New Beer Weekend #288

My first bottle of 2025 BCBS

For 2025, Goose Island decided to produce small bottles (10 ounces) of Bourbon County Brand Stout and package them in a four-pack.

I annually drink BCBS and it seems that each year’s vintage varies both in strength (i.e., ABV) and the overall flavor profile.

The description for the 2025 vintage of BCBS on BA:

“The Original Bourbon Barrel aged Imperial Stout. Our primary focus every year is to make this beer the best that it’s ever been, with the best ingredients, which includes the finest of bourbon whiskey barrels. Each year’s Bourbon County Stout is aged in a mix of bourbon barrels from a variety of whiskey distilleries. 2025 edition was aged in a blend of freshly emptied barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey.

IBU: 60

HOPS: MILLENNIUM

MALTS: 2 ROW, BLACK MALT, CARAMEL, CHOCOLATE, MUNICH 10, ROASTED BARLEY”

On the back of the bottle, it lists 14.8% ABV.

Served in my Tulip Glass:

Appearance:

Pours a dark brown approaching black color with a minimal head.

Aroma:

There is a notable aroma which is complex in nature. A combination of dried dark fruit, bourbon barrel aromas (e.g., vanilla), etc.

Taste:

The flavors follow the nose with a combination of dried dark fruit and bourbon-like flavors. There is a perception of sweetness and a bit of alcohol heat. There is a low bitterness.

Mouthfeel:

A medium – full body with an off-dry finish.

Overall:

I enjoyed drinking the 2025 version. It is very good – excellent. I am of the opinion that this batch will benefit with some cellaring. I intend to drink the second bottle after a year of cellaring and the remaining two bottles with even more time in the cellar.

I think the decision by Goose Island to package BCBS in smaller (10 ounce bottles) was a very good idea. I hope they continue this practice for future releases.

Cheers!

 

Couple of hazies:

Pipeworks Psychedelic Pillow Fight

Appearance: Hazy yellow, good head.

Smell: Sharp green citrus at first, then some sweetness like vanilla frosting.

Taste: Mild sweetness, then mild citrus bitterness. Further drinks the bitterness comes through a little more. Medium-light bodied. Doesn't have the “mealy” feel I often get in hazies.

Overall: Picked up a single, this is a solid hazy that is closer to a pale ale in strength. Flavor is fine but unexceptional, doesn't have the mealy feel, so a pretty good beer.

Weldwerks Sunbeam Surge

Appearance: Cloudy yellow, good head.

Smell: Light rind, hint of melon? Hard to smell much.

Taste: Moderate sweetness mixed with some oranges and maybe a bit of lime bitterness. Soft feel, medium bodied.

Overall: The can is about 6 months old, doesn't taste old or oxidized, just kind of muted in flavor and definitely muted in smell. This is still good, just at a lower level than when it was fresher, I assume.

 

Hey hey BAs! I tried a taster on tap of the following beer at the brewery back in October 2025, loved it, so bought a rather expensive 500ml bottle to go so as to enjoy/ review at a later date. Tonight’s the night!

“Coconut Daydreams” by 3 Sons Brewing Co., an Imperial Stout Aged in Heaven Hill Barrels for 18 months before being conditioned on toasted and raw coconut, and Colombian coffee:




Poured at 57.7° Black sludgy body with giant chunks of coconut so big they almost didn’t come out of the bottle; tons of coconut flakes; the second poor glass looked fine; no head, ring nor lace; thin legs at best. Nose is chocolate fudge; coconut; sweet bourbon. Taste follows nose; coffee an afterthought; sweet chocolate finish. Gooey feel, very adjuncty, thick heavy body; light carbonation; very little warmth from 14.8% ABV. Overall, I’m having a hard time getting past the appearance and the sludgy feel.

2.5 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.0 | 4.0
Score 4.07 rDev -2.4%

Such a disappointing bottled beer. I actually like seeing coconut flakes/floaties in coconut stouts, but what poured out of tonight’s bottle was borderline disgusting. And yet, if you like sweet fudge and coconut, the taste is true.

Cheers and good night y’all!

 

In my search for good N/A options, I think I found one many of you have already tried:

So the short version is I love it, very full flavored and in all the right ways with great roasted-malt flavors and enough sweetness so you can actual taste sweet notes. Deschutes' N/A version of Black Butte Porter has the roasty flavors but no sweetness IMO, whereas this comes closer to mimicking the real thing with dark chocolate and even a bit of slightly sugared cappuccino ... not quite mocha latte but nodding in that direction.

