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. 

Revolution Deth By Cherries 2017

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL
Purcased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2017
Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout, 13.1%
Reported IBUs: 27

In keeping with my plan to review Revolution's 2017/2018 lineup of barrel-aged beers, I'm looking at the 2017 vintage of Deth By Cherries. Deth's Tar is Revolution's barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout, and the base for their Deth by Cherries, Cafe Deth, VSOD, Double Barrel VSOD, and a handful of variants that were tap-only.

The can reads: "Unfermented tart cherries add a mild acidity and subtly rounding sweetness to our Deth's Tar Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. Flavors and aromas of bourbon and oak meld harmoniously with the fruit, each balancing the other. Enjoy now or store cold." 

The appearance is basically mantit for hipster tat to Deth's Tar. It looks stocky, probably under-dressed in clothes slightly oversized. It waits patiently in line. It's black. Wait...

Revolution Deth By Cherries 2017

This smells amazing, by the way. Take everything that could be better about Deth's Tar, dial up the chocolate, and throw in the cherries. My untappy notes said, "surprisingly balanced and barrel forward. Cherry w/ dark truffle, wood tannin, light kiss of bourbon and vanilla. Nice alcohol, whiskey." I DO get a lot of wood and barrel on the nose. The woody notes are really surprising. I also get a lot of chocolate a la those chocolate truffles. The cherry note on here is natural and integrates with the raisin notes from the whiskey. It definitely inspires some cherry-chocolate liquor comparisons.

So how does it taste? Well, amazing. This is really a pleasure to sip. The depth and duration are huge, and the layers are complex. The finish smacks you with vanilla and bourbon, and then lingers with warming alcohol heat and spice. The front end is loaded with fudge, chocolate truffles, bourbon, and then cherries. The cherry sweetness really shows up in the middle, with slightly tart natural cherries. I'm getting a lot of cherry skins, raisin-cherries, and light acidity. It never drifts into sour territory, and the cherry note is very much restrained. Unlike numerous other cherry beers (many featured previously on my blog), this never dabbles in cherry pie filling.

Fruited stouts are the type of thing that can divide a beer community. I would say this is one of the better ones. Aggressive sips are revealing for me some of that splintered wood and raw barrel power you get in the base. There's some anise hugging the edges of this too. I bet this ages pretty good for a few years. As it sits out, I get more fruit. Full-bodied, complex, long duration, good depth, good sipping beer...front loaded fudge/chocolate...fruity mids...fade out to vanilla, bourbon, and spice/heat.

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

Cherry pie, be gone! The fact that "cherry pie" or "cherry pie filling" are completely absent from my review should be a positive thing for 99% of beer drinkers. This is a legit fusion/addition of cherry to an amazing base beer, and the big ass wood, barrel, anise, bourbon, and Stout presence holds up and integrates well with the lightly tart cherry notes. Revolution, I tip my hat to you.

Random Thought: So where does this stack up as a variant? Or just in general? For me....I would go DBVSOD > VSOD > Deth By Cherries > Cafe > Reg. I understand RevBrew is doing a currants variant next year, I'm sure that will be awesome.

[Cellar Review] He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn (17th Anniversary Ale - 2013)

Brewed By: Shmaltz Brewing Company in Brooklyn, New York  

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

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 17.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer is a beer I first had back in November of 2013. And as I said back then: "this beer is a bit of a hot mess." But that was back then. This is now. Five years later. About He'Brew:

that was then, this is now

He'Brew is part of the Shmaltz Brewing Company. The Shmaltz Brewing Company has two lines of beer: their He'Brew The Chosen Beer, and their Coney Island Craft Lagers. Shmaltz Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in San Francisco, California, founded by Jeremy Cowan in 1996. The company previously contract brewed most of their beer through the Mendocino Brewing Company, while operating a small brewery in Brooklyn, New York. After 16 years of having their beer contract brewed, the Shmaltz Brewing Company opened its own New York State microbrewery in Clifton Park, NY. The new location features a 50-barrel brewhouse, with 20,000 barrels of annual capacity, and began production April/May 2013, officially opening July 2013. The company is known for its innovative beer, eye-catching bottle artwork, and sense of humor. For more information, check out the Shmaltz website HERE. Don't be a schmuck!

