Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2015

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 16.9oz bottle bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2015 (bottled on 11/06/2015)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Stout, 14.3% 

Reported IBUs: 60

Far be it from me to revive this blog to just make a post with my Bourbon Countries 2015 tasting notes. 

I have to say, I was ready to take the ideological position and jump ship after the 2014 release of Bourbon County. It was a little too fruity, had not nearly enough alcohol, and didn't stand out compared to the 2012 and 2013 vintages. I thought the coffee was the standout of the 2014 bunch, but it played into the beer's shortcomings. That was then, this is now. This year's release featured above-average Thanksgiving day temps, and people setting up tents (yes, tents) in front of Binny's two days in advance. This was followed by another wave of Bourbon County distro to the city (presumably Georgia's supply, suckers) with cases of this beer, including Rare, sitting on shelves at Jewel-Osco and the like. 

Anyway, who cares about politics and beer drama...

with filter...

Bourbon County pours opaque and black like every other fucking Imperial Stout, and especially those in the wheelhouse of barrel-aged. That dark brown head gives way to a mostly tepid and anti-carbed beer, all is well in the land of appearances. 

This has sick nose, bruh, with liquid brownie sweetness, macaroons, coconut, raisins and dark fruits, coffee, Muscovado sugar, biscotti, and chocolate-dipped churros. The barrel and bourbon and alcohol come through on the nose -- all in moderation. 

I really wanted to write this review to simply say that who needs variants when the regular is so good this year. This is insanely tasty and rich, and drops insta-liquid-brownie on the palate from the onset. The back end hits you with lingering chocolate thickness, chocolate-dipped churros, and growing bourbon heat and lovely spirit and barrel character. This is a wild ride of bourbon, brownie batter, dark fruits/raisins, macaroons, coconut, coffee, and Muscovado.

No Filter!

The 14.3% feels DIALED IN. This is a thick beer, but by comparison and in 2015 is also incredibly smooth and balanced and maybe even lighter compared to other comparable beers. What I like here is the presence of bourbon, and the presence of alcohol. For bourbon lovers, this is where beer is at. The 16.9oz bottle format is something I strongly oppose because I like 4-packs; but the format is growing on me. It means you get a little more beer to push this experience over-the-top if you are flying solo, and it means you'll have 8oz to yourself if you decide to share. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is the best Bourbon County vintage in a long time, and surpasses the 2014, 2013, and 2012 releases. Also, in terms of the diminishing price versus beer returns, I find the regular Bourbon County 2015 to be a better investment than Rare. Rare was different, and offered something that you can't find here, but at $60+ a pop the price per ounce is so hard to justify. 

Random Thought: Where to go from here?

One Well Brewing Sweet Water Street

One Well Brewing Sweet Water Street

Brewed By: One Well Brewing in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Purchased: 32oz Howler from One Well Brewing; 2015 (poured on 08/26/15)

Style/ABV: American Adjunct Imperial Porter, 7.1%

Reported IBUs: ???

This was, by far, the second best Porter/Stout I had on my trip to Kalamazoo. This beer deserves a nod and shot out, because it is really fucking good. The brewery isn't too shabby either. About One Well Brewing: 

One Well Brewing is a nano/micro brewery based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The brewery was founded by home brewers Chris O’Neill and T.J. Waldofsky, and currently features a 3-barrel brewing system. The tap house is warm and cozy, with board games and a bar. The place was packed an hour before closing, and the staff was friendly. My biggest regret is that I discovered this place during my last day in Kalamazoo...

The Sweet Water Street is an Imperial Porter brewed with donut holes from Sweetwater's Donut Mill, and coffee from Water Street Coffee Roaster. Coffee is my life force, so while in Kalamazoo I had a chance to visit Water Street Coffee Roaster twice. The coffee is solid, and is locally roasted. 

So good...

The Sweet Water Street itself pours into a dark body kicking up a couple of fingers of dense, tan-brown head. It looks like every other genero-Porter until you dig into the aroma and get that rich chocolate coffee cake smell. This kicks up espresso and hazelnut and lots of fresh coffee, but the coffee stays grounded in the cakey malt base. This hints at macaroons and candy bars, and suggests so much more than a straightforward coffee beer. 