Original review:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/209/514217/?ba=Premo88#review

3.76 (-0.3% rDev)

Soapbox moment: I'd imagine a carbonated version of this same beer would be a 4.0+ for me, but I cannot get past the watery thin nitro thing. Whoever thinks nitro is a good substitute for cask has never had a proper pint ... nitro is a good substitute for 10-day-old cask ale, which wouldn't be served by a good pub. Nitro sucks, and I think this 8-pack is the last nitro anything I'll ever spend my money on.

OK, soapbox moment over.

I'll enjoy working through the rest of this 8-pack, and who knows? Maybe by the end of it I'll come around on nitro and revoke my ban on nitro beers.

Cheers!

 

Found this at the store...Odell Old Doods Stout, 5% ABV Irish Dry Stout.

I couldn't see the packaged on date when I bought the six pack, but I have never seen this one around me before...so assuming its relatively new. Well upon opening the six pack cardboard, it is canned on 6/6/2025 oops. But oh well...lets see whats going on here.



Pours a dark black, nearly opaque...if not for some ruby red highlights around the edges. A two finger beige head forms and recedes to leave some lace behind.
Aroma is simple, spot on and enjoyable. Of dried roast, toasted malts, coffee, milk chocolate.
Maybe a bit lacking tastes wise? The typical flavors are there, roast, coffee, malts, chocolate. Just seems a little faded. Though still not bad at all.
A lighter body than expected. Even for 5%, while obviously not big by any means, it still seems a little light for the ABV. Good carbonation and clean. A nice stout to come back to, I can have a few with ease.

Maybe not my favorite version of a dry stout. Everything typical for the style is there, but maybe its just a bit older than it should be. I still feel it could have a bit fuller feel to it as well. I need to compare it to my local, Saint Arnold's Irish Hello, which is right at 4%, and seems to have the same "fullness" of body. Regardless of little quibbles, it is good, I like it, and will get it again.

I would like to do a side by side with the Saint Arnold version, and a lot of my issues are probably with this being over 6 months old. Stupid distribution ugh. Still a very respectable 3.88 score. Easy B+ and I'll be looking for fresher six packs when I can. Odell is always solid.

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/267/729930/?ba=champ103#lists

 

I buy way less Odell because they don't date their beer on the outside the packaging, doom on them

 

Same, I figured I was at least somewhat safe with a new offering in my area, but nope ha. Still, its very enjoyable saying that. Stouts, even low ABV ones seem to hold up somewhat better, at lease for me. But would jump at the chance to get a fresh sixer.

 

I like their Hoppy stuff a lot semi-fresh, a waste of money & time if not...

 

This is a revisit from 3 years ago, bumped up most of my scores. Heirloom Rustic Ales Morning Devotion Milk Stout with Cirque Weirdo Blend Coffee & Supermarket Cinnamon, 6.6% ABV; 4.0 overall now

 

I'm drinking a 1349 Black Ale from Haand in Norway 13.49% has sugar, orange, spruce, coffee added.

Looks good decent head that hangs on till the end leaving some lacing
Taste: Starts out like a smooth slightly sweet stout but quckly the bitter hops come in. then you get orange, spruce and maybe coffee. The finish has a hint of anise flavor
Feel; ABV is well hidden. medium thickness.

To me this drinks like a Back/cascadian IPA more than anything. Interesting beer, 4.32/5

For @GreenBayBA comments on the beer click here:
https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/new-beer-weekend-216.678388/page-3#post-8043973

 

Thanks for your open @Victory_Sabre1973 , and your hard work to support Beer and Beer Enthusiasts. Also, thanks to the Moderators who clean up our and others beer and place entries.

Ties into the weekend theme and why I'm here on a Friday Night, as I have three selections to celebrate from Werk Force Brewery. I have enjoyed their selections at FOBAB over the years, where they have won several awards, so I took the plunge and bought three from their Sleepy Bear Series. Starting with their standard version and will follow up with an enhanced version and cuvee to close out the weekend.

Werk Force Brewing Co. Sleepy Bear - Barrel-Aged (Release Date 11/26/25)

3.69/5 rDev -11.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75



1/23/26 - (Can - Home) (Chicago, IL) Can Notes: Purchased at store temperature December 10, 2025 at Beer on the Wall Park Ridge for $12.53 including tax. Refrigerated upon returning home before opening this evening. 16 oz., no can date but a release date of 11/26/25, no ABV on the can. Two Thousand Twenty Five Bourbon Barrel Aged Sleepy Bear. Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout brewed with pale wheat, roasted barley, oats, rye, chocolate, honey and caramel malts, and milk sugar. Hopped with Magnum and Fuggle. Fermented with Chico Ale Yeast. Brewed and canned by Werk Force Brewing Company, Plainfield, Illinois.

