Revolution Local Hero

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company (Revolution Beer LLC) in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Fine Wine & Liquors in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: India Pale Ale, 6.5%

Reported IBUs: 65

I like supporting local businesses, I do, but it chaffs my ass when a liquor store posts false information on BeerMenus and then acts surprised when you are upset and/or disappointed. Also, requiring a $10 dollar minimum purchase for special releases is hilarious. If you want to attract new customers, you should entice them with limited releases, and then have good customer service. Anyway, about Revolution:

Revolution Brewing is a brewery and brewpub based in Chicago. Revolution's roots are tied to founder Josh Deth, a homebrewer who began working at Golden Prairie Brewing. A few years later, while working at Goose Island, Josh dreamt up the idea for Revolution Brewing. In 2003, Josh and his wife opened Handlebar, while Josh worked as an Executive Director of Logan Square Chamber of Commerce. While working for the Chamber of Commerce, Josh found an old building on Milwaukee Avenue, and the wheels began to spin to open up a brewery. After three years of raising funds, Revolution Brewing opened its doors on February 2010. In July of 2011, Revolution added a 2nd floor Brewers' Lounge. And in 2012, the company opened a new production brewery and tap room. The brewpub is located in Logan Squre on 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave; the brewery is located on Kedzie Avenue at 3340 N. Kedzie Ave. For more information on Revolution, check out their history page here! 

The Local Hero IPA is brewed with with Centennial, Cascade, Chinook, and Nugget hops, fresh from Hop Heads Farms located in Hickory Corners, MI. "Hop Head Farms:" that's a bold move, Cotton. As per RevBrew, Hop Heads Farms provides quality Midwest hops. Hops, not drugs. This IPA punches in at 6.5% and packs 65 IBUs.

Revolution Local Hero

This one pours into a golden body in lower light, with two to three fingers of rocky, golden-tinted head. Bright light confirms much of the same: a mostly clear, golden beer, with a white/off-white head. There's plenty of lacing, and fat carbonation rising upwards.

I'm getting a lot of grass, biscuit, and honey on the aroma. There's some peppery citrus as well: maybe lemon zest and peppery tangerine/orange. More grass, resinous orange...to the taste-mobile!

This tastes nice and chewy...I'm getting a lot of grass, floral notes, spicy/zesty hop character, and tons of biscuit/bread backing. There's some lemon and pineapple in here, and maybe some grapefruit.

This isn't bad at all, and I'm finding this quite drinkable at 6.5%. It leans towards sweet, bready, and grassy...otherwise, things are a bit muddled or nondescript. Palate depth is fine, and complexity is okay. You get sweet grassy hops up front; that rolls into spicy hops with some more sweet grass, pineapple, grapefruit, and spice; the back is lingering spice with some bread/biscuit. Pretty clean on the finish, and as with most RevBrew beers, nicely attenuated.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. It's very solid, and a good local IPA for sure, but not really genre-changing or mind blowing. It's just a very nice, fresh IPA. Yum. Food pairings: American food. Wings. Bar food. Burgers. Cheap Mexican food. You know the drill people.

Random Thought: Seriously though, what the fuck is with the $10 dollar minimum purchase thing? That's beer entrapment. Even worse, it's a horrible business move. Making me have to buy $10 dollars of your shitty shit in order to obtain sweet #whalez isn't going to make me a lifelong customer. It just isn't. If you want my business, stock your shelves with good beer and I'll come. And then when you have special releases, I'll come even harder. This is why West Lakeview Liquors is fucking awesome. They don't do any of this $10 dollar minimum bullshit, they stock great beer, they have a great staff, and sometimes they have those midwest shelf turd whalez. 

Surly Furious

Brewed By: Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Purchased: 16oz CAN bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: India Pale Ale, 6.2%

Reported IBUs: 99

Surly brewing is back! That is to say, they were at one time available in Chicago, and then they weren't. And now they are again. Woo-hoo. About Surly Brewing: 

The Surly Brewing company is a brewery based out of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The brewery was founded in 2005 by long time homebrewer Omar Ansari with the help of Todd Haug (Minneapolis's Rock Bottom Brewery). For more info, check out the brewery's about page.

Tonight's beer, Surly Furious, is an envelope-pushing IPA. Punching in at an insane 99 IBUs compared to the 6.2% ABV, this IPA is brewed with a blend of American hops and Scottish malts. Using a malt base of Pale Ale malt, Golden Promise, Aromatic, Medium Crystal, and Roasted Barley; and Warrior, Ahtanum, Simcoe, Amarillo hops; this beer is fermented with English Ale yeast. 

Surly Furious

The can says, "beer for a glass, from a can." So, of course, I poured it into the glass can. Anyway, this pours a fairly dark amber/brown/copper color, and kicks up a couple of fingers of copper-tinted head. The head is soapy and leaving lots of lacing, as per your typical IPA. In bright light, the beer looks much the same, with spotty carbonation (if any) and some chill haze or yeast sediment mucking things up.

The aroma is solid. I'm getting a lot of pine, resinous hops, and tons of herbal/floral spice. Lots of peppery/zesty hop spice in this...like, minty, peppery, coriander, fennel, and tons of pine. There's some grapefruit and grapefruit rind as well.

