Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner

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

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

Style/ABV: American Bourbon Barrel Stout/Smoked Beer, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I don't know if I have had a Bourbon Barrel aged smoked beer before. About Jackie O's Pub & Brewery:

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

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

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Bourbon Barrel Wood Burner

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

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

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

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

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

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

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

Against the Grain MacFannybaw

Brewed By: Against the Grain Brewery (and Smokehouse) in Louisville, Kentucky   

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Friar Tuck in Urbana, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: American Smoked/Rauchbier, 8.5%

Reported IBUs: 25

Tonight's beer is just so much wuuutt. It's literally wutt. About Against the Grain Brewing: 

The Against the Grain Brewery and Smokehouse is a brewery (and smokehouse) that was founded back in October 2011. The brewery is located in the southeast corner of Louisville Slugger Field at the corner of Jackson and Main Street, in Kentucky, and is run by four dudes who are cooler than you. For more information, check them out on Facebook or check out their website. 

The MacFannybaw is a barrel-aged Rauchbier, aged in Angel's Envy Bourbon Barrels. The bottle reads: "We're not blowing smoke up your rear! This barrel-aged rauchbier offers up all the complexity and flavor you could ask for, without all the highfalutin and grandiloquent ideas folks have about that famous islay liquid gold. MacFannyBaw is a sweet, smooth, smokey, and salty lionn, brewed with alderwood smoked salt and conditioned in barrels to add a touch of Kentucky flavor." With a Munich malt base and tons of Beechwood and Peat smoked malts and Alderwood smoked salt...this should be weird. 

Against the Grain MacFannybaw wuttt

This basically pours out exactly not how you would expect: orange and bright, with two fingers of gold-tinged head. This is as clear as my kidney infection, and looks like some sort of juicy and dank Saison or IPA.

I'm wondering again if this beer is infected, because it sure brings an ample supply of band-aid funk to the aroma. Along with the band-aid funk are rubber bands that would make T.I. jealous, and copious layers of smoked malts. Beneath all that are some honest-to-goodness citrus and pineapple notes. I just don't know.

This is more or less a wuttt affair with weird ass band-aid funk whiskey smoke notes piling on like a Comedy Roast. Honestly, this is equal parts confusing as hell and interesting, with smoked malts, beechwood, and salt coalescing with whiskey, barrel, oak, and some obscure and faint honey sweetness that lingers in the backgroud. I honestly don't think this infected, this is just an eclectic beer.

I'm drawn to things that don't make sense, and this is no exception. I don't even know what this is. A funky Rauchbier? It's relatively clean, hides the alcohol well, carbonated, and medium-bodied. Palate depth is fine and it's complex....I just don't know. The weird mash of smoke, salt, and ubersweet beechwood malts up front give way to that funky band-aid/rubber band man middle...the back end drops off oak, whiskey, barrel, and faint pineapple which suggests a few more years in the bottle and you'll have Orval. Wut. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. This beer is kind of like going on vacation to your aunt's house. Everything is cooler and more laid back, but also weird and different. Things smell different, and she cooks hamburger helper way different than mom does. Food pairings here include chili and that's about all I have.

Random Thought: Wut

Surly Smoke Lager

Brewed By: Surly Brewing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Purchased: 1 Pint 9.4oz (25.4oz) GRAY WAXED bottle bought at Whole Foods in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 2013)

Style/ABV: Smoked/Baltic Porter/Oak Aged Smoked Baltic Porter, 8.2%

Reported IBUs: 50

Baltic Porters are the weird step-cousins of Imperial Stouts. These non-hoppy, malt bombs of a Lager are similar in style to both English Brown Porters and Schwarzbiers. The style was traditionally brewed by countries bordering the Baltic Sea, and is most similar to English Porters but was influenced by Russian Imperial Stouts. Tonight's beer takes the Baltic Porter format, and ratchets it up a few notches. 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.

Tonight's beer, the Surly Smoke Lager, is massive in all the ways that matter. The bottle (and website) reads: "Ebony-hued, Smoke wafts out of the bottle and into your senses, borne on the wings of European traditions, wrapped in American innovation. Lager-brewed, like any true Baltic Porter, with smoked malts from Bamberg, Germany, the home of Rauchbiers, then mellowed by oak-aging. Black malt flavors mesh with notes of raisins, plums, figs and licorice with the subtle smoke on the side, for a complex and luxurious, yet silky smooth drinking experience. It's a sipper at Alc. 8.2% by VOL., but everyone knows you can't have Smoke without fire!" This one features Pale Ale, Smoked, Black, and Oat malts; it uses Warrior hops; the beer is fermented using German Lager yeast; and the beer is aged in or on oak. At 8.2% ABV and 50 IBUs, this one is sort of within the style guidelines.

