Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee 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 11/07/2014, #1329)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged American Coffee Stout, 12.6% 

Reported IBUs: 60

Due to the incredible hype, I missed out on the 2013 Bourbon County Coffee. The last vintage I cracked was back in 2012, and it was fantastic. Here's to hoping the 2014 is as good. 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 Coffee Stout is brewed with Intelligentsia, as per usual. This year's blend features Zirikana coffee beans, from Rwanda. Suggested flavors from the Zirikana beans include lime zest, black tea, and a crisp grape in the finish. Aside from that, the Boubcon County Coffee is brewed with 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts; Columbus hops; and punches in around 60 IBUs and 12.6%. The bottle says this "develops in the bottle for up to 5 years," but I would suggest drinking your coffee stout sooner than later.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout 2014

If you don't know what Bourbon County looks like when you pour it, look at the image to the right or google it. And then drain pour all your beers. Seriously, I don't even know anymore. The beer does appear to have some coffee oils in it, which is my useful contribution for this one.

Also, as you might expect, this smells like an explosion of aromatic coffee. The coffee on the aroma is super sharp and bright, with (good) acrid bitterness, intense coffee berries and citrus, and intense raw coffee that is unlike anything you find in most other coffee beers. It's like grinding coffee and sticking that aroma into your beer. Along with the coffee is rich chocolate, bourbon, vanilla, and intense base beer. It smells magical, like a fusion of Bourbon County with the finest freshly ground coffee.

This is incredibly rich, and that base beer is just fantastic dropping intense fruity notes this year, with bourbon, chocolate, brownies, and treacle sweetness that is unmatched. The coffee itself is bright and fruity, with some acidity. Coffee is highly preferential, so I get why some people aren't feeling the vibe from this year's coffee choice. I actually really like this, and I'm enjoying the berry and citrus notes from the coffee, which give the beer a fruit-like element. The coffee still drops bitter roast and deep earthy/dirt notes towards the back end, and there is a lot of thick chocolate and bourbon dancing throughout. The coffee definitely plays up the fruit though. It kind of reminds me of the Backyard Rye, which isn't a bad thing at all. 2014 is without a fruit variant, so this is good middle ground...if you're into that sort of thing. I'm picking up some nice booze on the back end of this as well, but that is also probably due to the fact that I'm chasing the Begyle Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas.

At 12.6%, this is incredibly thick. I was concerned about the lower ABV on the 2014 BCBS, but those fears have officially been laid to bed. This is a dense, full-bodied, sticky beer. Palate depth is high, and the complexity is pretty grand. Full disclaimer: I don't think this is as good as the 2012 vintage. BUT, this has great integration of the 2014 Bourbon County base beer (which is more fruity than past vintages) and the coffee which has bright and floral fruit notes itself. This is an enjoyable beer. Up front: silky chocolate, coffee, berries, citrus, fruity sweetness, intense sugars; that rolls into more coffee beans, some earthy coffee, more intense sweetness, bourbon, sugars, underlying fudge; the back end trails with coffee, sweetness....a lot of sugar up in here. This is sweeter than the 2014 Prop. But it's fantastic. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. I get the people who aren't feeling this year's coffee...as a coffee addict, I'm actually on board with this. This beer is incredibly silky, and it's a true sipper. If you can hang with the coffee they used, you're going to be in for a treat. If you don't like the coffee in this beer, trade it for some of the BW. Food pairings here include not much, because this is solid as a sipper. Maybe ice cream?

Random Thought: Is anyone else sick of hoppy beers? Oh wait, no, no we aren't. Because it is 2014, and there are an abundance of non-hoppy beers everywhere these days. 

Two Brothers Atom Smasher [REDUX]

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2014 vintage)

Style/ABV: American-Style Oktoberfest, 7.7%
Reported IBUs: 22.6

Holy shit. I can't believe my review of this beer from 2011. That's right...back in 2011, back when I thought I was hot shit, I reviewed the Atom Smasher. And at that time, I thought this beer was pretty solid. Since then, I have been seeking this beer out every year. I figured it was time to give my updated thoughts on it. About Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant. If you get the chance, swing by and check out their Roundhouse. It's an awesome joint, and needs all the love it can get. For more information, check out their about page/website.

The Atom Smasher is part of the Two Brothers' "J Series" of beers. This Oktoberfest-style beer has a unique twist: it is aged in Oak Foudres. 

You're probably wondering why I'm doing a redux review of this beer, or why I even care enough to review it twice. After all, the Oktoberfest style is one of the most boring styles of beer. Well, I'm here to tell you...this is probably the best Oktoberfest available in the Midwest. Or at least in Chicago and the state of Illinois.

Two Brothers Atom Smasher [REDUX]

I mean, just look at that dark orange/copper body. Look at that caramel head. This beer is several shades darker than most Oktoberfests, and deposits brilliant alcohol legs which hint at the 7.7% lurking beneath. 

The aroma here is equally intriguing. The oak foudres contribute very subtle notes on the nose with gentle vanilla, oak, and wood coming through in the aroma. You also get huge caramel sugars, toast, and big nuttiness. This beer is exceptionally nutty, and it does veer into weird pork/sausage aromas. The whole aroma is backed by dried berries and suggestive fruity notes. It's a complex aroma, it's sweet, it's nutty, it's fruity, it's oaky...it smells fucking amazing. And it's just an Oktoberfest!

This also tastes incredibly complex...and not just for the style. As a beer, in general, this is very complex. There are molasses, dark sugar, oak, vanilla, caramel, berries, nuts, and dried berries at work in this beer. The beer lingers for a while, driven by some bitter hops and toasted notes, and then lingers with sweet sugars and lingering barrel. The main characters here are -- of course -- sweet and malty. And there's plenty of that; big caramel, oak, vanilla, and malty sugars. There are also nice bready notes in here. But this is really a big, flavorful beer. And it better be at 7.7%.

