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

Destihl Dosvidanya 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: 84

Tonight's beer is part of the increasingly interesting Midwest portfolio of stellar BA stouts. I've been sleeping on this one for a few years, but the word really needs to get out. 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 Dosvidanya Rye is another wrinkle to the Dosvidanya lineup, featuring 2-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, wheat, black malt, caramel malt 120, munich malt, victory malt, extra special malt, rice hulls, and of course rye whiskey barrels.

Destihl Dosvidanya Rye 2017

The appearance of this beer is dark, and it manages to produce Stormy Daniels amount of head. There's a fair amount of lacing, and I'm not just talking about her outfit. The legs are abundant, but what really works here is the beer's gentle demeanor. From the onset the bottle art conveys a sweet gentle tone, but lurking beneath is a brutalist concrete interior, hardened mentality, and cutthroat soldier. You have to be tough as nails to handle all four and a half eight inches of el presidente. Or whatever. 

I would say this is one of the more aromatically interesting stouts I've had in a while. The nose conveys rye, dark cherry notes, fudge, oak, chocolate, nice layers of wood, and some hints of coffee. Missing from the nose is overt raisin and whiskey tones, which you often find in these stouts. It's a welcomed change of pace.

The taste is a complex fusion of rye whiskey barrel, cherry-fudge, chocolate dipped cherries, layers of wood, almost-cherry-skin without any hint of sour, chocolate-forward coffee without any artificial or adjunct chocolate notes, gentle alcohol kisses, and a lot of complex caramel notes. It's a very constrained and mature interpretation of the style.

My untappy notes say: "Next best deviant after the og. Tons of chocolate, rye, coffee, licorice, vanilla, macaroon, wood, spice. 3d and complex like anal." I of course penned that slightly tipsy at Dosvidanya day. But to give credit to myself, I think that is mostly fair. I'm not getting quite as much vanilla or macaroon at the moment, but the licorice is a natural comp to the big cherry notes in this beer. This is full-bodied, complex stuff. It has good depth, complexity, and structure. The way this lingers on your palate reminds me of Deschutes' The Abyss. It kind of has a bitter, cherry-forward, caramel-driven finish with hints of rye. It doesn't finish overly sweet, and it leans away from the barrel/spirit sweetness and instead favors complexity and flavor. Again, this is a very mature stout. I'd say up front I'm getting chocolate, black cherries, chocolate-cherry-coffee; the mids drop rye and licorice and the viscosity picks up; the back end starts with aggressive layers of wood and barrel, and fade into lingering rye and cherries and caramel and dryness. 

Look...before I drop the score...this is riding the line between a strong above-average and light divine brew for me. I think there are a lot of amazing barrel-aged stouts presently available, and I would not hesitate to recommend this beer. BUT BUT BUT what makes this beer ESPECIALLY INTERESTING is the presence of the almost-jammy-but-not-at-all-sour fruity cherry notes. It's just a super unique, uncommon flavor not present in 99% of barrel-aged stouts. And that not only counts for something, but it makes this variant especially unique and interesting. I've emphasized on this blog before how I think review scores are basically bullshit and that people need to move in the direction of nuance with beer. There is nothing I've tasted quite like the Dosvidanya Rye 2017. It's almost flirting with something like Goose Island's Backyard Rye, only way more complex. And I really dig that. I'm curious to see how this ages, but as it stands on this present date: 

Rating: LIGHT LIGHT Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Random Thought: Destihl has figured out the stout game, but they are really lagging behind with cool glassware. As I am aware, there is no Dosvidanya glassware. And that is ridiculous considering they have made 'Dosvidanya Day' an event. ISO: kick ass Dosvidanya glassware.

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. 

Pipeworks The Money (CA$H 4 Golden Ale aged in Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon Barrels)

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #473/474) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2015 (bottled 08.??.2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 13.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's not Pipeworks Thursday™ but who gives a shit. Way back when I reviewed that CA$H Money, and the Elijah Craig 12 Year is delicious. So how about "Our "Ca$h 4 Golden Ale" aged in Elijah Craig 12 year old Bourbon Barrels." Oh yes please. 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.

Pipeworks The Money

This pours into a golden/honey-colored body, kicking up a finger of restrained, white head. This looks like a Belgian Ale that has been through the bourbon ringer. It is slightly hazy but still really well-carbed. Even Snoop was like dayummm. BJCP - bongs, jello, cash, paninis. 

Let's not pretend Allagash and the Bruery haven't done this already, but this mashes pineapples and white saffron and wheat-apples and grapes (you know, that Strong Ale base) with oak, vanilla, a pound of white sugar, bourbon spice, cinnamon, and some light barrel. It has that Belgian nose, and smells like any Tripel or what-have-you crammed into a barrel. 

