2016 Goose Island Proprietor's Bourbon County Brand Stout

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (owned by AB InBev) in Chicago, IL 

Purchased: 16.9oz bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2017 (bottled 15SEP16 aka September 15, 2016)

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 13.1%

Reported IBUs: 60

Being into weird fetish shit has its payoffs. Like when Goose Island InBev (Dilly Dilly) drops a beer brewed with chipotle peppers, cocoa nibs, and maple syrup bourbon barrels.

Prop is -- of course -- the "Chicago exclusive" deviant of Bourbon County. Every year Goose Island brews something different (exclusively for Chicago; because Goose Island are the abusive husband and Chicago beer drinkers are the helpless spouse), and it looks something like this:

Dilly Dilly

This was not out of my cellar -- by the way. I acquired this bottle after painstakingly camping in line for some odd 20 hours at Binny's on Black Friday 2017. The appearance is like every other Bourbon County. Dark, black, Stout-y. Head retention is like "nah."

2016 Proprietor's Bourbon County Brand Stout

Straight away on the aroma...magic. The chipotle peppers they used in this beer are beautiful and impart a rich and earthy aroma that touches coffee, ash, roasted chipotle, chipotle pepper seeds, and lively chiles. There's a touch of chocolate and fudge hanging around in the back to bring home the Mexican chocolate. The bourbon/barrel on the nose is pretty mute. That could be due to the fact that this beer is over a year old at this point.

On the taste: weird fetish things I love. Prop 16 is divisive...throwing a bunch of hot peppers at Bourbon County is always going to upset a few people. I love this more than any other Prop vintage, I think. This is a rich, dense, Mexican-chocolate stout. You get ample chipotle, tons of chocolate and truffle chocolate, tons of earthy spice that brings in coffee and ash and earthy peppers. There's a kiss of the maple sweetness and bourbon, and the finish is heat with some booze. 

This is full-bodied, complex, has great depth, and great duration. I dunno what else to say. Up front: big Mexican chocolate, chocolate, fudge, COMPLEX peppery heat; the mids roll into more spice and pick up bourbon. The spice adds earthy notes, coffee, ash. The back end kisses you with maple sweetness and fades to light spice and heat. 

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a criminally underrated beer if you are into this kind of thing. If you're not, cool.

Random Thought: I wish more BA releases would consider these peppery beers. Peppers go so well in these big barrel-aged stouts. I'm just amazed at how well Bourbon County plays with basically all the adjuncts.

Founders Sweet Repute

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2013 
Style/ABV: Wheatwine, 12.6%
Reported IBUs: ?

After thoroughly enjoying the Founders Bolt Cutter, I was very excited to give today's beer a shot. The Sweet Repute is another Barleywine-type beer. This is a "Wheat Wine ale aged in bourbon barrels and bourbon maple syrup barrels." Yum. About Founders:

Founders is the holy grail of Michigan brewing. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was founded in 1997 by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, and produces some of the best beer in the world. If you haven't heard of Founders...well, what are you doing? Get on that, now.

The Sweet Repute (Founders Backstage Series #8: Sweet Repute) is part of the Backstage Series of beers. This Wheat Wine features a wheat and roasted malt base, with fragrant hops. The beer is then barrel aged in maple syrup bourbon barels and bourbon barrels over the course of sixteen months. 

Founders Sweet Repute

The beer pours into a semi-hazy orange body, kicking up a finger or two of creamy, off-white head. The head has some orange and gold tones. There are tiny streams of carbonation visible in the body, along with some floating yeast sediment. Some white head is hanging around for the duration...and there are some glossy alcohol legs and lacing. It looks the part, but the magic starts to show up in the aroma.

On the aroma: big oak, bourbon, barrel, maple syrup, huge coconut, toasted coconut, nutty aromas, whiskey, coconut milk, almonds, pineapple, peaches, and tropical fruits. The aroma has huge oak and toasted coconut, with underlying fruitiness. There's some wheat malts on the aroma as well.