I'd call this beer medium-full bodied. It's not quite Stout, but it is thick and it is sweet. You might not guess this is 7.7%, and you might not guess this is barrel-aged. But in terms of the style, this is "off." The barrel-aging compromises the Oktoberfest character just slightly, and for the better. The barrel adds complexity, and this beer is definitely complex. It also has great palate depth. Up front are sugar, caramel, oak, vanilla, and barrel; the mids roll into dried berries, hops, dark fruits, toast, nuttiness; the back end trails with nuttiness, lingering oak/vanilla, and sugary sweetness. If all Oktoberfest beers were this good, the style would be more popular. This is my desert island Oktoberfest.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is probably the best Oktoberfest I have had. It is certainly the best Oktoberfest in the Midwest, or at least in Illinois. Maybe you are thinking to yourself: "But wait! This beer is aged in oak foudres! That is cheating." Well, you know what? Fuck you. Seriously. If the Germans want to start aging their Oktoberfest in oak barrels, I support that decision. This is a style that bores me to tears, and here we find Two Brothers injecting some new life into it. This is a blissful, fantastic beer. I literally buy a 6-pack of this every Fall. This beer pairs well with cooler weather, football, and any German meal you can throw at it. I'm talking about sausage, bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzel bun sandwiches...anything. It's also cheap at around $10 a 6-pack. So good. 

Random Thought: Dear Two Brothers, please continue to make this beer forever. It is one of your best beers, by a long shot. Regards. 

New Glarus Spotted Cow

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2013

Style/ABV: Cream Ale, 5.1% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Ah, the bottomless mixer of New Glarus beers...here we go. About New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased coper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Spotted Cow is brewed with flaked barley, "Wisconsin malts," and a hint of corn. Inspired by cask conditioned ales, this beer is bottle conditioned. The BJCP, Ratebeer, and BeerAdvocate are all calling this a Cream Ale, which is a light, crisp, clean, and flavorful American "lawnmower" beer. Let's get this into a glass and see what's up.

New Glarus Spotted Cow

The beer pours into a hazy, straw-colored body, and kicks up two to three fingers of fluffy white head. The head retention on this is nice, and as the head drops off there is some lacing. In bright light, the beer is a radiant yellow color, and there is a ton of mid-sized carbonation rising upwards in the glass. Bright light confirms the fluffy, barley-fueled, white head.

The aroma on here is good stuff....you get tons of flaked barley and malt density, almost like a wheat beer. There's some cereal grain as well, and lots of hints of apples, pears, grapes, and some subtle clove/banana. There's also noticeable funk on the aroma, with big grass, hay, and wheat notes.

This is such a simple, drinkable beer...this is what a session beer is supposed to be. The taste is light, with fruity apples and pears, hints of champagne-like grain and corn, and a good amount of wheat, grass, and hay. The flavors stay clean and fruity, and never become vegetal or off-putting. There's also a sweet hint of malt: honey or sweet biscuit. Really nice.

I love this beer, and this would be one of my go-to session beers if I lived in Wisconsin. This is one of the best Cream Ales out there, and this beer has surprising complexity for the style, and great palate depth. You can drink this beer by the 6-pack, and while the flaked barley beefs up the mouthfeel, the carbonation and high attenuation keeps the mouthfeel in that perfect light-full to medium-light range. And that complexity. This beer has some mild hay funk, flaked barley density, fruity flavors, and mild floral hops. You get fruity sweetness up front with apple/pear/grape, and some sweet biscuit; that rolls into the flaked barley, grain, hints of corn; the back end dials up the champagne-like attenuation, and you get floral hops, straw, hay, and grass. The finish is clean and dry, and refreshing.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is a solid Decent Divine Brew. Really, just a simple but elegant beer...the kind of beer you buy by the case. I can strongly recommend this as a session beer to pair with American-style bar food, sports, hot summer days, and whenever. This beer is cheap, available, and makes big macro beers look bad.

Random Thought: And now for...more New Glarus. 

[Cellar Review] New Holland Dragon's Milk (2011 Vintage vs 2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from a 4-pack purchased at Binny's in IL; 2011/2013

Style/ABV: Stout/Strong Ale, 10%

Reported IBUs: 31

Back in 2011, I reviewed New Holland's Dragon's Milk. At the time, I thought the beer was too hot, and one-dimensional. I was so wrong. I've been meaning to re-review this beer for a while now, so I thought I would pull out a bottle of the 2011 Vintage I have been cellaring and see how it compares to a fresh bottle.

Like many things, I found myself strangely attracted to the Dragon's Milk. After throwing some bottles into the cellar, I had a random craving for this beer, and went out and bought another 4-pack. It wasn't long before I found myself buying this beer on a fairly regular basis to get my Bourbon fix.

Sweaters: the temporary boner slayer

Like a curvy girl that mostly wears baggy sweaters, this beer grew on me with each new revealing outing. If I had to describe this beer in one sentence it would be: "A poor man's Bourbon County Stout." This beer reminds me of the Bourbon County Stout, minus the malt backing, huge brownie backdrop, and the giant complexity. With that said...let's get on with the comparison.

Appearance

Both beers pour about the same. They both pour into thin, dark, black bodies, and kick up a finger of Stout-like brown/tan head. 

2011 Vintage - Swirling the beer results in some lacing and glossy alcohol legs. Agitating the beer by swirling kicks up some carbonation on the sides of the glass, but I can't really get a head going.

2013 Vintage - Swirling the beer results in lots of lacing and big, persistent, glossy legs. The legs have a longer duration here. Also, I'm kicking up more head on this as I swirl the beer. This beer is more heady in general.

2011 Vintage on the left. The 2013 was definitely a bit more "heady"

Both beers have a ruby-red tinted body when held to a bright light. The 2013 vintage seems a bit more marble black, where the 2011 vintage seems a bit cloudy.

Aroma

2011 Vintage - Brownie, wood, faded Bourbon...big raisins, molasses, port wine, light oxidation, dark fruits...and wet oak.

2013 Vintage - Huge Bourbon, vanilla, oak, chocolate, brownie, wood...aggressive tannin punch. 

Taste

2011 Vintage - Surprisingly balanced with fruit and port wine complexity, raisins, figs...there's some light oak and Bourbon, and wood. The finish is full of wood tannins, and faded alcohol. The 10% is still griping on the finish with pleasant booze.

2013 Vintage - Rich oak, Bourbon, booze; there are hints of brownie and chocolate, with some wood and roast in the mix. Maybe a hint of coffee? I'm probably reaching.

