Brooklyn Brewery Black Chocolate Stout

As usual, when visiting the Long Island Joyces, (and Joyce adjacent folks) I stop in at Port Jefferson Beverage for some local beer. The guys at Port Jefferson Beverage are always very friendly and knowledgeable and willing to ply me with samples! My Dad was the first one to reveal the location of this jewel, and as the picture indicates, I convinced him to try some black lager.

Brooklyn Brewery has been around for a few years and brews a variety of ales and lagers. Black Chocolate Stout is an Imperial Russian Stout, a style that had its origins in the 18th century when English brewers sent some stout to Catherine the Great of Russia, jacking up the hops and alcohol content so that it would survive the long trip. But don't let the "chocolate" in the title confuse you: there's no actual chocolate. The masterful blending of American malts, including some malted wheat, give us some subtle chocolate notes.

Black Chocolate Stout pours a deep, dark, impenetrable black with a frothy tan head. The mouthfeel is thick and creamy. I couldn't find the IBUs, but it has a nice hoppy bite. The 10% ABV provides a comfortable heat. In addition to the dark chocolate, there are hints of dark fruits, like figs, raisins, black cherries and plums, finishing of with some brown sugar and molasses.

This is an incredible brew, great for the cold winter months!

Samuel Adams Oatmeal Stout

Oatmeal stout is one of those modern inventions that give some extra life to the venerable stout style. Oatmeal gives the stout an extra creaminess and body - more so than the ordinary stouts. It pours an almost-black, with a frothy brown head. The IBUs are 25, but it feels hoppier, with a nice bitterness punch. Suggestions of caramel, vanilla, coffee and molasses. The molasses adds a welcome sweetness to an otherwise sturdy brew. This is a well-deserved addition to the Winter Classics variety pack.

Samuel Adams Chocolate Bock

Bock, bock
Who's there?
(Sorry, that's all I've got for that setup!)

But, hey! We have another self-proclaimed bock in the Sam Adams 12 pack! I do want to point out that the label to the left is an old label, and describes the beer as ale, which is inaccurate, since bocks are a subcategory of lager. I think there was a least one major market that had beer labeling ordinances that were inaccurate as to the actual classification of certain beers.

This chocolate bock pours a deep mahogany brown with a thin tan head. Milk chocolate aroma dominates, with vanilla notes. Very creamy.  Despite the heavy presence of the chocolate, the underlying "beeriness" is still evident: it's a solid bock outside the chocolate goodness. Food pairings would lean toward desserts - cheesecake, chocolate mousse, coffee ice cream, tiramisu.

Samuel Adams Winter Lager

Winter Lager is another perennial favorite in the Winter Classics variety pack. I've never noticed before that they're calling it a "wheat bock". Bocks of course are a subcategory of lager, which don't seem to be restricted to  Spring any longer. The spices are the same as in Old Fezziwig: cinnamon, ginger and orange peel, however they seem to come on a bit stronger here. I'm not detecting anything that would tip one off to the wheat, but the maltiness does suggest a bock rather than a plain lager. In addition to the named spices, there is also a hint of licorice and caramel. Like many Sam Adams offerings,  the Winter Lager is not trying to be anything fancy, just a simple beer-lover's winter warmer. Try it with roast turkey, or a hearty beef stew, perhaps even some gingerbread or pumpkin pie.

Samuel Adams Old Fezziwig Ale

Old Fezziwig Ale is a long-time standby in the Winter Classics variety pack, the base is brown ale with ginger, orange peel and cinnamon added to give it that holiday zip. Unlike many holiday ales and winter warmers, the spices all blend together seamlessly in contrast to those beers that, like a hoppy drama queen, all clamor for attention - me! me! taste me! Old Fezziwig is a perfect companion for roast turkey (or other fowl) and apple pie! For some reason they don't sell this as part of a six- or twelve-pack, they'd likely sell a few if they did.