Yup...the taste reminds me of a few beers. Namely the Allagash Curieux and the De Proefbrouwerij / Cigar City Tropical Tripel. I'm getting huge oak, toasted coconut, nutty notes, whiskey/bourbon and booze, big pineapple, peach, and tropical citrus and fruits. There's a toffee/caramel thickness to this beer, and the beer flirts with rye and cane sugar. It's exceptionally heavy and boozy...as it should at the quoted 12.6%.

This is surprisingly dense, with lots of bourbon, coconut cake, and wheat density. It's a big beer at 12.6%, and it's meant to be sipped on. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, and palate depth is good. Complexity is okay, and maybe not as good as the Curieux or Tropical Tripel? I dunno. It's hard to say without doing a proper comparison. I do love this style though. It's aggressive and not very drinkable, but it is what it is. Up front is bourbon, booze, maple, coconut cake, toasted coconut, and barrel; the middle rolls into coconut, pineapple, tropical fruits, some wheat malts and grain, mild bitterness and hops; the back end is lingering coconut and grain, whiskey, bourbon...fade to sticky and dry.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is probably a Strong Above-Average for me. It's very enjoyable for what it is, but it is very straightforward in its approach. I like that this beer delivers everything it promises without messing around. You can't complain about that. Food pairings for this would include fish tacos, habanero wings, mango salsa, and other tropical foods. Or just sip on it because it really is a sipping beer. 

Random Thought: I love the warm weather, hate the allergies.

Mikkeller drumBAR Black Sap

Brewed By: Mikkeller in Copenhagen, Denmark (brewed & bottled at De Proef Brouwerij, Lochristi-Hijfte, Belgium)

Purchased: 375ml (12.7oz) bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, Illinois; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial Porter, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I honestly can't believe I have only ever reviewed one other Mikkeller beer, which is the

gimmicky but delicious 1000 IBUs. I guess I just prefer the Evil Twin? Ah...aha...get it? Anyway, about Mikkeller: 

Mikkeller is that European brewery that does things like an American craft brewery. The brewery was founded in 2006 by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, a humble math and physics teacher who enjoyed craft beer and homebrewing. Mikkel and his childhood friend Kristian Keller bought a few American books about brewing, and began brewing beer and entering it into competitions (and winning!) for two and a half years. Eventually, Mikkel and Keller began brewing beer at the Danish microbrewery Ørbæk, and Mikkel's twin brother Jeppe began selling their beer at his beer shop. Mikkeller's first big break came with their infamous "Beer Geek Breakfast." Since then, the brewery exports beer to over 40 countries, and brews the majority of their beer at de Proef Brouwerij in Belgium. However, Mikkeller is also nicknamed the "phantom" or "gypsy" microbrewery, as they brew at a number of host facilities in many different countries; they have also brewed over 100 different beers in a wide variety of styles. You can read more about the brewery here. 

So yeah, tonight's brew is so OG and original there doesn't even appear to be a blurb on the website. I guess Mikkel is too busy flying around gypsy-brewing beer to update his website, IT'S OKAY I LOVE YOU ANYWAY. The bottle on this beer quietly states: "Imperial Porter brewed with coffee & aged in maple syrup barrels." That's good news for me, because I like maple syrup, coffee, and Imperial Porters. 

Mikkeller drumBAR Black Sap

The beer pours into a black, cola-esque body, kick up three fingers of sandy/tan head. The head is bready and thick, and sustaining surprisingly well. Bright light confirms the same stuff...opaque, black body, and a finger of brown head that is still hanging on. There's some nice lacing as well. 

On the aroma: surprising anise and dark fruits...probably from the coffee. If you dig a bit further, you get walloped with dense, thick, earthy coffee. I'm getting intense coffee, espresso, char, dark roast, fudge, hints of mocha or dark baker's chocolate, and some maple/pine sap sweetness. There is some oak and wood as well.

The taste is a collision of maple sap sweetness, tart dark fruits, subtle coffee, and huge char, roast, dirt, earthy espresso, and dark baker's chocolate. The front end has lots of maple sweetness and dark fruits, but the back end dials up huge roast and char, with hints of baker's chocolate, espresso, coffee, and some boozy mouthfeel. The back end even gets a bit ashy, with some leather and tobacco. 

