Revolution Brewing Company – Straight Jacket

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Beer, Beer Review, Chicago, Craft Beer, Revolution Brewing Company

I’ve had this beer hanging around for a couple of months now but could never quite find the right to time drink it.  No time like the present.

Beer Name: Straight Jacket

Brewery: Revolution Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)

Style: Barley Wine

ABV: 12.2%

Description: Another entry in the brewery’s Deep Wood series of barrel aged goodness, the description on their website promises waves of dark stone fruits, bourbon, molasses, toasted coconut, and vanilla.  If memory serves me correctly the bomber cost $18, same as the previous one.

Appearance: Coppery brown body with a quick to fade tan head that formed with the pour.

Smell: Caramel and toffee sweetness mixed with rich dark malt.

Taste: Sweet upfront, with lots of brown sugar, caramel, toffee, and dark fruit.  A hot kick of alcohol comes on towards the end, with lingering bourbon notes in the aftertaste.  Upon sitting for a few minutes the sweetness and heat both intensified and blended into each other, while more subtle notes of barrel influence came out on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Silky smooth and slightly slick medium-plus body.  Carbonation level was low.

Hype: Primarily of the personal variety.  I really liked the last beer I had from this series and picked this up hoping for a similar experience.

Overall: Deliciously sweet and bourbony, this was exactly what I was hoping for.  Despite the heat and high ABV, this one left me feeling very mellow and relaxed upon finishing it which was pretty nice as well.  I’ll be keeping an eye for more from this series for sure.

Pipeworks Brewing Company – Ninja vs. Unicorn

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Beer, Beer Review, Chicago, Craft Beer, Pipeworks Brewing Company

I’m just going to come right out and say it.  I was feeling indecisive in the store and bought this based on the name and artwork alone.  I think I’d heard of it in passing at some point, but it was the branding that got me.  Come to think of it, this is the second time in recent months that a Chicago brewery has lured me in this way.

Beer Name: Ninja vs. Unicorn

Brewery: Pipeworks Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)

Style: DIPA

ABV: 8.0%

Description: There wasn’t much on the official site about this release, though a few other sources have this listed an unfiltered DIPA brewed with over 5 pounds of hops per barrel.  I don’t remember exactly, but I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $12-13 for a 4-pack of 16 oz. cans.

Appearance: Cloudy, dark straw yellow body with a thin layer of white foam on top.

Smell: Sweet, mostly tropical, fruits with a touch of resinous pine sap in the background.

Taste: Keeping in line with the smell there was a lot of fruity sweetness upfront, mainly pineapple, tangerine, and mango.  It finished with a dry, crackery malt base joining forces with mix of earthy and piney hop bitterness.  The initial sweetness lingered on through to the finish as well, culminating in a slightly hot aftertaste that lessened in intensity as the beer went on.

Mouthfeel: Fluffy, medium-plus body with pretty much the typical moderate carbonation you would expect for the style.

Hype: I was excited for this one.  Pipeworks in upping their distribution in my area so I was curious to try them out.  I also really wanted this beer to live up to the awesomeness on the label.

Overall: Definitely a quality DIPA.  I wish the finish was just a bit more tame, otherwise this would have been a smash hit for me.  Still a great beer though.  If I ever need a ninja or unicorn themed brew (which all things considered is actually pretty likely for me) I’ll be picking this up again.

Stout Season: Revolution Brewing Company – Deth’s Tar

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Beer, Beer Review, Chicago, Craft Beer, Revolution Brewing Company, Stout, Stout Season

Every now and then you come across something that just seems to call to you, like it was made specifically for your enjoyment.  For me, this beer was one of those things.  I had been in the market for stouts, and both the name and label aesthetics of this beer instantly drew me in.  I know that’s not always the best way to choose a brew, but this one felt special.

Beer Name: Deth’s Tar

Brewer: Revolution Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)

Style: Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout

ABV: 13.5%

Description: Part of the brewery’s Deep Wood Series of special barrel aged offerings, this beer is officially named as a play on the name of founder Josh Deth; though a careful reading of the box reveals a that this “fully operational Imperial Stout” gives a subtle nod to a certain film franchise as well.  As for the actual contents of the bottle, this beer was aged in two different types of bourbon barrels and brewed with a “variety” of malts and oats.  Check out the brewery website for more information.  The bomber was on the higher end of my usual price range at $18, but I was sold at first sight.

Appearance: Deep black body topped off by a dark tan head.

Smell: Sweet malts and dark chocolate underneath strong bourbon notes.

Taste: Sweetness upfront in the form of rich malts, dark chocolate, and a bit of caramel.  A creamy, light roast coffee taste arose roughly mid-sip but was soon overtaken by a massive surge of bourbon.  The finish was creamy and chocolately, with a subtle oak/roast combination underneath a sweet and distinct kick of heat.  Bourbon, sweetness, and chocolate were the main flavors here, definitely in that order.

Mouthfeel: Thick, full-bodied, and silky smooth with minimal carbonation.

Hype: There was some excitement about this locally, considering I found out about the beer’s existence and availability via social media announcements from various bottle shops.  It went pretty fast at my downtown spot despite a one bottle per customer limit.

Overall: I ended liking this just about as much as I had hoped I would.  It was definitely a beer meant to be enjoyed slowly on cold winter night (indeed I drank this during a snowstorm), but that’s pretty much the point of something like this.  Fantastic.  I would no doubt pick this up again, worth the price tag.