Beer Of The Day: B.A. Lord Humongous

BOTD: B.A. Lord Humongous
Imperial Oak Brewing (Willow Springs, IL)
( http://www.imperialoakbrewing.com/ )

Barral-Aged Barleywine
11 % ABV
$15/22oz Bomber - taproom only.

"Barleywine aged for 1 year in Woodford Reserve Bourbon barrels. The base beer brings malty, toffee and dark fruit flavors that blend with vanilla, oak, and tropical fruits from the barrels"

Admit it. You hear Lord Humungus, this is where you go......

Licensing being what it is, they went here:

A fat dude with a snifter. Whatevs.....

Don't let that put you off the beer. It is totally worthy of the top photo....if you can get one. Thanks to my loving and faithful beer mule / spouse, I was able to get at least one (or more bottles of this year old, Woodford Reserve Bourbon Barrel Aged barley wines. This is the beer equivalent of a bacon cheeseburger with extra bacon, if done right. And it was.

Pours dark brown, cloudy, very little tan head, quickly dissipates like most barrel-aged beers.

Modest carbonation.  Nose is bourbon barrel, a good sign, oak and rich malt. Tastes caramel-ly, good balance of sweetness and bitterness for an X-treme style. Medium bodies, rich mouthfeel. Starts sweet and finishes slightly bitter.

If you can find a bottle, invite a friend and have some. It is worth your investment. And if the wasteland warriors find you and demand your beer rather than your guzzeline, drain it and flip them off. Max would.

My Rating: 4.5 / 5

Untappd: 4.25 / 5

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Beer Of The Day: Barrel-Aged Amen!

BOTD: Barrel-Aged Amen!
Cahoots Brewery (Chicago, IL)\
( http://www.cahootsbrewing.com/home )

Barleywine; barrel-aged
11.1% ABV

Its two, two, two beers in one!

So what's with the Barleywine thing? If you've been reading this blog for a bit, you know I like higher gravity beers. A barleywine is simply two-beer's worth of ingredients boiled into one batch. The BJCP style guidelines says this, in terms more about the end result than the ingredients:

" A showcase of malty richness and complex, intense flavors. Chewy and rich in body, with
warming alcohol and a pleasant fruity or hoppy interest. When aged, it can take on port-like flavors. A wintertime sipper."

So we should expect rich, complex flavors. Chaoots says "this well-rounded beer was aged in bourbon barrels, which add sweet, complex notes to the flavor profile."

If your typical beer has the word "-lite" attached to it, this has become unbeerlike in flavor, mutated into some sort of hangover-inducing malt-infused nightmare. Call Uber now.

DISCLAIMER: I had a cold when I sampled this. Actual results may vary. No warranties, written or implied. Please refer to experienced service personnel. May contain BHA or BHT to preserve freshness.

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a goblet. Pours brown and cloudy, modest tan head, dissipating quickly (typical of stronger barrel-aged beers). Aroma is of malt sweetness, caramel-like in character, with Oaky overtones. Tastes of caramel, with a slight bitterness from the hops, medium bodied, it starts slightly sweet with a lingering, mildly bitter finish.  Did not show as much barrel-aging character as I favor, but still a solid example of barrel-aged goodness. Pick one up at your local stockist and enjoy it with a friend.

My Rating: 4 / 5
Untappd: 3.84

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Beer Of The Day: Brickstone Anniversary X - Sad Trombones

BOTD: Brickstone Anniversary X
Brickstone Brewery (Bourbonnais, IL)
( http://www.brickstonebrewery.com/ )

Barleywine
10.5% ABV
Out of Production / Limited Availability

Having recently enjoyed the Brickstone After World, the chance to get a now-aged Barleywine from this spunky Bourbonnais Brewery was rife with anticipation. And at process approaching $1/oz, expectations run high.  I had had it once before when it was new, and draft, and had given it a 4 / 5 at that time. How would it have aged?

Poured from a 22oz. Bomber into a snifter. Pours amber, with a firm, tan head. Heavy accumulation of yeast on the bottom stirred up in the pour.

Light in flavor and aroma for a strong / barleywine style ale. On reflection, it seemed like there was some wheat added somewhere, or a sanitation problem, with some spicy clove notes in the background. Mouthfeel was more like a bock or doppelbock, malty, not fruity, and not heavy as one would expect for a beer of this age and gravity. You end up with a lingering, bitter finish, so the Hops haven't given up the fight.

I like a good barleywine, and this was, when new and draft. Not a bad beer, just not as good as it needed to be. As a now shelf-aged $18.00 bomber, I would pass. Cue the sad trombones....

My Rating: 3.75 / 5
Untappd: 3.71 / 5

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Beer Of The Day: After World

BOTD: After World
Brickstone Brewery (Bourbonnais, IL)
( http://www.brickstonebrewery.com/ )

Barleywine; Barrel-aged. Limited Reserve Series (2017)
14.2% ABV

Barrel Aging is the Bacon of the Beer world. It makes good things better. A barrel aged barleywine? I'm game.  Give me a long and unstructured winter evening, a comfy chair, a remote control, and my notebook, please.....

Served from a 22oz. bomber, poured into a 33cl goblet. Pours dark amber, with little head that disspates quickly, not uncommon for stronger, aged beers. Modest aromas make me think I should have let it warm a bit before I poured it, but you do get a whiff of barrel and rich malt. Feel is rich but not syrupy. Flavors are characteristic of a barleywine, caramel/toffee-like, starting slightly sweet, with a little alcohol warmth from the high gravity, and finishing with a lingering bitterness. Barrel aging has allowed the taste to mature without adding too much oak. Overall a respectable but not amazing example of an American barleywine.  With the price of a bomber nearing $20  at some retailers, you might want to try others first.


My Rating: 4.0 / 5
Untappd: 4.02 / 5

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Beer Of The Day: De Kleine Dood

BOTD: De Kleine Dood. Barrel-Aged Weizenbock
Central Waters Brewing (Amherst, WI) ( http://centralwaters.com/ ) Collaboration with...
Local Option Bierwerks (Chaicago, IL) ( http://localoptionbier.com/ )

Bottle; 22oz. Bomber.  Poured into a goblet.

Readily available in the WI / IL area.

Pours dark amber, slightly cloudy.  Scent of toffee / caramel, , a hint of barrel oak.

Very rich barleywine type flavor. Not picking up much wheat / barley contrast;  oak not prominent; just a hint of "booze". No noticeable hop characteristic, this is a very strong malty flavor. Would recommend serving in a snifter at cellar temps to bring out more aroma, brings out plum notes as it warms.

The stated use of Belgian yeast is not noticeable; it is overwhelmed by the smooth high-gravity barleywine/wheatwine and barrel flavors.

My Rating: 4.0 /5
Untappd rating 3.99/5

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