The Jewbelation Reborn is part of the He'Brew Anniversary Ale series. The malt list is: 2-Row, Spelt, Vienna, Munich, Rye, Wheat  Einkorn, Emmer, Chocolate, Crystal Rye, Dark Crystal, Roasted Barley, Roasted Wheat, Flaked Oats, Caramunich 40, Carapilsner, and Kiln Amber. The hops include: Warrior, Columbus, Apollo, Palisade, Golding, Tettnang, Ahtanum, Cascade, Czech Saaz, Centennial, Chinook, Santiam, Simcoe, Summit, Amarillo, Citra, and Crystal.

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn 2018 Cellared

So you're probably wondering, does this look dramatically different than its fresh counterpart? And the answer is surprisingly: YES! Look at the struggling head on the five year vintage. The cellar vintage pours out like coca-cola. Contrast that to the tight and thick head on the fresh 2013 vintage. But looks are deceiving, like that experienced senior in sweatpants who doesn't do their hair or give two looks about their apperance compared to the perfectly manicured freshy who would be lost in an eggplant factory. 

Gone on the aroma are the hops, along with the fruity berry puree notes. No, this does not smell anything like how I described the fresh vintage. The aroma is rich, and aged, with hints of soy, molasses, lovely sherry wine notes, dark fruits in the form of prunes, raisins, and plums, and oxidation for sure with some stale wet leaves and pine nuts.  

He'Brew Jewbelation Reborn 2013 Fresh

And wowza. Not only does this taste amazing...it is quite layered and complex. This has barleywine qualities with complex layers of burnt maple, caramel sugars, brown sugar, and toffee. There's a light fudgy aspect to the mix, which reminds me of the pre-2015 Bourbon County glory days when the beer seemed a bit hotter and less sweet. There is quite a bit of alcohol, which I would expect (and honestly) want in a 17% beer. The idea that a 17% beer would be without alcohol seems absurd, right? I'm not getting as much of the oxidation notes in the taste, which is GREAT. In fact, the faint oxidized hops in the aroma don't really show up on the palate. What I do get is a kiss of dark fruits and soy. It is a nice counterpoint to the beer itself.

This has some bitterness to it, which may be from the remaining hop oils or the dark shades of malt. This is wonderfully complex. This is also CONSIDERABLY better aged than fresh. It's too bad He'Brew dropped the anniversary year corresponding hops/malts/abv shtick. These are always fun to age, and sometimes you end up with a really nice sipping beer like tonight. Speaking of: up front you get dark fruits, raisins, light raspberry puree, alcohol, and complex caramel sugars; the mids touch of fudge, umami/soy/dark fruits, some light light oxy; the back end drops more fruits and fudge, with alcohol. This is sticky and deep like the adult side of the swimming pool. Palate duration is off the chain.

Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.25/5.0 Untappd)

Wow, so when you compare this beer fresh to the beer we are drinking today....it is really one of those night and day examples. I gave this beer a generous 3/5 back in the day and called it a "hot mess." The beer we have today is complex, layered, and delicious. My only regret is this was my last bottle. Wah wah. If someone from Shmaltz is reading this....please, bring this back. 

Random Thought: So what did we learn today? Well, we learned that this beer sucked fresh and needed at least a few years in the ol' cellar. Honestly though, this beer could have probably aged for another year or two. I just got antsy after five years. I really did have a debate in my mind about whether or not to open this beer. I'm glad I did.

Temperance Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right & Variants 2017 Roundup

Brewed By: Temperance Brewing Company in Evanston, IL 

Purchased: 12oz CANS bought at Temperance Brewing Company in Evanston, IL; 2018 (2017 vintage)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout (see below for %ABV)

Reported IBUs: ?

Temperance Beer Company is a brewery based out of Evanston, Illinois. Evanston is a suburb of Chicago, and known famously by the locals for its history of being a dry town until 1972. Evanston still has some silly liquor laws that prevent the sale of certain singles under a certain size. Anyway, Temperance was founded by Josh Gilbert back in 2013, and is "Evanston's first and oldest brewery."

