First Taste | Imperial Oak Brewing 2020 Quiet Giant Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

Pure barrel flavoring. No extracts. No syrups. No sugar bombs. The Imperial Oak Brewing Quiet Giant (strong) Barrel-Aged American Imperial Stout series, now in its sixth year, celebrates the artistry of barrel-aging in its purest form.

Yes, there are varieties with adjuncts, but only as complementary flavors. “Why put a beer in a barrel for a year and then completely cover it up? That’s why the two-year [BBA] is still my personal favorite. But, I do like our variants. They aren’t going to knock you in the face. That’s not our thing. None of them are going to be a chocolate bomb, coconut bomb..that type of terminology. I like adjuncts. But, I want it to be subtle and complement the beer,” said Brett Semenske co-owner and brewer.

Quiet Giant arrives each year for its anniversary, which this year enjoys the theme: Six years, Six Feet Apart (details can be found at the end of this story). The party slogan speaks to the challenges presented to breweries in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. But, Illinois’ case numbers are declining, patios are open and the beer remains consistent as ever. Going forward, most can expect five variants to arrive each May (this year in June due to the COVID-19 lockdown), with more two-year BBA for 2021.  However, this year, Imperial Oak also has a one-time special beer from its Savage Oak room, offered in bottles.

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Bay Cannon Beer Co. | Aleena Pineapple Hibiscus Sour

Not every beer from Bay Cannon Beer Company has a name. In fact, most brews available in the West Tampa, FL taproom are simply listed with their ingredients. “It’s about the beer,” said Matthew Juaire, co-founder and COO. He, along with fellow co-founder and head brewer Joe Simmons, believe that beer names are trivial and the focus should be what’s in the beer and how the beer tastes. Read More

Solaris Beer & Blending | Pink Flowers (Rose Petals)

In the face of adversity and trying times, it is always an encouraging sight to witness those who press forward and beat the odds. Solaris Beer & Blending in Murrieta, California, is one of such stories. Though they have no tasting room and are still under construction, the brewery was able to put the proper licensing in place in the midst of a pandemic. And despite having limited weekly releases as their sole income, the quality of Solaris’s offerings are nearly unparalleled, especially given the size of their operation.

One of the first beers Solaris released was Pink Flowers – Rose Petals, part of their Sour & Flower series. This sour golden ale was brewed with rose petals, Turkish apricots, kumquats and conditioned on French oak.
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Cooperage Brewing Company | McCurty Cove

This beer was bought, saved and finally drank with hope. Hope that baseball will come back in some capacity this season. However, the light at the end of the tunnel seems to be getting further away as the MLBPA and MLB struggle for power in their latest negotiations. So while waiting with bated breath and crossed fingers we can at least pop a few crisp beers and reminisce about some of our favorite McCovey Cove bombs.

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HOMES Brewery | Cat Person & Peaked

Over the past three years, HOMES Brewery out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has quickly become one of the most buzzed-about breweries in the country. Two shining examples of their proficiency with hoppy beers can be found in Cat Person and Peaked.

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Brewbies Oceanside 2020 | Event Recap

February 8 marked the much anticipated Brewbies Festival at Bagby Beer in Oceanside, CA. For 11 years, the Brewbies organization has worked to bring breweries and the public together in support of breast cancer awareness. Working with the Keep a Breast Foundation, the festival has donated more than $540,000 to breast cancer research to date.

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Karl Strauss Changing of the Barrels | Event Recap

Every year that a brewery makes a thriving success of brewing more amazing beers, it is an accomplishment not only for themselves, but also for the industry and their patrons. Karl Strauss Brewing Co in San Diego, California, celebrated its 31st anniversary with their Changing of the Barrels event. This anniversary party not only features their flagship lineup but of course also highlights some superb beers that have been sleeping in barrels, awakened specifically for this moment

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Anchor Brewing | Christmas Ale 2019

Few breweries have the storied past of Anchor Brewing in San Francisco, California. Brewing beer since 1896 and bought by Fritz Maytag in 1969, Anchor has been a staple in brewing history for more than a century. One of their longest-running beers is the seasonal Christmas Ale, available from November to early January.

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BuckleDown Brewing Set to Release Four Varieties of its Significant BBA Series

On Black Wednesday (Nov 27), BuckleDown Brewing in Lyons, IL (just outside of Chicago proper) will release the third edition of its Significant BBA (Bourbon-Barrel-Aged) Imperial Milk Stout. The three-year-old program has transitioned from bombers to cans, and has grown from one bottled variety to four canned offerings:  the base and three variants. Each year, the brewery has used different barrels to store the beer with this year relying on Few Spirits, located in Chicago.

