2016 Bourbon County releases

[boogercrack]

Wait, no more scotch barrels? That sounded so much better than yet another mexican syrup stout.

No, it doesn't.

 

[AndresR]

It's cool to see the BW is now going to be 2nd use barrels instead of 3rd use Might have to pick up at least a bottle of BW this year just to see how it turned out.

 

[arren]

I anticipate lots of dumb reactions to this by people who don't understand what pasteurization does and doesn't do.

Is there no vanilla this year? Man, I would've loved to see the "HEAT KILLED DA BANILLA FALVORS" rage threads.

 

[matedog]

I anticipate lots of dumb reactions to this by people who don't understand what pasteurization does and doesn't do.

So I am not lumped into that group, pasteurizing sours=bad because you kill off some of the unintended bacteria and yeast which would add complexity (for lack of a better word), but those are pretty much always undesirable in stouts/barleywines?

 

[JulianB1]

So I am not lumped into that group, pasteurizing sours=bad because you kill off some of the unintended bacteria and yeast which would add complexity (for lack of a better word), but those are pretty much always undesirable in stouts/barleywines?

Basically. A sour beer that has active bacteria is going to evolve over time, at least somewhat from the presence of the bacteria (beers getting more funky over time, etc.). Now obviously those characteristics are not desirable in a clean beer. In a stout like BCBS most of the changes are coming from oxidation, changes in compounds related to any adjuncts, the bourbon, the wood from the barrel, etc. Does the yeast contribute something? Maybe, but I doubt it has much effect in comparison with other factors.

Does anyone know if BCBS was bottle-conditioned in the past? If so, with what kind of yeast?

 

[stupac2]

Basically. A sour beer that has active bacteria is going to evolve over time, at least somewhat from the presence of the bacteria (beers getting more funky over time, etc.). Now obviously those characteristics are not desirable in a clean beer. In a stout like BCBS most of the changes are coming from oxidation, changes in compounds related to any adjuncts, the bourbon, the wood from the barrel, etc. Does the yeast contribute something? Maybe, but I doubt it has much effect in comparison with other factors.

Does anyone know if BCBS was bottle-conditioned in the past? If so, with what kind of yeast?

I'd be surprised if yeast contributed anything to a stout besides autolysis, ie bad ****. But maybe there's something more complicated, duketheredeemer could probably explain more.

 

[duketheredeemer]

I'd be surprised if yeast contributed anything to a stout besides autolysis, ie bad ****. But maybe there's something more complicated, duketheredeemer could probably explain more.

Active Sacc in a stout might help protect it from oxidation a bit, as it may continue to metabolize stuff slowly, but in general that shouldn't be a huge effect. Autolysis can contribute some interesting things through the release of enzymes -- esterases in the yeast being released into the beer at large can sometimes make a beer more fruity during autolysis, for example. That might change some of the bacterial aroma/flavor compounds, though it could just as well make them even worse.

It's possible that Sacc might eat some of the flavor junk or simple sugars a wild yeast or bacteria excreted over a long timeframe, but in a beer with a lot of residual sugar already (i.e. most big stouts, etc.), Sacc is limited not by the lack of stuff to eat, but by the alcohol content.

 

[hideout]

 

[Lutter]

They're pasteurizing this year.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/dinin...nty-beers-get-pasteurized-20160929-story.html

Has there ever been a BBA stout pasteurized?

Someone enlighten me.

 

[JulianB1]

Has there ever been a BBA stout pasteurized?

Someone enlighten me.

Abyss after 2009, which includes 2 really good years of it (2010 and 2011).

 

[lb304854]

Has there ever been a BBA stout pasteurized?

Someone enlighten me.

Doesn't Founders flash pasteurize?

 

[aleigator]

Since they now pasteurize, how will this influence the aging process of the beer?

 

[matedog]

Since they now pasteurize, how will this influence the aging process of the beer?

Read JulianB and duketheredeemer 's posts above. Stout aging primarily revolves around oxidation, not bacteria/yeast work, so it really shouldn't affect it. Duke brings up some stuff I kind of understand that *might* affect it minimally, but I think the general consensus is that the generally positive attributes you look for in an aged stout, you will still be able to attain with pasteurized BCBS.

Correct me if I'm wrong since there are people here that know waaaay more than I do on this.