The taste follows through with the aroma, and adds two awesome components: tropical fruit and guava, and some nice malt backing. This is surprisingly malty. I'm getting lots of pine, minty/peppery grapefruit zest spice and rye spice, tons of fruity tropical fruits and guava, and a huge bready malt component that imparts some grain and toast and bread into the mix. 

This beer is stupid crushable. I'm sure the 99 IBUs are in here somewhere, but they don't assert themselves too much, at least not over the malt backing and huge hop flavors. The body is medium to full-bodied, with lots of nice carbonation. The sticky-sweet is held perfectly in balance, and palate depth is off the charts good. Complexity is not far behind. I'm drinking this near room temp, but I'm getting lots of bready/rye spice (almost like an Imperial Red Ale), followed by sweet citrus, guava, tropical fruits, pine; the back end rolls into more peppery/herbal spice, and trails with toast and bread and all that awesome stuff.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Above-Average. It reminds me a lot of another brewery that makes spectacular IPAs, which is Lagunitas. Super drinkable, very balanced, and you get all 16oz in a can...hawt damn I'd stock my fridge with this on the regular. Food pairings: American food. We're talking burgers, nachos, tacos, and the like. 

Random Thought: I'm le tired. So fucking tired. Thank you 4-day weekends.

Two Brothers The More the Merrier

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Binny's in Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, 6.9%
Reported IBUs: 18.2

During tornado/Ravens weekend, my girlfriend and I had dinner at the Two Brothers Roundhouse. It was delicious, and you should eat there. About Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant. If you get the chance, swing by and check out their Roundhouse. It's an awesome joint, and needs all the love it can get.

Tonight's beer, The More The Merrier, is a chocolate coconut ale. Ummm...well, that's kind of helpful, I guess. 

Actually, I don't even know what the fuck is going on. The beer pours into a slightly hazy, caramel/amber/orange-brown body in low light. It looks like the Pipeworks "White Russian Stout" thing. I kicked up two fingers of tan/khaki head. The head dissolved leaving some lacing, and in bright light the beer is an orange-ish color with clear yeast sediment suspended in the body. Mmm, conditioning. There's some nice carbonation in this.

Two Brothers The More the Merrier 

On the aroma: chocolate, cocoa, sweet stuff. I do actually get some coconut and toasted coconut on the aroma, along with some elusive raisin-like fruitiness (white grapes; saffron?). There's some grain on the aroma as well, along with some nuttiness. 

The taste is very much a follow-through of the aroma. I'm reminded of Kona's instant classic, their Koko Brown. What a great beer. I'm getting tons of faint chocolate and cocoa, lots of coconut, toasted coconut, light grain, sweet caramel malts, and lots of nuttiness. It's earthy, rich, and sweet...truly an island brew, and one of the more fun beers I've had from Two Brothers as of late.

This is pretty easy-going, even at 6.9%. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, with lots of supporting carbonation. Palate depth is good, and complexity isn't far behind. I had some concerns that this would be too sweet or not attenuated enough, but both of those concerns were unfounded. What we have here is a very solid beer. You get lots of malt sweetness, chocolate, and coconut up front; that rolls into some toasted coconut, layers of toast and nuttiness, and grain; the back end kicks the grain up, with lingering coconut. If this is a Brown Ale, it's damn near as good as the Koko Brown, and would pair well with bikini bras and Sharknados. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Above-Average. Surprisingly good stuff, and I wasn't expecting this. I feel like you can go down two paths when considering food pairings for this beer. Path one involves things like hotdogs, spam, ham/pork, pineapple, and your bong. Path two involves savory dishes with chocolate, toasted coconut, or dessert dishes with similar ingredients. Either way, this beer is getting the job done. Grab a bottle while it is fresh, especially at the retail price of around 7 bucks a bomber.

Random Thought: Real talk: I'm praying to the biiiieeennnnyyyy's gods that I'll be able to snag some coconut BCBS.

New Belgium Frambozen

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 6.5%

Reported IBUs: 16

With Winter knocking on the door and Thanksgiving this week, a raspberry brown ale seems strangely appropriate. About New Belgium:

New Belgium is based out of Fort Collins, and opened in 1991 when founder Jeff Lebesch took his home-brewing into the commercial world. At this point in time, New Belgium has mainstream fame from their Fat Tire, and craft beer credit for their sour beers. New Belgium is the thrid-largest craft brewery in the United States. You can read more about New Belgium if you check out their company page, and definitely cruise their website.

The Frambozen is a winter seasonal. The side of the bottle states: "Flemish for "raspberry", is our big, luscious celebration of the ruby red fruit found in Belgium's Framboise ales. Our version is brewed with real northwestern raspberries. Gaze upon Frambozen's deep warming color and infuse your senses with berry goodness. This Colorado holiday tradition should be served cool in a worthy glass for the best sensory experience." Brewed to 6.5% ABV and clocking in at 16 IBUs, this fruity brown ale is brewed with berry juice which gets added in fermentation. Brewed with Target hops, Pale, Munich, C-80, Carapils, and Chocolate malts, this is described as a caramel-raspberry explosion.

New Belgium Frambozen

The Frambozen pours a dark, reddish-brown color, and kicks up two fingers of pink/dark red/brown-tinted head. The head dissolves into some haze with a ring of carbonation hanging on the edge of the glass with residual lacing. Bright light confirms the filtered, dark red body. There's not much carbonation in this.

The aroma here is all about the raspberry currants, raspberry tea, sour raspberry candy (as per NB's website), some raspberry puree/jam, and lots of caramel sugars and raspberry sugar.