None of that is super important. But what is worth mentioning is that Temperance have thrown their hat in the barrel-aged stout game. And they've produced four beers (one regular, three variants) that are pretty noteworthy. So I'm going to talk about them. These four beers are the result of taking Temperance's Might Meets Right Imperial Stout, and aging it in Heaven Hill barrels. The end result is quite pleasant and delightful.

Heaven Hill Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

Heaven Hill Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

The Heaven Hill version of Might Meets Right is presumably the base for all the variants. It's also the most straight forward of these beers. My Untappd notes from the pre-release tasting say: "That's nice. Mellow and sweet with fudge and candy bars. The Bourbon is present and has nice flavor. Malt balls, vanilla, coconut. Malty..". 

This definitely leans towards sweet and malty. There is an array of candy bars here, with your Snickers shell and nougat, that Skor/Heath flavor shows up, and there's a fair amount of caramel filling. I want to punctuate how sweet this is. Compared to beers like Deth's Tar or even the BA Ten Fidy, this is definitely in the realm of sugar plum fairies and your 2015/16/17 BCBS regular. The bourbon does show up with lots of vanilla and fudge. I'm also getting legit brownies.

What differentiates this specifically from BCBS is the yeast profile, and probably the extent to which Temperance was able to blend their barrels. You definitely know where the inspiration is, but it tastes unique. This is really nice and the only thing holding this back right now is the availability and the fact that BCBS is still turding on shelves. Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Bramble Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

The can reads: "After aging in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, we add blackberries & raspberries to heighten the dark berry notes of the stout. This is one of our takes on a revered style. Let's make some history together."

This looks very similar to the base, pouring into a body with minimal head. The aroma is nice. I'm getting a lot of caramel sweetness, Twizzlers, a lot of vanilla and caramel ala the base beer, and a lot of berries. The berries on the nose remind me of Goose Island's Backyard Rye and Bramble insofar that you get more of that "fruit on the bottom yogurt" or "berries with cream" note versus a roast/berry profile sometimes found on other stouts.

Bramble Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

My untappd notes for this read: "The vanilla and base shines, and then I'm getting walloped with raspberry and blackberry and blueberry. Lots of fudge and vanilla over the top." I basically agree with that reflecting on this beer right now. You are either going to love this beer or hate it. The fruit is big and bold, with tons of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry puree shining through the caramel and vanilla. The fruity notes actually heighten the alcohol and spirit, so I'm getting some sharp barrel, bourbon, and booze notes. Again, much like the aroma, the fruit in this plays into the base beer's sweetness. Sometimes fruited stouts really play with a roast-on-fruit character, but this is a beer firmly in the realm of fruit and yogurt or berries and cream or fruit with soft serve ice cream. 

What I love about this beer is how much it reminds me of Bramble and Backyard Rye. That's good company to keep. I also love how Temperance was able to keep the viscosity and T H I C C-ness. This is full-bodied with good depth, duration, and complexity. It really unfolds in a couple waves, with lots of the base up front, mids that are all about the berries, and a really complex back end that drops the spirit, some fruit-bourbon notes, lingering fudge and vanilla, and then a nice fade out. I really look forward to them brewing this next year. Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Coffee Maple Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

The can reads: "Some think that might makes right. But it's the troublemakers -- the ones who speak truth to power -- who change the world. Coffe Maple Might Meets Right® is the stone in your slingshot. After aging our imperial stout in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, we add maple & Passion House cold-brew coffee to make this the perfect brunch weapon. This is one of our takes on a revered style. Let's make some history together."

Let me just say outright, this shit is We Todd Ed. This stuff is OFF THE CHAIN <insert Guy Fieri enthusiastically blowing loads meme>. It reminds me of Mikerphone's Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit Double Maple, which I was lucky enough to grab a pour of while standing in line for BCBS. That's high praise, by the way. 

Coffee Maple Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

This basically looks like all the other deviants; maybe a little more heady than the ¡La Sorpresa! and the Heaven Hill. The aroma is an onslaught of aggressive barrel-aged bourbon pancake syrup, maple syrup, fruity maple bourbon, honeycombs, Waffle Crisp cereal, and pancakes. If coffee is in the aroma, it is drowning in maple syrup. This is like being at IHOP with your nose in some pancakes and that coffee in the corner. 

