Revolution Deth By Cherries 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, 13.1%
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 Deth By Cherries. Deth's Tar is Revolution's barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout, and the base for their Deth by Cherries, Cafe Deth, VSOD, Double Barrel VSOD, and a handful of variants that were tap-only.

The can reads: "Unfermented tart cherries add a mild acidity and subtly rounding sweetness to our Deth's Tar Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. Flavors and aromas of bourbon and oak meld harmoniously with the fruit, each balancing the other. Enjoy now or store cold." 

The appearance is basically mantit for hipster tat to Deth's Tar. It looks stocky, probably under-dressed in clothes slightly oversized. It waits patiently in line. It's black. Wait...

Revolution Deth By Cherries 2017

This smells amazing, by the way. Take everything that could be better about Deth's Tar, dial up the chocolate, and throw in the cherries. My untappy notes said, "surprisingly balanced and barrel forward. Cherry w/ dark truffle, wood tannin, light kiss of bourbon and vanilla. Nice alcohol, whiskey." I DO get a lot of wood and barrel on the nose. The woody notes are really surprising. I also get a lot of chocolate a la those chocolate truffles. The cherry note on here is natural and integrates with the raisin notes from the whiskey. It definitely inspires some cherry-chocolate liquor comparisons.

So how does it taste? Well, amazing. This is really a pleasure to sip. The depth and duration are huge, and the layers are complex. The finish smacks you with vanilla and bourbon, and then lingers with warming alcohol heat and spice. The front end is loaded with fudge, chocolate truffles, bourbon, and then cherries. The cherry sweetness really shows up in the middle, with slightly tart natural cherries. I'm getting a lot of cherry skins, raisin-cherries, and light acidity. It never drifts into sour territory, and the cherry note is very much restrained. Unlike numerous other cherry beers (many featured previously on my blog), this never dabbles in cherry pie filling.

Fruited stouts are the type of thing that can divide a beer community. I would say this is one of the better ones. Aggressive sips are revealing for me some of that splintered wood and raw barrel power you get in the base. There's some anise hugging the edges of this too. I bet this ages pretty good for a few years. As it sits out, I get more fruit. Full-bodied, complex, long duration, good depth, good sipping beer...front loaded fudge/chocolate...fruity mids...fade out to vanilla, bourbon, and spice/heat.

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

Cherry pie, be gone! The fact that "cherry pie" or "cherry pie filling" are completely absent from my review should be a positive thing for 99% of beer drinkers. This is a legit fusion/addition of cherry to an amazing base beer, and the big ass wood, barrel, anise, bourbon, and Stout presence holds up and integrates well with the lightly tart cherry notes. Revolution, I tip my hat to you.

Random Thought: So where does this stack up as a variant? Or just in general? For me....I would go DBVSOD > VSOD > Deth By Cherries > Cafe > Reg. I understand RevBrew is doing a currants variant next year, I'm sure that will be awesome.

Temperance Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right & Variants 2017 Roundup

Brewed By: Temperance Brewing Company in Evanston, IL 

Purchased: 12oz CANS bought at Temperance Brewing Company in Evanston, IL; 2018 (2017 vintage)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout (see below for %ABV)

Reported IBUs: ?

Temperance Beer Company is a brewery based out of Evanston, Illinois. Evanston is a suburb of Chicago, and known famously by the locals for its history of being a dry town until 1972. Evanston still has some silly liquor laws that prevent the sale of certain singles under a certain size. Anyway, Temperance was founded by Josh Gilbert back in 2013, and is "Evanston's first and oldest brewery."

None of that is super important. But what is worth mentioning is that Temperance have thrown their hat in the barrel-aged stout game. And they've produced four beers (one regular, three variants) that are pretty noteworthy. So I'm going to talk about them. These four beers are the result of taking Temperance's Might Meets Right Imperial Stout, and aging it in Heaven Hill barrels. The end result is quite pleasant and delightful.

Heaven Hill Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

Heaven Hill Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

The Heaven Hill version of Might Meets Right is presumably the base for all the variants. It's also the most straight forward of these beers. My Untappd notes from the pre-release tasting say: "That's nice. Mellow and sweet with fudge and candy bars. The Bourbon is present and has nice flavor. Malt balls, vanilla, coconut. Malty..". 

This definitely leans towards sweet and malty. There is an array of candy bars here, with your Snickers shell and nougat, that Skor/Heath flavor shows up, and there's a fair amount of caramel filling. I want to punctuate how sweet this is. Compared to beers like Deth's Tar or even the BA Ten Fidy, this is definitely in the realm of sugar plum fairies and your 2015/16/17 BCBS regular. The bourbon does show up with lots of vanilla and fudge. I'm also getting legit brownies.

