Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout 2014

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 11/07/2014, #1329)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged American Coffee Stout, 12.6% 

Reported IBUs: 60

Due to the incredible hype, I missed out on the 2013 Bourbon County Coffee. The last vintage I cracked was back in 2012, and it was fantastic. Here's to hoping the 2014 is as good. About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The 2014 Bourbon County Coffee Stout is brewed with Intelligentsia, as per usual. This year's blend features Zirikana coffee beans, from Rwanda. Suggested flavors from the Zirikana beans include lime zest, black tea, and a crisp grape in the finish. Aside from that, the Boubcon County Coffee is brewed with 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts; Columbus hops; and punches in around 60 IBUs and 12.6%. The bottle says this "develops in the bottle for up to 5 years," but I would suggest drinking your coffee stout sooner than later.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout 2014

If you don't know what Bourbon County looks like when you pour it, look at the image to the right or google it. And then drain pour all your beers. Seriously, I don't even know anymore. The beer does appear to have some coffee oils in it, which is my useful contribution for this one.

Also, as you might expect, this smells like an explosion of aromatic coffee. The coffee on the aroma is super sharp and bright, with (good) acrid bitterness, intense coffee berries and citrus, and intense raw coffee that is unlike anything you find in most other coffee beers. It's like grinding coffee and sticking that aroma into your beer. Along with the coffee is rich chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and intense base beer. It smells magical, like a fusion of Bourbon County with the finest freshly ground coffee.

This is incredibly rich, and that base beer is just fantastic dropping intense fruity notes this year, with bourbon, chocolate, brownies, and treacle sweetness that is unmatched. The coffee itself is bright and fruity, with some acidity. Coffee is highly preferential, so I get why some people aren't feeling the vibe from this year's coffee choice. I actually really like this, and I'm enjoying the berry and citrus notes from the coffee, which give the beer a fruit-like element. The coffee still drops bitter roast and deep earthy/dirt notes towards the back end, and there is a lot of thick chocolate and bourbon dancing throughout. The coffee definitely plays up the fruit though. It kind of reminds me of the Backyard Rye, which isn't a bad thing at all. 2014 is without a fruit variant, so this is good middle ground...if you're into that sort of thing. I'm picking up some nice booze on the back end of this as well, but that is also probably due to the fact that I'm chasing the Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas.

At 12.6%, this is incredibly thick. I was concerned about the lower ABV on the 2014 BCBS, but those fears have officially been laid to bed. This is a dense, full-bodied, sticky beer. Palate depth is high, and the complexity is pretty grand. Full disclaimer: I don't think this is as good as the 2012 vintage. BUT, this has great integration of the 2014 Bourbon County base beer (which is more fruity than past vintages) and the coffee which has bright and floral fruit notes itself. This is an enjoyable beer. Up front: silky chocolate, coffee, berries, citrus, fruity sweetness, intense sugars; that rolls into more coffee beans, some earthy coffee, more intense sweetness, bourbon, sugars, underlying fudge; the back end trails with coffee, sweetness....a lot of sugar up in here. This is sweeter than the 2014 Prop. But it's fantastic. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. I get the people who aren't feeling this year's coffee...as a coffee addict, I'm actually on board with this. This beer is incredibly silky, and it's a true sipper. If you can hang with the coffee they used, you're going to be in for a treat. If you don't like the coffee in this beer, trade it for some of the BW. Food pairings here include not much, because this is solid as a sipper. Maybe ice cream?

Random Thought: Is anyone else sick of hoppy beers? Oh wait, no, no we aren't. Because it is 2014, and there are an abundance of non-hoppy beers everywhere these days. 

Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas 2014

Brewed By: Begyle Brewing in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, 9.8

Reported IBUs: ?

After the dust cleared in Chicago following Black Friday, beer shelves were left stocked with hidden gems like Dino S'Mores, Backwoods Bastard, and Begyle's Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas. I'm not saying that says anything, but it seems like a lot of tourists and non-beer nerds show up to get their BCBS. And I'm okay with that....more tasty beer for me. About Begyle Brewing: 

Begyle Brewing is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois. The brewery's motto is, "A Community Supported Brewery," and that is how they promoted their successful Kickstarter and successful launch. The brewery was found on 2012, and offers a subscription for their growler program, as well as growler fills and bottles. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas is a "barrel aged imperial stout" aged in bourbon barrels. Per Begyle, this is their coffee infused oatmeal stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. The Begyle Flannel Pajamas is an oatmeal stout; the Begyle Imperial Pajamas is an imperial oatmeal coffee stout; and the Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas is an imperial oatmeal barrel-aged coffee stout. Shit is getting real and deep.

Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas 2014

As you might expect, this pours into a black, opaque body, kicking up a finger of brown/tan head. The head leaves some nice lacing and alcohol legs, and has a nice ring around the glass with some sea foam/cauldron effect action. It's a good looking beer, but what beer isn't.

