47/100) Chicago Found Rarities

I have set myself the goal to review three beers or ciders every week for 100 weeks. I will be learning about beer and ciders more as I do this, and if I am successful in this venture, I will have tried about 300 unique drinks. If you're curious how I'm doing, the number in the post's title tells you which week I am in now.

Mean Gene, Shipwreck Porter, Quadrupel

When I visited Chicago, I picked up some unusual/rare beers. Since I was overwhelmed by the selection of unknown beers, I came up with an interesting method for choosing. I looked up beers I had never seen before that were expensive and high gravity (that is to say, had a high ABV). Then after whittling the list down a bit, I chose a few. 

Mean Gene) Revolution Brewing company, a Chicago based brewery, took their Eugene porter and barrel aged it. Having not had Eugene before, it is hard to comment on how it was changed or improved by the barrel aging process. The finish was smooth and had strong bourbon overtones. The strong roasted flavors though gave me a hint why the name "Mean" was selected. ☆☆☆☆

Shipwreck Porter) While not technically a Chicago or even Illinois beer, the name of this Arcadia beer caught my attention. However, I'm still not sure what makes a beer a "shipwreck" as there is no mention of it having been at sea. This porter spent 12 months in bourbon barrels. The wood imparted a lovely oak and vanilla backdrop to it. However, instead of a rich mouth feel, this potent 12% ABV beer is a bit thin. Despite that, I enjoyed it. ☆☆☆☆

Quadrupel) Probably, the best American-made quad I've had thus far. The richness and depth cave a bit in the finish, but the alcohol is well masked making it easy to enjoy. The initial and mid are fairly straightforward, but the lack of harshness on the finish and the pleasant mix of caramel and dark fruits made this one a winner in my book. ☆☆☆☆