After tasting the 2013 (I tasted the 2011 first), going back to the 2011 really brings out the HUGE raisin, dark  fruits, and port wine complexity. The 2013 lays that rich oak/wood/Bourbon.

Drinkability/Mouthfeel/Palate Depth/Complexity

At 10%, this was never supposed to be a balanced beer. And I increasingly appreciate a fresh vintage of this beer for its HUGE Bourbon blast. Sometimes you just want Bourbon.

On the left: 2011 Vintage. Caps: "I toast."

2011 Vintage - Medium-full to lightly full-bodied. This has fruity, port wine notes, raisins...it's very complex stuff, with good palate depth. Age has -- surprisingly -- done this beer well. It's almost Doppelbock-esque, or remniscent of a fruity Dubbel. It has good drinkability for 10.0%. You get a hit of oak/chocolate up front; then raisins, dark fruits, oak; the back end is tannins, oak, wood, trailing fruits...the oak definitely builds as you drink it. Boozy on the finish, but in a pleasant way. The raisins/port wine rise to the top.

2013 Vintage - This is a lightly full-bodied beer, with some moments of fleeting thinness for whatever reason. This beer is aggressive and has tons of oak/wood tannins, big Bourbon flavors, and lots of barrel. While chocolate and brownie show up, this is still aggresively Bourbon-forward. It's one dimension to a fault, which hinders complexity. Palate depth is good, nevertheless. At 10.0%, drinkability is low but you want to sip on something like this anyway. Oak, Bourbon, wood, tannins up front; chocolate, brownie, wood, more tannins in the middle; lingering oak, vanilla, Bourbon, chocolate, wood on the back...finishes sticky and boozy.

These are heavy beers that both take a toll on your palate.

Rating[s]/Final Thoughts

2011 Vintage - Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) - A Strong Above-Average in fact, almost approaching a divine brew. Two years of age has done wonders to this beer, revealing a layer of port wine/raisin/dark fruit complexity. You still get that Bourbon/wood/oak/tannin punch, with just a hint of oak/brownie up front. Amazing complex. Nice.

2013 Vintage - Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) - A Light Above-Average here. I shit all over this beer in my original review, but I was wrong. I owe this beer an apology, but I've made up for it by spending tons of money on this stuff. Okay, maybe not a ton...this beer is priced reasonably. The fresh vintages feature tons of aggressive Bourbon/oak, lots of wood, lots of tannins...there's a layer of chocolate/brownie, and some Stout-like richness that just can't sustain for some reason. The beer is a bit flawed, sure, but it's also a hell of a Bourbon barrel-aged beer.

I don't have much else to add...this beer is available in 4-packs for around 15 dollars. That makes this one of the better year-round Bourbon barrel-aged beers. It's missing a lot of the Stout complexity you would find in something like the barrel-aged Old Rasputin or Bourbon County Stout, but it makes up for it with excellent Bourbon kick. It's one-dimensional, but if you throw this beer in the cellar, you can pull it out in two years and pick up some nice dark fruit complexity to boot. I think I may see how a few vintages hold up after three or four years in the cellar, but this is very nice right now at the two year mark. Have fun with this one.

Random Thought: When in doubt, cellar ALL things.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (owned by AB InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 14.3% 

Reported IBUs: 60

This weekend I had the exciting opportunity to crack open one of the Bourbon County Stout variants. I was not disappointed. 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, 2012, 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. 

Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout is a complex beer. The beer starts out as Goose Island's base stout, their Cook County Stout. That beer is then aged in bourbon barrels (Bourbon County), dry hopped (Night Stalker), or aged on cocao nibs (Big John).

Goose Island has done some additional stuff to their Bourbon County Stout. This year, they aged some Bourbon County on cherries, and they aged some with coffee beans. Goose Island has been making their coffee stout for a few years, and each year they mix up the coffee beans they use. If you roll over to Goose Island's Bourbon County Coffee page, you can see that the 2012 version uses Intelligentsia La Tortuga Beans (Intelligentsia is a coffee shop that features a Chicago location). The coffee variant of the 2012 BCBS clocks in at 14.3%, packs 60 IBUs, and features all the same ingredients as the regular BCBS (Willamette hops; 2-row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts) along with the Intelligentsia La Tortuga coffee. With that said...onto the beer!

 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

The beer pours with a dark, black-as-night body, and one finger of thin, rapidly dissolving brown head. The head doesn't hang around for long. There's a brown ring of carbonation on the side of the glass, and big alcohol legs on this. This looks a lot like the regular BCBS, with one exception...you get some tiny bubbles on the surface of the beer that I've seen in other coffee beers.

The first thing I get on the aroma is big fresh coffee. This beer is probably best fresh, at least if you are looking for those big coffee aromas. I'm getting espresso, ground java coffee, spent coffee in the filter, coconut, fat brownies, big brownie/chocolate, hints of cigarette/tobacco, elusive dark fruits and complex booze, and hints of bourbon. The coffee really quells that giant bourbon/whiskey aroma in the original BCBS.

This beer is wildly complex. You get big coffee up front, including espresso, ground coffee, java, and spent coffee in the filter. There's an earthy tobacco/cigarette thing going on, which is really nice. The whole thing transitions into super sweet BCBS, with sticky alcohol, complex and elusive dark fruits, coconut, and huge brownie sweetness. The finish is boozy, sweet, and drying, with lingering coffee goodness.

This has a full mouthfeel, is quite sticky, and is sweet as hell. In some respects, this seems sweeter than the regular BCBS. Maybe I'm just off my frame of reference since this is a giant 22oz bottle. Maybe the regular BCBS seems less sweet because of the bourbon/booze. Palate depth is great, and complexity is through the roof. Thin carbonation supports this, along with some "coffee carbonation" and coffee bitterness. The "coffee carbonation" is an attribute in coffee beers....it's hard to explain. It's like drinking carbonated ground coffee. Up front is brownie, then big coffee/espresso/java which leads to dark fruits...booze; the middle is booze, dark fruits, coconut, vanilla, lactose, coffee bitterness; the finish is super sweet, vanilla, chocolate, brownie, sticky, dry, lingering coffee. This is big, boozy, and super sweet. The coffee really curbs the bourbon.

