Destihl Dosvidanya Vanilla Rye 2017

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois 
Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, .09oz bottle) bought at Destsihl in Bloomington, IL; 2017 (batch date: 2017)

Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, 12.5%
Reported IBUs: 83

Rumors of infected bottles of Destihl's DVR make a man do crazy things, like actually drink the beer you bought. About Destihl: 

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

So Dosvidanya is Distihl's big barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout. It is clearly inspired by beers like Bourbon County Brand Stout, but has its own unique flavor profile. The Vanilla Rye was a special 2017 release along with the brewery's 10th Anniversary Special Release of Dosvidanya. This is a "Russian Style Imperial Stout brewed with vanilla aged in rye whiskey barrels." The bottle says, "10th Anniversary special release 2007-2017." The back says:
 
"In 2007, we opened our first brewpub in Normal, Illinois with a mission to brew beer styles that are bold and flavorful. Staying true to that mission, this special batch of Dosvidanya was brewed at our old production brewery as a farewell to that facility and aged at our new brewery as a celebration of that expansion and our 10th anniversary. We've come a long was and learned a lot in our first decade. With this release, we raise our glass and look forward to another 10 years. Cheers!"  

Destihl Dosvidanya Vanilla Rye 2017

Breaking news: this looks Stout-like. I'll give a shout out to the bottle, which is awesome. The blue wax is fucking cool, man. This also has good head retention and isn't totally lifeless. The aroma here is awesome. You get Lindor chocolate balls, and the vanilla leans towards the sweet and fruity with raspberry and berries. The berry/vanilla-chocolate sweetness invites raspberry truffles and chocolate truffles. 

The taste is pleasantly rich (and not infected, praise be). The rye profile and bourbon come out first, followed by dense chocolate, fudge, vanilla, and then some nice drying dark chocolate cake, more earthy roast, coffee, and rich earthy chocolate truffles. The finish on this is fantastic. It's deep and rich like when you bite into a nice piece of chocolate cake. That lingering dry chocolate profile hangs around in your mouth adding to the duration and palate experience. It is tempting to go in for another sip, but you want to enjoy that lingering finish just a bit longer. As I sip this more, I pick up more of the alcohol and spirit.

You know, I like this a lot. I don't think this is a game changer or anything crazy, but it is dialed in and perfectly executed. It is not quite Vanilla Rye good, but hey, not many beers are. And I don't need this to be Vanilla Rye. Like I said, the duration of this beer is amazing. Palate depth is pretty solid too, with bourbon and chocolate up front; rye and vanilla mids; and that bumpin' chocolate cake finish. It brings a full body, and rides the 12.5% ABV just right. 

Rating: I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average (4.25/5.0 Untappd)

Random Thought: There is a paradoxical irony about this beer, because while I don't think it is a game changer, it is still vastly underrated. Which is good, for me, the local Destihl customer. Stay away beer nerds. 

Saugatuck Brewing Company Neapolitan Milk Stout

Saugatuck Brewing Company Neapolitan Milk Stout

Brewed By: Saugatuck Brewing Co. in Douglas, Michigan

Purchased: 12oz bottle won at World of Beer in; 2017

Style/ABV: Milk Stout, 6.0%

Reported IBUs: 37

Saugatuck Brewing Company's Neapolitan Milk Stout seems like it was at the forefront of an interesting, novel stout-flavor profile. And I remember when the beer first came out people were raving about how good it is. Now there are a myriad of breweries rolling out similar flavored stouts that are more amped up, fuller, and developed. That puts Saugatuck in a bind, because I think they make really solid stouts in that ~5-6% ABV range. This beer has fallen off hard, like Not Your Father's Rootbeer.

Having said all that, this is an inexpensive, easy-going beer. The aroma is a little too fruity, and leans towards the artificial Hershey's strawberry with hints of Hershey's chocolate, freezer burnt Eddy's Neapolitan ice cream, and jelly.

