Chicago BA Stouts

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by AJDePaul, Aug 6, 2012.

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  1. AJDePaul

    AJDePaul Initiate (0) Jun 29, 2012 Illinois

    OK. Extremely brief back story... I have been into craft for about 2 years with the first year just dipping the toes in on FFF, Bear Republic and DFH type offerings. The last year I have discovered the merits of Pliny, Heady and many many more that I am looking to try (See Double Sunshine).

    As you can tell I have been into IPAs and IIPAs mostly and dabbled in stouts and porters.

    As of late I have tasted some amazing barrel aged stouts. Apple Brandy Huna, Dark Lord, several BA stouts at beer fests, etc...

    I have been furiously trying to get my hands on some bourbon county but to no avail.

    What BA stouts are available and worth trying in the Chicago market? I have had 2X Stout and Choklat, Jahva, etc... from Southern Tier for example but I really want to find some BA stouts. I am sure there are hidden gems that aren't necessarily as rare with the hype factor of BCBS that I can find in the store.

    Suggestions?
     
    #1 AJDePaul, Aug 6, 2012
  2. yeahnatenelson

    yeahnatenelson Pooh-Bah (1,952) Feb 8, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Not quite a stout, but there's this. Available year-round and reasonably priced.

    There's also the Mikkeller Barrel-Aged Black Hole series. I wanna say they're $13/375mL. They shouldn't be too hard to find around here - try your local Binny's.
     
    #2 yeahnatenelson, Aug 6, 2012
  3. otrejo

    otrejo Initiate (0) Mar 8, 2011 Illinois

    I'd recommend the Great Divide Yeti series, especially the Espresso Yeti and the Oak Yeti. They aren't barrel-aged but aged with oak chips.

    Also when it's in season, you should try Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Stout.
     
    #3 otrejo, Aug 6, 2012
    adamdrinksbeer and gpawned like this.
  4. birchholz

    birchholz Zealot (633) Jul 21, 2010 Illinois

    #4 birchholz, Aug 6, 2012
  5. AJDePaul

    AJDePaul Initiate (0) Jun 29, 2012 Illinois

    I have seen the Dragon's Milk but I didn't know there was a BA version... I'll have to check that one out.

    I tried to get the Boris the other day because I do have some Naked Evil and have recently learned about Hoppin Frog. their stuff is great. I bought my wife their "Turbo Shandy" because she loves shandy... :flushed:... I know... and it actually was decent for a shandy. 7% abv helps...

    I'm going to seek out the Boris and Dragon's for sure.
     
    #5 AJDePaul, Aug 6, 2012
  6. pschul4

    pschul4 Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2011 Illinois

    All Dragon's Milk bottles are oak aged :slight_smile: Also I've heard amazing things about BA BORIS and its definitely at a couple Binny's right now

    Good Luck!
     
    #6 pschul4, Aug 6, 2012
  7. AJDePaul

    AJDePaul Initiate (0) Jun 29, 2012 Illinois

    I guess I never paid attention to the Dragon's Milk stuff. I'm so used to seeing it around I never thought it would be what I was looking for :rolling_eyes:
     
    #7 AJDePaul, Aug 6, 2012
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  8. moju

    moju Initiate (0) Jan 18, 2011 Illinois

    Check in with your local brewpubs often and get that juice right from the source! Goose Clybourn, Revolution, and Haymarket frequently have barrel aged offerings, and they're all pretty damn good.
     
    #8 moju, Aug 6, 2012
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  9. Cwillia9

    Cwillia9 Initiate (0) Jul 26, 2011 Illinois

    #9 Cwillia9, Aug 6, 2012
  10. MasterSki

    MasterSki Grand Pooh-Bah (4,848) Dec 25, 2006 Canada (ON)
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Be warned - some (most) of the Black Holes are pretty bad. This (somewhat superior) Mikkeller offering is still on the shelf at WLV - http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/13307/71158. There are also some barrel-aged Evil Twin offerings like Auld Yin that are nice. I'd avoid the BrewDog Paradox beers though...