Rating: Divine Brew

As with the regular BCBS, this is a world-class, Strong Divine Brew. I would drink this fresh if you only have one bottle; if you have two, maybe age one for a year or two. This is really dynamite shit, and I was amazed at how complex this is. Food pairings: breakfast, baby. I love pairing these big coffee-infused beers with breakfast food. You could also pair this with cheesecake, coffee cake, dry chocolate cake, a raunchy burger, strong cheeses, or a nice steak and mushrooms. Despite the fact that a bomber of this is around 25 dollars a bottle...this beer is totally worth it. Check it out if you can.

Random Thought: I love coffee beers, and I've gone out of my way to try many of them. This beer blows the competition away. Founders Breakfast Stout has nothing on this beer....I'm going to need to get my hands on some KBS at some point in time, because I feel like that would be a good comparison to this beer.

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout 2012

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company (owned by AB InBev) in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Binny's in Plainfield, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 15.0%

I have a little something special today, the 2012 version of Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout. It would be criminal to not try a "hot" or fresh bottle of this Bourbon-Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, before throwing the rest into my cellar to age for the next 5-10 years. This beer is part of Goose Island's extensive barrel aging program, headed up by John Laffler. The brewery has over 1000 barrels of beer aging in wine and bourbon casks, and is estimated to be the largest barrel program in the United States. A bit 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.

According to Wikipedia, the Bourbon County Stout was first made available in bottles in 2008. The beer is cask-conditioned in oak Bourbon barrels, which may include barrels from Elijah Craig 18 Year Old Single barrel bourbon, or 25-year-old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon barrels.

If you roll over to Goose Island's Bourbon County Stout page, you can get some info on the beer from the brewery itself. This beer was originally brewed in honor of the 1000th batch of beer at the original Clybourn brewpub. Last year's BCS clocked in at 14.5% ABV, and this year's pushes the envelope to 15% ABV. This beer clocks in at 60 IBUs, and is brewed with Willamette hops, along with 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts. 

The beer is described as having oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and smoke on the nose, and a taste that packs "more flavor than your average case of beer." Suggested food pairings are flourless chocolate cake, or capriole bourbon chocolate torte cheese. This beer can (and probably should) be aged for anywhere from 2 to 5 years and up. I've read a few cellar reviews for this beer that suggest not much happens after 2 years of aging, so age away. With that said, let's get the hot version of this into a glass, and see what the 2012 batch of Bourbon County Stout is all about.

I do recommend drinking this on the warmer side of warm. This one will only get better as it approaches room temperature. The pour reveals an impressively dark, squid-ink-black beer. Even when held to bright light, this beer is just black. The beer pours with a half finger's worth of dark, coffee-brown head that rapidly dissolves into the boozy abyss. A ring of brown clings to the edge of the glass, and swirling the beer gives way to glossy alcohol legs. Swirling the beer stirs up some head, and the head briefly clings to the glass leaving some lacing...but it rapidly disapears back into the abyss.

Bourbon County Stout 2012

The aroma on this beer is definitely boozy and Bourbon-forward, and it is easy to get lost in the Bourbon. But there's a lot going on in this aroma. I get a hugely dense chocolate fudge/brownie aroma on the nose, and it reminds me of the filling in thick chocolate or derby pie. I'm also getting some pretty distinct coconut...and maybe my brain is just filling in the gaps, but I swear I'm getting pie crust. I'm also getting some roast and hints of coffee. Really big chocolate, coconut, and Bourbon...hints of vanilla with the Bourbon, and elusive sweet caramel and dark fruits...some wood. What really stands out to me on the nose is the Bourbon, and that dense, menacing fudge/chocolate/brownie aroma. 

Up front on the first sip is huge Bourbon and coffee...this rolls into some more coffee, and the beer just coats your mouth, leaving sticky, dense, kick-ass-ness that I can only compare to the feeling when you drink something super hoppy and bitter. Then the beer just rolls into huge chocolate/vanilla/coconut flavor, with huge derby/chocolate pie filling that wallops your palate. The back end is boozy and big, and you're left with lingering chocolate, roast, and coffee. There's definitely coffee in this, and chocolate: thick chocolate, chocolate pie filling, baker's chocolate. You get a lot more Bourbon and vanilla up front in the front palate, and there is some woodiness to this, with hints of elusive dark fruits and sweet caramel. 

At 15%, this is obviously a sipper. This is full-bodied, super dense (and sticky!), and incredibly chewy. [On some sips] it kind of starts a bit thin, woody, and Bourbon-y, but that quickly builds into this huge wave of chocolate, coconut, coffee, roast, and vanilla. Palate depth is huge, and each sip lasts anywhere from 15 to 60 seconds. Complexity is high as well. Up front is Bourbon, coffee, fudge; this rolls into a bright Bourbon middle, some heat, some flashes of hops; this rolls into thick chocolate pie filling, coconut, roast, coffee. The finish is chewy, chocolate, and eventually dry. Outstanding.

Rating: Divine Brew

This is a no-brainer, Strong Divine Brew. If you find this beer, pick it up (price be damned...to some extent...I probably wouldn't go much over 10 dollars per 12oz bottle). If you're fortunate enough, pick up two or more so you can age this. I think the most surprising thing about this beer is that it drinks okay for 15%. Yeah, it's a little hot and Bourbon-forward, but the huge chocolate profiles really come out to balance the booze and Bourbon, and provide an insane finish on this. I'm only 1/3 through the bottle, and I feel like I've been drinking this for a while. This is a beer you can sip on for an hour or two, and get a ton of huge flavors.

What would I pair this beer with....a cigar. A glass. You could definitely drink this as a stand-alone. You could definitely pair this with a chocolate cake, or a cheesecake. And I bet this would even do well next to a raunchy burger or a steak.

And this is the ideal beer to age. You can age this beer from anywhere to 1-10 years, and maybe even longer. The bottle says "5 years," but I'm guessing you can comfortably double that. As you age this, the malts should really come out, the Bourbon and alcohol should smooth out, and you should get a really mellow, delicious beer. I look forward to trying this again in a few years. Goose Island said something about 10 times the availability this year...if you can find this beer this year, pick it up! 

