The Brü Revü - Founders Curmudgeon

You can't go wrong with a Founders beer, especially when it's Oak Aged with molasses. The Curmudgeon is just that, an Old Ale brewed with molasses and Oak aged to create another out of this world beer. The fact that this is a standard seasonal for Founders makes it even better. The beer poured a slightly opaque deep amber with a fleeting tan head. The aroma had sweet molasses and syrupy booziness right out of the bottle and was very pronounced. The taste had a sweet and syrupy tone from the start with an underlying bitterness that was fighting for attention but was deftly held at bay. I could detect hints of vanilla from the oak aging as it warmed in addition to dark fruits that gave this brew depth and character. My sample was a year old and I could see where it could be a little hot fresh. A year seems to have tamed the heat and allowed the flavors to balance themselves. It's still a thick and boozy beer with enough sweet molasses and dark fruit tones with hints of vanilla to make it a big and complex brew. Another excellent creation from Founders.

Founders Curmudgeon

The Brü Revü - Goose Island Sofie

Sofie is one of Goose Island's Barrel-Aged Belgian beers that is a Belgian Style Farmhouse Ale that is partially aged in wine barrels with hand zested orange peels. Having a readily available barrel-aged beer is quite an ambitious feat but one that I readily appreciate.  The beer poured a slightly opaque bright golden yellow with a lively white head. The aroma was full of Belgian yeasts and was very similar to a Belgian golden ale but there was a bit of funk underneath that must have come from the Barrel Aging. The taste followed with a bright and tart fruitiness that had hints of apple and pear that accompanied the Belgian yeast esters ending with a dry finish. There was an underlying barnyard funk to the tart flavor that gave Sofie a nuanced yet sophisticated profile. The mouthfeel was light and bright with the carbonation allowing the complex flavors to dance on my palate. The Sofie was a nuanced brew that was sophisticated yet fruity and peppy enough to go down easy on a hot Texas day.

Goose Island Sofie

The Brü Revü - Founders KBS

I was finally able to score one of the vaunted Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout or KBS that is there legendary stout brewed with coffee and chocolate and then aged in oak bourbon barrels.  I was in an area of Austin that I don’t frequent and a I popped into a small HEB on a whim, and score! Thank you HEB! Onward with the review: The beer poured a deep dark brown with an unexpectedly large tan head.  The aroma of chocolate popped out of the glass immediately and was the dominate flavor on the nose along with some slight roasted malts and a bit of the bourbon notes emerged as it warmed.  The first taste was pure bliss.  Loads of chocolate and bits of coffee floated on the deep bourbon barrel flavors that all mingled and melded into beer manna.  It became slightly boozy as it warmed while hints of vanilla and molasses joined the gathering and made for a brew that easily met and exceeded its accolades.  This bourbon barrel aged masterpiece was exquisitely balanced so that the flavor melded into a perfect whole rather than one or two bold notes fighting for attention.  What a beer and what a pleasure to drink.

Founders KBS

The Brü Revü - Stone Brewing Points Unknown IPA

The Stone Points Unknown IPA collaboration with Ecliptic and Wicked Weed had my name written all over it.  Double IPA, check.  Barrel-Aged Belgian Style Tripel, check.  Two of my favorite styles a Double IPA and a Belgian Style Tripel all rolled into one bountiful beer.  The beer poured a deep golden amber with a huge fluffy head with great retention.  The aroma was more in the double IPA territory with citrus and tropical fruit hop tones like a fresh orange with some slight tinges of Belgian yeast and spices.  Not a dynamic aroma but still a nice citrusy IPA aroma.  The taste was where the Points Unknown really took off. There was a plethora of dank and citrus hop notes with a hint of pine that were intertwined with the Belgian tripel yeast and spice tones and a hint of barrel to round it all out.  There was a lot going on in this one.  As soon as one flavor exerted itself another came behind it and pushed itself to the forefront.  It was a dynamic and delightful drinking experience that never became overly bitter or overly boozy. There seemed to be a slight tannic finish as it warmed but in the end the Points Unknown IPA was a unique and exciting beer to drink.  Stone seems to never fail on these collaborations and this was another home run in my book.

