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Goose Island Beer Company: Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine (2018)

Goose Island Beer Company: 2018 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine

Style: English Style Barleywine Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Special Notes: Finca La Soledad coffee from Guatemala.

Hops: Pilgrim

Malts: 2-Row, C-120, Caracrystal wheat, Dark Chocolate, Superior Pale

ABV: 15.1%

IBU: 60

Availability: Super limited availability

@untappd says: 4.3/5

Another day, another BCB release hunted down!

As the great Beatles song says, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” Every good beer hunter knows that sometimes you have to rely on the eyes, ears and hell sometimes even the feet and money of your buddies to get those rare brews. That’s how I ended up getting my hands on this bottle of the 2018 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine from Goose Island Beer Company.

I have the luxury of working in Midtown Manhattan—ok it’s not always a luxury—with access to an entire city’s worth of craft beer. A quick search on BeerMenus revealed the existence of a little bodega named the East Side Grocery, on 2nd Avenue, between 74th and 75th on the Upper East Side. Not only did the site say the grocery had the Bourbon County Brand Stout, it also said they’d gotten the Barleywine, the Bramble Rye Stout AND the BCBS Reserve. Say what?

Goose Island Beer Company: 2018 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine
Another day, another Bourbon County Brand release at my desk. (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make the 30-block walk. Rather than give up, I did some digging and found a friend that lived near the store. Kristena didn’t know she was going to be a Windowsill hero when she woke up yesterday, but she stepped up to the challenge and, although the bodega was out of the Reserve and the Bramble Rye, she snagged me the Coffee Barleywine on her way home!

The exciting part about this beer is that it’s the first ever Bourbon County Coffee Barleywine release. It’s a traditional, malt forward English-style Barleywine aged in 4+ year old Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels. Goose Island worked with Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee, flying all the way to Guatemala to source some of the world’s best coffee—Finca La Soledad. I’ve never had a coffee barleywine before, and I can’t wait to try it!

Pop over to Instagram to see our other 2018 Bourbon County Brand Releases. Make sure you like and follow!

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. Goose Island Beer Company: Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine (2018) . Another day, another BCB release hunted down! . As the great Beatles song says, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” Every good beer hunter knows that sometimes you have to rely on the eyes, ears and hell sometimes even the feet and money of your buddies to get those rare brews. That’s how I ended up getting my hands on this bottle of the 2018 Bourbon County Brand Coffee Barleywine from Goose Island Beer Company. . I have the luxury of working in Midtown Manhattan—ok it’s not always a luxury—with access to an entire city’s worth of craft beer. A quick search on @beernenus revealed the existence of a little bodega named the East Side Grocery, on 2nd Avenue, between 74th and 75th on the Upper East Side. Not only did the site say ESG had the BCBS, it also said they’d gotten the Barleywine, the Bramble Rye Stout AND the BCBS Reserve. Say what? . Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to make the 30-block walk. Rather than give up, I did some digging and found a friend that lived near the store. @kmagrips didn’t know she was going to be a Windowsill hero when she woke up yesterday, but she stepped up to the challenge and, although the bodega was out of the Reserve and the Bramble Rye, she snagged me the Coffee Barleywine on her way home! . The exciting part about this beer is that it’s the first ever Bourbon County Coffee Barleywine release. It’s a traditional, malt forward English-style Barleywine aged in 4+ year old Heaven Hill Bourbon barrels. Goose Island worked with Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee, flying all the way to Guatemala to source some of the world’s best coffee—Finca La Soledad. I’ve never had a coffee barleywine before, and I can’t wait to try it! . ABV: 15.1%, IBU: 60, Super limited availability . @untappd says: 4.3/5

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Two Roads Brewing Company: Roadsmary’s Other Baby (2017)

Two Roads Brewing Company: Roadsmary's Other Baby

Style: Rum barrel-aged pumpkin ale

Special Notes: Aged in Caribbean rum barrels

ABV: 9.3%

IBU: N/A

Availability: Very limited fall release

@untappd says: 3.91/5

Is it too late for pumpkin beer? Not on my Windowsill!

In October of 2017, I posted one of my favorite local beers, The Roadsmary’s Baby from Two Roads Brewing Company. It’s a pumpkin ale aged in Caribbean rum barrels, and I dug it because it showed off Two Roads’ barrel aging program’s vast potential. It’s appropriate that I waited a year before trying, and posting, today’s brew—the Roadsmary’s Other Baby—because the only difference between this, and the original, is time.

