Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

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

Purchased: 375ml/12.7oz single bottle bought at Jackie O's in Athens, Ohio; 2018 (bottled in 2017)

Style/ABV: American Wheatwine, 13.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Make me a beautiful barrel-aged Barleywine. 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 bottle for the Wood Ya Honey reads: "Wood  Ya Honey is a wheat wine style ale brewed with generous amounts of local wild flower honey. We aged this beer in bourbon barrels for 10 months, elevating the rich caramel and honey character to luscious heights. Dripping honey comb, marzipan, and raisin come together for a decadent experience. Pour into your favorite snifter, let warm, sip, and allow your belly to surrender in the comforting embrace of craft."

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Wood Ya Honey 2017

This is an unexpected, murky ass-affair. This is also DAAARKK. I guess I was expecting something a few shades lighter, since wheat wine and all. I was wrong. The aroma on this is pretty much as advertised on the bottle: rich bourbon, raisins, some wood from the barrel, honey and caramel sweetness, some birthday cake sweetness that transitions into more of a fruit cake, marzipan, and honeycombs.  

This is a weird beer in the sense that the malts totally succumb to the barrel and the bourbon. Wheat malt bases are already paper-thin...and this drinks like something that has been cellared for 4-5 years. It's like that oxidation thinness. Only this doesn't have the sherry and port, but instead is dripping with honeycomb sweetness, mountains of caramel, and bourbon for days. 

I guess this is a vehicle for the honeycomb bourbon. It drinks thinner than I would expect...and again, I kind of attribute that to the wheat malts. It's a REALLY interesting profile. I would contrast this beer to something like Two Brothers Bare Tree or the Bruery's White Oak. Both of those beers tend to lean towards the fruitier side of wheat with more apple notes. Then there are beers like Revolution's Ryeway which are sweet, honey-forward, and thick as all fuck. This is sweet, but in the realm of bourbon/honey/marzipan. And it lacks the malt-T H I C N E S S in other similar beers. Ergo, wheat malts + bourbon. Up front: bourbon, raisins, kisses of wheat; the mids roll into really nice raisins and honeycomb, with some figs, marzipan, and caramel; the back end is a wild barrel ride with lingering bourbon. Palate depth and duration are good, complexity is good. I'm just not sure about the wheatwine thing?

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappies)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This is good stuff, but it falls in a weird category for me. This is not what I look for in a Wheatwine (see my other Wheatwine reviews for what I would consider reasonable style examples). And if I'm looking for a BA Barleywine, I feel like there are a lot of other beers (like Ryeway) that I would rather drink... 

 

Then again, this is a very interesting brew in the sense that it really brings out the barrel, the bourbon, and the spirit. The holy trinity, if you think about it. I wouldn't kick this beer out of bed, I just wouldn't wife it. 

Random Thought: https://youtu.be/QLKX-VKmUM8

Middle Brow Show Me Love

Brewed By: Middle Brow Beer Co. in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 12.7oz bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, Illinois; 2016 

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Saison, 6.9% ABV

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm popping my Middle Brow cherry by popping a raspberry saison. It sounds pretty great, actually.

Middle Brow Beer Company is a CHARITABLE brewery founded by a group of home brewers in Chicago, Illinois. 50% of their proceeds go to courageous people who are fighting to improve the community..

The Show Me Love is a "farmhouse ale aged in wine barrels with raspberries." Ingredients here include a brettanomyces blend, seedling farms raspberries, and cabernet sauvignon barrels. "A portion of the profits from every bottle sold go to Cure Violence, a Chicago-based international violence prevention program."  

Middle Brow Show Me Love

A hard pour yields some cackling carbonation that quickly settles into a lifeless, juicy beer. The body of this beer is shades of ruby and orange, and it is comparable to the color of the inside of a grapefruit. Little dots of carbonation explode on the beer's surface, indicating that the beer is properly carbed. If you shine a bright light through the beer you can pick up yeast sediment suspended in the body. 

The aroma on this is wonderful. There is griping acidity: apple cider vinegar, sour fruits, and WOOD. There is some oak and leather. There is definitely a red wine aspect to the aroma that comes through. I'm getting rich, red grapes, and big sour cherries. There's also a seedy aroma to this, like the pit of a very sour blackberry. 

This is really interesting to taste. There's an airiness to the mid-palate...but more on that in a minute. Up front I'm getting a lot of jammy fruits: namely raspberry, strawberry, and some sour cherries. There is a good amount of Saison character up front, and it has a fruity, farmhouse character. The back-end of the front palate drops the oak and wood. The lingering flavors on the back palate include wine barrel, white wine, oak, gooseberry, sour cherry, and faint cabernet sauvignon. There's also a light kiss of alcohol and observable heat on the back.

Structurally, this is a vinous beer. It is very dry and juicy, and the carb is flat and even. The palate progression is really interesting. The front end is loaded with all those interesting fruit and farmhouse notes, and the mids kind of drop out a bit. And then you get hit with a lot of the barrel, oak, wood, and wine notes. I really think this is a beer that unfolds in two waves. There's actually a lot of complexity here, and this is a sophisticated brew. This is definitely one to think over.