And the taste...surprisingly straightforward, there's a fair amount of malt and malt density, with some caramel, light brown sugar, a little toast and nuttiness, raspberry candies, and some bready density and legit pie crust notes. I'm getting lots of hints of pie. It reminds me of Dogfish Head's Fort, minus the booze and all that. The pie thing reminds me of Founders' Cerise. 

This is pretty aight. At 6.5%, this beer has a really dense body, punching in with a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel. Palate depth is good, and complexity is moderate. This combines bready, pie-crust like malts with blunted raspberry. Actually, credit to this beer for not making the raspberry overly sweet. Drinkability is high. You get some sweet brown sugar and malt up front; that gives way to raspberry, raspberry currant, pie crust, raspberry tea, raspberry candy, lightly tart raspberry, jam; the back end drops in some toast and nutty raspberry, very festive.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this beer. Very solid. I don't know how else to describe it. It removed my pants, but didn't spell the alphabet with tongue. Actually, I'm not dogging this beer at all...this is a Winter classic, and that raspberry candy juxtaposed with dense malt goodness makes for a solid brew. I would give this a recommendation for the Winter at around 10 dollars a 6-pack, but there are better fruit beers out there. Food pairings: duck, purple potatoes, turkey with gravy, grilled meats, beef roast, red meats with fruity sauces/glazes, rustic vegetables. This is almost vinous like a red wine, and seems like it would be right at home at the Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table. What a fantastic food beer we have right here.

Random Thought: Ughh. My liver. Tonight be a twofer.

Dogfish Head Immort Ale

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Old Ale/English Strong Ale, 11.0%
Reported IBUs: 50

Concluding Sunday Funday....about Dogfish Head:

Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.

The Immortal Ale is one of Dogfish Head's oldest beers, dating back to the brewpub in 1995, and making its way to bottles in 1997. This beer featuers maple syrup from the Red Brook Farm (Sam's family farm in Western Massachusetts), peat-smoked barley, and vanilla. The beer is fermented out with a blend of English and Belgian yeasts, and aged in oak tanks at the brewery. Punching in at 11% and 50 IBUs, this Old Ale/Scotch Ale/Barleywine hybrid is a big, badass brew. 

Dogfish Head Immortal Ale

The Immortal Ale pours a hazy, orange-red color, and kicks up a finger or two of dense, foamy head. The head is off-white, with some tan/red/orange/amber tones, and is leaving plenty of lacing and legs. It is also sustaining nicely, and probably is fueled by some hops.

On the aroma: booze, brown sugar, peated malt, meats and raspberry puree, turbinado sugar, maple syrup, oak...it smells like the Dogfish Head Fort with some oak, maple, brown sugar, and peated malts.

Surprisingly simple taste...lots of oak, toffee, brown sugar/turbinado sugar, tons of maple syrup and molasses, and sugary malts. There's some resinous hops in the form of pine and citrus that plays off all the sugar and maple syrup. In addition to all the maple, there's some vanilla and fruity notes (ala a Quad maybe?) as well. There is some peated malt and smoke as well.

Full-bodied mouthfeel, sticky, dense and heavy...but drinkable for 11% ABV. Palate depth is blissful, but complexity is moderate to lower. Sweet malt and maple syrup up front; maple and peated malt, smoke, oak, vanilla, spice in the middle; fruit notes, wood, oak towards the back...syrup hoppiness abound. Good.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. Average, but not mind blowing. Especially compared to beers like the 75 Minute IPA, Burton Baton, and Palo Santo Maron. This tastes like maple syrup with some heavy sugars, sugary/resinous hops, and some peated malts and smoke. Good beer that I would pair with pancakes and sausage, biscuits and gravy, potatoes and gravy with meatloaf, and with fruity cakes and dessert.

Random Thought: I feel like a ticker. Tick tick tick.

Petrus Oud Bruin

Brewed By: Bavik-De Brabandere in Harelbeke, Belgium

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Oud Bruin, 5.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

Continuing with Sunday Funday....About Petrus: 

The Brewery Bavik (Brouwerij Bavik) was founded in 1894 by Adolphe De Brabandere. One of his sons, Joseph De Brabandere, brewed his first beer the same year the brewery was founded. Before 1950 the brewery's beer was sold primarily to cafes and individuals, but post-1950 the beer has been sold to merchants. The Bavik Brewery is a family run business, and is one of the largest independent breweries in Belgium. For more info, check out Bavik's history page.

The Petrus Oud Bruin/Old Brown/Old Dark is an Oud Bruin aged for 24 months in oak barrels. Punching in at 5.5%, this beer is both readily available and relatively cheap.

Petrus Oud Bruin

The cork came out cleanly, and the beer pours into a nice dark, ruby red body, with three fingers of khaki/tan head. The head is soapy and foamy. When you shine a bright light onto this beer, you can see that the body is swampy brown, hazy, and murky. It looks like chocolate milk. The lacing is good, and head retention is also good.

The aroma features tons of vanilla, cherry coke, cherry, oak, and wood. I'm also getting apples, pears, apple slaw salad, grape and apple juice, and a hint of spice.

Unfortunately, the taste doesn't follow through with the aroma...I'm mostly getting wheat and apples, one-dimensional apple/raisin/wheat sweetness, some hints of cola, and very little tartness if any. A touch of wood no real oak.

