Regular Stout Vs Bourbon Barrel Aged Version

Thirsty Dog BA Siberian better than regular IMO

 

Velvet Merlin > Velvet Merkin

 

I like the regular narwhal much better than the BA.

 

To this point, I would say BA stouts should be made with the intent to BA. Don't just take an existing stout and barrel age it. Craft a beer that will benefit from the process (i.e. BCBS).

 

Merkin is easily the weakest BB aged offering from FW for my palate.

To the OP though, Narwhal would probably be my answer. Regular version is pretty solid, didn't care for the BA version at all.

 

I definitely prefer regular Narwhal I had them side by side and barrel aged did nothing for me, I bought 2 bottles and the other is just sitting in my basement

I have some regular Narwhal that'll be a year old soon I can't wait to try

 

I don't think they even offer a BBA version, but every time I drink an Ipswich Oatmeal Stout I find myself questioning why I ever bother to pay triple the price for a barrel aged anything.

 

I've done side by sides a few times, and I agree with a couple of them. Dark Apparition > BBA Dark Apparition.

Does anyone know what the base beer GI uses for the BCBS series? I've recently seen Muddy, but wasn't sure if that was it.

 

agreed...BA Biscotti is far superior to reg BB (and I love the reg BB!)

 

Yeti, Biscotti Break, Zhukhov.
With Ten Fidy, it depends a lot on the batch and what barrel it came from. Some of the BA versions are godlike and some are "meh." I find early non-BA batches ('07ish) were somewhat over-roasted and harsh but they dialed in some depth later.

 

It's a rarely, if ever, released stout called Cook County.

 

There's a difference between the Oaked versions of Yeti and the BA version. BA is out of this world incredible, while the regular Oak, Espresso Oak, and Chocolate Oak are just solid.

 

So I don't need to go overboard hunting Final Push or Penultimate Push? Absolutely loved regular MZ.

 

Barrel aging for me doesn't make a Stout better, just different.

Narwhal is fantastic as is the BA version.
But the barrel covers up some of the nuance flavors such as licorice and hops that I really love about that beer.

 

Personally, I don't think so...but others obviously disagree. I've only had the regular BA version and I found it to be way too boozy like most of their others. Normal MZ is one of stouts I enjoy from Cigar City. I actually think it's an anomaly and one that doesn't taste as boozy or "ashy" as the others.

 

Depends. I think some BA stouts are excellent. Some cover up too much of the stout base. I also feel that some breweries make a stout that isn't necessarily the best, so they barrel age it to make seem better.

 

Some BA stouts really miss the mark, but some of those even come around after about 3 years of further aging so there is room in my belly for loving both. Peche Martel is my absolute favorite, but Ten Fidy is right in there - in fact I am drinking one now at breakfast with my Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal porridge cooked after soaking overnight in SS Tadcaster Oatmeal Stout.

 

This thread feels like a big group catharsis for some of us to admit sometime non BA is better. I LOOOOOVE Old Viscosity. One of my top 10 All-time favorite beers. And while Older Viscosity is delicious, I don't think I'd say it's better. And it's certainly not 400% better - which is about how much more it costs when you compare a $6.99 22 oz bomber to a $15.99 375ml bottle.

 

I like old rasputin better without the better. not that its not delicious out of the barrel, but some of the flavors i love in the original get masked by the barrel.