Rating: Average (3.25/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This has a ton of complex nuance, and reminds me of Goose Island's Lolita. The jammy fruits are there, and the barrel complexity and wine notes are on point. It's a little acidic, and the airy mids leave me wondering if some small changes can really push this beer into the realm of divine beers. I would definitely recommend picking this up to try. 

Random Thought: Speaking of Lolita...the prohibitive price on GI's Sisters has relegated them to shelf turd status. I can literally walk into my nearest Jewel (a middle-of-the-road, regional grocery store) and walk out with $26 bottles of GI sours. I guess times could be worse. 

Small Town Brewery Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9%)

Brewed By: Small Town Brewery in Wauconda, IL  

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Malt Beverage, 5.9%

Reported IBUs: ?

If you need proof that beer geeks have a strong overlap with alcoholics, look no further than the Small Town Brewery and Not Your Father's Root Beer. Not Your Father's Root Beer is an alcoholic root beer that punches in at 5.9%, 10.7%, and 19.5%. You can guess which one beer geeks seek out. I have never quaffed the 19.5%...and maybe that's a good thing. I have no problem pounding 12oz draft pours of the 10.7% version. The beer is not only smooth as hell, but it has some of the best root beer flavor I have ever had. It's legitimately better than non-alcoholic root beer, as the alcohol brings a peppery spice and extra dimension of flavor. And did I mention this stuff is tasty? It makes Sprecher's Hard Root Beer look really crappy. Anyway, about Small Town Brewery:

Small Town Brewery is a small brewery based out of Wauconda, IL. The brewery was founded in 2010, and have become notorious for their boozy root beer. For more info, hit up their website or Facebook page. 

The 5.9% version of Not Your Father's Root Beer is available year-round, and at this point in time I am having no trouble finding it on shelves. As these things go, this really isn't a beer...but you know, fuck it. That wine tag...they see my trollin'.

Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9%)

The aroma on this is serious root beer with big vanilla, wood, medicinal spice, sassafras, cough syrup, molasses, and some serious cola. There is that amusement park candied sugar aspect, and big hard root beer candies. It's like a blast into my childhood, so I have to give this thing credit for making me drunk and making me feel like I'm 12.

As you can imagine, this tastes like root beer. This is super sweet, sugary, one-dimensional...but this is also really fucking good. It's like a top-tier root beer, with alcohol. You get that spicy bite up front, with some medicinal elements, sassafras, cola, dark fruits; the mids roll into more spice and some bubble gum sweetness; the back end dials up wood, vanilla, root beer candies, and tons of sugar. 

There's not much to say...this isn't complex, but the palate depth is really good. This is basically a stickier, sweeter version of root beer...with alcohol. It is ridiculous how drinkable this is, and that scales up with the higher alcohol version as well. And by scales up I mean scales up inversely. Honestly, the 10.7% is the smoothest 10.7% thing I have ever consumed. Dangerous stuff. 

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this. There is a slightly grapey flavor in here that was present in the Sprecher Hard Root Beer that you don't get when you have this beer on tap (or at least the 10.7% version). It's not a problem though, and sort of integrates into this beer. It's definitely a component in a good root beer, but when it runs away it can cause trouble. In this case, no trouble. You can pair this stuff with anything, but I'm partial to sipping on it after a meal while watching TV or whatever. And by sipping I mean drinking the whole 6-pack. Damn.

Random Thought: So now that the Bear's season is over, I need to figure out who to root for. Suggestions are welcomed. 

Sprecher Hard Root Beer

Brewed By: Sprecher Brewing Company in Glendale, Wisconsin  

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

Style/ABV: Malt Beverage, 5.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I've seen Sprecher's Hard Root Beer sitting on shelves for ages, so I decided to pick some up at a ridiculous price of $5.00 a 4-pack. About Sprecher: 

The Sprecher Brewing Compnay is a brewery based out of Glendale, Wisconsin. The company was founded in 1985 by Randal Sprecher, who was a brewing supervisor at Pabst Brewing Company. During 1985 to 1994, the brewery was located at 730 W. Oregon Street in Milwaukee, but the company outgrew its original facility and moved to Glendale in 1994. For more info, check out the brewery's history page. 

The Sprecher Hard Root Beer is "not your granddaddy's root beer." This is the adult version of their famous root beer.

Sprecher Hard Root Beer

The Hard Foot Beer pours out looking exactly like regular root beer, only with a couple of fingers of tan head. The head, surprisingly, sticks around for the long haul. This stuff is cola-like with a brown/purple body. In bright light, the beer takes on a swampy and murky brown appearance.

On the aroma: big root beer, some woody character, lots of spice. There's some nice sassafras, licorice, a little cherry/grape, and lots of cola goodness. It smells surprisingly earthy and medicinal, like good root beer, with minimal sweetness on the nose. 

This is pretty tasty, but right up front is a really sweet and spicy note that tastes like sweet grape or maraschino cherry, or something. Once that sweet note passes, you're hit with big wood, fired barrels, and then HUGE oak, vanilla, sassafras, more gentle vanilla, medicinal spice, and root beer. It's like...Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The front half of this beverage is overtly sweet and somewhat turbulent, but the back end delivers the goods. It's kind of a shame that it doesn't ride out the good vibes from start to finish. 

