Revolution Café Deth 2017

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

In keeping with my plan to review Revolution's 2017/2018 lineup of barrel-aged beers, I'm looking at the 2017 vintage of Revolution's Café Deth. Café Deth is "Deth’s Tar Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with assertive coffee aromatics." The can reads: "A weaponized quantity of freshly roasted whole bean coffee from independent Chicago roasters imbues our Deth's Tar Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with assertive coffee aromatics without overshadowing the base beer on the palate. Pair with rich food or enjoy on its own. Keep cold. Enjoy now. We mean it."

inb4 this pours like every other stout. There is some residual oils on the surface of the beer, perhaps from the coffee. The aroma here is magical. It's like mounds bars on Twix on a frappuccino. The coffee profile is so smooth, and rich. There's no weird fruitiness, green pepper, or acrid coffee. The bourbon and barrel pops on the edges, but this is about the coffee and chocolate front and center.

Revolution Café Deth 2017

At near 15-percent this is almost liqueur-esque. The mouthfeel and thickness are in the realm of KBS or CBS. That is to say, not quite as thick as some of the extreme stouts available in 2018, but still pretty darn thick. The taste drops tons of mounds bar, malt balls, frappuccino and mocha, hazelnut, toffee, and caramel. The bourbon takes a back seat to the coffee, chocolate, and base. There's a growing bitterness as you sip this, which is reminiscent of the base.

I oscillate how I feel about this beer, but here's the deal. This is full-bodied (not the fullest body), with good depth and average complexity. I don't think this aims to be some sort of renaissance beer, it is just trying to do the mocha-frappuccino thing well. And it does. Up front is chocolate, frappuccino, mocha; the mids roll into those nutty notes with hazelnut, some macaroon, malt balls, and the mounds bar; the back end is where some complexity emerges with bitterness, barrel, dryness, the spirit showing up, and the base beer. 

Rating: LIGHT Above-Average (4.75/5.0 Untappd)

I love coffee beers, so I stocked up on this stuff. Having said that, I kind of prefer V.S.O.D. and D.B.V.S.O.D. to this. I know those are entirely different beasts, though. Is Deth by Cherries better than the Café Deth? That's the million dollar question, I think. Anyway, this is certainly on par or better than a beer like KBS. But now that KBS is a shelf turd does it really matter? I'm just happy that the availability of this BA coffee stouts is expanding.

Random Thought: I need to do a proper send-off for my car...

2017 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout - a divisive beer that reminds me of Prop '16

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

Purchased: 16.9oz bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2017

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 12.9%

Reported IBUs:60

It's been a long time since I've featured Goose Island's Bourbon County Coffee Stout on this blog. I wanted to briefly throw out my thoughts on this year's vintage, because it seems to be pretty hit and miss with people.

So first and foremost, let's note that this year's BCBS coffee is brewed with Intelligentsia Black Cat Espresso. Every year Goose uses a different coffee blend:

The pro and con of using a different coffee blend every year is that you get some very different tasting vintages. I seem to recall the 2015 coffee having more citrusy notes. I think a lot of people really cling to the 2012 and 2014 vintages. And yeah, just every year you get a slightly different beer because the coffee is different.

So here's the deal with the 2017 vintage...aside from pouring out and looking like BCBS (nothing new here), the aroma on this beer is a blend of velvety smooth Mexican chocolate, bourbon, raisins, vanilla, and ash. 

And that really carries through in the taste. This is an EARTHY and ASHY beer. I'm guessing a lot of that is due to the blend of coffee they used. There's almost a level of spice and heat present in the beer. Like, I'm tasting super earthy Mexican chocolate in this. And when you combine the hints of ash and heat with t

2017 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

he slight alcohol burn inherent in this beer, it really feels like a Mexican stout. The spice flirts with cinnamon, and the base beer (BCBS Vintage 2017) is a chocolate bomb. It reminds me of the chocolate you might dip your churro in. A lot of people are reporting green peppers in this beer. I'm definitely getting some earthy, peppery notes, but it is more of a chili note. Maybe an Anaheim chili or a poblano note. Green pepper is a very distinct note in beer, typically associated with stale coffee. And that's really not what I'm getting here, but hey that is just my basic bitch palate. 