The taste mirrors the aroma with sweet cocoa-malts and Hershey's strawberries taking the lead. Vanilla is a subtle flavor profile, along with some caramel sugars, hints of roast/ash, and some coffee. There's some lactose and sweetness. 6% isn't bringing down the house, and this has that appropriate Dry Stout/Milk Stout body that isn't quite up to the thickness or richness of many more "modern" American stouts.

Rating: LIGHT Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This isn't terribly complex, and the palate depth leaves a lot to be desired. But the beer has that Eddy's ice cream aroma, and the flavors you get are consistent with what is being advertised. This is a solid pick-up, still, and compared to Dot.RARWHALEZ like Henna is pretty attainable. This is also cheap and available enough to be a legit pairing for food things, which makes it the ideal restaurant/foodie type beer.  

Random Thought: World of Beer seems hit and miss but my local chain does some decent stuff. 

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...                 

Avery Vanilla Bean Stout

Brewed By: Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado  

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Binny's in Chicago, Illinois; 2016 

Style/ABV: American Imperial Stout, 11.0% on bottle, 10.8% on website

Reported IBUs: ?

Avery is doing some very cool stuff these days. If you would have said to me earlier this year, "Hey man, there's this awesome bourbon barreled vanilla stout, you wouldn't believe who brewed it." I would be probably be like, "Okay who?" And you'd be like, "Avery." And I'd be like, "Damn...you're right."

Ahhh...Avery. What to say about these guys. Avery is a brewery that was founded in September 1993 by homebrewer Adam Avery. You've heard this story before: homebrewer makes awesome beer, homebrewer jumps into the booming craft beer scene with great beer. Between 1993 and now, Avery has expanded numerous times, including bigger tanks in 1995 and in 1997. In 2000, the brewery replaced their brewhouse, and in 2002 more tanks were added, and 2004 marked the second year of Avery's barrel program. Since then, it's been all uphill with more expansion, canned beer, and continued success. To read more, check out Avery's website.

The Vanilla Bean Stout is a new[?] addition to Avery's lineup of beers. Brewed with a trio of "Tongan, Ugandan, and Mexican whole vanilla beans," the beer also pulls vanilla flavors from bourbon barrels. They also seem to add a pinch of chocolate, caramel and molasses.

Avery Vanilla Bean Stout

I won't comment much on the appearance, which looks like every other Imperial Stout ever. It is a fairly opaque affair, with bright light failing to penetrate this beer's body. You get the rooby dooby reds on the edges, and the head retention is nice.

I'm not sure if this is flash pasteurized. I'm not sure why I would mention that in the aroma section. The aroma is creamy and rich, with vanilla bean, vanilla ice cream, crème brûlée, cheese cake, light wood and bourbon, molasses and burnt caramel sugars, and light notes of dark and white chocolate. There's some berry notes and alcohol as well.

This follows the nose with some added layers of alcohol and wood. It starts out with rich unfolding vanilla: cake, cream soda, coconut cake, vanilla bean, crème brûlée, cheese cake. There's some light coffee and roast, but this mostly sits in the realm of vanilla and dark fruits. There's a touch of wood and oak, and some nice alcohol to boot. 

The alcohol in here is a welcome and needed piece of the puzzle. Since this beer stays away from the heavy dark malts and over-the-top bourbon/barrel character, the profile could be nothing but vanilla. Fortunately, that is not the case. The alcohol and dark fruit notes offset the rich vanilla profile. This is NOT an overly sweet beer. It tastes weirdly balanced, with just the right amount of sweetness -- and that is in spite of the lack of dark malts. As this warms up the alcohol gets brighter, and the beer takes on a creamy root beer/cream soda aspect. This is moderately complex and develops with a smattering of vanilla and dark fruits, followed by lingering vanilla on the mids, and alcohol on the back. The wood comes and goes. 

Rating: Light Above-Average (3.75/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. Actually, if this ends up shelf turding alongside New Holland's Dragon's Milk, breweries are going to need to watch out. This tastes kind of like how I imagine Breckenridge's Twenty Five was supposed to taste. This is good stuff. You can't beat the price or the availability. I hope Avery keeps this year round, because I would occasionally pick this up.  