What differentiates this specifically from BCBS is the yeast profile, and probably the extent to which Temperance was able to blend their barrels. You definitely know where the inspiration is, but it tastes unique. This is really nice and the only thing holding this back right now is the availability and the fact that BCBS is still turding on shelves. Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Bramble Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

The can reads: "After aging in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, we add blackberries & raspberries to heighten the dark berry notes of the stout. This is one of our takes on a revered style. Let's make some history together."

This looks very similar to the base, pouring into a body with minimal head. The aroma is nice. I'm getting a lot of caramel sweetness, Twizzlers, a lot of vanilla and caramel ala the base beer, and a lot of berries. The berries on the nose remind me of Goose Island's Backyard Rye and Bramble insofar that you get more of that "fruit on the bottom yogurt" or "berries with cream" note versus a roast/berry profile sometimes found on other stouts.

Bramble Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

My untappd notes for this read: "The vanilla and base shines, and then I'm getting walloped with raspberry and blackberry and blueberry. Lots of fudge and vanilla over the top." I basically agree with that reflecting on this beer right now. You are either going to love this beer or hate it. The fruit is big and bold, with tons of raspberry, blueberry, and blackberry puree shining through the caramel and vanilla. The fruity notes actually heighten the alcohol and spirit, so I'm getting some sharp barrel, bourbon, and booze notes. Again, much like the aroma, the fruit in this plays into the base beer's sweetness. Sometimes fruited stouts really play with a roast-on-fruit character, but this is a beer firmly in the realm of fruit and yogurt or berries and cream or fruit with soft serve ice cream. 

What I love about this beer is how much it reminds me of Bramble and Backyard Rye. That's good company to keep. I also love how Temperance was able to keep the viscosity and T H I C C-ness. This is full-bodied with good depth, duration, and complexity. It really unfolds in a couple waves, with lots of the base up front, mids that are all about the berries, and a really complex back end that drops the spirit, some fruit-bourbon notes, lingering fudge and vanilla, and then a nice fade out. I really look forward to them brewing this next year. Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Coffee Maple Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

The can reads: "Some think that might makes right. But it's the troublemakers -- the ones who speak truth to power -- who change the world. Coffe Maple Might Meets Right® is the stone in your slingshot. After aging our imperial stout in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels, we add maple & Passion House cold-brew coffee to make this the perfect brunch weapon. This is one of our takes on a revered style. Let's make some history together."

Let me just say outright, this shit is We Todd Ed. This stuff is OFF THE CHAIN <insert Guy Fieri enthusiastically blowing loads meme>. It reminds me of Mikerphone's Imperial Smells Like Bean Spirit Double Maple, which I was lucky enough to grab a pour of while standing in line for BCBS. That's high praise, by the way. 

Coffee Maple Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

This basically looks like all the other deviants; maybe a little more heady than the ¡La Sorpresa! and the Heaven Hill. The aroma is an onslaught of aggressive barrel-aged bourbon pancake syrup, maple syrup, fruity maple bourbon, honeycombs, Waffle Crisp cereal, and pancakes. If coffee is in the aroma, it is drowning in maple syrup. This is like being at IHOP with your nose in some pancakes and that coffee in the corner. 

The taste mirrors the nose in the best way possible. Let's flip this a bit and talk about the mouthfeel. This is full-bodied and approaching that ideal cake-shake density. There's good duration here with tons of lingering maple. And this actually has some complexity and nuance. This unfolds with waves of maple up front, but actually drops some nice coffee and bourbon in the mids. The back end drops tons of maple, vanilla, honey, and finishes with lingering bourbon. It's fan-fucking-tastic.

As I sip on this, I'm getting more cofffee, more vanilla, and lots of the base beer. The base beer -- which is full of fudge and brownies and caramel -- plays so well with the maple. I get pancakes from this, fruity undertones that suggest berries and compote, and lots of bourbon. Wood/barrel pops in, but the main character here is vanilla. It is sweet but somehow it works. It is decadent stout maple syrup. This is just a ridiculous, over-the-top-beer. I really hope they brew this again. Rating: Strong Divine Brew (4.75/5.0 Untappd) 

¡La Sorpresa! Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right (2017) - 13% ABV

The ¡La Sorpresa! is/was the most intriguing of the variants for me. I'm a HUUUUGGEEEE fan of spicy, Mexican-chocolate stouts, and this one takes the base beer aged in Heaven Hill barrels and throws in coffee, roasted cacao, vanilla beans, toasted cinnamon, and dried Arbol, New Mexico, & Ancho Chiles. 

