Beer Of The Day: Apollo. The Beer, not the Program

BOTD: Apollo
Wild Onion Brewery (Lake Barrington, IL)
( http://onionbrewery.com/ )

" bourbon barrel aged small beer/stout."

6.5% ABV

Stout; Barrel aged

I have had encounters with Wild Onion beers before, and was particularly impressed by their Drago Russian Imperial Stout. Another Stout from the Onion, and barrel-aged to boot? Let's see how it stacks up.

In full disclosure, I do like barrel-aging. Done right, it is the Bacon of Brewing - it makes everything better. Almost Always. Stouts aged in Bourbon barrels are a fantastic combination and have proven to be some of my perennial favorites, right at the pinnacle of the Beer-a-mid.

This one was served draft, in a snifter. The pour was black, with a modest tan head. Inhaling does not reveal many secrets. Not highly carbonated, not too warm, and not too high an ABV. This was not revealing much more than a modest dark roasted grain aroma. It took the first draught to find out what was going on. Bourbon and malt predominate, not overly bitter, smooth, not syrupy - it is after all a "single-strength" stout. The barrel-aging was right on, and makes an "ordinary stout" into a "BCBS-lite", with much of that oaky stout goodness without the high ABV. You get much of the flavor without the need for a taxi. I like this. If you see it, buy it, and keep it in front. Don't save it, enjoy it!

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

Untappd: 3.9 / 5

Prost!