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. 

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 375ml/12.7oz single bottle bought at Jackie O's in Athens, Ohio; 2018 (bottled in 2017)

Style/ABV: American Wheatwine, 13.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Make me a beautiful barrel-aged Barleywine. About Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The bottle for the Wood Ya Honey reads: "Wood  Ya Honey is a wheat wine style ale brewed with generous amounts of local wild flower honey. We aged this beer in bourbon barrels for 10 months, elevating the rich caramel and honey character to luscious heights. Dripping honey comb, marzipan, and raisin come together for a decadent experience. Pour into your favorite snifter, let warm, sip, and allow your belly to surrender in the comforting embrace of craft."

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

This is an unexpected, murky ass-affair. This is also DAAARKK. I guess I was expecting something a few shades lighter, since wheat wine and all. I was wrong. The aroma on this is pretty much as advertised on the bottle: rich bourbon, raisins, some wood from the barrel, honey and caramel sweetness, some birthday cake sweetness that transitions into more of a fruit cake, marzipan, and honeycombs.  

This is a weird beer in the sense that the malts totally succumb to the barrel and the bourbon. Wheat malt bases are already paper-thin...and this drinks like something that has been cellared for 4-5 years. It's like that oxidation thinness. Only this doesn't have the sherry and port, but instead is dripping with honeycomb sweetness, mountains of caramel, and bourbon for days. 

I guess this is a vehicle for the honeycomb bourbon. It drinks thinner than I would expect...and again, I kind of attribute that to the wheat malts. It's a REALLY interesting profile. I would contrast this beer to something like Two Brothers Bare Tree or the Bruery's White Oak. Both of those beers tend to lean towards the fruitier side of wheat with more apple notes. Then there are beers like Revolution's Ryeway which are sweet, honey-forward, and thick as all fuck. This is sweet, but in the realm of bourbon/honey/marzipan. And it lacks the malt-T H I C N E S S in other similar beers. Ergo, wheat malts + bourbon. Up front: bourbon, raisins, kisses of wheat; the mids roll into really nice raisins and honeycomb, with some figs, marzipan, and caramel; the back end is a wild barrel ride with lingering bourbon. Palate depth and duration are good, complexity is good. I'm just not sure about the wheatwine thing?

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappies)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This is good stuff, but it falls in a weird category for me. This is not what I look for in a Wheatwine (see my other Wheatwine reviews for what I would consider reasonable style examples). And if I'm looking for a BA Barleywine, I feel like there are a lot of other beers (like Ryeway) that I would rather drink... 

 

Then again, this is a very interesting brew in the sense that it really brings out the barrel, the bourbon, and the spirit. The holy trinity, if you think about it. I wouldn't kick this beer out of bed, I just wouldn't wife it. 

Random Thought: https://youtu.be/QLKX-VKmUM8

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 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.

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel-Aged Brick Kiln

Brewed By: Jackie O's Pub & Brewery in Athens, Ohio  

Purchased: 375ml/12.7oz single bottle bought at And Beer in Athens, Ohio; 2014 

Style/ABV: Smoked English Barleywine, 11.8%

Reported IBUs: ?

Make me a beautiful barrel-aged Barleywine. About Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

Jackie O's is a brewery and brewpub based out of Athens, Ohio. The brewery was founded in 2007 by Art Oestrike and his friend, and brew master, Brad Clark. In 2012 when the production facility expanded, brew master Sean White joined the company. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The bottle for the Barrel-Aged Brick Kiln reads: "Starting back in the early 1800's the brick industry was a catalyst for economic development in Southeastern Ohio for nearly 100 years. The brick kilns of Athens Brick Company stood just down the street from our current production facility. Brick Kiln Barleywine style ale is brewed in the English tradition and it's deep mahogany hue is accompanied by rich caramel and raisin notes. Aging in bourbon barrels for an average of 11 months contributed a rich caramel/vanilla/coconut character. Share with friends and loved ones." 

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel-Aged Brick Kiln

This pours into a hazy, murky, dark red-brown body, kicking up a centimeter of protesting head. This brings the murk and has that barrel-aged treatment look. 

This smells amazing with raisins, cherries, chocolate-coconut pastries, intense bakery sugars, coconut, macaroons, layers of molasses, and dense sugars. The barrel is present, and this feels like an appreciable contender. 