Random Thought: Tonight's drama is titled, "kitchen nightmares." Or, how a simple batch of chili could become me cleaning up giant messes in the kitchen.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout Vanilla Rye (2014)

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 10/31/2014, #1118)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged American Stout, 13.6% (13.8% per their website)

Reported IBUs: 35

Bourbon County Vanilla in Rye Barrels? Yes, please. About Goose Island:

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

The 2014 Vanilla Rye is brewed with 2-row, Bonlander Munich, Chocolate, Caramel-60, Roasted Barley, and Debittered Black Malts; features Columbus hops; and is aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels on Mexican and Madagascar vanilla beans. The bottle says this clocks in at 13.6%, the website says 13.8%. Unlike regular BCBS, this has an IBU count of 35. Not sure why, don't care, whatevs. 

The bottle reads: "We first bottled this beer at the countless requests of festival-goers who first tasted it. However, when that last bottle of vanilla BCBS was grabbed off the shelves four years ago, you needed more. We heard you in the brewery, at festivals, and wherever there was an open ear. Well, you weren't alone. To be honest, we needed more too. We couldn't be happier to make this beer again and, most of all, drink it with you once more. Cheers -- Brett Porter." 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout Vanilla Rye (2014)

This is black, opaque, oily stuff. There are unfiltered chunks of what I assume is vanilla floating around, and the beer leaves glossy alcohol legs and some brown, residual lacing on the glass. It looks the same as every other Bourbon County, with those extra oils...for your skin...in case you decide to pour it on the escort's face or whatever.

On the aroma: intense sweetness, bourbon, waffle cones, vanilla wafers, vanilla beans, and some marshmallow-y notes. This is super raw with the vanilla, and in no way is the vanilla present in the beer artificial. The base beer is surprisingly present in the aroma, with lots of the fruity notes distinct to the 2014 vintage (I need to review regular 2014 BCBS...soon). There's a lot of sugar in here, but the whiskey and rye cuts through a lot of the fat. This is like the strongman of Vanilla beers, thick but muscular.

This is quite impressive to taste, with monster vanilla notes crushing it from the onset and never really letting up. Sure, the bourbon and alcohol make a helpful appearance, and the rye barrel adds tons of complexity. And the base beer shows up with all its nuances. But this is, true to its name, a vanilla show. This has rich vanilla, bourbon, vanilla beans, vanilla wafers/cones, complex sugars that taste like brown sugar, creme brulee, burnt sugars, and toasted marshmallow. The palate duration is insane as this drops vanilla in the front, mids, and back. The back end develops into this rich, creamy, and smooth vanilla note. The alcohol and rye show up in the mids, and the base beer is ever present with hints of complex fruit-sugars, rich chocolate, intense cocoa, truffles, and fudge. The rye barrel continues to be an interesting wrinkle, providing the perfect contrasting spice to the vanilla. 

Obviously this is a sweet, full-bodied beer. Palate depth is insane, with duration that lasts for minutes. This isn't the most complex beer, while also being complex in that the base beer is present, there are shades of vanilla, and the barrel, rye, and spirit do shine. So, despite the sugar and vanilla, you do get some nice nuances. At 13.6%, this is pretty boozy with some welcomed bourbon, rye, and alcohol notes. The alcohol cuts through the sweetness...which is always a sure sign that this beer is a million calories. Calories are flavor though, and up front is intense vanilla beans, vanilla sweetness, wafers; the mids roll into rye, alcohol, bourbon, vanilla, complex sugars, the base beer, brulee, hints of coconut; the back end drops lingering vanilla, and lots of lingering fruit notes. Good shit.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. If you are in the mood for an aggressive, sweet beer...you can drink this. I think, out of all the Bourbon County variants, this one is going to age the best. As the vanilla drops off, it should meld into the base beer. 