On the aroma: lots of bourbon. Lots of Heaven Hill sweetness, which has big notes of raisins, and lots of whiskey sweetness. The Heaven Hill barrel notes are distinct, and channel similar vibes found in the FiftyFifty Imperial Eclipse Stout - Heaven Hill Rittenhouse Rye Barrel. There is some big underlying sweetness on the aroma, with coconut, dark fruit, and cherries coming up. There's also a medicinal or cola-like note that I can't quite place. I'm getting some Twizzlers, and a lot more whiskey/fruit. Heaven Hill has #rekt this base beer.

Wow. This is unassuming upon first sip, with big whiskey and raisins sweetness not opening up into anything. But about 10 seconds into the sip, the oatmeal, coconut, and chocolate grabs hold, and the beer rattles the cage with subtle coffee notes, vanilla, bourbon, brownie notes, and tons of depth. As you acclimate yourself to the two sides of this beer, you pick up some integration between the whiskey fruits, cherries, Twizzlers, raisins, and intense bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, coconut, and barrel. This definitely has coffee in it, and the coffee plays with the alcohol in the beer, hinting at alcoholic coffee and vodka infused Kahlua. This is impressively complex, and continues to hit new notes for me: roast, faint espresso, macaroons, fudge, brownie, bourbon, and an umami note like soy-dipped chocolate sans any soy sauce. 

This is an incredible beer. Most barrel aged oatmeal stouts are, but this just hits so many awesome notes with so much complexity. It's an impressive package, throwing an imperial oatmeal stout into Heaven Hill barrels. At 9.8%, you do get some booze, but this is not hot. Palate depth is good, and this has amazing duration. This doesn't quite coat your mouth like some beers, but despite that fact, this still manages to come in as lightly full-bodied. I've heard some people call this beer "thin." Those people are wrong. This is not thin. This isn't as thick as other BBA stouts, but it's just dandy. Up front: waves of dark fruits, cherries, raisins, Twizzlers, growing bourbon and chocolate; the mids hit this fantastic coffee/chocolate/coconut thing, with some alcohol, Kahlua; the back end dips into barrel, more bourbon, more lingering one-off notes, and just tons of complexity. I could drink this all day.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. This is a great bourbon-barrel aged beer, would buy/drink again. I don't even want to pair this with food, just sip on this monster. The fact that this beer sat around on shelves for so long is perfect, I look forward to hunting this down next time it is released. 

Random Thought: 2014....RIP mufucka. 

Fantôme de Noël

Brewed By: Brasserie Fantôme in Soy-Erezée, Belgium   

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in Naperville, IL; 201??? (pre-2013)

Style/ABV: Saison/Farmhouse Ale, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

The best part about Fantôme is definitely the part where they don't date their beer bottles, so you have no idea what vintage you are drinking. I'm not even being sarcastic, it's all part of the mystery and intrigue. About Fantôme: 

Fantôme is a brewery based out of Soy, Wallonia, Belgium, that was founded in 1988 by the mad man and mastermind, Dany Prignon. The brewery is located in a crumbling farmhouse in the Marche-en-Famenne district of Luxembourg province, and Fantôme's beer just might be more popular in the United States than it is in Belgium. Dany brews one type of beer: Saisons/Farmhouse Ales. Each of his Saisons have a unique twist, and he often brews his beers using herbs, spices, juices, and other off-beat ingredients. Their website is so hardcore it only comes in French, but check it out anyway. 

The Fantôme de Noël is Dany's Christmas Ale, brewed with all sorts of weird spices and who knows what. This one has been sitting in my cellar for a few years now, so it has some age. This was also a beer that I picked up circa 2012, I think. The beer was on clearance at Binny's for a discount price, so this may be a 2011 Vintage or older.

Fantôme de Noël (after cleaning up the spilled beer on the counter)

At any rate, opening this bottle resulted in a gushing explosion that continued for quite some time. Nothing to see here, as the beer settles into a dark red body. There are a few fingers of dense, web-like head, and the head soaks up some of the reddish and amber tones. This beer is unfiltered with obvious yeast sediment floating around. The rising carbonation from the gushing bottle is impressive, as I had to pour quite a bit off to get it to stay in the bottle.

The aroma on this beer is magical barnyard and farmland like nothing I have smelled. This reminds me of some of Jolly Pumpkin's stuff, only much better. There is hay, grass, horse blanket, complex caramel notes, pineapple, sweet lemon, tropical fruit, light tartness, and tons of funk. Honestly, the aroma is divine.

This is impressively light, especially for 10%. It doesn't really conjure up images of Christmas, but it does taste like the Belgian countryside. Actually, this is pretty nuanced, with Orval-like Brett funk, pineapple, lemon funk, and notes of raisins and deeply melded caramel. As this warms up a bit, the funk gets all lemony, with wheat notes, intense Brett funk ala Orval, and some notes that suggest dry hops but at this age and time are probably Brett. The Brett notes in here are surprisingly friendly, with nice tropical-fruit and wheat and dry hop-like funk. This never goes full band-aids or butcher shop or leather. 