Mmm this is fantastic stuff. This hits those notes of macaroons, coconut, treacle sweetness, raisins, cherries, light sherry/oxidation, and subtle barrel character. There are subtle coatings of chocolate in here, and this dials the sweetness up to just the right amounts. Hawt damn.

This is full-bodied, but well-carbed and easy enough to drink. You would never guess this is 11.8%. This has fantastic palate depth and good complexity. It's teetering between Above-Average and Divine, with the barrel character and base beer complexity being the only thing holding this back from something like a Goozie Inlets Barleywin or a Bruery Bois. Still, this brings a ton of bold barrel character with lots of subtle raisin, cherry, coconut, and macaroon notes. The finish is perfect, and the beer is not overwhelming. I highly recommend this.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Jackie O's has their barrel-aged beers down, and this one is no exception. Pick this up and drink it without any food. This is yummy stuff.

Random Thought: Jackie O's was definitely one of the better parts of being in Ohio. 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine 2014

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 09/24/2014)

Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 11.7% 

Reported IBUs: 60

The 2013 Bourbon County Barleywine was pretty good fresh, but it was even better with some age. So how does the 2014 vintage stack up? 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 Bourbon County Barleywine punches in at 11.7% ABV, 60 IBUs, and is brewed with Pale, Crystal, Caramel, Dark Chocolate malts; Pilgrim and Styrian hops; and is aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky bourbon and then Bourbon County Stout. 

This pours into a murky, cherry soda affair. It's flat and beat up, and head retention is minimal. The body is opaque and murky, with apathetic carbonation and glossy alcohol legs. It looks beat up like it should.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine 2014

The aroma is a complex meld of raisins, cherries, toffee, fruit cakes, alcohol-soaked macaroons, chocolate, and woody barrel character. There is a fantastic raisin-chocolate-barrel note with appreciable sweetness, and it smells every bit as awesome as those cellared 50/50s. There's a kiss of alcohol in the aroma, and then the beer drifts into sherry and port. The final note I'm getting is a sweet fruity note, like mixed berries ala the Backyard Rye. It's just a fantastic meld and begs for a sip. 

Yes that's a lemon in the background. And yes, this tastes better fresh than the 2013 did. However, I think the 2013 with a year of age on it was slightly better than this is. Having said that, I'm getting a lot of toffee sweetness, raisins, whiskey, smooth barrel, tons of chocolate, macaroons, and sticky bourbon, and an impressive amount of lingering fruit cake notes. This lingers on your palate for a long time, with some cherries and raisins sticking around. 

This is super sweet, as it should be, and it is truly a sipper. At 11.7%, this does not overwhelm you with alcohol. In fact, this is fairly drinkable all things considered. Palate depth is outstanding, with amazing depth and duration. This is also super complex. And it really is more drinkable than the 2013 was fresh. The 2013 has already mellowed into a tight package after just one year, but this is ready to go fresh. Up front: chocolate, bourbons, raisins, cherries, mixed berries (boysenberries, blackberries); the mids roll into whiskey sweetness, port, macaroons, chocolate, fudge, Bourbon County; the back end drops lingering raisins, cherries, fruit cake. Fantastic. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. What an improvement as a FRESH beer from the 2013 release. They dialed back the sweetness, ratcheted up the complexity, and the end result is amazing. This is great stuff to sip on and enjoy, and I would not recommend pairing it with anything. I'm happy to have snagged some of this year's vintage, and I hope they release it again next year. 

Random Thought: I think that covers all the 2014 Beaver Countries. 

New Holland Pilgrim's Dole

Brewed By: New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack purchased at Binny's in IL; 2014 (Vintage 2014)

Style/ABV: American Wheatwine, 12.0%

Reported IBUs: 30

Oh lordy, reformatting laptops and backing up files takes a long time. I'm happy to be cracking into a beer. About New Holland:

New Holland Brewing Company are a Midwest brewery based out of Holland, Michigan. The brewery was founded in 1996, and they produce about 10,000 barrels annually. They have a handful of staples, including their Mad Hatter IPA and their The Poet Stout, and they also have a handful of seasonal offerings.

The bottle of the Pilgrim's Dole reads: "Rich, malty body with unique caramelized character and hints of raisins, nut and figs. Pairings: fruit crisps, creme brulee, salted caramels, slow-roasted meats." This one is brewed with 50% wheat malt, and uses U.S. Golding and Nugget hops. 

