2009 Goose Island Bourbon County

Well, I had been waiting a while to open up this one, and what better excuse than being home for the holidays.  I mean, I have to choose something to keep my mind off Ohio.  And as newly minted man with a mustache, I insist on drinking out of a snifter.  Now if I could only grow proper facial hair...


2009 Goose Island Bourbon County

Appearance- An opaque motor oil black color as tot he best of my knowledge, no light is making it through this one.  A small tan head disappears quickly leaving no sign of its existence behind.  Obviously there is not much lacing as well.  This isn't terribly surprising with the age on this beer.

Smell- There is still a fair amount of wood present in the smell that is accompanied by a musty sort of smell.  Tons of roasted malt with coffee undertones that is expected.  A moderate vanilla smell helps bring together the beer with a pleasant amount of bourbon.  The musty character continues throughout the beer as well.

Taste- A rich and complex malt flavor drives this beer's profile.  The roasted barley, coffee, and smooth chocolate mold together wonderfully.  Compared to younger versions of this beer, this is amazingly more smooth and enjoyable.  It does not just taste like a big beer, rather each component has seemed to fall into its place.  There are small amounts of dark fruit esters in the middle right before an alcohol taste finishes out the beer.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied and chewy.  There is very little carbonation to go with the full body and the alcohol leaves a warming taste as well.

Overall and Notes- This was well worth the wait.  Much smoother than a fresh bottle and I would even like to see one more year on this one.  My only regret is not putting another one of these bottles away.

Also, remember you can still donate to my disgusting mustache!  This is the last week!

I'm Back/ Jolly Pumpkin de Viento

Well, it may have taken some time, but I am officially back!  The summer was full of beer fun and me trying to concentrate on being a real human.  Obviously, I am sick of that and am once again dedicated to not acting my age!  Told you it would happen, sucker!

So with new residence in Chicago and a new year, I grabbed a new beer.  Jolly Pumpkin de Viento struck my eye because of my questionable obsession with Jolly Pumpkin and simply because I had not seen it before.  So lets get to it.

Jolly Pumpkin de Viento


Appearance- A dark brown, but not quite an opaque black. There are red tinges along the edges where the light shines through. A tan foamy head is resilient and looks slightly creamy. Decent lacing as well.

Smell- Smell is not as strong as I expected. The smell of coffee and roasted malts is moderate in strength. There is a lingering tart smell in the background. It also seems as if there is a slight bandaid or plastic smell as well.

Taste- Once again, the beer starts with a coffee roast taste, but the strength leaves you wanting a little more punch. It has the slight peppery taste of the saison towards the end. The end of the beer brings just the slightest tart flavor (the least amount I have experienced in a Jolly Pumpkin). More prominent is a plastic or bandaid taste, but it is not overpowering. 

Mouthfeel- Medium mouthfeel with a dry finish like you would expect from a saison. Carbonation is smooth.

Overall- This generally leaves you wanting more from one of the ends: i.e. more roast and coffee or more sour and funk. Unfortunately this gets stuck somewhere in the middle. That being said, still enjoyable and a weird concept as well.

From the bottle: "March 15th, 2012 a tornado tore through Dexter, missing the brewery, but not all of our neighbors.  What could we do to help?  Hmmm.  We do know how to make beer.  So make a beer is what we did.  This beer.  Teaming up with co conspirators Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company, Schera's Algerian Restaurant and The Abu Nawas Beverage Company to create a collaborative beer like none other.  A dark and smoky sour Saison full of rich aromatic coffee and the spicy heat of a secret Algerian spice blend. "  Also nice to not that proceeds go to the Dexter Relief Fund!

Well speaking of funds, I am shamelessly going to plug myself.  I am growing a mustache in for the month of November in order to raise money for prostate cancer research. (Movember!)  Please think about about donating and make fun of how ridiculous I look.  http://mobro.co/kevinlolli

Also, the good news is, I still am terrible at designing webpages/blogs!  Woo!