Samuel Adams Amber Bock

Bocks traditionally have been Spring beers, the first brew after a long Winter...do a search for "Bock" on this blog and you'll get more information. Despite the seasonal dissonance, I have no problem including Amber Bock in the Winter Classics variety pack. At 25 IBUs, it's just hoppy enough, but hoppy isn't really what a bock does. The color is a light...well...amber, with a thin white head. The main impression is a malty sweetness with caramel and toffee notes, but not overwhelmingly so; I am definitely on board with a beer being beer without any distractions. Food pairings include bratwurst, Cajun chicken, or even lamb curry. Pepperoni would not be out of place. I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest pumpkin cheesecake as well.

Samuel Adams Boston Lager

Sometimes, when reviewing and checking out craft beers, the standards get overlooked. Why drink some ol' lager when you can have a Elderberry Sour IPA Stout Pumpkin Kölsch? But the basic lagers and amber ales are worth our time as well. Sam Adams' variety packs always include a couple of bottles of Boston Lager, so I'm starting off the reviews with the same.

Although they don't promote it as such, the style is definitely what's referred to as a Vienna Lager. The Vienna style originated in that Austrian city, but you'll find many examples among Mexican beers such as Negra Modelo and Dos Equis. Sam Adams Boston Lager, is a great example of the style. Pouring a light amber with a short off-white head, the overall effect is a mild malty sweetness, rather than the crisp cleanness of a Pilsner. The hoppiness is subdued at 30 IBUs, and there is a caramel aroma mixed with a breadiness that makes this more complex than most lagers. This is a great year-round beer and can be enjoyed with a variety of foods like burgers, fried chicken or even bruschetta. An IGB favorite.

Sam Adams Winter Classics Variety 12 Pack 2017

This year's Winter Classics Variety 12 Pack consists of Boston Lager, Winter Lager, Old Fezzig, Chocolate Bock, Oatmeal Stout and Amber Bock. Some of the them Ill-Gotten Booty has reviewed in the past, but there'll be all new reviews this year. Sam Adams' variety 12 packs were some of the first craft beers that I sampled, they introduced me to the spectrum of beer styles that are out there. First one later today!

Double Down Gose IPA by Fort Collins Brewery

This is a fusion of two styles: India Pale Ale (yes, yes, everything is an IPA these days) and a Gose. The Gose style (pronounced Gō-sah) originated in Goslar Germany, but was also popular in Leipzig. It's made with 50% wheat, and has salt and coriander added. It's moderately sour.
Double Down is light and refreshing, pouring a golden hue with a thin white head. You can definitely taste the salt and coriander, with lemon peel notes. I'm not sure why it's an IPA, I'm not detecting much hoppiness. I just read that Fort Collins Brewery sold out & will be closing its doors, so you'll likely not see this beer around for much longer.

Goose Island Oatmeal Stout

I've had Goose island's oatmeal stout before, but I apparently never reviewed it. Well, they've included it in this employee pack and I'm reviewing it today. (The old label appears below with the snifter glass).



As with most oatmeal stouts, Goose Island's is heavy & creamy, pouring midnight black with a tall tan head. They're not doing anything fancy, just rolling out a great representative of the style. There's the usual suspects: coffee & chocolate notes, along with some roasted grains and medium hoppiness. There's also an unexpected sweetness that is imparting a maple aroma as the beer warms up. Pretty solid, should hold up well during the upcoming cold months.

Goose Island Altbier

Altbier is a hybrid style of beer that originated in Düsseldorf, Germany. Like Kölsch, the style that hales from Köln (Cologne), altbier is basically an ale that is top (warm) fermented, but then matured in a cool place, like a lager. This brew pours a caramel hue, with a light tan one-finger head. At 42 IBU's, it's fairly hoppy, but not astringently so, more piney than anything else. Light coffee and chocolate notes, but not so obvious that it detracts from the basic beer base. There's also a little bit of generic citrus to round things out. This is a pretty decent altbier. 

Goose Island Fulton Street Blend Coffee Ale

Fulton Street Blend is one of those beers where the appearance is deceiving, like a black IPA, that you expect to be stout-y, I've always expected any beer with coffee in it to be a porter or a stout, i.e. DARK! They're calling it a coffee-flavored blonde ale, and it's only 20 IBUs, but it's got a bite like you'd expect from a pale ale. Naturally there's coffee in the flavor mix, but subdued, shyly hiding behind the skirts of the hops. I'd drink this again. Added flavoring, but melds well with the underlying beeriness.