I need to sidebar/tangent here. I think that this beer would not impress me so much if (1) it wasn't aged in rye barrels, (2) it was released any other year. Regarding the first point, this is a beer that works because of the complexity that the rye barrels bring to the beer. This beer needs the rye spice to balance out some of the one-dimensional vanilla notes. Also, regarding point number two, this year's base beer is a little more fruity than past vintages. I actually think the 2014 Bourbon County Stout is stellar, but it doesn't have the coconut/vanilla character that the 2013 and 2012 had due to the addition of some of those fruit notes. For that reason, the Vanilla Rye feels like a great addition to this year's lineup. Furthermore, regular Bourbon County doesn't touch the Rye Barrel...which is so sad. 

Random Thought: If Goose Island does release next year's Bourbon County in 650ml bottles, they should age some of it in rye barrels. Just do it, you InBev shills. 

Off Color Dino S'Mores

Breewed By: Off Color Brewing in Chicago, IL

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

Style/ABV: American Stout, 10.5% 

Reported IBUs: 40

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

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

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

Off Color Dino S'Mores

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

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

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

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

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

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

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

Pipeworks Cinnamon Beer-D Os

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #515/516) bought at Fischman's Liquors and Tavern in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 09.??.2014)

Style/ABV: "Cereal Milk Inspired" Imperial Cream Ale, 10.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

I'm super excited to be jumping on tonight's beer. Pipeworks has apparently decided to start rolling out breakfast cereal inspired beers, and I am totally okay with that. The Cinnamon Beer-D Os is a "cereal milk inspired Imperial Cream Ale." I don't even know. This one is brewed with lactose, cinnamon, vanilla, cereal grains, cinnamon cereal, and brown sugar. Not Pipeworks Thursday™. 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 Cinnamon Beer-D Os bottle reads (and as you can guess, has a crossword puzzle): 

"Can you find...aline, beardo, beer, cinnamon, sugar, kitten, ninja, epic battle, unicorn, kwing, pdubz, pipeworks, weirdo."

This pours into a hazy, dark orange/amber body, kicking up several fingers of caramel-tinged head. As the head drops off, you are left with webs of Spider-Man worthy lacing. There's some alcohol legs, and all that jazz. It kind of "looks like cinnamon," said Rorschach. 

The aroma of this insanely stupid beer is reminiscent of another insanely stupid Pipeworks beer: Hey, Careful Man, There's A Beverage Here! Both beers are overpoweringly sweet, with lactose, vanilla, and assertive milk sugars. I'm getting fudge like sweetness on the nose, with white chocolate and cocoa fudge. There are also some assertive cereal grains on the nose, for sure. What is missing from the nose/aroma is the big cinnamon I was expecting. There is some faint, nondescript spice on the nose, but it isn't quite dialing up the cinnamon intensity.

This is malty sweet...it tastes boozy and big, with big lactose, cereal grains, and tons of vanilla. There's a lot of milk sugar in here, and this has an acrid and burnt sugar note that reminds me of burnt caramel. This is boozy and big. In a lot of ways, this is just a remix of the Hey, Careful Man. However, I felt like that beer was a little bit more nuanced and complex. I'm not getting a ton of breakfast cereal in here. I'm also not getting as much breakfast cereal as I had hoped for...this definitely has suggestions of Golden Grahams or Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but it never quite brings the flavor home. I think the overt lactose-vanilla-burnt sugar punch acts as a detractor, and the booze doesn't help.

I rarely say this about anything Pipeworks, but I think this beer is kind of average and/or needs some time to age. Right now the lactose and sugars are really dialing up aggressive sweetness and astringency. Furthermore, this is kind of boozy. I'm feeling the weight of the alcohol, and tasting a little bit of it too. At 10.0% you'd maybe expect that...but then when you add in that this is full-bodied without a ton of complexity, and yeah. Up front: lactose sugars, milk, vanilla, fudge sweetness; the mids roll into more sugars, with some cereal grains, hints of Golden Grahams and Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and burnt sugars; the back end fades into a mess of sweetness, sugars, and lingering cereal. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. I was expecting a lot more cinnamon and cereal from this. This is mostly a one-note, sugary-sweet, lactose adventure. Yeah, there are hints of cereal, but when you crank a beer up to 10% and throw a bunch of lactose and vanilla into it...you better deliver. Having said that, this one might mellow out and improve with some age. For future batches I hope they add a little more cinnamon and cereal. Food pairings: none you fool. This beer is diabetes in a bottle. 

