Beer Geeks Unite!

Last night we celebrated Dave's 35th birthday by attending the 7th Annual Festival of Wood & Barrel Aged Beer. I was in heaven because the majority of the beers that were served were rich stouts and porters. I didn't take a ton of photos, but I have a good excuse --- I was too busy imbibing fabulous beers to waste my time on picture-taking!

Some favorites of the evening were:


Black Xantos - Firestone Walker Brewing - Robles, CA - An Imperial Stout aged 7 months in Old Fitzgerald bourbon barrels that houses brandy for 20 years.


Kentucky Breakfast Stout - Founders Brewing Co. - Grand Rapids, MI - Imperial Stout brewed with coffee & chocolate aged in bourbon barrels.

Black Biscuit - Founders Brewing Co. - Grand Rapids, MI - A cross between and Old Ale and a Baltic Porter. Brewed with significant amounts of biscuit malt and molasses.


Imperial Coffee Stout - Goose Island Beer Co. - Chicago, IL - Imperial Stout infused with "Crop to Cup" iced African 100% Arabica post-roast coffee beans.

Madam Rose - Goose Island Brewing Co. - Chicago, IL - Brown Ale aged in French oak Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with the addition of Michigan cherries and heavily inoculated with brettanomyces.

Cruising with Ruben and the Bretts - Lagunitas Brewing Co. - Petaluma, CA - Imperial Stout brewed with cacao nibs and wihte peppercorns -- Aged in used oak whiskey barrel from Heaven HIll distillery. Dosed the barrel with Brettanomyces and local Sonoma cherries.


Gibraltar Oatmeal Stout - Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery - Lombard, IL - Oatmeal Stout aged in a Woodford Reserve barrel.

Cappatown - Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery - Lombard, IL - Raspberry Imperial Porter aged in a Woodford Reserve barrel.


Two 2007 - Surly Brewing Co. - Brooklyn Center, MN - Oak Aged Cranberry Stout

Conquistador de Muerte - Three Floyds Brewing Co. - Munster, IN - Milk Stout aged in a Woodford Reserve barrel with ancho & guajillo chiles.