In terms of everything else....this is Bourbon County so you should know what to expect. There's the big base beer, which is assertive and sweet and bourbon-y. This year's vintage is all about the chocolate right now. So there's a prominent chocolate presence over-the-top. For whatever reason, the BCBS Coffee 2017 is a little thinner than the other variants. I'm guessing that is due to the blend of cold pressed coffee. It also has a slightly lower ABV than the base. It's still medium-to-full-bodied with good complexity and depth. And overall, this really unfolds in waves with lots of chocolate and ash up front; spice and peppery heat and alcohol and barrel in the mids; the lingering finish is smokey. It's basically like they accidentally brewed Prop 16. Again.

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

Full disclaimer: I'm one of the fucking weirdos that LOOOVVESS Prop '16. If you found Prop '16 off-putting and/or disgusting, you will hate this beer. If you hate peppery notes or ash notes in your beer, you will hate this beer. The ash notes definitely drift into that cigar-y, smoked tobacco, smoked cigarette realm. And that's not gonna work for a lot of people. For me, I could see myself pairing this beer with some grilled steaks or a cigar. Fajitas even. It's too bad this beer was so limited and unavailable, because I think it has serious food potential. But as it is now it's a super hard beer to acquire and will likely be opened at bottle shares and loved by some and totally shit on by others. So good job Goose Island, and also fuck you.

Random Thought: A cursory observation is we should commend Goose Island for taking risks with new coffee blends every year. And we should criticize Goose Island for making so little of the coffee that you have no real good way of getting enough of this stuff to do verticals or to pop these bottles liberally with food. I mean there was SOOOO much regular BCBS available this year....why not give the people what they want. Oh well.

Epic Brewing Company Baptist Roundup

2017 was the year of the pastry stout™ and the hazy non-IPA IPA. Beer bros lined up for hops, cakes were put in stouts. Epic Brewing Company contributed to the pastry stout madness with their Baptist lineup. These beers are relatively easy to acquire, don't cost much, and are delicious. If you are looking for some world class brews and you don't want to stand in line, may I recommend the Baptist lineup?

Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout

Big Bad Baptist

First released in 2011, Big Bad Baptist is old news. The beer is brewed with coffee and cocoa nibs, features old school hops like Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade, and has a malt base of Maris Otter Malt, 2-row, Crystal, Light Munich, Chocolate, Black, and roasted malts. Many people call this beer a "KBS" killer, and that description could not be more apt.

With a medium mouthfeel, Big Bad Baptist leans towards the whiskey and barrel. The beer has been worn in from the barrel, and you pick up a lot of the spirit, some alcohol, and fruity notes. The coffee that is added to the beer is fruity and pulls the whiskey tones. Chocolate shows up as a nuanced character and is just part of the fun. 

Ultimately, this is a well-rounded sipping beer. KBS is a great comp, but this is easier to find and probably cheaper per ounce.

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

Big Bad Baptista      

First released sometime in 2016, Big Bad Baptista falls in the category of 'Mexican chocolate' stouts a la your Mexican Cake, End of Days, Abraxas, Hunahpu's, Imperial Blud, etc. 

Big Bad Baptista

Brewed with cinnamon, vanilla, Mexican coffee, and cacao nibs, the beer is hopped again with old school Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade hops, and features "ultra premium" Maris Otter, 2-row, crystal, Munich, chocolate, black, and roasted malts.

Big Bad Baptista is a STOUT KILLER. This beer is fucking insane, and gives Abraxas, Imperial Blud, Hooneypuss, and Westbrook a real run for their money. That is double so when you consider the price.

This is full-bodied, brownie batter thick, and the beer feels like you are standing in front of Peter Northó taking eight hot churro ropes on your tongue. This drops assertive Mexican chocolate, churros, cinnamon hot chocolate, and vanilla. The barrel takes a back seat to all the adjuncts, but the integration of adjuncts on top of the strong base beer with the barrel harmonizes into perfect sweetness, density, and intensity. This is a smooth beer, and everything is on point. The only thing missing here are the hot peppers, but the beer draws spice from the addition of cinnamon and the Mexican coffee. It's not hot but there is some spice. 

Someone IV this straight to my anus. 

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd) 

Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist

First released in 2017, the Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist is by far the most complex and involved of these brews. Featuring 'Barrel-Aged Coffee,' 'Barrel-Aged Coconut,' and cacao nibs, this beer features the same lineup of hops as the previous two beers, and the same lineup of malts. 

Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist

This beer falls somewhere between the Big Bad Baptist and the Baptista in terms of mouthfeel. This is a medium-full beer, and it is very thick and smooth, but it also feels worn in from the barrel and has a ton of barrel character. Some of that barrel character has to be coming from the barrel-aged coffee and barrel-aged coconut, but there is also a healthy amount of rum and whiskey in here. 

Yeah, this beer is aged in both rum and whiskey barrels (or, more likely, is a blend of the base from both barrels). 

This is just an insanely balanced and complex beer. I spend a lot of time talking about the progression of the palate in my reviews, and this is an example of beer that unfolds in multiple waves. First, the beer drops nutty coffee, then you get hit with coconut/mounds bars, and finally you are blasted with a wave of booze/rum/barrel/whiskey. The beer has an oily choco-coconut mouthfeel. This beer is like jumping in and getting out of a swimming pool -- it clings to your tongue for several minutes, and fills youth mouth with lots of chocolate, coconut, and coffee. The beer itself is incredibly sweet from the spirit, adjuncts, and base beer's residual sugars, and yet the beer itself is quite dry thanks to the high alcohol content. The balance just works. 

This is by far the most layered and complex of Epic's lineup, and something I would recommend drinking sooner than later. Really impressive stuff.
 
Rating: Light Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd) 

Random Thought:

Pastry Boi, Pastry Boi
Really
All about that pastry, boy
Pastry
Got a team to serve it
Pastry
All from Cali to Decatur, boy
Stack it
That pastry, boy, pastry, boy
All about that pastry, boy
Yeah!
I keep a ting
Uh, yeah!

Pastry Boi, Pastry Boi
Always 'bout that pastry, boy
If you ain't on your grind
And you flexin', you's a hater, boy
Pastry Boi, Pastry Boi
Always gettin' pasty, boy
If you ain't makin' money
Then you ain't a money maker, boy
Insulin, insulin
Yeah I need some insulin
I'm stackin' up this pastry, man
And I could make that sugar flip
That pastry flip, pastry flip
Watch me make this pastry flip
Then head to Cigar City
And I bet that pastry make her strip
Pastry man, pastry man
Catch me in the bakery, man
Like Wall Street Journal, yeah
'Cause I be gettin' pastry, man
Pastry man, paper man
Yeah I'm gettin' pastry, man...                 

One Well Brewing Sweet Water Street

One Well Brewing Sweet Water Street

Brewed By: One Well Brewing in Kalamazoo, Michigan

Purchased: 32oz Howler from One Well Brewing; 2015 (poured on 08/26/15)

Style/ABV: American Adjunct Imperial Porter, 7.1%

Reported IBUs: ???

This was, by far, the second best Porter/Stout I had on my trip to Kalamazoo. This beer deserves a nod and shot out, because it is really fucking good. The brewery isn't too shabby either. About One Well Brewing: 

One Well Brewing is a nano/micro brewery based out of Kalamazoo, Michigan. The brewery was founded by home brewers Chris O’Neill and T.J. Waldofsky, and currently features a 3-barrel brewing system. The tap house is warm and cozy, with board games and a bar. The place was packed an hour before closing, and the staff was friendly. My biggest regret is that I discovered this place during my last day in Kalamazoo...

The Sweet Water Street is an Imperial Porter brewed with donut holes from Sweetwater's Donut Mill, and coffee from Water Street Coffee Roaster. Coffee is my life force, so while in Kalamazoo I had a chance to visit Water Street Coffee Roaster twice. The coffee is solid, and is locally roasted. 

So good...

The Sweet Water Street itself pours into a dark body kicking up a couple of fingers of dense, tan-brown head. It looks like every other genero-Porter until you dig into the aroma and get that rich chocolate coffee cake smell. This kicks up espresso and hazelnut and lots of fresh coffee, but the coffee stays grounded in the cakey malt base. This hints at macaroons and candy bars, and suggests so much more than a straightforward coffee beer. 

And the taste lives up to the aroma's hype, and then some and more so. At whatever percentage this clocks in at (7.1%???), the malt body stands up to the strong coffee flavors. This has a cake-like body with chocolate malts, trailing malt balls on the back end, rich espresso, hazelnut, and liquid coffee cake. 

