Cruz Blanca Barleybomba 2017

Brewed By: Cruz Blanca Brewery & Taquería in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 500ml bottle bought at Cruz Blanca Brewery in Chicago, IL; 2017 Vintage 

Style/ABV: English-style Barleywine, 11.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Cruz Blanca is a restaurant/outfit focused on modern, and reasonably priced (read: accessible) Mexican cuisine based out of Chicago, founded by Chef Rick Bayless. 

And none of that really matters, except that they brew some really outstanding beer. For many reasons they seem to be one of Chicago's sleeper breweries. Maybe it is the ALWAYS difficult and congested location. Maybe it is market saturation. I don't really know....but if you are in town you'll want to try and round up a bottle of this beer.

Barrels...

Barleybomba is an English-style barleywine aged ten months in "Kentucky bourbon, St. Croix rum, and American brandy barrels." The bottle suggests notes of maple, fig, graham cracker, and burnt sugar; the menu suggests sweet maple, raisins, and dates.

On the pour: you know, a reddish, caramel-y looking beer that is distinctly in the realm of the British BBWs. None of that coppery or orange shit you sometimes see with American-style Barleywines. 

The aroma is incredible. You get figs, root beer, and sweet spices from the rum. It leans towards a darker, fruitier rum, with those spiced dark prunes and figs. There is bourbon and caramel sugars on the nose, with hints of coconut and macaroon and graham crackers and burnt caramel sugars. I'm also getting the brandy -- which again, I am not an expert on -- but you know it when you smell it. It touches booze and strong alcohol-soaked fruits.

Cruz Blanca Barleybomba 2017

I'll be honest though. What this beer is about is the taste. It follows through on the aroma, and then some. And man...lemme tell you. If you are going to advertise that your beer has been aged in not one, not two, but THREE barrels, you better deliver some good stuff. And this fucking nails it. There is a distinct presence and flavor that comes from the contribution of all three barrels, and the fusion is just a wonderful, sweet, malt-forward EBW. As an American beer drinker, the bourbon is the easiest for me to identify. I'm getting coconut, maple syrup, macaroons, toffee, pecan pie, nuts, burnt sugars, caramel, and some vanilla. But as I dig into this, I'm pulling out cherry cola, rum spice, figs, plums, dates, that rum-vanilla note you get in rum. And then there is that kiss of the brandy barrel, adding some alcohol-soaked cherries and stone fruits. The interplay between the rum and brandy flavors is amazing (other breweries, please take note).

This is insane. Super complex, layered, and deep. I guess the only knock is mouthfeel isn't quite on par with what Revolution has going with Straight Jacket or Goose Island has with their Bourbon County Barleywine. However, this is reppin' at a humble 11% ABV. I'd still call the mouthfeel medium-full. Duration is also not quite up to par versus the complexity....but whatever. The complexity is there, and each sip yields a new layer of flavor. I can't even consistently get a read on the front, mid, and back palate because each sip literally pulls towards a different barrel. It is a wild ride. Well worth grabbing a bottle to toy around with if you're in Chicago.

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

Sleeper hit of 2017, apparently. 

Random Thought: Yes, that is Rick Bayless, brother of the infamous Skip Bayless. 

Revolution Mineshaft Gap 2018

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2018

Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Barleywine, 14.3%

Reported IBUs: 55

Oh baby, I am excited for tonight's brew. Revolution's Mineshaft Gap is part of their Straight Jacket release, and puts a cognac twist on their Barleywine. Per Rev: "Our Institutionalized Barleywine takes shelter in Cognac barrels for 12 months before emerging imbued with characteristics of one of the worlds most storied spirits. French oak adds character that is subdued but complex as compared to American varieties, making this a perfect beer for the best of times or the end of times."

This might be the "headiest" of the Revolution barrel-aged brews, pouring with a couple fingers of relatively long-lasting, amber/caramel-tinged head. The body of this beer is a beautiful ruby red, and there is a nice ring of lacing sustaining in my glass.

