Intrinsic Duality No. 1
Pipeworks Brewing Co.

16 ounce can into a snifter. Canned 3/2/21, had 2/5/22.

Pours near black and opaque, with no head and no lacing. Aromas of bourbon, roasted malt, oak, chocolate, tobacco as it warms, faint licorice. Flavors of bourbon, malt, chocolate, some vanilla, light oak, tobacco- again, as it warms. Smooth, a very good lighter full body, appropriately carbonated.

Great barrels, terrific aromas and flavors. Feels a little thinner than it should. Really enjoyable. Was a great value for the quality, as were the other two of the Intrinsic series.

 

Binnys is very active in the collab community. They do whiskey barrel selections with reputable distilleries and also team up with some breweries to release specialty beers. They have had success in the past, notably the Liberty Sandwich with 4Hands Brewing. This most recent collab was with local brewery @Pipeworks with a lineup of three barrel aged beers. We picked up two of the three.

No. 1 = A whole lot of bourbon. Both of these beers are three years aged so it makes sense. Intense barrel and really packs a punch. The milk stout portion is a bit lost. Rating: 83

Shimmering black pour with a beige collar that fades quickly. Smell and taste are the same: semi sweet chocolate chips and vanilla cream in a bourbon barrel strongest, lactose, molasses, and oak as the next tier of potency, with slight nuttiness and licorice accents. I love how the milk stout style key components are never lost. Feel is warm, malty, smooth, and has both a boozy and sweet finish as hoped for. So glad pipeworks is back in the BA game

 

 

16oz can "PKG 03/02/21" and served in a short taster boasts a deep, dark, near-black, brown headless body with cola colored edge highlights sans lacing.

Aroma is rich boozy bourbon: molasses, sarsaparilla, oak, and tobacco, along with cocoa in an enticing melange and the flavors match. No booze warmth but the bourbon notes are strong, firm, and lasting.

Smooth feel, just short of tongue coating, and a wet finish.

Overall a great example of the style, enjoy with a mild cigar.

A collaboration with Binny's Beverage Depot.

Black appearance.

A rough pour yielded a small, noisy tan head which quickly dissipated; no lace.

Oak, fudge, cream & bourbon notes in the nose.

Thick, sticky mouthfeel.

Oak, dark chocolate & bourbon flavors up front; stick caramel & cream notes on the finish.

Boozy & robust; it's a tough swath to mow, but it's ultimately worth it. I liked it.

Pours a shiny, pitch black color. Essentially no head forms on the beer other than some light soda like bubbles popping on the top of the beer.

Aroma is quite nice with sweet notes of vanilla and milk chocolate interspersed with notes of roasted malts, oak, and rich bourbon soaked chocolates.

The taste is where this one shines with that 36 months of barrel aging coming through in all of its glory. Rich chocolatey notes mingle with vanilla, sweet cream, oak, strong bourbon notes and lighter notes of roasted malts. The effect is a boozy bourbon soaked chocolate brownie.

Feel is thick, viscous and rich. Carbonation is a bit prickly, but feels appropriate for the beer. A touch of heat comes through on the back end from the bourbon, but its very pleasant and works well with the profile.

Overall this is a delicious barrel aged stout from Pipeworks and a good reminder why they once were the best barrel aged program in Chicago. Heres hoping this is a sign of things to come from them.