Random Thought: Beer reviews and homework done concurrently...what could go wrong. 

Pipeworks Passion Abduction

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #477/478) bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (bottled 08.10.2014)

Style/ABV: American Imperial Stout/Fruit Beer, 10.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

I've been holding onto this one for almost a month, so it's high time we crack into the Passion Fruit Abduction for Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™. 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 Passion Fruit Abduction is an Imperial Stout brewed with cacao, vanilla, and passion fruit. In one of the longer winded descriptions, the bottle reads:

""Now, listen alien braj, I haven't done a fracking thing in my fracking life, but you aliens are privileged and I hate you. Seriously though, alien invaders, you're seriously invading my privacy. I'm just trying to wash the stinks off. Braj, if you want to play games, try flying your spaceship with your tentacle. Ha! I just left a #voicemail with my friends Zahm, Nagel, and Meheen. They're coming over here and they'll mess you UP, aliens. Seriously though, hang onto your d!ck$. #cats #passionfruit #abduction" -Dylan, abductee"

Pipeworks Passion Abduction

This pours like every other Abduction: into a black, opaque body, kicking up a finger or two of tan colored head. I can see nice streams of carbonation in the glass suggesting that this is properly carbed, and there is good head retention, glossy alcohol legs, and some lacing to boot.

On the aroma: holy crap. This smells like fruit! Wow, you get a ton of passion fruit on the aroma. Some people have suggested that this smells like weed or bong water...I would say it smells very similar to chocolate-dipped cherries or strawberries, or a chocolate cake with a fruit topping. This has cakey chocolate notes, cakey roast, cocoa, some vanilla, some coffee, and big chocolate-strawberry, chocolate-cherry, and passion fruit. The fruit on the aroma rides the line between real fruits and candy fruits....I'm curious how this is going to taste.

This might be the most simple and straightforward Abduction beer yet. This is pretty much a mirror of the nose, with intense roast, cacao, and coffee up front, that gives way to huge fruity notes that coat your mouth, lips, and tongue. You get cherry-chocolate, strawberry-chocolate, cherry and strawberry jelly candies, passion fruit, some vanilla and coffee, creamer, and a nice finish that has a hint of alcohol. [EDIT: I figured it out! The fruity notes in this beer really remind me of the fruit notes you get in store bought ice cream, or even in something like a Dairy Queen banana split. It has that same cherry/strawberry note straight from the ice cream. Werd].

This is full-bodied and very nice. Palate duration is fantastic, with each sip lingering for 30-60 seconds. This isn't overly complex, but it unravels with a layer of the Stout base and then a passion fruit injection. This is really throwing me for a loop because I'm enjoying this a lot, despite the lack of integration between the Stout base and the fruit notes. Up front: roast, cacao, coffee, vanilla, passion fruit, cherry-chocolate, strawberry-chocolate; that rolls into cherry and strawberry gummy candies, passion fruit, more roast/vanilla/coffee; the back end drops lingering fruit and chocolate, with some booze that wraps things up nicely. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. This is up there with the Raspberry Truffle Abduction...it might even be better. The passion fruit injection in this beer isn't subtle and borders on being candy sweet and artificial...but I think it really works well with the Abduction base. Having said that...I think you need to pair this beer with some vanilla ice cream, or strawberries dipped in chocolate.

Random Thought: As this beer sits in my glass, I'm getting waves of dank as weed from the aroma. Complete: whatttt. I guess this really does smell like weed.  

