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Beer |OT|

I lucked out today. My go-to beer store had a couple of Michigan breweries y'all were talking about. I picked up the Bell's Expedition Stout and the Founder's Porter. I also grabbed a Ballast Point limited release Coconut Victory At Sea imperial stout. It's going to be a stout kind of holiday.

The regular Victory at Sea has quickly become one of my favorite imperial stouts; fairly available, reasonably priced, and absolutely spectacular flavor. I'm a sucker for coconut, so you'll have to keep us posted as to how the coconut version stacks up.
 
Well, I had the Expedition Stout. A bit reserved for a RIS, but not bad. The alcohol sneaks up on you though. Now into the Founder's Porter... much smokier, peatier than I expected.

He's teasing me. I'm a fresh hop fanatic who preaches the good word of the Yakima Valley to all.

Ha sorry, I should've guessed that.

The regular Victory at Sea has quickly become one of my favorite imperial stouts; fairly available, reasonably priced, and absolutely spectacular flavor. I'm a sucker for coconut, so you'll have to keep us posted as to how the coconut version stacks up.

Will do! I'm a sucker for coconut also. When I found that Maui Brewing Coconut Porter I drank my weight in that stuff. BTW if you haven't tried Ballast Point's Imperial Porter (forgot the name), I recommend it. I think I actually like it better than Victory At Sea.
 

Stasis

Member
Is Heady Topper worth it?

Heading down to VT Friday or Saturday. Wondering if I show up earlier and wait for it. Beverage warehouse says if we're there on time and counted we'll at least get a 4 pack. I have no idea. I'm in Quebec. We're going to pick up some ballast point and other stuff tbh. Stuff we can't get here. Dinner at 5pm and back home. 1.5 hour drive with customs. Just wondering if it's worth getting there earlier for...

Usually we go to PA/DE to visit family and grab stuff there. Not familiar with Vermont beers.
 

Ron Mexico

Member
Is Heady Topper worth it?

So I might not be in the majority here, but while I do think it's a fine beer, it's (more than) a little overrated for me.

There was a time where all I wanted was the newest, rarest, etc. Made a trip like yours, just from NJ to track down a 4-pack. When I opened it, I did my best to convince myself that it was otherworldly to justify the effort. It was good just not life changing.

I've since given up on the chase. I'd rather find the hidden gem from a local brewery than camp out for one of the white whales.

So just one beer geek's opinion-- if you're going to NH, get some HT. But also stop and take a flyer on something, anything else from around there. You just may be pleasantly surprised.

Also, Happy Thanksgiving all. Here's to good beer and bad football.
 
Is Heady Topper worth it?

Heading down to VT Friday or Saturday. Wondering if I show up earlier and wait for it. Beverage warehouse says if we're there on time and counted we'll at least get a 4 pack. I have no idea. I'm in Quebec. We're going to pick up some ballast point and other stuff tbh. Stuff we can't get here. Dinner at 5pm and back home. 1.5 hour drive with customs. Just wondering if it's worth getting there earlier for...

Usually we go to PA/DE to visit family and grab stuff there. Not familiar with Vermont beers.

Heady is good, but you should really go to Hill Farmstead.
 
Is Heady Topper worth it?

Heading down to VT Friday or Saturday. Wondering if I show up earlier and wait for it. Beverage warehouse says if we're there on time and counted we'll at least get a 4 pack. I have no idea. I'm in Quebec. We're going to pick up some ballast point and other stuff tbh. Stuff we can't get here. Dinner at 5pm and back home. 1.5 hour drive with customs. Just wondering if it's worth getting there earlier for...

Usually we go to PA/DE to visit family and grab stuff there. Not familiar with Vermont beers.

It's good but not sure it's worth the insane hype. Kinda like Three Floyds Zombie Dust. It's good but you can find just as good where you'll be. Ask the locals what they recommend too.
 
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Picked up some new beers last night, several of which I'll share with friends during our Turkey Day party. Very excited about trying that XX Anniversary Ale.
 
Got talked into going to a Bourbon County release tomorrow early; not sure I'll drink big tonight.

I've never had Bourbon County before, is it actually worth the hype around it? I saw my local is getting several cases of it tomorrow, along with a few of the Barleywine, and one case of the coffee version.
 
I've never had Bourbon County before, is it actually worth the hype around it? I saw my local is getting several cases of it tomorrow, along with a few of the Barleywine, and one case of the coffee version.
It's good. Especially considering how widely available it is. Thick and sweet and boozy. Worth trying at least. The variants are usually legitimately great.
 

riotous

Banned
I've never had Bourbon County before, is it actually worth the hype around it? I saw my local is getting several cases of it tomorrow, along with a few of the Barleywine, and one case of the coffee version.

It's really good IMO; while it's not cheap it's also not as expensive as competitors in the same format/size. I personally think many competitors outdo them but maybe not anything that widely distributed.

Definitely hitting up BBOMB Friday too.

Mantra, you know if any of these variants are going to be bottled?