There's some oxidation here...with the wheat-apple punch being the dominant and only force driving this cola-esque beer. This is super disappointing for a Belgian Ale. It's very drinkable at 5.5%, but where is the flavor? The light to medium-light body is driven by lively carbonation, with one-dimensional palate depth and complexity. You get carbonated wheat/apples up front; apples, wheat and raisins in the middle; apples and wheat in the back with a hint of wood and some faded oak and oxidation. Very little sour, very little tart, very little flavor or character. Booo.

Rating: Below-Average (2.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Below-Average. This beer is below average for the style. Unlike the Petrus Aged Pale Ale which featured delicious and gripping tartness, this beer just falls flat in delivering that cherry-cola-oak goodness. The oxidation contributes some paper/cardboard, which doesn't work against the flavorless backdrop. I would not pick this up again, even at the price of 10 dollars a 750ml. There are much better Oud Bruins out there. I bought this to pair with leftover pulled pork sandwiches, but I'll probably butt chug the rest and switch to a more flavorful beer.

Random Thought: The Bears ain't got no run defense. 

Jester King Black Metal Farmhouse Imperial Stout

Brewed By: Jester King Craft Brewery in Austin, Texas  

Purchased: 750ml (1 pint 9.4oz) bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout, 9.3%

Reported IBUs: 44

Wooo! Black metal. About Jester King:

The Jester King Craft Brewery was founded by brothers Jeff and Michael Steffing in 2010. The brewery is located in Texas Hill Country, outside of Austin. The brewery is an authentic farmhouse brewery that focuses on making artisan/farmhouse ales. The brewery uses its own well water, along with "naturally occurring yeast" from the Texas Hill Country (spontaneous fermentation) to brew their beers. They also emphasis organic ingredients, and age many of their beers on oak. Their website is pretty cool, so check it out.  

Black Metal is a Russian Imperial Stout brewed with organic pale malt, roasted barley, black malt, chocolate malt, caramalt, brown malt, carafa, and dark crystal malt. This beer features Millennium and East Kent Goldings hops, and is now brewed with the brewery's Farmhouse Yeast.

Jester King Black Metal Farmhouse Imperial Stout 

The Black Metal pours into a dark obsidian, opaque black body. This one kicks up three to four fingers of dark brown, coffee/mocha-colored head. At least it does when you give it a metal pour. As the head drops off, you're left with a centimeter coating. There's some nice lacing and legs here.

Wow....for the first time maybe ever, I'm reminded of a Fantôme beer from an American brewery. There's lots of chalky cocoa on the aroma, with tons of Brett[???] farmhouse funk. The funk is leathery, butcher shop, burnt grain, and smells like a leather jacket worn by a smoker. Mmmm, cigarette jacket. I'm also getting some molasses and dark fruit on the aroma...raisins, prunes, and berries. There are more subtle nuances of roast, chocolate, coffee, and meat that come and go as well.

This is some refined Stout goodness on the taste. There's a lot going on here...straight away is some tart leather, anise, with berries/prunes/raisins. There's loads of dusty/chalky cocoa, tons of baker's chocolate, chocolate, truffle, M&Ms...that gives way to earthy dirt and coffee, with some burnt sugars, burnt marshmallow, molasses, and roast. The back end hits you up with more tart fruitiness. Dark grains, leather, and cigarette jacket come and go. There's also a smokey barbecue flavor that starts to pop as this warms up, making me think this would pair well with ribs or a pulled pork sandwich. That smokey leather + chocolate = heaven.

The mouthfeel here is medium-full to full-bodied, but this is stupid drinkable at 9.3%. There's lots of supporting carbonation, and the light tart fruity notes and highly attenuated farmhouse goodness get 'er done. Palate depth and complexity are both high. After a blast of tart fruits and leather, this beer kicks into smokey chocolate, dirt, coffee, earth, roast, barbecue, and dusty cocoa; that transitions into lingering roast and trailing tart fruits. Palate duration extends beyond 15-30 seconds, making this a worthy sipper or beer to drink.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Really good stuff here, and really refined. This beer strikes the perfect balance between farmhouse funk, rich chocolate, complex roast, and earthy goodness. The hint of barbecue means this would pair marvelously with ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, and anything smoked and/or grilled. I'm about to pair this with homemade barbecue pork sandwiches and slaw. This beer represents Texas pride AND black metal. Fuck yeah, 'MURICA!!!

Random Thought: The pulled pork/barbecue was amazing.

Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break Natale Pretty Please With A Cherry On Top

Brewed By: Evil Twin Brewing (Westbrook Brewing) in Copenhagen/Brooklyn

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Fischman Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout/Porter, 11.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

Oh lawdy, look at that beer name. I didn't know that Evil Twin named their beer after post rock bands. About Evil Twin: 

Evil Twin is a Gypsy Brewery founded by founded by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø (brother of Mikkel Borg Bjergsø) in 2010. Like his twin brother Mikkel, Jeppe is a teacher, and a homebrewer who was tired of the mainstream offerings. In 2004, Mikkel went off to pursue brewing, while Jeppe opened up a bottle shop. In 2010, while teaching a homebrewing, Jeppe decided to sell and distribute the beer he was brewing via his bottle shop. Jeppe moved to New York in 2012. For more info, check out this interview/history here. 