Samuel Adams (Barrel Room Collection) Thirteenth Hour Stout

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts
Purchased: 750ml champagne bottle bought at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2012
Style/ABV: Belgian Stout, 9.0%

I'm really pumped to try tonight's beer, which is bottle conditioned with champagne yeast, and features a blend of Sam Adam's Kosmic Mother Funk along with a big Stout. Yum. First, a word about Sam Adams:

Samuel Adams was founded in 1984 by Jim Koch, and currently the Boston Beer Company is the largest American-owned beer company in the United States. Sam Adams is also the largest craft brewer in America, with over a million barrels of beer being produced annually. You can check out the Sam Adam's website for more info.

The Thirteenth Hour or the "witching hour" refers to the time of day when supernatural creatures such as demons, ghosts, and witches are supposed to appear, and when they are supposed to be at their most powerful. The bottle states: "The 13th hour is the witching hour and a time when strange brews can occur. With 13 ingredients, we combined the roasted chocolate and coffee notes of a stout with the complex spicy character of a Belgian-style ale aged in oak for a dark, robust, and bewitching brew."

If you roll on over to Sam Adam's Thirteenth Hour page, you can get all the info on this beer. This beer combines the roasted chocolate and coffee flavors of a stout, with the spicy characters of a Belgian ale, and then ages the whole thing in oak.

This is actually a very special beer, and makes use of Sam Adams' Kosmic Mother Funk (KMF). The KMF is an ale aged in oak tuns for a year to give the beer notes of black pepper, oak, vanilla, and acidity. The KMF is a fruity and sour beer, and goes through a second fermentation with the wild yeast, Brettanomyces. The KMF was developed specifically for the Barrel Room Collection Beers, and is blended with the various Barrel Room Collection beers.

Tonight's beer is one of those Barrel Room Collection Beers. Clocking in at an impressive 9.0% ABV, 17 IBUs, and 290 calories per 12oz, tonight's beer is brewed with Belgian-style ale yeast, and then bottle conditioned with champagne yeast. The Thirteenth Hour uses pale, caramel, munich, and specialty malts. It also uses Hallertau Mittelfrueh Noble hops. All of this is on top of the addition of the KMF blending, which adds those oak, spice, and sour/funky qualities to the beer.

Without even pouring this beer, it is evident that this is a complex beast and not your typical Sam Adams affair. This beer comes in a very sexy champagne bottle, which is likely out of necessity as champagne yeast will produce a lot of love (carbonation) in a bottle. Having said that, take caution when opening this beer. Don't aim the cork at your face, and open it in an area where you don't mind spilling some beer. Always prepare for the worst!

Sam Adams' Thirteenth Hour Stout

As you can see in the picture, the bottle comes with a cool little information book thing. The presentation is really well done. No gushing, but I did get quite a bit of smoke as I popped the cork. This beer pours with 3-fingers of thick, foamy, Belgian-esque head. The head is a light tan/khaki/coffee color, and the body of the beer is a dark black color. The head reminds me of cola, the body reminds me of an Imperial Stout. You can hear crackling carbonation, and it is evident this beer is quite effervescent. I mean, duh. Champagne yeast and all that. The head is hanging around, with about a centimeter of thick foam. There is some residual alcohol left on the side of the glass from the beer. 

The aroma on this is really interesting...and complex. I'm pulling out big notes of chocolate, Brett funk, pepper and spice, band-aids, and dark fruits like plums and grapes. This is on the cooler side of things right now, but I'm guessing as this warms up the malts are really going to come out. I do get some hints of wood and oak on the nose, along with a peppery coffee aroma, and (my WTF aroma for this beer) some eggnog? Swirling the beer unleashes a peppery, funky flurry of Brett, band-aid, oak, and coffee. Intriguing stuff, let's take a sip.

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. This beer has a huge body. I was not expecting that at all. There is so much going on with this beer...big Belgian notes pop on your palate, with dark fruits and barnyard funk. You get huge notes of chocolate, with hints of coffee. The whole thing is peppery and effervescent, but it's got a full body. You definitely get sourness cutting through, and it compliments those dark fruit notes. There's a hint of oak throughout, but it's very subtle and balanced. As this warms, I'm getting more chocolate, coffee, and even some roast on the back end. When you start to pull out the dense malts, the oak really starts to pop. That eggnog note has to be the Brett and the oak playing off each other, along with the smooth, malty qualities that the Stout contributes to this beer. As this warms further, I'm getting more fruit, funk, and oak up front, with a complex and spicy middle, and great duration that leads to a finish of roast, chocolate, coffee, and big Stout booziness. 

Incredibly complex, the palate depth is huge, the duration is great, and the mouthfeel is full. And yet, it's still drinkable and supported by champagne-like carbonation. The finish is ultimately dry, but the journey is funky, fruity, roasty and smooth. Up front is a flash of chocolate/roast, dark fruits, and big funk; the middle is funky, spicy, band-aids, Brett; the back end is a huge blast of chocolate, coffee, roast, and Stout. The finish is lingering Stout, and dry. The oak is subtle, but present throughout. I'm really impressed by the duration and body on this beer (and yet, it still drinks like a Belgian Strong Ale: way too easy for 9.0% ABV).

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this, and maybe better but I'll have to try this again and sleep on it. Bewitching??!?! More like...bitching. Seriously, this is a good beer. And I'm totally biased, because I love Belgian Strong Ales, and I love the Belgian-Stout hybrids. But this pretty much crams everything you want into a single package...well, except for the hops. I guess you could hop this shit and go home. You have an oak-aged Brett beer, and a huge Imperial Stout. This is more fruity and funky when it is cool, but as it warms up the Stout really comes out. This is one of the better beers I've had from Sams, and definitely worth checking out if you dig this type of hybrid beer.