This has a medium-bodied mouthfeel, with good palate depth, duration, and complexity. It's actually pretty tasty as far as malt beverages go, and things move along with lots of carbonation. This isn't overly sweet at 5.0%, and that works to this drink's advantage. The only issue for me is the front 1/3 of this malt beverage. Up front: Overt sweetness, grapes, maraschino cherries, sweetness; that rolls into a decadent middle that features medicinal spice, oak, vanilla, barrel, wood, brilliant root beer and cola; the back end lingers with oak and vanilla, and cleans up nicely. You want to take another sip, and as you drink it the front end becomes less obnoxious.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average here...this is a solid malt beverage, but nothing mind blowing. Compared to Small Town Brewery's Not Your Father's Root Beer, this has some work to do. But, that's not to say this is bad. It isn't. I'm really enjoying this, and it continues to sit on shelves everywhere. At the relatively cheap price this is sold for, and at the sessionable ABV, I could see myself picking this up for social gatherings and summer barbecues. I can't not recommend this, it's just a fun malt beverage.

Random Thought: Dat Not Your Father's Root Beer is fucking delicious. 

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2014 Reserve - "Best after 02/24/15")

Style/ABV: English-style Barley Wine, 11.2%
Reported IBUs: 53

Tonight's beer had a limited release event --- which I missed. But I was very happy to find it in bottles. About Deschutes:

The Deschutes Brewing Company was founded by Gary Fish on June 27th, 1988, when they opened the doors to their Bond Street Public House pub. The brewery has since expanded, growing to be one of the top craft beer producers in America. The brewery also operates a pub in Portland, and has a dedicated brewing facility overlooking the Deschutes river. For more information, check out the brewery's website; their Facebook page; their Twitter; or Wikipedia. 

The Mirror Mirror Barleywine is part of Deschutes' Reserve Series of beers. This beer began as a double batch of the Mirror Pond Ale, and should feature lots of big, Barleywine goodness. The bottle says a couple of things, including "best after 2/24/15;" "Mirror Mirror: Barley Wine Ale with 50% aged in wine barrels;" and, "The Reserve Series romance all began with our first release of this limited-edition brew. Mirror Mirror, born of a double batch of Mirror Pond Pale Ale, is an inspired barley wine ale layered with intriguing nuances. Explore this latest incarnation and enjoy its delicious complexity in every sip." 

Deschutes Mirror Mirror Barleywine

This pours out exactly as you'd expect. Pick your tone: red, orange, amber, copper. It's kind of a murky haze of all of them. The beer produces two fingers of caramel/amber-tinted head, and the head is made up of really nice bubbles. There is impressive lacing, alcohol legs, and some head is retaining for the long haul. Bright light confirms much of the same, and you can see the dots of tiny carbonation rising upwards. Actually, the tight spiderweb lacing left on my glass is one of the best parts about this beer's appearance. 

On the aroma: I'm getting a lot of fruity notes and wine character here. I'm pulling out barrel and wine-driven dates, raisins, grapes, berries, cherry, strawberry, and tons of barrel/wine character. There's some nondescript hops on the aroma, with mild pine sap and hop sap, and there is also some underlying brown sugar and toffee sweetness. Overall though, the aroma on this one is somewhat subtle.

This is on the lighter side of Barley Wines, and it is still hoppy enough that it doesn't quite fall into the straight up English Barleywine category. I suspect with age some of these hops are going to mellow out into pine sap, maple syrup, and pine...and it's going to be very nice. I'm getting a lot of toffee, brown sugar, berries, wine tannin and barrel, sweet and candied hops, and sugary goodness. There is some nice barrel character in here, and the wine notes are very subtle with mild grape and tannin kick. It really does kind of taste like an amped up Pale Ale that has been given the wine barrel treatment. There are some cherries and raisins in the taste as well, along with hints of plums.

I'm gonna have to see how this one ages down the stretch. Right now this is Above-Average but it's not quite world class. It's very good though. I'd almost call this balanced and drinkable, especially for the style. While the mouthfeel is full-bodied, it is also thinner and lighter for the style. Nevertheless, you would never guess this is an 11.2% beer as the booze is largely hidden. The beer is well carbonated, and the hops and barrel help balance out the sweetness. Palate depth is fantastic, and the complexity is moderate. Up front is big hop bitterness, pine sap, candied hops, brown sugars, bitterness; that opens into more bitterness, barrel character, wine, tannin, dark sugars, fruits, toffee; the back end dials up some berry sweetness, figs, raisins, more barrel and tannin, lingering wine. The finish is dry and sweet, with tons of barrel and tons of brown sugar/fruit. I think this is going to be stellar in two years.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. Unlike The Abyss, I think this one will actually really benefit from aging. It's a bit hoppy right now, and that seems to be throwing things off a bit. Having said that, this is incredibly drinkable and balanced. I'm amazed at how smooth and drinkable this is for 11.2%. This is still nuanced enough to work as a sipper, but if you must pair it with food, I'd go with sweeter desserts like bread pudding, or maybe a burger with a sweet barbecue sauce. Good shit, I look forward to revisiting it.

Random Thought: I'm tired of reading about Session IPAs, right?