Tonight's beer is a twist on the Imperial Biscotti Break. The back of the bottle reads:

"The Holidays brings out the best in some people. However if the Holidays also is a tough one for you, this beer will definitely sweeten dark times of endless caroling and difficult domestic obligations. Did Imperial Biscotti Break also make your sugar levels rise and the bitter sweet flavors of coffee, almonds and chocolate very sentimental - this one has a sour cherry on top. Forza Imperiale."

Imperial Biscotti Break Natale

Sour cherries in my Imperial Stout, what? Why? I dunno. The beer pours all Stout-like. That is to say, quite black, with a pinky of dark brown/coffee/tan head. The head drops off into a hazy cauldron effect, and a brown ring hangs out on the edge of the glass. There's some serious lacing and legs on this. Holding the beer to a bright light confirms much of the same story. I'm gonna stop describing Stouts at some point.

Something is definitely going on with the aroma, because you pick up strong raspberry puree, tart cherry, cherry/raspberry, berry, and other fruit notes. I'm still getting a ton of roast and earthy coffee on the aroma. There's also some stale biscuit/Biscotti, and a hint of chocolate and almond. It's a departure from the regular Imperial Biscotti Break, but the base beer is still present.

This beer is sticky, with sticky cocoa kisses. The cherry in this plays a subtle role but I'm finding it quite enjoyable. There's a lot of molasses in here, along with lots of sugars, and -- surprisingly -- a decent amount of booze. Where is the booze coming from? There's a lot of coffee and cocoa sweetness, and the molasses and brown sugars reach some dark depths. The sour cherry flavor kind of permeates throughout, with some cherry truffle showing up, and chocolate dipped cherries making an appearance. The cherries play off the booze, giving this a pleasant and maybe welcomed hard edge.

Like the regular Imperial Biscotti Break, this has motor oil, full-bodied thickness, and coats your mouth with sweet, sticky goodness. It's sugary and boozy, and deserves to be sipped at 11.5%. It's drinkable though. Palate depth is great, and complexity is...okay. As this warms up, the base beer really peaks through with those almonds and Biscotti, and rich chocolate and coffee. You get sweet molasses, cocoa, and cherries up front; that rolls into coffee, cherry truffle, roast, boozy sugar; the back end has more booze, booze-cherries, and tons of baker's chocolate and dark chocolate. I don't even know what to think about this one, but I like it.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. The addition of the cherries seems to heighten the alcohol in this, and that is occasionally distracting. Also, this beer is a little Dr. Jekyll, and a little Mr. Hyde. At colder temps, you get more tart/sour cherry, but you lose the divine base beer. As it warms up, the base beer starts to peak out, but the cherries fade a bit. Then again...I don't know. This is just a solid, solid Imperial Stout. Maybe it is encroaching on divine territory, I do really like this. Food pairings here include ice cream, cherry chocolate cake, a cigar, sipping it solo, or using this beer as a sauce or glaze. This has potential to be paired with something savory, like beef brisket or braised beef, or pork. This is definitely worth checking out, but fruit stouts always have mixed reviews.

Random Thought: Although I'm a Bears fan forever, I also have a soft spot for the Carolina Panthers. A long time ago I did a grade school project on the team, and since then I've always rooted for them. While the Bears and Panthers are both competing for a wild card spot (as well as their respective division), I was very happy to see the Panthers beat the Patriots, even if it came off a controversial call. 

Guinness Red Harvest Stout

Brewed By: Guinness Brewing Company in St. James's Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland (imported by Diageo - Guinness USA, Norwalk, CT)

Purchased: 14.9oz CAN from a four-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Dry Stout, 4.1% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Guinness déjà vu

Have you ever had déjà vu or a momentary lapse in reason? I bought a 4-pack of the Red Harvest Stout on the night of the Bears vs. Giants game back in early October. I drank two of them, and could have sworn I set aside another two so I could complain about how boring and gimmicky this beer is on my shitty blog. A few weeks later, someone posted their own review of this beer, and I wanted to be like, "hey, I reviewed that!" I spent the better part of fifteen minutes scouring my phone, Untappd account, and blog trying to track down the review for the Red Harvest Stout that I was sure I wrote. But alas, there was no such thing. Frustrated, disappointed, and confused, I swung by my local Jewel on the way home to snag another 4-pack of this craptacular "Fall beer" so I could pen angry thoughts. I shoved the beer into the back of my fridge when, lo and behold, I stumbled upon the remaining two cans I had leftover from the previous 4-pack. Fuck. About Guinness:

Guinness began in 1759 when Arthur Guinness began brewing ales at St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin. On May 19, 1769, Guinness exported its first beer. You can read all about the history at Wikipedia, or try to navigate the fairly commercialized brewery page, loaded with scrolling flash menus and all that fancy stuff. Some interesting facts: Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease for the St. James Gate Brewery. Guinness as we know it today is a "Dry Stout." The term Stout came from "Stout Porter." Porters were dark beers originating in London, and strong variations were originally called "Stout Porter." Guinness Extra Stout was originally "Extra Superior Porter," and became Extra Stout in 1840. Arthur Guinness began selling dark beer in 1778; Guinness brewed their last "Porter" in 1973. Lastly, Guinness was at one time brewed with a blend of fresh beer and aged beer, to give the beer a lactic flavor. Guinness still has that "tang," but the company apparently refuses to confirm that this blending still occurs. There's more, but there are literally books on this brewery. Check them out, but come on, if you haven't heard of Guinness you just don't beer.

