We kick off Barrel-Aged December a little early with a six pack of mostly locals who took home medals at this year’s Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beers. Unsurprisingly, this lineup is all killer with no filler, but there are a few style surprises from some familiar breweries that steal the show. We stumble into covering a whole category’s winners while running through an updated FoBAB “by the numbers.” Also, we consider how much wood a beer must touch to qualify for an entry; Craig is gonna get so yelled at during rankings; and we implore someone at ICBG to let Randy Mosher check his coat. 

Medal-Winning Beers Reviewed

Off Color Brewing - Tequila Barrel-Aged Beer for Tacos (Gose style beer aged in oak tequila barrels with lime juice and salt added) - Bronze in Other Pale Beer

Forbidden Root Brewery [Columbus ] & Derive Brewing Company - Well Positioned (Oak-fermented Saison) - Silver in Other Pale Beer

Ravinia Brewing Company - Spanish Cedar-Aged Steep Ravine (IPA aged w/ Spanish Cedar) - Gold in Other Pale Beer

Around the Bend Beer Co. - 1825 (Barrel-aged Raspberry Ale w/ Brett) - Silver in Wild Beer/Brett

More Brewing Company - Lucky Bamboo (Rum barrel-aged Tiki Sour w/ pineapple, passionfruit, lemon, lime, and bitters) - Silver in Fruit Beer

Mikerphone Brewing & Goose Island Beer Co. - Double LP: Side B (English Barleywine aged in bourbon barrels) - Gold in Barleywine/Wheatwine

In this return to one of our favorite Colorado brewery’s beers, we find some of the more offbeat and odd offerings from Weldwerks. Also, Craig catches up with co-founder and head brewer Neil Fisher to chat about how they’ve decided to grow within Greeley, why their concept of collaborations has evolved, and what makes a Medianoche so dang thick. These five flavorful beers bring out 15 barrels of bad impressions, the duality of man, and the possibility of Canned Cocktail January. Also, why is Ryan’s 6 year-old suddenly talking about Simon and Garfunkel? All that and more on this week’s…ABV CHICAGOOOOOO.

Beers Reviewed

Root Beer Float Stout (Milk stout w/ sarsaparilla, birch bark, milk sugar, vanilla, and natural flavors)

Smoke & Peaches (German-style smoked lager w/ smoked malt and smoked peaches)

Wild Mountain Mint Mojito (Imperial sour ale w/ mint, lime, Turbinado sugar, and natural flavors)

Trade Secrets (Double IPA) Collaboration with Cerebral Brewing

Midnight Magick 3: Last Barrel on the Left (Barrel aged imperial stout blended from 52-month bourbon barrel stout and 38-month aged bourbon barrel stout)

As we brace ourselves for an extended Barrel-Aged December, we dip back into the summer archives for this final Oregon-centric show from Craig’s trip to highlight these Pacific Northwest breweries that are around a year old. And if you think new Oregon breweries can’t live up to those legacy ones we all know, then you should give this one a listen. Also, we consider how breweries could ford their beers across bodies of water; we cast some liquid spells; and we share some beer drinking progression theory on a collegiate level. 

Beers Reviewed

Van Henion Brewing [Bend, OR] - Helles Lager

Fracture Brewing [Portland, OR] - Czech Dark Lager

Funky Fauna Artisan Ales [Sisters, OR] - Right to Bloom (Saison w/ Tangerine, Plum, Strawberry, Grapefruit, Guava, Hibiscus Flowers and Rose petals)

Brujos Brewing [Portland, OR] - Sitra Achra (Double Hazy IPA)

Nebuleus [Portland, OR] - exchanging glances (Wine barrel-aged blended saison)

We’re just going to come out and say it: this is the best lineup in the history of this series, and it might be the best complete lineup of barrel-aged beers to come out of Chicago this year. Cruz Blanca’s playfully-conceptualized yet artfully-crafted Luchador series goes in directions many barrel-aged brewers don’t - and all the big swings pay off. Nothing is lost with the switch to 12-ounce cans and only six offerings this year, especially when they all bang this hard. In addition to a possible “beer of the year” candidate for both of us, we’re trying to solve the Fedora Pool Mystery, dreaming up the perfect donut pairings, and getting ready for the pit. 

Beers Reviewed

La Tormenta (Imperial pineapple ale aged in Barbados rum barrels with canella and spices)

Barbarosa Con Café (Imperial black and red raspberry ale aged in red wine barrels w/ Metric coffee)

Señor Finito (Imperial stout aged in rye whiskey barrels w/ cocoa nibs, mesquite bean, and canella)

Tarzan Boy (Imperial stout aged in Barbados rum barrels w/ banana, Mexican vanilla, piloncillo, and Metric coffee)

Rey Gordo (Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels)

Rey Cuvée (2019, 2020, and 2021 Rey Gordo blended and rye barrel-aged w/ Mexican vanilla) 

With one summer and one fall release, Revolution has already put six cans of this year’s Deep Wood series out into the world, and we’re eager to have them all side-by-side. We sample five stouts and a black barleywine aged in a variety of barrels, and nothing here is threatening their title of best barrel-aged brewery in Chicago (in our opinion). Also, we brainstorm attractions that could be added to local taprooms; we trademark Tall and Dangerous grocery stores; Ryan’s bringing back his Year One self; and Craig explains the drawback of bringing Deep Wood beers to C2E2. 

Beers Reviewed (Deep Wood: 2022-2023)

Deth’s Tar (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels)

Café Deth (Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in bourbon barrels and steeped with fresh coffee beans)

Coconut Deth (Imperial Stout aged in bourbon barrels with coconut)

Deth by Currants (Imperial Oatmeal Stout with currants aged in bourbon barrels)

Thundertaker (Imperial Rye Stout aged in bourbon barrels)

Lumberstruck (Black Barleywine Ale aged in red wine barrels)