Cruz Blanca Barleybomba 2017

Brewed By: Cruz Blanca Brewery & Taquería in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 500ml bottle bought at Cruz Blanca Brewery in Chicago, IL; 2017 Vintage 

Style/ABV: English-style Barleywine, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Cruz Blanca is a restaurant/outfit focused on modern, and reasonably priced (read: accessible) Mexican cuisine based out of Chicago, founded by Chef Rick Bayless. 

And none of that really matters, except that they brew some really outstanding beer. For many reasons they seem to be one of Chicago's sleeper breweries. Maybe it is the ALWAYS difficult and congested location. Maybe it is market saturation. I don't really know....but if you are in town you'll want to try and round up a bottle of this beer.

Barrels...

Barleybomba is an English-style barleywine aged ten months in "Kentucky bourbon, St. Croix rum, and American brandy barrels." The bottle suggests notes of maple, fig, graham cracker, and burnt sugar; the menu suggests sweet maple, raisins, and dates.

On the pour: you know, a reddish, caramel-y looking beer that is distinctly in the realm of the British BBWs. None of that coppery or orange shit you sometimes see with American-style Barleywines. 

The aroma is incredible. You get figs, root beer, and sweet spices from the rum. It leans towards a darker, fruitier rum, with those spiced dark prunes and figs. There is bourbon and caramel sugars on the nose, with hints of coconut and macaroon and graham crackers and burnt caramel sugars. I'm also getting the brandy -- which again, I am not an expert on -- but you know it when you smell it. It touches booze and strong alcohol-soaked fruits.

Cruz Blanca Barleybomba 2017

I'll be honest though. What this beer is about is the taste. It follows through on the aroma, and then some. And man...lemme tell you. If you are going to advertise that your beer has been aged in not one, not two, but THREE barrels, you better deliver some good stuff. And this fucking nails it. There is a distinct presence and flavor that comes from the contribution of all three barrels, and the fusion is just a wonderful, sweet, malt-forward EBW. As an American beer drinker, the bourbon is the easiest for me to identify. I'm getting coconut, maple syrup, macaroons, toffee, pecan pie, nuts, burnt sugars, caramel, and some vanilla. But as I dig into this, I'm pulling out cherry cola, rum spice, figs, plums, dates, that rum-vanilla note you get in rum. And then there is that kiss of the brandy barrel, adding some alcohol-soaked cherries and stone fruits. The interplay between the rum and brandy flavors is amazing (other breweries, please take note).

This is insane. Super complex, layered, and deep. I guess the only knock is mouthfeel isn't quite on par with what Revolution has going with Straight Jacket or Goose Island has with their Bourbon County Barleywine. However, this is reppin' at a humble 11% ABV. I'd still call the mouthfeel medium-full. Duration is also not quite up to par versus the complexity....but whatever. The complexity is there, and each sip yields a new layer of flavor. I can't even consistently get a read on the front, mid, and back palate because each sip literally pulls towards a different barrel. It is a wild ride. Well worth grabbing a bottle to toy around with if you're in Chicago.

Rating: Strong Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

Sleeper hit of 2017, apparently. 

Random Thought: Yes, that is Rick Bayless, brother of the infamous Skip Bayless. 

Epic Brewing Company Baptist Roundup

2017 was the year of the pastry stout™ and the hazy non-IPA IPA. Beer bros lined up for hops, cakes were put in stouts. Epic Brewing Company contributed to the pastry stout madness with their Baptist lineup. These beers are relatively easy to acquire, don't cost much, and are delicious. If you are looking for some world class brews and you don't want to stand in line, may I recommend the Baptist lineup?

Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout

Big Bad Baptist

First released in 2011, Big Bad Baptist is old news. The beer is brewed with coffee and cocoa nibs, features old school hops like Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade, and has a malt base of Maris Otter Malt, 2-row, Crystal, Light Munich, Chocolate, Black, and roasted malts. Many people call this beer a "KBS" killer, and that description could not be more apt.

With a medium mouthfeel, Big Bad Baptist leans towards the whiskey and barrel. The beer has been worn in from the barrel, and you pick up a lot of the spirit, some alcohol, and fruity notes. The coffee that is added to the beer is fruity and pulls the whiskey tones. Chocolate shows up as a nuanced character and is just part of the fun. 