Guinness Red Harvest Stout

The Harvest Ale doesn't have a website that I know of, because it's OG like that. The back of the can states: "SAMHAIN (saw-wen), an ancient Celtic festival held every year on All Hallows' Eve, celebrates the end of the fall harvest and the coming of winter. On this night, the believers beckon restless spirits from the darkness with bonfires and sweet offerings from the bountiful harvest. GUINNESS RED HARVEST STOUT captures the spirit of that night with its alluring blend of lightly roasted barley and subtly sweet Irish malt." 

Promoted as a Fall/Autumn beer, this beer was casually advertised in the store next to all the Autumn Brown Ales and Oktoberfest and Pumpkin Ales. As a fan of the Guinness Draught and Guinness Extra Stout, I couldn't pass up on this at eight dollars a 4-pack. That comes down to about two dollars a pint. This comes in a nitro can, like the Draught, so you want to pour this bad boy HARD and watch that gas do its thing.

The best thing going for this beer is definitely its appearance. Pouring into a transparent, ruby red body, and kicking up the perfect finger of dense, off-white/cream/tan head, the beer just looks gorgeous in the glass. It's dumbass proof, just tilt the can and do a hard pour. Watching the nitrogen cascade is one of the sexiest you'll get out of a beer. There is ample lacing, and the head retention defies logic. Bright light confirms the amber/red body, and the head is so thick and creamy you could dance on it.

On the aroma...nothing unusual. It smells a lot like the Guinness Draught, with that watery barley/roast, hints of meaty/smoke/coffee, a sweet/tart barley note, sweet grains, and a touch of toast. The nose is very mild, and there is a dash of caramel/amber malt sweetness.

The taste is light and creamy. You get a lot of sweet malts, from the sweet roasted barley, hints of toast and a cereal-like sweet grain, the faintest hint of earth/coffee at the way end, and lots of watery sweetness. This beer drinks almost identical to the Guinness Draught, just perhaps a bit sweeter thanks to the addition of the sweet Irish malt.

The nitro pour/appearance/head is definitely the best part about this beer. So sexy.

At 4.1%, with the light-bodied mouthfeel, and watery sweet and creamy body, you can basically chug this beer. While the eight dollars per 4-pack seems like a bargain at first, it is also true that you could easily pound a 4-pack of this in one sitting without getting more than a buzz. It's like a Guinness wine cooler. I guess the Brits would call this a "session Ale," and they would then revel in its drinkability. As a Yank, I don't get it. Autumn in America is wet and cold, like your dead mum when I'm shagging her. I kid, I kid. Go back to blogging about cask ales and session beer, ya limey bastard! Ummm...complexity is low, palate depth is good...you get watery sweet malts up front; that rolls into big sweet malts, with a punch of toast; roast and coffee quickly drive by towards the very end, but they don't even stop to shoot. Meh.

Rating: Below-Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Light Below-Average. It's not so much that this is bad, because it's not. But I'm pretty sure the folks at Guinness fucked up when labeling this. My can should say, "Guinness Draught." If this is a Fall/Autumn beer, let alone a "Red Harvest Stout," then someone is fucking someone in the banger [Irish/British colloquial]. I'm just super disappointed that Guinness is pulling advertising gimmicks and putting this on shelves in the States. If you want to pull a fast one on me, at least massage my balls. This beer is on par with all the average Brown Ales that get re-branded for Autumn or Winter. It's not bad, and it does have that hint of sweet malt that may or may not be detectable in a blind tasting compared to Guinness Draught, but come on. I appreciate this beer for being sessionable, and I like that I can now make Irish Car Bombs in October. But as far as Autumn/Fall beers go (which this is being advertised as, and intent DOES matter), you can do a lot better just about everywhere else. Food pairings: fish and chips, a burger, a stew, country fried anything, biscuits and gravy, smoked cheeses. 

Random Thought: Sunday was crazy with the tornadoes. I haven't commented on the situation because I haven't penned a shitty review since then. As an Illinois native and current resident, I just wanted to say my heart goes out to everyone who lost their home, loved ones, and pets. The rescue efforts have been awesome, and hopefully someone can bring some beer to tap at the local rescue. I'd get behind a charity brew.

Hoppin' Frog Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Brewed By: Hoppin' Frog Brewery in Akron, Ohio  

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout, 9.4%

Reported IBUs: 60

It's Friday, and I have a hankering for some Whiskey/Bourbon and beer. About Hoppin' Frog:

Hoppin' Frog is a "small, hands-on brewery making very flavorful beers in the most flavorful beer styles." The brewery was founded by owner Fred Karm in 2006. The dude looks like he means serious business, and he has been brewing specialty beers since 1994. Karm came up with the concept of Hoppin' Frog, and has designed and produced 21 award winning beers at the Great American Beer Festival and World Cup.

The Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S. adds the addition of whiskey barrels to the already spectacular B.OR.I.S. The Crusher Imperial Oatmeal Stout. The regular beer is one of my favorite all time Imperial Stouts, and definitely one of the best readily available Stouts in the States. 