Surly Smoke Lager

The Surly Smoke pours into an opaque, dark black/brown/reddish body, and kicks up three fingers of pretty dark mocha/brown head. There's a centimeter of hazy head hanging around, probably courtesy of the oats. Bright light confirms the same stuff...I'm okay calling this beer dark brown. It's opaque as they come.

The aroma here is big Bamberg/beechwood smoked malts, meats, ham/bacon, cherrywood, sauna, and dusty cocoa. SWIRL THIS BEER! When you swirl the beer in the glass, you unlock the mystery of dark grains, coffee, molasses, dark fruits, cherries, fruity alcohol, and big oak sweetness. The oak sweetness is woody and nutty and reminds me of the Two Brothers Atom Smasher.

The taste is intense, with big Rauchbier-esque smoked malts. I'm picking up beechwood, sauna, dark grains, cherries and boozy dark fruits, and layers of oak/wood/booze. Between all the smoke and fruity booze is some hints of molasses, coffee, and chocolate. There's a mild salty character here too.

This isn't as complex as I was expecting it to be...but that is not a serious knock against the beer. The beer is medium to full-bodied, depending heavily on the temperature that you drink it at. As it warms up, it starts to thicken up. The mouthfeel has added sustenance thanks to the low levels of carbonation. At 8.2% this is very drinkable, but you do get some nice, subtle booze in this. It adds a layer of needed complexity, and goes well with the dark malts and smoke. This is a Lager through and through, so a lot of the complexity comes from the malts, smoke, and oak. Speaking of: Up front is rich sweetness, dark fruits, molasses, chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee, and smoke; the mids roll into big sauna, beechwood, cherry wood, coffee, legit Bamberg Rauchbier-esque smoked malts, meaty hints, smoke, oak/bourbon/whiskey, more dark fruits; the back continues to bounce between oak/alcohol/bourbon/oak/dark fruits/etc. There is lingering molasses and smoke. The finish isn't super dry or sweet...very clean...hints of Lager spice. Like a Lager should be.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Decent Above-Average for me. I enjoy the boozy fruits, coffee, and subtle oak that elevate this beer above just being a smoked Baltic Porter. It's a very well-made, clean beer too. It's kind of...like...an embodiment of Surly, to be honest. They make aggressive but clean beers that you can quaff all night long. I'd maybe pick this beer up again...it's hard to say with the $17 or $18 price tag. Food pairings here are pretty much smoked meats, bacon, BBQ sandwiches, chili, strong cheeses, ribs, burgers, and yeah. This is good stuff. Also, dat bottle art/wax. 

Random Thought: For whatever reason, this week just keeps going on and on. It's like the longest week ever.

Stone Old Guardian Oak-Smoked (2013 Vintage)

Brewed By: Stone Brewing Co. in Escondido, California

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 11.6% 
Reported IBUs: 80

I wasn't madly in love with the 2013 Stone Old Guardian, but I think it's going to age nicely and mellow out into something wonderful. Which is why I bought two bottles. Tonight I'm looking at the same beer, only with the addition of oak-smoked wheat malt to add a much needed layer of complexity. Hopefully it works out. About Stone:

Stone Brewing are one of the more prominent breweries in the American craft brewing scene. They were founded in 1996 in San Marcos, California, and moved to Escondido, California where they recently expanded their operations. Stone was founded by Steve Wagner and Greg Koch. Koch has a reputation among the craft beer community for voicing his opinion, not putting up with shit, and standing behind his beer. 

If you roll over to the Old Guardian page, you can see that the 2013 Old Guardian comes in two flavors, regular and oak-smoked. The smoked version features a "substantial dose of German oak-smoked malt," which should add layers of smokiness to compliment the giant hop character and rich malt base. Clocking in at a rude 11.6% ABV (I sincerely mean that, this beer is aggressive) and 80 IBUs, this beer should feature the same stuff as the regular Old Guardian (big hops, rich malts) only with a complex twist. At least that's the hope.

Old Guardian Oak-Smoked 

This is not a photogenic beer (and I take shit photos; welcome to my shitty blog), but this pours into a dark red/amber/raisin-colored body. I kicked up a finger of reddish-khaki head, and it's hanging around like the beer is a Belgian Ale or something. It must be that wheat malt. In bright light, this beer is a gorgeous orange/red color, with a sexy orange/khaki head. It's just a good looking beer. There is monumental lacing, and a ton of carbonation streaming upwards.