So full disclaimer...I am not a cognac guy. I'm way out of my element on this. On the other hand, I have dabbled with some brandy here and there, so I'm not a complete stranger to the flavor. The aroma on this is bonkers though. Like, the aroma is crawling out of the glass. I can smell this four or five feet away. When I really get my nose into the beer I'm getting a lot of the base. There are big notes of licorice, Twizzlers, caramel sugars, cherries, and caramelized and candied oranges But "the twist" is that French oak. This lays up some vanilla on the nose, with a hefty amount of wood/barrel, and some nice spice. There's also an estery quality to the aroma that is reminiscent of a Belgian Quad. I'm wondering if that is courtesy of the yeast used, which is likely some English Barleywine yeast. You get some almost turbinado or Belgian Candi sugar. 

Holy fuck. This shit is INSANE. On my first sip I'm being drowned in thick caramel, French oak, cognac, and candy sugars. It is like Straight Jacket with Belgian-Candi-sugar-hugs and layers of French oak. And the body is thick and sticky. Oh baby. There are layers in here too. I'm pulling out cherries, Quad-like overripe stone fruit notes, estery yeast phenols, licorice/Twizzlers, layers of toffee and caramel sugar, and tons of vanilla and oak. The vanilla is accompanied by a light spice.

Revolution Mineshaft Gap 2018

What's incredible about this beer are two things: (1) the booze is held in check. I'm going to expand on this point in a minute, because I have heard a few people say this beer is hot (which it is). (2) the base beer remains present. I was kind of expecting the cognac treatment to thin this beer out. But NOPE. The base beer has held up like a champ here. This has all the candy sweetness and density you expect with Straight Jacket, but with that cognac twist.

There's alcohol here. Because cognac. And "duh." If you have never had brandy/cognac, this might not be the best beer to pop your cherry. It's boozy stuff. Brandy especially, and ESPECIALLY fruited (plum) brandy, is often alcohol-forward and not in that smooth-like-grain-alcohol-kind of way. It's like that first time you had barrel-proof bourbon. It's like the first time you ever took a shot of vodka.

Having said all that, this beer is not brandy. It's a fusion of beer aged in cognac barrels. And while you pick up plenty of the spirit, the beer itself is smooth. This is full-bodied, and it wears the 14.3% beautifully. It is right where you want it to be. The palate depth is medium-to-deep. This is very complex but within the confines of the medium. Palate duration is amazing though. Each sip is lingering for a few minutes. The progression is like [get your nose close to the glass and pick up a shit load of fruity cognac notes] up front tons of vanilla and base beer and candied cherries and oranges; the mids takes you to cognac land with more French vanilla showing up; the back end drops wood and caramel sugars, toffee, some spice, and finishes between sticky sweetness and candy fruits. There is lingering residual Belgian Candi sugar note.

Rating: Decent Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

Damn. I was not expecting to love this as much as I do. This is an instant buy for me moving forward. They had like four 4-pack limits on this. My regret is not maxing that limit. Still...I think this probably works as a very special occasion beer. I could even see myself throwing a cigar at this, although it also seems like a bit of waste when there is so much nuance here. For me, the real surprise is how prominent the oak and vanilla is. If you like vanilla and oak this beer is going to work for you. Revolution has absolutely dialed in their barrel game. Jeez.

Random Thought: So my guy, Josh Noel, and Chris Quinn (who I have the utmost respect for) dropped an article comparing Goose Island to Revolution. I'm more-or-less in agreement with them. I think regular Bourbon County overall is better than the regular Deth's Tar. So that's where I really diverge, I guess. I'm in agreement that Cafe Deth is better than Bourbon County Coffee 2017, but I also really liked the 2017 BCBS Coffee. Straight Jacket over the Bourbon County Barleywine is a no-brainer. I'm gonna have to pop my bottle of BCBS Reserve, but I kind of think DBVSOD might actually be better. I had Reserve at the brewpub on Black Friday and I thought it was amazing...but I also think DBVSOD is amazing. Comparing Northwoods to Deth By Cherries is just dumb and Noel should feel bad. Same deal with Prop vs. Ryeway. Ryeway is (by the way) blow-a-load-on-my-face good. But so is Prop. I'm not surprised Quinn isn't the biggest Prop fan. I think that speaks to the diverge in beer (at least for someone classically trained as a Ceasaroni) between appreciating nuance vs. appreciating pastry stouts in 2017. Comparing Rare '15 to VSOD is also dumb. '15 has had a lot of time to mature and age, and VSOD is inherently thinner. So I don't really get that comparison. 