The taste mirrors the nose in the best way possible. Let's flip this a bit and talk about the mouthfeel. This is full-bodied and approaching that ideal cake-shake density. There's good duration here with tons of lingering maple. And this actually has some complexity and nuance. This unfolds with waves of maple up front, but actually drops some nice coffee and bourbon in the mids. The back end drops tons of maple, vanilla, honey, and finishes with lingering bourbon. It's fan-fucking-tastic.

As I sip on this, I'm getting more cofffee, more vanilla, and lots of the base beer. The base beer -- which is full of fudge and brownies and caramel -- plays so well with the maple. I get pancakes from this, fruity undertones that suggest berries and compote, and lots of bourbon. Wood/barrel pops in, but the main character here is vanilla. It is sweet but somehow it works. It is decadent stout maple syrup. This is just a ridiculous, over-the-top-beer. I really hope they brew this again. Rating: Strong Divine Brew (4.75/5.0 Untappd) 

¡La Sorpresa! Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

The ¡La Sorpresa! is/was the most intriguing of the variants for me. I'm a HUUUUGGEEEE fan of spicy, Mexican-chocolate stouts, and this one takes the base beer aged in Heaven Hill barrels and throws in coffee, roasted cacao, vanilla beans, toasted cinnamon, and dried Arbol, New Mexico, & Ancho Chiles. 

Interestingly enough, when I went to the pre-release tasting and tried all these beers, the brewmasters were talking about how they brewed this beer twice (? - I believe, don't quote me) and the second time they brewed it they carefully monitored the level of heat the beer was picking up from the peppers. I think that is an interesting detail because overall, I didn't find this one very spicy? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

¡La Sorpresa! Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

In fact, ¡La Sorpresa! is pretty subtle. When I had it at the tasting it was the fourth beer I drank, and by then my palate was probably pretty worn. It didn't inspire me at that time. It wasn't until I cracked open my can and really spent some time with the beer that I was able to appreciate what is going on here. So straight up, this beer reminds me of Une Annee/Hubbard Cave's El Zacatón. It also DOESN'T remind me of beers like Imperial Blud. 

So what's the takeaway? Imperial Blud is more balanced towards sweetness, where beers like El Zacatón and ¡La Sorpresa! lean towards that almond flour, dense body. ¡La Sorpresa! is surprisingly dense...it's like drinking blended up churros. There is an awesome fusion of cinnamon, fudge, the amazing base beer and Heavin Hill barrel, and then there is a nice measured, pepper heat. The pepper heat is a subtle addition. There's a lot of coffee and vanilla kicking around with the peppery heat and Mexican chocolate, and it all fuses together nicely. Overall, this beer is a winner for me. I stand by my original comment that they could dial up the heat a bit, but as it stands this is a wonderful display of almond-flour/churro body and cinnamon Mexican chocolate. The base beer is fantastic and fuses effortlessly. Rating: Light Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Random Thought: After rounding these beers up, I am not at all shocked that the 2016 Double Rye Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right weighed in at #6 on The  Hop Review's "50 Chicago Stouts: Reviewed & Ranked." That is high praise that is probably...well, probably well deserved. I suspect Temperance won't be flying under the radar much longer, for better or worse. Get 'em while you can.

Revolution Mineshaft Gap 2018

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2018

Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Barleywine, 14.3%

Reported IBUs: 55

Oh baby, I am excited for tonight's brew. Revolution's Mineshaft Gap is part of their Straight Jacket release, and puts a cognac twist on their Barleywine. Per Rev: "Our Institutionalized Barleywine takes shelter in Cognac barrels for 12 months before emerging imbued with characteristics of one of the worlds most storied spirits. French oak adds character that is subdued but complex as compared to American varieties, making this a perfect beer for the best of times or the end of times."

This might be the "headiest" of the Revolution barrel-aged brews, pouring with a couple fingers of relatively long-lasting, amber/caramel-tinged head. The body of this beer is a beautiful ruby red, and there is a nice ring of lacing sustaining in my glass.