New Holland Pilgrim's Dole

No surprises here: this pours into a slightly hazy, reddish-brown, Barleywine color, kicking up two fingers of caramel-tinged head. The head retention is persistent like Nintendo fans on OkCupid, and the lacing has those mad Spider-Man clings. This is a well-carbonated beer, with numerous streams of small to mid-sized carb rising up through the reddish/orange body (in bright light). It's a Barleywine with wheat.

The aroma on this is really fantastic, with all sorts of sugary and malty notes dancing to the forefront. I'm getting big raisins, figs, dried berries, and Twizzlers. The oak and bourbon add some layers of raisins, wood, and vanilla to the nose...and this smells both dense and somewhat boozy. There are some nice layers of sugars, molasses, and cherry fruits on the nose as well, with a hint of almonds and amaretto. 

Ah...this is blissfully delicious. The taste mirrors the nose, but adds a layer of pastry-like goodness...I'm reminded of Baklava, with all those nuts and caramel and sugars. This hits big caramel sugars, molasses, and raisins out the gate...with some tannin from the wood, bourbon burn, and raisins coming along for the ride. There are layers of cherries, figs, caramel sugars, molasses, browns sugar, chocolate, and nuttiness. Like most malt-forward Barleywines, this one is somewhat one-dimensional in its approach...and yet it's so delicious. 

This is full-bodied, dense stuff. I am getting a lot of bourbon in here, but the alcohol is tempered at 12%. This is still a sipper. The carbonation helps move things along, but tannin from the wood, bourbon-raisin burn, and diabetus-inducing sugars slow things down. As they should. It's a Barleywine, yo. Having said that, while the palate depth is spot on with great depth and duration, the complexity is a bit 1-D at the moment. I dunno though. Up front: fruit notes, figs, cherries, quad-like overripe fruits, wheat malts; the mids roll into huge waves of sugar, bourbon-raisins, Baklava, amaretto, brown sugar, caramel; the back droops some lingering bourbon, chocolate, wood....the finish is sticky and boozy. Nice. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. I look forward to laying this one down in the cellar for a year or two, but right now this is pretty fantastic. This is a real sleeper from New Holland...I don't know if I like this more than Dragon's Milk, but it is definitely more complex. Or at least as complex as you can get for being essentially an English-style Barleywine. I'd second some of the food pairings: I'd like to pair this with grilled meats, Baklava, or a cigar.

Random Thought: Now that I have my new laptop in order, I need to work on building my desktop...FML. 

[Cellar Review] Samuel Adams Griffin's Bow Oaked Blonde Barleywine Ale (Vintage 2012)

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; [Batch No. 2] 2012
Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 45

Back on February 8, 2013, I reviewed the Sam Adam's Griffin's Bow. This inexpensive American Barleywine is both tasty and exotic. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin and Zeus hops, and aged on (or with) toasted oak, the Griffin's Bow is a creative take on the American Barleywine and part of Sam Adam's small batch series of beer. About Sam Adams:

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

Why age this beer? Good question. The bottle says: "Enjoy now or age it to further develop rich and unique flavors." The bottle also notes on the back: "From the aroma and notes of sweet honeysuckle, pineapple, and grapefruit, to richer hints of burnt sugar, and toffee, this intriguing brew is full of complex flavors. The distinct character of toasted oak adds depth and contrasts the light fruit sweetness. This unique take on a barleywine ale surprises with its smoothness and balance of fruit, hop citrus, and warmth." 

With that said, let's get this late 2012 vintage into a glass and see how a little over a year has done to this beer. 

Sam Adams Griffin's Bow (Vintage 2012)

This pours into a hazy, golden-orange body, and kicks up two fingers of dense, sustaining, golden-tinted head. Bright light confirms the hazy orange goodness, and you can see peppery dots of carbonation slowly ascending. Let me reiterate: head retention is really good here, with a finger still hanging around. There's plenty of lacing too. 

Even with the passion fruit/grape you'd expect from the Nelson Sauvin, I'm mostly getting pine, pine sap, caramel, toasted sugars, toasted oak, oak, and maybe some leafy hop aromas. There's some resin on the nose, and maybe some grape leaves, but there's lots of toasted sugars, sugar, and even a little grain/wood/coconut. 

