Goose Island Brewing Co.: Bourbon County Stout

Bourbon County Stout

Goose Island Brewing Co.

1800 West Fulton St.

Chicago, IL  60612
22C. Wood-Aged Beer


Aroma: (11/12) 
Has possible dried fruit; figs or prunes, etc..
I do catch a little burboun in the nose.

Appearance: (3/3)
This beer even looks viscous!  From the tap,
it poured very thick with little to no head and
was jet black!  No lacing.

Flavor: (18/20)

Definite bourbon-alcohol burn up front and at

the very end.  Bourbon is furthest up front and

masks the base beer, but is still fantastic.

Mouthfeel: (5/5)
Thicker than used motor oil and more of a bite
than it too (can't say I've tasted it, though)!
Big heavy bodied beer. Coats the tongue like
none other.

Overall Impression: (9/10)
A fantastic beer, but you really have to like
bourbon, because it is definitely not masked
in the background; very bourbon forward!
Too much for me, but I can still appreciated
this extremely well-made beer.

TOTAL: 46/50

Surly Brewing Company: Smoke

Smoke
Surly Brewing Co.
4811 Dusharme Drive
Brooklyn Park, MN

22B. Other Smoked Beer


Aroma: (10/12) 
Slight roasted hints, nothing over the top at all.
No hops evident.  As beer warms, the presence
of smoked malt comes alive (only became apparent
after warming up).

Appearance: (2.5/3)
Deep black hue with no ruby color on the edges. 
Decent head, but it waves a quick
goodbye; very little to no lacing at all.

Flavor: (17/20)
Roasted grain up front with very little to no smoked
malt noticeable.  No bitterness and very smooth.
Tastes very similar to a Schwartzbier. 
After waiting a bit for this beer to warm, there IS a slight
smoked flavor that arises.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)
Very nice and smooth and medium-bodied.  There
seems to be a touch of oatmeal in this recipe, because
of the creaminess, but it actually wasn't added into the
grain bill.

Overall Impression: (8/10)
This Surly offering was very good, but definitely not
exceptional.  I didn't pick up the smoked Bamburg
malts until the beer really warmed up and didn't pick
up any oak notes at all.

TOTAL: 41.5/50

Left Hand Brewing Co.: Fade to Black

Fade to Black Stout
Left Hand Brewing Co
1265 Boston Ave
Longmont, CO 
13D. Foreign Extra Stout


Aroma: (10/12)
I'm picking up strong coffee in the aroma, with some hints
of oats and licorice.

Appearance: (3/3)
Exact same color as Southern Tier Oat and Avery Czar.  Dark
brown, but it isn't quite black.  Nice head from tap, but it is
totally gone after a few minutes.

Flavor: (17/20)
Really resembles Bells Java Stout, just not as much body.  Really
nice mix between oats and coffee. The aftertaste goes from
oats and at the end, the alcohol prevails and lingers.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)
Nice medium body, but no real softness or creaminess.
Nothing really unique to comment on here.

Overall Impression: (8/10)
A pretty good beer. I'm not crazy about it, though. The oats and
licorice are nice, but no real chocolate flavors arise.

TOTAL: 42/50

Moylan's Brewing Company: Imperial Stout

Imperial Stout
Moylan's Brewing Co.
16 Rowland Way
Novato, CA 
13F. Russian Imperial Stout


Aroma: (11/12)
Huge coffee notes along with the characteristic roasted
malt presence.  Alcohol is definitely discernable in the nose.

Appearance: (3/3)
I found this beer on tap, and since I've never
seen it on tap before...I gotta give it a try. 
The beer poured with an impressive two finger head
and the color was that of motor oil.  Laces
wonderfully!

Flavor: (16/20)
The first thing I noticed was the bitterness, together with
the burn of the alcohol.  It is difficult to distinguish what is
responsible for the bitterness, is it the amount of hops or
the level of alcohol.
Coffee isn't very present in the flavor as it was in the aroma.

Mouthfeel: (4/5)
Is fairly creamy. Body is medium to heavy, but not as heavy
as the likes of Founders Breakfast Stout, Surly Darkness
or even Bells Kalamazoo Stout, etc..

Overall Impression: (8/10)
A very fine example of the style.  I was expecting something
heavier and more chocolate-like.  Not a very complex beer, but 
a pretty good one.  Do not pick up many other flavors other than
roasted malt and possibly slight chocolate...

TOTAL: 42/50