Barrel aging deepens the flavor of any beer ale and makes it just a little more complex. What Two Roads did with this alternate universe version of the original Baby is age it even longer in those Caribbean rum casks. That extra aging made the flavors even deeper, and ingrained the beer with even more oak and rum character. The notes of pumpkin and vanilla also became more enriched, making Roadsmary’s Other Baby a really delicious and robust pumpkin beer… Even though I had this too late to post it for Halloween.

Head over to Instagram to check it out now!

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. Two Roads Brewing Company: Roadsmary’s Other Baby (2017) . Is it too late for pumpkin beer? Not on my Windowsill! . In October of 2017, I posted one of my favorite local beers, The Roadsmary’s Baby from Two Roads Brewing Company. It’s a pumpkin ale aged in Caribbean rum barrels, and I dug it because it showed off Two Roads’ barrel aging program’s vast potential. It’s appropriate that I waited a year before trying, and posting, today’s brew—the Roadsmary’s Other Baby—because the only difference between this, and the original, is time. . Barrel aging deepens the flavor of any beer ale and makes it just a little more complex. What Two Roads did with this alternate universe version of the original Baby is age it even longer in those Caribbean rum casks. That extra aging made the flavors even deeper, and ingrained the beer with even more oak and rum character. The notes of pumpkin and vanilla also became more enriched, making Roadsmary’s Other Baby a really delicious and robust pumpkin beer… Even though I had this too late to post it for Halloween. . ABV: 9.3%, IBU: N/A, Limited availability . @untappd says: 3.91/5

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Founders Brewing Company: Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) (2017)

Founders Brewing Company: Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) (2017) on the Windowsill

Special Ingredients: Coffee, Chocolate

Special notes: Barrel Aged

ABV: 11.7%

IBU: 45

Availability: Once per year

@untappd says: 4.54/5

This was a great weekend to get the CBS on the Windowsill!

From one craft-questionable barrel-aged stout on the sill to another, we move onto today’s brew… The world renown Canadian Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing Company. Why do I call it craft-questionable? Because, in December 2014, Founders sold a 30% stake of its company to the Mahou-San Miguel Group. MSMG is a Spanish brewery that opened its taps in 1890 and is, today, the biggest producer of beer in Spain. Since the Brewers Association rules state that a brewery cannot be more than 25% owned by a macro-brewery and still be considered craft beer, Founders lost its certification.

Founders Brewing CBS Bottle
Legend has it that the Mountie always gets his man… (Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

Like with the Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stouts, my opinion on Founders is clear: if you make great beer, I’m gonna drink it. Because I have a friend that used to work for Founders, I’ve been exposed to a lot of their beer. I have very rarely been disappointed. The CBS is one of the finest stouts I’ve ever tasted. What Founders did was take its legendary Breakfast Stout and age it not just in bourbon barrels, but bourbon barrels that had previously housed maple syrup. The coffee, chocolate, maple and bourbon flavors mix together to make an absolutely amazing brew. I don’t care who owns 30% of the CBS, I’m loving 100% of it.

Check this one out on Instagram, now!

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. Founders Brewing Company: Canadian Breakfast Stout (2017) . This was a great weekend to get the CBS on the Windowsill! . From one craft-questionable barrel-aged stout on the sill to another, we move onto today’s brew… The world renown Canadian Breakfast Stout from Founders Brewing Company. Why do I call it craft-questionable? Because, in 2014, Founders sold a 30% stake of its company to the Mahou-San Miguel Group. MSMG is a Spanish brewery that opened its taps in 1890 and is, today, the biggest producer of beer in Spain. Since the Brewers Association rules state that a brewery cannot be more than 25% owned by a macro-brewery and still be considered craft beer, Founders lost its certification. . Like with the Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stouts, my opinion on Founders is clear: if you make great beer, I’m gonna drink it. Because I have a friend that used to work for Founders, I’ve been exposed to a lot of their beer. I have very rarely been disappointed. The CBS is one of the finest stouts I’ve ever tasted. What Founders did was take its legendary Breakfast Stout and age it not just in bourbon barrels, but bourbon barrels that had previously housed maple syrup. The coffee, chocolate, maple and bourbon flavors mix together to make an absolutely amazing brew. I don’t care who owns 30% of it, I’m loving 100% of it. . ABV: 11.7%, IBU: 45, Available once per year . @untappd says: 4.54/5

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Goose Island Beer Company: 2018 Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout

Goose Island Beer Company: 2018 Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout

Style: Imperial Stout Aged in Bourbon Barrels

Special Notes: Grade A vanilla beans from Madagascar. The vanilla stout makes its return to the Bourbon County Brand release after several years off the roster.