As far the taste goes...this is inviting and warm, with lots of resinous pine, pine sap, and maple syrup up front; and some nice toasty oak, coconut, and toasted grains in the back. I wish this was a bit more complex, but it feels mellowed out at this point in time. There's a slightly harsh and astringent bitterness in here that I can't quite place a finger on...maybe a toasted grain character that shows up mid palate with some hop bitterness, before the beer mellows out into the oak in the back. Once you hit that oak note, you can dial up the wood and grain and things are okay. 

This is full-bodied, with lazy carbonation. It would be smooth and creamy if not for the sugary body that almost pulls like a mead or heavy wine. It's never cloying (imo), and you don't feel the full burden of the 10%. Still, this is a sipper through and through. Complexity is moderate, but the palate depth here leaves a bit to be desired. I feel like this beer could be more expansive and feature more depth across the front to back. Up front you get lots of resinous, sugar-coated pine sap, maple syrup, piney notes, caramel, brown sugar; the mids roll into more sugars, and then you get a bitter and astringent woody note, some grains, bitter hops; the back end is pleasant with nice oak, wood, coconut, toasted oak, toasted grains, lingering fruity sweetness. It's okay.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this beer. I seem to recall enjoying the slightly more when it was fresh. The zesty pineapple notes you get from the hops when this beer is fresh cuts through a bit of the cloying sweetness that has now come out after a year of letting the hops drop off. It's not bad though...I would definitely recommend aging one of these for fun, especially at $7 or $8 a bottle. Food pairings here include creme brulee, fruit cake, fig pudding, and heavily grilled meats and sausages. 

Random Thought: As predicted yesterday, my run tonight was horrible. I guess a weekend of drinking to the point of a hangover will do that to you. 

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2014 Reserve - "Best after 02/24/15")

Style/ABV: English-style Barley Wine, 11.2%
Reported IBUs: 53

Tonight's beer had a limited release event --- which I missed. But I was very happy to find it in bottles. 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 Mirror Mirror Barleywine is part of Deschutes' Reserve Series of beers. This beer began as a double batch of the Mirror Pond Ale, and should feature lots of big, Barleywine goodness. The bottle says a couple of things, including "best after 2/24/15;" "Mirror Mirror: Barley Wine Ale with 50% aged in wine barrels;" and, "The Reserve Series romance all began with our first release of this limited-edition brew. Mirror Mirror, born of a double batch of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, is an inspired barley wine ale layered with intriguing nuances. Explore this latest incarnation and enjoy its delicious complexity in every sip." 

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

This pours out exactly as you'd expect. Pick your tone: red, orange, amber, copper. It's kind of a murky haze of all of them. The beer produces two fingers of caramel/amber-tinted head, and the head is made up of really nice bubbles. There is impressive lacing, alcohol legs, and some head is retaining for the long haul. Bright light confirms much of the same, and you can see the dots of tiny carbonation rising upwards. Actually, the tight spiderweb lacing left on my glass is one of the best parts about this beer's appearance. 

On the aroma: I'm getting a lot of fruity notes and wine character here. I'm pulling out barrel and wine-driven dates, raisins, grapes, berries, cherry, strawberry, and tons of barrel/wine character. There's some nondescript hops on the aroma, with mild pine sap and hop sap, and there is also some underlying brown sugar and toffee sweetness. Overall though, the aroma on this one is somewhat subtle.

This is on the lighter side of Barley Wines, and it is still hoppy enough that it doesn't quite fall into the straight up English Barleywine category. I suspect with age some of these hops are going to mellow out into pine sap, maple syrup, and pine...and it's going to be very nice. I'm getting a lot of toffee, brown sugar, berries, wine tannin and barrel, sweet and candied hops, and sugary goodness. There is some nice barrel character in here, and the wine notes are very subtle with mild grape and tannin kick. It really does kind of taste like an amped up Pale Ale that has been given the wine barrel treatment. There are some cherries and raisins in the taste as well, along with hints of plums.

