That's the coffee stout, and I found it in Omaha. If I was a coffee drinker, I'd start drinking it with bourbon. I might have to start going up to Omaha just for a beer run every once in a while. One particular Hy-Vee up there is the best kept secret for craft beer drinkers.

I was the only one out of 4 who didn't think it was terrible, but it's not something I would buy again, either. It might be better if the bacon and maple were more subtle, because it was kind of like sticking your nose into some old bacon grease.

Duh, coffee. Gotcha. Hy-Vee is the same way in Iowa. A friend of mine buys Drie Fonteinen Oude Gueze and Kriek at his local Hy-Vee in CR.

The guy at the local liquor store with tons of beers and a knowledgeable staff compared it to drinking Bud Light with bacon grease poured in it...I passed.

I have bottle of Big John in the fridge and want to try the Night Stalker. The beer guys told me that Night Stalker is the base of Bourbon County Stout before they age it in the bourbon barrels. Let me know what you think of the Big John, I haven't tried mine yet.

Night Stalker is the base, but with added hops. When fresh that is a damn hoppy stout.

I haven't tried the Night Stalker... didn't know it was the BCS base. Big John was boozier than expected, but very good though, especially if you like malt and chocolate.

there are lots of rumblings about this year's Night Stalker being infected....soy sauce city. i hope yours is ok. the recipe definitely changed this year, it's a very different beer from years past. i have tasted a couple that were ok, but many of my friends from st. louis have been complaining that it's bad.

Just saw some reviews on beer advocate that mention the same thing. :(

Has anyone here ever tried Sam Adams Utopias?

I have tried a couple of them at tastings. They're OK, not very beer-like, if you catch my meaning. I thought it was more like port or sherry.

What's the difference between Lagunitas Sucks and Brown Shuga?

It's a bucket list item of mine.

i've become immune to Lagunitas. My wife likes that stuff. After awhile, they all taste the same. I can barely tell the difference anymore. Seems like it's the same stuff put in a different package.

Brown Shugga is a very sweet barley wine, and Sucks is a Double/Imperial IPA.

They're connected because when Lagunitas expanded into a new brewhouse in the past, they didn't have the ability to brew Brown Shugga that particular year; they brewed Sucks instead as a replacement. The next year, Brown Shugga was back, but everyone asked about Sucks and wanted more of it. Hence, more Sucks.

They do have a very distinct flavor, no doubt about that.