Ultimately, this is a well-rounded sipping beer. KBS is a great comp, but this is easier to find and probably cheaper per ounce.

Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Big Bad Baptista      

First released sometime in 2016, Big Bad Baptista falls in the category of 'Mexican chocolate' stouts a la your Mexican Cake, End of Days, Abraxas, Hunahpu's, Imperial Blud, etc. 

Big Bad Baptista

Brewed with cinnamon, vanilla, Mexican coffee, and cacao nibs, the beer is hopped again with old school Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade hops, and features "ultra premium" Maris Otter, 2-row, crystal, Munich, chocolate, black, and roasted malts.

Big Bad Baptista is a STOUT KILLER. This beer is fucking insane, and gives Abraxas, Imperial Blud, Hooneypuss, and Westbrook a real run for their money. That is double so when you consider the price.

This is full-bodied, brownie batter thick, and the beer feels like you are standing in front of Peter Northó taking eight hot churro ropes on your tongue. This drops assertive Mexican chocolate, churros, cinnamon hot chocolate, and vanilla. The barrel takes a back seat to all the adjuncts, but the integration of adjuncts on top of the strong base beer with the barrel harmonizes into perfect sweetness, density, and intensity. This is a smooth beer, and everything is on point. The only thing missing here are the hot peppers, but the beer draws spice from the addition of cinnamon and the Mexican coffee. It's not hot but there is some spice. 

Someone IV this straight to my anus. 

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd) 

Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist

First released in 2017, the Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist is by far the most complex and involved of these brews. Featuring 'Barrel-Aged Coffee,' 'Barrel-Aged Coconut,' and cacao nibs, this beer features the same lineup of hops as the previous two beers, and the same lineup of malts. 

Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist

This beer falls somewhere between the Big Bad Baptist and the Baptista in terms of mouthfeel. This is a medium-full beer, and it is very thick and smooth, but it also feels worn in from the barrel and has a ton of barrel character. Some of that barrel character has to be coming from the barrel-aged coffee and barrel-aged coconut, but there is also a healthy amount of rum and whiskey in here. 

Yeah, this beer is aged in both rum and whiskey barrels (or, more likely, is a blend of the base from both barrels). 

This is just an insanely balanced and complex beer. I spend a lot of time talking about the progression of the palate in my reviews, and this is an example of beer that unfolds in multiple waves. First, the beer drops nutty coffee, then you get hit with coconut/mounds bars, and finally you are blasted with a wave of booze/rum/barrel/whiskey. The beer has an oily choco-coconut mouthfeel. This beer is like jumping in and getting out of a swimming pool -- it clings to your tongue for several minutes, and fills youth mouth with lots of chocolate, coconut, and coffee. The beer itself is incredibly sweet from the spirit, adjuncts, and base beer's residual sugars, and yet the beer itself is quite dry thanks to the high alcohol content. The balance just works. 

This is by far the most layered and complex of Epic's lineup, and something I would recommend drinking sooner than later. Really impressive stuff.
 
Rating: Light Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd) 

Random Thought:

Pastry Boi, Pastry Boi
Really
All about that pastry, boy
Pastry
Got a team to serve it
Pastry
All from Cali to Decatur, boy
Stack it
That pastry, boy, pastry, boy
All about that pastry, boy
Yeah!
I keep a ting
Uh, yeah!

Pastry Boi, Pastry Boi
Always 'bout that pastry, boy
If you ain't on your grind
And you flexin', you's a hater, boy
Pastry Boi, Pastry Boi
Always gettin' pasty, boy
If you ain't makin' money
Then you ain't a money maker, boy
Insulin, insulin
Yeah I need some insulin
I'm stackin' up this pastry, man
And I could make that sugar flip
That pastry flip, pastry flip
Watch me make this pastry flip
Then head to Cigar City
And I bet that pastry make her strip
Pastry man, pastry man
Catch me in the bakery, man
Like Wall Street Journal, yeah
'Cause I be gettin' pastry, man
Pastry man, paper man
Yeah I'm gettin' pastry, man...                 

