Chicago Stout Releases (2021)

Abraxas is currently dropping all around the city and suburbs, for those of you who like that sort of thing (and I very much do). I swear, this stuff has to be the most expensive widely available non-BA stout though.

 

Yeah - I used to LOVE Abraxas, now it's a mild like. Today I was able to get some 16oz Darkness variants ($11.99 each), BA Ten Fidy 4pk ($19.99), and Firestone Walker 2020 Anniversary ($12.99) so I'm doing just fine and dandy!
Got to save the rest of January funds for the new Rev release and additional Rev 4pks...cheers!

 

Are they still putting Abraxas in wine bottles? Or have they capitulated to us fupaboiz & put it in 12 / 16 oz cans?

 

Still in 750mls

 

Have you heard of Piece?

 

People go there for New Haven pizza which is unique to Chicagoland. What’s Haymarket niche? Bar food? Good luck finding that in Chicago. Piece was around well before the craft game blew up. It’s a pizza place with beer. Haymarket is content being Rock Bottom Brewery with 2 locations. Doesn’t exactly excite fans

 

Abraxas has been pretty inconsistent the last few years, IMO. I think as they have bumped up production, the quality has suffered a little. When it's good, it's really, really good. When it's bad, it's still pretty good, but not worth the price. It's my favorite Mexican chocolate-ish beer though.

 

Drank a 2020 Abraxas a few weeks ago. It was very good. And this is a style I don't typically love.

 

I had Might Meets Right High West and Peppermint tonight both are very well done

Peppermint is Frango straight up

 

I’m not arguing the quality comparison, I completely agree about Haymarket’s “niche”. It’s not my bag. I’m just saying (and you even make the point bringing up Rock Bottom) that the model can work. However, it’s probably harder for these bar food style places to sustain during a pandemic. If I’m ordering carry out/delivery, it’s not that.

 

I stop at Haymarket’s Michigan location on the way to my lakehouse and it’s pretty good, pizza and beers are good and it’s a nice pit stop.

I like it more than the original Chicago location where I thought the food and vibe were sub-par

 

Biked past District Brew Yards yesterday afternoon and stopped in as they had space on their (very well spaced out) patio. I’d previously been pretty curious about this year’s BA Black Pit of Hatred variants and was able to try the toasted coconut variant on draft, which I thought was excellent. The coconut was very present and not at all artificial. I also really enjoyed the base beer flavors and barrel profile that I was able to pick up in my ~3oz as it warmed a bit. Wound up buying the mixed four pack and enjoying the vanilla variant last night.

If you’re not already super overwhelmed by stout season, I think the mixed 4 is probably a worthy addition to your fridge.

 

I will second this, and add that the Casa Humilde Tempestad Imperial Stout is an excellent beer, also. The Ecuadorian Cacao really shines. Currently enjoying this with homemade chicken molé. Nice pairing.

 

Sounds like a stellar pairing! May need to copy this next weekend if I can get over there for cans of Tempestad or fine one more locally.

 

Someone from last year's thread mentioned they got a stout from Side Lot Brewing. I'm curious what they thought of it since I pass by Side Lot every time I visit my parents.

 

Pretty sure that was me. I had two beers; Nikolai (a Russian Imperial Stout) and Distinguished Gentleman (a barrel aged Russian Imperial Stout).

I preferred Nikolai; it had the somewhat abrasive character a true RIS should have balanced with a pleasant creamy character that made it palatable.

Distinguished Gentleman I didn't love so much. It felt like licking a barrel; the barrel & bourbon overwhelmed the base beer in my opinion.

Neither got me excited enough to try another one, to be honest.

 

I'm in the middle of the state and it's even dropping here. I don't remember this ever being available outside of STL but I could be wrong.

 

It has been available in Chicago since at least 2016 or 2017, maybe earlier. It used to sell out almost instantly, but it seems like they're making more of it every year. This year, even smaller bottle shops in the burbs are getting it.