Opulent brown chocolate richness saddles exquisitely detailed Wild Turkey-barreled bourbon vanilla sweetness. Just below the bold molasses-sapped mocha surface, its cigar-leafed cedar char spreads into subsidiary cocoa, coconut, toffee, marshmallow, burgundy and hazelnut illusions while brown-sugared fruitcake recession brings subdued raisin, date and plum undertones.
Though lacking the full-bodied richness of top shelf oak-barreled ales, easygoing milk stout aged with Widow Jane bourbon offers lightly creamed dark-roasted milk chocolate sweetness to musky scorched earth char, rum-spiced burgundy-brandy-concord wining and dry whiskey snicker. Mild vanilla, toffee, black coffee, raspberry puree and bruised black cherry subsidies waver. Subtle bourbon influence needs deeper resonance.
On cask at Brew City Grill, soft-tongued chocolate mint seduction gets whisked away by soapy subsidy. Laid-back black chocolate, coconut and cocoa undertones fade precipitously alongside refreshingly terse mint stint.
On tap at Brew City Grill, creamy coconut-toasted porter proves to be mocha-bound taste sensation. Dark chocolate nougat, coffee bean, cocoa powder and espresso tones reinforce toasted coconut frontage. Roasted hop bittering, light walnut char and cola nuttiness contrast almond biscotti-laden coconut theme. In can, black chocolate-malted dark cocoa insistence and hop-oiled coffee bittering nearly outdo coconut cluster.
On tap at Ambulance, sweet golden-cleared barleywine (aged in white wine and rum barrels) loads spiced rum sugaring onto botanical-wafted tropical fruiting. Sweet orange, pineapple, mango, peach and nectarine illusions pick up light ethanol astringency from well-hidden 11% ABV.
On tap at Brew City Grill, dry saison lets light cranberry adjunct fade into oblivion as fizzy salt-watered lemon zest, tart lime acidity and tannic green grape esters go sour above musty minerality, dissolving any true cranberry influence.
On tap at Ambulance, unspecific biere de garde tries to merge phenol alcohol astringency with musty dewiness, fig-sugared dried fruiting and spiced toffee nicety, but seems ill-defined and characterless.
Vaguely defined winter warmer brings blustery medicinal alcohol heat to restrictive black cherry, sugarplum and raspberry illusions as well as murky brown-sugared molasses sugaring, distant nutmeg-cinnamon tingle and caramelized oats base. Ample alcohol astringency consumes and coarsens the unspecific dried fruit-spiced finish.
On tap at Ambulance, approachable oak-aged Flanders Red Ale brings oaken cherry tartness to vinegary green grape tannins, sharp cider bite and sweet red apple goodness. Leathery bacterial lactose acidity and mild barnyard acridity coat casual oats-dried base.
Easygoing IPA bolstered by lingering Chinook/Amarillo hop pining and less aggressive lemony grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering. Sugary peach-pineapple-quince-cantaloupe-mango-tangerine dalliances and recessive floral nuances provide mild backdrop.
    
Wondrous Chicagoland flagship boasts briskly bright floral fruited rampage, gathering tangy grapefruit, pineapple, nectarine, peach and mango juiciness atop well-oiled piney hop bittering. Its tart orange-candied center gains strength as sugar-spiced crystal malting and lemon-peeled herbal notions resonate at crisply clean citrus finish. On tap at Biggie’s, sweet orange-peeled mango, pineapple and peach tropicalia contrasts lemon-embittered grapefruit rind juicing and grassy pine resin over mildly creamed crystal-malted biscuit base.
On tap at Ambulance, smoothly easygoing dry-hopped light body (collaboration with Barcelona’s Garage Brewing) allows lactic brettanomyces yeast to affect soured Nelson Sauvin gooseberry tartness and limey lemon pith pucker. Brisk carbolic spritz heightens lemondrop mouthfeel.