Interestingly enough, when I went to the pre-release tasting and tried all these beers, the brewmasters were talking about how they brewed this beer twice (? - I believe, don't quote me) and the second time they brewed it they carefully monitored the level of heat the beer was picking up from the peppers. I think that is an interesting detail because overall, I didn't find this one very spicy? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

¡La Sorpresa! Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right

In fact, ¡La Sorpresa! is pretty subtle. When I had it at the tasting it was the fourth beer I drank, and by then my palate was probably pretty worn. It didn't inspire me at that time. It wasn't until I cracked open my can and really spent some time with the beer that I was able to appreciate what is going on here. So straight up, this beer reminds me of Une Annee/Hubbard Cave's El Zacatón. It also DOESN'T remind me of beers like Imperial Blud. 

So what's the takeaway? Imperial Blud is more balanced towards sweetness, where beers like El Zacatón and ¡La Sorpresa! lean towards that almond flour, dense body. ¡La Sorpresa! is surprisingly dense...it's like drinking blended up churros. There is an awesome fusion of cinnamon, fudge, the amazing base beer and Heavin Hill barrel, and then there is a nice measured, pepper heat. The pepper heat is a subtle addition. There's a lot of coffee and vanilla kicking around with the peppery heat and Mexican chocolate, and it all fuses together nicely. Overall, this beer is a winner for me. I stand by my original comment that they could dial up the heat a bit, but as it stands this is a wonderful display of almond-flour/churro body and cinnamon Mexican chocolate. The base beer is fantastic and fuses effortlessly. Rating: Light Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

Random Thought: After rounding these beers up, I am not at all shocked that the 2016 Double Rye Barrel-Aged Might Meets Right weighed in at #6 on The  Hop Review's "50 Chicago Stouts: Reviewed & Ranked." That is high praise that is probably...well, probably well deserved. I suspect Temperance won't be flying under the radar much longer, for better or worse. Get 'em while you can.

Revolution Deth's Tar 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

Revolution Deth's Tar 2017

In keeping with my plan to review Revolution's 2017/2018 lineup of barrel-aged beers, I'm looking at the 2017 vintage of Deth's Tar. Deth's Tar is Revolution's barrel-aged Imperial Oatmeal Stout, and the base for their Deth by Cherries, Cafe Deth, VSOD, Double Barrel VSOD, and a handful of variants that were tap-only.

I actually reviewed this beer back in 2013, and I remember it being pretty bourbon-y. To wit: "Honestly, there's a lot of complexity lurking beneath the bourbon, despite the fact that this is so aggressively bourbon-y." 

The 2018 vintage pours into your typical pitch-black body, and kicks up a finger of short-lived, brown head. I'm going to recommend drinking this towards room temp. At colder temperatures I pick up more fruity notes on the aroma, and it almost veers into anise and licorice overload. Oddly enough, when this warms up the aroma turns into boozy brownie batter, raisins, barrel, and dark fruits. At the very least, if you decide to take this beer on at colder temps, let it warm up as you go.

The taste follows through, with intense barrel, wood, fudge, and dark fruits and light raisin/oxidation on the back. There is a surprising amount of anise and hop complexity present in this beer. It's interesting to compare regular Deth's Tar to VSOD and Double Barrel VSOD...you can really see how the additional barrel aging has changed the base beer. And conversely, you can see how the 2017 vintage of Deth's Tar has a HUGE base. I'm tasting a fair amount of char in here as well, which really plays off the barrel and bourbon and compliments the anise and bold roasty malts. This is just a HUGE intense beer, and it feels substantial outside of just the ABV.

For me, this beer is a grower and not a shower. There's a lot of nuance in here, and I think this is a pretty complex brew. As this sits in my glass the oatmeal stout base comes out a bit more, and I'm getting some of that roast and caramel malt presence. At 14.8% you are talking about a lot of spirit and alcohol. And this has a medium-full to full-bodied mouthfeel. The duration is moderate to full with good palate depth and good complexity. Again, up front I'm getting a lot of fruity notes like cherry with a blend of chocolate and brownie. The mids roll into char and barrel with some bourbon, more raisins, anise, light baker's spice. The back end finishes dry with alcohol, spirit, rum, and more roast/char/barrel. It's also worth emphasizing that this year's Deth's Tar is slightly thicker and bigger than past years, which is ultimately a good thing.

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

This is an impressively solid Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, and reminds me of stalwarts like Bell's Black Note and Barrel-Aged Old Rasputin. This might be the least interesting beer of Revolution's 2017/2018 barrel lineup, but it is still a massive, complex, thoroughly enjoyable beer. And while this beer isn't quite a Bourbon County killer, it's still entirely nuanced and original and worth its own merits. Also, there is some reckoning. Namely in the form of VSOD and DBVSOD.