SKA Vernal Minthe Stout

Brewed By: SKA Brewing in Durango, Colorado

Purchased: 12oz can from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, 5.8%
Reported IBUs: 15

I haven't had a SKA beer in a while, and I have been meaning to try this one since it was announced. About SKA:

SKA Brewing are all about the ska, from the design of their website to the Toasters' songs playing in the background on the homepage. They even released a special beer, the Toasters 30th Anniversary IPA, to celebrate the band. The website is pretty bitchin'...and while I usually get annoyed by websites that have music playing in the background, the site is playing music by the Toasters. The freaking Toasters, yo. It's such a feel-good nostalgia trip it is hard to hate. Flipping through the cool comic animations on SKA Brewing's website will give you a lot of cool brewery information. The brewery was founded in 1995 by Bill Graham and Dave Thibodeau in Durango, Colorado. In the 2008, the brewery moved to its current location at Bodo Industrial Park. The brewery has become famous for their use of cans, most notably for their Modus Hoperandi and Euphoria Pale Ale. For more information, check out their website!

The Vernal Minthe Stout is a sweet stout brewed with real peppermint, spearmint, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans. 

SKA Vernal Minthe Stout

This one pours into a relatively black body, minus the viscosity of a thicker beer, and kicks up two fingers of impressively dark head. The head is flirting with mocha, and definitely sits in the realm of coffee and ice cream. This looks more cola-esque in bright light, with some red and brown tones escaping the edges of the glass.

The aroma here is dusty cocoa, Brown Ale nuttiness, caramel malts and big vanilla bean sweetness, and lots of mint. I'm getting spearmint, peppermint, and mint chocolate candies. It's an impressive and inviting aroma fo sho.

There is little to nothing in terms of body here, and you'd probably expect that with a beer punching in at 5.8%. This is somewhat watery and acidic up front, but then the beer drops into deep mint character, with big spearmint and peppermint colliding with big cocoa notes. It tastes like a mint chocolate candy. There's a little sweetness character, but it's nondescript and not really a straight vanilla note.

[edit: I fell asleep writing this review, so it's a new day and I have a newly refreshed palate.]

On my first sip today, I'm getting big mint chocolate. There's huge Andes Thin Mints in this beer...it's very minty. I actually think this tastes sweeter than the Pipeworks Mint Abduction. I'm getting some hints of mint chocolate chip Ice Cream, and lots of watery spearmint and spent chewing gum. It's pretty enjoyable, especially at the lower ABV.

For whatever reason (maybe a spent palate), I'm enjoying this much more now than I did a day ago. This is still a lighter Stout, in the realm of Firestone Walker's Reserve Porter or Dogfish Head's Chicory Stout. Still...this is medium-light bodied with good cling and a full-ride as far as palate depth goes. The mint and chocolate give this beer duration, while the mint and carbonation cut through the mouthfeel. The 5.8% isn't even close to being excessive and you get no alcohol here. This is moderately complex, all things considered. Up front: sweet spearmint, mint, chocolate, light vanilla, thin mints; the mids roll into big spearmint, watery mint and spent mint gum; the back end grows into big cocoa mint, with Andes Thin Mints and a great mint finish. This is sweet, like mint chocolate chip and Thin Mints.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average...this is on par with the Mint Truffle Abduction -- but better -- but also different. It's better in that it is sweeter and it hits home that Andes Thin Mints/mint chocolate chip ice cream note. It also is different in that this is a lighter, subtle beer. This is a beer that you can easily miss, like many of SKA's beers. It's subtle and well-made but it's not assaulting your face with over-the-top flavors and sugary booze. That said, I still think you can pair this beer with ice cream, chocolate desserts, chocolate cake, or something savory and salty like white truffle french fries. Good stuff. 

Random Thought: Congrats to the Spurs for dominating the Heat three games in a row, and playing some of the best looking team basketball I have ever seen.