I think the reality is it's not really productive to do these 1:1 comparisons because there is so much difference and nuance. So as always I appreciate the in-depth tasting notes, and the ranking thing is meh. The takeaway though is...2018 is a good year to be a craft beer fan in Chicago.

Destihl Dosvidanya Rye 2017

Brewed By: Destihl Restaurant and Brew Works in Normal/Bloomington, Illinois 
Purchased: 500ml (1 pint, .09oz bottle) bought at Destsihl in Bloomington, IL; 2017 (batch date: 2017)

Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, 12.5%
Reported IBUs: 84

Tonight's beer is part of the increasingly interesting Midwest portfolio of stellar BA stouts. I've been sleeping on this one for a few years, but the word really needs to get out. About Destihl: 

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

So Dosvidanya is Distihl's big barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout. It is clearly inspired by beers like Bourbon County Brand Stout, but has its own unique flavor profile. The Dosvidanya Rye is another wrinkle to the Dosvidanya lineup, featuring 2-row malt, chocolate malt, roasted barley, wheat, black malt, caramel malt 120, munich malt, victory malt, extra special malt, rice hulls, and of course rye whiskey barrels.

Destihl Dosvidanya Rye 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Revolution Straight Jacket 2018

Brewed By: Revolution Brewing Company in Chicago, IL

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 4-pack bought at Revolution Brewing Tap Room in Chicago, IL; 2018

Style/ABV: American Barrel-Aged Barleywine, 13.1%

Reported IBUs: 55

Let the record show I was #BIL before #BIL was cool. Actually, a lot has changed since 2013 -- both in terms of my own craft beer development and with craft beer itself. Specifically, Revolution has REALLY stepped up their barrel game. 2017/2018 is the year that Revolution might have dropped enough killer beers to surpass Goose Island's barrel program. Straight Jacket stands toe-to-toe with Goose Island's BCBS Barleywine, and probably surpasses it. And we won't even get to V.S.O.D. or the Double Barrel V.S.O.D. tonight. Anyway....

Revolution Straight Jacket 2018

This year's Straight Jacket is apparently a blend of Straight Jacket and 30%[??? -- don't quote me on this] VSOJ. VSOJ aka Very Special Old Jacket is aged for two years in Heaven Hill and Old Forrester barrels. It's also sweeter than Straight Jacket, and features more candy malts.

And speaking of candy malts, that's the basis of the 2018 Straight Jacket aroma. The aroma is rich caramel candy malts, brown sugar, candied oranges, bourbon, raisins, molasses, and vanilla.

The taste is an absurd fusion of cherry-cola-caramel, molasses, complex caramel malts, dark fruits, sweetness, barrels, booze, and raisins. Vanilla shows up with hints of bourbon, coconut, and macaroons. 

This beer is LAYERED and COMPLEX. And man, the palate depth and duration are off the charts. Especially once you get a few sips in and the alcohol starts to work its boozy seduction on you. This is full-bodied and T H I C C, and unloads with waves of cherry-cola and candy malts; the mids dip into raisins and bourbon and molasses; the back end is boozy with coconut and macaroon.

Rating: Strong Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

Based on the line for this beer at Revolution, this is all hype. But this is seriously some of the best stuff coming out of Chicago -- and frankly, the craft beer scene -- right now. And it is in a fucking can. Come ON! 

Random Thought: I'm going to do my best to drop reviews for the entire 2017/2018 Revolution can lineup (Ryeway, Deth by Cherries, Cafe Deth, VSOD, DBVSOD, Mineshift Gap, Deth's Tar). But seeing as how I am a lazy ass these days, it may not happen. So who knows. What I will say though is VSOD and DBVSOD are fantastic. And DBVSOD is still selling/trading LOW. That beer is up there with Rare and Reserve and again...is in a fucking can. It's the type of madness I can get behind, and you should too. Because at some point people are going to realize that DBVSOD is the business.