At 10.0%, this is dangerous stuff since it drinks like a 4.0% Farmhouse Ale. This is legit stuff...what all Saisons should strive to be. People give Jolly Pumpkin a lot of hate and shit, but their beers really do remind me of Fantôme at times, which is my shout out to the Midwest. At any rate, this is a medium-bodied, highly carbonated, refreshing beer. Palate depth is fantastic, with tons of body from what I assume are wheat malts, and tons of interesting funk from the dry hops and Brett. I can't confirm the dry hopping, but it tastes like a dry hopped Brett beer. Complexity might be the only knock against this beer....it's definitely simple in some respects. But isn't simple good? Sometimes, you just want a really well done Saison, and there is nothing quite like Fantôme on a good day.  

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Above-Average. The complexity holds it back from busting out into that true divine beer status, but otherwise I have no complaints with this beer or this vintage at this time. This is one of the best Saisons I have had in a while, and I have to tip my fedora to Fantôme for being relatively available and awesome....even if their bottles gush and they are hit or miss. You could definitely pair this beer with your typical Saison pairings....chicken, squab, turkey, peppered potatoes, and rustic dishes...if you go more modern think of a leafy burger with cheese, or maybe some pickled things. Honestly though, if you are cracking a vintage 'tome, you should probably just kick back and enjoy the ride.

Random Thought: I think I paid like...10 bucks for this beer?

Goose Island Proprietor's Bourbon County Stout (2014)

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 11/03/2014, #1115)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged American Stout, 13.2% 

Reported IBUs: 60

Last year's 2013 Proprietor's was fantastic, so I am truly excited to crack into the 2014 vintage. This beer and brewery hardly needs an introduction, but here we go. About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The 2014 Proprietor's Bourbon County Stout is a stout "aged in rye whiskey barrels with cassia bark, cacao nibs, panela, & coconut water." This is a Chicago-only release, and one-off brew. The base beer is brewed with the same stuff as regular Bourbon County (2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts; Willamette hops), but unlike regular Bourbon County, this one is aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels.

The bottle reads: "This special variant is meant to show our immense gratitude to our neighbors here in Chicago - the loyal and adventurous fans whose support helped bring Bourbon County Brand Stout to towering new heights. Whether your first sip is today or was from that first batch in 1992, thank you for lifting us up on your big shoulders and joining us every year to celebrate the original barrel aged stout. Cheers -- Brett Porter." 

Goose Island Proprietor's Bourbon County Stout (2014)

The 2014 Prop pours into an oily, black, opaque body. There are little particles of stuff floating around, and the brown head is short lived. This beer is tepid and murky, like drunk chicks. There are some big glossy alcohol legs to go around.

Last year's Prop had a lot of variance, per reviews. Some people reported lots of coconut, others reported little to no coconut. My bottle of 2014 Prop smells like deep chocolate, fudge, raw halved coconuts, intense rye spice, intense cinnamon spice, and a little bit of alcohol. The rye barrel is endlessly complex, and adds a huge ripple of complexity to Bourbon County. Goose Island needs to throw the regular stuff in rye barrels and release two versions of the base beer. The cinnamon note in the beer is also very organic, and smells like the cassia bark. You do get some hints of french toast in this beer's aroma, along with spiced rum, and that huge underlying base beer that brings those brownies, fudge, complex chocolates, macaroons, and coconut pie. In a word: "dayum." 

This is insanely thick, delivering waves of sugary molasses, raisins, thick fudge, chocolate, cocoa, and brownies up front. The front end features pecans, macaroons, and growing sugar. There's also some coconut. The mids roll into more cocoa, thick chocolate, and big coconut notes. This never goes full Almond Joy, unlike last year's Prop, but instead keeps things anchored to earthy and natural flavors like raw coconut. The back end drops the cinnamon, and the beer leaves hints of spiced chocolate, french toast, and lingering chocolate. Between all of the above, are blasts of the rye. The rye barrel shows up in the front end as a contrast to the sweetness; it shows up in the mids with some rum-like alcohol notes; and it shows up in the back to compliment the cinnamon and play with your cinnamon french toast. 

This is full-bodied, with incredible palate depth and duration. The palate depth is far reaching, coating your mouth like Bourbon County bukakke. The duration is insane too: each sip lasts an upwards of 45 seconds. The beer literally coats your mouth. At 13.2%, this has some booze and feels just right. It's not fusel or hot, but you know you are drinking a big beer. This is also insanely complex. I think I like this better than last year's Prop, if only because of the added ingredients and added complexity. Last year's Prop was sticky, sweet, and good -- but felt a bit like rye and Almond Joys were invading your Bourbon County party. This year's vintage is just well done. One more go around in writing: up front I'm getting lots of chocolate, coconut, rye, raisins, and molasses up front; that rolls into some fruits, berries, rum, rye-alcohol, more coconut; and then the beer finishes with this fantastic cinnamon French toast aspect. The base beer is lurking, the rye is complex and fantastic, and the extra ingredients are popping. I wish this beer was more available, and cheap. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. In many ways, I think this is a clear improvement from the 2013 Prop. The 2013 Prop was more straightforward in some respects, but lost points for obfuscating the base beer. Regular Bourbon County is a top-notch Stout, so tinkering with what works is always a risky proposition. The 2014 Prop strikes a perfect balance between the rye barrel, the extra ingredients, and the base beer. This is not a beer that I would pair with food...but if you have extra bottles, why not, right? In that case, go with some french toast. 