Goose Island Coy Wolf Dark IPA

First of four beers in the "employee" 12-pack, it's billed as a "dark IPA", but more like a hoppier-than-usual pale ale that ain't so pale. Coywolf pours a toffee color with a three-finger tan head. They say that the hops are experimental, and they're different than anything that I tasted before. Not piney, not grapefruity, more like pumpernickel rye than anything else. There's also some mild toffee notes as well as some cocoa/hot chocolate and caramel. Oddly, there's also some lime. Very different. Flavor comes from the hops and not from added flavorings; IGB approved!

Beer Styles: Barleywines and Imperials

It seems that we never run out of ales to talk about! Today's Ill-Gotten Booty Beer Styles post will focus on the high alcohol content beers.

Barelywine is a style of ale that is mainly known for it's high alcohol content, and usually has a sweet "wine-like" character and a quality described a "alcohol heat". They are typically aged, smoothing out the bitterness of the hops. I always feel like I'm sipping some fine whiskey when indulging in a barleywine. Other names have been used for this style over the years, including "old ale", "strong ale", and "stock ale". North Coast Brewery produces a high ABV ale called "Old Stock".

The color of a barleywine can vary quite a bit. Typically they are a caramel brown or mahogany, but never opaque. Occasionally they can be golden or amber. The color, as with most beers, has little to no effect on the taste or strength. IGB likes to have a barleywine in early Spring when the snows have ended, but you still get some cold days.

The adjective "imperial" derives from the British beer style "Imperial Russian Stout". Similar to how the original IPAs (India Pale Ales)  were higher ABV & IBU versions of the Pale Ale, Imperial Russian Stout was a higher ABV & IBU version of the popular Stout, itself an offspring of the Porter style. Several English breweries were doing a brisk business in Stouts and Porters in the Baltic region; according to legend the Czar was partial to a particularly rich brand of Stout and put in a special order. Due to its association with the imperial household, it became known as Imperial Russian Stout. The style was reborn during the 21st century craft beer renaissance with several breweries producing their own versions of the style. They tended to be rich and creamy, very hoppy, and at least 10% alcohol by volume. Gradually though, the adjective "imperial" came to be used to describe any style that had a higher than usual ABV. An Imperial IPA might be an IPA with 11% alcohol rather than the usual 7%. So anytime you see "imperial" these days, translate it to "more alcohol".  Other adjectives that do the same job are "double" and "extra".

Other high alcohol beers include Scottish Wee Heavy and Belgian Quadrupel, these will be explored in separate blog posts.

Rahr and Sons Oktoberfest Märzen Lager

Pours a copper hue with a two-finger light copper head. malty, yet hoppy. Faint hint of coriander and nutmeg, but that may be my imagination! Pretty decent, 7/10 on the IGB Märzen Scale.

(Sorry, but Märzens, being lagers, don't tend to be super complex, but this is a solid example of the style)

Boulevard Tough Kitty Milk Stout

Sure it's the season for Märzens (Oktoberfests) and Pumpkin ales, but I can't pass up a decent sweet stout!

Boulevard put out a milk stout as part of their Tasting Room Series, but there are a few differences between that and Tough Kitty. For one, the IBUs are about more than double, 27 vs. 12, so there's some nice hop bitterness to go with the sweet, malty smoothness. Tough Kitty pours an impenetrable black with a two finger tan head. There's some licorice at the back of the tongue, but the main attractions are the coffee, toffee and milk chocolate dancing around each sip. Roasted nuts and heavy cream also figure in this menagerie of flavor. Rolled out added to the mash gives it a nice creamy finish. Remember: don't be afraid of the dark!

New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Atomic Pumpkin

In honor of those wild & crazy nuclear guys, Donnie the T and Kim Uno, tonight Ill-Gotten Booty Beer Reviews is featuring Atomic Pumpkin, part of the Voodoo Ranger series from New Belgium. Voodoo Ranger is the successor to Ranger IPA, with more piney hop bitterness and a higher ABV at 7%. This limited release is also my first pumpkin ale of the season. Not only does it feature pumpkin & spices, but some jalapeño as well! 