Oh dayum, son. This is straight up fantastic, bringing tons of bourbon flavor to the fold with big vanilla, maple syrup, cinnamon/brown sugar, and then tons of apples, saffron, grapes, tannic and grainy gooseberries, overripe bananas, juicy stone fruits, and appreciable pineapple. This lays on some nice bitterness, and while this is super sweet it feels mature. This is going to be an inherently sweet beer, as are White Oak and any other similar offering. 

This is sneaky like a Golden Strong/Tripel, and you don't taste any of the 13%. The only suggestion of alcohol comes from the saccharine assault and bourbon character. This is full-bodied, big, boozy, and has good duration for the style. Palate depth is good, complexity is middle-of-the-road (but pretty good for this style). This beer is my jam. This style is my jam. You get an explosion of tropical fruits, saffron, apples, and grapes up front; that rolls into more pineapple, apple, saffron, bourbon, some spice; the back end drops a little alcohol, oak, barrel, and finishes nicely for something as big and sweet as this. I like this a lot. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this beer. I'm so proud of Pipeworks, growing up to be on the same level as breweries like Allagash or The Bruery. Okay, I'm not not 100% serious. That would be the overstatement of the year if I was. Shoving any beer into an Elijah Craig 12 Year barrel is like using Citra hops or a drone strike. It's cheating. Anyway, this is good stuff and my only regret is it doesn't have the production of something like a White Oak. I wouldn't go food crazy with this beer...sip on it, enjoy.

Random Thought: I really wish I knew anything about bourbon and/or whiskey but I don't. I also don't have the money or cache to hunt down elusive bourbon whales. Thus, my thoughts on bourbon are shit just like this blog. If you are reading this, have all my apologies. 

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. 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 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 08/28/2014)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged American Stout, 13.8% 

Reported IBUs: 60

I've been all up on the 2014 variants of Bourbon County, including the vanilla, prop, and coffee, so it is high time I review the 2014 base beer. 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 Stout punches in at 13.8% ABV, 60 IBUs, and is brewed with 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts; Willamette hops; and is aged in bourbon barrels. 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2014

If you are unfamiliar with how Bourbon County looks, do yourself a favor and skip the descriptors on sites like BA. All you really need is this formula: [synonym for black] body + [synonym for opaque] + [synonym for brown-colored head] + [comment about alcohol legs]. Like many barrel-aged beers, this one also has pour head retention. It's a barrel-aged stout. Ceasaronis abide. 

The 2014 vintage is a departure from previous year's, with pronounced fruity notes immediately noticeable on the aroma. It smells very much like a stripped down Backyard Rye in some respects, with notes of raspberry, cherry, boysenberry, blackberry, and even some faint raisin. The fruity notes don't offset the fat, usual, Bourbon County aromas; you still get tons of fudge, fat bourbon sweetness, chocolate, brownie, coconut, and macaroons. There's a good amount of turbinado sugar in here as well, with some brown sugar. It's very much a layered and complex aroma, and it's very much a layered and complex beer.

The taste is very much a mirror of the aroma, with intensely fruity, booze soaked notes on the outset. The beer hits you up with tons of barrel, raspberry/boysenberry/blackberry fruit up front, and then dips into the bourbon, chocolate, fudge, and sugary sweetness we've all come to love from Bourbon County. The back end lingers with sticky-sweet sugars, fruits, barrel, some complex roast, and then finishes surprisingly dry. 

This is uber complex, and the 2014 vintage's fruity notes are an enjoyable addition. Palate depth is great, the beer has insane duration, and this is a full-bodied beer. You feel the weight of the 13.8%, and this is definitely a sipper. I'm not going to run through the front-end, mids, and back-end, but this is intensely fruity up front, features a lot of bourbon sweetness and chocolate/fudge/macaroons in the mids, and rolls out more fruits, alcohol, and nice dryness in the back. This is just insanely complex this year with the additional layer of the fruits...and while I have really enjoyed previous vintages that highlighted the fudge/chocolate/brownie/coconut/macaroon aspect of this beer, I think the fruity notes are equally appreciable and will make this an interesting beer to age down the stretch. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. I can't really say if this is the best vintage of Bourbon County, because I think a lot of that comes down to individual preference. What I will say is I really appreciate the fruity layers, and I am curious to see if they hold up with age. This is the type of beer you can age...but it is drinking great fresh. You can pair this with ice cream, a cigar, dry cakes, a raunchy burger, or just snifter it and think about it. I also have some Randall plans for this vintage. Mmm. 

Random Thought: Seriously, I'm not looking forward to next year's release. 