Deschutes The Abyss (2013 Reserve)

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 22oz bottle bought at Binny's in Urbana, IL; 2013 ("Best after 08/16/14")

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout, 11.0%
Reported IBUs: 86

Last night's Fresh Squeezed IPA was definitely a primer for tonight's beer. About Deschutes:

The Deschutes Brewing Company was founded by Gary Fish on June 27th, 1988, when they opened the doors to their Bond Street Public House pub. The brewery has since expanded, growing to be one of the top craft beer producers in America. The brewery also operates a pub in Portland, and has a dedicated brewing facility overlooking the Deschutes river. For more information, check out the brewery's website; their Facebook page; their Twitter; or Wikipedia. 

The Abyss really needs no introduction at this point. This epic Imperial Stout has been around since 2006? I think 2006. This one is brewed with all sorts of ingredients, and features a blend of three barrel-aged additions. The bottle reads: "The Abyss: malt beverage brewed with black strap molasses, licorice, with cherry bark and vanilla added with 6% aged in oak bourbon barrels, 11% aged in oak barrels, and 11% aged in oak wine barrels."  As suggested by the "Best after" date, this one will and can be aged...but I'm impatient and I think this vintage is doing alright fresh.

Deschutes The Abyss (2013 Reserve)

This beer lives up to its name, of course. It pours into a pitch black, opaque body, and produces three fingers of DARK BROWN, mocha-colored head. The head is thick and dense, like a root beer float, leaving massive webs of lacing as it drops off, and sustaining nicely for an 11.0% barrel-aged beer. Glossy alcohol legs can be seen trailing off the sides when you swirl the beer -- they lag behind the massive brown strokes of lacing that also coat the glass. Good stuff, yo.

This is fantastically complex in terms of the aroma. The first thing that jumps out to me is the massive barrel character that is present, followed by huge woody aromas, and then big cherry wood and cherry bark. It's huge. Beneath the massive barrel/wood character is huge meaty roast and coffee. There's a big coffee aroma on the nose. Also surprising (to me) are the fruity notes on the aroma. I'm not getting a ton of bourbon...but there's a lot of oak and a lot of slightly acidic pinot notes. I'm getting dark fruits, molasses, red wine, chocolate, and roast. You definitely get the licorice on the aroma too. The licorice plays off the molasses, acidic espresso, and pinot barrel. Just fantastic.

Wow...this is just blissful. Like I said, I think this 2013 Vintage is drinking just fine now, but it will definitely age gracefully. What do you taste? Well, a lot of stuff. The back end features layers of intense roast, coffee, chocolate, and lingering wood tannin; gripping barrel character, and some big bitterness towards the back. There's big cherries and licorice up front, with some woody notes, and the mid-palate hits a brief citrus-hop note and then pudwhacks your palate with coffee and subtle vanilla bean and anise. The cherry/raisin/molasses note is blissfully in your face up front, giving way to massive barrel goodness. I'm getting a lot of wood tannin and oak in here...with more pinot than bourbon. There are definitely shades of bourbon in the taste, but nothing jumping out at me. I probably wouldn't peg the bourbon in a blind tasting.

If you like aggressive, woody Russian Imperial Stouts with huge barrel character...this is your beer. But it's still reasonable at 11.0% and 86 IBUs. Maybe at one time that was on the high end of extreme, but these days, that's like, "okay, an American-style RIS." It's still a bad-ass beer though. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, with creamy, acidic, well-carbonated beer up front. That rolls into a hoppy midsection, which is almost juicy, and then the back end dials up the wood tannin, roast, dark grain, and dry finish. Palate depth is awesome, with great duration, and this beer is super complex. This beer embraces each barrel and ingredient, and unravels in layers. And it's drinkable (says the alcoholic). Palate progression? Up front, molasses, licorice, cherry, barrel/wood; the middle hits a hop note, citrus, wood, coffee, espresso, acidic pinot character, barrel, anise, chocolate/vanilla; the back end starts off with huge espresso/coffee, dials up the roast and dark grains, and finishes dry and sticky. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Divine Brew on this...I'm not going to bullshit with the 4.5. I'm always looking to give a critical rating to over hyped beers, but this one meets expectations and then some. It's all in the barrel character. This beer has massive barrel notes in the aroma and taste, and it makes the beer an absolute treat to drink. This one is dry, with lots of wood tannin, and aggressive bitterness. For those reasons, I wouldn't recommend this beer to newer beer drinkers. Those qualities also mean this beer will pair well with spicy foods...maybe chipotle dark chocolate, dry habanero wings, chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream, or maybe a mole sauce. Recommended if you find it, even at jacked up prices.

Random Thought: The wax on this one was a PITA. I ended up scratching my finger trying to get the bottle open. 

Dogfish Head Sixty-One

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: American IPA/Fruit Beer, 6.5%
Reported IBUs: 60

I was at the liquor store the other night, as I'm wont to do, and I saw the Piercing Pils and Sixty-One sitting in the fridge. I figured it was time to try these two beers, and maybe if I drink beer intended for warmer weather then we will get some warmer weather. About Dogfish Head:

Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.