Random Thought: Acquiring these beers has only gotten harder and harder...which is, I think, the exact opposite of what Goose Island projected or wanted. I realize that this circlejerk review is just contributing to the hype, but whatever. Stores are now selling single bottles of this beer for over $80, and the retail price isn't cheap either. Also, if you are fortunate enough to pay retail, you're probably standing in line. All of this begs the question: will I seek this beer out next year? Honestly, who knows. 

Anderson Valley The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose

Brewed By: Anderson Valley Brewing Company in Boonville, California 
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Gose, 4.2%
Reported IBUs: ?

This beer was a random purchase, and not something I would normally seek out. But, at the time of buying this beer, I was sick with a cold, and I needed something in a can to bring to a party. You really can't go wrong with a low-ABV Gose, right? About Anderson Valley Brewing Company: 

The Anderson Valley Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Boonville, Cali that was founded in 1987 
by Kenneth Allen. Originally, the brewery brewed out of a 10-barrel brewhouse, until an expansion was needed to meet demands. The expanded brewhouse was built in 1996, at the corner of Highways 128 and 253, a mile from the center of Boonville. In 1998, the brewery expanded again, with construction of a three-story Bavarian-style brewhouse being completed in 2000. In 2010, the brewery was sold to Trey White, and that same year Fal Allen took over as brewmaster. For more info, check out the brewery's website or Facebook page. 

The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose is part of Anderson Valley's Highway 128 Session Series. Their traditional-style Gose is brewed with pale two-row and malted white wheat malts, finished with Bravo hops, and features a kettle soured wort.

The Kimmie, The Yink, & The Holy Gose

This is a golden, lightly hazy, but filtered looking affair. The beer kicks up two fingers of wispy, wheat-fueled, white head, and there's good lacing and lazy carb.

Having just got this beer into a glass for the first time, I'm surprised at how good it smells. There's a lot of wheat notes, floral aromas, peach, coriander, lemon sherbet, and some minerality.

This is clean and refreshing, with nice griping lemon and peach tartness, without much lactic funk. There is a refreshing, underlying tartness that drives this beer...which is fantastic. You pick up the wheat and coriander in the taste, and there's a kiss of salt and minerality.

At 4.2%, this is incredibly drinkable. This is a really well-done wheat beer that is tart and refreshing without any crazy lactic funk. If you like lactic funk, you might be a bit disappointed, but the beer makes up for it with spot-on palate duration, a light and gently carbonated mouthfeel, and pretty good complexity. This delves into sour lemons and peaches up front; rolls into some stone fruits and tropical fruits in the mids, with coriander showing up; the back end drops wheat notes, salt, light minerality, and a super clean finish. Nice.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. If you want a griping, sour wheat beer...look no further. This is clean, refreshing, and good. I might pair this with sushi tonight.

Random Thought: Somehow, my fridge is full of beer. I'm a happy camper.

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Mystic Mama

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at And Beer in Athens, Ohio; 2014 

Style/ABV: American India Pale Ale, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: 130

When in Rome...about Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Mystic Mama IPA is a West Coast inspired IPA, brewed with a blend of 5 hops and punching in at an aggressive 7.0% and 130 IBUs. This beer features a dry hop addition of Citra and Simcoe, because why not.

Typical to the style, this pours into a golden-yellow/amber/orange body that is dependent on lighting and camera quality. There's a finger of golden, hop-fueled head that is as Cali as California girls and California beaches. There's lacing, and all that good shit that no one cares about except the ceasaroni judges at FOBAB that can't tell between Lacto and Brett. 

Jackie O's Mystic Mama

On the aroma: OH MY. This is pungent and citrusy straight up, but that quickly gives way to 130 IBUs worth of super dank resin. This is channeling serious resin, bow rosin, candied guava, dank as hell agave, sugar dusted candy citrus, and grapefruit and orange over-the-top. It's just a nutty assault of too much hops.

This is pretty tasty, and effectively delivers that resinous blast of orange, grapefruit, sharp lemon, and then guava-agave. At 7.0%, you don't get much malt, and this leans towards an Imperial IPA. Aside from the resinous blast of citrus, agave, and resin, is some nice caramel and bread malt backings. I actually think they nailed this.

There's not much to add here...palate depth is good, complexity is good, and this is medium-bodied thanks to good carbonation and the hoppy bitterness. This is above-average stuff without doing anything mind blowing. Up front: resinous citrus; the mids roll into resinous lemon; the back end drops resinous agave, rosin, guava, and some bread and caramel dances in the back. Solid.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This is pretty much a West Coast IPA done Ohio style...I can respect that. Food pairings here include American bar food, spicy foods, and anything that goes well with a West Coast IPA. You know the drill.