So full disclaimer...I am not a cognac guy. I'm way out of my element on this. On the other hand, I have dabbled with some brandy here and there, so I'm not a complete stranger to the flavor. The aroma on this is bonkers though. Like, the aroma is crawling out of the glass. I can smell this four or five feet away. When I really get my nose into the beer I'm getting a lot of the base. There are big notes of licorice, Twizzlers, caramel sugars, cherries, and caramelized and candied oranges But "the twist" is that French oak. This lays up some vanilla on the nose, with a hefty amount of wood/barrel, and some nice spice. There's also an estery quality to the aroma that is reminiscent of a Belgian Quad. I'm wondering if that is courtesy of the yeast used, which is likely some English Barleywine yeast. You get some almost turbinado or Belgian Candi sugar. 

Holy fuck. This shit is INSANE. On my first sip I'm being drowned in thick caramel, French oak, cognac, and candy sugars. It is like Straight Jacket with Belgian-Candi-sugar-hugs and layers of French oak. And the body is thick and sticky. Oh baby. There are layers in here too. I'm pulling out cherries, Quad-like overripe stone fruit notes, estery yeast phenols, licorice/Twizzlers, layers of toffee and caramel sugar, and tons of vanilla and oak. The vanilla is accompanied by a light spice.

Revolution Mineshaft Gap 2018

What's incredible about this beer are two things: (1) the booze is held in check. I'm going to expand on this point in a minute, because I have heard a few people say this beer is hot (which it is). (2) the base beer remains present. I was kind of expecting the cognac treatment to thin this beer out. But NOPE. The base beer has held up like a champ here. This has all the candy sweetness and density you expect with Straight Jacket, but with that cognac twist.

There's alcohol here. Because cognac. And "duh." If you have never had brandy/cognac, this might not be the best beer to pop your cherry. It's boozy stuff. Brandy especially, and ESPECIALLY fruited (plum) brandy, is often alcohol-forward and not in that smooth-like-grain-alcohol-kind of way. It's like that first time you had barrel-proof bourbon. It's like the first time you ever took a shot of vodka.

Having said all that, this beer is not brandy. It's a fusion of beer aged in cognac barrels. And while you pick up plenty of the spirit, the beer itself is smooth. This is full-bodied, and it wears the 14.3% beautifully. It is right where you want it to be. The palate depth is medium-to-deep. This is very complex but within the confines of the medium. Palate duration is amazing though. Each sip is lingering for a few minutes. The progression is like [get your nose close to the glass and pick up a shit load of fruity cognac notes] up front tons of vanilla and base beer and candied cherries and oranges; the mids takes you to cognac land with more French vanilla showing up; the back end drops wood and caramel sugars, toffee, some spice, and finishes between sticky sweetness and candy fruits. There is lingering residual Belgian Candi sugar note.

Rating: Decent Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

Damn. I was not expecting to love this as much as I do. This is an instant buy for me moving forward. They had like four 4-pack limits on this. My regret is not maxing that limit. Still...I think this probably works as a very special occasion beer. I could even see myself throwing a cigar at this, although it also seems like a bit of waste when there is so much nuance here. For me, the real surprise is how prominent the oak and vanilla is. If you like vanilla and oak this beer is going to work for you. Revolution has absolutely dialed in their barrel game. Jeez.

Random Thought: So my guy, Josh Noel, and Chris Quinn (who I have the utmost respect for) dropped an article comparing Goose Island to Revolution. I'm more-or-less in agreement with them. I think regular Bourbon County overall is better than the regular Deth's Tar. So that's where I really diverge, I guess. I'm in agreement that Cafe Deth is better than Bourbon County Coffee 2017, but I also really liked the 2017 BCBS Coffee. Straight Jacket over the Bourbon County Barleywine is a no-brainer. I'm gonna have to pop my bottle of BCBS Reserve, but I kind of think DBVSOD might actually be better. I had Reserve at the brewpub on Black Friday and I thought it was amazing...but I also think DBVSOD is amazing. Comparing Northwoods to Deth By Cherries is just dumb and Noel should feel bad. Same deal with Prop vs. Ryeway. Ryeway is (by the way) blow-a-load-on-my-face good. But so is Prop. I'm not surprised Quinn isn't the biggest Prop fan. I think that speaks to the diverge in beer (at least for someone classically trained as a Ceasaroni) between appreciating nuance vs. appreciating pastry stouts in 2017. Comparing Rare '15 to VSOD is also dumb. '15 has had a lot of time to mature and age, and VSOD is inherently thinner. So I don't really get that comparison. 