This is surprisingly medium-light bodied, with lots of carbonation and tart fruitiness to help move things along. Palate depth and duration is surprisingly good, as the beer drops off and then kicks into second gear with huge roast and char and baker's chocolate. You really don't get any of the 10% except for some welcomed boozy complexity and warming in your chest. This is moderately complex as well. So I don't know why I'm not madly in love with this...up front: sweet maple syrup, tart dark fruits, sweeter coffee and espresso. Then, go for a jog or something and wait a minute. Better late than never, right? The mid palate shows up...about 20 seconds later (impressive), with MASSIVE roast, char, dark molasses, grilled meats, earthy dirt and coffee and espresso, dark baker's chocolate, and some ash; the back end features trailing roast and char with some leather and tobacco, boozy warming, a dry roasty finish. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here...this is a very complex, subtle beer. It reminds me very much of The Beer That Saved Christmas, because both beers have really complex flavor profiles that don't assault your senses. You could probably miss out on everything that is good about this beer if you drink it too cold (drink at room temp), or if you drink it too fast. This beer is the type of beer you'll want to mull over for a while, and you'll want to drink the entire bottle. So don't bring this to a bottle share. The contrast of sweet maple sap/syrup and dark fruits and the huge earthy char is nice. It suggests to me that you could pair this beer with a robust cigar, grilled meats, steak, a big burger, or strong aged cheeses. I'd love to see this beer in a slightly larger bottle format, 12.7oz is just not enough to properly mull over. Especially since this wasn't cheap. But I'll toss this a soft recommendation. 

Random Thought: It's totally snowing out...and....I don't even care anymore. Whatever. I'm ready for Spring and Saisons.

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.

Hinterland Maple Bock

Brewed By: Hinterland Brewery, Restaurant & Lounge in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Purchased: 16oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013
Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 6.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

Now we're drink beers from Green Bay...yuuppp. Actually, I have high hopes (and expectations) from my cheese heads up north. About Hinterland: 

Hinterland is a is a restaurant and brewery based out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Founded in 1995 by owner Bill Tressler, more info can be found on their website or Facebook page.

The Maple Bock is a German-styled Lager brewed with maple syrup.

Hinterland Maple Bock

In lower light, the beer pours into a dark brown, near-black body, and kicks up two to three fingers of tan/khaki head. There's some hints of dark brown or ruby red on the edges of the glass, and lots of carbonation can be seen rising up in this. In bright light the beer takes on a really nice ruby red color, with a murky brown center. There's a lot of carbonation visible in this beer, and a finger of creamy brown head is sustaining nicely. It's a good looking beer.

The aroma here is, as you might expect, very sweet and easy-going. I'm getting a lot of caramel, toffee, big bread/toast sweetness, and big maple syrup. It's a sweet, inviting nose...but you almost wish it was a freezing Winter morning.

Given the super sweet aroma, you almost expect something like a dense Imperial Stout...but this drinks more like a Brown Ale, and even more like a clean Lager. The front end of this beer is loaded with maple sweetness, but the middle is cut with bready notes and light sweetness. The sweetness veers into that fruity/berry thing, with hints of tea/apples/berries. There's even some light hoppiness to round things out towards the back end...but you also get more maple syrup on the finish.

This is light, drinkable stuff. If this really is clocking in at 6.8%, it is hiding the alcohol very well. The mouthfeel is medium-light, with good palate depth/duration and surprising complexity. You get a lot of sweet malts and maple up front; that rolls into some toast/bread, hints of nuttiness, some fruity notes, and some hops; the back end features trailing hops, and more of that maple syrup goodness on the finish. The finish is malty and clean, but not drying. This one has surprising depth and complexity.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average. I could see myself ordering this at the pub, and this would be a dynamite beer to pop open on a cold, Winter morning. I would love to pair this beer with some breakfast, namely pancakes or even an omelette. The clean finish and lighter flavors in this beer would also work well with turkey or a soup. You could also pair this beer with dessert. I paid 4 dollars for this beer...not a bad deal, and I'll be trying more from Hinterland if I can.