Random Thought: Things I won't be watching this weekend: the Pro Bowl.

[Cellar Review] 2017 Traquair House Ale VS. 2013 Traquair House Ale

2013 Vintage Traquair Ale

The Traquair House Ale is an instant classic. The beer has gained notoriety for its interesting history and ability to be aged. I lucked into a few bottles of this beer back in 2013, and thought I would throw one in my cellar. I was thinking about when I wanted to pull the beer and try it. And as fortune would have it, while cruising the import aisle at Binny's looking for some Irish Dry Stouts, I stumbled upon a new vintage of the House Ale. So here we are.

The two beers in their glory:

Brewed By: Traquair in Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland  

Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, 0.9oz) bottle bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Scotch Ale, 7.2%

Reported IBUs: ?
Best By Date: June 2018

2017 Vintage Traquair Ale

Brewed By: Traquair in Innerleithen, Borders, Scotland  

Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, 0.9oz) bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2017 

Style/ABV: Scotch Ale, 7.2%
Reported IBUs: ?
Best By Date: May 28, 2026

[2013] Appearance: Both beers kick up an eggshell head, but the body of the 2013 House Ale is considerably more murky and worn. There are ruby red tones, but they reside in a swampy haze.

[2017] Appearance: Ruby red, filtered, and deceptively looking like your run of the mill bottle of Shamal Adams. An intriguing, ruby body.

[2013] Aroma: Here is where these two beers depart. The 2013 bottle features peat moss, raisins, leather, faint wood/barrel, oxidation, sherry, some port wine, hints of fortified marsala, and these beautiful tropical and stone fruit notes that come across through shades of peat moss. 

Side-by-Side

[2017] Aroma: The 2017 beer is brighter on the nose immediately, and has a strong grain and malt presence, with a fair amount of peat. There is oak, Scotch Whisky, toffee, caramel, and some toast. Cereal grains are present, and the beer smells warm and inviting. It smells not unlike a brewery. Lots of peat.

[2013] Taste: Wow. Not at all what I was expecting, the 2013 vintage basically sips like a nice peat whisky, sans the alcohol and burn. This is all about the sweet peat moss, with notes of raisins, woodsy mushrooms, musty leaves, peat, peat moss, greens, shades of fruitiness, and some lingering barrel character on the back. As the beer opens up in my glass, I'm getting some fruity notes too (probably from the yeast). Interesting stuff.

[2017] Taste: The taste of the 2017 vintage mirrors the nose in many ways. This is an assertive, grain-forward beer with lots of peat notes. There's a fair amount of astringency from the grain (and water and barrel, hang on) which drops some cereal and toasty notes. The barrel adds oak and wood tannin, and peat moss. The water is hard. There's a whole lot of peat. 

[2013] Finish: Wonderfully complex, this lays Scotch whisky in your glass and doesn't look back. The beer is medium-full, with shades of peat moss, fruit, grain and barrel tannin. There's some oak, chocolate, musty mushrooms, and layers of complex and developed graininess. Palate depth is banging, and this is endlessly complex. It really develops in waves, with peat moss and Scotch whisky up front, fruity notes and then oak/chocolate in the mids, and lingering musty mushrooms and wood and barrel in the back. 

[2017] Finish: The 2017 vintage is thicker, heftier, hoppier, and maltier. It is probably more in line with what I would look for in a beer as a pretty stereotypical American craft beer nerd. The beer is medium-bodied, with good palate depth and moderate to full duration. Each sip does linger in your mouth for 30-60 seconds. And there's good depth of flavor here. You get grains and peat moss up front; cereal and hoppy bitterness in the mids; the back end drapes some of the wood tannin, oak, and more peat moss. The lingering flavor is decidedly the peat moss. If you like Scotch whisky, this is a good contender. 

With flash/potato: 2017 on the left, 2013 on the right

[2013] Rating: Decent Above-Average (4.25/5.0 Untappd)

This was fun to age, and I would age a bottle again. I think the aged bottle is more complex and more intriguing, although it appeals less to my own preferences and sensibilities. I'm not a huge Scotch whisky guy, but I enjoy the complexities of a good peat drink. The layers of grain, smoke, and complex fruitiness are nice. There's no doubts about it, the 2013 bottle morphed into something quite nice and complex. 

[2017] Rating: Light Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

All around this is sweeter, hoppier, and smells and tastes like a brewery. The peat moss pops in as a secondary note, and brings along some oak, wood, and fruitiness. The yeast contributes some fruity characteristics to the beer as well. It's good, even thought it is not my go-to jam. It's no Dubbel. But this is an admittedly awesome beer. If you do see it, pick it up. This is one of those beers that comes around once in a while, and is worth checking out.