And the taste lives up to the aroma's hype, and then some and more so. At whatever percentage this clocks in at (7.1%???), the malt body stands up to the strong coffee flavors. This has a cake-like body with chocolate malts, trailing malt balls on the back end, rich espresso, hazelnut, and liquid coffee cake. 

The mouthfeel on this is full and expansive, and this beer has depth and density. This squeezes all the money's worth out of the 7.1%, and the malt body does not go to waste. The palate is full-bodied, and this has enough layers to beckon complexity. It has good duration too...each sip lingers. You get a lot of straight Porter in the front, but by the mid palate this drops coffee and chocolate. The back end rounds out with earthy coffee notes, hints of macaroons, and malt balls. This cleans up nicely too...you would expect loads of residual sugars and you really get none of that here. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. This is one of the best beers currently on tap in Kalamazoo, and you owe it to yourself to check this beer out. On top of that, One Well Brewing's other beers were good, and the vibe of their little bar is fantastic. Would definitely stop in again. 

Random Thought: The number one dark beer on my trip goes out to 18th Street Brewing...maybe more on that later. 

Pipeworks Cherry Murderous "The Lookout" English Barleywine Style Ale brewed with Cherries

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #755) bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 (bottled 07.02.2015)

Style/ABV: English-Style Barleywine/Fruit Beer, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

Pipeworks has arrived...and it's been a while since I have reviewed anything from them. So here we go. I've previously reviewed the regular Murderous, as well as the barrel-aged Murderous. I think this is a pretty average beer, so I'm curious to see how the cherries work out. 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.

The Cherry Murderous "The Lookout" bottle reads: 

"Rejoice in the return of your best friend! Your trusty lookout had not been completely lost, although different now from time spent apart, he still sees all through midworld. Albeit with a tinge of red washing over his view. Rest him on pommel or table, and let The Lookout guide you on your journey. "

Pipeworks Cherry Murderous

This is a thick, slow-pouring, hazy beer. It's unfiltered and riding some line between brown/orange/red, with a thick orange head that doesn't last for very long. Overall though, it looks good, and it looks the part for the style. 

Oh man, that aroma. This doesn't really smell the part of an English-style Barleywine. It smells like a malty bock mixed with Sam Adams' Cherry Wheat. I'm actually a fan of the Cherry Wheat, but that comment is going to read like a slap in the face for many. The cherry aroma does leave you with the impression of cherry skins, some cherry fruits, and some cherry pits. It drifts into medicinal territory at some point, and there's a lot of toasty and caramelized Bock-esque malt notes. If you handed this to me in a blind tasting, I'd be hard-pressed to come up with Barleywine.

This is a mess, but it is less of a mess than I expected. The cherries actually add a nice layer of complexity to the otherwise lackluster base beer. This is sweet and heavy, and you feel like it needs a few years to thin out. But the good news is the cherries add some nice, deep fruity notes. I'm getting cherries, cherry pits, cherry skins, cherry pastries, cherry candies, and some nice Quad-like stone fruits. This almost veers into the land of Belgium, but is grounded with a malt base that is toast, toffee, toasted nuts, and caramelized sugars. The cherries stand out as a counterpoint to the otherwise sweet and one-dimensional base. I think this is the best take on The Murderous I have had.

At 9.5%, I'm not getting much in the way of alcohol. This is full-bodied, and fairly thick stuff. This isn't overly complex, and the sweetness is only barely offset by the cherries. Still, this has great depth, with each sip lasting for quite some time. You get a nice two-dimensional blast of cherry flavors, followed by that malty base. It dabbles in Quad land but is strictly pseudo-English. It feels kind of Bock-like to me, actually. So I guess we can go to Germany on this wild ride.  

Rating: Average (3.25/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. This is by far the best take on The Murderous, and I really have no reason to pick up the base beer after drinking this. I'd love to grab another bottle of this Cherry Murderous to age, but the demand is still too high. I'd like to see Pipeworks brew this again. I think they can clean up the base a bit, attenuate the beer a little more (get this up to 11%+), and maybe throw in some hops or something. I don't know. 