Random Thought: Athens is a nice place.

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Hop Ryot

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at And Beer in Athens, Ohio; 2014 

Style/ABV: Rye IPA, 6.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

When in Rome, Part 2...about Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Hop Ryot is a Rye IPA that utilizes rye malts and Simcoe hops. Like the Mystic Mama, this pours into a golden-orange body that is hazy and unfiltered. Unlike the Mystic Mama, this produces two fingers of dense, long-lasting, creamy whipped head. The head is probably the result of the rye malts, and is leaving tons of lacing. 

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Hop Ryot

On the aroma: big rye spice, orange, rye bread, rye crackers, and tons of rye. This really nails the rye in the aroma, and the faint orange hops that are riding underneath make you want to take a sip...yum.

This follows through in the taste, delivering on everything you got in the aroma. Right away you get blasted with big orange and some grapefruit, and then the beer lays out rye spice, rye bread, rye cracker, and tons of rye and orange. It's pretty much typical of the style, with incredible balance and super clean and on point hops. 

This beer is so simple and refined it is criminal. The balance between the rye and the citrus hops is perfection, the palate depth is perfect, and yeah. There's little to complain about here, as this delivers a crisp and carbonated medium-light finish across your tongue, with good bitterness and nice rye spice to boot. The alcohol is even spot on, with a hint of booze but no heat. The only hesitation is that this isn't particularly complex or mind-blowing...it just kind of hits you with orange and grapefruit up front; drops some nice rye spice in the mids; and drops some more rye spice, rye bread, cracker, and lingering bitter hops in the back. The finish is dry and leaves you wanting another sip, but I wonder if this beer will stand out in my mind in a few years down the road. I guess only time will tell. 

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. This is teetering between Average and Above-Average, as I really do like the balance that Jackie O's has struck between the rye malts and the hops in the beer. This beer would be awesome to pair with a pretzel bun burger with mustard, or German food. And really, being a refined and well-crafted beer is high praise. This might just be something to keep in your fridge year-round, especially if you live in Ohio. 

Random Thought: Jackie O-yeah, we got more of these coming down the pipeline. 

Pig Minds Brewing Joe Daddy Barrel Aged

Brewed By: Pig Minds Brewing Co. in Machesney Park, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bomber generously gifted to me on Black Friday; 2014 

Style/ABV: American Stout, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Let me extend a thanks for this bottle. Black Friday was a lot of fun, even if my toes were numb by the end of the morning. I did stand in line for my allotment of Bourbon County, and I'm glad I did. 2014's Bourbon County release in Chicago was nothing but a shit show. But enough about that....About Pig Minds Brewing:

Pig Minds Brewing Co. is a brewery based out of Machesney Park, IL. The brewery was founded around 2012, by owner Brian Endl and head brewer Carson Souza. For more info, check out their Website or Facebook page. 

Tonight's beer, the Joe Daddy Barrel Aged, is a twist on their Joe Daddy, which is a coffee stout brewed with two gallons of molasses, brown sugar, and Guatemalan Coffee roasted locally at Jadabug Roasters. The bottle of the Joe Daddy Barrel Aged reads: "Joe Daddy's back. He's bigger, bolder, and older than before. He got himself a job at the distillery, stacking and racking oak barrels 9 to 5. Wooza, nice abs, Joe! This is our Jada Bug Coffee imperial stout brewed with brown sugar and molasses that ol' Joe Daddy made famous. Only this time we've barrel-aged this blend to give you that oaken experience that warms you way down deep. Now who's Joe Daddy?" 

Pig Minds Brewing Joe Daddy Barrel Aged

This pours into a thick, oily, opaque body, kicking up a finger of dark brown, mocha-tinged head. The head retention on this beer is fantastic, and there is also really nice lacing and big glossy alcohol legs to set the tone.

I know this glass calls out the aroma for you, but when I poured this beer I was smacked with HUGE waves of coconut, vanilla, barrel, bourbon, and alcohol. This smells absolutely potent and fantastic. When I stick my nose into the beer, I am getting big macaroons, coffee, coffee liquor, vanilla, alcohol, and RICH coffee. The coffee on this aroma is oily and thick. This smells amazing, anything short of this aroma in the taste is going to be a disappointment...I hope this delivers. 

For the most part, this does deliver. This isn't as thick as Bourbon County, but at 9.0% I wasn't expecting it to be. What I'm getting here is a ton of barrel, vanilla, alcohol, and coffee. The alcohol is not fusel at all, and has a marked complexity, like a hot whiskey. This has hints of raisins soaked in alcohol, fusel and quad-like fruits, complex coffee fruits, and lots of complex dessert alcohol notes. It reminds me of a dessert liquor, or a nice digestive. The kick of oak, vanilla, and bourbon on the back end is just icing on the cake. I'm going to let this warm up, and report back. UPDATE: oh yeah, as this warms up, this continues to improve in terms of depth, complexity, and drinkability. At warmer temps, this becomes a coffee liquor banger, with nice barrel and booze notes. This is just the perfect after-dinner treat, and a sipper to chew on.