Random Thought: Proof that cellaring doesn't have to be super serious. Go buy some beers, stick them in your cellar, and see what happens. 

Destihl Saint Dekkera: Zura Dubbele Sour Stout

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois 
Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, .07oz bottle) bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 (bottled in 2014; barrel numbers 271-275)

Style/ABV: American Stout/Wild Ale, 9.9%
Reported IBUs: ????

More Destihl Sours woo. About Destihl: 

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

The Destihl Saint Dekkera: Zura Dubbele Sour Stout is a sour double stout, aged in oak barrels. And that's all she wrote.

This pours into a dark brown, cola color, kicking up two fingers of tan tinged head. There is nice lacing, and even some decent head retention. It's not opaque or pitch black, and I wouldn't expect it since it was aged in a barrel(s) for some time.

Destihl Saint Dekkera: Zura Dubbele Sour Stout

The aroma on this beer is awesome. I'm really surprised that Destihl has cranked something of this quality out, and it does justify the price. Their Wild Sour series is fun, but doesn't compare to the extent or complexity of a beer like this. This has an aroma of rich oak, leather, tons of acetic acid, red cider vinegar, and tons of oak-cherries and cherry cola. There is also an underlying coffee and chocolate note, and a fat malt base creeping.

This tastes delicious, like a blend of a Stout with a Flanders Red. It's very different than something like the Black Metal. There's a lot of chocolate and coffee in here, but it keeps rounding back out to big oak flavor, cherries, acetic acid and apple cider vinegar. There's a ton of shades of fruit in here, and the oak and barrel are a big character in the beer...which is what you want. Yum.

This is riding the line between medium and full-bodied. It certainly approaches a fuller feel as it warms up. Palate depth is awesome, and this has great duration and depth. I feel like the complexity leans towards the barrel and acetic acid notes a bit, but when I was sharing this with my girlfriend, she easily identified "coffee" in the taste. It's an impressive beer, and it feels and tastes like a beer that has been aged for a while in barrels. It's just an impressive package and experience. I get a lot of acetic acid, cherries, barrel, and sourness up front; that melds into these really rich chocolate and coffee notes, with some oak and barrel coming along for the ride; the back end fuses the chocolate, coffee, cherries, oak, and barrel...it's quite harmonious and actually really tasty. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. Wow this is a real surprise from the Midwest. This is about as authentic as the barrel-aged/sour experience can get, and this beer melds a fantastic sour/barrel character with this bitching stout base. Just fantastic stuff, all around. I am truly impressed. 

Random Thought: Destihl might be yet another sleeper hit in the midwest. Mmmmm.

Founders Backwoods Bastard

Brewed By: Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan

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

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

Reported IBUs: 50

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

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

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

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

Founders Backwoods Bastard

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

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

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

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

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

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

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. 

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale

Brewed By: Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, California 

Purchased: Single 12.7oz bottle (375ml) bought at Friar Tucks in Urbana, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Flanders Red Ale, 5.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

This beer hurt my wallet. Hopefully it will also hurt my enamel. About the The Lost Abbey: 

The Lost Abbey is part of the Port Brewing Company, and is located in Stone Brewing's old brewery location. The Port Brewing Company/Lost Abbey emerged from Pizza Port in 2006, and now operates independently. There is a lengthy history page on The Lost Abbey's website. The main story goes: back in the day, Vince Marsaglia (owner and co-founder of Pizza Port) was interested in brewing American-made Abbey style beer. In 1997, Vince joined forces with brewer Tomme Arther who worked to brew some awesome Belgian beer at Pizza Port. In 2005, when Stone Brewing moved from their San Marcos location, Vince, Tomme, Vince's sister Gina, and Jim Comstock founded the Port Brewing Company. Port Brewing opened in May of 2006, and the rest is history.

Today's beer, the Red Poppy Ale, is a "celebration of sour cherries." This beer is brewed from a brown ale base, and is aged in oak barrels for over 6 months. This American-Style Flanders Red is released in limited amounts, and costs an arm and a kidney.

Lost Abbey Red Poppy Ale

On the pour: a rich and hazy, dark brown, red-tinged body. This one kicks up two fingers of deeply brown-tinted, reddish head. The head has good retention, with a pinky's worth hanging around. This beer is also appropriately carbonated. It looks like it has had that barrel clinic, and this would fit right in among a lineup of Flemish Reds. 

There is great scratch and sniff action here, with deep layers of oak, sour cherries, and wood barrel on the nose. There are deep malts in here, with caramel sugars, cola, and cherry sweetness. The deep malts play off Brett funk, weird band-aid funk, and acidic pop. I'm getting red apple cider vinegar, acidic wood, and tart cherries. There are cherry tannins in here, with cherry skin, and some light jammy fruit notes. This aroma is actually quite complex, and surpasses some recent sours I've had, including the Love Child No. 4.