Pipeworks Mocha Abduction

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #435/36/37) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 05.??.2014)

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout (brewed with cacao, vanilla, and coffee), 10.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

Happy Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™ everybody. I'm not going to ramble on for too long here. All you need to know is beer good, Friday better. 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 Mocha Abduction ominously states:

"I don't think these aliens are that bad. What's that you ask? That they don't like you? That they don't like me either? WRONG! I mean maybe we've all just been brainwashed by Hollywood alien invasion movies. Has anyone even tried to talk to them? Here, I'll go bring them a Pipeworks Mocha Imperial Stout with coffee and rich chocolate. This beer is amazing. No disintegrations. " 
- Jeff's last words before being encased in choconite.

Pipeworks Mocha Abduction

The Mocha Abduction pours out like every other Abduction, only datglass.woah and thistle.jpeg and yeah. Look at that glass: head retention, massive cascading foam -- fuckin' a. The body of this beer is dark black and opaque, and depending on your glass of choice, you'll be left with several fingers of dense, sustaining, mocha-tinted head. Bright light confirms the same stuff. 

The aroma: oh yeah. This is the good stuff. I'm getting massive waves of chocolate, cocoa, vanilla, vanilla bean, coffee, mocha, and big-ass biscotti. Wowza. There's some really nice coffee notes on the nose, with hazelnut, freshly brewed coffee, and nutty-coffee-sweetness. Dayum.

Mmm...this is blissful. Wow. This dials things up past Southern Tier levels of sweetness, with huge hazelnut, sweet vanilla, bitter espresso bite, mocha, and some velvety smooth vanilla/cacao notes. The coffee stands out strong in the mix, and provides a much needed backbone and counterpoint to all the sweet notes. The hazelnut lingers for quite some time, and then as that drops off you are left with lingering coffee and alcohol warming. There are big molasses and cakey sweetness up front, and this beer screams "dessert" with notes that hint at coconut cake and chocolate cake. Just...fantastic.

I'm smitten. I wasn't even tasting a Stout tonight...."drink the hoppy pale ale," I was thinking, as I drove home from work. This beer is fantastic. Easily up there with the Coffee Break, maybe better. You definitely get some alcohol warming, but you don't taste any of the 10.5%. This beer is slick and smooth, with just enough carbonation. It's still full-bodied, but the coffee provides much needed contrast to the heavy body and sweetness. Palate depth is off the charts, and this is fairly complex when you consider the one-dimensional concept. Up front: molasses, huge swaths of sweet coffee, hazelnut, cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, espresso, mocha; the mids roll into some dark fruits, more molasses, chocolate, coffee, bitter coffee; the back end continues with bitter coffee, mocha, espresso, and a really nice coffee finish. The finish is sticky and sweet with those sugary kisses, and then your drunk uncle, Alcohol, shows up to tuck you in and hold you tight. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew here. This is blissful and hitting the spot. This beer is basically dessert, but I can't help but think it would pair really well with a raunchy burger, vanilla ice cream, dry chocolate cakes, and anything with coffee in it. Or you could light up a cigar with deep tobacco notes, and just unwind. I should have picked up another bottle of this, but I was being considerate. 

Random Thought: Seriously, as far as over-the-top glassware goes, this giant Scotch Ale glass/thistle is pretty near the top. It's almost on par with the Kwak glass or the Tripel Karmeliet glass. 

Deschutes The Abyss (2013 Reserve)

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in Urbana, IL; 2013 ("Best after 08/16/14")

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, 11.0%
Reported IBUs: 86

Last night's Fresh Squeezed IPA was definitely a primer for tonight's beer. About Deschutes:

The Deschutes Brewing Company was founded by Gary Fish on June 27th, 1988, when they opened the doors to their Bond Street Public House pub. The brewery has since expanded, growing to be one of the top craft beer producers in America. The brewery also operates a pub in Portland, and has a dedicated brewing facility overlooking the Deschutes river. For more information, check out the brewery's website; their Facebook page; their Twitter; or Wikipedia. 