Hops: Millenium

Malts: 2-Row, Black Malt, Caramel, Chocolate, Munich, Roast Barley

ABV: 14.9%

IBU: 60

Availability: Did I get the wrong one?

@untappd says: 4.57/5

Thought I was done with these on the sill, but surprise, surprise!

There’s only one thing better than scoring a specialty release beer on the day it hits stores: Getting one of the rare variants three days after it reaches shelves! Thanks to my good buddy, Brian, and a well-placed day off from my day job, I managed to snag the Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout from Ridgefield Wine & Spirits in Ridgefield, CT.

Goose Island Beer Company: 2018 Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout
Got my bottle and headed back home! (Credit: Martin Stezano/Beers on Windowsills)

I was driving around town after running some errands, when I got the word from Brian. I immediately drove to get some coffee—a little Nitro from Donut Crazy in Westport—and then made the roughly 30-minute drive to Ridgefield. Although the cashier temporarily put a fright in me by saying the system showed they didn’t have any left, she quickly asked the manager and he came out from the back with a bottle for me. I snagged the second-to-last one!

I will be reposting this once I taste it—probably some time in early 2019—but I was too proud of my find to not share it with you guys. Like the other Bourbon County Brand Stouts, this one is aged in bourbon barrels that are at least four years old. However, Goose Island’s brewers decided to add Grade A vanilla beans from Madagascar to the mix. The vanilla variant has been gone from the Bourbon County Brand release lineup for a number of years, but it’s back for 2018… and on my Windowsill.

Check me out on Instagram. Like and follow my account for more great Bourbon County Brand finds!

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. Goose Island Beer Company: Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout (2018) . Thought I was done with these on the sill, but surprise, surprise! . There’s only one thing better than scoring a specialty release beer on the day it hits stores: Getting one of the rare variants three days after it reaches shelves! Thanks to my good buddy, @itsmeitsbmd1085, and a well-placed day off from my day job, I managed to snag the Goose Island Beer Company Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout from Ridgefield Wine & Spirits in Ridgefield, CT. . I was driving around town after running some errands, when I got the word from Brian. I immediately drove to get some coffee—a little Nitro from @donutcrazy in Westport—and then made the roughly 30-minute drive to Ridgefield. I snagged the second-to-last bottle! . I will be reposting this once I taste it—probably some time in early 2019—but I was too proud of my find to not share it with you guys. Like the other Bourbon County Brand Stouts, this one is aged in bourbon barrels that are at least four years old. However, Goose Island’s brewers decided to add Grade A vanilla beans from Madagascar to the mix. The vanilla variant has been gone from the Bourbon County Brand release lineup for a number of years, but it’s back for 2018… and on my Windowsill. . ABV: 14.9%, IBU: 60, Extremely limited availability . @untappd says: 4.57/5

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Founders Brewing Company: Dankwood (2018)

Founders Brewing Company: Dankwood

Hops: Chinook, Mosaic, Simcoe

Malts: Caramalt, Roasted Barley

ABV: 12.2%

IBU: 65

Availability: May to June

@untappd says: 3.93/5

There’s a big slab of dank on the Windowsill today!

I can’t stress it enough. I love Founders Brewing Company’s barrel-aged series. The brewery currently has over 20,000 filled barrels waiting to be released. They’re stored in former mines below the streets of Grand Rapids, as well as at an off-site storage facility named the Barrel House, which boasts more than two-square acres of refrigerated space… wowsers! The Dankwood was this year’s third BA release—after KBS and Backwoods Bastard and followed by Barrel Runner and the soon-to-be-released Curmudgeon’s Better Half. It did not disappoint.

Unlike some of the other barrel-aged releases for this year, the Dankwood is all-new for 2018. Founders took their beloved—and previously Windowsilled—ReDANKulous red IPA and stuck it in bourbon barrels. The result is a somewhat sweet, malty, boozy and complex bottle of deliciousness I really enjoyed. Also, I dropped the bottle from the top shelf of my fridge onto my tile floor, and it didn’t break. So… dank!

Head over to Instagram to like this one. Don’t forget to follow Beers on Windowsills for more great craft beer!

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SingleCut Beersmiths: Barrel Aged Heavy Boots of Lead

SingleCut Beersmiths: Barrel Aged Heavy Boots of Lead

ABV: 11.0%

IBU: 55

Availability: Rotating

@untappd says: 4.29/5

It’s not the sabbath, but we’ve still got Iron man on the Windowsill today!

