KBS set to release April 1st

@westlaunboy, sorry I should have clarified. Founders has been sold on tap in the past in PNW. Also, rumor has it that a few establishments have sold Founders offerings in the last couple years. Not sure what the legalities of non-tap Founders beers are in areas where they don't distribute. But I have mail ordered plenty of Founders, Bells, and Surly beers into both Seattle and Portland. So I assume we are dealing with regulations/laws pertaining to "resellers"?

 

@Cali_Vic that is crazy! So you basically got each bottle at $3 each. Curious what prevented you from buying a lot more with repeat visits or help from friends/family? That is an awesome score indeed!

 

Couldn't agree more with this.

This is a hype brew that I am amazed people seek out. Especially when you have breweries like Weyerbacher churning out brews like SMS that are better (or at least comparable) and not difficult to get.


I don't understand the zoo that follows these distribution trucks.

 

Definitely see your point, especially when I break down the price I paid for them - $6/12oz, so for a bomber would have been $12, pretty good value there. Guess I was comparing the markup between the 4-pack price of say, FBS or FIS, which goes for $12 a 4 pack. The KBS markup is a full $10, so was a bit surprised. I thought it might have been closer to $19.99 or something.

Bomber pricing is definitely egregious these days. It's the reason why I don't buy too many Knee Deep IPA's, though I really enjoy them. $8 or $9 for a bomber of DIPA, man gotta pass. $17 for an Enjoy By sixer, yessir!

The BA stout and barley wine bombers are way off, but then there is a lot of variance. Love Stone and love their BA stuff, but it's way off at like $20 for a 500ml. Firestone is great, you can get Sucaba, Helldorado, and Parabola for around $15-$16. Then you have Mother of All Storms, which was a ridiculous $25 for a bomber. Had to pass on that one for sure.

 

VERY funny.

 

Looking forward to my local haunt having a Founders tap takeover in a couple weeks, including KBS, nothing like a nice early 9am tap takeover.

 

For those asking about aging KBS;
-Some will tell you not to, that it's better fresh. IMO fresh out of the gates the beer is all coffee and bourbon and astringent.
-I prefer at least a few months on KBS bottles, if not longer, the coffee remains, but the mellow vanilla/caramel/oak from the BBN barrels starts to shine through instead of liquor heat and black coffee. IMO this beer couldn't hold a candle to previous BCBS Coffee releases, obviously besides the infected ones. I've had verticals in the past of KBS going back to the original bottle release, prior to the label change when it looked like this:


And I thought the older it got, the better it got, but '15 KBS was severely disappointing. The beer has changed unfortunately for the worse when Nate Walser left. The first few batches 10-ish or whatever years ago, were amazing. After Walser left though it started to change. Each year it seemed to get progressively worse. I have a few bottles of '16 at home that I'm going to let cool off for a couple months, but if last years was any indication, and this year is the same, I won't be buying this beer anymore. It just hasn't gotten back to how it used to be. Last year it drank like a thin porter with way too much coffee, no chocolate and all liquor heat. IMHO it's not balanced enough fresh out of the gates. It needs some time to meld flavors, whereas fresh pre-AB/InBev BCBS Coffee was/is still one of the best BBA coffee stouts I've ever had.

 

I love KBS. You see my posts on BA pand you'll see I love this beer. For those of you hating on it, that's fine but don't go saying its a terrible beer by any means. I'm fine with you not liking it or taking away from the hype, but I love the beer. This beer shaming culture irritates me.

 

^^^
It's a forum for expressing opinions (and sometimes knowledge) on beer. Deal with it.

 

Finally found one. Hopefully I can find a couple more.

 

I guess there aren't a lot of grand elites at TW around my way. They told some non elites, they got none in on release day. They told most elites about a coupon that never got emailed needed for redemption on release day.They told some non elites, about it being open to all next week. Well next week rolls around (this week) and 8 cases just sitting there on the floor. No limit. People have seemingly moved on after dozens went to this place looking for it. $20 spent elsewhere I'm sure.

 

Add Big Bad Baptist, yes, and take out BA Bomb. It'll stick out like a sore, shiny, vanilla covered thumb.

 

I drank my first '16 today and really enjoyed it. Taste from year to year is a fickle thing but I thought there was more chocolate and it seemed a little less boozy. I have a '14 and several '15's left and I'm anxious to compare them to the fresh batch. I'm always torn between drinking KBS fresh and aging it.

 

Scored a 4-pk and a 32oz mini-growler.

 

I don't have as much experience with this one as you, but 2015 was garbage. I suggest opening a 2016. 'Twas awesome fresh. But as you mentioned, coffee forward. I'm heading your advise on drinking my remaining three 4 months apart.

 

Yo man. I'll play Devil's advocate here. My two favorite Barrel Aged Imperial Stouts are BCBS & Parabola. Why? Because I love that barrel forward, viscous, high ABV everything about those two.

Why I loved and appreciated 2016 KBS was because of all the smaller details. It wasn't over the top barrel. The Oak, Coffee, Chocolate & Bourbon were all there in equal parts and somewhat underwhelming, I understand. But it was almost "clean" & "refined" for the style. Thin for the ABV? Maybe, but in comparison to what? All the over the top of today's examples of the style? I found this year's specimen to be very well executed in

 

Funny, I hit four stores today looking for Parabola and I was only able to score one bottle because of limits and the others were out of stock or did not get their Parabola. I also looked for KBS this week at three stores that I knew had it and was able to score three four-packs, ranging in price from $19.99-24.99, I think it's a good deal. I can't believe I can find Michigan beer before I find California beer!

 

Founders would be a great addition to CO.

Cheers!

 

Establishing relationships in new markets. That's why. Same reason Parabola hits our shelves after yours.

 

I was able to score a couple of Parabola's from my local Bevmo. KBS has come and gone. I guess BCBS and Parabola will have to hold me over.