I think the reality is it's not really productive to do these 1:1 comparisons because there is so much difference and nuance. So as always I appreciate the in-depth tasting notes, and the ranking thing is meh. The takeaway though is...2018 is a good year to be a craft beer fan in Chicago.

Revolution Double Barrel V.S.O.D. 2017

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL
Purcased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2018 (filled 01-04-2018)
Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout, 17.0%
Reported IBUs: 27

So in some ways, tonight's beer is basically a copy and paste of last night's VSOD review. Except it really isn't. Because while VSOD was an exercise in how beer can be a vehicle for barrel character, DBVSOD -- IN SPITE -- of being more boozy and featuring more barrels (i.e. Woodford Reserve Double Oak and Whistle Pig 10 year Rye), is actually a return to beer-forward notes. 

Revolution Double Barrel V.S.O.D. 2017

Now I'll grant you the beer basically looks the same. "The beer produces a finger of brown head that fades into sweet nothings." It is dark, viscous, and Stout-y. And you really only catch glimpses of dark brown on the far edges of the beer when sticking it in bright light. [insert jokes about how this beer is dark like my soul or my preference in women or whatever]. 

The aroma is where things get really interesting. The beer is like a fusion of Deth's Tar and VSOD -- big anise notes, lots of the base beer, vanilla, wood, fudge, rye and wood spice, and maple on Eggo waffles. There's definitely some alcohol on the nose, which I'm frighteningly pretty immune/blunted to. There's also a good amount of caramel -- a note that is so common and taken for granted in beer you could easily miss.

This is aggressive on the palate, with an almost cola-esque quality up front as your palate gets walloped by 17% ABV, barrel tannins for days, and a fair amount of dark sugars. There's almost a Quad-like quality to the fruity aspects of this beer, with hints of cherries and raisins and overripe fruits. The palate duration which I'll talk about more in a second is off the charts, and the lingering profile in your mouth is blissful bourbon with rye-like notes, alcohol heat, wood, and grain. As the beer oxidizes a bit and warms up, the fudge, oak, coconut, and vanilla characters start to open up and pop. Oh, and there's a kiss of maple and Eggo waffles.

Obviously this is a sipper. This is a battered, worn-in beer. It's not T H I C C like some of those 10% pastry stouts, and I don't think it needs to be or wants to be. When you dial up a beer to 17% and barrel-age the bejesus out of it, you don't need it to be super thick. The slight thinning out of this beer is like the balding gym junkie who is pure testosterone, all muscle, and firing 8 hearty ropes. This plays off the barrel and the spirits, and so I'll accept that it is a heavy medium-full. Palate depth is in the land of sipping, as in you can take a sip of this, let it linger on your palate for 60 seconds, and go back for more. It's like the deep end of the pool at the YMCA. This is also super complex, which -- duh. The complexity is going to trip some people up and there will be detractors. This is not a beer to drink at any temperature below cellar and preferably room. This is not a beer to butt chug unless you're a masochist. This is a beer to pour in your glass and mull over for an hour or two. Because again, up front this is loaded with fruity notes, alcohol, rum, bourbon, and wood; the mids roll into anise and caramel and more overripe fruits; the back end is alcohol and rye and wood spice, with caramel and oak and vanilla and fudge coming along for the ride. 

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is like...the craziest shit Revolution has ever done, and worth every penny. Which isn't even that much at $35 for a 4-pack. Pound for pound this is up there with BCBS Rare '15 and Reserve, and it's cheaper and comes in a can. The downside is this was a very limited release, and the limit per person was two 4-packs. But...the good news is people are still trading this for absurdly below value. I don't think people quite comprehend what they have on their hands. I'll take all the Double Barrel VSOD. This is my Friday night beer. I love these big-ass, barrel-aged stouts I can sip on for an hour or two. Really awesome shit, and makes me really excited for what Revolution has in the works for their 2018 releases.

