What's up with BCBCS?

Coffee is damn amazing every year...IMO.

 

Well the tickets are sold online so anyone can purchase them, be they in Michigan, Illinois, or on Mars (provided Mars has internet access).

 

Yeah, I know. Which is why I wonder how many of them go to Chicago...

 

^^If you're willing to drive just about 400 miles round trip for 12, 12oz bottles of beer, well, You can have my allotment.

Maybe 12, 12oz'ers of coffee bcbs, but definitely not for kbs.

 

There's variation on the coconut. The first one I had was extremely subtle just as you described. Basically tasted like a very smooth BCBS with a hint of coconut on the nose and pallate. However, the second coconut I had was unbelievable. Very coconut forward on the nose and pallate. Tasted like BCBS mixed with those Samoa girl scout cookies. It was easily tied for my favorite BCBS variant of all time with this year's coffee and rare. I'm hoping most of the coconut bottles are like the second one I tried.

 

Did you happen to get those bottles at different times/places? Friend and I bought one each at the same time/store and opened one and found the first description you mention. Wondering if the 2nd one could actually be different?

 

the first was my experience on draft. but i heard many things as you described on your second tasting. i want the latter.

 

Different places, but I doubt that would affect anything. First was from Binny's and second from Whole Foods.

To put my first post in perspective, the second one wasn't as coconut forward as Three Hour Tour if you've had it, but it was very noticeable. I'd say a good mix of BCBS and coconut. I'd compare it's strength to the amount of cream flavor present in Black Note, but definitely not the same strength as Double Cream (that should be a better analogy for midwestern folk).

The first bottle I had was definitely very subtle and I would compare its strength to the amount of orange and cherry in batch 1 of PW cherry and orange abduction. By no means bad beers (in fact they rock!), but they are not flavor bombs of what they were aged on. Hope that clears things a little better.

 

First batch of coconut they toasted themselves. The second, they used coconut that was already toasted, since it was such a mess to do it themselves.

 

Also worth pointing out that BCBS and Coconut Rye start out as different beers. Coconut (and Backyard Rye, for that matter) have some rye added into their malt bill -- the regular BCBS does not.

 

This would explain variation. So the bottles that were released throughout Chicago are from 2 separate batches? Or 2 separate types of coconut added into the barrels with each barrel only having one type? (toasted by goose; pre-toasted).

 

curious to know too. anyone with multiple bottles notice different bottling dates?

 

My understanding, via the Black Friday tasting event at Goose Island, is that they added a bunch of coconut at the beginning and then decided it wasn't coconut-y enough. They then toasted another ton of coconut and added that to the beers.

 

I believe one batch w/ the two types, and I don't think there's any way to tell the bottles apart. At least not that I know of.

 

I disagree. I've had both and the Proprietor's bottle we drank from was the most coconutty coconut thing ever. Not really my thing as-is. I prefer the Coffee.

 

Well, if you're telling the truth, there is for sure bottle variation.

That was the first beer I had of the night, so it was not like my palette was fatigued. I also had the coffee the previous night, THAT actually tasted like coffee. It tasted like FBS aged in BCBS barrels, which is to say it is perfect. The coconut bottle I had, tasted only a little bit like a faint coconut taste. I like coconut, I wish it was stronger.

^^And it appears I'm not the only one who experienced this, which makes me feel better.

It may hurt some people, but honestly after drinking about 16oz's of the coconut, feeling underwhelmed, I figured I would let it warm even more, I fell asleep for about 4 hours and woke up to a flat, hot beer.

... I drain poured the last 5-6 ounces.

Don't get me wrong, this beer is anything but a drain pour, it just doesn't taste much different from regular BCBS, and I had no problem dumping it considering this.

 

So some barrels had type 1 and other barrels had type 2? That would definitely explain the variation.

 

I can always count on you to bring a smile to my face.

 

anyone know the size of goose island's brite tank? if is smaller then 80 bbls, then I assume there could be two bottlings. My assumption is if there are bottle differences they could have bottled two separate batches of barrels. Similar to how BCS was released this year in two sizes, 14.2 & 14.9.