Appearance: Poured about two thirds of the can into a 12 oz handheld snifter, near black dark blown base and a brief creamy tan head that leaves no trace but a creamy ring around the rim and random spots above about 10 percent of the base. 4.25

Aroma: Boozy barrel on open, still boozy 15 minutes in nearing proper room temperature, getting a bit of chocolate but that's about it behind a harsh bourbon. Strength and enjoyment between light and mild. 3.25

Taste: Early sip much improved over initial aroma, with a creamy rich chocolate fudge and nice smooth complimentary bourbon barrel and oak. As it warms, barrel strengthens, but ends up at a nice balanced juncture of bourbon and milk chocolate. 3.5

Mouthfeel: Creamy, gentle carbonation. Strong bourbon flavor, ABV starts slow, but reaches the 15% once you hit a 1/4 of the can. Seems balanced because of the sweet flavors (mostly chocolate) in there but just held in check by the strong bourbon barrel presence. After proper temps, it's a nice blend of bourbon and chocolate. 4.0

Overall: This offering works well if you have the patience to wait 20 minutes from the refrigerator. I like the bourbon flavor, and the milk chocolate blends nicely, but missing the listed Rye and not much complexity beyond these two flavors. Still enjoying for what this is. 3.75

 

Happy Friday one and all, and thank you @Victory_Sabre1973 for kicking off the weekend!
Tonight I return to the haul that @vurt sent me and it’s excellent. I tend to be picky about my RISs but this one tics most of the boxes for me.

I remember seeing it reviewed here a while back and thought it would be great to try. Well, Eric hooked me up.
The pour is stout black with a light brown head that reaches at least an inch, would have been more but I ran out of glass.
The lacing is plentiful as well.
The taste is very close to the ideal RIS; deep malts are very noticeable roast with hops that edges the chocolate, cacao, figs, raisins and espresso. A host of minor players are present as well and help serve to make this far more drinkable than might be wise.
The feel is less than viscous, but not by much. It has plenty of body which is needed for the amount of flavor in this.
OA, Pretty sure if I’d had a second one I’d have consumed it right after this one. Very glad to have been able to try it at all though.
Cheers!

 

Milner's Mild, from Away Days, sitting pretty at 3.7% abv. 16oz can served in a stemless rastal. Dated 08/12/25.
Pours a dark ruby brown color, clear and translucent, medium sized head and medium carbonation. Smell is medium roast coffee, very nutty, lots of grain in the background.

Taste is more bitter, stronger than I expected. Lots of nuts, heavily toasted. Grainy, wood, maybe a hint of wet cardboard oxidation.

Mouthfeel is a little crispy, dry, but not thin. Really tasty low ABV beer.

 

Happy Friday NBW. Been a busy week of reading. Finished off the Stalin book on Tuesday 4.25/5, that took 5 days. And read 4 more. The Richard Rhodes book was 4.1/5 on history and engineering from firewood to atomic energy, pretty technical. Alibaba was a good insight on Chinese business hurdles and a charismatic CEO. 4.25/5 The River Phoenix one was sad but also talked a lot about hollywood in the 90s. He is like the vegan James Dean. 4.1/5 Loved the history of the world in 6 glasses. Really great history of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. The first recipe ever written in cuneiform was a beer recipe. Also a lot of old beer styles mentioned in the appendix like Sahti. 4.25/5 I just started reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and it is already 5/5 after 4 chapters.


Columbus Frosty Cones Cold IPA. Canned 10/06/2025. Awesome cold IPA, my first of the style I think. Aromas and flavors of big red grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/rind, wood, mint, peppercorn, pine, cracker, white bread, light toast, and herbal/floral/grassy hop earthiness. Medium pine, citrus rind, herbal, spicy bitter finish. Medium carbonation and body; balanced bready/grainy malt and sticky/resinous hop mouthfeel. Fairly crisp and clean on hop resin and lager character. Lingering resin dryness with minimal hop astringency. Very dank and vibrant hops of cashmere, Simcoe, mosaic, and chinook. Really big fan. 4.1/5


Cheers