Random Thought: In two days hockey season starts, and now that baseball season is behind us we can focus on WHY Jay Cutler is throwing freebie interceptions when there is no need....

The Bruery Autumn Maple

Brewed By: The Bruery in Placentia, California  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

In keeping with the Fall and Autumn beers, I thought I would deviate from the pumpkin beers for a bit and try a beer brewed with another Fall staple, yams. But first, about The Bruery: 

The Bruery are based out of Placentia, California. As with many craft breweries, The Bruery began as a homebrewing adventure when Patrick Rue, his brother Chris, and his wife Rachel brewed their fast batch of beer. Patrick Rue continued to homebrew during his first year of law school, until he decided that he had a passion for brewing beer. The Bruery opened up in 2008, and since then, they have built a reputation around their experimental, and wild ales brewed with a Belgian flair. To read more, check out the Breuery's website.

The Autumn Maple is an Autumn seasonal brewed with 17 pounds of yams per barrel. In addition to the yams, this beer features cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, molasses, and maple syrup, and is fermented out with a Belgian yeast strain. 

The Bruery Autumn Maple

The Autumn Maple pours into a dark, brownish/amber body, and kicks up two fingers of thick, bready, Belgian-esque head. The head is khaki/tan in low light, and an amber color in bright light. The beer is a deep, hazy orange color in bright light, with nice streams of peppery carbonation. Head retention is good, there is some lacing, and there are some alcohol legs. 

You get a lot of spices on the aroma...nutmeg, namely, along with some allspice, clove, and cinnamon. There's a mulled wine thing going on with the spices, and beneath all that is some Belgian funk and band-aid/vanilla/clove. There's a vinous quality to this beer, and I'm picking up on some vegetal tannins on the aroma...you definitely get some of the yams on the aroma. It's a strange, spicy aroma.

As this beer warms up...it really progresses. You get a lot of fruity bitterness and spices in the mix, but there's also a lot of sugars in this. I'm getting molasses, yams, allspice/nutmeg/cinnamon, clove, and some vanilla. There's some shades of fruit, grass/lemongrass, and Belgian funk in this as well. 

This isn't bad...but it's not blowing me away. This beer is full-bodied, but at 10% the alcohol is well hidden and drinkability is good thanks to the high levels of carbonation. Palate depth and complexity are both okay. You get some Belgian yeast funk, molasses, and nutmeg/cinnamon/allspice up front; that rolls into clove, more molasses, big yams, maple syrup, vanilla; and the back end lays on some trailing sweetness. Some fruity and bitter hops show up from time to time.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. I really want to love this beer, but I feel like it's kind of just doing the style justice. That's not a bad thing by any means, but this isn't blowing me away at the moment. I'm also hesitant to age a beer like this, because I feel like the big yam and spice character is going to drop off unfavorably. At around...what was it? Ten, maybe fifteen bucks a bottle, this is a tad bit pricey, but what can you do. I'd pair this beer with turkey, Thanksgiving dinner, sweet potatoes or yams, or a hearty beef and potato dish or stew. This is good stuff, and would taste good on a Fall/Autumn evening.

Random Thought: I'm really pulling for the 100 games lost for the White Sox, but they have some work to do if they are going to suck that much over the next few games. They are off to a good start after tonight's game, but we still have a few more to go. 100...come on, baby!!!

Founders Bolt Cutter

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan
Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Friar Tuck in Urbana, IL; 2013 (2012 Release)
Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 15.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer has been a year in the making. I stumbled upon this beer twice last year, once in Michigan over Thanksgiving weekend, and once again in Urbana. I snagged a bottle the second time around. The full name of tonight's beer is: Founders Backstage Series #5: 15th Anniversary Bolt Cutter Barley Wine. Too many words. About Founders:

Founders is the holy grail of Michigan brewing. Based out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Founders was founded in 1997 by Mike Stevens and Dave Engbers, and produces some of the best beer in the world. If you haven't heard of Founders...well, what are you doing? Get on that, now.

