Chad Polenz

Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) (2023) Polenz

262 days in the bottle. Still quite sweet with a mostly chocolatey taste and slight maple. Coffee has faded into obscurity. Still some hop bitterness. The 11.7% is warm but smooth. Creamy texture. Medium body; low CO2. Good but not amazing. Happy 4th!

Dirty Bastard Polenz

Very hoppy and bitter for the style. Water has a strong mineral content (probably where the name comes from). Otherwise a strong maltiness with dark fruits and chocolate/caramel. Yet not especially sweet. The 8.5% is strong . Full smooth body; mod CO2.

Breakfast Stout Polenz

One of the OG pastry stouts! Coffee is most prominent throughout with a lingering dark chocolate/coffee/roasted malt bitterness. Sweetness comes from oatmeal as does a silky smooth medium body and fairly low CO2. Easily drinkable for 8.3%. Delectable.

KBS Blueberry Polenz

Blueberry was an interesting variant. It adds minor tartness and a general dark fruit/berry impression but no 🫐. Sweet vanilla taste from the barrels but No chocolate or coffee. Med-full body; mod-low CO2. Smooth as heck. Little warming from the 11.2%

60 Minute IPA Polenz

It’s been 6 years since I last had this. Malt base is slightly toasty. Hops smell and taste of pine needles and green tea though actual bitterness seems low (is it still 60 IBU?). Body seems medium-light as does CO2. It is smooth with a malty/hoppy finish

Backwoods Bastard Polenz

Lovely dried fruit flavors up front with sweet bourbon at the apex. Finishes with firm earthy/spicy hop bitterness and a touch of chocolate. The 11% is extremely tame; gently warming. Body is only medium; CO2 is mod-light. Not rich, but certainly complex.

Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) (2023) Polenz

Sweet maple syrup and chocolate up front with the coffee and its bitterness at the apex for balance. Bourbon/wood/vanilla emerges in the aftertaste. Full body; mod CO2. Only gentle warmth for 11.7%; creamy and smooth. Though tasty it’s missing something.

Porter Polenz

A delicious combination of sweet chocolate-like flavors as well as actual roasted malt (not the same as coffee). Slight citrusy hop aroma and flavor. Hop bite at the apex but sweet chocolaty aftertaste. Med-full body; mod CO2; creamy texture. So Smooth!

Wake Up World Wide Stout Polenz

Pretty beastly brew. Huge black licorice; chocolate syrup; and black currants. Coffee is subtle; the maple syrup lingers in the aftertaste. Sweet yet Quite hoppy, too. That 15.3% is impossible to ignore but not distracting. Big chewy body; med-low CO2.

Canadian Breakfast Stout (CBS) Polenz

Huge wood, bourbon and candy-like vanilla/chocolate. Slight dark fruit notes, but nothing roasty. Coffee is a ghost. Maple syrup emerges on the finish. Full creamy body; mod-low CO2. The 11.7% is firm but tame. After 6 years, this had aged amazingly well!

KBS Polenz

Big bourbon, vanilla and wood at first followed by rich cherry maltiness. Coffee emerges on finish with a cold brew flavor. Moderate CO2; Full body, luscious and smooth. That 12% abv is pretty intense but clean (and the only reason it’s not perfect).

Costumes And Karaoke Polenz

2020 vintage (hoodwinked again). Most of the spices have faded but ginger is still strong with a bit of a spicy kick. Vanilla is still hanging on adding some sweetness (or is that oxidation?). Medium-full body; moderate CO2. Easy drinking for 8%.

Punkin Ale Polenz

This is liquid potpourri thanks to copious amounts of nutmeg and other spice rack seasonings. A slight caramel/toasty malt base but is not sweet. Med-light body/med-hi CO2. Easily drinkable for 7%. Not bad at all but the flavors don’t do much for me.

KBS Polenz

Huge chocolate, coffee, bourbon and vanilla/woody flavors. Plus strong cherry/dark fruit and even noticeable hops. Boozy yes, but still smooth. Full bodied and fairly low CO2, but not syrupy at all. This is one of the best vintages they’ve made in years!

KBS Hazelnut Polenz

It’s not KBS + hazelnut, it’s the other way around. Remarkably sweet palette akin to Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Chocolate/vanilla are quite prominent. Coffee is subtle. Base imperial stout and barrel are background notes. Strong but incredibly smooth.

Kentucky Bourbon Stout (KBS) (2021) Polenz

Smooth but not quite as rich and intense as years past. Coffee is mostly background though chocolate is prominent. Prominent vanilla and wood from the barrel. Sweet not sickly. Good but I miss the early editions of this beer.

Frootwood Polenz

Almost all barrel character. Strong wood & vanilla with a background of bourbon. I don’t really pick up on the maple syrup. Cherry is mostly background. Full body but easily drinkable. Tasty, but A rather odd choice for barrel aging.

Backwoods Bastard 2021 Polenz

Plenty malty with Some dark fruit and a background peaty flavor. A bit of wood and vanilla from the bourbon barrels. Strong and warming. Not syrupy. Beautiful color. Wish the foam stuck around. Can’t believe this is in the supermarket now!

Kentucky Bourbon Stout (KBS) (2021) Polenz

Strong as always. Big vanilla and dark chocolate flavors. Quite woody. Coffee mostly a background note. Definitely boozy. This beer isn’t quite the mind blower it used to be. Thought it definitely improves with proper aging.

All Day IPA Polenz

Haven’t had this one in a long time. Plenty of hop flavor and bitterness but ABV still seems a tad high. I love the huge 19.2oz can! Good day drinking brew!

KBS Espresso (2020) Polenz

Was expecting this to be a return to the world class KBS well. It’s not bad at all, but i feel like I’ve had this already. Noticeable chocolate and coffee but also very boozy. Tasty but not delicious.