For today’s SingleCut Beersmiths rock n’ roll inspiration, I give you the following lyrics, from Black Sabbath’s Iron Man…. “Heavy boots of lead / Fills his victims full of dread. Running as fast as they can / Iron man lives again.” As you can see, that’s what today’s beer is named after, and I think it’s pretty appropriate for this barrel-aged version of the Heavy Boots of Lead, an imperial stout that, if you’re not ready for it, might have you running scared.

Luckily, I was ready for this brew because it won the Instagram story poll this weekend. You wanted me to drink it, so I did. This incredible stout from SingleCut is aged in rye whisky barrels for a year. It also has some added Oregon honey for a touch of sweetness. The result is a chocolaty, smooth, creamy stout with just enough whiskey and honey flavor to put it near the top of my list of favorite stouts. It’s so good that, like the Iron man, must have been created in that great magnetic field, indeed!

Head over to Instagram for more great SingleCut brews!

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BAD SONS Beer Company: Bourbon Barrel Aged Roper

BAD SONS Beer Co.: Bourbon Barrel Aged Roper

ABV: 9.0%

IBU: 33

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 3.73/5

Come and knock on our door…

There’s not a whole lot left for me to say about Derby, CT’s BAD SONS Beer Company. I’ve been to the tap room a few times, so instead of going on about how cool it is there, and how great their beer is, I’ve decided to include never-before-seen photos from my trip last year in this post. Enjoy in the embedded Instagram post below!

If you’re a child of the 80s and 90s, then you know exactly who the hop-headed, robed gentleman on the bottle is. Mr. Roper, the original landlord on the hit sitcom “Three’s Company,” played by the legendary Normal Fell. Mr. Roper was always there playing straight man landlord to the hijinx of Jack, Janet and Chrissy (later Cindy, and then Terri). Although Mrs. Roper was never satisfied with him on the series, I was super satisfied by this brew. The Roper is a Scotch Ale, also known as a Wee Heavy, aged in bourbon barrels for 4 months. I picked up two bottles several months ago, but just decided to have a crack at one this weekend. Really good Scotch Ale, with the added bourbon kick. I certainly wouldn’t evict this beer from my fridge!

We’ve been waiting for you… to like this post on Instagram and follow Beers on Windowsills, now!

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Captain Lawrence Brewing Company: Barrel Select Green

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company: Barrel Select Green

Hops: Columbus, Crystal

Dry Hops: El Dorado, Super Galena

Malts: 2-Row, Wheat

ABV: 6.5%

IBU: 15

Availability: Limited

@untappd says: 3.66/5

Let’s get GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day on the Windowsill today! HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

Why do we celebrate St. Patrick? No, he wasn’t a drunken Irishman. He was a legitimate saint! He actually wasn’t even Irish. St. Paddy was born in Britain to wealthy parents somewhere around the end of the 4th century. At 16, he was captured by Irish Pirates, who took him to Ireland by force. During his six years in captivity, he became a devout Christian. He left Ireland, came back, spread the gospel and may or may not have (probably not) have driven all the snakes off the island. He died on March 17, 461, and that’s why we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today… with lots and lots of alcohol!

We’re celebrating today with a really special beer from New York’s Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. It’s their Barrel Select Green, a dry-hopped sour ale aged in Italian Oak Tanks. It’s part of their barrel select series (Green, Gold, Black and Red). The Green is the only dry-hopped variety—the process is executed with El Dorado and Super Galena hops—and that extra hoppyness goes a long way to making this a very flavorful beer. It’s crisp, light, super carbonated, sour and “assertive.” A solid wild ale from a great Brewery.

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on our Instagram, now! Don’t forget to like and follow!

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Founders Brewing Company: Kentucky Breakfast Stout (2017)

Founders Brewing Company: Kentucky Breakfast Stout

ABV: 11.8%

IBU: 70

Availability: Limited, new version released in 2018

@untappd says: 4.47/5

Let’s celebrate KBS Week on the Windowsill!

If you didn’t know, Founders Brewing Company is officially kicking off KBS Week today. The Kentucky Breakfast Stout is, once again, part of their barrel-aged series for 2018. This series will feature six releases throughout the year. The KBS is the first for 2018, and it releases everywhere this week. My bottle is from last year’s KBS release, which means I let it bottle condition for an extra year. Go get your bottle today!

The KBS is one of the better stouts I’ve ever had. If you’ve had the base beer, which is the Breakfast Stout, you know how good that is. Now picture that amplified to be a little beefier in alcohol content, and then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for a whole year. It’s delightfully creamy and chocolaty, and those bourbon undertones warm you up nicely on the way down. I’m happy KBS Week gave me a chance to finally pop the top on this one. So good!

Celebrate KBS Week on our Instagram, right now!