Random Thought: I'm really happy to see Pipeworks doing as well as they are. I know I am slacking in my reviews, but focusing on graduate school for the betterment of myself takes precedence over beer reviews. Having said that, I cracked into the most recent batch of Pipeworks' Blue Lady and it was fan-freaking-tastic. This brewery is going places, and I am happy to have had a chance to watch them grow up over the past couple of years. 

Une Année Xellensis

Brewed By: Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 750ml (1 Pint 9.4 FL OZ) bottle bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Batch #X151)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Belgian Inspired Blond Ale, 8.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

More Midwest shelf turds. About Une Année:

Une Année Xellensis - unsexy photo FTW

Une Année is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois located near the intersection of Grand and Ashland in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor (three blocks from the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery). The brewery was founded in early 2012 by Jerry Nelson, who is "an Architect, Marine, Siebel Institute Graduate, and Chicago native who started homebrewing in 1995 while stationed in California." Currently, Jerry is the head brewer along with Dustin Zimmerman, who also attended the Siebel Institute, and previously brewed at Hamburger Mary’s Andersonville and worked at Nøgne Ø. The name "Une Année" means "one year" in French, and was chosen to reinforce the two main ideas behind the brewery: a focus on Belgian and French style beer, and an emphasis on seasonal beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website.

The Xellensis is a Belgian Inspired Blond Ale brewed with Brett. The bottle reads, "A not sweet blond, brewed exclusively with brettanomyces bruxellensis. This ale will go the distance-provoking your senses and only growing tougher over time. Are you up for the challenge?"

This pours into a blonde-orange body, kicking up a lot of thick, foamy, white head. There is a storm of carbonation in my glass, like Duvel. Head retention is good.

The aroma here is funky, chalky, uniquely Belgian, and Brett. I'm getting a lot of apples and wheat, big yeast esters, pineapple, leather, some earthy funk, must/chalk, and some fruity and spicy phenol notes. Peaches.

Oh wow...this is really nice. I wasn't expecting this. This is a lot thicker than I was expecting. I'm also not getting as much Brett as I thought I would. The Brett comes out as mild and fruity, with apples and pineapple. This has tons of tropical fruit notes, with pineapple, peaches, pear, and apples. There's a bitter kiss of Brett at the back end, with some wheat. This is rich with tons of clove. It kind of reminds me of Pipework's Pineapple Bling. This takes the Belgian thing to an extreme, and reminds me of Duvel and various other Belgian beers. 

 Better photo...

I'm digging this. This is one of the better Une Année beers I have had to date. I don't know if it as good as their Tripel or Quad, but it is pretty close. It also hides the 8.8% very well. This is creamy, full-bodied, and moderately complex. While the complexity could ratchet up, the rest of the beer holds up for the style. I'm wondering if throwing this in your cellar for a year or two would result in some additional Brett complexity. That's my one caveat with many of Une Année's offerings...they all seem like they could benefit from aging a bit longer.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. This is a solid beer, I'd love to revisit it with some age on it. Really, the base beer is a fantastic Belgian Strong Ale. It's approaching that top-shelf echelon. If the Brett was dialed up a bit, this would be an easy 4.5/5.0. 

Random Thought: I'm really looking forward to Une Année's sour program.

Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware 

Purchased: 12oz bottle single bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 15~18% 
Reported IBUs: ?

This was once a whale, and now is a shelf turd. It's not waxed or in limited supply. It's also brewed by Cam Salamia and Dogfin Head. They have a hotel. 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 Raison D'Extra is the amped up version of DFH's stellar Raison D'Etre. Brewed with an "obscene amount" of malt, brown sugar, and raisins, the Raison D'Extra puts the "D" in Belgian Ales.

Dogfish Head Raison D'Extra

This pours into a reddish body that is reminiscent of a Belgian Dubbel, with purple tones in lower light. You get that sea foam carb on the beer, also reminiscent of a Belgian, with lots of lacing. It's very Belgian-esque. 

The aroma features the trademark high-gravity yeast/sugar aroma you get on all of DFH's high-gravity beers. You get a pound of sugar, muscovado sugar, jammy raspberries, raisin, alcohol, yeast esters, and some phenolic goodness. 

