Stone Xocoveza

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by darklord2011, Oct 6, 2016.

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  1. darklord2011

    darklord2011 Zealot (638) Nov 18, 2011 Indiana
    Trader

    Seeing in the Beer Releases forum that this is showing up across the country. Anyone seeing this in Indy yet? Is it as good as people say? Haven't had it. Going price?
     
  2. HawksBeerFan

    HawksBeerFan Maven (1,378) Dec 24, 2011 Illinois
    Trader

    It was really good last year when I had it. A bit pricey (want to say like $16/6 pack?) from what I remember but no I haven't seen in this year yet.

    Hopefully it sticks around a bit
     
  3. Beanblossom

    Beanblossom Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2015 Indiana

    I shared a bottle from last year a few weekends ago and it was incredible.
     
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  4. SeanBond

    SeanBond Pooh-Bah (2,904) Jul 30, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It's good stuff; not my all-time favorite for the (non-BA) style, but excellent and pretty easy to get. I can't speak for Indy, but it just dropped in Chicago the last few days, so I'd imagine you guys'll see it soon.


    The BA version is fantastic, in my opinion. Even with the weak (3 months, I think?) barrel treatment, it's a really tasty beer.
     
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  5. RexKramer

    RexKramer Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2011 Illinois

    Maybe it's because I sat on it a while and the flavors mellowed, but I thought the BA version wasn't as good as the regular release. With that being said, the regular version is one of my favorites, so maybe my expectations were too high.

    And I may be a loon, but the moment that I saw it pop up around Chicago my spider senses started tingling. As I was telling my local beer guy, I want to make sure I have enough Xocoveza and Backwoods Bastard to last me through the long Chicago winter.
     
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  6. invertalon

    invertalon Pooh-Bah (2,249) Jan 27, 2009 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It's very good for what it is. I am not the biggest fan of the spiced stouts, so I don't care to buy any, but I wouldn't turn it down by any means! I liked the barrel version as well.
     
  7. capnmike

    capnmike Zealot (670) Dec 6, 2013 Illinois
    Trader

    Sorry, not Indy, but....Skokie Binnys. Bottle date 9/20.

    [​IMG]
     
  8. Beanblossom

    Beanblossom Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2015 Indiana

    Binnys Grand has a bunch as well
     
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  9. SeanBond

    SeanBond Pooh-Bah (2,904) Jul 30, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    A lot of people don't like the Charred version as much, and I get it. For me it's just a taste that's more in-line with what I like. I don't like pepper in my stouts, and the Charred version evens that out a little, and brings out the vanilla and chocolate more. I think that Stone should be aging it for, at minimum twice as long as they do, and I definitely get why people will pass on it at $20 (especially if you like the original), but for me it's the better of the two.

    Keep in mind, however, that I have yet to run into a non-BA spiced stout that I prefer to the BA version.
     
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  10. RayOhioFelton

    RayOhioFelton Initiate (0) May 24, 2011 Ohio

    Saw 50 cases of it at a local grocery store in Cleveland earlier this week. Literally 50 cases. Was a big display.
     
  11. HawksBeerFan

    HawksBeerFan Maven (1,378) Dec 24, 2011 Illinois
    Trader

    Good. Maybe the hype beasts stay away since it's so readily available.
     
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  12. 98green

    98green Pooh-Bah (1,675) Jun 13, 2014 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    Picked up a sixer in SE Michigan last weekend, I think it was $15.99. They didn't have piles of it on the floor, but this place tends not to do case stacks of non-Michigan craft, so no idea if allocation was stingy or not.
     
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  13. RexKramer

    RexKramer Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2011 Illinois

    I can certainly see your point regarding the heat/pepper being more subdued in the BA version. It's one of the reasons that I don't care for it as much as I happen to love the mild burn/pepper when mixed with the chocolate flavor.

    And I fully agree with it needing to be aged longer and that's probably also some of my issue with the Charred version. It muted the flavors that I really like, while not imparting as much barrel aged flavor as I had hoped.

    Again - I'm not saying the charred was bad, it just didn't live up to the expectation that I created based on the base beer that I love so much.
     
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  14. SeanBond

    SeanBond Pooh-Bah (2,904) Jul 30, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yeah, no need to temper your response at all, it sounds like we're on the same page. When I first had Malevolence Caliente, my first thought was, "man, a BA version that lessened the chiles would be fantastic!" And then it was!

    Xocoveza did enough that I prefer the BA version, but it doesn't taste like a "true" BA beer, so I certainly agree with your preference. It's almost a "muting" of the original beer more than an addition of much of anything else. And since I like but don't love the original, that's why I prefer the other.

    With all that being said, I was delighted when I heard that Stone was bringing Xocoveza back last year, and am really happy it's a holiday staple now.
     
  15. RexKramer

    RexKramer Initiate (0) Jan 19, 2011 Illinois

    Amen. It fits the winters around here so well.

    FWIW, Sal Beverage World in Elmhurst had some on the shelf today.
     
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  16. TargaFlorio

    TargaFlorio Pooh-Bah (2,311) Jul 3, 2012 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    I struck out in my attempts to find Xocoveza around Indy today. The beer finder on Stone's website said it arrived in the area last Thursday. Contacted Cav on twitter the other day and they simply responded that it would be available "soon" (not terribly helpful). Someone at Crown Liquors told me it might be 2 weeks yet. Parti Pak south got their Cav delivery today and it didn't include any Stone beers.

    Anyone have luck finding this in Indy? Its been on sale in neighboring states for a week, trying to figure out why it would have gotten here (to Stone's Indiana distributor) last week (according to Stone) yet wouldn't be hitting shelves at places like Crown Liquors for 2 more weeks.
     
  17. WilliMo

    WilliMo Initiate (0) Jan 24, 2016 Indiana

    Nope, nothing up north in Carmel either. I know someone at Goose the Market and they got a huge shipment of stone this week but none of this. Oddly enough, Vine and Table had a Stone tasting last weekend and they brought Xocoveza to try, but not actually purchase. They gave the same "any day now" answer that you got.
     
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  18. ZachOfAllTrades

    ZachOfAllTrades Initiate (0) Dec 30, 2012 Indiana

    Just so nobody gets the wrong idea, Vine & Table doesn't actually have any in stock that could be sold yet...just like everyone else. The local Stone rep was able to make sure we got a couple to sample, but we're perched on the edge of our seats waiting for it to drop like everyone else.
     
  19. CaptainHate

    CaptainHate Initiate (0) Apr 22, 2006 Ohio

    I posted in the New to Ohio thread that the Cleveland area (and one in Chicago) grocery store, Heinen's, has kegs through October so it seems to be more readily available in the area than previously; although last year Lizardville had plenty of 12 oz bottles with no limit at $3 per and Ray's in Kent had it on tap.
     
  20. TargaFlorio

    TargaFlorio Pooh-Bah (2,311) Jul 3, 2012 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    Anyone see Xocoveza yet in Indiana?
     
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