with stouts that are coffee infused. just a guess but i think the issue may be a bi-product specifically of the coffee component oxidizing. personally, i don't get "green pepper" but what i suspect is the exact same issue / off flavor, for my palate, it comes off as stale, over extracted, &/or burnt coffee that generally overpowers all other nuances & throws the beer out of balance (for me).

 

I had a 2017 over the weekend. It was bottled in Feb so I'll chalk it up to bottle shock. The 2016's are drinking wonderfully but it probably is premature to start popping 2017.

 

I'm going to hop on the KBS is overrated train. To those of you who say KBS is readily available, where do you live? In northern LA county/Ventura county it is not, and most places sell out in a day or 2. I see more parabola than KBS. If I could walk into a store and find KBS like I find big bad Baptist, I would be very happy, because for $25 out the door for a 4 pack is great deal, but it is not a special beer. I haven't had one and thought, this is world class, it is middle class. KBS is High-westiifed good, not Parabola or BCS.

 

So I went to the Total Wine in Henderson NV yesterday and saw cases of KBS. The guy there said each total wine in the Vegas area got just over 30 cases of 4 packs plus the 750's. They were originally limiting it to 1 4 pack, but now it is no limit. I don't think all of Ventura County got 30 cases, let alone one store. Are the So Cal numbers that bad that Founders isn't giving local stores that much KBS or is Founders screwing us over? I was just happy to see KBS sitting on shelves, in those cases I will buy it, but I won't be driving around for it.

 

Bombers of KBS at Hi-Time, limit 1, $19.99. Passed, it is not the beer it once was...

 

Having had it on tap, and from both 750ml and 12oz bottle, I can say they taste different to me. That being said, I thought they were all fairly tasty.

 

I might have to grab a bottle to see if there is a huge difference, but draft...no thanks.

 

12oz bottles on the shelf at Santa Monica Liquor for the low low price of 11.99 a pop.

 

And that's why they have tons of KBS still sitting there. Dale's still has bottles of bcbs for $20 last time I checked.. Thought I saw Regal for $34.