This tastes sublime...the beer rolls out massive raisins, dark fruits, jammy berries, jammy raisins, fruit preserves, muscovado sugar, intense phenolic notes, and lots of Belgian character typical of a Dubbel/Dark Strong. This is actually fantastic, and I would think that if you age this for a few years, it might start to take on some of that dusty/phenolic character you get in a good Belgian Dark Strong. There are some nice dark fruits in here as well, with shades of plums, blackberries, blueberries, and boysenberry. 

I'm a fan of DFH's high-gravity series, and this is no slouch. This brings the raisin along with a lot of other flavors, and it works out. At the variable 15~18% I'm not getting a ton of alcohol, but this definitely warms you up. Palate depth is good with nice duration -- making this a worthy sipping beer. This is also fairly complex, with lots of assertive raisin, muscovado sugar, and then more subtle dark fruit notes, Belgian character, and berries. Lots of berries. The finish is pretty clean too, and approaches drying. That in itself is commendable. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. At this time (I think this was bottled in late 2014? I couldn't tell, the date was smudged off my bottle) the beer is drinking just fine. BUT, I think with a little more age, this might settle into something really worthy. Since this is basically shelf turding these days, I will keep an eye out and try to snag a few more bottles to age. That actually shouldn't be a problem...I'd love to try this two or three years down the road.

Random Thought: It's hard to believe that there's basically just one more year of grad school left...

Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer

Brewed By: Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon  

Purchased: 750ml (1 pint, 9.4oz) bottle bought at Jewel-Oscoin Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable American Stout, 5.7%

Reported IBUs: ?

In b4 this is the best beer I've had from Rogue in a long time. About Rogue:

Rogue has been around forever, and if their beer was more widely available, and not so damn expensive, I'd probably drink more of their stuff. The brewery was founded in 1988 in Ashland, Oregon by Jack Joyce, Bob Woodell, Rob Strasser, and home brewer Jeff Schultz. Due to increasing space and distribution limitations, Jack Joyce went searching in Newport for a location for the new Rogue pub. It was at this time that he met Mohave Niem, founder of Mo's Clam Chowder. She offered Jack space to brew in her building, and in 1989 the Bay Front Brew Pub was built. Rogue's headquarters currently reside in Newport to this day. In May 1989, current head brewmaster, John Maier, joined Rogue after a brief sting brewing with Alask Brewing. John was a former Senior Technician with Hughes Aircraft Co, and a graduate of the Seibel Institute. To learn more about Rogue, check out their website HERE.

The Sriracha Hot Stout is brewed with Huy Fong original hot chili sauce and sun ripened Rogue Farms ingredients. As you can guess, this pours into a dark, opaque body, kicking up a couple of fingers of tan head. There is good head retention, good lacing, and the beer looks the part of any solid American Stout/Porter.

Rogue Sriracha Hot Stout Beer

The aroma on this is actually really good. You get tons of umami, Sriracha, spicy heat, chili, chocolate, cocoa, toast, that creamer/lactose note, and a fair amount of milk chocolate ala a Hershey's bar. And then there's just that hint of coffee from the darker malts. The aroma really starts to pop as things warm up as well.

I cannot fault this beer, it basically sets out what it intends to accomplish, and it does a really good job. This beer nails the umami flavor up front, and delivers a solid Sriracha punch with lots of tomato paste, and chili heat that punches the lower part of your throat. This is not a 2-D beer, and delivers a wave of chocolate, coffee, dark malts, and milk chocolate towards the back. The chocolate plays well with the chili heat that is kicking around in the back of the throat, and you get some cinnamon and chocolate-chili vibes. Overall, it's not bad. 

This is medium-bodied, has good depth, good complexity, and a good Porter/Stout base. The base to this is actually quite rich, especially at 5.7%. I'm getting a lot of that chocolate goodness, and the mouthfeel has substantial chew. Rogue's beers are hit and miss in this category, but they nailed the body on this one. The complexity unfolds through the umami-forward front, and then the chocolate-heavy middle, and the chili-chocolate back. It's like a toned down version of the many higher ABV chili Stouts out there. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average here. This is a really good Porter/Stout masquerading as a really solid chili beer. The Sriracha comes through with some nice chili spice and umami character, and the base beer is big and bold. I would definitely consider pairing this beer with food. And as it stands, 750ml is a lot of this beer...maybe share this one with a friend. 