The story goes, back when Founders was located on Monroe, they were defaulting on their loans. The bank called and threatened to chain the doors shut if they didn't pay up. Founders had seven days to come up with half a million dollars. So co-founder, Dave Engbers, bought a pair of bolt cutters, determined to keep brewing beer no matter what. As part of Founders' Backstage Series of beers, the Bolt Cutter was brewed to celebrate 15 years of brewing, and to remind everyone how far Founders has come since brewing their first beer in November 1997.

The Bolt Cutter is an extreme beer in every regard. Punching in at 15%, this beer is dry-hopped with Cascade hops, and balanced by huge malty sweetness and spicy complexity. This beer is technically a blend, with some of the beer aged in bourbon barrels, some in maple syrup-bourbon barrels, and some not aged in any barrels. The beer was then allowed to mature in bottles and kegs for four months. This beer should expand and open up as it warms.

Full disclaimer: this is a huge beer, and I'm a pussy. I'll probably take some tasting notes now, and come back later and finish this up. 

Founders Bolt Cutter

In lower light, the beer pours a hazy amber/orange color, with a pinky's worth of caramel-tinted head. You can see some carbonation too. My first observation in bright light is: "Damn. Look at those tears/alcohol legs. So glossy." In bright light, the beer is a dark orange/tangerine/blood orange, almost veering towards brown or amber. There's a lot of carbonation in the form of tiny bubbles streaming upwards, and there's a lot of creamy head settling atop the beer, like ocean foam. And dat lacing and those alcohol legs. It looks the part of a Barleywine.

Even after a year of age, right away I'm getting blasted with a ton of resinous citrus on the nose. There's big grapefruit and orange. After the citrus, I'm picking up lots of malt: caramel, brown sugar, pine sap, maple syrup. There's a splash of bourbon, and some nuttiness/marzipan. As this warms, the malt density and barrel character starts to come out a bit more on the nose.

Wow, this is impressively dense stuff. The mouthfeel is dangerously thick, and I'm getting tons of maple, sap, sugary grapefruit and orange, lemon, and light barrel character. Huzzah. There's tons of complex sugars in this this, with brown sugar, molasses, and lightly burnt sugar. At this point, the barrel character and hop character both seem fairly integrated into the beer, with splashes of orange that are lemon-like or pine-like. There's some hints of wood and bourbon, as well as booze, but it all gels together. 

A year of time has evidently done this beer well. This really opens up as it warms up. When it is a bit cooler, the hops seem a bit more prominent. As this warms up the malt sweetness really pops, and oh is it good. The malt sweetness, barrel character, and hops all integrate into something that is pretty damn smooth for 15% ABV. This is boozy, but I'm not having any issues with drinkability. And more importantly  this is not cloying or overpowering like some American Barlyewines (it is cloying...just not in a bad way). The palate depth is great, complexity is good. This is full-bodied, dense, sticky, and sweet. I'm getting a blast of malts, cherries, pine/maple sap, and brown sugar up front; that rolls into lemon, pine, resinous hops, spice, brown sugar; the back end gives way to some bourbon/booze, light wood and barrel, and a dry, sticky, boozy finish.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. I've been nursing this for the past few hours during the Bears' preseason game, and it's been drinking real nice. This is a well-made American Barleywine. It definitely seems to lean towards the hoppy side of things, but as this warms up some nice malts and sugary complexity come out. As the balance shifts towards something a bit more even, the beer starts to really pop. MAKE NO MISTAKE, though, this is an in-your-face, American-style Barleywine. This is pure, unadulterated, American goodness. This does not dial up the malt complexity to 11. Much of the sweetness in this beer comes from the booze, the sticky citrus hops, and the barrel. If you have a bottle of this in your cellar, you can drink it confidently today, or wait another year. You can pair this beer with creme brule, a cigar, pecan pie, or just drink it all by itself. This is a great sipping beer, or a beer to share with some friends. This is a fun beer, and a good example of a style that I'm not a huge fan of. With that said, I'd rather see Founders put a Stout in their maple barrels. 

Random Thought: Speaking of the Bears, their offense looks alright against the super crappy Oakland Raiders. However, this team seriously lacks depth. Once we pulled the starters...eh. We have a long way to go, but I'm super curious to see how our offense looks against a real team.