    Many brewpubs in the area (the above-mentioned ones, plus Rock Bottom, Flossmoor, 3 Floyds, One Trick Pony, Destihl, etc.) will have a barrel-aged selection on-tap, although it's not guaranteed to be a stout. Piece occasionally does -bal beers as well.

    It's quite challenging to produce barrel-aged stouts in sufficient quantities for year-round availability. The barrel supply has remained fairly constant even though the number of breweries has grown exponentially and even if you have a dedicated facility like Goose Island it's hard to find adequate space for all that wood. They're also a far riskier proposition for smaller breweries due to the uncertain production time and infection risk, so doing anything more than small batch experiments and specials releases isn't sound business.

    Revolution is the only brewery I can think of (other than GI) that would have the financial resources, space, and know-how to do a big barrel-aged stout release (i.e. >5000 bottles) and even that would get gobbled up in hours in this ravenous market.
     
    #10 MasterSki, Aug 6, 2012
  11. GreenCoffee

    GreenCoffee Initiate (0) Jul 2, 2012 Illinois

    If you can find it, Parabola is fantastic. The hype on that one is climbing though. Worth seeking out next time it comes around if nothing else.
     
    #11 GreenCoffee, Aug 7, 2012
  12. AJDePaul

    AJDePaul Initiate (0) Jun 29, 2012 Illinois

    I do have a couple parabolas. I heard to let it sit to mellow for a while though.
     
    #12 AJDePaul, Aug 7, 2012
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  13. yeahnatenelson

    yeahnatenelson Pooh-Bah (1,952) Feb 8, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Age isn't a silver bullet to make strong beers better. They'll typically change, but not necessarily for the better. And if you don't drink one fresh, how would you know what direction the other one is going?

    Firestone Walker beers, in my experience, don't benefit much with age; instead of getting smoother, they just get dull (see: Firestone 11). Parabola is good out of the gate. Just drink it.
     
    #13 yeahnatenelson, Aug 7, 2012
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  14. GreenCoffee

    GreenCoffee Initiate (0) Jul 2, 2012 Illinois

    I can also attest to that. I drank mine the week I got it and it was sublime. I had two of their Sucabas, one fresh and one after several months. They were both good but I already felt it lost a little bit of zip. I assume Parabola is similar. Crack it open and enjoy!
     
    #14 GreenCoffee, Aug 7, 2012
  15. beergurujr

    beergurujr Initiate (0) Oct 27, 2003 Illinois

    #15 beergurujr, Aug 7, 2012
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  16. MarkIntihar

    MarkIntihar Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2010 Michigan

    Uinta Labrynth is solid as well. Has been relatively available the last few times I was in Chicago.
     
    #16 MarkIntihar, Aug 7, 2012
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  17. AJDePaul

    AJDePaul Initiate (0) Jun 29, 2012 Illinois

    Ok. I will pop one... Good point about knowing the difference. I guess I listen too much about what people say about beer on here. #guiltyofgullability
     
    #17 AJDePaul, Aug 7, 2012
  18. BeerMeFitz

    BeerMeFitz Initiate (0) Oct 24, 2011 Illinois

    flying dog barrel aged Gonzo is very nice! at Binnys as I type...Cheers!
     
    #18 BeerMeFitz, Aug 7, 2012
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  19. SlapMaster

    SlapMaster Aspirant (227) Oct 28, 2011 Illinois

    I love both aged and fresh Parabola. First Parabola I had was aged a year, and it was superb. You need to drink one fresh though... so amazing right out of the gate.
     
    #19 SlapMaster, Aug 7, 2012
    AJDePaul likes this.
  20. trginter

    trginter Pundit (755) Dec 1, 2008 Michigan

    How is that not quite a stout?
     
    #20 trginter, Aug 7, 2012
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