Atomic Pumpkin pours an orangey-amber with an off-white head that doesn't get much past a finger-width. The different flavors are all MMA fighting to get your attention: the sweet pumpkin pie, the fiery  jalapeños, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, the hops! Maybe not your cup of tea if you're not a hot pepper fan, but I'm glad that I got nuked with this Voodoo Ranger special release. 

Beer Styles: Sour Ales

A sour ale is a beer that is intentionally acidic or tart. At one time most beers were tart to some degree. Before it was fully understood how fermentation worked, wild yeasts strains did the heavy lifting rather than the cultured strains used today. Yeast cultures from one batch became the starter for the next batch. Not being done in a sterile environment, wild yeast often intruded. Certain types of wild yeast are acid-producing, which, in the presence of oxygen result in an sour or tart edge. There are several traditional styles of sour beer, some of which have been imitated by modern brewers. Lambic is a well-known style, which will have its own post. Berliner Weisse, also known as Berliner White is a traditional style originating in Hamburg Germany. Berliner's tend to be light, highly carbonated. A Gose (pronounced Goe-suh) is brewed with at least 50% malted wheat, it gets its name from the city where it originated, Goslar. A gose has salt and coriander added, which means it does not comply with the Reinheitsgebot (German beer purity law) but it was granted an exception as a regional specialty. There is also a style, which I have never tried, called Flanders Red Ale, it is a cousin to the porter, but utilizes lactic acid to give it a sour edge and is aged in oak barrels. Ill-Gotten Booty himself is a big fan of the sours, and am frequently warned that they are sours!

Boulevard Berliner Weisse Sour Ale

As I've mentioned in other blog posts about sour beers, sours are one of the latest fads in the beer world. (Complete post on the Sour Ale Style coming soon).  Goose Island pioneered the brewing of sours with Matilda and other offerings, but many other breweries are jumping on the bandwagon, and of course Boulevard is in on the craze. Boulevard's Berliner Weisse pours a pale gold with a thin white head. It's very light and highly carbonated. It's clocking in at only 8 IBU's, so virtually no hoppiness. The traditional Berliner White is usually about 3% ABV, but Boulevard's version is 4.5%. Berliner Weisse is very refreshing; a good food pairing might be fried potatoes or french fries.

Beer Styles: Still to Come

Over the last year or so we have explored the various styles of beer - lagers and ales and all the subcategories. Well, we're not done yet! Still to look at:

• Sour Ales
• Barleywine
• Wheat Ale including Hefeweizen
• Rye Ales
• Belgian Ales & all the sub-styles
• Braggot
• Hybrids: Altbier & Kölsch
• Scottish/Scotch Ales
• Lambics
• Steam Beers
• Flavored Beers

Stay tuned!

Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad

Yes, I am a sucker for Belgian style quadrupels, I'm a sucker for bourbon barrel aged brews...so naturally, a bourbon barrel aged quad...well...

Boulevard previously put out a beer called Sixth Glass, a quadrupel that I reviewed here:

http://ill-gottenbooty.blogspot.com/2011/02/beer-review-sixth-glass-quadrupel.html

This barrel aged beauty pours a dark honey hue with a tall tan head. Boulevard added some cherries after the aging process, ostensibly to make up for the portion that is absorbed by the barrels during the aging. Despite this, there's only a hint of cherry, but plenty of vanilla/oak aromas and some alcohol heat from the 11.2% ABV. Very much a sipping beer.

Oskar Blues Ten Fidy Imperial Stout

Since Spring doesn't seem to ever want to arrive, we'll continue with the winter brews, focusing on those delectable imperial stouts. Oskar Blues Brewery produced this spot-on version of the Russian Imperial Stout, beloved of the czars. It poured a muddy dark brown, with a viscosity 10W30 would kill for. The head never seemed to go away, and was so thick you could make brown snowballs out of it. What was pleasantly surprising was the 65 IBUs, giving it the hop kick of a strong pale ale, but hidden behind the malty sweetness. All the flavors you'd expect from a good stout make an appearance: coffee and cocoa especially, but bit parts by vanilla and caramel, and walk-ons by the dark fruit players - figs, dates & black cherries. Overall, worth whatever they charged you for it.

