Thoughts on Goose Island's 2022 Bourbon County (BCBS) Lineup?

I enjoyed it, but Coffee was ahead by a good amount. Sir Isaac would have perfect in 12oz format for me

 

It's possible that the novelty of Sir Isaac played a role here. I thoroughly enjoyed the coffee this year, but coffee stouts are a crowded field these days and it didn't stand out from everything else out there.

 

The “not worth it charge” is bassically led by two groups of people:
(1) those that know/remember the price of the old 12oz bottles of BCBCS (or the 16.9oz bottles that were ~$5 less on average in 2017)
(2) Those that have access to Cafe Deth by Revolution, which is certainly a quality coffee stout, but preferences play a role here, as does volume consumed.

There’s a smaller group of people that just think that the actual cost of a coffee stout should be appreciably close to the base, and doesn’t understand why it is so much more, which is of course your sentiment. Of the adjuncts that can be used, it’s cheaper than coconut or vanilla, and arguably preferable to “just” something like cacao nibs or chocolate.

Lots and lots of people fall into the Revolution category though. Theirs is roughly $8 or $9 a can ($0.66 - 0.75/oz) compared to BCBCS at $1.48/oz. So, unless you think BCBCS is WAY better, or unless you only drink 1 or 2 coffee stouts a season, most people will opt for the Revolution if they can get it. But, most people also probably drink way more than I do.

Full disclosure: I’m a total BC fanboy, but I didn’t buy coffee this year due to the price. I figured I’d put those $ towards 4-packs or the BW or something. Just didn’t quite work out that way.

 

Yes

 

I’m definitely the exception then. I’ve drank tons of vintage/cellared BCB stout and variants and. IMO regular peaks around the two year mark, and the variants tend to age remarkably well. In fact many of the variants I think get substantially better with time, often the adjuncts are a bit overpowering fresh plus as mentioned above to
be the base beer gets better with time. Midnight Orange and Northwoods def standout in my mind as fairly recent variants that have gotten much better with some age.

 

Agree that the base tends to be at its peak in the 2 year range. Makes me wonder what the Reserves will do with that time. I still have a 150 from last year that I want to wait another year on, but probably won’t

 

Bought a case of Willet 4 packs in San Diego at Bevmo. Not being a hog, there were like 9 cases no limit today, way after black Friday.

Found 30th and BW at a local liquor store. Didn't see any of that at the big stores. Surprised SD got everything but Prop.

 

I'm reading WLLT is Four Roses not Willet.

 

where in sd is the Old Fitz?

 

Has there been a smores bcbs? If not there needs to be with the marshmallow and chocolate amplified

 

Palette preferences play huge role for sure. I also prefer FBS around the one year mark which is blasphemy amongst most of the FBS fanbase. But to me that slight fading of the coffee allows the base beer characters to come through better and it all melds so well. Same for me with a lot of the BCBS variants. But to each their own and I certainly understand the desire to consume quickly after release to see how it is fresh. Ideally, I like to buy multiples of all and then have and review both fresh and with some age. Of course Ive not been able to do that will all of the releases, especially some of the pre-AB years when even singles of variants were near impossible to find, but more recently it’s been relatively easy for the majority of variants and def worth the time and money IMO.

 

Problem with many of the reserves is they are just too damn hard to obtain to have multiple to compare fresh vs cellared. I’ve had Reserve 17 at 3 years (one of my highest reviewed BCB variants to date) and 4 years, and it hd faded in that additional year IMO. Similarly i’ve hd Reserve 18 at 2 years and 3 years , and again thought it faded at that additional year. Recently I had the 2019 Double Barrel Reserve at right around 3 years and it was in the discussion with best BCB variants I’ve ever had. Unfortunately, none of those 3 I had fresh. But, based on how exceptionally they were all drinking around the 2-3 year mark, and since they aren’t adjunct’d, my suspicion is that for my personal preferences the reserves would likely peak around that 2 year mark similar to the regular.

 

Agreed. With how well the grahm cracker came through in Isaac this year, it would be a real winner

 

The next 'new thing' in craft brewing!?!

Cheers!

P.S. Needless to say but you won't be joining this new craze!

 

I have heard people describe a Porter or Stout as being "chewy" but this would bring a new meaning to this word!

Cheers!

P.S. Or maybe "chunky" would be a better descriptor!?!

 

please explain your reasoning, I am truely curious.

 

"many people are saying"

 

It's Willett. @ChicagoJ confirmed the same with the Chicago area distributor and mentioned in this post.

 

WLLT is obviously an acronymic descriptor for Buffalo Trace Distillery and if I have to explain why then the discussion is not worth my time.

 

Haha yep just read that. Definitely more logical....WLLT..... lol

 

Just shit on Untappd which was clearly wrong. As usual.

 

Are you this pleasant in real life? Asking for a friend.

 

Given the 'Internet tough guy' thesis, circa 2007 (a nobel prize winning study, I might add), the answer would be no

 

I thought it was pretty obvious that I was joking…..

 

I was 95% sure, but even I read it three times and was like, “man, there’s no way everyone will know he’s joking”. But, I also know bourbon, and BT and Willet are 100% completely separate not in any way linked distilleries, so I know that you either are being incredibly sarcastic or an incredibly confident (but ignorant) individual (a dangerous combo).

Others on here may not know that. In fact, to push that idea just a tad further, I’m not sure how many people on here that “don’t really do bourbon” understand all the brands that are within each distillery. Willet is unique in that - until recently - Willet was just willet. Now they have a couple under their name that aren’t named willet (Rowan creek, something Mill come to mind), but that is a recent development.

 

it was

 

Yo BA! How is everyone? It’s been a long time since I’ve posted but I’m back to celebrate bcbs in all its glory. Bcbs was probably the first barrel aged stout I ever tried, decades ago. It’s a classic flavor to me, classic density, classic smooth punch. Gotta say my favorite this year is coffee. It’s always been my 2nd fave style, after my favorite, RARE BCBS. Close second for me this year is the og. I’m enjoying a few now. The fig and the biscotti were really good, but a tad bit sweet for my palate. That’s all I got to say for the most part. Hope everyone is well! Happy to say again, cheers!

 

Wow, how many decades ago were you drinking Bourbon County?

 

Lol like a couple

 

Had the regular a couple of nights ago. I got more dark fruits on the nose than I typically do. Taste was a roastiness bomb. A bit overpowering with the roastiness and black coffee like bitterness. Still very good but def reminds me of why I prefer some age on the regular BCBS. It just becomes some much more balanced and nuanced with some time. I drink one fresh every year and essentially always come to the same conclusion and shelf the fresh ones in the cellar and drink vintage ones throughout the year.

Have only had 3 so far this year but it’s very clearly been:

Coffee

Biscotti

Regular

 

My bad. I know a somewhat decent amount about bourbon and knew they were two separate distilleries but I was like “maybe this dude knows some back door connection they have that no one else does. Why’s he gotta be a douche about it though?!?”

 

DOUCHE is obviously an acronymic descriptor for Willet Distillery and if I have to explain why then the discussion is not worth my time.

 

That tropical prop sounds pretty gross. I enjoy having the regular version a few times a year. Think I am going to get a 16 dollar growler of it on Sunday. I had the Barleywine from 18 and it was oxidized, not as good as I remember. I won't buy any other GI beer, but will still dabble in the BC.

 

I got a regular for $15 and a coffee for $23, OTD for each. I did see it higher everywhere else. Regular between $20 and $23, WTF. I suspect it’ll sit for a while.

 

I guess thin is not something I would use to describe BCBS. To each their own.