Random Thought: Overall, Rogue makes some solid beers...maybe even more hits than misses. It's too bad they price themselves out of the market. 

Local Option Mourning Wood

Brewed By: Local Option Bierwerker in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: Amber Ale/Hybrid Ale/Barrel-Aged Ale/Coffee Beer, 7.3%

Reported IBUs: ?

Local Option Mourning Wood

You can't stop the Chicago beer train. It's coming at you 100mph like Amtrak. About Local Option:

Local Option is a restaurant/bar (known for their intense Creole food) that happens to also brew their own beer.

The Mourning Wood is an oak-aged coffee amber ale. This beer sits in fresh American oak, and Dark Matter's El Salvador San Jose pulp-natural coffee adds some coffee kick. This one looks like it has been through barrel-aged hell. The beer is a murky, orange color, with tight lacing and surprisingly good head retention despite the barrel/coffee treatment.

The aroma here is dark grains, sweet hazelnut, nutty coffee, toast, oak, and some nice dark fruits. I'm getting some dried berries and figs on the aroma, and I'm reminded of Autumn-style beers (namely the Two Brothers Atom Smasher). As this warms up, the coffee on the aroma starts to pop.

This beer gets appreciably better as it warms, so keep that in mind when you crack this. As I sip on this, I am getting lots of dried berries, serious kicks of Dark Matter coffee ala hazelnut and light roast, toast, and light grassy hops. The oak comes through as a mild character that plays with the Amber Ale base. Caramel, light brown sugar, tapioca, iced coffee, wood, coffee creamer...pretty complex.

This hides the 7.3% with ease, and drops appropriate carb levels. Palate depth is good with nice duration, and this has a fairly complex layering of flavors for an Amber Ale. The oak addition is a subtle touch, and the coffee comes through as a light roast or Java flavor. I find this to be an intriguing Amber Ale, and you can't beat the price. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is not revolutionary or mind-blowing by any means, but it is a solid Amber Ale. Also, the Dark Matter coffee comes through strong, as advertised.  

Random Thought: Awww yeah beer. 

Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor's Lemon Saison

Brewed By: Moody Tongue Brewing Company in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: American Saison/Fruit Beer, 6.3%

Reported IBUs: ?

It's been a while...ask me about my grad school problems. About the Moody Tongue Brewing Company: 

Moody Tongue Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Pilsen, Chicago. The brewery was founded in 2013 by Jared Rouben, who is a graduate of Washington University, the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and the Siebel Diploma course in Chicago, where he is now a faculty member. After completing culinary school, Jared worked as a cook at the Michelin Star Martini House in Napa and as Expeditor at the three Michelin Star Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York City. Rouben also brewed at the Rock Bottom and Goose Island Clybourn. After working in the culinary and brewing world, Rouben intends to bring a culinary point of view to beer. For more info, check out the brewery's FACEBOOK page or their website.  

The Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor's Lemon Saison is a Saison...brewed with lemon. The beer pours into a dark, honey-orange/bronze body, kicking up several fingers of fluffy head. There's good carb, and nice lacing.

Moody Tongue Steeped Emperor's Lemon Saison 

I'm sure a lot of reviews are going hard on this for the overwhelming lemon aroma. This beer is outside the usual wheelhouse. But the aromas are legit. I'm getting a lot of lemongrass, lemon zest, Meyer lemons, some natural lemons sugars, and a light biscuit malt base.

This tastes amazing, if you are looking for lemons. I'm getting everything I was picking up in the aroma: lemon zest, Meyer lemons, lemon sugars and lemon meringue pie, lemongrass, and tons of that light biscuit malt base. The beer is refreshing, drinkable, and lemony. BUT, absent from the experience is that Saison base. I'm just not getting any of the citrus, funk, clove, pepper, or character that I would expect from a Saison. 

So, while I think this falls short of the Saison label in some regards, it definitely rises above your average fruit beer. This is easily one of the better lemon-infused beers I have had, and it drinks light and clean at 6.3%. The beer is carbed well, has good depth and duration, and actually drops a complex lemon portfolio that goes beyond your basic lemon juice addition. This is better than any janky Radler or Shandy or half-assed fruit beer you are liable to find on shelves these days. This doesn't have a ton of residual or artificial sugars, so it already elevates the game to Golden State levels unlike other "OG" breweries that turn out some pretty saccharine-heavy sugar bombs. This beer won't give you a cavity is what I'm trying to say. Also, aside from missing the Saison base, this beer tastes like it was masterfully brewed. Anyway...my final thought is I'm getting some ginger and lemongrass notes with this, so this would be my go-to sushi beer moving forward.  