It's amazing what another layer of malt adds to a beer, because the aromatics on the Oak-Smoked Old Guardian are impressively balanced and malty. I'm getting big oak, big wheat, and a huge smoke aromas. The smoke isn't meaty or fake...this smells like the authentic German malt you'd find in a Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier. Underneath the malt and smoke is some resinous citrus, pine, candy sweetness, maple syrup, and pine sap. If this tastes half as balanced as it smells, it's going to be an improvement upon the fresh Old Guardian. 

Well I'll be damned. The regular Old Guardian gargoyle was just an asshole. He was way too loud, always had a new girl over, and never did the dishes. Sure, he'll probably mature with time, but ain't nobody got time for that. This beer is striking a mean chord between big oak, smoked malt, bold peat character, light melanoidins (toasty/biscuit/chocolate/toffee/caramel/etc), even some plums and molasses...and resinous citrus, pine sap, maple syrup, and a dry, woody, oaky finish. Cot damn.

This is spectacular, and I'll probably run to the store and snag another bottle of this because hella rea$$$onable. As I said earlier, I suspect the regular Old Guardian will sort out with time...but right now the addition of the oak-smoked malts are grounding this beer and providing some much needed balance. This is super complex, has great palate depth, and has an aggressive full-bodied mouthfeel. At 11.6%, this demands to be sipped. The finish is sticky, woody, and dry. There's nice balance with oak, smoked malt, peat, toffee/caramel/toast up front; that rolls into plums, molasses, burnt sugars, resin, pine sap; the back end is sticky, then woody/oaky, then dry. Real nice...this is what I was originally looking for. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. As this warms, I'm picking up some brown sugar and some peppery spice. This is ridiculously complex...and I tip my hat to the 11.6%. This beer doesn't fuck around. It really demands an evening, or a friend to share it with. Even with that huge peat/smoke malt character, the resinous hops still linger heavily on your palate. Which leads me to believe this will also age well...albeit at the expense of the oak and smoke. I also have another bottle of this which I will pull out sooner than the regular Old Guardian. At 7 bucks or thereabout for a bomber, this is a steal. The bold flavors in this will hold up to aggressive spices, wings, grilled meats, sausages, or a rich and flavorful cigar. Actually, the oak-smoke in this almost beckons some grilled meats or a cigar. Pour a snifter of this, fire up the grill, light a cigar, and kick back and enjoy life.

Random Thought: So how about that Miami Heat. I figured if they could force a game 7 they would win this series, and the Spurs have no excuse for dropping the lead and letting the Heat tie things up. For shame. Tomorrow...hockey. For better or worse. Yay!

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

Brewed By: Rogue Ales in Newport, Oregon 

Purchased: Giant PINK 750ml bottle bought at Cardinal Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2012

Style/ABV: Smoked Beer, 5.6% (or 6.5% from some sources?)

I can't wait for the new James Bond movie...

As a beer geek, it was inevitable that I would eventually cross paths with Rogue's Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale. Inspired by Voodoo Doughnut's Bacon Maple Bar doughnut -- a raised yeast doughnut with maple frosting and bacon on top -- Rogue's Bacon Maple Ale combines 13 ingredients to put a little maple bacon into beer. You can't go wrong with bacon, right?

Rogue has been around forever, and if their beer was more widely available, and not so damn expensive, I'd probably drink more of it. The brewery was founded in 1988 in Ashland, Oregon by Jack Joyce, Bob Woodell, Rob Strasser, and home brewer Jeff Schultz. Due to increasing space and distribution limitations, Jack Joyce went searching in Newport for a location for the new Rogue pub. It was at this time that he met Mohave Niem, founder of Mo's Clam Chowder. She offered Jack space to brew in her building, and in 1989 the Bay Front Brew Pub was built. Rogue's headquarters currently reside in Newport to this day. In May 1989, current head brewmaster, John Maier, joined Rogue after a brief sting brewing with Alask Brewing. John was a former Senior Technician with Hughes Aircraft Co, and a graduate of the Seibel Institute. To learn more about Rogue, check out their website HERE.

Today's beer is all sorts of crazy. If you check out the Voodoo Bacon Maple page, you can get the breakdown. This beer is brewed with 13 ingredients! The malt list includes: Briess Cherrywood Smoked Malt, Weyermann Beechwood Smoked Malt, House-smoked Hickory Malt, Great Western 2 Row, Munich, C15, C75 Malts. This beer is also brewed with Applewood-Smoked Bacon, and Pure Maple Flavoring. It also uses Perle and Sterling hops, and Rogue's in-house Pacman Yeast. At 5.6% ABV, and 30 IBUs, this is a big beer with a lot of stuff going on. The question is...does all that stuff work together? Let's find out.

