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Beer |OT|

DrM

Redmond's Baby
Some new craft breweries appeared nearby, I need to give them a visit.

Due to diet, I only drink beer at weekends...
 
Posts like this remind my wife that I'm not that nuts when it comes to beer. ;-)

#norareandonlyoneofeach

Basically, it takes calling a bunch of liquor stores (or knowing the right people) and planning where you're going and when. You'll also typically have to wait in line for a while if they have timed releases because most liquor stores run out of the variants very quickly even if they limit it to 1 per person.

A buddy of mine got 3 bottles of the Rare himself, but he spent probably 5 hours in lines over the course of the whole day, including getting in line at 4:30AM when it was 5 degrees out and snowing for an 8AM release. You have to be damn dedicated to do that.

Getting lucky can help too. Sometimes you just happen to show up at the right place at the right time, places that nobody knew about and happened to get a good selection.
 
Basically, it takes calling a bunch of liquor stores (or knowing the right people) and planning where you're going and when. You'll also typically have to wait in line for a while if they have timed releases because most liquor stores run out of the variants very quickly even if they limit it to 1 per person.

A buddy of mine got 3 bottles of the Rare himself, but he spent probably 5 hours in lines over the course of the whole day, including getting in line at 4:30AM when it was 5 degrees out and snowing for an 8AM release. You have to be damn dedicated to do that.

Getting lucky can help too. Sometimes you just happen to show up at the right place at the right time, places that nobody knew about and happened to get a good selection.
Yeah, too much work for me. Congrats on getting the rare stuff though.
 
Well Ice Cube was right: today was a good day.

CU8AlpbXIAAG4lw.jpg:large
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Expedition is my favorite out of the three in that picture. Luckily for us in San Diego Xocoveza is on shelves almost everywhere without any real limit to it. BCBS is always a shitshow here. Got one bottle when I stopped at BevMo on the way to Whole Foods.

I'm wondering if I should empty the cellar to trade for the variants. The problem is that I only really have shit I don't really want to move like Duck Duck Gooze and then stuff that's not really worth anything in a trade.
 
Basically, it takes calling a bunch of liquor stores (or knowing the right people) and planning where you're going and when. You'll also typically have to wait in line for a while if they have timed releases because most liquor stores run out of the variants very quickly even if they limit it to 1 per person.

A buddy of mine got 3 bottles of the Rare himself, but he spent probably 5 hours in lines over the course of the whole day, including getting in line at 4:30AM when it was 5 degrees out and snowing for an 8AM release. You have to be damn dedicated to do that.

Getting lucky can help too. Sometimes you just happen to show up at the right place at the right time, places that nobody knew about and happened to get a good selection.

I got in line 15 minutes before the store opened at 10am and got Regal Rye, Coffee and BW. Then I went home and had a nice day decorating the house for Christmas with my wife and daughter. Seeing how I think $65 for Rare is dumb, I don't feel like I missed out on anything.
 
I got in line 15 minutes before the store opened at 10am and got Regal Rye, Coffee and BW. Then I went home and had a nice day decorating the house for Christmas with my wife and daughter. Seeing how I think $65 for Rare is dumb, I don't feel like I missed out on anything.

Ultimately it all depends on the area you live in, your knowledge of which liquor stores will get what and when, and the level of dedication of your peers. People here in Denver are fucking rabid over BCBS day. The guy who was first in line at the liquor store that got the biggest allocation (Argonaut) stood in line from 1:30 AM to 8 AM. I showed up to that same liquor store at 7:30 and there were over 100 people in line.

That's how it works at the big name places that people know will have it. At the small places, you can get away with right place, right time tactics.
 
Ultimately it all depends on the area you live in, your knowledge of which liquor stores will get what and when, and the level of dedication of your peers. People here in Denver are fucking rabid over BCBS day. The guy who was first in line at the liquor store that got the biggest allocation (Argonaut) stood in line from 1:30 AM to 8 AM. I showed up to that same liquor store at 7:30 and there were over 100 people in line.

That's how it works at the big name places that people know will have it. At the small places, you can get away with right place, right time tactics.

Very nice that Seattle isn't like that. Bourbon Abominable also released on Black Friday here and it was nice and calm.

Sounds like Parabajava was a shit show.
 
So a few things i had this weekend:

BCBS - pretty good, similar to last year's which is the only other vintage I've had. Great, thick, boozy, fudge, just a damn solid barrel-aged stout. Glad it's pretty wildly available right now because I can't think of a better accessible option (unless you count Parabola).

Bourbon County Barleywine - this I didn't like as much as last year's; somehow less sweet and a bit more roasty but it's still good. Reminded me of Firestone Walker's most recent anniversary blend in terms of its barleywine/stout hybrid taste. Wish I could find more more easily but as long as I can find Firestone Walker's barrel-aged offerings I won't miss it too much.

Stone Xocoveza - glad I finally found a sixer over here. Pretty similar to last year's but a little less spicy which is actually a positive IMO.
 
Jesus, where did this six pack of Golden Monkey disappear to? I bought a few different six packs the other night, but this one is gone. Guess it was a hit with the family.
 
Whole Foods near my house has Xocoveza on tap and a bunch of 6 packs of them for sale. Guess I should check it out.