I'm quite smitten with this brew. It's not quite Bourbon County Coffee, but not many beers are. Actually, the coffee in this beer is just one of many elements that defines the overall experience. At 9.0%, this is both boozier and bigger than its britches. The mouthfeel isn't quite thick freaky, but it is full-bodied with really nice complexity and palate depth. Right now, this is pretty hot...I think with 6~12 months of age this is going to mellow out. But I love alcohol, whiskey, and dessert spirits. I'm enjoying this because it is boozy, and I think the booze plays with the coffee and the barrel. The booze is also fairly complex, not unlike a good digestive or cognac. This unravels in waves of complexity, but you get a lot of alcohol, coffee, and complex booze up front; that rolls into coconut, bourbon, vanilla, dessert spirits, more coffee, liquor, and tons of goodness; the back end trails with coffee, liquor, alcohol, and lots of barrel. This finishes dry, and there isn't as much residual sugar kicking around as you might initially think. I'm enjoying this...and I'm finding this to actually be a sipper, which is rare for me.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. This is my type of Imperial Stout. Layered, coffee, bourbon, alcohol, booze, and a true sipper. This is somewhat alcohol-forward, so be warned if you prefer your beers to be more "integrated." I'm not a huge fan of aging beers, but I think this will meld a bit down the road. For me, I like this fresh. I would not pair this with anything, except for maybe some dry chocolate cake and ice cream. This is just a great sipping beer...I would totally buy this if I saw it on shelves. 

Random Thought: People who read this blog will obviously note that I do age beers, and I'm not 100% against aging beer. I think there is some misconception that I am completely against aging beers...I'm not...I just think that people should put some thought into aging beer. It's a lot more complicated than just picking a beer with a high ABV, or a beer that meets "X style guideline."

[Cellar Review] Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout (2011 Vintage)

Brewed By: Central Waters Brewing Co. in Amherst, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Humboldt Haus On The Boulevard Liquors And Spirits in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2011 bottle)

Style/ABV: American Stout/Imperial Stout, ?.?%???

Reported IBUs: ?

Back in early 2014 I reviewed the 2013 Vintage of Central Waters' Bourbon Barrel Stout. I love that beer, it's a fantastic bourbon barrel stout, and you should buy it if you see it. The story behind tonight's beer is that I was hunting for the 2014 vintage of the Bourbon Barrel Stout. So far, the 2014 vintage has not hit my distro yet. I did, however, see that someone was selling the Bourbon Barrel Stout per BeerMenus. I hopped in my car and went to check it out. When I arrived, I discovered that the store was selling the 2011 Vintage. WHAT? I asked the guy who was working there what the story is with the 2011 vintage. According to the employee, they put in an order for the 2014 Bourbon Barrel Stout, but it is currently unavailable. Central Waters was able to hook them up with some of this 2011 vintage. Apparently, they just have some of this stuff laying around. Cool beans. So...I guess we are doing an impromptu cellar review. About Central Waters: 

Central Waters was founded in 1996 by two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel. The two bought an old brick building in Junction City, Wisconsin. During the next two years, the two restored the building, and put in brewing equipment. A few months later, Paul Graham joined the brewery. After three years under the original ownership, the brewery was sold to brewer Paul Graham and home-brewer Clint Schultz. On the brewery's five-year anniversary, Central Waters purchased a new brew house because the old location was having issues with equipment and age. In 2006, Clint Schultz left the brewery. The brewery is currently owned and operated by Paul Graham and Anello Mollica. To read more about the brewery, check out their history page.

The Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout is part of the brewers reserve series. This one is aged in used oak bourbon barrels, and is described as containing notes of bourbon, vanilla, and roast. 

Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout (2011 Vintage)

The 2011 vintage pours into a dark brown, and eventually opaque body. This looks like it has thinned out a bit with time, pouring more into a cola brown than obsidian black. The beer kicked up a finger of brown head, but the head is short lived. There is some head retention in the form of a cauldron effect, and there is lacing and glossy alcohol legs. Overall, this has held up well in the bottle over the past few years.

On the aroma: one of my favorite things ever, especially in an aged beer. I'm talking about that mother fucking Twizzlers note. This also dives right into big flowers, huge floral aromas, dark fruits, perfume, figs, dates, raisins, and underlying whiskey/bourbon sweetness. After three years, I'm still getting some faint wood, vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate. The nose smells absolutely melded, and this smells like a well integrated beer. I'm really excited to taste this.

Wow. This is fantastic. I know now why Central Waters decided to selectively release a ton of this 2011 vintage into the local supply...this has aged fantastically, melding whiskey raisins and bourbon dark fruits into chocolate, cocoa, wood, and barrel. This is super fused and melded, with Twizzlers, dark fruits, raisins, figs, and subtle oak, bourbon, chocolate, molasses, and vanilla. This is reminiscent of the aged 50/50 Eclipse bottles, which is high praise.