 

Badgerst3

Member
Picked up some new beers last night, several of which I'll share with friends during our Turkey Day party. Very excited about trying that XX Anniversary Ale.


I can attest the XX is really good. Boozy, sweet and deep. Well worth it.

Heading to a so cal local spot to grab this seasons BCBS. Wish I could score more Evil Twin Michigan Maple Jesus instead.
 
It's really good IMO; while it's not cheap it's also not as expensive as competitors in the same format/size. I personally think many competitors outdo them but maybe not anything that widely distributed.

Definitely hitting up BBOMB Friday too.

Mantra, you know if any of these variants are going to be bottled?

Nope, they're just one off randall infusions. Different from Coffee Cinnamon BBomb which is coming next month.
 
Apparently Total Wines (at least in my area) did some sort of reserve for one of their reward club things for Bourbon County so not even going to be a lot available in store. Don't know if I'll bother with them this year.
 

riotous

Banned
Nope, they're just one off randall infusions. Different from Coffee Cinnamon BBomb which is coming next month.

Nice, might skip that but we'll see.

Met a friend in West Seattle and there's nobody at Beer Junction's Bourbon county release. Gonna grab breakfast and come back.

Kind of expected this; Bourbon county just isn't as big of a deal here in gathering.
 

Rei_Toei

Fclvat sbe Pnanqn, ru?
How does it compare to the quads you can buy at the supermarket? Rochefort, La Trappe and St. Bernardus Abt 12 primarily.

It's very different! A bit lighter in colour and taste, but with a very distinct vanilla/oak flavour. Bottle says it was cask-aged on white American oak casks. They also used American hops (forgot which ones), which I assume the Belgians don't when brewing their Quads :).

I was very pleasantly surprised by it, but it is quite different from Belgian quads.
 

noomi

Member
Walked away with some bourbon county this morning :D

8 stout, 4 coffee, 1 barley.

still have 2 stouts from last year I'm saving.
 

andylsun

Member
Just ordered my first brewing kit for a simple pale ale extract to get my feet wet, pretty excited.

Link to kit:https://www.midwestsupplies.com/simply-beer-brewing-starter-kit

My buddy is lending me a 5 gallon kettle for the boil.

Nice, it's a fun hobby. Starter kits are the way to go to decide if it's for you. I've just totted up my brew list and I've brewed 43 beers in the last 4 years since I started homebrewing.

http://www.boomchugalug.com have some good kits and their instructions are good. Local to me but they ship more stuff mail order than they sell at the store.

Switched from bottling to corny kegs after a year as I loathe bottling.
 

riotous

Banned
Had the stout/barleywine on tap, preferred the barleywine.

Wasn't hard to get bottles here, ended up with 2 rares and a gaggle of others (only 3 coffee tho.)
 
I picked up a Bourbon County stout. They were already out of the coffee. :( They had the barleywine, but truth be told it's rare when I really like one.

I also picked up a Hitachino Anbai ale. Never seen that variety before, but it's made with umeboshi plums.
 
I wish everyone could experience the pain of trying to get BCBS around Philly just once haha. If a place advertised they had coffee you needed to be in line well before 5am to have a shot at getting it. And no place I heard of got more than 1 case.

Only lucked out getting a few bottles of regular and 2 barleywines after going to 4 different stores. I feel like such a fool for going out this morning but I'm sure once I crack a bottle I'll change my tune as usual.
 

Jarnet87

Member
I wish everyone could experience the pain of trying to get BCBS around Philly just once haha. If a place advertised they had coffee you needed to be in line well before 5am to have a shot at getting it. And no place I heard of got more than 1 case.

Only lucked out getting a few bottles of regular and 2 barleywines after going to 4 different stores. I feel like such a fool for going out this morning but I'm sure once I crack a bottle I'll change my tune as usual.

All that for a single bottle or a 4 pack at least lol?
 
All that for a single bottle or a 4 pack at least lol?

1 bottle of coffee, ain't no more 4 packs sadly. Those that lined up that early did at least luck out because they had Regal Rye and Rare as well. But they only got to buy 1 bottle of those too.

I definitely did not line up that early haha.
 

Badgerst3

Member
And now done with Bourbon County. My story-

Found a 2015 BCBS on Black Friday last year. Bought it and "aged" it for a year.

Found all 2016 variations again this am. Purchased. Thankful.

Cracked the 2015 this pm to celebrate. Tasted awful. Check of the brew date finds it to be one of the dates recalled by Goose Island. (Oct 30th 2015) due to bacteria.

No longer worth the hype to me. Was glad to have also scored a barrell aged ten Fidy today.

Finding plenty of other barrel aged beers that are easily better than Goose Island.
 
Ah sorry to hear that, that's always a terrible feeling, like when you open your last avocado only to find it rotten inside.