The Abyss really needs no introduction at this point. This epic Imperial Stout has been around since 2006? I think 2006. This one is brewed with all sorts of ingredients, and features a blend of three barrel-aged additions. The bottle reads: "The Abyss: malt beverage brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, with cherry bark and vanilla added with 6% aged in oak bourbon barrels, 11% aged in oak barrels, and 11% aged in oak wine barrels."  As suggested by the "Best after" date, this one will and can be aged...but I'm impatient and I think this vintage is doing alright fresh.

Deschutes The Abyss (2013 Reserve)

This beer lives up to its name, of course. It pours into a pitch black, opaque body, and produces three fingers of DARK BROWN, mocha-colored head. The head is thick and dense, like a root beer float, leaving massive webs of lacing as it drops off, and sustaining nicely for an 11.0% barrel-aged beer. Glossy alcohol legs can be seen trailing off the sides when you swirl the beer -- they lag behind the massive brown strokes of lacing that also coat the glass. Good stuff, yo.

This is fantastically complex in terms of the aroma. The first thing that jumps out to me is the massive barrel character that is present, followed by huge woody aromas, and then big cherry wood and cherry bark. It's huge. Beneath the massive barrel/wood character is huge meaty roast and coffee. There's a big coffee aroma on the nose. Also surprising (to me) are the fruity notes on the aroma. I'm not getting a ton of bourbon...but there's a lot of oak and a lot of slightly acidic pinot notes. I'm getting dark fruits, molasses, red wine, chocolate, and roast. You definitely get the licorice on the aroma too. The licorice plays off the molasses, acidic espresso, and pinot barrel. Just fantastic.

Wow...this is just blissful. Like I said, I think this 2013 Vintage is drinking just fine now, but it will definitely age gracefully. What do you taste? Well, a lot of stuff. The back end features layers of intense roast, coffee, chocolate, and lingering wood tannin; gripping barrel character, and some big bitterness towards the back. There's big cherries and licorice up front, with some woody notes, and the mid-palate hits a brief citrus-hop note and then pudwhacks your palate with coffee and subtle vanilla bean and anise. The cherry/raisin/molasses note is blissfully in your face up front, giving way to massive barrel goodness. I'm getting a lot of wood tannin and oak in here...with more pinot than bourbon. There are definitely shades of bourbon in the taste, but nothing jumping out at me. I probably wouldn't peg the bourbon in a blind tasting.

If you like aggressive, woody Russian Imperial Stouts with huge barrel character...this is your beer. But it's still reasonable at 11.0% and 86 IBUs. Maybe at one time that was on the high end of extreme, but these days, that's like, "okay, an American-style RIS." It's still a bad-ass beer though. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, with creamy, acidic, well-carbonated beer up front. That rolls into a hoppy midsection, which is almost juicy, and then the back end dials up the wood tannin, roast, dark grain, and dry finish. Palate depth is awesome, with great duration, and this beer is super complex. This beer embraces each barrel and ingredient, and unravels in layers. And it's drinkable (says the alcoholic). Palate progression? Up front, molasses, licorice, cherry, barrel/wood; the middle hits a hop note, citrus, wood, coffee, espresso, acidic pinot character, barrel, anise, chocolate/vanilla; the back end starts off with huge espresso/coffee, dials up the roast and dark grains, and finishes dry and sticky. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this...I'm not going to bullshit with the 4.5. I'm always looking to give a critical rating to over hyped beers, but this one meets expectations and then some. It's all in the barrel character. This beer has massive barrel notes in the aroma and taste, and it makes the beer an absolute treat to drink. This one is dry, with lots of wood tannin, and aggressive bitterness. For those reasons, I wouldn't recommend this beer to newer beer drinkers. Those qualities also mean this beer will pair well with spicy foods...maybe chipotle dark chocolate, dry habanero wings, chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, or maybe a mole sauce. Recommended if you find it, even at jacked up prices.

Random Thought: The wax on this one was a PITA. I ended up scratching my finger trying to get the bottle open.