Hmmm...this is, all things considered, kind of a restrained beer. I'm getting nice lactic sourness, with some apple cider vinegar, sour cherries, and granny smith apples. There are some nice oak and Brett notes that round things out, with good wood in the mix. The back end is actually quite soft and malty, with more wood, Brett funk, oak, cherries, cola, and even some caramel sugars. At this point, this isn't the enamel-ripping monster I expected to get it. It's kind of balanced and constrained with the fruit maybe adding some sour notes and sweetness to the overall mix.

All things considered...this is light and drinkable for the style, with a medium-light mouthfeel. At 5.0% this is basically non-intrusive and non-alcoholic. Palate depth is okay and complexity is pretty high. This isn't overtly sour or aggressive...it's kind of balanced and constrained. Up front: tart cherries, sour cherries, lactic acid, sour wood, apple cider vinegar and sour apples; the mids roll into sour cherries, jammy fruits, growing malt sweetness; the back end drops oak, band-aid funk, wood, sweet caramel, and a nice dry finish that leans on the malts. Nice.  

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. This is really good and has nice complexity...I just wish it was a little more assertive. It could even benefit from more overt fruit notes. I think in that respect, this beer falls short compared to something like...Goose Island's Madame Rose. Or even their Juliet or Gillian. If you are going to go with the cherries...really embrace the fruit. This beer's maltier leanings mean it will pair well with grilled meats, duck, and maybe even a slice of cherry pie to really bring that cherry flavor home.

Random Thought: As a Bears fan, I am concerned right now. That is all.

Bell's Black Note Stout (Vintage 2014)

Brewed By: Bell's Brewery, Inc. in Kalamazoo, Michigan  

Purchased: 12oz single bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Bottled on 3/12/14)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, 11.4%

Reported IBUs: ?

Nothing tops off a nice 6-mile run and this hot Midwest Summer like a barrel-aged RIS. About Bell's:

Bell's Brewery is one of the biggest names in craft beer. Once you get past the Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, and Stone phase, you start hearing about breweries like Bell's. Bell's began as a home-brewing supply shop, founded by Larry Bell, back in 1983. Bell's sold its first beer in September 1985. The brewery has humble roots like many of the first craft breweries, and the beer was originally brewed in a 15-gallon soup kettle. The beer was originally self-distributed, bottled, and delivered by hand during the company's first four years. In 1993, Bell's became the first brewery in Michigan to open an onsite pub. The brewery currently has two facilities, one in Kalamazoo, and one in Comstock Township, Michigan. For more info, check out their website. 

If you don't know the deal, the Black Note is a coveted Midwest barrel-aged Stout. The bottle reads: "Black Note is a malty harmony of dark chocolate, espresso and dried fruit notes, aged in freshly retired oak bourbon barrels. Aimed squarely at stout aficionados, Black Note makes a grand statement about the art of the dark." This one punches in at 11.4% ABV, and should pack a nice punch. 

Bell's Black Note Stout (Vintage 2014)

The Black Note pours with obsidian opacity not unlike black metal, squid ink, and David Blaine's soul. This is your typical RIS affair, with a finger of mocha-brown head that leaves coffee-like residuals on the side of your glass, like the bottom of an empty cup of Starbucks coffee. This beer is well-carbonated, courtesy of the #glasswhale, and looks similar in low light and bright light. You could take this one home and keep the lights off or risk turning them on. No problem.

If you are serious about courting this beer, you should know its cousins. Namely Bourbon County and the BBA Plead the 5th. I guess you could throw the range of 50/50s into the mix as well. This smells the part of a good BBA RIS, with hot whiskey and bourbon sweetness coming over the top, followed by waves of rich chocolate, espresso/coffee, and pie crust. There is some coconut on the nose here, but nothing like what you get with Bourbon County. As this warms, I am getting some growing raisin and sweet whiskey notes. There are some hints of cherries, molasses, and Twizzlers as well. 

Bell's website suggests that this beer is a blend of the Expedition Stout and Double Cream Stout -- or at least, a spiritual blend of the two. And I can sort of see that. I had a bottle of this a few weeks ago, and I wasn't enjoying it as much as I had hoped. Right now though, this is drinking nicely. I'm getting big dark fruit notes, with cherries, Twizzlers, raisins, chocolate-dipped cherries and raisins towards the back, subtle whiskey sweetness, and complex molasses and sweet caramel sugars. There's a nice blast of sticky chocolate, toffee, coffee, and espresso up front. There is even some measured roast in here, with tons of malt complexity dancing around. The barrel and the spirit here are nuanced, but present. It's very pleasant, easy-going stuff.