The guy at my local I bought the Bourbon County from today said, "You know, I'm kind of over bourbon barrel beers. It's not really about whether the beer is good or not, because everything tastes like bourbon at that point." I don't really agree with that, I've had plenty of bad barrel-aged beers. But I guess you can turn a mediocre beer into a pretty good one with barrel aging, but who cares..at the end it's still a better beer. Seemed like the kind of attitude that kept German and British beermakers from doing anything different for decades. Yes, the craft of beer is important, but so is the final result.
 

HiResDes

Member
If the base is anything similar to Night Stalker then it's very respectable. Goose Island is also responsible for Big John which was fucking phenomenal...I wonder why they retired it?
 

riotous

Banned
It's a $10 beer; gonna give up on the entire brand over one drain pour?

Definitely not worth crazy lines starting at 5AM though if that's the kind of market you are in.
 

Link

The Autumn Wind
Picked up two bottles of BCBS this morning, and grabbed a 4-pack of White Oak Jai Alai while I was at it.

Planning to do another BCBS vertical soon. 2013-2016
 
Okay, so I opened the Bourbon County, and it's damn good. The bottle says 13.8%, but it feels higher to me. It is boozy. Brown sugar, dark chocolate, vanilla, and honky tonk memories of a lost love. In other words, this is not a complex beer, but it lingers and haunts in sweet delusions.
 

Lupercal

Banned
Polished off some Cesar's with friends last night.
Even though it started as a promotional stunt, this beer has quickly taken place as my favourite.

Strong, slightly bitter aftertaste, a good collar and just something about it that screams richness.

If you have the chance to buy/drink this, do not pass it up :)
 
Got a Rare, a Regal Rye, and a bunch of Coffee, Barley wine, and normal. No line at all and showed up after opening to a whole foods in DC. Then a growler fill of Abraxas and Regal Rye. Was waiting in front of a total wine that I knew wasn't getting shit when I got a call from a friend who was at that whole foods and made my day. Apparently there were like no crowds in DC this year. Could have gotten more Rare and what not if I wanted to travel around but I was fine with what I got.
 

Badgerst3

Member
It's a $10 beer; gonna give up on the entire brand over one drain pour?

Definitely not worth crazy lines starting at 5AM though if that's the kind of market you are in.

Nah- not gonna give up on the brand. Just the hype. Was no 5a line for me, just a cool local liquor store at 10a that I knew would have it. A little Frustrated my first and only year aging went sideways.

And maybe now that Anaheiser Busch owns Goose Island, I want to be keep supporting smaller breweries. That said- I did crack the 2016 afterwards, and it was very good.

Lots of good barrel aged beer to be had this time of year.
 
Got a Rare, a Regal Rye, and a bunch of Coffee, Barley wine, and normal. No line at all and showed up after opening to a whole foods in DC. Then a growler fill of Abraxas and Regal Rye. Was waiting in front of a total wine that I knew wasn't getting shit when I got a call from a friend who was at that whole foods and made my day. Apparently there were like no crowds in DC this year. Could have gotten more Rare and what not if I wanted to travel around but I was fine with what I got.

The idea of getting growler fills of Abraxas and Regal is crazy to me. Much less at a grocery store when Colorado doesn't even allow grocery stores to sell real beer yet.
 
The idea of getting growler fills of Abraxas and Regal is crazy to me. Much less at a grocery store when Colorado doesn't even allow grocery stores to sell real beer yet.

Ohio got none and Northern KY barely gets any so this can happen... Just one of the reasons I didn't go out for any this year. I'd still like a bottle but ain't dealing with the chaos for one. Plenty in the cellar to drink.
 

Link

The Autumn Wind
The idea of getting growler fills of Abraxas and Regal is crazy to me. Much less at a grocery store when Colorado doesn't even allow grocery stores to sell real beer yet.
If his Whole Foods bar is anything like the one near me, they're legit.
 

HiResDes

Member
Ohio got none and Northern KY barely gets any so this can happen... Just one of the reasons I didn't go out for any this year. I'd still like a bottle but ain't dealing with the chaos for one. Plenty in the cellar to drink.
Oh I was wondering if you were headed out didn't wake up early enough to even bother but was gonna hit you up.
 
I had some BCBS 2016 on tap at a liquor store in Lincoln NE yesterday. It was fine. I don't need any bottles.

I thought the Calavera BA Stout I had at Zipline earlier in the day was better.
 
One of my local bottle shops has BCBS in for sale right now, plans to get the barleywine in next week, but won't be getting any of the coffee. Oh well, like Mantra says, there are much better beers out there to enjoy.
 

riotous

Banned
I thought the coffee was really mediocre last year; much prefer Fremont Coffee KDS, Avery Tweak, or the highly affordable Epic Big Bad Baptist.

Might pop one of the 2016 BCS Coffee I got tonight; a bit hungover from yesterday though lol. Went to the B-BOMB infusion event with was fun, and then ended up at a place I'd never heard of that had BCS on tap and randomly they were releasing bottles of rare at 8pm and snagged another.

I'm assuming all these rares released yesterday were 2015 bottles? Nobody mentioned the year.
 
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