The Sixty-One is a twist on Dogfish Head's 60 Minute IPA, which oddly enough I haven't reviewed on here (maybe I'll get to that someday). The 60 Minute IPA is one of those classic IPAs you can recommend to anyone and pick up whenever you need an IPA. It's good and it's a classic and yeah. The Sixty-One takes the 60 Minute IPA and adds syrah grape must from California. The beer was inspired by founder/president Sam Calagione when he poured some red wine into the 60 Minute IPA. The end result is this beer.

Dogfish Head Sixty-One

The beer pours into a surprisingly red wine-esque body, even showing some hints of red in the head foam. The body of this beer is dark amber with shades of red and orange, and the beer produces a finger of white head with amber and red tones. There is a nice cauldron effect/sea foam thing going on as the head drops off, and there is lacing. The beer appears to be transparent (and probably filtered) with spotty mid-sized carbonation. It's a good looking beer, all things considered, and you probably wouldn't peg it as an IPA straight up.

The aroma smells a lot like the 60 or 90 Minute IPAs. It has a very distinct...Dogfish Head aroma. It's hard to explain, but you know it once you've quaffed enough 60 and 90 Minutes. I'm getting big pine, sweeter citrus, Amarillo, orange, tangerine, peaches, and big grapes and grape must. The grape must is a standout aroma, and it isn't embedded into the hop profile like a Nelson Sauvin aroma would be. There is some citrus zest and white pepper on the aroma as well, with some white wine, Syrah, and grape-apricot fusion. There are some hints of biscuit malt and bread in the backdrop as well. 

Contrary to a lot of people who dislike this beer, I think this beer is a really nice blend of hops and grape. You get a nice meld of resinous pine, citrus, grapefruit, lemon zest, white pepper, and grass....with big grape must, Syrah, white wine, gooseberry, and apricot. The finish is dry with lingering hops and grapes. There's a hint of bread/cracker on the backbone, with some suggestive caramel sugars popping up here and there. 

The carbonation and mouthfeel for this beer is spot on. Palate depth is outstanding, and complexity is okay. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied. You wouldn't know this was 6.5% based on how drinkable it is. I really like this...I don't know if it's world-class or the best IPA you can buy, but how many IPAs are brewed with Syrah grape must? Up front: resinous pine, white pepper, citrus, dry white wine, big grapes, Syrah, grape must; the mids roll into orange, tanginer, and Amarillo against big grapes; the back end features gooseberry, white wine, and apricot-grape goodness. The finish is dry and clean, with lingering grapes and hops.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a super drinkable, super refreshing, fun beer. It really is the perfect meld of grapes and hops, and you couldn't pick a better vehicle than the 60 Minute IPA for the combination. What a fun, tasty brew. I'm happy that this is going to be part of Dogfish Head's annual lineup, and I look forward to picking this up to drink in the future. Food pairings: chocolate, grilled meats, chicken, and warm weather. I miss the warm weather.

Random Thought: We are about to get pounded with a snow storm....the only silver lining is it looks like we are supposed to reach the mid-30s by the end of next week.

Goose Island Class of ’88 Belgian Style Ale

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

Purchased: 765ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (bottled 01/13/2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian Strong Ale, 11.2% 

Reported IBUs: 7

It's hard to believe I was just a wee little baby in 1988, sucking on dem titties and crapping my pants. I missed out on hairy bushes, bright pink lights, and cocaine. Wait, on second thought, I'm okay with that. 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 Class of ’88 Belgian Style Ale was brewed in collaboration with Deschutes Brewery to celebrate both brewery's "silver" or 25th anniversary. Goose Island opted to brew this beer using whole flower Mt Hood hops, which were introduced in 1988. They then transferred this beer to Muscat casks and aged it on Michigan Riesling Grape juice and Oregon Pinot Noir grape must. It's kind of wine-like, like the Dogfish Head Noble Rot. The Goose Island Class of '88 features a Best Pilsner malt base, and punches in at 11.2% ABV and 7 IBUs.

Goose Island Class of ’88 

The beer pours into a slightly hazy, apple-juice amber/orange body, kicking up a finger of rapidly dissolving white head. The head crackled and fizzed away like soda, leaving a ring of white carbonation on the edges of my glass, and tons of alcohol legs. Bright light confirms the apple juice color of the beer's body, and some tiny carbonation bubbles are rising upwards with moderate authority.

The aroma is pretty subtle, with apples, grape juice, oak, and some peppery Belgian spice. If I really dig into the aroma I get some candi sugar and orange, lemon, candy malts, and some nondescript floral aromas. Kind of meh.

Wow...this just...sucks. Totally flat with dull Muscat and stale Riesling, obnoxious waves of glaring Belgian candy sugar and sappy candy oranges, and just...meh. There's hardly any barrel or oak, and there's little wine complexity. The finish is equally as flaccid and sad. For an 11.2% Belgian Strong aged in wine barrels with grape juice, I was expecting big things.