Hmm...where do we go from here. This is a malty, overly-sweet, big beer. Surprisingly, I'm not getting a ton of alcohol for 11.4%. Really, not much alcohol at all. This is smooth, but still full-bodied. There's a little bourbon kick in the middle, along with some roasty and twangy hop noise in the background, but this is not overwhelming in any way that is unusual for the style. Palate depth here is fantastic, and this is surprisingly complex. This starts out sticky-sweet with chocolate and coffee/espresso, raisins, Twizzlers, dark fruits; the mids dial up bourbon, whiskey, raisin sweetness, English Barleywine malts, and just giant caramel sugars; the back end continues to ride the sugar train, with some hops creeping up, and lingering molasses and dark fruit notes. This is all around super solid, but still somewhat different than the BBA Pt5 and BCBS. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew here. For frame of reference...I just dug out a bottle of Bourbon County Stout the other day, 2012 Vintage. And it's drinking fantastic right about now. The Black Note is amazing. This is a blissful, stupefying beer, worth all the hype. This is better than KBS too...or different. More complex. I think this beer is going to continue to improve in the bottle, and I really am curious to revisit this beer in a year or two. The dark fruit notes in this beer are already popping, but given some time, this should really meld into an English Barleywine-type experience. But drinking this somewhat fresh, it's not bad. Not bad at all. Food pairings here include ice cream, dry chocolate cake, creme brulee, a nice cigar, a big raunchy burger, steak cooked medium-rare, and things like that. Really though, this beer should be carefully poured into your snifter at cellar temps and thought about. 

Random Thought: Moving is so fucking busy and stressful. /sigh

Unibroue Grande Réserve 17

Brewed By: Unibroue (Sapporo) in Chambly, Canada  

Purchased: 750ml (1 pint, 9.4 fl oz) bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (Vintage 2013)

Style/ABV: Belgian Dark Strong Ale, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 35

I debated between tonight's beer and the bottle of Two Brothers Fathom that I have sitting in my fridge. I really want to give Two Brothers a crack at redemption, and the Fathom is exactly that. But I'm kind of in a Belgian mood...and oak...mmm, mmmm, mmmm. About Unibroue: 

Unibroue is a brewery out of Chambly that specializes in Belgian beers. The brewery was founded in 1990 by André Dion and Serge Racine. The duo invested in the failing brewery, La Brasserie Massawippi, and became majority shareholders. In 1991, they finalized the takeover of La Brasserie Massawippi, and completely merged with their company, Unibroue, in 1992. Dion became the President and CEO, and Racine becamse the board of directors. In 1992, the brewery released their first beer, Blanche de Chambly, and decided to specialize in Belgian brews. In 1993, the brewery moved to their cutting-edge microbrewery in Chambly, Quebec, and by 1994 the brewery was exporting beer to the U.S. and Europe. In 1991, Brewmaster Paul Arnott joined the company; trained in traditional, monastic Belgian brewing, he helped release new beers including the Éphémère series of beers. 

In 2004, the Sleeman Brewery purchased Unibroue, and in 2006, Japan's oldest commercial brewer, Sapporo International, purchased Sleeman. Since then, Unibroue has been regarded as a global treasure, as they export their beer everywhere. They produce some of the best, high-quality beer in the world. These guys are one of my favorite breweries, and it's always a treat to drink their beer.

The Unibroue Grande Réserve 17 is some classy shit, even by Unibroue standards. This beer was first brewed in 2007 to celebrate the brewery's 17th anniversary. Due to the beer's popularity, the brewery decided to make this an annual release in limited quantities. This French Oak aged strong ale is described as having big malty notes, with mocha and cocoa accents, oak on the finish, and some nice spice and vanilla undertones. 

The bottle is as descriptive at the website. The front says "Aged with French Oak / Bottle Refermented Ale / Dark Ale on Lees / Ale Brewed with Spices, Aged with French Oak, and with Natural Flavors added." The back of my bottle says: "Best before 02-28-2018."

Unibroue Grande Réserve 17

The 17 pours out into a raisin-purple color in low light, kicking up three-plus fingers of fluffy head. This beer is exceptionally Belgian in appearance, from the bottle to the beer. Bright light kills vampires and betrays this beer, revealing a swampy, orange-brown body with golden tones on the edges. It's very much like your typical Belgian Dark Strong/Abbey Dubbel -- mysterious in low light, and ugly under the spotlight. You could float a bottle cap in the foam that is sustaining forever on the beer, and there are nice broad strokes of lacing. There's a lot of carbonation going up in here, and that's without any nucleation points in my glass. Hooray for Belgian beer.