Evil Twin Brewing Even More Jesus Imperial Stout

Evil Twin is a brewery in Brooklyn NY run by Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergso, whose twin brother Mikkel Borg-Bjergso runs the Danish brewery Mikkeler in Copenhagen. Both Mikkeler and Evil Twin are non-traditional breweries in that the brewmasters come up with recipes and farm out the actual brewing to other brewers. And incidentally the brothers can't stand each other! And before I get into the review, I have no idea why this beer is called Even More Jesus.

Even More Jesus poured a deep, tarry black, with a three-finger head that was so thick that you could walk on it. The consistency is thick and syrupy, there's a medium hoppiness and a pungent aroma of coffee and dark chocolate. As it moves toward room temperature molasses and dark fruits, figs, black cherries and dates, become evident. There's some moderate heat from the 12% ABV. Overall a great brew for a cool, rainy night.

Two/Evil Geyser Gose

Let's start with "What's a Gose?" (Go-suh)

It's an old German beer style that originated in Leipzig, brought back to life in recent years. Like a hefweizen, it's made with at least 50% malted wheat. It's generally crisp and dry, with some low hop bitterness and slight sourness. Coriander and salt are usually added. Two/Evil, a collaboration between Two Roads and Evil Twin breweries, adds Icelandic moss, sea kelp and birch smoked sea salt as flavorings. The result is a cloudy golden brew with a two-finer head, and a tart lemony character. There are also hints of pear and Granny Smith apple. Overall, pretty light and refreshing, with just enough tartness to elicit a "Sir, did you know that's a sour beer?" from the bartenders at Yia-Yia's!

Southern Tier Crème Brûleé Imperial Milk Stout Imperial Milk Stout

While visiting Mom I also visited Port Jefferson Spirits and had a lively conversation with the owner while searching for a beer that I had heretofore not sampled. Since it was a breezy, cool day, I eschewed the summer ales and IPA's a zeroed in on the stouts and porters. Southern Tier, a New York brewery that I discovered while in Kansas City a few years ago, offered a Crème Brûleé Imperial Milk Stout, part of their Blackwater Series. As I'm very partial to milk stouts. Milk stouts, also known as sweet stouts, retain some sweetness after fermentation due to the addition of lactose, a sugar that does not convert to alcohol during fermentation. I find that this really takes the edge off a typical stout, giving it a dessert-y character. "Imperial" of course generally indicates a higher alcohol content, deriving from the traditional style Imperial Russian Stout. Southern Tiers website doesn't specify what they add to give it the rich flavor of Crème Brûleé, but the main flavor/aroma that I detect is vanilla. I sampled this in a brandy snifter (which I recommend) - as it warmed up other flavors came out of hiding: chocolate, coffee, and the advertised custard notes. The high ABV (10%) requires sipping, not quaffing, the better to savor the flavors. Definitely not an everyday beer, but one for a special occasion.

Innis & Gunn Bourbon Oak Aged Dark Ale

Beer #2 from the Innis & Gunn collection. This one isn't a stout, but a Scottish dark ale, sometimes called a Wee Heavy, aged on bourbon-infused oak staves. (Not quite bourbon barrel, but still up there). It pours a deep, dark ruby-brown with an almost-not-there head. The bourbon is the first thing that I noticed, with a more subtle oak aroma. Other flavors include vanilla & raisin and a bit of molasses. Very nice sippin' ale.

Thunderhead Brewery's GoldenFrau Honey Wheat

Here's the final beer in the Thunderhead Variety 12-pack. GoldenFrau pours a clear, unfiltered, golden hue with a three-finger head. The honey has an immediate impact, lining my nostrils with sweetness. The underlying beer itself is a pretty solid wheat beer, with a creamy mouthfeel and mild hoppiness. As it warms there's some citrus notes - orange zest & lemon peel. 8 of 10 on the IGB summer ale scale.

Thunderhead Brewery's Prairie Peach - Peach Wheat Ale

Not much to say about this one, there's some faint peachiness to it, with a little apricot thrown in. I'll say this for it, it would make a good summer "lawnmower" beer. Okay, yay, peach beer, but not a lot of effort seems to have gone into crafting a standout ale. Hey, we can't all be astronauts.