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. This is a forgettable Saison but a memorable lemon beer. There are no lemon parties here. Just perfectly nuanced lemon goodness with a hint of ginger and meringue pie sweetness. This is one of the better attempts at a lemon beer, and I would buy a 4-pack of this sooner than I would buy some Stiegel Radler or LeinenMillerKegels Summer Shandy. 

So keep brewing this, Moody Tongue.

Random Thought: Moody Tongue sounds like a brand of acid. 

Stillwater Artisanal Night Vision - Sensory Series 3 - Tennis

Brewed By: Stillwater Artisanal at Dog Brewing Co. in Westminster, MD  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: Belgian Pale Ale/American Wild Ale, 6.9%

Reported IBUs: ?

About Stillwater Artisanal Ales: 

Stillwater Artisanal Ales are a Gypsy Brewery based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2009-ish, the beer is brewed by Brian Strumke. You can find more info at the brewery's blog or their website. 

The Tennis is part of Stillwater Artisanal's sensory series. The Stillwater Sensory Series is a collaboration between Stillwater Artisinal and singular music artists. This release is in collaboration with the artist Tennis, and is inspired by the song Night Vision. Tennis is Denver couple Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley. 

Stillwater Artisanal Night Vision - Sensory Series 3 - Tennis

This pours into a radiant orange body, kicking up white foam and carb for days. The beer is slightly hazy, and the creeping chimney of carb in the bottle is appropriate for a Brett beer. You have to admire these Stillwater projects. 

Giant peach and pineapple jump out front on the aroma, with white pepper and strawberries, white wine notes that include gooseberry and sweet melon/sweet grass/sweet lemon, and there is impressive Brett funk coming off the aroma. The Brett is earthy and sweet. This smells juicy and amazing. 

The taste doesn't quite match the aroma, and the malt body is a bit thicker than you might expect, and the Brett hasn't quite dried this out. But, there actually is a good amount of dryness here, with wonderful Brett funk, lots of peaches and pineapple, and good hop bitterness showing up to drop some orange and lemon and rind and dry things out.

This is a medium-light bodied beer, with plenty of carbonation to move things along and a nice drying Brett character to clean things up. At 6.9%, this is fairly drinkable with just mild alcohol showing up between the cracks. This is vinous and wine-like, which is a good thing. The funk levels in here are acceptable as well. Overall, a really solid if not slightly underwhelming Stillwater release. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. Not Stillwater's best, but still a really solid beer. Having said that, if you can find a bottle, pick it up. You can't beat the price to beer ratio here. 

Random Thought: I'm so happy that Stillwater is all over Chicago.

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin IPA

Brewed By: Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego, California 
Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: American IPA, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: 70

Sculpin IPA is a top-shelf IPA, but how does the Grapefruit version stack up? About Ballast Point Brewing: 

Like a lot of craft breweries, Ballast Point began as a home brewing outfit. Founder Jack White (not the Jack White) began home brewing, only to realize that sourcing ingredients was easier said than done. So Jack opened up Home Brew Mart, a home brew shop, in 1992. From there, Jack met Yuseff, and the two began brewing in the back of the home brew shop. In 1996 the brewery was born. Because Yuseff loves fishing, the brewery names all their beers after fish. You can read more about the brewery and its history here. 

The Grapefruit Sculpin takes the Sculpin IPA base, and throws grapefruit juice into the mix. Obviously. And this beer really looks the part, with a clear/transparent grapefruit-orange body, and two fingers of off-white head; this is well-carbed and has great lacing. It looks like beer, suck it caesaronis.

Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin IPA

The aroma here is dominated by the grapefruit juice, with grapefruit juice popping off the aroma and crushing the base beer. It's not a bad thing, and when the base beer does get through, you are hit with lemon/orange/pine hops, and a light malt base of light cracker and light grain. The grapefruit juice-hop combo works.