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner

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: American Bourbon Barrel Stout/Smoked Beer, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I don't know if I have had a Bourbon Barrel aged smoked beer before. 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 Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner is so OG it doesn't have a website entry. The bottle reads: "Over the years we have brewed a plethora of big stouts and porters, and the idea of brewing an imperial smoked stout was something we had been kicking around for awhile. When an open brew day presented itself, we knew exactly what to do. The base stout focuses on rich caramel and chocolate notes with a deep savory/smokey backbone. The entire batch found its way into bourbon barrels where it rested for over a year. An enticing combination of sweet and savory, with waves of dark chocolate and vanilla that wash over the palate. Cheers to stoking the creative flame in all of us!"

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner

As you can imagine, this pours into some dark, inky body, with a finger of brown head. There is some lacing and alcohol legs...usual stuff from the Stout assembly line. 

The aroma has mad bourbon appeal, with luscious Bourbon County-like chocolate, brownie, coconut, macaroons, and raisins-cherry sweetness. There's some alcohol jumping around in here, but nothing you wouldn't get in the spirit itself. The barrel isn't overtly pronounced, and I'm not getting the smoke on the aroma. 

Wow, this is really good. Like, Bourbon County good. Like holy shit, I was not expecting this banger after the other Jackie O's bottle offerings I have had. This has giant chocolate, brownie, vanilla, complex coconut and macaroon notes, intense oak/bourbon/barrel, and lots of alcohol spiciness. The smoke is more of an afterthought here, and the beer is all the better for it. Between the fruity whiskey notes, the cherry-raisins hints, and the sugary sweetness, this dips into alcohol and smokey spice. This stays away from the intense smoke...this isn't a Rauchbier, there is no bacon...and I'm not even mad. 

This is full-bodied, but the intense bourbon sweetness balances out the alcohol heat. It appropriately feels like an 11% beer, without any baggage. Palate depth is good, with lengthy duration. Complexity is high. I'm not gonna wax poetic, this drops Bourbon County chocolate, macaroons and coconut up front; whiskey sweetness, dark fruits, rum, alcohol spice, and smoke show up in the mids; the back end drives home nuanced barrel, bourbon, and smokey notes. This is fan-fucking-tastic and totally caught me off guard.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. I would need another bottle or two to convince myself that this deserve the 5.0/5.0, but it feels like it is basically there. It's like Bourbon County with that spicy, smoke wrinkle. This would pair well with a cigar, or just as a sipper like I am sipping now. Fantastic stuff...and just what I was looking for to round out the evening. 

Random Thought: There are many things about craft beer that suck, but one of the top annoyances are all the misconceptions about aging beer. 

Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas 2014

Brewed By: Begyle Brewing in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, 9.8

Reported IBUs: ?

After the dust cleared in Chicago following Black Friday, beer shelves were left stocked with hidden gems like Dino S'Mores, Backwoods Bastard, and Begyle's Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas. I'm not saying that says anything, but it seems like a lot of tourists and non-beer nerds show up to get their BCBS. And I'm okay with that....more tasty beer for me. About Begyle Brewing: 

Begyle Brewing is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois. The brewery's motto is, "A Community Supported Brewery," and that is how they promoted their successful Kickstarter and successful launch. The brewery was found on 2012, and offers a subscription for their growler program, as well as growler fills and bottles. For more info, check out their website or Facebook.

The Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas is a "barrel aged imperial stout" aged in bourbon barrels. Per Begyle, this is their coffee infused oatmeal stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. The Begyle Flannel Pajamas is an oatmeal stout; the Begyle Imperial Pajamas is an imperial oatmeal coffee stout; and the Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas is an imperial oatmeal barrel-aged coffee stout. Shit is getting real and deep.

Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas 2014

As you might expect, this pours into a black, opaque body, kicking up a finger of brown/tan head. The head leaves some nice lacing and alcohol legs, and has a nice ring around the glass with some sea foam/cauldron effect action. It's a good looking beer, but what beer isn't.

On the aroma: lots of bourbon. Lots of Heaven Hill sweetness, which has big notes of raisins, and lots of whiskey sweetness. The Heaven Hill barrel notes are distinct, and channel similar vibes found in the FiftyFifty Imperial Eclipse Stout - Heaven Hill Rittenhouse Rye Barrel. There is some big underlying sweetness on the aroma, with coconut, dark fruit, and cherries coming up. There's also a medicinal or cola-like note that I can't quite place. I'm getting some Twizzlers, and a lot more whiskey/fruit. Heaven Hill has #rekt this base beer.