As for BCBS, Rare was the only one I didn't get. Place I waited at ran out of it like 5 people in front of me, along with all the other variants other then the Barleywine. People literally had tents there and camped out all night though, and I was around 60-70th in line. I should have known better then to leave it to chance and not listened to friends saying it would be fine. Could be worse though as friend told me there was like 50 people at the biggest Total Wine in the NA VA area and they only had the normal, Barleywine, and Coffee. Why everywhere in DC gets everything but then VA gets dick is beyond me.

Good news is that I stopped at a random Harris Teeter and they just had the stuff out, like not even holding it back. No limits or anything. Guy who was working there told me someone bought the full allotment of Rare and Regal Rye and Coffee, but I was able to find another Regal Rye box under a mountain of the normal, and some Coffee in a cut up box on display. Would have been nice to get a rare, but oh well.
 

HiResDes

Member
Whole Foods near my house has Xocoveza on tap and a bunch of 6 packs of them for sale. Guess I should check it out.

As for BCBS, Rare was the only one I didn't get. Place I waited at ran out of it like 5 people in front of me, along with all the other variants other then the Barleywine. People literally had tents there and camped out all night though, and I was around 60-70th in line. I should have known better then to leave it to chance and not listened to friends saying it would be fine. Could be worse though as friend told me there was like 50 people at the biggest Total Wine in the NA VA area and they only had the normal, Barleywine, and Coffee. Why everywhere in DC gets everything but then VA gets dick is beyond me.

Good news is that I stopped at a random Harris Teeter and they just had the stuff out, like not even holding it back. No limits or anything. Guy who was working there told me someone bought the full allotment of Rare and Regal Rye and Coffee, but I was able to find another Regal Rye box under a mountain of the normal, and some Coffee in a cut up box on display. Would have been nice to get a rare, but oh well.
We didn't even get Coffee or Rare bruh don't whine.
 

HiResDes

Member
My county didn't get anything at all.

And what is Founders PAM? And I heard some new Lagunitas is hitting but have no clue what.

Can't find it yet, but this:

Founders-Project-Pam-Bottle.png



Other stuff I'm gonna look out for:

Southern Tier Back Burner
Southern Tier 2XSmash
Pabst Ballantine Burton Ale
Sixpoint CREAM
Alaskan Smoked Porter
Sixpoint - 5Beans
Oskar Blues - Death By Coconut (Still can't find)
Stone - Xocoveza (Still can't find)
 

Chris R

Member
Couldn't find any BCBS when I went looking on Saturday. Lots of Xocoveza though, but a six pack was $14 or something like that so I passed since I've had a bomber of it before.
 
I had an opportunity for a Rare, but passed. At $60, I'd never find a justifiable time to open it. The local Goose rep did open a bottle at an event I was at on Wednesday, though. It's pretty tasty. Smoother and subtler than regular BCBS. Oaky overtones with vanilla notes. Damned good, but not worth the hustle, I think.
 

Chris R

Member
Alaska didn't get bottles again. Draft only.

One day, I'll enjoy everything you lower 48 people take for granted :(

Don't see it on the menu at the place with the widest variety of taps that I can think of, might call a few places to see if they are doing growlers.

edit: well it seems one place has it on their growler menu... I'll stop by to see how much it costs, and maybe buy a 32oz growler...
 

HiResDes

Member
One day, I'll enjoy everything you lower 48 people take for granted :(

Don't see it on the menu at the place with the widest variety of taps that I can think of, might call a few places to see if they are doing growlers.

Bruh but you probably have this everywhere:

Smoked_Porter_showdown-large.jpg
 
Alaskan Smoked Porter is literally everywhere in the Seattle area. I often see older vintages in clearance bins at Safeway. It's a really good beer, and I'm not a huge fan of smoke beers.
 
Can't find it yet, but this:

Founders-Project-Pam-Bottle.png



Other stuff I'm gonna look out for:

Southern Tier Back Burner
Southern Tier 2XSmash
Pabst Ballantine Burton Ale
Sixpoint CREAM
Alaskan Smoked Porter
Sixpoint - 5Beans
Oskar Blues - Death By Coconut (Still can't find)
Stone - Xocoveza (Still can't find)
Ooooh. I need that Pam.
 
So is KBS usually harder or easier to obtain in comparison to BCBS for you guys.

This was the first year there was any KBS in California at all and only a few places got it and it sold out before I even knew it had made it over. BCBS is much easier but it's never like sat on shelves or anything. Thankfully I haven't had trouble finding Parabola (yet)
 

HiResDes

Member
I never get in on the KBS action but would really like to obtain some this year to compare to my growing collection of barrel aged brews.
 
This was the first year there was any KBS in California at all and only a few places got it and it sold out before I even knew it had made it over. BCBS is much easier but it's never like sat on shelves or anything. Thankfully I haven't had trouble finding Parabola (yet)

Parabola (along with the other BA FW beers) is a shelf turd in Seattle. Blows me away that it is gone instantly other places.
 

Cr0wn0

Member
Ended up with 3 stouts and one barley wine. I went up north of where I live where most of the rarer stuff sits on the shelf. Beers that sell out in minutes here sit up there.
 
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