The Important Bourbon County Question

or when they break up BCBS 4-packs because "they don't have enough to go around" and then add an extra $1-3 a bottle.

 

I'm more of a drink fresh, drink local kind of guy. I can find on the shelf at least 6 different BA stouts. No one says you have to buy the most expensive one. My local Jacks Abby has BA porter, world class for $ 8.00 a 22 oz. I get a case every year. Stand in line? $ 10 to 12.00 for a 12 oz, no thanks.

 

In the weeks leading up to the release of KBS.

 

Well played, sir. Well played.

 

If you have time and money and it's among your favorite beers ever, then it's probably worth it. If you lack time, money, or a deep love for this particular beer, it is certainly not worth it.

 

Really, the million dollar question boils down to this:

In proportion, taking into consideration all aspects of a beer (L,S,T,F,O, as well as cost), and comparing BCBS to Budwiser (a.k.a "The King of Beers") what should be the REAL price of Budwiser per 6 pack?!?!

/tongue in cheek

 

BA Framinghammer is great but BCBS it's not. People don't buy it because it's the most expensive, they buy it because it's one of the best.

 

Sorry, i only drink Utopias

I beer bong it.

 

Correct, I should have been more specific and said the statement about CW to the Chicago area seekers, my mistake.

Would you like to do a trade of CW BA stuff?

 

Best is always subjective. Have you had the JA fresh on tap? Probably not. I'm just saying, lots of options out there. Lots of great options out there. Without having to jump through hoops. Who stands in line? Not me. I would say BCBS is not BA Framinghammer. YRMV. With the superb variety available today, I'm just not frothing over some of this stuff.

 

It pains me to have said it bc I've been going to GI since I was 12, BCBS is a well crafted and awesome beer, but this mad dash, wait in line, take out a lone for a beer has to stop.

Side note on of my first legal age beer purchases was BCBS four pack for $19.99!

 

BCBS is one of the few high cost beers that is more than worth the price. Around here in TX anyway. It is not worth all the hustling and waiting in line though. I spent about 20 minutes driving around town and got my share of all three.

 

Thanks, but I don't want to get started with trading. Paying $7 a bottle for 12 ounces of beer is bad enough!

 

Is it worth it for a bar to charge $5 a piece for a bottle of Budweiser?

 

This. BCS is pretty reasonably priced compared to other BA Stouts, especially considering most people consider it to one of (if not the) best ones. when I look at barrel aged Avery stuff and Older Viscosity (which I love) that's when I start to question price

 

when you stop going on a beercentric website. I bet they never mention BCBS on most other websites.

 

Heady Topper at about $3.50 for a sixteen ounce can is hardly overpriced.

 

Place down the street from me had it for $30 a four pack/$10 a single 12oz this morning. I said I like beer but that's cukoo.

 

It's selling out in hours all over the country and people still rake over every liquor store for weeks afterward looking for more. Supply and demand stipulates it should actually be more expensive as long as they keep supply where it's at right now.

It's not my favorite beer but it is tied for my favorite annual barrel-aged stout, the other being the much cheaper Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout. Neither of these beers is really comparable to the other, however; I can't simply substitute CW when I want but can't find BCBS, or vice versa. The mouthfeel, alcohol, sweetness, cellar-worthiness, whiskey and barrel character are completely different.

So what about the price+availability of beers that are directly comparable to Bourbon County and could serve as a potential substitute? Well, Parabola's availability is slightly less in my experience and it's always been more expensive; compare $15-$20 for 22oz (Parabola) to $24-$29 for 48oz (Bourbon County) and it's a no-brainer. Dark Horse Bourbon Barrel-Aged Plead the 5th...I couldn't even tell you the price because where it's even available it sells out as fast as Bourbon County. It's also much less available than Bourbon County. Black Tuesday...no. Just no. More difficult to find, impractical to drink without a group of three people, ridiculously expensive to boot. There isn't a single variant of Eclipse that's less than $29 per 22oz. Avery Uncle Jacobs is what, $12-$15 for 12oz?

That's it then. There are no widely available cheaper alternatives to Bourbon County Stout, period. All potential substitutes are harder to find, more expensive---sometimes dramatically so---or both. If your local nanobrewery has a cheaper equal you can easily get your hands on, great for you. That doesn't do the other 99% of the country any good.

 

To the OP, let me try to phrase it this way.

What beer is better than BCBS? And most peoples answer will be "not many".
And if you have a beer that is, in your opinion, better than BCBS, how much does it cost, and how often can you get it?

For many people, BCBS is the best beer they've ever tasted, and that is why they flock in droves for the stuff. For those people who would rate BCBS in their top 5, I'm pretty sure they would also flock in droves for the stuff.

And of course for those who don't rate BCBS very highly, they save some money around this time of year.