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TUPPS Brewery | Day of the Dead

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead celebrations are vibrant, unique events that inspired TUPPS Brewery out of McKinney, Texas to release a beer in honor of the holiday. Day of the Dead is a juicy, hazy Pale Ale dry-hopped with Galaxy, Citra and Mosaic, resulting in a citrus aroma and stone fruit flavors. At only 5.5% ABV, it’s compared to a crushable version of their wildly popular TUPPS DDH series. To capture the spirit of the holiday, all of the cans were designed by local artists. I caught up with Head Brewer Chris Lewis to talk more about the beer and what’s on the horizon for TUPPS.

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Crystal Lake Brewing Boathouse Reserve 2019 Series Preview

Fresh off its Silver Medal at the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer (FoBAB) for its Rye Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, Crystal Lake Brewing has unveiled its 2019 Boathouse Reserve barrel-aged … Read More

Chicago Quick Sips | November 18 Chicago Beer News & Events

Quick Sips is our way of highlighting beer events, tap takeovers and other notable beer news around the city of Chicago. If you’d like to submit something to be included in the next Quick Sips, please email us at [email protected].

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What We’re Drinking | November 15, 2019

Most of us were hit with an Arctic blast this week, dropping temperatures in Texas by 30 degrees within an hour. Although a welcome change from the oppressive heat, things turned wintery quick! Here are a few ideas to keep you warm this week from your PorchDrinking staffers. Read More

Preview of GABF Gold Begyle BBA Imperial Pajamas | Nov 15 Release

The GABF Gold Medal awarded to Begyle Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas validated what many already knew: in a town abound in exceptional bourbon-barrel-aged beer, Begyle’s has risen to become one of the best. The 2019 release on Friday, November 15, will be the first for the Community Supported Brewery (CSB) since winning the medal. They graciously hosted PorchDrinking a couple of days early, offering to provide us with a few tastes and plenty of discussion about its barreling program.

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Ultimate 6er | Goses & Other Lip Puckering Treats

While searching the aisles of my local beer store, I thought about what types of beers do people want to hear about? Stout season is coming, and so is porters, browns and the big guns like barleywines and barrel-aged everything. But, not everyone likes those types of beers. So what are some easy drinkers that many people will enjoy but don’t see this time of year? The selection of sours I tried was on point, and I quickly realized how many interesting smaller sours are not that tart, but people will set it aside for the simple reason of what section it is. So here’s a list of delicious brews that only have a little acidic bite, but pack a great amount of flavor!

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Beer Event | Collabapalooza Recap

This past weekend was one of the most highly rated beer festivals in Southern California: Collabapalooza. The ethos of the beer festival is a sense of community within the beer industry–in most cases, all of the breweries involved were friends with each other and the brewers were all trying each other’s beer while talking shop. As we got to talk to several breweries in the preview article on the beers they were bringing, we got to experience the selection of a ridiculous tap list contributed by all the breweries. Here are some standouts.

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Collabapalooza Beer Fest Returns to San Diego

Collabapalooza is one of the top-rated beer festivals in southern California. On Saturday, October 19, more than 30 breweries will overtake the backlot of NorthPark Observatory to showcase a plethora … Read More

Drinking Through the 2019 Surly Darkness Barrel-Aged Variants

For the second year in a row, Surly Brewing Co. will be releasing a series of barrel-aged variants of their popular Russian Imperial Stout, Darkness. The different barrel and adjunct beers were released at Darkness Day last year and will follow suit this year.

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Goose Island Reveals 2019 Bourbon County Stout Lineup

After weeks of speculation and multiple labels filed to the TTB that didn’t quite make the cut, Goose Island has announced its 2019 Bourbon County Stout lineup. Like last year, there will be the original Bourbon County with seven variants, eight beers in total.

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Imperial Oak Quiet Giant Release | Five Anniversary Variants for Five Years

Deep Woods. Boathouse Reserve. Bourbon County. Barrel Aged Imperial Pajamas. Quiet Giant. The maturation and evolution of Chicago-Area craft breweries has not included a drift away from the style created in the Windy City — Bourbon Barrel Aging. And, breweries that have gained named recognition in the past few years commonly release of a lauded, coveted and oft-cellared BBA. For Imperial Oak Brewing, a continually expanding suburban-Chicago brewery that’s recently added an entire space dedicated to Foeders and other barrels (The Savage Oak Room), its best-selling beer is Quiet Giant. Each year, the beer once deemed a PorchDrinking.com favorite at Beer Under Glass (BUG) in 2017 arrives just in time for both BUG and its summertime anniversary party. This year Imperial Oak has five variants; one for each year its been open.

We at PorchDrinking were privvy to a special preview before Beer Under Glass, and are pleased to share our findings with you.

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