When the best part about a beer is the boozy warming, you know (1) you're an alcoholic, and (2) the beer sucks. This isn't quit the abortion that the Blue Moon Grand Cru was, but it's about on par with the novelty that Kwak is. I'm kind of offended that Goose Island would even bottle this, let alone in their fancy 765ml format and at an asking price of $20 a bottle. Fuck no. Maybe this needs some time to age in the bottle? I think there's some Brett in here? I dunno. Complexity is at an all time low, especially for a Belgian Strong aged in wine barrels with grape juice. Palate depth is okay I guess, and the 11.2% is hiding like minorities at the state fair. Up front: flat candy citrus, grape drank, sugary grape/orange, orange candy, weird chemical; mid palate rolls into more grape drank and apple juice, stale sugar, stale white wine, the "L" car that the homeless person peed in; back end is lingering sweetness and booze. Grapes, wine complexity, and barrels be damned. There's none of that here. Any Brett funk is in the alpha stages. I guess when Greg Hall isn't pissing and cumming on things, magic doesn't happen.

Rating: Below-Average (2.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Light Below-Average beer. Just...disappointing as my first three kids. Seriously, hit the fucking softball, it's on a tee for cripes crates. This beer is disappointing from the onset: no pop when you open it, no aroma when you sniff it from the bottle, and a pour that would only make the thirstiest homeless person happy. On the plus side, this beer isn't as bad as it could be...I mean they could have mixed the 312 with some grape juice and slapped a shiny label on it and stuck it in their trademark 765ml bottle. About that, do I really have fucks to give about the extra 15ml? No, I don't. I'm not even going to recommend food pairings in good faith here, because I honestly wouldn't waste 20 dollars on this. If you do blow your load on this expensive beer, age it for a few years because yeahhhh. BOOOOO.

Random Thought: Hey, it happens. At least Kwak comes with a cool glass that you can use as a butt plug or to butt chug. 

Goose Island Juliet

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

Purchased: 765ml bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, IL; 2013 (bottled 8/02/2013)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Sour/Farmhouse Ale, 8.0% 

Reported IBUs: 15

If you have been keeping track, you'll note that I reviewed the Gillian, Halia, and Lolita....but not the Juliet. Blackberries are the best, and I try to save the best for last. 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 Juliet is a "Belgian Style Ale aged in wine barrels with blackberries." Yes please. This Belgian/American Wild Ale punches in at 8.0% and 15 IBUs. It's fermented with wild yeasts and aged in wine barrels with blackberries. Featuring Pilgrim hops and Pale Ale, Rye, Munich, and Rye Flake malts...this is a beer that can and will age. Let's glass it up.

Goose Island Juliet

The beer pours into a hazy and juicy, Wild Ale funky, orange/reddish body. The head is abrupt and lasts as long as after five years of marriage. It has some amber tones for the ten seconds before it crackles away. Bright light confirms the hazy/juicy orange-yellow body. There are streams of huge, fat carbonation bubbles and tiny, peppery bubbles alternating in succession upwards. This beer looks like it has been through the ringer. Barrel me surprised, or not. 

Coincidentally, I had some blackberries today. Blackberries are delicate but tart, and pretty texturally interesting in their raw form. They have seeds. The aroma comes in waves, and once you get past the huge lactic tartness, woody tannin, and Brett funk, you get jammy fruits (berries, watermelon, apple slaw), big time gooseberry and white wine complexity, giant oak, straw and barnyard, some caramel and complex sugars, and tons of must, wet rain, and bicycle seat. It's funky and tart and jammy and playful, it's a hell of an aroma.

The taste is on par...with lactic, lemony sourness up front, big wood tannin, giant oak and white wine, peaches, berries (blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, gooseberry), white wine complexity, grape skin, and seriously jammy fruits. The whole thing is quite funky with big musty Brett funk, barnyard, wet attic, bicycle seat, and straw. As if these elements weren't enough, there are some serious layers of brown/caramel sugar hiding in the mix, with sugary complexity abound. There's also some big oaky, woody tannin on the finish that is reminiscent of a red wine. You get a lot of white wine character up front and in the mids thanks to the interplay with the berries and lactic character, but the back rides the barrel and sugar into red wine territory. Really nice.

This is a surprisingly dense beer, with a medium-bodied mouthfeel and lactic creaminess providing density. This beer is really well-carbonated and dry, so it's easy drinking, especially at 8.0%. You don't really get any alcohol. This beer has huge palate depth, and complexity is very high as well. There's a lot going on here, from the candy-like sugars, the Warhead/Sour Patch sour and tartness, the lactic lemons, and the Brett funk. Up front: lactic body, lemony lactic sourness and musty funk, oak; that rolls into peaches, berries, jammy fruits, grape skin, wood tannin, white wine, big oak; the back end dials up malt sweetness and sugar, red wine complexity, dry....big, bold, wonderful.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm going to go with a Decent Divine Brew on this. I like this beer a lot, and it's a notch above the Lolita in my opinion. I think the Gillian and Halia can stand on their own, and they don't really compare to this. I have a bottle of Madame Rose laying around, I should dig it out to compare to either the Juliet or the Lolita. You can still find this beer on shelves, and I think it's a fine deal for around $20 a bottle. Cheap? No. But this one drinks great fresh and it holds up to some age. Food pairings: strong cheeses, Poutine, peppery poultry, white fish, oily pasta, fruit salad, slaw, BBQ pork, and pork chops. 

