Chicago Stout Releases (2018)

I'm with you on Parabola. I still pick some up, but my expectations were lowered after first having it.

 

I concur about Parabola being just average this year. The past years I've had it, thought it's been great. Wonder if it has something to do with it being brewed in Kansas this year?

 

I was let down by prior year versions - I haven't cracked one from this year. And yes, I realize I'm a bit of a fool/sucker for buying it based on a disappointing prior experience.

 

Well, if you're going to buy every NE IPA and be let down by 80% of them, why stop there?

 

I'm a glutton for punishment. Although I'll say my "miss" rate on the NE IPA's I buy is much lower than 50%. Chalk it up to a combo of buying less and knowing more of what I like.

 

I opened a new Gargoyle Love Song along with a 2015 bottle of it this weekend. The older bottle was still how I remembered it - a big and boozy BA stout, although it mellowed out a bit over the years. I didn't get much coffee out of the 2017 bottle, but the vanilla is definitely there and it tasted great!

 

For anybody still looking, Bloomingdale Binny's still has a few cases of Rye Hipster as of noon today.

 

This month we discuss how Rye Hipster is the winner, winner, chicken dinner.

 

Or winner, winner bacon dinner!

 

Technically, it was brewed in Missouri but only by less than a mile from being done in Kansas.

 

Should have specified the MO part. Good looking out!

And also, there are no cocoa nibs in Gargoyle. Just coffee and vanilla added.

 

If anybody wants some Dragon's Milk variants

 

If you see the ibex cellar coffee from Schlafly out in the wild, it's really good and worth picking up. Even if you have way too many non-ibex beers in your cellar like I do.

 

Nice, I was a big fan of the 12oz bottles of the regular. I haven't seen it in the Binny's I frequent, where were you able to find it?

 

I bought a single at Capone's maybe a week and a half ago. It was up near the front and the last of the singles though I thought they had 4-packs in the regular part of the store. Not sure if it's around or not in general. I skipped the regular ibex mostly because I couldn't find a single whenever I'd see it.

 

Prairie Pe-Kan is popping up in the south burbs. Love me some Prairie stouts.

 

Saw them at Binny's Grand today. The bottle says nothing tho. I like minimal label designs but it says nothing, so that's something I'd like to mention.