Random Thought: I should probably make my Superb Owl pick. As a lover of greatness, I am hoping the Pats win. As a realist, I think Philly has a really good chance. That Eagles team is stacked. Either way, both teams have hilarious and entertaining fan bases. Should be a hell of a Superb Owl.

Revolution V.S.O.D. (Very Special Old Deth) 2017

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL
Purcased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2017
Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout, 13.4%
Reported IBUs: 27

Shit is getting serious now. VSOD or "Very Special Old Deth" is Deth's Tar aged for two years in barrels. This one actually clocks in at a slightly lower ABV than Deth's Tar.

But man, the pour on this is battered and viscous. The beer produces a finger of brown head that fades into sweet nothings. The only thing keeping any carbonation on the beer's surface is my sweet Revolution glass's laser etching. 

The aroma here is absurd. Front and center is an absurd amount of barrel, oak, wood, and vanilla. It's that splintered barrel aroma that is in your face and aggressive and poignant. To me it is reminiscent of the Reserve Bourbon County from 2017. Once you muscle your way through the layers of barrel, the aroma opens up into chocolate and brownie and fudge. 

The taste of this beer is boozy bliss. Straight away I'm noting chocolate dipped raisins/Raisinetts spiked with massive amounts of bourbon and rum. The barrel and woody dryness meets the tongue next -- as you might expect, there is a fair amount of oxidation here. There's ample amounts of coconut and vanilla, with some shades of maple syrup sweetness. There's also a fair amount of spice, and some lingering residual hoppiness. I'm getting some rye bread and notes that remind me of dark grains. Good stuff.

Revolution V.S.O.D. (Very Special Old Deth) 2017

What is there to say about this beer that you can't glean from the beer's description or infer knowing what the base is about. This is a full-bodied, complex beer that lingers on your palate for a long time. It has a lovely progression with oxidized wood, barrel, oak, and Raisinetts up front; the mids roll into rum, bourbon, spice, more dark fruits, hints of fruity and floral coffee; the back end drops coconut and vanilla and chocolate. The beer fades to black leaving kisses of drying alcohol and wood on your tongue, with lingering maple sweetness. It's wild. This is also a sipping beer. 

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

Random Thought: I want to spend some time taking a crap on Josh Noel's face, because I think his assessment of this beer was way wrong. But we should probably talk about price and format. I know this whole can thing has become a joke of sorts, but the price of these beers is insane. VSOD was like $30 for a 4-pack. That's basically $0.625/oz or $13.75 for a bomber. $13.75!!! And these are in fucking 12oz cans. So you can split a can with a friend, or solo-dome it and not feel like the world's biggest alcoholic. To compare, Goose Island Reserve was selling for around ~$24 and came in a 16.9oz format. Just food for thought...   

Revolution Deth's Tar 2017

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL
Purcased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2017
Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout, 14.8%
Reported IBUs: 27

Revolution Deth's Tar 2017

In keeping with my plan to review Revolution's 2017/2018 lineup of barrel-aged beers, I'm looking at the 2017 vintage of Deth's Tar. Deth's Tar is Revolution's barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout, and the base for their Deth by Cherries, Cafe Deth, VSOD, Double Barrel VSOD, and a handful of variants that were tap-only.

I actually reviewed this beer back in 2013, and I remember it being pretty bourbon-y. To wit: "Honestly, there's a lot of complexity lurking beneath the bourbon, despite the fact that this is so aggressively bourbon-y." 

The 2018 vintage pours into your typical pitch-black body, and kicks up a finger of short-lived, brown head. I'm going to recommend drinking this towards room temp. At colder temperatures I pick up more fruity notes on the aroma, and it almost veers into anise and licorice overload. Oddly enough, when this warms up the aroma turns into boozy brownie batter, raisins, barrel, and dark fruits. At the very least, if you decide to take this beer on at colder temps, let it warm up as you go.