Like the regular B.O.R.I.S., this one pours into a opaque, pitch black body. You do catch some red tones as the beer pours out of the bottle into the glass, but once it settles it's all obsidian and squid ink and outer space or whatever lingo you use in your reviews. The beer also kicks up two fingers of coffee-brown/mocha head. The head on this beer is awesome, and swirling the beer in the glass kicks it back up. I'd like to think that's the oatmeal at work, but I'm not a thinking man. There's some nice lacing and glossy alcohol legs with this, and there is some carbonation on the sides of the glass. [edit: in bright light you do catch some brown on the edges, so this isn't the darkest beer I've had...not by a long shot]

Barrel Aged B.O.R.I.S.

Ugghhhh. Yeahhhh. Ohhh yeah. Mmm. Audible moans. That aroma is soooo good. It's up there with the Bourbon County Stout and barrel-aged Old Rasputin. Just delicious whiskey, oats, oatmeal, chocolate, truffle, and big coconut. There's some molasses and dark sugars, along with hints of fruit, and some hints of meaty notes as well. I'm also getting a dash of coffee. Just from the aroma alone you can tell that the barrel is well integrated with the base beer, and not overpowering. 

Like a milkshake, this beer is dense as hell and super rich. Sometimes the Bourbon/Whiskey overpowers the Stout base and thins things out in an unfavorable way, but this beer's giant malt body stands up to the barrel and throws things down. There's an assault of rich oats, chocolate, coffee, roast, and dark sugars, all juxtaposed with big whiskey kick, and then complimented with some woody barrel notes. As this warms, you get huge brownie, hints of dark fruits and raisins, fudge, brown sugars, coconut, and molasses...and then the whiskey and barrel show up to remind you that life is shit but that sweet burn solves most of your problems. It's like chocolate for adults. 

If you can't tell, I like this beer...I don't know if the barrel improves the base beer per se, it just adds another dimension of awesome. Sometimes you want that whiskey twist, sometimes you don't. The mouthfeel on this beer is huge. It's a full-bodied beer. Palate depth and duration are both outstanding (as with the base beer), and complexity is good. It's not as good as the Bourbon County Stout, but it's pretty darn close. This is also incredibly impressive for 9.4%. It drinks very dense for the ABV, but drinkability is good in that you don't pick up any overt alcohol. There is a little burn from the whiskey. Fat malts (chocolate, raisins, brownie, coconut) spiked with whiskey start things off; that rolls into coffee, roast, meat, more whiskey, more malts; the finish rolls in some nice barrel character and mild whiskey burn...dry, sticky, sugary finish. One of the best barrel aged Stouts you can get.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm going to go with a Decent Divine Brew, on this, which is the same score I gave the base beer. This is just a world-class barrel-aged Stout. You owe it to yourself to buy a bottle of this, especially considering how widely available and easy it is to get. As I said already, I don't know if the whiskey improves upon the base beer in any way other than adding whiskey flavor...so it really comes down to your mood. Tonight, I was craving a Bourbon/Whiskey beer. Pair this with some pecan pie, a cigar, dry chocolate cakes or desserts, creme brulee, or even a raunchy burger with some super aggressive cheese and sauce and onion rings. Mmm.

Random Thought: Drink this beer at cellar temperatures or warmer. I'm serious. This beer doesn't open up until it starts to approach room temps, and if you drink this cold you are missing out. I usually don't give this disclaimer because "to each their own," but this beer is factually better when it is warmer. If you don't believe me, read my blog. SCIENCE, BITCHES. 

Pipeworks Hey, Careful Man, There's A Beverage Here!

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #234) bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 (bottled 10.30.13)

Style/ABV: White Russian Imperial Milk Stout, 10.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

I'm pretty excited about tonight's Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™. Maybe it's because The Big Lebowski is one of the greatest films of all time, or maybe it's the fact that this so-called "White Russian Imperial Milk Stout" is brewed with lactose sugar, cacao, coffee, and vanilla. About Pipeworks:

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Fuckin' A.

In case you aren't privy to where this beer's name came from, it's a reference to THIS SCENE. A White Russian is, of course, a drink loved by The Dude, made out of vodka, Kahlua, and light cream or milk. The back of the bottle states:

"Way out west there's this beer...beer I wanna tell ya' about. Beer by the name Hey, Careful Man, There's A Beverage Here. Beer inspired by a certain Dude's favorite potable. This Imperial White Milk Stout is brewed with vanilla beans, an abideable amount of cacao nibs and cold-pressed coffee that really tied the beer together, did it not? It is the perfect oat soda for those days when you're out of your element and all you can do is say " F it, Dude, let's go bowling. " "

Hey, Careful Man, There's A Beverage Here!

This beer pours into a Barleywine-amber/cream soda body, and kicks up one or two fingers of caramel/amber tinted head. Bright light confirms the body's amber/caramel/orange color, and a ring of amber head has settled around the edge of my glass with a cauldron effect on top. There's scantly any carbonation rising upwards, and what is there is lazily floating upwards. There's some alcohol legs and lacing. 

On the aroma: Wow. You know, this one plays things pretty straight...I'm getting a lot of coffee, vanilla, creamer, and lactose on the aroma. It smells like ------ drum roll ------ Kahlua. There's a lot of prominent coffee and espresso, and tons of earthy hazelnut. I love hazelnut, and I'm reminded of the Founders' Frangelic Mountain Brown.

I'm intrigued by how this tastes. It's like a Stout...without any of the roasted/black patent malt. There's a ton of sugar in this, and you can feel sticky sweet coating your mouth. The main flavors I'm pulling out of this are coffee, espresso, rich hazelnut, vanilla, Kahlua, creamer, and lactose sugar. 