Widmer Brothers Reserve Barrel Aged Brrrbon 2011

Brewed By: Widmer Brothers Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon

Purchased: Frosty 22oz Bomber purchased at Jewel in Chicago, IL; 2011

Style/ABV: American Strong Ale, 9.40%

 

In the spirit of summer, I'm saying fuck the status quo and drinking a Winter Warmer! Tonight's beer is a huge ass, barrel-aged, winter seasonal, Strong Ale. Clocking in at 40 IBUs and 9.4% ABV, I'm expecting something to make my palate happy. Summer? What's that. The "Barrel Aged BRRRBON '11" is brewed by the fine folks at the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company. I'm not a literary genius, but what's up with the name? "BRRRBON?" I'm guessing you are supposed to say it out loud, with a phonetic emphasis. So it sounds like, "BRRR-Bon," or "Brr-rrr-rrr, I'm cold, bon." They should call it "Shit will get you drunk-bon." I think it's more catchy.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Portland, Oregon. The brewery has humble roots, going back to 1979 when brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer began to homebrew beer they liked to drink for their family and friends. In 1984, Kurt and Rob quit their jobs, and built the Widmer Brewery in what is now the Pearl District of Northwest Portland. The brewery officially opened on April 2, 1984, and the brothers started brewing their Altbier and a Weizenbier. In 1986, a pub that was serving their beer asked the brewery to make a third beer; limited to just two fermenters, they decided to leave their Weizenbier unfiltered, and created the first American-Style Hefeweizen. Later that year, the brewery introduced their Festbier (a Bavarian Style Oktoberfest), and became the first U.S. brewery to offer a four-seasonal beer lineup. Since then, the brewery has continued to expand and has only added more accomplishments to their list. In 1988, the brewery (along with Bridgeport and Portland Brewing) launched the Oregon Brewer's Festival. In 1990, the brewery moved to its current location in North Portland, and in 1996, Widmer beers became available in bottles for the first time. You can read more about the company's history HERE: Click Me!

Lastly, according to Wikipedia, in November 2007, Reddhook Ale Brewery and Widmer Brothers merged, forming the Craft Brewers Alliance. Redhook previously distributed Widmer beers on the east coast; and Anheuser-Busch already held a minority stake in both companies. The Craft Brew Alliance is a distribution agreement with Anheuser-Busch InBev. At the moment, AB InBev owns 32.2% of the Craft Brew Alliance, and the Widmer Brothers own a combined 18%.

 

The Barrel Aged BRRRBON '11 is a seasonal (winter) ale aged in bourbon barrels. Yum. This beer is described as being a "smooth winter warmer and the first release as part of the Alchemy Project." This beer was hopped during the secondary fermentation, and then put into Kentucky Bourbon Barrels and aged for four months. After barrel aging, the beer was alowed to ferment again for final conditioning before release (so this is maybe bottle-conditioned?). Brewed with Alchemy, Simcoe (bitter, aromatic, that catty note), and Cascade (citrusy, flowery, spicy, pleasant) hops; 2-Row Pale, Caramel, Carapils, and Dark Chocolate malt; this beer packs 40 Ibus and 9.4% ABV. What are Alchemy hops? Part of the "Alchemy Project." Evidently, Alchemy hops refer to a blend of hops (I've heard that the blend includes Warrior and Millenium). I'm excited, so let's crack this open and see what's up.

Barrel Aged Brrrbon 2011

The bottle art is probably love-it or hate-it. I actually am digging the bottle art, and it has some wax words like the Stone Brewing bottles. My bottle has a date on it: August 12, 11. And the bottle clearly says: "Prost! To improve with age." "Prost" literally means "cheers" in German. If this is good...I may go see if I can retrieve a few more bottles of this stuff. Anyway, the beer pours a nice dark red/copper color, with hints of orange. You can see a lot of tiny bubbles rising upwards, and even in lower light this beer is transparent. There were about two fingers of thin/sickly off-white head that pretty quickly dissolved into a nice cauldron effect. At 9.4% ABV, and being barrel-aged, it's no surprise the head peaced out so quickly. In low light the head is kind of reddish...in bright light it picks up the hints of orange from the body of the beer. This is kind of an orange/amber/copper/red beer. Big alcohol legs on this one, and some retention as the head pulls on the glass.

 

The nose is leaning towards a one-dimensional bourbon/wood flavor, but maybe not. This beer is hopped pretty intensely, and I'm getting aromas of grapefruit and citrus in the nose. I'm pulling out oak, wood, that whiskey-vanilla or oak-vanilla note, hints of sweet malt aromas, and that grapefruit/citrus note.

The taste is also leaning towards big oak/wood/vanilla notes. This is actually very woody on the finish, and the wood plays off the hops for a drying finish. I'm also feeling some warmness creeping up, just after my second sip. At 9.4%, that's not terribly unexpected. I'm pulling out some interesting hop notes in here: spice, earthiness, grapefruit, tangerine. But they run into the big oka/wood notes from barrel-aging this thing. Compared to New Holland's Dragon's Milk, this is almost a light beer. The Caramel malt this is brewed with is typical for an IPA. This also uses some Pils malt, some Pale malt, and some Dark Chocolate malt. I'm not getting a whole lot of malt in here. I am getting a little spice though: a peppery note. And there are these weird candied notes probably playing off the vanilla notes and the hops.

At 9.4% ABV, this is surprisingly drinkable. This has softer carbonation, but is moderately carbonated. The finish is oaky and dry, and reminiscent of drinking bourbon. The mouthfeel is surprisingly thin: this is medium-light. For a Winter Warmer clocking in at 9.4%, I almost expect a little more in terms of mouthfeel. Palate depth is good, and complexity is moderate. Up front you get a wave of hops and bourbon/oak/barrel; the middle rolls into more oak, with hints of some spice (I'm not getting a hint of leather); the back end is woody, slightly bitter, slightly hoppy, and dry. Initially I got some warming, but not so much now.

 

Rating: Average 

 

I'm feeling a light Average  on this. Would I pick this up again? Maybe. I don't see what makes this a winter warmer, other than the towering ABV, and the slight hint of spice. The idea of barrel-aging an American Strong Ale is interesting, and there are moments where the hops play off the oak notes in an enjoyable way. But then the thinness of the body kicks in...and you're reminded that this is not quite the sipping beer you want on that cold winter night. I don't know, maybe I'm way off base here. I'd actually rather drink this beer with a cigar while grilling some food. I bet you could pair this beer nicely with some smokey barbeque; something gamey. Chicken wings. Yum. Given how cheap a bomber of this beer is, I will say it is worth checking out if only because the risk is so low. So until next time, don't drink and calculate risk and reward ratios.