Random Thought: Not to dredge up the Michael Sam gay football players thing, but come on now. If I have to listen to another dudebro complain about how it's unfair that gay people get to ogle them in the locker room or shower, I will cry internally. No one is checking your fat, stinkin' self out, especially after you rolled around in mud or did 15 minutes on the elliptical. Get over yourself. The locker room isn't a Brazzers fantasy, okay? How many people wear socks during sex or go ass to mouth. Think about it and check yo shit.

Maiden Rock Royal Cider Wisconsin Apple Dessert Wine

Brewed By: Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Stockholm, Wisconsin 

Purchased: 375ml bottle purchased at the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Maiden Rock/Stockholm, WI; 2013 

Style/ABV: Ice Cider/Perry/Wine, 18.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm really excited to open this up and get some legit tasting notes...I sampled this Ice Cider/Wine/blend at the winery, and I really enjoyed it. It's cold as fuck outside and snowy, so this warming apple wine should be the perfect thing to hit the spot. About the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery: 

Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery is a farm and orchard located in Stockholm, Wisconsin. The farm was purchased by homebrewer, Herdie Baisden, and his wife, Carol Wiersma. The apple varieties they planted included apples more typical to southwestern England, apples that are suitable for the production of cider and wine. They opened the winery/cidery in July 2008. For more information check out their website here.

The Royal Cider Apple Dessert Wine is made from locally grown Wisconsin apples, fermented into a hard cider (I'm fairly sure this is an Ice Cider/Perry), and then fortified with Wisconsin apple brandy. Fuck yes. 

Maiden Rock Royal Cider Wisconsin Apple Dessert Wine

There's not much to see in terms of the appearance...it pours out like a white wine or cider. Transparent, minimal carbonation, and the this has that wine-like yellow/melon/peach color. There's some huge, glossy alcohol legs on this. Which you obviously expect at 18.0%.

The aroma on here is boozy, warm, and has a buttery/oak edge. I'm curious if this spent any time on oak. There'a a huge apple brandy aroma on the nose, with apples and boozy alcohol dancing around. There's also a decent amount of Ice Cider/Cider on the nose...I'm picking up lots of elements of a cider, including apples, apple cider/juice, and even a little clove and cinnamon spice. There is no mistaking the booze and sweetness in the aroma.

Wow. This is ridiculously drinkable...the taste is sweet apples, saffron and sweet white wine, some brandy sweetness, and booze...and then you get that huge warming as it goes down your throat. There are kisses of apple pie in here as I let this sit on my tongue, along with apple cider, and then brandy all the way home. 

This is dangerous at 18.0%...one bottle of this stuff is like drinking four standard drinks, but that's the point. This is a "dessert wine," made out of distilled wine (brandy). You're supposed to sip on this with your apple pie, or on a cold winter day. It's really the perfect winter drink to warm you up. Just drink a bottle of this and walla. This has a moderately dense (medium-bodied) mouthfeel, with low complexity and good palate depth and duration. It's a boozy sipper, but the booze is really well-masked behind the apple cider, white wine notes, and sweetness. The brandy used in this is fantastic. You get white wine with a hint of wood/oak up front, followed by dense stuff that is almost bready; then it's all cider and booze, with apples, brandy; more apples and brandy on the back and boozy warming on the finish.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is very good for what it is, which is a Dessert Wine/Cider fortified with apple brandy. It's very simple, which it is supposed to be...I guess at 18.0% I'm looking for a little more complexity, be it some more white wine character, or maybe the addition of stronger barrel/oak flavor. I would heat this up and pour it in my mug to drink at a football game on a cold winter day. This isn't complex enough to pour into your snifter and mull over. You can definitely pair it with dessert though...anything apples. Apple pie, apple cake, bread pudding with apples, and yeah. Check this out if you are ever at Maiden Rock.

Random Thought: Brandy is like the candy of distilled things. I'm not classy enough for that shit, and lord knows my palate is amateur hour.

Goose Island Halia

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

Purchased: 765ml bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, IL; 2013 (bottled 8/06/2013)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Sour/Farmhouse Ale, 7.5% 

Reported IBUs: 11

After yesterday's unseasonable warm spell, the temperatures have taken a dive towards cold. Freezing cold. The only connection I can make with tonight's beer and the freezing cold is freeze peaches. Everyone loves freeze peaches. 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 Halia is a farmhouse ale aged in wine barrels. What differentiates this from the other Goose Island Wild Ales is that this is aged with whole peaches in the aforementioned wine barrels. Brewed with a Pilsner, 2-Row, and Torrified Wheat malt base; this one uses Amarillo hops, and is fermented out with a Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale yeast.

Goose Island Halia

I guess all that wheat malt has a payoff, as this is the first of the Goose Island Sours to have a long lasting head. This one pours into a hazy, golden/straw body, and looks very farmhouse-esque. I kicked up a pinky of golden white head, and there's some hazy white haze hanging around the top of the beer. There's also some lacing as well. In bright light, the beer looks like yellow Gatorade, with violent streams of tiny carbonation bubbles rising upwards. A ring of wheat head has settled around the glass. 