The mouthfeel on this is full and expansive, and this beer has depth and density. This squeezes all the money's worth out of the 7.1%, and the malt body does not go to waste. The palate is full-bodied, and this has enough layers to beckon complexity. It has good duration too...each sip lingers. You get a lot of straight Porter in the front, but by the mid palate this drops coffee and chocolate. The back end rounds out with earthy coffee notes, hints of macaroons, and malt balls. This cleans up nicely too...you would expect loads of residual sugars and you really get none of that here. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. This is one of the best beers currently on tap in Kalamazoo, and you owe it to yourself to check this beer out. On top of that, One Well Brewing's other beers were good, and the vibe of their little bar is fantastic. Would definitely stop in again. 

Random Thought: The number one dark beer on my trip goes out to 18th Street Brewing...maybe more on that later. 

Local Option Mourning Wood

Brewed By: Local Option Bierwerker in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: Amber Ale/Hybrid Ale/Barrel-Aged Ale/Coffee Beer, 7.3%

Reported IBUs: ?

Local Option Mourning Wood

You can't stop the Chicago beer train. It's coming at you 100mph like Amtrak. About Local Option:

Local Option is a restaurant/bar (known for their intense Creole food) that happens to also brew their own beer.

The Mourning Wood is an oak-aged coffee amber ale. This beer sits in fresh American oak, and Dark Matter's El Salvador San Jose pulp-natural coffee adds some coffee kick. This one looks like it has been through barrel-aged hell. The beer is a murky, orange color, with tight lacing and surprisingly good head retention despite the barrel/coffee treatment.

The aroma here is dark grains, sweet hazelnut, nutty coffee, toast, oak, and some nice dark fruits. I'm getting some dried berries and figs on the aroma, and I'm reminded of Autumn-style beers (namely the Two Brothers Atom Smasher). As this warms up, the coffee on the aroma starts to pop.

This beer gets appreciably better as it warms, so keep that in mind when you crack this. As I sip on this, I am getting lots of dried berries, serious kicks of Dark Matter coffee ala hazelnut and light roast, toast, and light grassy hops. The oak comes through as a mild character that plays with the Amber Ale base. Caramel, light brown sugar, tapioca, iced coffee, wood, coffee creamer...pretty complex.

This hides the 7.3% with ease, and drops appropriate carb levels. Palate depth is good with nice duration, and this has a fairly complex layering of flavors for an Amber Ale. The oak addition is a subtle touch, and the coffee comes through as a light roast or Java flavor. I find this to be an intriguing Amber Ale, and you can't beat the price. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is not revolutionary or mind-blowing by any means, but it is a solid Amber Ale. Also, the Dark Matter coffee comes through strong, as advertised.  

Random Thought: Awww yeah beer. 

Surly Coffee Bender

Brewed By: Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Purchased: 16oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2015 (canned on 02/20/15)

Style/ABV: American Brown Ale, 5.1%

Reported IBUs: 45

A coffee Brown Ale. Eh? About Surly Brewing: 

The Surly Brewing company is a brewery based out of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The brewery was founded in 2005 by long time homebrewer Omar Ansari with the help of Todd Haug (Minneapolis's Rock Bottom Brewery). For more info, check out the brewery's about page.

Surly Coffee Bender

The Coffee Bender is brewed with Pale Ale, Aromatic, Medium Crystal, Dark Crystal, Oats, and Chocolate malts; and features Columbus and Willamette hops, and English Ale yeast. The beer is also cold pressed with Guatemalan coffee that is roasted locally.

This is a pretty beer, albeit deceptively darker in low light. Bright light betrays the hazy, reddish body, and a cloud of yeast and sediment can be seen mucking up the beer. The head is fluffy and Guinness-like™, and there is good lacing and retention. 

This has an amazing aroma of cold pressed coffee, stale toast that has been sitting out for a few minutes, coffee sitting in the filter, hazelnuts, and a light but crisp hop aroma. The coffee elevates what is otherwise a fairly derivative style of beer, and I am reminded of New Glarus' banging, low-ABV, coffee beer, their New Glarus Coffee Stout.

same beer, with light

Kudos to Surly for basically turning a Brown Ale into iced coffee. This is a fantastic beverage, if you want coffee not beer. That's not a sideways compliment or passive insult. This is really nice, with cold pressed coffee, coffee in the filter, light creamer, hints of toast, hints of lactose, hazelnut, and light nuttiness. This is also somehow light and refreshing, with lots of straight and light hops providing a palate cleanse. 