Stone Brewing Points Unknown IPA

The Brü Revü - Oasis Texas Brewing Lake Monster (Batch 2) Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy

Oasis Texas Brewing is putting out some outstanding beer, so when I saw their one-off Lake Monster was a Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy it was a no brainer.  Scotch ales are great and when you barrel-age them they become magical. The Lake Monster is no exception.  The beer poured a deep brown with ruby highlights and a wonderfully large tan head.  The aroma was all sweet and malty with slight barrel character noticeable in the background.  I am not sure what type of barrel they used but you get caramel and vanilla notes on the nose with what I detected as some red wine berry notes.  The taste was a delicious scotch ale with loads of caramel malts and deep vanillas that were rich and smooth.  I detected only slight barrel characteristics in the taste that seemed to lend a bit of bitter qualities along with the smooth vanilla notes. There were undertones of chocolate and a slight smoky richness that were unveiled as it warmed.  In the end the Lake Monster was a great beer and another example that Oasis Texas Brewing is in full stride as a brewery.  Keep these experimental batches coming and I will keep drinking!

Oasis Texas Brewing Lake Monster (Batch 2) Barrel-Aged Wee Heavy

The Brü Revü – Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine

The Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine is aged in 3rd use barrels which originally housed Kentucky Bourbon and then aged the Bourbon County Stout. These barrels have soaked up some seriously divine spirits and brews in their lifetime.  The beer poured a deep opaque brown to black with slight ruby hints and an almost imperceptible head.  The pour left some strange whitish oil slick like traces on the top which I found odd but that wasn’t going to stop me from forging through this phenomenal beer.  The aroma was very similar to the Bourbon County Stout that was heavy on the bourbon with slight hints of vanilla but mostly Bourbon.  The taste had those familiar Bourbon County flavors of Bourbon and vanilla with the slight coconut hints coming at the tail end.  Very malty and very bourbon forward the Bourbon County Brand Barelywine is one beast of a beer.  Another barrel-aged masterpiece from Goose Island that takes over your palate as it warms and becomes a divine drinking experience.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine

The Brü Revü – Stone Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard

It took me a while to get around to the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard out of my Bastard Box, but the wait was worth it.  The beer poured a deep dark ruby-amber color with a significant off-white head with great retention and lacing.  The Bourbon Barrel aging was prominent in the aroma with hints of vanilla and coconut that overtook the base Arrogant aromas. The Bourbon notes were not overwhelming as in some barrel-aged beers but more subtle.  The base Arrogant Bastard shined through upon the first taste where the bitter Bastard hops poked through and that signature flavor emerged.  The Bourbon qualities were still present with the vanilla and coconut but adding a nuanced profile to the Arrogant Bastard rather than overwhelming it. There was an almost fruity floral quality lingering on my palate between sips that I attribute to the hops fighting through the barrel-aging.  In the end the Barrel-aging took that Bastard and gave it even more palate pummeling power.  Stone showed nice restraint as well as I could see more Bourbon may have been too much. I hear this is coming to six packs of 12 oz bottles this year so be sure to grab some if you missed on the Bastard Box.  These Bastards get me every time!

Stone Bourbon Barrel-Aged Arrogant Bastard

The Brü Revü – Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout

The Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout gets its reputation for a reason.  It is a full tilt face melting drinking experience that starts at your lips and rides down your throat grabbing every pore of your internal orifice on its way.  The beer poured an opaque black with a subtle tan head.  The bourbon aroma hit me when I opened the bottle and continued to waft from the glass as I leaned in for my first anticipatory sip. I also detected vanilla and hints of anise coming from the glass. The taste took over my mouth with a huge hit of bourbon that melded into large doses of vanilla and cocoa. There was a slight burnt bitterness at the tail end that lingered along with the bourbon.  The BCBS was a big bourbon bomb that was surprisingly smooth and drinkable considering the ABV.  With more and more Bourbon Barrel-Aged beers on the market it is still at the top of the list and one that should be emulated. In the end: You don’t drink a BCBS, it drinks you.