New Holland Dragon's Milk

Brewed By: New Holland Brewing Company in Holland, Michigan

Purchased: Single 12oz bottle purchased at Binny's in IL; 2011

Style/ABV: American Stout? American Strong Ale?, 10%

I've already introduced New Holland Brewing when I reviewed Ichabod. So I'm going to skip some of the formalities, because there is a much more interesting conversation we need to have. 

Dragon's Milk is a barrel-aged beer that is part of New Holland's High Gravity Series. High Gravity beers are usually made with craft ingredients, they typically represent the more extreme beer styles, and they usually clock in at a higher ABV than your standard ale. Many already established craft breweries are now rolling out exclusive beers that sit on the more extreme spectrum. New Belgium's Lips of Faith series comes to mind. I welcome these extreme and unique beers. So it is with arms wide open that I welcome Dragon's Milk.

But what is Dragon's Milk? Is this beer a Stout? A Strong Ale? Ratebeer has decided to lump Dragon's Milk into the American Strong Ale category. American Strong Ale is a catch-all category for amped up American beers. These are beers that are intense, malty, hoppy, and potent (big ABV%). BeerAdvocate has dumped Dragon's Milk into the American Stout category. BeerAdvocate describes an American Stout as an American take on the traditional Irish or English Stout, often with more hops, extra ingredients like coffee or chocolate, or barrel-aging. They then say the average American Stout is between 4% to 7% ABV.

I can't decide which categorization is more lazy. BeerAdvocate in particular has a category called "American Double / Imperial Stout" for beers that are like Imperial Stouts, often aged in barrels, and clocking in at an ABV between 7% and 12%. So they actually have a category for the higher ABV Stouts, like Dragon's Milk. Why this is not an American Double is beyond me.

Ratebeer's categorization screams suspect, and it's not like they have a great history regarding their American Strong Ale category. This is an oak-aged ale...called Dragon's Milk. I've seen pictures of it, and it looks like a stout. It's called Dragon's Milk so it conjures up thoughts of Milk Stouts or even Imperial Stouts. But nevertheless, they are rolling with the Strong Ale categorization.

A couple things, and then I'll crack it open and see how I feel about this beer. First, this beer has been around for several years. It is possible that when it was first released it was less dark in color and was more like a Strong Ale. Reading through some of the old reviews of this beer on Ratebeer leads me to think this is entirely possible. If this is true, it really highlights a flaw with Ratebeer's rating system.

Finally, while the BJCP does in fact have an American Stout category, the current trend in America is to continue to amp up and brew extreme beers. It becomes tricky when you have an American Stout vs. an Imperial Stout vs. an Imperial Russian Stout vs. an American Imperial Russian Stout. It just becomes an obnoxious challenge to pin a beer down and figure out what standards you hold it to and what competition you compare it to. 

*    *    *    *    *    *

With that said...into this review we go. I fully expect this beer to be a Stout and to show Stout features. I want to add that this beer is 10% ABV and supposedly pretty viscous. This beer seems like a good candidate for aging. I will investigate that thought further. 

"cauldron effect"

This thing has been aged in oak barrels for 120 days. And holy shit, this beer smells hot. I can pick up giant alcohol notes, and I'm not done pouring this beer or going out of my way to smell it. This is going to be a heated beer. I'm also extracting giant bourbon and whiskey notes off the nose. It smells roasty and smokey like a good smokey whiskey.

I poured this beer into a giant snifter so that I could swirl it around and try to pull out colors. I have a couple of really immediate observations: there is a good amount of carbonation in this beer. There is quite a bit of lacing on my glass, and there are also very noticeable alcohol legs. Alcohol kills heads, and this beer didn't even get one finger's worth of head despite how aggressive I poured it. I can stir up some head when I swirl the beer in my glass, but I mostly get some hazy bubbles on the surface of the beer. I call this the "cauldron effect." This beer is dark and not transparent. I would say this is a very dark brown color or lighter black color. When you tip the beer in the glass and hold it to the bright light you do see some red and brown. This beer doesn't seem to have the "oily" or "thick" quality associated with giant stouts that push 9+ ABV%. But you can tell this is a monster beer based on the alcohol legs and the lack of head.

The bad news regarding the aroma is that it is sharp and potent. I am immediately getting huge whiskey and alcohol notes. If you don't drink a lot of beer or distilled spirits, this is going to be a one-dimensional smelling beer. When I dig a little further I can pull out definite oak notes, some vanilla, maybe even some chocolate, and some wood. There are complex aroma profiles in this beer, but they are behind a wall of heat and whiskey.

Based on the smell, I was actually a little bit concerned going into this beer. The good news is that this beer tastes a little bit more balanced than it smells. I'm also beginning to see the light at the end of the styling tunnel: this beer does not have the oily or dense complexion of a stout. It reminds me of a Doppelbock or an American Strong Ale with a sharp licorice-type bite. I'm pulling out huge whiskey notes, big oak notes, some spiced rum notes even, some vanilla, lots of wood, and some smoke or peat. I pulled this out of my fridge so I'm going to let it warm up and then give my final thoughts.

[Intermission...just roll with it. o_O]

New Holland whiskey alcohol drink Dragon's Milk

As this beer warms up and I work my way through the rest of the glass I am noticing a few things. First, this beer is more of a clear red or brown in color than I originally thought. At this point I'm starting to feel the Strong Ale vibe more than the Stout vibe.

I'm still tasting a lot of alcohol and bourbon-whiskey notes as this warms up. There are notes of grain, peat, some meatiness even, and they all extend from the bourbon-whiskey flavors. There is oak and wood in here, and some vanilla from the oakiness. The only new flavor really emerging as this warms up is some nuttiness, and possibly some fruits. I'm picking up hints of really viscious pears and viscous dark dried fruits. I'm also getting some burnt molasses and maybe pulls towards licorice.

Alcohol and whiskey hit your palate up front, the middle features some fruits and more whiskey, and the back end is drying and woody. The back end is fantabulous as you get dry wood and warming booze. I love the way this beer finishes, and I can 100% guarantee you that a fresh bottle of this beer would easily compliment a cigar. This is full-bodied beer that is quite heavy. It has big depth and, dare I say, big complexity. Yeah, this is complex and really nice, but it really needs to settle down in my opinion. At 10% ABV, this is a sipper; and given the amount of heat this brings I'm guessing it will remain a sipper down the road. 