This is medium-bodied, but light and refreshing at the same time. The beer has great palate depth and complexity for the style...really, this owns the Brown Ale category, and the 5.1% market. This is hard to top, and I think it edges out the New Glarus Coffee Stout by just a bit. This hits the coffee/toast breakfast combo hard up front, rolls into hazelnut and lactose coffee, and then finishes with sharp coffee and hops. Pretty rad.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is pretty much as advertised, and you will be cold pressed (get it?) to find a better coffee beer in the 5.1% range. The coffee here is also clean without any acridity or weird earthiness or fruitiness. Pretty much for sure I will buy this beer again, and you should too.

Random Thought: I like you too, and don't call me Surly. 

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. 

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. 

Pig Minds Brewing Joe Daddy Barrel Aged

Brewed By: Pig Minds Brewing Co. in Machesney Park, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bomber generously gifted to me on Black Friday; 2014 

Style/ABV: American Stout, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Let me extend a thanks for this bottle. Black Friday was a lot of fun, even if my toes were numb by the end of the morning. I did stand in line for my allotment of Bourbon County, and I'm glad I did. 2014's Bourbon County release in Chicago was nothing but a shit show. But enough about that....About Pig Minds Brewing:

Pig Minds Brewing Co. is a brewery based out of Machesney Park, IL. The brewery was founded around 2012, by owner Brian Endl and head brewer Carson Souza. For more info, check out their Website or Facebook page. 

Tonight's beer, the Joe Daddy Barrel Aged, is a twist on their Joe Daddy, which is a coffee stout brewed with two gallons of molasses, brown sugar, and Guatemalan Coffee roasted locally at Jadabug Roasters. The bottle of the Joe Daddy Barrel Aged reads: "Joe Daddy's back. He's bigger, bolder, and older than before. He got himself a job at the distillery, stacking and racking oak barrels 9 to 5. Wooza, nice abs, Joe! This is our Jada Bug Coffee imperial stout brewed with brown sugar and molasses that ol' Joe Daddy made famous. Only this time we've barrel-aged this blend to give you that oaken experience that warms you way down deep. Now who's Joe Daddy?" 

Pig Minds Brewing Joe Daddy Barrel Aged

This pours into a thick, oily, opaque body, kicking up a finger of dark brown, mocha-tinged head. The head retention on this beer is fantastic, and there is also really nice lacing and big glossy alcohol legs to set the tone.

I know this glass calls out the aroma for you, but when I poured this beer I was smacked with HUGE waves of coconut, vanilla, barrel, bourbon, and alcohol. This smells absolutely potent and fantastic. When I stick my nose into the beer, I am getting big macaroons, coffee, coffee liquor, vanilla, alcohol, and RICH coffee. The coffee on this aroma is oily and thick. This smells amazing, anything short of this aroma in the taste is going to be a disappointment...I hope this delivers. 

For the most part, this does deliver. This isn't as thick as Bourbon County, but at 9.0% I wasn't expecting it to be. What I'm getting here is a ton of barrel, vanilla, alcohol, and coffee. The alcohol is not fusel at all, and has a marked complexity, like a hot whiskey. This has hints of raisins soaked in alcohol, fusel and quad-like fruits, complex coffee fruits, and lots of complex dessert alcohol notes. It reminds me of a dessert liquor, or a nice digestive. The kick of oak, vanilla, and bourbon on the back end is just icing on the cake. I'm going to let this warm up, and report back. UPDATE: oh yeah, as this warms up, this continues to improve in terms of depth, complexity, and drinkability. At warmer temps, this becomes a coffee liquor banger, with nice barrel and booze notes. This is just the perfect after-dinner treat, and a sipper to chew on.

