Beer Styles

Bourbon County Stout traditionally releases on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and is regarded as one of the world's most famous barrel-aged beers. It's an imperial stout: a stout, meaning a strong dark beer, brewed even more intensely. By style guidelines, an imperial stout runs 8 to 12 percent ABV; Bourbon County Stout, according to the brewery, varies from year to year and sometimes goes above that range.

When it was first brewed remains disputed. The common account says it was created in 1992 for Goose Island's thousandth batch, though statements from the assistant brewer at the time and other evidence suggest it didn't hit the market until 1995. Greg Hall, son of Goose Island's founder, is credited as the brewmaster who made the whiskey-barrel beer famous.

American Pale Ale is the benchmark of the craft beer movement. It's pale to copper-colored, moderately strong at 4.5 to 6.2 percent ABV, and distinctly hopped. Half Acre's Daisy Cutter belongs to this category. American IPA is its bolder sibling: stronger, more bitter, and more aromatic. Revolution Brewing's Anti-Hero is, according to the brewery, the best-selling independent IPA in Illinois.

The difference between the two comes down to degree. Pale ale and IPA use the same ingredients, except IPA gets more malt and considerably more hops. So if you order an IPA, expect more bitterness and alcohol than you'd get from a pale ale.

Stout and porter are close relatives. Both are dark and carry aromas of roasted malt, with stout traditionally being the stronger version. Unlike pale ale, an imperial stout barely shows hop character—instead you taste cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and the wood of the barrel.