One reason why I want to drink this beer now is because I think the peach in this is going to fall off pretty fast. And the aroma on this instantly reminds me of a Gueuze. I'm getting a lot of lemon, tart lactic funk, and lots of wheat. There is some apricot, tart citrus, and lemon on here as well. I'm getting some sour lemon candy. There's also some barrel character present on the aroma, with some wood tannin and white wine-oak coming out. I'm getting some gooseberry and tart peaches. Oh yeah, peaches. You do get peaches on the aroma, but it's mostly a lemon aroma, and peaches would be hard to place as a specific fruit addition in a blind smelling.

The taste is like an amazing blend of a Belgian Golden Strong Ale and a Gueuze. I'm getting a lot of light tartness, Brett, barrel/wood funk, and must in the taste. This is my idea of a farmhouse ale. There is tons of floral citrus, with lemon, peaches, apricot, and pineapple. There's also a hint of peppery spice. I have to imagine that the Brett is going to get nice and funky if you age this. Hot damn.

I like this. This is definitely not as tart or sour as the Juliet or Lolita, or even the Gillian. But this beer works as a Saison/Farmhouse-esque beer brewed with Brett and wheat. It's like a funky Saison, or Orval. Palate depth is great, complexity is okay, and the mouthfeel is medium-light and refreshing, with tons of carbonation, citrus, and a wet-dry finish. You get a splash of tart lemon and musty Brett funk up front; that rolls into citrus, wheat, peaches, gooseberry, white wine/barrel, some bready malts; that rolls into lingering malt/citrus, with a wet-dry finish. Kind of simple, but very enjoyable nevertheless.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this. The subtle hint of white wine, gooseberry, oak, peaches, and Brett funk all contribute to an enjoyable drinking experience. Plus, this beer is super refined. I would pair this with a white pasta or anything that goes good with white wine. As far as availability and price go, I think this may be a better investment than the Gillian, though I enjoyed them both. 

Random Thought: I'm going to be M-I-A for a week or longer, as I head out on a vacation. So...check out my shitty archives, or whatever. Spring break!!! Woo!

Goose Island Lolita

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

Purchased: 765ml bottle bought at Evolution Wine & Spirits in Chicago, IL; 2013 (bottled 6/20/2013)

Style/ABV: American Wild Ale/Sour/Saison, 8.2% 

Reported IBUs: 32

It is unseasonably warm outside, which means a fruity sour should hit all sorts of the right spot. 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 Lolita is inspired by pedophilia or something. Fermented with wild ale yeast and aged on raspberries in wine barrels, this wild Belgian-style Ale features Super Styrian, Styrian Goldings, and Saaz hops, and 2-Row and Caramel malts. The beer also uses sugar as a fermentable, and Goose Island lists it as a malt. Punching in at a variable ABV around 8.2%, and packing 32 IBUs, this beer is an all-American sour. 

Goose Island Lolita

The beer pours into a swampy, reddish-orange-brown, auburn color. There was a pinky of amber head that rapidly dissolved before I could snap a picture. This beer is quite lively, with crackling carbonation, and tiny bubbles rising upwards in the glass in streams. It's quite effervescent. Bright light confirms the same stuff.

Let's talk about the aroma. There is tons of lactic funk and tart vinegar on this beer's nose. You get apple cider vinegar, the essence of pickled foods, and lots of sour fruits. You also get some nice wood and barrel character, with some notable wood tannin and distinct red wine notes. There is also some sweet and sugary aromas, with some jammy raspberries and strawberries. The jammy fruit notes are my favorite part of this beer, and despite the murky appearance and assertive tartness, no 12-year-old would say no to a sip of this.

This beer is aggressively sour, but in all the right ways. The taste is a mixture of jammy fruits, raspberry currants, sour/tart raspberry, and tons of wood tannin from the barrel. You get some red apple cider vinegar, and there is a lot of acidic vinegar and lactic funk in this. As the beer warms up, the rich caramel malt base starts to pop, and you get a lot of raspberry candy and sugary raspberry. There's even a hint of dark caramel in the mix. It reminds me a bit of the New Belgium Frambrozen, only with about five more levels of inception or complexity or whatever.  

I love this beer, and the fact that it is sitting on shelves right now means you can love it too. Hide yo' 12-year-olds or make them your wife. This one isn't quite world class, but it's pretty damn good. The mouthfeel is medium-full, with tons of supporting carbonation. The beer is driven by acidic tartness, and finishes high and dry. As it warms up the caramel malts start to pop, which adds some complexity to an already complex beer. Palate depth is good, complexity is also good. You get tart fruits, raspberry currants, and raspberries up front; that rolls into some caramel malts, sugars, apple cider vinegar, raspberry candy; the finish is super dry raspberry. There's a version of this beer brewed with tea, and it makes a lot of sense as to why. There are tons of raspberry currants which bring that herbal/medicinal/tea vibe.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is really good for an American sour brewed with raspberries. Major league stuff, and you can age this or drink it fresh. It's also available, and priced reasonably at a little over ~$20 a bottle. It's not the Juliet, but what can you do. The barrel character and wine-like elements suggest food pairings like steak, beef, grilled meats, and olives and cheeses. The strong vinegar element would also work with anything that benefits from some aggressive, woody acidity.

Random Thought: I was going to bust out the Juliet tomorrow, but I think maybe not. I might try to drink the Halia instead.