At ~9.5% per Untappd, this is drinking smoothly. I'm not getting much alcohol, minus the warming in my chest. This is sticky and sweet, with a full-bodied mouthfeel. There is still some nice carbonation three years later. This is very complex, and the palate depth is good. Up front: chocolate, bourbon, dark fruits, Twizzlers; the mids roll into some bourbon spice, barrel, wood, tannin, cocoa, vanilla; the back end hits whiskey raisin bliss, with more dark fruits and tons of complexity. This is the fucking tits.  

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. I have to dwell on this before I bump it to that Divine Brew level, but holy shit, this 2011 Vintage aged gracefully. This has melded into something that is incredibly complex, balanced, and delicious. I would not age this any longer, because the touch of oxidation I am getting is only going to grow. Right now, this is amaze-balls. Food pairings here include nothing. Pour this beer into your glass, and fucking enjoy it.

Random Thought: When Central Waters hits their stride, they make some impressive beer. Their Bourbon Barrel Stout is the consolation prize for all you folks that couldn't land some Bourbon County Stout. 

Off Color Dino S'Mores

Breewed By: Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Stout, 10.5% 

Reported IBUs: 40

Tonight's beer is a certified shelf turd. I literally walked into the store, and found this turd sitting on shelves. AMA. About Off Color Brewing:

Off Color Brewing is a brewery founded in 2008 according to their Facebook, or 2014 according to their website, or 2013 if you follow their release party and the logical timeline. It really doesn't matter, I suppose. What you need to know is that this brewery is the brainchild of former Goose Island barrel guru, John Laffler, and former Two Brothers brewer, Dave Bleitner. The duo are both graduates of Siebel, and share a passion for brewing exotic, off-color beer. For more info, check out the brewery's ABOUT page.

The Dino S'Mores is another S'mores inspired imperial stout, which is a trend that I can get behind. I'm quite partial to Pipeworks' S'More Money, S'More Problems. The Dino S'Mores is brewed with Pale, Vienna, Wheat, Cara II, Extra Special, Flaked Oats, Dark Chocolate, Black, and Roasted Barley malts. This features only Nugget hops (a little Goozie Island inspiration?), and a bunch of adjuncts. The extra ingredients include: marshmallow, vanilla beans, molasses, graham flour, and cocoa nibs. My goodness, this sounds amazing. 

Off Color Dino S'Mores

If you need me to describe the appearance, you probably won't be able to track down this beer. Just sayin'. Black, opaque, brown head. OH NOES. There's legit lacing and alcohol legs tugging and glossing on my glass, and this smacks of chocolate bukkake. 

The aroma is surprisingly roasty and smokey. It actually -- and I know this is going to be some sacrilegious shit to say -- it actually kind of smells like the same roasted malts used in Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut series. As I dig into the aroma some more, I'm getting some of that graham cracker, chocolate, and vanilla. This does not scream S'Mores to me on the aroma, and to be honest, I think the Pipeworks' S'More Money, S'More Problems had a more S'more-forward aroma. 

This gets a lot better as it warms up, but try as I might I cannot find the direct S'Mores flavor. I'm getting a lot of nice roast (which is still reminiscent of the roast found in Rogue's Voodoo series), big vanilla bean, big cocoa, and lots of hints of campfire, complex roast, hints of roasted coffee, and some nice graham notes. It's GOOD. I really like this beer. The sweetness isn't ratcheted high enough to match that of a proper S'More, but in some respects I like that. This really grounds itself in that earthy roasted note...it's a note that when done well tastes really good, and again reminds me of coffee and complex dirt. 

At 10.5%, I'm not tasting any alcohol here. This is not overly sweet at all. That's both a good thing and bad thing. When I think of S'Mores, I think of layers upon layers of sugar. Even if you add that burnt marshmallow flavor to the mix, the S'More dessert is all about the sugar. The complex roasted notes in here are reminiscent of a campfire, dirt, and coffee...and I like it. But S'Mores? I don't think so. Still, this is fairly complex, and the palate depth is great. This is medium-bodied, and starts off with roast, dirt coffee; the mids roll into cocoa, vanilla, sugars, graham; the back end finishes with roast, dirt, ash, coffee, and lingering vanilla sugars. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. I'm surprised to say that I prefer the S'More Money, S'More Problem if you are looking for that S'More flavor. In terms of a complex, roasty Imperial Stout...you could do much worse than this beer right here. I think this is very tasty, but the sugar needs to be ratcheted up to hit that dessert note. But some people (like myself) prefer less sugar....so for that crowd, this is going to be a certified hit.

Random Thought: I'm curious to see if future batches of this will taste different, and I'm happy to see this just sitting on shelves. 

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Flanders Red

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois 
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Flanders Red, 6.1%
Reported IBUs: 15

More Destihl Sours woo. About Destihl: 

Destihl is a brewery (Bloomington) and brewpub (Normal, IL & Champaign, IL) based out of the Midwest. Specifically, the middle of Illinois in the middle of the United States. Daaaa midwest. The brewery was founded by CEO & Brewmaster, Matt Potts, in 2007. Like many brewery founders, Potts started out as a homebrewer, and would eventually trade his law school education and law practice for those sweet barley suds. Destihl currently brews a myriad of regular and barrel-aged beers, including an increasing portfolio of tasty sour brews. For more info, check out their website. 

