Full Bourbon County Lineup 2005 - 2015

[Treebs]

Also if we are getting into non-officially released variants this list can get absurd. Had a pour from a counter pressure filled bomber of Ghost Pepper BCS a few years back that was glorious.

That's a rabbit hole no one should venture down. Templeton Rye and Napa Valley BCBS hnnnngggg

 

[Podunkparte]

IMO if you're going to include every year of Bourbon County Barleywine, you have to have King Henry in the lineup. It's BCBW's forefather spawned from the Pappy barrels 2010 Rare aged in. I'm sure it's faded as **** by this point, but if you're going for full lineup, don't half ass it and leave out the King.

 

[Lutter]

IMO if you're going to include every year of Bourbon County Barleywine, you have to have King Henry in the lineup. It's BCBW's forefather spawned from the Pappy barrels 2010 Rare aged in. I'm sure it's faded as **** by this point, but if you're going for full lineup, don't half ass it and leave out the King.

I had a King Henry about 4 months ago at a share and it just made me sad.

BCBBW is better than it at this point. Wouldn't bother paying the price KH commands nowadays.

However KH fresh was infinitely better than BCBBW... because of Pappy barrel magic.

 

[Bill2]

Apple Brandy BCBS mmmmmm

 

[Treebs]

I had a King Henry about 4 months ago at a share and it just made me sad.

BCBBW is better than it at this point. Wouldn't bother paying the price KH commands nowadays.

However KH fresh was infinitely better than BCBBW... because of Pappy barrel magic.

The entire batch of KH was aged in the Rare barrels where has the current BCBBW recipe is blending Barleywine aged in used BCBS barrels and regular bourbon barrels. IMO that's why KH tasted much better than any batch of BCBBW has tasted. Something about that full BCBS barrel treatment.

 

[Nico1]

2003 BCBS. Good luck finding a bottle, though.

 

[RyanG1]

2003 BCBS. Good luck finding a bottle, though.

Better luck finding the dot matrix printer.

 

[jimmyr78]

If one had a GTS it'd be pretty easy to get a violet hour if one threw up an ISO.

George T Stagg is the nectar of the gods; I'll keep mine. I'll skip Violet Hour and am going to omit all of the crazy, non-distro variants. And that 2003 could be a ghost beer by this point, though there are probably a couple in the wild. My OCD would not allow me to drink a 2003, skip 2004, and then kick into the 10-year vertical. I'd probably go crazy thinking about 2004 after a couple pours.

 

[jimmyr78]

IMO if you're going to include every year of Bourbon County Barleywine, you have to have King Henry in the lineup. It's BCBW's forefather spawned from the Pappy barrels 2010 Rare aged in. I'm sure it's faded as **** by this point, but if you're going for full lineup, don't half ass it and leave out the King.

Had a King Henry in June. Was not a good experience. I'm skipping King Henry, Big John, Night Stalker, etc.

 

[danbanana]

That's a rabbit hole no one should venture down. Templeton Rye and Napa Valley BCBS hnnnngggg

I am still confused why "Napa County" has never been released in bottles. So ****ing good and it can't be that much harder to procure wine barrels. Also very nice: the two-year Templeton treatment. Oh, and Baudoinia. The best part about that one was that it stayed on tap at bars forever because no one knew what it was...

But if you want an even bigger rabbit hole, there were a few other beers that GI did that were aged in third-use BCBS barrels, similar to what they did with KH and BCBW. Dominique was amazing. I'm sure there were others. Laura?

Hey, remember Laffler? Those were good times, yo!

 

[Treebs]

George T Stagg is the nectar of the gods; I'll keep mine. I'll skip Violet Hour and am going to omit all of the crazy, non-distro variants. And that 2003 could be a ghost beer by this point, though there are probably a couple in the wild. My OCD would not allow me to drink a 2003, skip 2004, and then kick into the 10-year vertical. I'd probably go crazy thinking about 2004 after a couple pours.

There was no 2004 release. Not even employee only bottles like 2003 as far as I'm aware.

 

[drgarage1]

I am still confused why "Napa County" has never been released in bottles. So ****ing good and it can't be that much harder to procure wine barrels. Also very nice: the two-year Templeton treatment. Oh, and Baudoinia. The best part about that one was that it stayed on tap at bars forever because no one knew what it was...

But if you want an even bigger rabbit hole, there were a few other beers that GI did that were aged in third-use BCBS barrels, similar to what they did with KH and BCBW. Dominique was amazing. I'm sure there were others. Laura?

Hey, remember Laffler? Those were good times, yo!

Imperial Brown Goose?

 

[Nico1]

There was no 2004 release. Not even employee only bottles like 2003 as far as I'm aware.

It's been awhile, but I thought I remember reading that there was a release in the 90s?

 

[sidetracked]

I am still confused why "Napa County" has never been released in bottles. So ****ing good and it can't be that much harder to procure wine barrels.

Seconded. I assumed maybe it was harder to get a consistent end product from the red wine barrels? Or they thought it was too much of a departure from the original that people wouldn't like it? Whatever the problem is, I wish they would make more.

 

[caaam]

I am still confused why "Napa County" has never been released in bottles. So ****ing good and it can't be that much harder to procure wine barrels.

I would love if they blended some wine barrel into some of the rye/fruit variants. And it's not like Budwiser InBev Goose Island couldn't market blended different barrels of BCBS. Hell, I'd actually ISO one with wine barrels

 

[Treebs]

It's been awhile, but I thought I remember reading that there was a release in the 90s?

It was made for fests a few times in the 90's, but I don't believe it was a commercial release. Maybe on tap at Clybourn? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

History Lesson edit:

Brewed as the 1000th batch for Clybourn. Won gold at GABF in 1995 in the Strong Ale category.

 

[danbanana]

Just because this piqued my interest, I checked the first BCBS rating on RB and it is... awesome.

2.1 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 3/10 PALATE 1/5 OVERALL 6/20
npdempse (934) - St. Petersburg, Florida, USA - AUG 16, 2001
This stuff is unbelievably sweet--kind of like Coke with a lot of alcohol. Has a decent stout body and aroma, but I found it undrinkable.

NOT A GOOD START, GOOSE.

 

[thechrislife]

The same curiosity led me to check the first review on BA:

3.03/5 rDev -32.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Sampled in a Brandy Snifter at the Clyborn Brewpub.

Apparently one of the first Imperial Stouts commercially aged in bourbon barrels in the US.

This beer is definately an odd duck and different than what you would think.

This beer is almost completely overwhelmed by oaky sourness in the aroma and flavor with a sharp acetic and tannic character.

Aroma carries a spicy oak and vanilla sense with a strong current of acectic acid in the finish.

The flavor of this dead deep black beer starts with chocolate and cherries, but is quickly overwhelmed with a sharp vinegar flavor and a tannic finish.

Really interesting beer, a stout lambic? Oude Noir? Who knows, but a snifter of this is about the right size for a beer this intense.

★752 characters

drewbage, Jun 25, 2003

 

[FTowne1]

Dominique was amazing

Agreed.

 

[pgh_penguins]

I wish I could do another BC tasting.. man was I drunk though.

 

[Podunkparte]

I wish I could do another BC tasting.. man was I drunk though.

 

[jimmyr78]

Bumping in anticipation of Black Friday. Happy hunting, y'all.