Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Dark Apparition

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

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

Style/ABV: Russian Imperial Stout, 10.5%

Reported IBUs: ?

It's cold out, and it is snowing. AKA, the perfect night to crack into a big Imperial Stout. 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 Dark Apparition is, "The hauntingly good brew in your hand is rife with dark complexities. Seven malts were used to create deep flavors of coffee, chocolate, caramel, and molasses. A hint of bitterness and herbal character from carefully selected European and American hops help support the monolithic maltiness. A truly decadent brew that is intended to be poured into your favorite snifter and given time to warm up from its dark and cool resting place." 

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Dark Apparition

This pours into a fairly thick, opaque, black body, kicking up three fingers of super fluffy, coffee-foam-colored head. The head retention is fantastic, with foam that could give Guinness a run for its money hanging around for a good amount of time. there's also monumental lacing.

The aroma is cakey and sweet, and has a drier and lighter Porter-like quality at times. I'm getting lots of dusty cocoa, brown bread, brown sugar, and brown cake, the crust of banana bread (which has no banana flavor), some molasses and dark fruits, and lots of waves of coffee. There's maybe a hint of alcohol and a dash of faint cherries.

This is a seductive offering. It's not quite as aggressive as a Ten FIDY or an Expedition Stout, but it as just as thick with intense mouthfeel action. Make no mistake, this has some floral and citrus hops that show up in the low frequencies to deliver hints of cherries and play with the molasses and dark fruits. But this really pounds that milkshake chocolate note up front, with chocolate, cocoa, and nice sweet roast. There's tons of coffee notes as well, with some ash/earthy coffee, and hints of hazelnut. An overwhelming sweetness cuts through the beer, which is a welcomed contrast to bitter bruisers like Old Raspy.

This is pretty delicious, with a thick, full-bodied mouthfeel that almost channels some oatmeal stout vibes. At 10.5%, I'm not tasting much booze. Palate depth is great, with an expansive mouthfeel that has good duration. This isn't overly complex, but it does have some nuances. It's actually really solid for a non-barrel/non-adjunct IRS. I like the sweetness, with the chocolate entourage up front; the roasty and coffee-forward middle; and the dark fruits and hops in the back. It's just tasty stuff, and would make a solid standby for Ohio regulars.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average This isn't innovative or mind-blowing, but it is an enjoyable and solid Imperial Stout, not unlike Old Raspy or many other beers in this category. I'd pick it up to pair with some dry chocolate cake, vanilla ice cream, or with some grilled ribs. Not bad stuff, and I'm sure the variants of this base beer are yummy.

Random Thought: Busy...busy....busy.

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Paw Paw Wheat

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

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

Style/ABV: American Wheat Ale/Fruit Beer, 9.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

An American Imperial Wheat Ale fermented with Ohio's state fruit, the paw paw? That sounds pretty good. 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 Paw Paw Wheat is an American Wheat Ale brewed with the paw paw. The paw paw is a tropical-esque fruit that tastes similar to bananas, mangoes, and cantaloupe, with a sweet, wild-wood flavor. It sounds pretty tasty, so let's get this into a glass. 

I love the bottle art, I'm a sucker for all things tiki-tropical. This pours into a lush and radiant bright gold body, with fantastic bronze and yellow tones. The beer is slightly hazy, and kicks up that chalky white-colored head typical to American Wheat Ales. There is some Dalmatian-spotty lacing on my glass, with glossy alcohol legs to boot. 9.0%, here's to you. Cheers. Respect beerz. 

Jackie O's Pub & Brewery Paw Paw Wheat

This has three main aromatics: huge tropical fruits, giant wheat notes, and some booze that points this in the direction of a Weizenbock or maybe a Belgian Strong Ale. I'm getting big pears, mango, tropical citrus, tropical apples, and some funky pineapple. There is definitely some wheat on the aroma, with a little clove funk, and tons of wheat fields. And, as noted already, you do get a touch of Weizenbock booze which is welcomed with this ABV.

Wow...this was not at all what I was expecting. This one is gonna require me to recalibrate, as it is incredibly thick and sweet. It reminds me of a Weizenbock and, oddly enough, strong Lagers. This has tons of wheat malts, with Pilsner-like notes, and lots of fruit. The fruit plays into some of the wheat-alcohol notes, and you get some candy notes, sweet tarts, esters that are suggestive of banana, mango, papaya, sweet melon, honeydew, cantaloupe, and some apple from the wheat.

At 9.0%, I'm not getting much booze, but this is full-bodied and sweet. The wheat adds a lot of body to the beer. This has okay palate depth, okay duration, and okay complexity. It's kind of what you would expect from the description, and that's good for me. Up front: tons of wheat, clove, banana esters, melon, mango; the mids roll into wheat, more esters, more sweet fruit notes; the back end continues to hit the fruit. This is easy-going, and very drinkable for 9.0%.  

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this; 3.5. Almost Above-Average, but I feel like if you are going to jack up the ABV to 9.0%, you had better bring a lot of noise. This just sort of rolls out the promised wheat and fruit notes. It's delicious, easy-going stuff, but the price and ABV handicaps this in some respects. There are other fruity wheat beers out there that are more sessionable, flavorful, and cheaper. Having said that, this beer would pair with some spicy Caribbean flavors, mango, and chicken.

Random Thought: I still have a bunch of Jackie O's stuff laying around...I am excited. 

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.