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...                 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2015

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 16.9oz bottle bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2015 (bottled on 11/06/2015)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Stout, 14.3% 

Reported IBUs: 60

Far be it from me to revive this blog to just make a post with my Bourbon Countries 2015 tasting notes. 

I have to say, I was ready to take the ideological position and jump ship after the 2014 release of Bourbon County. It was a little too fruity, had not nearly enough alcohol, and didn't stand out compared to the 2012 and 2013 vintages. I thought the coffee was the standout of the 2014 bunch, but it played into the beer's shortcomings. That was then, this is now. This year's release featured above-average Thanksgiving day temps, and people setting up tents (yes, tents) in front of Binny's two days in advance. This was followed by another wave of Bourbon County distro to the city (presumably Georgia's supply, suckers) with cases of this beer, including Rare, sitting on shelves at Jewel-Osco and the like. 

Anyway, who cares about politics and beer drama...

with filter...

Bourbon County pours opaque and black like every other fucking Imperial Stout, and especially those in the wheelhouse of barrel-aged. That dark brown head gives way to a mostly tepid and anti-carbed beer, all is well in the land of appearances. 

This has sick nose, bruh, with liquid brownie sweetness, macaroons, coconut, raisins and dark fruits, coffee, Muscovado sugar, biscotti, and chocolate-dipped churros. The barrel and bourbon and alcohol come through on the nose -- all in moderation. 

I really wanted to write this review to simply say that who needs variants when the regular is so good this year. This is insanely tasty and rich, and drops insta-liquid-brownie on the palate from the onset. The back end hits you with lingering chocolate thickness, chocolate-dipped churros, and growing bourbon heat and lovely spirit and barrel character. This is a wild ride of bourbon, brownie batter, dark fruits/raisins, macaroons, coconut, coffee, and Muscovado.

No Filter!

The 14.3% feels DIALED IN. This is a thick beer, but by comparison and in 2015 is also incredibly smooth and balanced and maybe even lighter compared to other comparable beers. What I like here is the presence of bourbon, and the presence of alcohol. For bourbon lovers, this is where beer is at. The 16.9oz bottle format is something I strongly oppose because I like 4-packs; but the format is growing on me. It means you get a little more beer to push this experience over-the-top if you are flying solo, and it means you'll have 8oz to yourself if you decide to share. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is the best Bourbon County vintage in a long time, and surpasses the 2014, 2013, and 2012 releases. Also, in terms of the diminishing price versus beer returns, I find the regular Bourbon County 2015 to be a better investment than Rare. Rare was different, and offered something that you can't find here, but at $60+ a pop the price per ounce is so hard to justify. 

Random Thought: Where to go from here?

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon

Elijah Craig 12 Year Old Bourbon $$$$$$

Distilled By: Heaven Hill Distillery

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at in Jewel-Osco in Chicago; 2015 

Style/ABV: Bourbon, 47.0% (94 proof)

This is relevant to beer, I promise. 

color - slick gold color, some particles are visible in the body, glossy legs

body - medium bodied, some thickness, not too boozy

aroma - vanilla, toffee, cinnamon spice and big brown sugar, this has nice woody character and barrel, sweeter citrus, and some musty character

taste - this brings a lot of oak, vanilla, and cinnamon/brown sugar; there's a cinnamon component, and some minty notes; the back end drops big cakey notes

finish - this has a nice finish, with those cakey notes, vanilla, and tons of sweetness. the finish lingers long enough, and this is yummy


The real question, however, is how will this whiskey compliment a beer? One that is a Strong Belgian Ale. Hmmm.....

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon

#grad life or something

Distilled By: Buffalo Trace Distillery/Sazerac (Franklin County, Kentucky)

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at in Jewel-Osco in Chicago; 2015 

Style/ABV: Bourbon, 45.0% (90 proof)

It occurred to me that I should take notes of the spirits I drink, also I guess we are jumping the shark now because why not. DAE reviews are the content equivalent to dick anyway?