The taste follows through, with intense barrel, wood, fudge, and dark fruits and light raisin/oxidation on the back. There is a surprising amount of anise and hop complexity present in this beer. It's interesting to compare regular Deth's Tar to VSOD and Double Barrel VSOD...you can really see how the additional barrel aging has changed the base beer. And conversely, you can see how the 2017 vintage of Deth's Tar has a HUGE base. I'm tasting a fair amount of char in here as well, which really plays off the barrel and bourbon and compliments the anise and bold roasty malts. This is just a HUGE intense beer, and it feels substantial outside of just the ABV.

For me, this beer is a grower and not a shower. There's a lot of nuance in here, and I think this is a pretty complex brew. As this sits in my glass the oatmeal stout base comes out a bit more, and I'm getting some of that roast and caramel malt presence. At 14.8% you are talking about a lot of spirit and alcohol. And this has a medium-full to full-bodied mouthfeel. The duration is moderate to full with good palate depth and good complexity. Again, up front I'm getting a lot of fruity notes like cherry with a blend of chocolate and brownie. The mids roll into char and barrel with some bourbon, more raisins, anise, light baker's spice. The back end finishes dry with alcohol, spirit, rum, and more roast/char/barrel. It's also worth emphasizing that this year's Deth's Tar is slightly thicker and bigger than past years, which is ultimately a good thing.

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

This is an impressively solid Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, and reminds me of stalwarts like Bell's Black Note and Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin. This might be the least interesting beer of Revolution's 2017/2018 barrel lineup, but it is still a massive, complex, thoroughly enjoyable beer. And while this beer isn't quite a Bourbon County killer, it's still entirely nuanced and original and worth its own merits. Also, there is some reckoning. Namely in the form of VSOD and DBVSOD.

Random Thought: Things I won't be watching this weekend: the Pro Bowl.

Revolution Straight Jacket 2018

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2018

Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Barleywine, 13.1%

Reported IBUs: 55

Let the record show I was #BIL before #BIL was cool. Actually, a lot has changed since 2013 -- both in terms of my own craft beer development and with craft beer itself. Specifically, Revolution has REALLY stepped up their barrel game. 2017/2018 is the year that Revolution might have dropped enough killer beers to surpass Goose Island's barrel program. Straight Jacket stands toe-to-toe with Goose Island's BCBS Barleywine, and probably surpasses it. And we won't even get to V.S.O.D. or the Double Barrel V.S.O.D. tonight. Anyway....

Revolution Straight Jacket 2018

This year's Straight Jacket is apparently a blend of Straight Jacket and 30%[??? -- don't quote me on this] VSOJ. VSOJ aka Very Special Old Jacket is aged for two years in Heaven Hill and Old Forrester barrels. It's also sweeter than Straight Jacket, and features more candy malts.

And speaking of candy malts, that's the basis of the 2018 Straight Jacket aroma. The aroma is rich caramel candy malts, brown sugar, candied oranges, bourbon, raisins, molasses, and vanilla.

The taste is an absurd fusion of cherry-cola-caramel, molasses, complex caramel malts, dark fruits, sweetness, barrels, booze, and raisins. Vanilla shows up with hints of bourbon, coconut, and macaroons. 

This beer is LAYERED and COMPLEX. And man, the palate depth and duration are off the charts. Especially once you get a few sips in and the alcohol starts to work its boozy seduction on you. This is full-bodied and T H I C C, and unloads with waves of cherry-cola and candy malts; the mids dip into raisins and bourbon and molasses; the back end is boozy with coconut and macaroon.

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

Based on the line for this beer at Revolution, this is all hype. But this is seriously some of the best stuff coming out of Chicago -- and frankly, the craft beer scene -- right now. And it is in a fucking can. Come ON! 

Random Thought: I'm going to do my best to drop reviews for the entire 2017/2018 Revolution can lineup (Ryeway, Deth by Cherries, Cafe Deth, VSOD, DBVSOD, Mineshift Gap, Deth's Tar). But seeing as how I am a lazy ass these days, it may not happen. So who knows. What I will say though is VSOD and DBVSOD are fantastic. And DBVSOD is still selling/trading LOW. That beer is up there with Rare and Reserve and again...is in a fucking can. It's the type of madness I can get behind, and you should too. Because at some point people are going to realize that DBVSOD is the business.

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...