Beer of the Week

The beer: Bourbon County Original Stout (2025) 

The brewery: Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, Illinois

Description (from the website): "2025 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout was aged in a blend of freshly emptied barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses, and Wild Turkey. With an average aging time of 14 months, this stout delivers deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla, and caramelized sugar—all wrapped in a rich, decadent mouthfeel."

Would I buy it again? Is this cheating, reviewing a new year's version of a beer I had last year? Maybe, but it's my blog and I'm reviewing this. Goose Island treats it separately, so I will too.

Of course, I don't have all that much to add from last year's review. It's still ultra-decadent yet delicious to drink. Perfect for New Year's Eve.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Domaine DuPage

The brewery: Two Brothers Brewing Company, Warrenville, Illinois

Description (from the website): "One of the most award-winning craft beers (period), Domaine DuPage is a French Country Ale that offers a toasty caramel sweetness with just enough hops to cleanse the palate. A true original, both in style and taste, this decorated ale continues to shine as the flagship beer of Two Brothers."

Would I buy it again? The description on the can caught my eye here; I don't think I've ever had a French-style beer. And I discovered there's a reason for that, as this beer tastes like pretty much any other beer I've had before. This is about as beer tasting as beer can get, if that makes any sense. It's fine, but I was expecting something, you know, interesting. If I want a beer-tasting beer, I'll buy something else, something that doesn't overpromise.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Bourbon County Original Stout (2024)

The brewery: Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago, Illinois

Description (from the website): "After crafting the very first bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, we've learned that to have the best beer, you start with the best possible ingredients. Barrels are such an important ingredient and we continue to use only the best our friends on the bourbon trail have to offer. 2024 Bourbon County Brand Original Stout is aged in a mix of freshly emptied bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, Four Roses and Wild Turkey distilleries. Barrel-aged for an average of 12 months, Bourbon County Original Stout boasts deeply developed flavors of fudge, vanilla and caramelized sugar with a rich, decadent mouthfeel."

Would I buy it again? This is an interesting question, because come on, of course this beer is going to be amazing. Goose Island was the first brewery to do bourbon barrel–aged beer; they've got over 20 years of experience doing it. It's a sweet, chocolatey, thick stout that is a pleasure to drink from start to finish. However, it's $25 for a bottle, and this isn't a big bottle. $25 for a pint of beer, even one as excellent and as strong as this one, is an awful lot to ask. 

And you know what? I do think it's good enough to justify the price tag. Not regularly, of course not. But one a year, or once every couple years? Sure, I don't think that's unreasonable. This is a very, very good beer.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Beer for Hoops

The brewery: Off Color Brewing, Chicago, Illinois

Description (from the can): "Cream ale with peach puree and vanilla beans added."

Would I buy it again? The peach is pretty noticeable in this beer; the vanilla, not so much. Cream ales are of course a pretty light and easy-drinking style of beer, so this is a light and fruity beer to drink. I wish it was a tiny bit sweeter with a bit of actual vanilla flavor, but overall, it's pretty solid. I'd drink it again. Plus, I like the artwork on the can. Also, as I was looking through the brewery's website, I noticed they have a "Beer for Golf," which I'll have to keep an eye out for. 

Beer of the Week

The beer: Atom Smasher

Brewed by: Two Brothers Brewing Company, Warrenville, Illinois

Description (from the website): "Named with our atom-colliding scientific neighbor in mind, this Oktoberfest-style lager is oak-aged, providing added layers of depth to the signature flavors of roasted malt, caramel and toffee found in marzen style beers. But a beer this exceptional shouldn’t be limited to just Oktoberfest. Raise a glass, stein or boot to Augustfest, Septemberfest and beyond!"

Would I buy it again?: Yes, I think I would. Aging beer in barrels is a fairly common practice, but I've never seen this particular type of beer aged. The flavor is definitely different, being more mellow yet deeper. Definitely a beer to enjoy, not one to chug down.

Beer of the Week

The beer: Pahoehoe Coconut Ale

Brewed by: Two Brothers Brewing, Warrenville, Illinois

Description (from the can): "Sometimes life calls for a day to put your feet up on a chair, some music in the air, the sun on your face, and a beer in your hand. Pahoehoe Coconut Ale was created for those moments. A refreshing, drinkable beer with a twist. Pahoehoe features the uniquely sweet taste of coconut. Smooth and creamy with notes of coconut, vanilla, and a dry, crisp finish, it will be sure to make you go nuts for coconuts"

Would I buy it again?: No. I thought I'd like this a bit more than I did, I definitely recall enjoying the one coconut beer I've had before (Maui Brewing's Coconut Porter), but this wasn't so enjoyable. I think that beer was the exception, because I generally don't like coconut-flavored things very much. I think this was a well-made beer, and if you do like coconut, I'd recommend it on a warm summer evening.