The Flanders Red is is an "acidic, sour ale with an initial impression of tart cherries and sour candy." 

This pours into a hazy, murky, dark ruby red/auburn body, kicking up two fingers of brown-tinged head. It looks like cherry juice, or your typical Flanders Red. There is good lacing on this one, and solid head retention.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Flanders Red

On the aroma: a surprising amount of malty goodness. I'm getting cherry, brown bread, bready notes, and some coffee? What? There is definitely a Brown Ale aroma thing going on with the nose, with some hints of dusty cocoa as well. There is some faint berries and vinegar sourness in the back of this, but the aroma is mildly sour. 

This is straightforward, and does taste much like an American Brown Ale base that has been given the 12-step Flanders Red treatment. I'm getting big cherries, light vinegar tartness, lots of acid, and some nuttiness, toast, bread, and hints of dusty cocoa and coffee ala an American Brown. It's intriguing, albeit without any crazy Brett funk or oak character. Actually, I don't even know if this is aged on wood. It tastes slightly oaky, but that could just be my mind playing tricks on me + the acid and sourness messing with my head. The sourness in this beer comes in spurts, and isn't bad at all. 

This is medium-light bodied with above-average complexity. Palate depth is good, and I'm finding this to be pretty enjoyable. There is a nice balance between the ABV, body, carbonation, and sourness. I'm kind of digging how the base beer here is an American Brown Ale...it's like a new twist on this classic style. Up front: sour cherries, red cider vinegar, some burgeoning malts; the mids roll into the malts, with that Brown Ale base; the back end features lingering malts, dusty cacao, bread, faint coffee, sour cherries; and the finish is surprisingly dry. Good acidity, okay sourness.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. Solid shit, I would buy this again in the can. It would be nice to see this just sitting around on shelves. Food pairings here include grilled meats and poutine. 

Random Thought: These Destihl 4-packs are like $10? Pretty solid deal, IMO.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin'

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois
Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Gose, 5.0%
Reported IBUs: 12

Between Penrose and Destihl, Chicago's sour scene is suddenly become more tangible. And that's good for me. About Destihl: 

Destihl is a brewery (Bloomington) and brewpub (Normal, IL & Champaign, IL) based out of the Midwest. Specifically, the middle of Illinois in the middle of the United States. Daaaa midwest. The brewery was founded by CEO & Brewmaster, Matt Potts, in 2007. Like many brewery founders, Potts started out as a homebrewer, and would eventually trade his law school education and law practice for those sweet barley suds. Destihl currently brews a myriad of regular and barrel-aged beers, including an increasing portfolio of tasty sour brews. For more info, check out their website. 

Bad pun aside, the Here Gose Nothin' is a "Leipzig-Style Gose" that undergoes spontaneous fermentation, and features lactic notes of lemon, lime, and citrus. This one also has some coriander and sea salt added. 

This is a filthy wheat beer, pouring into a cloudy, hazy, unfiltered, swampy, pick-your-synonym straw/wheat color. The beer produces a finger of wheat-tinged head that is wheat beer strong. This looks to be well carbonated, and blah blah.

Destihl Wild Sour Series: Here Gose Nothin'

The aroma here is really nice, with coriander, ocean sea salt breezes, wet rain, mist, some light lactic acidity, light lemon citrus, some watermelon rind, and a little bit of wheat for good measure. This is an inviting aroma, if you're into little sour bangers.

This isn't overly sour, but it is incredibly funky. This dips into citric acid, tomatoes, tomato juice, unfiltered wheat, V8 acidity, and tons of lactic acid funk. As you dig into the wheat-acid-lactic funk fest, you can pull out some of the coriander and some of the hints of salt. It's more in line with that mist aroma, ocean breezes. As this warms up, it takes a turn towards the more creamy, with that creamy lactic funk coating. I love it.

This is light, refreshing, and incredibly drinkable. The wheat malts provide some sustenance to the body, especially as this warms up, so I would call it light-full. Palate depth is really good, and the mouthfeel here falls on the flatter side of carbonation, which just makes the lactic acid all the more funky. This is reasonably complex. Up front is lactic funk, V8 acidity, coriander and sea salt; the mids roll into more coriander and sea salt, big wheat, lactic funk; the back end gets a little creamy as this warms, and this drops citrus hints everywhere. It's well done. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. I'm really enjoying this, and I would pick this up again. This is one of the best things Destihl has cranked out in a can, and the fact that it is reaching distro up in Chicago is great news for everyone. I'm not really sure if this beer is 100% true to the style, but I don't really care. More lactic wheat beers please. Thanks. 

Random Thought: I always have a hard time with food pairings for something like this. The inherent funk to this style makes me think that pairing this beer with strong cheeses or sushi might have a negative result. Maybe pair this with some Greek Food?