I'm gonna have to see how this one ages down the stretch. Right now this is Above-Average but it's not quite world class. It's very good though. I'd almost call this balanced and drinkable, especially for the style. While the mouthfeel is full-bodied, it is also thinner and lighter for the style. Nevertheless, you would never guess this is an 11.2% beer as the booze is largely hidden. The beer is well carbonated, and the hops and barrel help balance out the sweetness. Palate depth is fantastic, and the complexity is moderate. Up front is big hop bitterness, pine sap, candied hops, brown sugars, bitterness; that opens into more bitterness, barrel character, wine, tannin, dark sugars, fruits, toffee; the back end dials up some berry sweetness, figs, raisins, more barrel and tannin, lingering wine. The finish is dry and sweet, with tons of barrel and tons of brown sugar/fruit. I think this is going to be stellar in two years.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. Unlike The Abyss, I think this one will actually really benefit from aging. It's a bit hoppy right now, and that seems to be throwing things off a bit. Having said that, this is incredibly drinkable and balanced. I'm amazed at how smooth and drinkable this is for 11.2%. This is still nuanced enough to work as a sipper, but if you must pair it with food, I'd go with sweeter desserts like bread pudding, or maybe a burger with a sweet barbecue sauce. Good shit, I look forward to revisiting it.

Random Thought: I'm tired of reading about Session IPAs, right?

[Cellar Review] Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (Vintage 2013 - one year later)

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at ??? in IL; 2013 (bottled on date: 02/??/13)

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA/American Strong Ale, 15.0% ~ 20.0% 
Reported IBUs: 120

It's been a little over exactly one year since I reviewed the 2013 batch of 120 Minute IPA. It seems like we are due for an update. 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. You can also check out the brewery's Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, or Google Page. 

I'm not going to introduce the 120...if you care that much, check out my original review. I'm not sure if the bottle I'm opening tonight came from West Lakeview Liquors where I bought the bottle I reviewed back in 2013. This may be from a batch brewed slightly later, possibly purchased from Binny's. The bottled on date is smudged, but what is visible is: "Bottled On: 02/??/13." With that said, let's get this beer into a glass and see what's going on.

[Cellar Review] Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA (Vintage 2013)

The appearance is already starting to lighten up a bit, with the beer pouring into a semi-hazy dark orange body. The body has some nice gold tones, with some amber as well. The beer kicks up a finger's worth of amber-tinted head, and the head leaves webs of lacing, followed by glossy alcohol legs. Bright light really reveals the beautiful golden-orange body, but you can see the suspended yeast mucking up the beer in bright light as well. There's nice carbonation and some head retention as well. 

As far as the aroma goes, this has already begun the march towards becoming a full blown Barleywine. Gone are the intense plums and candi sugars. Gone is the boozy apricot and tangerine. I'm getting big pine, toffee, pine sap, maple syrup, marzipan, dark sugars, brown sugar, molasses, and underlying hops. There's still some boozy pine, orange, and lemon on the nose...but this beer is closer to a Barleywine at this point in time than it is a boozy Imperial IPA. It's incredible what one year of aging can do to a beer. 

The taste has held up better than the aroma. While the front end is loaded with pine, pine sap, maple syrup, marzipan, and huge brown sugars, the mids hit you with boozy apricot and guava, orange and tangerine sweetness, sugary Pine-Sol, and boozy raspberries that are inherent to DFH's high gravity lineup. I'm getting a lot of dense, boozy sweetness, with huge raspberries, candied citrus, fruity plums, and big fruity alcohol. The beer has cakey malt sweetness, and there's still some enamel-crushing hop kick. This tastes like it could easily mellow out for another year or two. The finish also cleans up relatively dry, all things considered. 

After a year, this is still full-bodied, dense, and over-the-top. This beer is insanely sweet, and it's boozy. At around 15%-20%, you'd expect that. The beer has a good mouthfeel with lots of carbonation, hop kick, booze, sugar, and a surprisingly dry and slightly bitter finish. The 120 IBUs are hardly noticeable on the huge malty backdrop, but you do pick up some alcohol. Palate depth and duration are outstanding, and complexity is very high as well. While the aroma of this vintage has turned into a Barleywine, the beer still tastes like a mix of an American Barleywine and a super high gravity, overly hoppy IPA. Up front: cakey malts, pine sap, maple syrup, brown sugar, marzipan, big sweetness; the mids roll into huge guava, tangerine, boozy sugars, fusel alcohol, fruity sweetness, Pine-Sol, plums, and boozy raspberries; the back end features trailing raspberries, alcohol, hops, and fade to sticky/dry.