Wow. This is unassuming upon first sip, with big whiskey and raisins sweetness not opening up into anything. But about 10 seconds into the sip, the oatmeal, coconut, and chocolate grabs hold, and the beer rattles the cage with subtle coffee notes, vanilla, bourbon, brownie notes, and tons of depth. As you acclimate yourself to the two sides of this beer, you pick up some integration between the whiskey fruits, cherries, Twizzlers, raisins, and intense bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, coconut, and barrel. This definitely has coffee in it, and the coffee plays with the alcohol in the beer, hinting at alcoholic coffee and vodka infused Kahlua. This is impressively complex, and continues to hit new notes for me: roast, faint espresso, macaroons, fudge, brownie, bourbon, and an umami note like soy-dipped chocolate sans any soy sauce. 

This is an incredible beer. Most barrel aged oatmeal stouts are, but this just hits so many awesome notes with so much complexity. It's an impressive package, throwing an imperial oatmeal stout into Heaven Hill barrels. At 9.8%, you do get some booze, but this is not hot. Palate depth is good, and this has amazing duration. This doesn't quite coat your mouth like some beers, but despite that fact, this still manages to come in as lightly full-bodied. I've heard some people call this beer "thin." Those people are wrong. This is not thin. This isn't as thick as other BBA stouts, but it's just dandy. Up front: waves of dark fruits, cherries, raisins, Twizzlers, growing bourbon and chocolate; the mids hit this fantastic coffee/chocolate/coconut thing, with some alcohol, Kahlua; the back end dips into barrel, more bourbon, more lingering one-off notes, and just tons of complexity. I could drink this all day.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. This is a great bourbon-barrel aged beer, would buy/drink again. I don't even want to pair this with food, just sip on this monster. The fact that this beer sat around on shelves for so long is perfect, I look forward to hunting this down next time it is released. 

Random Thought: 2014....RIP mufucka. 

Founders Backwoods Bastard

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan

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

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, 10.2%

Reported IBUs: 50

Thanks to Founders' increased distribution, Backwoods Bastard was much more plentiful this year. I hope this trend continues, because it would be nice to see something like KBS become a shelf turd like their Breakfast Stout. About Founders:

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

The Backwoods Bastard is the bourbon barrel-aged version of the Dirty Bastard, which is just a phenomenal, readily available, American-made Scotch Ale. 

The Backwoods Bastard is relatively unassuming...it pours into a murky, red-brown body, kicking up a finger of caramel-tinged head. This is a relatively well-carbonated beer, and suspended yeast is clearly visible in the body. I always look forward to busting out my Scotch Ale glass.

Founders Backwoods Bastard

Unlike the appearance, the aroma is pretty vivid and engaging. Straight away is a ton of oak, bourbon, coconut, and raisin-whiskey sweetness. There are some serious cherry notes on the aroma as well, with toffee, and English-style Barleywine notes coming along for the ride. There are a lot of complex layers of malt aroma, and the barrel takes the Scotch Ale into English Barleywine territory. 

It's very interesting to see how oak barrels can change certain style of beers...in this case, the oak and bourbon adds a lot of complimentary notes to the deep, peat-like malts. This isn't a super thick beer, but there's a ton of malt depth and layers of oak, wood, bourbon, raisin-sweetness, toffee, dark fruits, and barrel character. It all ties into a fruity licorice note, which is quite nice. As this warms up, you get a really nice chocolate and English-style Barleywine character, courtesy of the bourbon and oak. Hints of coconut and grain start to show up, and it adds a much welcomed layer of complexity that elevates this into something beyond average.

At 10.2%, I'm tasting a little booze in here...this is definitely a bit hot, but I like it. The bourbon and whiskey notes are welcomed, in my opinion. I think the style and the peated malts lend themselves to a little whiskey/bourbon heat. This is medium-bodied, surprisingly, but has really good palate depth and lots of complexity. A lot of the complexity here is unlocked at warmer temps. This has a lot of bourbon and whiskey up front; it gives way to great fruit notes, spice, licorice, toffee, wood, peat malts, bitterness, wood tannin; the back end drops peat malts and finishes nicely. This is a great barrel-aged Scotch Ale. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. I wouldn't pass this up...I think it's a pretty fantastic beer. I don't know if I would age this, maybe for a year or two tops to see if it mellows out...but I think this is impressive. It's a nice twist on a relatively one-note style of beer. Founders did a very good job letting the bourbon and barrel stand out here. I would not pair this with much, maybe a dessert....it's very similar to an English-style Barleywine, with barrels. 

Random Thought: I feel like a "state of the blog" is in order. I apologize to the six people that read this pile of word vomit. I have been quite busy with graduate school...I've also been on a tight budget. Those two things have sort of constrained my beer drinking and beer reviewing. On the other hand, as a graduate student, I find myself drinking a lot more. Hmmm. DAE alcoholism. Actually, I think it's just grad school. "If it doesn't kill you, it'll make your liver stronger." 

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.