This is a deep burnished, gold color, with glossy legs, lots of clarity.

Once the aroma settles down, you get a lot of nice sweetness in the form of brown sugar and vanilla; with cinnamon, mint, faint char, and barrel spice. There's some sweet pineapple notes as well, with some agave, resin, and candy sweetness.

This is moderately thick, with lots of brown sugar/cinnamon/minty spice, good heat, and some nice cereal malt character that emerges with hints of vanilla and barrel. You get some of the pineapple and fruit without adding water, but the water brings out the fruity notes. 

This grad school thing is killing my beer review thing. Which is for the better, believe you me. Anyway, back to that.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine 2014

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 09/24/2014)

Style/ABV: American Barleywine, 11.7% 

Reported IBUs: 60

The 2013 Bourbon County Barleywine was pretty good fresh, but it was even better with some age. So how does the 2014 vintage stack up? About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The 2014 Bourbon County Barleywine punches in at 11.7% ABV, 60 IBUs, and is brewed with Pale, Crystal, Caramel, Dark Chocolate malts; Pilgrim and Styrian hops; and is aged in the third-use barrels that were once home to Kentucky bourbon and then Bourbon County Stout. 

This pours into a murky, cherry soda affair. It's flat and beat up, and head retention is minimal. The body is opaque and murky, with apathetic carbonation and glossy alcohol legs. It looks beat up like it should.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine 2014

The aroma is a complex meld of raisins, cherries, toffee, fruit cakes, alcohol-soaked macaroons, chocolate, and woody barrel character. There is a fantastic raisin-chocolate-barrel note with appreciable sweetness, and it smells every bit as awesome as those cellared 50/50s. There's a kiss of alcohol in the aroma, and then the beer drifts into sherry and port. The final note I'm getting is a sweet fruity note, like mixed berries ala the Backyard Rye. It's just a fantastic meld and begs for a sip. 

Yes that's a lemon in the background. And yes, this tastes better fresh than the 2013 did. However, I think the 2013 with a year of age on it was slightly better than this is. Having said that, I'm getting a lot of toffee sweetness, raisins, whiskey, smooth barrel, tons of chocolate, macaroons, and sticky bourbon, and an impressive amount of lingering fruit cake notes. This lingers on your palate for a long time, with some cherries and raisins sticking around. 

This is super sweet, as it should be, and it is truly a sipper. At 11.7%, this does not overwhelm you with alcohol. In fact, this is fairly drinkable all things considered. Palate depth is outstanding, with amazing depth and duration. This is also super complex. And it really is more drinkable than the 2013 was fresh. The 2013 has already mellowed into a tight package after just one year, but this is ready to go fresh. Up front: chocolate, bourbons, raisins, cherries, mixed berries (boysenberries, blackberries); the mids roll into whiskey sweetness, port, macaroons, chocolate, fudge, Bourbon County; the back end drops lingering raisins, cherries, fruit cake. Fantastic. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Divine Brew on this. What an improvement as a FRESH beer from the 2013 release. They dialed back the sweetness, ratcheted up the complexity, and the end result is amazing. This is great stuff to sip on and enjoy, and I would not recommend pairing it with anything. I'm happy to have snagged some of this year's vintage, and I hope they release it again next year. 

Random Thought: I think that covers all the 2014 Beaver Countries. 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2014

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 08/28/2014)

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

Reported IBUs: 60

I've been all up on the 2014 variants of Bourbon County, including the vanilla, prop, and coffee, so it is high time I review the 2014 base beer. About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The 2014 Bourbon County Stout punches in at 13.8% ABV, 60 IBUs, and is brewed with 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts; Willamette hops; and is aged in bourbon barrels. 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout 2014

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

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

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

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

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

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

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

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout Vanilla Rye (2014)

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle from Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 10/31/2014, #1118)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged American Stout, 13.6% (13.8% per their website)

Reported IBUs: 35

Bourbon County Vanilla in Rye Barrels? Yes, please. 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 Vanilla Rye is brewed with 2-row, Bonlander Munich, Chocolate, Caramel-60, Roasted Barley, and Debittered Black Malts; features Columbus hops; and is aged in Rye Whiskey Barrels on Mexican and Madagascar vanilla beans. The bottle says this clocks in at 13.6%, the website says 13.8%. Unlike regular BCBS, this has an IBU count of 35. Not sure why, don't care, whatevs. 

