DBRcast – Ep6 – Bourbon County Day

DBRcast Logo 5With the shadow of the baby looming, I held onto this episode for a diapered day, and here we are. We wax poetic about our Bourbon County day experiences (or lack thereof), I admit to (briefly) committing a crime, we talk about the two bottles of Rare we got from what was an illegal, incentivized raffle, and we (well me) reflect on the hypocrisy of looking at the BCBS release as a side show of super-hyped bullshit while fervently participating in it.

We finish by discussing the current state of Bourbon County in the hands of the InBev Empire (or is that the First Order now) and bond over Capone’s and the Black Friday event that keeps families together. It’s a magical, bourbon soaked, baby-banked episode of the DBRcast.

Warning: This here podcast contains the salty language, so delicate ears need not apply.

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Bulls Head Bourbon County Event and Beer Reviews

The Preamble

BCBS Bulls Head BottlesI walk the mean streets of Lititz, PA with a bottle of Prairie Bomb in my pocket, a cold wind at my back and a mission to have Bourbon County Vanilla Rye in my gut by the end of the night. Can’t think of a better way to spend a Wednesday afternoon. I push through the double doors into the Bulls Head Pub and find it is busier than usual, already half-full of like-minded regulars. Regulars might be a bit generous as the promise of draft BCBS along with its Coffee and Vanilla bottled brethren has dredged up all the flexible work schedule casual and enthusiast beer drinkers from across the region.

Bulls HeadI sidle up to the smooth, lacquered bar top that I’ve sidled up to many times before and peruse the tap list. A coaster absently spins under my nervous fingers. It’s an hour and a half until the Bourbon County event kicks off, but there are worse places to kill time. The Bulls Head is one of the top beer bars in the North East (made official by CraftBeer.com’s user-voted Great American Beer Bars competition) and a British style pub, meaning no T.V., plenty of room temperature cask beer, bar only ordering, and a partially British menu to match. The décor follows suit; dim lighting, a mix of high top tables and booths, and wood covering every surface like a forest exploded. Just about every element of the bar was brought over from England to be as authentic as possible and it all adds up as one of the best places in PA to get some fish and chips with your craft beer.

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Last Week in Untappd – 11/10 – 11/16

The beers of Untappd (drewsbrewsreviews) mostly came from the personal collections of beer enthusiasts this week, so many thanks to the people and their sharing spirit. Sad to say that a portion of this was guzzled during the Green Bay routing of the Eagles, but at least we had a big beer to make that big loss go down easier. We are nearing some major releases and events, so my Untappd is probably going to blow up soon. In the calm before the storm, I’ll be sneaking in some traded Gandhi Bot and maybe a Prairie Bomb. Looking forward to it!

bcbsGoose Island – Bourbon County
Location: DBR Bar
Style: Imperial Stout (Bourbon Aged)
Score: 4.5/5
Original Comment: Why not drown the Eagle sorrows in a vintage 2013 bourbon. Can’t wait to try the 2014 offerings.

Additional Thoughts: Always good to revisit an old friend right before we get to experience its 2014 brethren (and when your team is getting pulverized by the Aaron Rodgers TD machine). Obviously this wasn’t much of a beer review, but I’ve had this beer plenty and didn’t feel like adding much. A year on and the BCBS remained largely unchanged . The sweetness might have bumped up a touch, a dangerous aspect with such a syrupy booze blast of a beer that teetered on medicinal to begin with. Actually two of our group, one a major boozy beer fan, couldn’t handle it. Not for everyone indeed, but it got me pumped for the 2014 Vanilla Rye BCBS.

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Goose Island – Backyard Rye BCBS Review

Backyard RyeAll You Need to Know

Brewery: Goose Island
Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 12.7%
Cost:  $30 (22oz)
Glassware: Snifter (served in a water goblet)
Temp: 50°
Availability: Limited
Purchased@: Station Taproom

Quick Take: Quite the fruity beer. The syrupy mouth feel and extreme fruit may be overindulgent for some. It’s rich berry teeters on cloying, making a modest pour thoroughly enjoyable, but a single glass (possibly a cordial glass) is all I would want. This doesn’t strike me as a beer you want to age either as the sugary quality could get out of control. The bottom line is that this is a dessert beer built for sipping, sharing, and pairing and one I’m glad I got the opportunity to try even if I had to overpay for it.

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