I went with an over-sized snifter/tulip for this one, only because of the oak. To me, oak ~ snifter. I was never good at math though. WOW. The aroma here is overwhelmingly phenolic, with huge earthy leather, leathery cocoa, and leathery chocolate. The powdery cocoa you get on the nose flirts with an almost Fantôme-esque aroma that I have come to describe as "smokers jacket." I've also heard old bike seat, but who the hell sniffs old bike seats (ironically enough, I have one about 3 feet away from me...hmmm). Beneath the cocoa and spicy phenols are some seriously deep dark fruits. I'm getting stone fruits, cherries, plums, and figs...the spice on the aroma is somewhere in the realm of cinnamon or nutmeg. Try as I might -- and I'm being totally honest here -- I'm not getting any oak on the aroma. That's okay though, this smells really impressive otherwise. WHAT I AM getting on the aroma, especially when I pull my nose away from the beer a bit and just smell it casually, is some really nice vanilla and vanilla/caramel sugars. Is nice.

Before I rattle off boring descriptions about how great this tastes, I just want to tip my fedora to Unibroue. Even though this is a big beer at 10%, it really fills its body in a substantial way. This is a BIG beer. I'm reminded of the always fantastic Rochefort 10, which has a milkshake mouthfeel (seriously...Steak and Shake doesn't have anything on Rochefort). This isn't quite the experience that the Rocherfort 10 is...but not many beers are. I'm getting a lot of stone fruits and spices in here, with cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, big candied dark fruits, aggressive and peppery phenols, and big pastry notes. This veers into the land of fruitcake and angel wings/chruściki/faworki. Damn, that's some personal nostalgia. My grandma and grandpa used to serve those angle wing pastries whenever I would visit, and they were my favorite. There are nice layers of oak and vanilla in this beer as well, with some hints of cocoa. This is just...fantastically layered stuff. As I continue to sip on this, I'm pulling out some Quad-like notes of cherry, banana, and other overripe fruits. This is seriously fantastic. 

When I review beer, I get a little selfish. Especially when I'm drinking a bomber or a big 750ml bottle. I like to allocate half the bottle for my review notes, and the other half to pair with food. I'm enjoying this beer so much I'm going through the whole damn bottle as I type this out. This is just an impressive display of brewing, and really captures the essence of what I'm looking for in a big Belgian Ale. This is rustic, raw, phenolic, fruity, funky, sweet (there's some big candy sugar notes), and there's even some hop bitterness for good measure. The Dark Strong Ale is one of my favorite styles of beer, and this is nicely executed. As noted earlier, this is full-bodied and big, but still quite drinkable thanks to lots of carbonation. You get a little booze in the finish, and some big warming as you drink this, but the alcohol is integrated into the beer nicely. This is seductive. Palate depth and duration are off the charts, with each sip lasting up to a minute with lingering flavors just hanging out. And this is very complex...notes range from cocoa to dark fruits to vanilla to leather to pastries. Up front: dark fruits, stone fruits, cinnamon, nutmeg; the mids roll into more phenolic spice, with some leather and dusty cocoa, Belgian funk, bitter hops; the back end has growing bitter hops, with vanilla, complex sugars, caramel, pastries, fruit cake, and an endless tunnel of flavor...man this just goes on forever...you eventually reach some boozy warming, and the beer kisses you with spiced cake and spiced rum. This almost has that Winter Warmer vibe, and I promise you this is better than any Christmas pastry at your Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

This is world class...but it's not top class. I'll toss this a Light Divine Brew, with the disclaimer that you need to check this out if you are a fan of Quads, Dark Strongs, or Belgian Ales. There's so much good stuff going on here...and this really highlights all the good things that Unibroue does. Like...this beer is Unibroue at their best. And that's high praise for a brewery cranking out top-notch gems like La Fin Du Monde and the Trois Pistoles. You could argue that this is a little fruity/phenolic one-dimensional, but that's a dick move. Like I said earlier, not every beer can be Rochefort 10. What pushes this beer over the edge for me is that rustic cocoa/leather thing, and the subtle pastry notes. This is a beer to pair with food: cold cuts, strong cheeses, European pastries, turkey, ham, Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner, etc. It's almost a shame that I popped this today, but at $10 a bottle you really should not pass this up.

Random Thought: So yeah, today was hot and humid like Florida. I think it hit 90 outside, with 94% humidity. And then it thunder-stormed. It's thundering outside right now. Tonight's beer is not a good pairing for this hot weather, but I think I will pick up a second bottle for this upcoming winter. And again, I promise that I will get to the Two Brothers Fathom. But there really is no pressure...the Fathom is a fantastic beer.