This is good...albeit sweet and juicy. The grapefruit juice is overt, and blasts away the hops in terms of balance. The hops that do come through in the taste impart lots of lemon, some grapefruit/orange, and some bitter orange rind on the back end. The super light cracker/grain malts serve the beer well, but I can't help but feel like the juice takes something away from this.

Throwing juice into your beer is, evidently, a risky move. This is nicely done for the most part, with a medium body, good palate depth, good duration, and low complexity. You don't get any alcohol...it isn't too bitter...it's actually pretty refreshing. The grapefruit juice dominates things for better or worse, because the base beer is really up...

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'll toss this a Decent Above-Average. I might go grab a 6-pack of the regular beer just to do a side-by-side comparison, but a part of me feels like the regular version is better? I don't know. This isn't bad, I just feel like adding juice to a beer is something that is going to be hit or miss, and in this case it works but it doesn't necessarily make the regular beer better. And maybe it wasn't supposed to.

Random Thought: I wish I had more time to review beer...I think I need to start doing some short format reviews.

Surly Coffee Bender

Brewed By: Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Purchased: 16oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2015 (canned on 02/20/15)

Style/ABV: American Brown Ale, 5.1%

Reported IBUs: 45

A coffee Brown Ale. Eh? 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.

Surly Coffee Bender

The Coffee Bender is brewed with Pale Ale, Aromatic, Medium Crystal, Dark Crystal, Oats, and Chocolate malts; and features Columbus and Willamette hops, and English Ale yeast. The beer is also cold pressed with Guatemalan coffee that is roasted locally.

This is a pretty beer, albeit deceptively darker in low light. Bright light betrays the hazy, reddish body, and a cloud of yeast and sediment can be seen mucking up the beer. The head is fluffy and Guinness-like™, and there is good lacing and retention. 

This has an amazing aroma of cold pressed coffee, stale toast that has been sitting out for a few minutes, coffee sitting in the filter, hazelnuts, and a light but crisp hop aroma. The coffee elevates what is otherwise a fairly derivative style of beer, and I am reminded of New Glarus' banging, low-ABV, coffee beer, their New Glarus Coffee Stout.

same beer, with light

Kudos to Surly for basically turning a Brown Ale into iced coffee. This is a fantastic beverage, if you want coffee not beer. That's not a sideways compliment or passive insult. This is really nice, with cold pressed coffee, coffee in the filter, light creamer, hints of toast, hints of lactose, hazelnut, and light nuttiness. This is also somehow light and refreshing, with lots of straight and light hops providing a palate cleanse. 

This is medium-bodied, but light and refreshing at the same time. The beer has great palate depth and complexity for the style...really, this owns the Brown Ale category, and the 5.1% market. This is hard to top, and I think it edges out the New Glarus Coffee Stout by just a bit. This hits the coffee/toast breakfast combo hard up front, rolls into hazelnut and lactose coffee, and then finishes with sharp coffee and hops. Pretty rad.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is pretty much as advertised, and you will be cold pressed (get it?) to find a better coffee beer in the 5.1% range. The coffee here is also clean without any acridity or weird earthiness or fruitiness. Pretty much for sure I will buy this beer again, and you should too.

Random Thought: I like you too, and don't call me Surly. 

Stone Ruination 2.0

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2015 (Enjoy By 07/05/2015)

Style/ABV: American Imperial IPA, 8.5% 
Reported IBUs: 100+

Earlier this year, Stone announced that they were killing off their Ruination IPA. No one in California blinked, and Tony Magoo smoked a bowl. But Stone's Ruination is back. Version two point oh. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. Also...farking woot and fizzy yellow beer is for bitches. 

The Ruination 2.0 is brewed with Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, and Azacca hops. And the rest is pretty much Stone.txt. 

Stone Ruination 2.0

This has clear golden-orange tones, with dotted carbonation and a sea foam white head that is hanging around like your loser kids and leaving webs of lacing that would impress Peter Parker and Peter North. Kudos to Stone for putting on the Enjoy By date, but I feel like this is going to a very different beer in July. I would not want to be popping this on July 5th.