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask (Rum Aged/Oak Aged Beer)

Brewed By: Innis & Gunn Brewing Company in Edinburgh, Scotland (brewed at Wellpark (C&C Group) in Glasgow)

Purchased: 11.2oz single from an I&G gift pack bought at Malloy's Finest Wine & Spirits in Naperville, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: English Strong Ale, 6.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer was a random grab. As they go. I saw the Innis & Gunn gift pack at the store, and it was retailing for 10 dollars. The gift set comes with three beers and a glass. It's nothing fancy but my hope is that these beers are relatively fresh, and hey, glass. About Innis & Gunn:

Innis & Gunn are a brewery based out of Edinburgh, Scotland. The brewery was founded in 2003, but began when Dougal Sharp walked into his father's brewery and decided to become a brew master at the Caledonian Brewery. In 2002 the William Grant distillery asked Dougal to flavor barrels for their cask reserve whisky. The brewers noticed that the barrel-aged beer was delicious, so they started aging the beer in the barrels. You can read more about that story HERE. In 2003 Innis & Gunn was born. 

Anyway...tonight's beer, the Innis & Gunn Rum Cask, is matured over oak heartwood, and infused with rum. I'm not 100% sure what the base beer is...the back of the bottle says -- "This ruby red beer has been aged with rum oak chips, resulting in a brew with a delicious warming character that is bursting with fruit and warming spiciness. These vibrant flavours perfectly balance the beer's toffee-malt backbone which have led it to win numerous awards around the world." -- into the glass she goes.

Innis & Gunn Rum Cask

The beer pours into a reddish-brown, transparent body, and kicks up a finger of tan/brown head. The head doesn't hang around for long. Bright light confirms much of the same...a reddish-orange beer, with a ring of white around the edge of the top of the glass.

On the aroma...fruits, man. I'm getting a lot of Scotch Ale and Marzen-like aromas. Big raisins, toasted malts, caramel and toffee, some fruit cake, maybe some dark sugars...and a hint of woody essence and spice. I don't know if I would peg rum on the aroma in a blind tasting, but I see where you might get that.

Hmm...this beer is subtle. It's very malty and fruity, with raisins up front, tons of sweet caramel and toffee, that caramel/kettle note you get in Scotch Ales and Marzens, some mild toast and nuttiness, and way in the back is some oak and vanilla, and a little rum and spice. The oak and rum does come through in this beer, and the beer finishes fantastically. The finish is the best part of this beer. You get hit with this vanilla-clove-banana-rum note, and the beer fades out. It's really nice stuff. 

This is stupid drinkable for 6.8%. That's actually a reasonable ABV, and this beer smashes any hint of alcohol. This is growing on me as I sip it...at first I was really underwhelmed, but this is unraveling like a classy Scotch Ale. I'm reminded of the Traquair House Ale, which is just a fantastic beer. This one is medium-bodied, with good carbonation. Palate depth is good, and the complexity is good as well. When you think "rum barrel" you probably think of some crazy American beer...curb your expectations and this will please. You get caramel/toffee/toast malts and raisins up front; that rolls into a huge wash of malts, with big toast, nuttiness, and some yeast funk; the back end dials up some spice, and you get hit with subtle oak/vanilla, rum, and the beer fades out on this blissful rum-vanilla note. Subtle. Good. I'd pick this up again.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. Very nice stuff...but subtle. Keep that in mind. This beer is all about the malts and the subtle barrel. You can probably pair this with something like ribs, or lightly charred/grilled meats. This will also pair well with a hearty stew or wintery foods. In fact, I feel like this beer could be advertised as a winter warmer. And hey, it's below zero outside so that works out perfectly. 

Random Thought: I really hate the clear bottles. The clear bottles are a crime against beer. Here's the deal. When I bought this gift pack, the bottles came in a box. I've seen Innis & Gunn singles just wasting away on sun-lit shelves in stores, and that is a fucking shame. This is some Corona or New Castle level of bullshit, and it's gimmicky and stupid and a crime against basic beer preservation. Put your beer in a brown bottle.