I'm quite smitten with this brew. It's not quite Bourbon County Coffee, but not many beers are. Actually, the coffee in this beer is just one of many elements that defines the overall experience. At 9.0%, this is both boozier and bigger than its britches. The mouthfeel isn't quite thick freaky, but it is full-bodied with really nice complexity and palate depth. Right now, this is pretty hot...I think with 6~12 months of age this is going to mellow out. But I love alcohol, whiskey, and dessert spirits. I'm enjoying this because it is boozy, and I think the booze plays with the coffee and the barrel. The booze is also fairly complex, not unlike a good digestive or cognac. This unravels in waves of complexity, but you get a lot of alcohol, coffee, and complex booze up front; that rolls into coconut, bourbon, vanilla, dessert spirits, more coffee, liquor, and tons of goodness; the back end trails with coffee, liquor, alcohol, and lots of barrel. This finishes dry, and there isn't as much residual sugar kicking around as you might initially think. I'm enjoying this...and I'm finding this to actually be a sipper, which is rare for me.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. This is my type of Imperial Stout. Layered, coffee, bourbon, alcohol, booze, and a true sipper. This is somewhat alcohol-forward, so be warned if you prefer your beers to be more "integrated." I'm not a huge fan of aging beers, but I think this will meld a bit down the road. For me, I like this fresh. I would not pair this with anything, except for maybe some dry chocolate cake and ice cream. This is just a great sipping beer...I would totally buy this if I saw it on shelves. 

Random Thought: People who read this blog will obviously note that I do age beers, and I'm not 100% against aging beer. I think there is some misconception that I am completely against aging beers...I'm not...I just think that people should put some thought into aging beer. It's a lot more complicated than just picking a beer with a high ABV, or a beer that meets "X style guideline."

Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: 12oz bottle from the 2014 Snowpack purchased at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014
Style/ABV: Coffee Stout, 6.2%

Reported IBUs: 53

DAE Cerro Nevarros? I do. For $14.99 the 2014 Snowpack was too cheap to pass up. This year's Snowpack features their Porter, Pale Ale, Boomerang IPA, and Coffee Stout. About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

Coffee Stouts are maybe my favorite thing ever, so I have some pretty high expectations with this one. The Coffee Stout punches in at 6.2% with 53 IBUs, and is brewed with Nugget hops; Two-row Pale, Caramel, Chocolate, Wheat, and Brown malts; and cold brewed coffee and lactose. 

Sierra Nevada Coffee Stout

This pours into a near-black body, kicking up a finger of dark brown head. Bright light betrays some of those brown tones around the edges, but this is basically opaque through and through. Head retention is good, with solid lacing. 

The aroma here: coffee, hazelnut, mocha, coffee + creamer, a little espresso, and lots of filter coffee and coffee that has been leftover in the filter. There is also a substantial amount of lactose on the nose, with hints of creamer, vanilla, and milk.

This pretty much follows the nose to the tee...leading off with lots of sweet coffee, filtered coffee, espresso, ground coffee, and some hazelnut sweetness. Along with the coffee onslaught is a lot of hints of mocha, creamer, lactose, and sweet notes. The sweet notes include some sugars and hints of dark fruits...beneath the coffee is some hints of roast complexity, but this is mostly a sweet coffee ride.

This is pretty straightforward, but gets credit for being medium-full at just 6.2%. The palate depth here is really good, but this isn't the most complex beer in the world. This pretty much rides sweet coffee up front, with tons of coffee, espresso, and hazelnut; the mids roll into some creamer, lactose sugars, mocha, and earth/tobacco; the back end trails with lots of coffee sweetness, and has a bit of roast. The theme here is sweet and coffee. A part of me wonders if this beer would be elevated if it had a little more roast or dark malt complexity to balance out some of the sugars.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. This is a really solid coffee stout, especially at the ABV, but I do think it could be a bit more complex. Still, this is a great addition to the winter pack, and also a tasty beer. I would pair this with some dessert....maybe some dry chocolate cake. Yum.

Random Thought: The 2014 Snowpack doesn't have any mind-blowing beers, but it does feature four very good beers. I'd say it is worth the $14.99. 

5 Rabbit Yodo Con Leche

Brewed By: 5 Rabbit Cerveceria in Bedford Park, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer, 8.2%

Reported IBUs: 38

These Summer nights and running [X miles] followed by drinking [Y Imperial Stout] is apparently becoming a thing. And I'm okay with it. It's not like I just mowed a lawn. I swear...I still love wheat beers. About 5 Rabbit Cerveceria: 

5 Rabbit Cerveceria is an Illinois-based craft brewery launched in 2011. The brewery has a unique perspective, focusing on Latin-themed craft beer. The company is lead by CEO Andrés Araya, Creative Director Randy Mosher, and brewmaster (and former Goose Island employee) John J. Hall. For more info about the brewery, check out their Facebook or their website. 