Before I even pour this beer, let me comment on the pink bottle. I love it. The bottle art shares the artwork of Voodoo Doughnut, which is a Baron Samedi looking guy. Samedi is one of the Loa of Haitian Voodoo; he is the Loa of the dead. He also shows up in the James Bond novel and movie, Live And Let Die. Anyway, the bottle is eye-catching, and bright pink. The Baron Samedi guy is holding a beer on the bottle, and there are a bunch of pigs and maple leafs in the background. If you saw this in a bottle shop, you'd check it out. So this beer get's an A+ for marketing.

Rogue Voodoo Doughnut Bacon Maple Ale

The beer pours with 2-finger's worth of fairly dense head. The head is made up of tiny bubbles, and is densely packed...sort of like a Belgian beer. When I popped the cap I heard a loud hiss of carbonation being released, and I was greeted with some smoke...the head pours with a nice golden/yellow color, and the body of the beer is a hazy orange/maple color. The head is fairly persistent on this, with a half finger's worth hanging around. When held to bright light, you can see a lot of carbonation in the form of tiny bubbles rising upwards. There's also some really nice lacing on this. When held to bright light, this is an orange beer...it's not transparent, but you can see the carbonation.

Let's talk aroma....if you put your nose straight into this you pretty much smell a Rauchbier. I'm pulling out that smokey herbal note, smoked wood, campfire, wet forest, and Christmas tree bark. I'm really getting strong Christmas tree bark...that smell you get when you cut the tree. It's slightly spicy even. When you pull the beer back a bit and waft it around your nose, you pull out fat maple syrup aromas. This smells like straight up maple syrup, pancakes, and Eggo Waffles. I'm not like in the top 1% or whatever, so we ate mother fucking Eggo Waffles. Deal with it, homes. Really though, there's a huge caramel-maple sweetness dominating this nose, but if you just jam your nose into this beer you mostly get smoked malts. I'm getting a little bacon and sausage, but the smoked malts are surprisingly not overly meaty. There's maybe a faint hint of hops on the nose as well with a faint earthy/herbal bite. Cheers!

I took a pretty big sip...because I'm brave and stupid. This is surprisingly thin up front, and even in the mid palate. But man, those smoked malts absolutely kick into gear towards the end of the mid palate, and drive this beer home. I'm getting lingering maple syrup and sausage on the finish, which is the best thing I can say about this beer so far. The second sip is more of the same. This is surprisingly light and airy up front, and then you get a wave of smoked malts: Christmas tree trunk, wet forest, smoked wood. I'm getting a bit of sausage and meat, but it's surprisingly subtle and reminds me of some of the authentic, German Rauchbiers. I'm really surprised by the lack of body and the lack of a huge malt backbone. Based on the smell, I was expecting a lot more sweet maple syrup, and thick malt. You definitely pick up on maple syrup on the back end, and the finish leaves a smokey, sausage, Christmas tree, maple profile on your palate. The finish is smokey and dry.

I've read a number of reviews that have described this beer as, "drinking an ashtray." I tend not to agree...the smoked malts in here are very strong, and you get a lot of smoked wood and wet campfire...but it's not doing anything that a Rauchbier hasn't done. But then, you either enjoy the style or you don't. This is medium-light to light-bodied, has disappointing palate depth, and very little complexity. I'd call it refreshing if not for all the smoked malts. Up front you get carbonation, air, water....this rolls into more water, some grain...and then a blast of wet campfire, smoked wood, and Christmas tree trunk. The back end is smokey, smoked malts, and maple syrup. The finish is dry. It drinks like a 5.6% Brown Ale. 

Rating: Below-Average

This is a light Below-Average beer. I'm tempted to elevate this to Average, but you know....

Surprisingly, all the things I dislike about this beer are much different than what I was expecting. I'm not bothered by the smoke; in fact, it has a nice taste. My issue is this is a bacon MAPLE ale. Where the fuck is the maple? Where is the body in this beer...the malt backbone. There's hardly any complexity or palate depth. This beer could really use some bready flavors as well, which would bring that doughnut thing home. 

I do recommend checking this out, just to say you have tried it. And it's definitely a conversation piece...so share this with a few friends.

Last but not least....I know I described this beer as having a "Christmas tree trunk" aroma. I had an epiphany just now...the note I am getting is the same note as the incense that is burned during mass/service at church on Palm Sunday and during Christmas. It's that smoky, incense aroma/flavor. I can't believe my beer tastes like church! Crazy shit! I actually really dig that incense smoked profile...and it might compel me to pick up a bottle of this come Christmas or Easter time.