Stillwater Artisanal Brewery: A Saison Darkly

Let's start off with an admission that I do not know what schisandra berries are, but the label says A Saison Darkly has some in it. I checked out some available information about Brian Stillwater, a DJ turned brewer, who believes that terms like "saison" are philosophical labels and not stylistic, so I immediately abandoned any preconceptions I had about the name of the beer. At first sip I thought it was the closest to a Belgian Quad, but lighter, may a Trippel with darker coloring, which by the way is a mahogany-ruby, with a scant head. There's also some interesting carbonation. As the glass sets on my desk, I can see a narrow fountain of bubbles coming up in the exact center, nowhere else. There's a melange of dark fruits plus some apricot, a teeny, tiny bit of cinnamon and brown sugar. The 8% ABV imparts very little heat and there's almost some whiskey notes, although it doesn't claim to be barrel-aged. Overall a pretty decent nightcap.

Odell's Mountain Standard Double Black IPA Barrel -Aged

I recently received a gift card for a beer/liquor store a short walk from our new home. This little beauty was one of the brews that I picked up while utilizing my gift. I've had Mountain Standard Black IPA  before, but I have a weakness for Bourbon Oak Barrel Aged beers, so this made the cut.

Mountain Standard Barrel Aged pours a deep ruby-black with no head to speak of. At 10.6% ABV I detect some comfortable alcohol heat, but not overwhelmingly so. The oak and the bourbon meld to give the whole shebang a creamy finish. As it warms up the aroma & taste of dark fruits: raisins, figs, black cherries, pop out. There's also a little apricot and dark chocolate.

Definitely a sippin' beer.

Thunderhead Brewing's Cropduster Mid-American IPA

It looks like they've changed the labels somewhat: Leatherhead Red was "Gridiron Ale" - pretty harmless, but not very descriptive; Cropduster appears to have been called "Herbicidal IPA" - not too appetizing!

The color is an orange-amber with a towering beige head that sinks down to a fluffy island atop the brew. Willamette and Cascade hops impart a sharp, yet smooth hop character with citrus notes and pine bitterness.

I'd recommend trying a glass with some barbecue or fried fish rather than unaccompanied.

Thunderhead Brewing's Leatherhead Red Mid-American Red Ale

Whoo-hoo! Beer #3 of 6 in the Thunderhead Brewing Variety 12-Pack, Leatherhead Red pours an amber-apricot-ripe pineapple hue, with a three-finger foamy head that slowly recedes to a lacy cover. It's listed as 40 IBU - Thunderhead doesn't advertise the type of hops, but whatever they are, they impart a piney, somewhat astringent note. Despite being billed a a red ale, it tastes more like an IPA, due to the hop-forwardness. I tend to expect red ales to be maltier and less hoppy, but other than not conforming to style expectations, this is a pretty decent beer. Even though it's not red! Nice label for Husker game days!

Thunderhead Brewing's Schaben's Mid-American Pilsner

Beer #2 in the Thunderhead variety pack. It's always a challenge to find something new and exciting in a beer style that every beer company produces millions of each week. Schaben's pours a bright golden hue, with an impressive four-finger fluffy white head, not quite read-a-newspaper-through clear, perhaps unfiltered. Lagers aren't supposed to be rich with subtle flavors and aromas like ales, but Schaben's has a distinct, yet understated flavor that outshines the mass-produced brews. There are hints of baked bread, and a bit of coriander, and maybe some lemon peel. Very smooth, clean and refreshing. A great substitute for the giants.

[One thing I didn't notice until tonight is that each can, right around the lip, lists the ingredients: this one, in the traditional German style has only water, barley, yeast, and hops]

Thunderhead Brewing's Cornstalker Dark Wheat

I reviewed this beer seven years ago, but I wanted to review it anew, especially since I have five other Thunderheads in the fridge. They're calling it a dark wheat, which would make it a dunkelweizen style, however the rich thickness, malty sweetness and frothy tan head over a deep chocolate brown makes me want to classify it as a porter. There's a lot of chocolate in the mix, as well as some vanilla. The 5.7% ABV makes it very sessionable and the measly 12 IBUs makes it attractive to the hop-phobic. As it attains room temperature I'm catching some coffee notes and a smidgen of brown sugar or perhaps molasses.  Decent porter; I'd buy it again. Support Nebraska brewers!