The bottle reads: "We first bottled this beer at the countless requests of festival-goers who first tasted it. However, when that last bottle of vanilla BCBS was grabbed off the shelves four years ago, you needed more. We heard you in the brewery, at festivals, and wherever there was an open ear. Well, you weren't alone. To be honest, we needed more too. We couldn't be happier to make this beer again and, most of all, drink it with you once more. Cheers -- Brett Porter." 

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout Vanilla Rye (2014)

This is black, opaque, oily stuff. There are unfiltered chunks of what I assume is vanilla floating around, and the beer leaves glossy alcohol legs and some brown, residual lacing on the glass. It looks the same as every other Bourbon County, with those extra oils...for your skin...in case you decide to pour it on the escort's face or whatever.

On the aroma: intense sweetness, bourbon, waffle cones, vanilla wafers, vanilla beans, and some marshmallow-y notes. This is super raw with the vanilla, and in no way is the vanilla present in the beer artificial. The base beer is surprisingly present in the aroma, with lots of the fruity notes distinct to the 2014 vintage (I need to review regular 2014 BCBS...soon). There's a lot of sugar in here, but the whiskey and rye cuts through a lot of the fat. This is like the strongman of Vanilla beers, thick but muscular.

This is quite impressive to taste, with monster vanilla notes crushing it from the onset and never really letting up. Sure, the bourbon and alcohol make a helpful appearance, and the rye barrel adds tons of complexity. And the base beer shows up with all its nuances. But this is, true to its name, a vanilla show. This has rich vanilla, bourbon, vanilla beans, vanilla wafers/cones, complex sugars that taste like brown sugar, creme brulee, burnt sugars, and toasted marshmallow. The palate duration is insane as this drops vanilla in the front, mids, and back. The back end develops into this rich, creamy, and smooth vanilla note. The alcohol and rye show up in the mids, and the base beer is ever present with hints of complex fruit-sugars, rich chocolate, intense cocoa, truffles, and fudge. The rye barrel continues to be an interesting wrinkle, providing the perfect contrasting spice to the vanilla. 

Obviously this is a sweet, full-bodied beer. Palate depth is insane, with duration that lasts for minutes. This isn't the most complex beer, while also being complex in that the base beer is present, there are shades of vanilla, and the barrel, rye, and spirit do shine. So, despite the sugar and vanilla, you do get some nice nuances. At 13.6%, this is pretty boozy with some welcomed bourbon, rye, and alcohol notes. The alcohol cuts through the sweetness...which is always a sure sign that this beer is a million calories. Calories are flavor though, and up front is intense vanilla beans, vanilla sweetness, wafers; the mids roll into rye, alcohol, bourbon, vanilla, complex sugars, the base beer, brulee, hints of coconut; the back end drops lingering vanilla, and lots of lingering fruit notes. Good shit.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. If you are in the mood for an aggressive, sweet beer...you can drink this. I think, out of all the Bourbon County variants, this one is going to age the best. As the vanilla drops off, it should meld into the base beer. 

I need to sidebar/tangent here. I think that this beer would not impress me so much if (1) it wasn't aged in rye barrels, (2) it was released any other year. Regarding the first point, this is a beer that works because of the complexity that the rye barrels bring to the beer. This beer needs the rye spice to balance out some of the one-dimensional vanilla notes. Also, regarding point number two, this year's base beer is a little more fruity than past vintages. I actually think the 2014 Bourbon County Stout is stellar, but it doesn't have the coconut/vanilla character that the 2013 and 2012 had due to the addition of some of those fruit notes. For that reason, the Vanilla Rye feels like a great addition to this year's lineup. Furthermore, regular Bourbon County doesn't touch the Rye Barrel...which is so sad. 

Random Thought: If Goose Island does release next year's Bourbon County in 650ml bottles, they should age some of it in rye barrels. Just do it, you InBev shills. 

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