Stone's Ruination/RuinTen/Enjoy By series all have a similar vibe with dank hops on top of aggressive, sugary caramel malts. The Ruination 2.0 smells like a departure with a thinner, cracker malt base, and lots of tropical fruit hops. I'm getting mango, pine, honeydew/melon, peaches, passion fruit, some resin, pine, pine sap, and some sweet hemp. The nose is fairly subdued, and leans towards the hops.

The taste matches the nose, which a nice departure from the insanely sweet hops and insanely sweet malt/caramel base that Stone was delivering in their Ruination/RuinTen/Enjoy By. This beer wears its 100+ IBUs, with an intense hop note that cuts right through the beer that is raw as hell. I don't even know what it is...I've never tasted it before in a beer. I'm guessing it is from the Azacca hop? I'm getting a ton of melon, pine, shades of peach/mango, some resin...and that sharp hop note. It's kind of earthy, and kind of pithy....if I had to reach for a description, I would compare it to tobacco, grass, lawnmower trimmings, or unsmoked weed in a bag.

This is really solid, and a welcomed departure from the sugar bombs that Stone has been cranking out for the past few years. This reminds me of Stone's IPA, which has held up well over these years. This is medium-bodied, and doesn't feel too bitter or too boozy. Palate depth is good, with long duration that cuts into nice dryness. This never gets too woodsy/woody/dry, but you definitely feel the punch of the pine and the 100+ IBUs. This is moderately complex. The thin malt profile is welcomed, with lots of melon and sweet fruit up front that gives way to bitter pine and resin and hemp, with nice drying on the back. Also, this is affordable. Nice. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'll toss this a Light Above-Average. I would buy this again, and I think Stone nailed this beer. This is a big, hoppy, hop-forward Double IPA. The malts don't get in the way of this experience, and this isn't sweet. I would pair this with strong, spicy foods. 

Random Thought: DAE DARK LORD DAY?!?! I'm so happy I will be embracing my warm bed, the forecast calls for rain and cold. 

Stillwater Artisanal Rio De Sauvin

Brewed By: Stillwater Artisanal at Dog Brewing Co. in Westminster, MD  

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015

Style/ABV: Saison/Farmhouse Ale/Fruit Beer, 7.7%

Reported IBUs: ?

How about dem Sauvin hops. And how about a Farmhouse Ale brewed with mango juice and passion fruit juice. MMMM. 

About Stillwater Artisanal Ales: 

Stillwater Artisanal Ales are a Gypsy Brewery based out of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 2009-ish, the beer is brewed by Brian Strumke. You can find more info at the brewery's blog or their website. 

This beer was inspired by Against the Grain's Rico Sauvin, and the bottle reads:

Stillwater Artisanal Rio De Sauvin

"The boys at against the grain made a beer based on a fictional 'sexy man' and uhh, his sheep friend.. so sticking with the theme and the fact that we have been spending some time in Brazil lately, we decided to amp up the sexy and host a tropical orgy of fruit flavors, hops, malt and yeast..umm, yeah."

-Brian (Stillwater Artisanal)

Rio De Sauvin is part of the remix series, and not only features dat base Sauvin IPA, but tosses in mango and passion fruit juice. This pours into a hazy, sexy orange body. In brighter light this takes on lemon hues...hue. There's good head retention, good carb, dat bottle. Dat glass. Dat beer appearance experience. 

This smells fantastic....like a fruity farmhouse ale/saison. I'm getting a ton of clove, white sugar, wheat funk, and lots of juicy mango and passion fruit. This has clean lines and potent fruit, and smells exactly how I want a fruited Saison to smell like. There is some subtle lemon rind action going on in here too.

This is baller. The fusion of the fruit juice with the base beer could not have been done better. This drops Juicy Fruit on a solid Saison base with lemon, mild wheat, mild clove, and tons of passion fruit and mango. 

This is light-bodied, refreshing, and way too drinkable. At 7.7% I'm not getting any alcohol, and palate depth and complexity are both spot on. This is just juicy and delicious, I really have nothing to complain about. If they threw some wild yeast into this beer, it would elevate into that Divine category. As it sits now, it's just an Above-Average fruited saison. Which isn't a bad thing.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. This is another solid entry from Stillwater. Would buy again.

Random Thought: This really needs that barrel/sour treatment.