Innis & Gunn Scottish Stout Oak Aged in Irish Whiskey Barrels

I thought that this looked interesting. Innis & Gunn has several oak aged stouts and dark ales available at N Street, and being a fan of Irish Whiskey, I thought I give this one a try first. I've never had a beer that claimed to be a Scottish stout before, but I would assume, since Scottish or Scotch ales tend to be strong and smoky, and that stouts tend to be dark, heavy and malty, that a Scottish stout would be a combination. I was not quite correct. There is a hint of smokiness, but well hidden. The oak aging, however, does come through, and the Irish whiskey does add a nice smooth finish. There's also some hints of vanilla, figs and black cherries. It's the opinion of the Ill-Gotten Booty Board of Governors and Haberdashers that a well-made ale should not be hijacked by any one particular flavor, but all the component parts should blend together harmoniously. This particular brew succeeds in that regard. High marks from IGB.

Boulevard Tasting Room Series: Milk Stout

For a tutorial on just what milk stout is, refer to a recent IGB review:

http://ill-gottenbooty.blogspot.com/2017/03/elysian-brewing-split-shot-espresso.html

This black beauty pours a impenetrable black with a frothy beige head. Coffee, toffee, vanilla, caramel & chocolate all battle for dominance. At only 12 IBU's, the hop bitterness is all but absent, very different from their Bully Porter. The lactose imparts a sweetness that melds well with the creaminess from the rolled oats. Overall a fine example of the style.

Boulevard Tasting Room Series: Rosemary India Pale Ale

Boulevard has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to experimenting with new beer styles, but I'm not sure that this is a cutting edge brew, or just another IPA with some oddball flavoring thrown in. Not to say that this isn't a tasty offering. I have been using rosemary, as well as marjoram, as a seasoning for sauteed vegetables lately, so I am familiar with the taste profile. I must say that am surprised at how well it contributes to the bitter edge of the IPA. As usual, Boulevard's India Pale Ale is a great example of the style, the rosemary melds very well with it; there is also a hint of mint in the mix. I can see this being an ideal companion for spicy meats, or perhaps barbecue. Nice surprise from our friends in Kansas City.

Elysian Brewing Split Shot Espresso Milk Stout

No beer style is better suited to accept into its bosom coffee beans than a stout (we can throw porters in there too, but you know where I'm coming from). And no stout sub-style provides a happier home for coffee than the delectable milk stout. Stout's natural heavy creaminess is enhanced by the rich coffee flavor. Milk stouts (also known as sweet stouts) get their name from the additional of lactose to the brew. Since lactose is a sugar that does not convert to alcohol during fermentation, its reside imbues the brew with a sweet taste, and a firm rebuttal to the "I don't like dark beer" crowd. Split Shot pours a deep impenetrable brown, admitting nary a photon. The head is a short, lacy tan; the consistency is a medium-heavy. The coffee is up front and obvious, but somehow not overwhelming. As Split Shot warms up, vanilla and chocolate notes swirl unto the taste horizon. I'd give this an 8.5 on the IGB beer scale.

Goose Island Fassinator Blonde Dopplebock

As everyone knows, Spring is the season for the bocks. Okay, everyone doesn't know it, but it is. Here's a previous IGB article about Bocks:

http://ill-gottenbooty.blogspot.com/2010/02/beer-reviews-bocks-are-coming.html

Let's start off with the name: Fassinator. Pronounced Fahs-in-Ator, derived for the German word from draught: Vom Fahs, and a traditional suffix for bocks: -ator. The ABV is 8%, about what you'd expect for a strong bock. It pours an apricot hue with a three-finger head that very slowly recedes to a lacy frill. fairly complex flavor mix, with malty sweet biscuit-y notes with some banana undertones. Light hop bitterness that kicks in after the beer warms up a bit - not noticeable straight from the fridge. A lot smoother than a typical doppelbock, with no noticeable alcohol heat. I'd classify this more as a strong maibock rather than a doppelbock, but your mileage may vary.