Rating: Divine Brew

This is still an epic sipper, probably a Light Divine Brew. There is nothing else quite like this beer...and it really deserves your attention over an hour or so. It's a sipper, and it's also a great Winter Warmer. It's in that realm of Scotch or Port Wine. This is aging wonderfully, and has a long way to go. Right now I feel like this could easily age for two or three more years. I'll probably pull a bottle in two or three, and then again in five. I also have a bottle of Fort going, which I hope to dig out for a very special occasion. 

Random Thought: I've been seeing the 120 on shelves a lot more these days. Given that fact, definitely think about picking up a few bottles. Try this one fresh, and let it age. It's a fun one, and one of DFH's more interesting releases. 

Firestone Walker §ucaba (Abacus)

Brewed By: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California

Purchased: 22oz (1 Pint, 6oz) bomber from Binny's in Chicago, Illinois; 2014 (2014 Vintage)

Style/ABV: English Barleywine, 13.5% 

Reported IBUs: 42

Tonight I'm slaying a West Coast #whale checking a beer off my bucket list. About Firestone: 

Tonight I'm looking at a beer from the folks at Firestone Walker Brewing. The brewery was founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone (son of Brooks Firestone) and David Walker (husband of Adam's sister). The brothers brewed their first beer in 1996, in a small facility rented from the Firestone Vineyard estate in Santa Barbara County. In 2001, the brothers-in-law purchased SLO Brewing Company in Paso Robles, CA, and set up camp. Despite being relatively new to craft beer, the brewery has a ton of accolades, and is known for their Reserve line and their oak barrel brewing system. You can learn more about the history of the brewery here and here. 

The §ucaba aka the "Sucaba" is Firestone's barleywine formerly known as Abacus. The brewery was forced to change the beer's name due to trademark disputes with ZD Wines of Napa. ZD Wines makes a high-end Cabernet Sauvignon called Abacus. What can you do but lawyer up and scramble those letters. At least Firestone has a cool trademark dispute story that came from it.

The §ucaba is a "true English Barley wine." This one is brewed in bourbon oak barrels, and is described as having complex malt flavors with dark chocolate, vanilla, toasted coconut, and dark cherries. This one uses Bravo, and East Kent Golding hops. The malt bill includes Munton's Pale, Crisp Maris Otter Pale, Munich, Dark & Light Crystal, and Chocolate malts. Punching in at 13.5% and 42 IBUs, this is a beer to be sipped on for the ages.

Firestone Walker §ucaba (Abacus) - 2014

The 2014 §ucaba pours initially into a dark raisin body, but quickly settles into a murky, dark brown haze. It's like the DV clinic on barrel aged beers. The beer kicks up a finger of foamy, brown head. When I shine a bright light through the heart of this beer, I get a beet-red body with serious ruby tones. There's also a good amount of sediment floating around with the streams of tiny carbonation. The beer has vitality: swirling it kicks up a ring of brown/amber head, and there is sticky lacing and glossy alcohol legs to boot.

Straight up on the aroma I'm getting a good amount of bourbon and barrel character. It's fleeting though, as the aroma gives way to brown sugar, raisins/figs/cherries, toffee, chocolate, oven toasted coconut, vanilla-coconut, and some tropical fruit sweetness. The tropical fruit sweetness is in the realm of coconut and pineapple, and I think it is coming from the beer's high levels of sugar...it could be a hop character playing off the sweetness. This smells good, but not dick-ripping-off. Here's to the taste, chimp, here's to the taste.

Holy shit. Wow. Based on the aroma, I was not expecting this amount of awesome. Straight up is a huge HUG of sweetness, with bourbon, oak, giant inviting barrel character, vanilla, coconut, and chocolate. The mouthfeel is full-bodied and dense and boozy, but for some reason it doesn't approach cloying. I'm getting bourbon, barrel, toffee, raisins, figs, cherries, chocolate/vanilla, big toasted coconut, intense brown sugar, molasses, nuttiness from the coconut, and hints of elusive pineapple-coconut sweetness. There's a light kiss of sharp booze and some barrel tannin goodness. Yum.