The Yodo Con Leche is an "Imperial Porter brewed with milk caramel and Costa Rican Coffee" The bottle reads: 

"A Costa Rican slang term for coffee, "Yodo" means something rich, dark and intense-a perfect name for this distinctive beer. We use "Finca Agrícola Cafetal" coffee beans from Lourdes de Cirrí de Naranjo, Costa Rica, custom roasted by Gaslight Coffee Roasters for the freshest, smoothest flavor. We combine this with Argentine dulce de leche (milk caramel), three caramel malts, three dark malts including chocolate rye, and finally oatmeal, creating several layers of creamy chocolatey roasted character.""

Yeah, you read that right...this is a malt bomb, brewed with Costa Rican coffee. The exact malt bill includes 2-Row, Caramel, Roasted Wheat and Rye malts, and Patagonia C-120. This also has the Dulce de Leche (milk caramel) and Costa Rican coffee. The hops here include Pilgrim and Summit, and this one is finished with dem English yeasts. It sounds like the coffee is a late addition, post-fermentation, steeped in some of the beer and then blended into the final result. I'm excited, are you?

5 Rabbit Yodo Con Leche

In true Porter-but-not-Imperial-Stout fashion, this one pours into a mostly black and mostly opaque body, but in reality you catch some brown tones and this is slightly transparent around the edges. The beer kicks up a finger or two of mocha-brown, coffee-infused head. The beer generally looks the same in bright or low light. Head retention here is nice...courtesy of all the proteins and malts. Swirling the beer kicks up sex in the glass, and there's nice lacing and alcohol legs. It's a good looking beer...I say that rarely, so prepare your fap chamber.

Damn...I really love coffee beers. I can't emphasize that enough. Really, really, love coffee beers. This has sweet aromatics and with rich coffee overtones. It smells more like a coffee bean shop than a Starbucks, with sweet and earthy coffee beans emerging as the dominating aroma. I'm getting sweet, earthy coffee beans, mocha, huge espresso and coffee creamer (like the canned energy drink espresso), ash, and earthy hazelnut. This plays up the hazelnut as you sink into the aroma, and I'm getting a ton of vanilla and caramel sugars too. I'd say this aroma leans towards the sweeter, earthy, unprocessed side of coffee...and that's not a bad thing.

This is blissfully drinkable, and the flavors mirror the aroma with huge hazelnut, caramel, vanilla sweetness, earthy ash and ground coffee, raw coffee beans, and big espresso with creamer. At times this reminds me of chewing on a chocolate-dipped coffee bean, with hints of chocolate-caramel and caramel-vanilla sweetness. You have to wonder how this beer would taste aged in a barrel; preferably a bourbon barrel. Probably well, as I answer my own question. For whatever reason, this one avoids the lactose sugar notes...I'm getting a lot of sweetness here, but it's well balanced by measured levels of roast. This is truly a balanced, well-made beer.

I'm really surprised by the lack of love, hype, and reviews for this beer. Apparently no one gives a fuck about Randy Mosher's epic brewery thing, but whatever. This is a medium-bodied beer, but it is creamy and smooth...so smooth. This drinks like a Milk Stout in every way possible, and sort of rides the line between medium and full. I'm not getting any of the 8.2%, which is a good thing. Palate depth is great, especially for a Porter. And this is very complex. Really, this is one of the most memorable Porters I have had in recent memory. Up front: caramel sugars, sweet coffee, espresso, vanilla, creamer, mocha, hazelnut; the mids roll into huge hazelnut, with earthy and ashy coffee, caramel-vanilla, some roast; the back end trails with roast, more ashy/earthy coffee and coffee beans, and tons of lingering residual sugars. This is sticky and unashamed about it. It's basically a coffee Sweet Stout dubbed an Imperial Porter. Pretty good.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here...almost reaching that divine brew plateau. I'd have to revisit this to commit to a divine brew rating, but this is clearly one of the best things that 5 Rabbit has made. I do recommend seeking this out if you can find it on the shelves. There's not much else to say...I think you could pair this with burgers, coffee-braised beef or pork, pork chops, gamy meets, and maybe even some Thai or Indian food. The sweeter notes in this beer seem like they'd compliment a curry dish. Obviously this would work with chocolate desserts, vanilla ice cream, or breakfast as well.

