Beer in the new era

The recommendation I hear is honestly to give the 12oz bottles a good year to mature in bottle, though some folks like to try one for reference. Also, I repeatedly see them referred to as "sippers" and meant to share, so invite a friend!

Distant xpost, shit, I got confused with the KBS v. FBS. I got a couple of four-packs of the Founder's Breakfast Stout, not the KBS (Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout). Different animals, and in many corners equally beloved, but the FBS is much easier to find (though still hard for some, apparently).

That makes much more sense. I've only had KBS once, I paid $50 for a four year vertical tasting.

wowee that's good. i shared it w/ a bunch of friends over a lambchop dinner and it was EXCELLENT. thanks for the recommendation and i'll def get some more to stash away to let age.

FYI - and this is something that few ever consider with beer - but I believe one 12oz. bottle runs about 500 calories. That's like a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream, which to be fair sounds about as good as this beer tastes. I read someone describe it as "like drinking the richest coffee and the darkest chocolate at the same time, just without the coffee and chocolate - a kind of husky and smooth darkness that defies explanation other than to say, 'That beer is very dark and heavy, as if drinking the end of a black hole.'"

Pretty sure I've had a 2500 calorie bourbon county night.

i have no issues with booziness in beer but even with that in mind i think this year's bcbs is drinking excellently right away.

That's the fun of it, right? I'm sure it tastes great now. Who knows how it will taste later? Likely still great, but probably a little different.

One point people have brought up is that at or around 15%ABV, it's probably good for a lot longer than 5 years. I mean, that's boozier than wine, so if stored correctly, there's no reason BCS can't go much longer.

So no luck in calling the Binny's out in the burbs by me, or the Armanetti owned joint by me (which usually has a terrible selection anyway, but thought I'd check). BUT the guy I talked to at Binny's said he actually saw five cases at a Jewel in the West Loop of all places. So, who knows.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-27/features/chi-new-brewery-john-laffler-20121127_1_craft-beer-siebel-institute-john-laffler

I tried the Coney Island Mermaid Pilsner recently. Supposedly it has rye in it but it tasted pretty much like a regular pilsner to me - similar to Pilsner Urquell - which is fine by me, since that's one of my favorite beers.

xpost I highly doubt any store has five cases of BCS left at this point, let alone a Jewel. Though the craft selection has gotten pretty solid at a lot of them.

Per Jeff's recommendation, bought a bottle of the Firestone 16th Anniversary. It wasn't hard to find at all, though, which is not to say I'm not tempted to grab another to hold on to. I love the idea of beers that age in the bottle. Really strikes my collector chord.

Well, to be fair, the guy didn't clarify exactly when he saw the cases, so it may have been some time ago.

True enough.

I found another two 4-packs at the River Grove Binny's! And I think they still have some coffee, and definitely Night Stalker (which I see everywhere). My wife has forbidden me from buying any more, so everyone else, give 'em a call and grab what's left.

Don't have the time to go anywhere the next few days, so freaking busy, so I may just miss out. I do have one connection to try this afternoon, but that'll probably be my last attempt.

Just about everything Firestone walker puts in a barrel is good.

Since all I can seem to talk about is BCBS, this is a ridiculous lineup for a bar close to my place. Tempting to skip my company holiday party to go. http://www.paddylongs.com/goose-island-bourbon-county-stout-tap-takeover/

yeah i would go to that for sure

that sounds like nerd central

Pretty much. Welcome to Chicago beer events.

Had you read the trib link I posted upthread? The BCS guy is starting his own brewery, although my guess is you know this already.

I've really enjoyed the sips of BCS that I've had (usually courtesy Jeff) but can't bring myself to care about seeking it out. Not really interested in Dark Lord Day, either.

Dark Lord Day takes real work. So does KBS. The fact that I was able to find so much BCS, plus variant, this late in the game - it was released in September, no? - proves that Goose Island did indeed up production and keep a lot of the product local.

My local shop had a few bottles of Firestone Walker XV Anniversary as well as the XVI.

Anyone here find any BC in So Cal? Goose Island is out here, but this thread is making me want to seek out these BCs.

Still has the XV? Buy it when you go in there, I'll pay you for them. XV

Dan, yeah, I read it already. Basically gives many of the nerds that were on the fence on hating GI since the AB-InBev purchase a chance to really write them off now. I'm fine with that, more beer for me. And also excited about his new brewery.

My wife was just in Portland for the weekend, and her host had been calling around. Apparently the out of state allotments, given how much was kept for Chicago this time, were particularly paltry.

xpst. Whoops, finishing the first sentence. XV was a wonderful beer and I liked it better than the XVI. But both are great blends.

I may have snagged the last two XV, for me and my friend, but I can try to pop in again tomorrow and see if they have more/totally convince them I am a psycho by making three trips for the same thing in three days.

I can indeed confirm that BCS is still out there, and that you may find them in unusual places. The tiny, tiny 24-7 market on Wabash near my office had at least six 4-packs and one other full case as of today, from what I could see. Their beer selection is tiny, so I was really shocked to see them.

So you lucked out? That's awesome news. Any chance of revealing your source. :)

I would imagine that the Walgreens at Fullerton and Greenview still has some. I can't imagine too many people paying $29 for a four pack at Walgreens.

Can't remember if I talked about it before, but the Bayerischer bahnhof Brettanomyces lambicus is a fantastic light, sour Weisse beer. And only 3% ABV.

See, I drink low ABV beer sometimes.

I noticed the pendulum swinging to lambic and sour beers lately. Which is fine by me, though I'm not a huge fan.

xp yeah that beer is really cool!

if it was available in six-packs for cheap i would drink a lot of it in the summer

I followed up the 3% beer with a Sierra Nevada Narwhal. Not a bad imperial stout. Tastes a little too sweet. 10.2%.

yeah narwhal was p. good for a commonly available imp. stout.

i've been meaning to go back to storm king, that was like the imperial stout back in the day

I still need to try the Narwhal, sounds like. I wouldn't mind a good, easier to find imperial stout.

It was the Burnham Mart on Wabash, south of 8th.

Per Imperial stouts, people seem to like Old Rasputin, which is all over the place.

Yeah Old Rasputin is pretty good, but I don't know that I'd compare it to other Imperial Stout's I've head.

if you ever see it on nitro drop what you're doing and drink that

Definitely haven't done that! Maybe Old Rasputin is just one of those that has kinda been spoiled by over-familiarity. It isn't bad, by any means, but a couple places around our house that serve good food, that's always like the one dependable not boring beer they have.

Green Flash double Stout is a nice around pickup in these parts.

I've really liked all the Green Flash stuff that has made it to my regular bars. Rayon Vert, which I guess is their namesake, in particular.

Great Lakes blackout stout is v v good fyi

Boulevard Brewing Farmhouse Ale is really good.

Ok, so I decided to participate in the office secret santa, in which we're allowed to request something, so I'm thinking beer. What's a good $20-25 beer or beer pack/set that would be reasonably available in New York?

the belgian/trappist sets are always good, i've been seeing a boulevard set around that would be fun

Dozens of boxes of BCS at the south loop Binnys..

I think it's only $21 there too.