462. Goose Island – 2011 Bourbon County Stout
Today’s my birthday, and I had a nice dinner out at Lucca Grill here in Bloomington, IL with my family, and enjoyed a couple of Boulder Beer Mojo IPAs (but I didn’t get a picture so I won’t count it here, yet). When we got home, I put the kids to bed, and finished off my birthday evening in perfect fashion with this beer. Thanks to my sister Kelly who gave me a four pack of this beer as a thank you for always...
382. Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works – Bourbon Barrel Aged Deadhead Double Red
We were out getting our Christmas photos done at the local pack ’em in, rush ’em through, up-sell them like crazy photo studio. Talk about an incredibly stressful afternoon! Fortunately, the photo studio is right next door to the local brewpub Destihl Restaurant & Brew Works. We decided to relax and enjoy a beer or two while waiting on our photos. I decided to go for the biggest thing on the beer menu to help...
376. Rogue Ales – John John Hazelnut
Once again, I’m back at Fat Jack’s in Bloomington, Illinois for our monthly steering meeting for the ABNormal Brewers. It’s getting a bit chilly outside, so I thought I’d go for something a bit hearty. Unfortunately, they had just run out of the Founders Breakfast Stout, so I thought I’d try this one. Location: Enjoyed a pint glass, at Fat Jack’s in Bloomington, IL. Numbers:5% ABV, 13º PLATO, 34...
368. Boulder Beer – Barrel Aged Mojo IPA
I’m in Boulder, Colorado for work, and we’re free for the evening. I was excited to make it back to Boulder in order to try a few beers I couldn’t get back at home in Illinois. After a stop at Twisted Pine Brewing and trying their Hoppy Boy IPA and Bough Breaker Barleywine, it was time to get some dinner. Right around the corner was Boulder Beer Company, which had a nice menu and some great beers. They also had a...
361. Southern Tier – Oak Aged Imperial Unearthly India Pale Ale
Another special release during the Bruegala beer festival, this one sounded pretty good. I’ve had several Southern Tier beers, and they do a pretty good job with some big flavored beers. I made an IPA aged on oak chips once and was surprised by how good the mix of hops and oak flavor tasted. This one was a much bigger beer, and it didn’t disappoint with an equally big flavor. Location: Enjoyed a 3oz sample, in a...
295. Stone Brewing – Smoked Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels Draft
I’m still at the Stone Brewing event, as we finally get this beer here in Central Illinois. I’ve already had (this evening) their Double Bastard and the Sublimely Self Righteous Ale, and wanted to get something that might be a little more rare than these. When I sampled this, it had some really interesting flavors, so I capped off the evening with this one. Numbers: 6% ABV Appearance & Aroma: It was deep brown/black...
292. St. Louis Brewery – Schlafly Reserve Imperial Stout 2010
As I mentioned in my last post, my mom unexpectedly passed away on March 18. As you can imagine, it has been a tremendously difficult time. We’ve not only been dealing with her death, but all of the other things you don’t think about until something like this happens. My wonderful wife went out to do some shopping and came back with this beer for me. She figured I needed something big to relax and help deal with...
290. Great Divide – Espresso Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout Draft
My friend Robert (seen in the background here) and I were still hanging out at The Gingerman in Austin, TX, getting ready for the beginning of SXSW. We had both met Beverly the week before at the iMedia Brand Summit, who was also sticking around in town for SXSW. She joined us for a drink. Unfortunately, she’s not much of a beer person, and ordered a glass of wine. As you can imagine, the wine at a beer bar doesn’t see...
289. Jester King Craft Brewing – Commercial Suicide Draft
After having the Live Oak Brewing Liberation Ale at The Gingerman in Austin, TX, I wanted to try another local beer. Before coming to SXSW, I had done some research and found out about Jester King Craft Brewing. It’s a new brewery near Austin, and it looks like they’re making some interesting beers. This one appeared to be no exception. Their site says, “A true “session beer”, Commercial Suicide is an authentic...
258. Founders – Backwoods Bastard
After having the Founders Dirty Bastard yesterday, I was looking forward to having this one today. If you aren’t aware, this one is the exact same as the Dirty Bastard, except that it has been aged in bourbon barrels. I’m having this one while sitting here watching my Mizzou Tigers getting killed on ESPN3. Numbers: 10.2% ABV, 50 IBUs Appearance & Aroma: Deep brown in color, and surprisingly, it seems a little bit...
182. Bell’s Brewery – Bourbon Barrel Aged Hell Hath No Fury Draft
At our homebrew club steering meeting, one of the guys mentioned that they had Bell’s Hell Hath No Fury on draft at Medici. So, I decided to quickly stop by and try it. I had read about it on Bell’s website and which says, “Originally conceived along the lines of a Belgian Dubbel, Hell Hath No Fury… Ale morphed during development into something entirely different. Blending a pair of Belgian abbey-style yeasts...
173. Great Divide Brewing – Rumble Oak-Aged IPA
We finished up with work, and I’ve extended my work trip in Denver for one extra day so that I can attend the Great American Beer Festival. As a beer lover, this is an event I’ve always wanted to attend, but never thought I would actually be able to. The timing of this trip worked out perfectly. However, since GABF didn’t start until the evening, I had to find something to do with myself for the afternoon. I saw...
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