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout

The Brü Revü – Community Barrel-Aged Legion

Legion is Community’s Imperial Stout, which they aged in Bourbon Barrels to create a magically delicious elixir.  The beer poured a pitch black with a slight tan head that dissipated quickly.  The aroma was deep with vanilla and slight bourbon over a bed of chocolate syrup notes that hid the complexities underneath.  What this brew hides in the aroma is quickly revealed on the first sip that quickly expands in your mouth with an initial tinge of bourbon and coffee that transitions into deep chocolate,vanilla and slight coconut flavors. While the bourbon presence is notable, it isn’t overwhelming but rather expertly accentuates the base Imperial Stout.  Heavy on the malts as to be expected the Legion is not overly sweet but keeps the chocolate and vanilla notes in check with nice roasty coffee notes. The brew gets even bigger and better as it warms and is a perfect initial offering from Community in their Barrel-Aged series. If this is their first barrel-aged offering I anxiously await the next one.  Kudos Community!

Community Barrel-Aged Legion

The Brü Revü – Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

I'm finally having a Bourbon County Brand Stout beer and the Coffee nonetheless.  I have heard nothing but greatness about these beers and having Goose Island in Texas is paying off.  Of course this was the first year of Bourbon County in Texas so it was obviously difficult to procure.  I got one Coffee thanks to a buddy of mine as I never saw it myself.  Hopefully this year things will be different as this was a phenomenal beer.  It poured a deep brown to black with a slight to no tan head.  The aroma hit me straight out of the bottle of coffee, heavy stout and bourbon.  The taste was otherworldly.  A perfect blend of the base stout that exuded bittersweet chocolate and a deep roasty flavor with the coffee and the bourbon barrel characteristics.  As it warmed the bourbon booziness came out as well as a stronger coffee tone that was akin to espresso.  Hints of vanilla and charred oak emerged and really capped off a world class beer.  This was a perfect introduction to Bourbon County Brand Stouts and I only hope I can get my hands on more this year!

Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

The Brü Revü – Founders Backwoods Bastard

Having Founders beers in Texas has been phenomenal.  Everything they make is a top notch brew and I have been thoroughly enjoying every new beer I try from them.  I had heard of Backwood Bastard, but never thought I would get any as it was quite a rarity upon its release in Texas. Lucky me I happened to be at the right place at the right time: I asked the beer guy if they had any, he shuffles off to the back, and returns with a 4-pack. Wuh!  I had in my possession the sweet nectar of bourbon barrel aged scotch ale greatness.  The beer poured a deep brown with light hints of scarlett and a subtle off white head.  The aroma was a caramel vanilla sweetness wrapped in a bourbon blanket. I wanted to dip my entire face in my glass, but I resisted the temptation.  The taste was perfection.  The bourbon was upfront but not overly dominant, just the right touch.  It lended a smoky vanilla tone to the caramel malt sweetness of the beer that just glided along my palate.  The Backwood Bastard had enough heft in the body and light carbonation to hold up to the heavy flavors in this enticing elixir.  This was a truly phenomenal bourbon barrel aged brew and a real treat from Founders.  I don’t think the rest of these are going to last long in my fridge.

Founders Backwoods Bastard

The Brü Revü – Jester King Boxer’s Revenge Barrel-Aged Wild Ale

It’s difficult for me to pick my favorite Jester King beer as they have a wide variety of unique beers and flavors to satisfy my palate. I can say the Boxer’s Revenge was the first Jester King beer that really wowed me and took my perception of their beers in a new direction.  It was my first sour beer and while I can’t say I completely love sour beers, I couldn’t stop drinking the Boxer’s Revenge.  The brew is aged in oak whiskey and wine barrels with multiple strains of wild yeast and bacteria and exudes a rustic earthiness as soon as you open the bottle. The beer holds a myriad of flavors that meld into a wonderful and unique experience.  You can definitely pick up the whiskey and wine oak aging on top of the funky sour ness and earthy barnyard qualities.  Wrapping all these flavors is a hop blanket that weaves in and out of all the flavors and lingers on your palate.  This is just an all around fantastic beer.  None of the flavors overpower you, the sour fruits and barnyard funk hit the right notes with the hoppy bitterness and oak keeping everything in tune. Surprisingly smooth and drinkable for such a high ABV brew and opening my palate to a larger world of sour and funky beers.  I can’t get enough of the Boxer’s Revenge.

Jester King Boxer’s Revenge Barrel-Aged Wild Ale