This is banging, with a full-bodied mouthfeel that still falls on the lighter side of what you could get at 13.5% and in a barrel. It's sugary and big, with minimal carbonation and lots of slickness. It's a sipper, yo. This beer also unravels layers of toffee, sweet coconut, and cherry as it warms up. I cannot stress this enough, pull this out at cellar temps and let it warm up. Palate depth is great, and this beer has really nice complexity for what essentially is a one-dimensional style of Strong Ale. You get oak, bourbon, and booze up front, with burgeoning figs, raisins, and cherries, and some nice chocolate/vanilla; the mids dial up layers of toffee, brown sugar, chocolate, vanilla, coconut, cherries, and hints of pineapple/coconut; the back is lingering oak/vanilla/coconut, lingering toffee, and sticky, boozy goodness. This is a hell of a sipper, and should last you over an hour or two.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. This is kind of hot right now (my fault, I know), and probably will smooth out a bit with a year or two under the belt. I think cellaring beer is overrated, and I am usually the person telling you to NOT age your #whale, but you can definitely keep a spare bottle or two of this for a rainy day. Do try it fresh though...it's drinking VERY, VERY nice right now. I have no complaints, and plan to sit back with the second half of my bottle and watch The Walking Dead. This is the ultimate "don't pair with food" beer, so yeah. Sip on this. Enjoy. Life is short, and this is a diamond in the rough. Recommended.

Random Thought: I'm going full insanity wolf here, being that a few hours ago I was crapping out a kidney via IBS. I had IBS on top of running and lifting weights, so I am -- as they say -- le tired. I'm going to sleep like a drunk baby tonight. 

Pipeworks The Murderous (Tales From The Oak / Barrel Aged Murderous / aged in Elijah Craig 12 Barrels)

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 12oz bottle (Batch #107) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 04.18.2013)

Style/ABV: Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine-style Ale, 11.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

I'm really excited to have tracked down this beer, especially after really enjoy Pipeworks' barrel-aged The Jones Dog. 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.

Tonight's beer was bottled back in early 2013. I reviewed a batch of the Pipeworks Murderous (the base beer), and found it to be just okay. I really think the fusion of the bourbon barrel can greatly improve the base beer, so I have high hopes for this beer. The back of the bottle states:

"Our Murderous, English style barley wine, aged in Elijah Craig Bourbon Barrels."

Pipeworks The Murderous / BA Elijah Craig 12

This one pours into a hazy/murky dark-brown, golden raisin color. It looks like your typical Barleywine that has spent some time in a barrel, with deceptive dark brown darkness that is actually more golden raisin in color. The beer kicks up a finger of amber-tinted head, but that gives way to a ring of off-color lacing and some hazy cauldron effect action. There's some glossy alcohol legs to boot. It's not a pretty beer...but then how many barrel-aged beers are.

The aroma here is nothing spectacular, with straightforward bourbon/whiskey, some raisin sweetness, and hints of cherries and fruits. I'm getting mild oak/wood, and the underwhelming Murderous backdrop.

This is okay...I'm getting raisins, light wheat malt character, apples, and mild whiskey sweetness. There's a hint of bourbon/oak/vanilla, and tons of sugar....I'm getting sweet raisins, cherry cola, toasted grains, light nutty, hints of toasted coconut, and lingering grain/coconut in the back.

A couple thoughts...the barrel does improve the base beer, but I still think the base beer could be made better. This is okay, but it's very much par the course, I think. The mouthfeel is medium-full to full-bodied, with good palate depth and low complexity. At 11.0% this is actually fairly drinkable, with non-obstructive barrel AND low levels of residual sugars. This is really a beer in two parts: up front are raisins, fruits, wheat malts, apples, alcohol sweetness, sugar; the mids hit some of those sweeter, English-style Barleywine notes; and the back end dials up the toasted grains, nutty notes, and hints of toasted coconut. The finish features lingering coconut/toasted grains, some boozy warming, and moderate levels of residual sugars for the style. The barrel character could be more involved, and the base beer could be better.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. I think this is going to be my least favorite of the Pipeworks' "Tales From The Oak" series. Having said that, this is still an enjoyable English-style Barleywine, and this is better than the base beer. At around $8/12oz bottle, this may not be the best investment out there...but how many barrel-aged Barleywines are readily available? You can pair this beer with a myriad of desserts, namely creme brulee. I think this is a good attempt from Pdubs, but I really want to see a Murderous 2.0. Or maybe that's just me.

Random Thought: Up next....The Last Kiss.