This really is a top-notch high gravity beer. The 10.5% is completely blunted by all the coffee, sugar, and vanilla. I don't even want to know how many calories is in this beer. The only thing hindering drinkability might be the sticky sweetness of this libation. The mouthfeel is full-bodied and dense, with very moderate carbonation that is just getting by. Palate depth is outstanding, but complex this is not. You get a lot of vanilla, creamer, and coffee up front; that rolls into big coffee and hazelnut with some hazy grains; the back end has some grain, hazelnut, lingering lactose sugar, and fade to sticky and dry. Kind of simple, to be honest.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average here, which means this beer isn't as good as the movie. Dang. Having said that...I really dig this style. If this beer was advertised as a hazelnut coffee beer, it would be ranked among the best. The coffee is strong in this...and the lactose and vanilla isn't far behind. And you really do get those Kahlua vibes. What's missing is maybe the vodka kick. I understand that this is a Stout interpretation of a White Russian, but maybe throw this beer into some Bourbon barrels or Oak Barrels spiked with vodka? Could be a fun twist that really brings this home. I dunno what you pair a beer like this with. Probably ice cream, a cigar, or as a standalone Winter Warmer or dessert. I recommend you buy it and drink it with the movie.

Random Thought: If you haven't had the pleasure, do go make a real White Russian. It's a great cocktail, and if you drink a few of them you'll have a nice buzz in no time.

Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 12oz bottle from the 2013 Sam Adams Winter Classics variety pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 5.8%

Reported IBUs: 11

Continuing with tonight's twofer, I have the main attraction in the 2013 Winter Classics variety pack...the Cherry Chocolate Bock. About Sam Adams:

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The Sam Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock is a cherry-infused twist on the brewery's traditional Chocolate Bock, which has become a holiday favorite. This beer is brewed with a malt base of two-row pale, Caramel 60, and Munich 10. It's hopped with Tettnang Tettnanger and Spalt Spalter hops, and features the addition of cocoa nibs and cherries. The beer is aged on a bed of cocoa nibs, and cherries are added during the mash. 

The Cherry Chocolate Bock pours into a cola-black body (with lots of ruby red and brown tones), and kicks up a finger of tan/brown head. As the head drops off, you're left with some nice lacing. The beer retains its opacity in bright light, with a dark black/brown body. I guess we'll go on to the aroma...

Samuel Adams Cherry Chocolate Bock

SPEAKING OF cola, this beer smells like Cherry Coke. It's been a looooonnnngggg ass time since I've cracked into a non-diet Cherry Coke. And that's what this smells like. Now, full disclaimer, I'm one of a handful of fuckin' weirdos that really likes the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. That beer is hated by most and loved by few. The Cherry Chocolate Bock has the same type of cherry aroma. In addition to the cherry on the nose, you also get rich chocolate, cocoa, malty sweetness, caramel sugars, and molasses. The nose is super sweet. There's a hint of vanilla on the nose as well. 

While I wasn't a huge fan of the Chocolate Bock, I have to say...this beer is amazing. It's a total guilty pleasure, like fruity drinks and mojitos. There are layers upon layers of decadent, sugary cocoa in this beer. It's sooooo sweet, like Cocoa Krispies meets Count Chocula sweet. They should serve this beer with a complimentary bong. You get rich cocoa, chocolate, caramel, comforting white chocolate and vanilla...and the whole thing is accompanied by that artificial-tasting cherry that you get in the Cherry Wheat. It's a cherry flavor that would make the Lambic-producers of Belgian cry. It's offensively artificial, but brilliantly plays things Cherry Coke straight. If you can't extrapolate some childish joy from this over-the-top-Saturday-morning-cartoon of a beer, then you are a no-fun mother fucker and I don't want to get high and watch cartoons with you. 

Sam Adams did this one proud. I think the quoted caloric content per 12oz bottle is like 237 calories. At 5.8% (DAE beer math???), that means this stuff is loaded with sugar. Yum. This beer is super drinkable at 5.8%, but has a medium-full mouthfeel. Sure, it's clean like a Lager and supported with lots of carbonation...but there's residual sugars that coat your lips so you can give unsuspecting people who are hanging out under the mistletoe some unsolicited kisses. Like my drunk uncle. Palate depth is good, complexity is pretty much sugary cocoa and artificial cherry fuck-all. You get malt richness, cocoa, and caramel up front; that rolls into sweet cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, artificial cherry; the back end is all about the chocolate and Cherry Coke. This is way better than Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia, and twice as sweet. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

YOU WHAT A Light Divine Brew?!?1 This is a Dunkler Bock me and my dong could get down with. This beer is going to be polarizing, just like Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I can't think of a better addition to the holidays though. This beer would make a great dessert, or pair well with some dry chocolate cake or cherry pie. And we all know cherry pie is the worst pie. A lot of people are going to shit all over this beer for being one-dimensional, or too sweet, or for having that obnoxious artificial cherry flavor. And you know what? They might be right, but if you want to see a bunch of no-fun neckbeards, roll over to BeerAdvocate and read the reviews for this beer. You can practically hear the man titties slapping together with each keystroke pressed. 

Random Thought: And t-t-t-t-t-that's all, folks! My final thought is this: the Sam Adams variety packs are hit and miss, but this year's Winter Classics is a good investment. Now I just need to find a 6-pack of the Cherry Chocolate Bock.