Random Thought: I should probably mention that I will be going to graduate school soon...within the next two months. How that will effect my blogging or beer purchasing remains to be seen, but what is for sure is that I'll be on a tighter budget. It may be back to 6-packs and the occasional bomber. I can't say I'm thrilled about that, but I'm not even 1000 beers into my beer-drinking journey. I have so much to learn, still. So much to see. I doubt I am going to be bored with beer anytime soon...even boring shelf turds. But stay tuned, I guess.

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Double Latte Coffee Milk Stout (brewed with Ninkasi Brewing Company in Eugene, Oregon)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/30/14)
Style/ABV: American Imperial Stout, 7.6%

Reported IBUs: 60

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

The Double Latte Coffee Milk Stout is a collaboration with Ninkasi Brewing Company, a brewery that is going to put beer in space like anyone cares. At least astronauts can get their drink on now. My bottle reads: "Inspired by the perennial café favorite, Double Latte combines two great things: coffee and beer. Oregon's Ninkasi Brewing knows their way around a good cup of joe. Featuring cold-press coffee from legendary Stumptown Coffee Roasters and a dose of milk sugar, this coffee milk stout is a rich and roasty treat."

Double Latte Coffee Milk Stout

Describing Imperial Stouts is like describing a zebra, or something. You know, it's a horse with black and white stripes. This one pours into an opaque, black body...and kicks up a finger of super creamy, tan/brown/mocha head. There's nice carbonation visible on the side of my glass, and it is tiny in size. This looks much the same in bright light. Notable here is the ridiculous head retention, with a finger hanging around for the long haul. In fact, the other thing to note here is how creamy and dense this head is. It's like whipped egg whites...this makes Guinness look like a chump. Really impressive head here, like drunk chicks.

WOW, dat aroma. This smells fucking amazing...I'm getting blasted with deep coffee, light hazelnut, light espresso, big latte notes, chocolate, mocha, and tons of lactose sugar. Did I mention the head is STILL hanging around?

This tastes amazing...and they nail the bitterness. This is a huge Stout, with tons of lactose, milks sugars, and chocolate density. But there's a ton of coffee notes in here, ranging from straight up coffee, hazelnut, latte, cappuccino, and then big espresso that grows and grows as the hop bitterness takes hold and punishes your palate. Before the bitter hop/coffee wallop, you get some nice lactose-cocoa sweetness, but then BAM. Non-intrusive but bitter hops show up, and then the bitter coffee unloads big espresso notes. There's tons of creamy coffee creamer and lactose sugar in the mix, and yeah.

This is a full-bodied, rich, complex, Stout. Palate depth and complexity are both very high. This is well-carbonated, and has really nice balance between sweet lactose Sugars, roasty Stout notes and chocolate, and tons of coffee. The hops in here are strictly to provide support to the bitter coffee that shows up on the back end. Up front: lactose sugars, roast, earthy notes, ash, growing coffee, hints of espresso; the mids hit hazelnut, latte, cappuccino, more dirty and ash, some woody notes, cocoa, lactose sugars, caramel; the back end rolls into bitter espresso, bitter coffee, more lingering milk sugars, and a nice drying finish that leaves sticky, residual sugars up in the corner of your lips. Really nice.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. This is not just a great example of how to make a coffee stout, but this is a really, really good coffee stout. This puts a lot of the competition to shame...and rivals some top-notch coffee beers. This is even more impressive when you consider that it only clocks in at 7.6 and 60 IBUs. This beer is refined and balanced, making use of every single square inch of that ABV and hop addition. I love everything about this beer, but I really like the balance and the deeply bitter espresso notes that show up on the back end. You could pair this beer with breakfast foods, chocolate bacon doughnuts, dry chocolate desserts, or a big aggressive cheeseburger with strong cheeses. You could also pair this with grilled meats that are heavily seasoned. Great stuff....I am impresed.

Random Thought: This beer is clearly the standout from the 2014 Beer Camp. What a brew...