Rating: Average
Score: 60%

I have no imagination for this stuff. Right now I am tasting a heat bomb that is pretty one-dimensional in favor of whiskey. I enjoy whiskey and the flavors it can bring to beer, but when it distracts from the other flavors it becomes less desirable. I don't want to drink a beer and think about what it could taste like.

There is a simple solution for this. The bourbon, wood, and oak in this beer rock. I want to see how this beer stacks up after it has had some time to mellow out. This is a beer that needs to be put in "time-out" to think about why it is 10% ABV and 90% whiskey.

So having said that, in its current form - hot off the press and mean as hell - I find this beer to be enjoyable but not really outstanding. I'm really interested to see how this beer changes down the road. If you do want to drink this beer fresh...pair it with a cigar. I'm serious. This beer is all about the whiskey, and it even gives the back of your throat that "whiskey feel."

This is a really exciting and exotic beer, so I do think you should pick this beer up and try it out if you are a fan of big beers, whiskey, or oak-aged brews. If you do decide to buy this beer, purchase more than one bottle. That will give you an opportunity to try this beer fresh, and it will also give you an opportunity to throw this beer into your cellar for a couple of years.

I'll be reporting back with a review of some aged Dragon's Milk...you know, down the road or whatever.

PS, it turns out this plays more like an American Strong Ale than a Stout. At least in my opinion. Apparently this beer could also be compared to an Old Ale which is a strong malty beer that is sort of the precursor to a Barley Wine. Interesting stuff; but definitely not a stout.

New Belgium Kick

Brewed By: New Belgium Brewing Company in Fort Collins, Colorado

Purchased: Single big-ass bomber (22oz) from West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2011

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable - Sour, 8.5%

The artwork screams trick 'r' treat

Thank you, New Belgium Brewing.

Signed, adhdJon. Thank you for making an October/Halloween/pumpkin beer that doesn't taste like nutmeg. New Belgium's Kick is part of their Lips of Faith Series. You can find all the information about Kick on New Belgium's website, but here is the important info.

Kick is a collaboration between New Belgium and Elysian. This beer is a combination of two beers; 75% ale that is brewed using pumpkin and cranberry juice, and 25% ale aged in wooden barrels. This is a big beer clocking in at 8.5% ABV, it packs a mild 14 IBUs, and uses cranberry and pumpkin. The use of cranberry and pumpkin has relegated this beer to the "Spice/Herb/Vegetable" category, but this beer tastes quite a bit like a Belgian Sour.

Before we dive in I want to mention that the bottle work on this beer is out of this world. This is the coolest bottle artwork I have seen on a beer in a long time. This is far and away the best Halloween/October/Fall artwork I have seen. The bottle features Jack-O-Lanterns on the bottle, and looks like a brew totally appropriate for the Halloween season. Let's dive in.

This beer is lightly carbonated and not super aggressive. I was able to pour a one-finger head with thin white bubbles. The bubbles aren't soapy, they are small and tightly packed, but the head does not hang around for very long. However, the head on this beer has a great "cauldron effect." There is a thin layer of bubbles and stuff on the surface of the beer that hangs around the

New Belgium Kick: this is Halloween in beer form

duration of the session. Thus, I would call this beer lightly carbonated but with some good bubbly funk: like a Belgian sour or a Belgian Strong Ale. This beer is transparent and filtered, and it has a nice pale golden-orange-yellow color. When I poured this beer, I was reminded of a Belgian Strong Ale with slightly less effervescence.

The aroma of this beer instantly reminds me of Jolly Pumpkin's Oro De Calabaza. I am also reminded of some Brettanamyces notes, or some Lactobacillus. I'm curious how this beer was made, and what yeasts or bacteria are used.
 

I am smelling big woody notes on the nose, cranberry, juice, leather and barnyard, sour or rotting pumpkin, band-aids, and other funky sour fruit manifestations (maybe pulls towards orange peel or berries, but nothing definitive).

This beer is quite complex in taste, as it should be. The 8.5% ABV virtually disappears, and is only present in the very back end of the palate as a warming sensation. There is a ton of wood, funk, and cranberry in the flavor profile. You taste lots of overripe or rotting pumpkin, especially on the back end. There is a slightly sour or tart quality riding through the whole beer, but it isn't making me pucker and it is not an extreme sour or tartness. There are some pulls towards orange and pepper in here as well, which is really surprising. The peppery note compliments the pumpkin flavors. There is pumpkin in here, but it definitely takes a back seat to the woody notes and the cranberry. There are also hints of barnyard, leather, band-aids, and other funky Bret-notes in the body. I'm also getting some berries: blackberry, raspberry, and other tart berries. Very complex, very deep, still crisp and refreshing: the alcohol disappears and this is very drinkable.

The front end is tart, woody, full of cranberry and other berries, and full of some funk: leather, band-aids, horse stable. The middle continues with the tartness, and you get some spices (cinnamon) and pumpkin, the middle remains pretty woody. The back end is slightly drying with more wood, rotting pumpkin, and some alcohol warming on the back end. This is incredibly complex. This is a medium-light beer, with a slightly juicy body.

The only thing that will deter you from drinking this beer is if you do not like sour things, tart things, or the Bret-Lacto notes. 

Rating: Above-Average

Score: 89%

I am absolutely floored by this beer. On the deep deep back of my palate, I am getting huge pumpkin notes. I am tasting the aftertaste of pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, and overripe pumpkin. This is a wildly complex beer that has great depth and good drinkability. The presentation of this beer is fantastic. The artwork is the coolest I have found on a fall beer. This is my new favorite October beer, and I think this may be the best beer I have had from New Belgium. This is a really decent cranberry-pumpkin beer, and a really solid sour as well.

I love everything about this beer: especially the big pumpkin in the deep palate. The back end of this beer is the most "normal pumpkin" note I have found in a beer so far. I hope that New Belgium brews this beer again next year, but in case they don't, I may need to seek out additional bottles of this stuff.

This comes highly recommended, and I would be honored to mull over it again.