 

[furley]

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...20161026-story.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

"berry-tart forward"?

 

[FoudreGuy]

http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...20161026-story.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

"berry-tart forward"?

Poor choice of words with last year's infection issues, but I actually get that flavor profile from some bitter dark chocolate.

Edit: and he uses the same description for BCBCS. You'd think GI would've been like "dude. Stop with the berry tart ********. Please."

 

[user 305778]

I'm actually disappointed the barleywine is using straight 2nd use barrels. I always found its appeal was the mix of bourbon and bourbon county in the barleywine. This just makes it a boring bourbon barrel barleywine of which there are plenty.

 

[user 305778]

So I am not lumped into that group, pasteurizing sours=bad because you kill off some of the unintended bacteria and yeast which would add complexity (for lack of a better word), but those are pretty much always undesirable in stouts/barleywines?

Pasteurizing sours isn't even necessarily bad. It just means it won't change in age from anything but oxidation. However, if the sour already tastes fine, then who cares.

 

[Ziggy]

I hope the only thing that will truly be pasteurized is the hype surrounding this beer.

 

[arren]

Since they now pasteurize, how will this influence the aging process of the beer?

Well if Abyss is any indication, extremely poorly.

 

[ApocalypseZombie]

Well if Abyss is any indication, extremely poorly.

Yeah, cause abyss was so amazing before pasteurizing, amirite?

 

[arren]

Yeah, cause abyss was so amazing before pasteurizing, amirite?

Amazing, less bad, same diff

 

[Beerologist]

Well if Abyss is any indication, extremely poorly.

IIRC the 2010 and 2011 batches were still pretty damn good last time I had them (early 2015) and the favorites of the 5 year vertical we did

 

[steimie]

Why did you do a 5 year Abyss vertical? For Beerology?

 

[Beerologist]

Why did you do a 5 year Abyss vertical? For Beerology?

Exactly

 

[arren]

IIRC the 2010 and 2011 batches were still pretty damn good last time I had them (early 2015) and the favorites of the 5 year vertical we did

Really? I had both in late 2014 and they were just completely unpalatable, like soggy cardboard.

Any Abyss I've had older than two years has had that exact same profile too.

 

[Beerologist]

Really? I had both in late 2014 and they were just completely unpalatable, like soggy cardboard.

Any Abyss I've had older than two years has had that exact same profile too.

Yeah, its been close to a year and a half now so my memory is a bit hazy, but the thing I remember from that tasting was the older the beer the better.

We did a Parabola vert around the same time and I had the opposite opinion where I generally felt like the more recent batches were much better than the older ones.

Not that this necessarily applies here, but I may have an odd palate. I definitely can't taste some off flavors like diacetyl (which I can't complain about). Also I guess there is always something to say about opinions and preferences so...ymmv.

 

[falc0n26001]

Over the weekend I drank Abyss 2014 out of the bottle at 3am in a graveyard. It was awesome.

I was also drunk as **** and then some, so that might have something to do with it.

 

[arren]

Yeah, its been close to a year and a half now so my memory is a bit hazy, but the thing I remember from that tasting was the older the beer the better.

We did a Parabola vert around the same time and I had the opposite opinion where I generally felt like the more recent batches were much better than the older ones.

Not that this necessarily applies here, but I may have an odd palate. I definitely can't taste some off flavors like diacetyl (which I can't complain about). Also I guess there is always something to say about opinions and preferences so...ymmv.

I've done the Parabola vert too and your insight is on point - that's a beer that's definitely better fresh than aged.

 

[FTowne1]

How much regular BCBS did they make this year? Same amount as last year or more? Trying to decide if I want to stand in line for 20 minutes to get my 3 bottle allotment.

 

[JulianB1]

How much regular BCBS did they make this year? Same amount as last year or more? Trying to decide if I want to stand in line for 20 minutes to get my 3 bottle allotment.

Hearing through the unreliable grapevine (distributor-to-store-to me triple hearsay, internet crap chatter, etc.) that it's going to be a much smaller release than last year. One reason I saw floated (no evidence to back it up, but at least plausible) was needing to source all-new barrels post infection issues or something along those lines.

I do know that, at least on the initial run, my local store said they are getting a lot less than last year. But it's also possible ABInBev is making reductions asymmetrically, market-wise.