Lake Erie Maple Syrup Bourbon Barrel Aged imperial Brown — these are some of my favorite words all in one beer! And the first time I sampled it was straight from the barrel in Chicago’s Lake Effect’s Barrel Room. I was this close to cracking that barrel open and taking a swim — with my mouth open.

And who could blame me? With Its woody maple soaked bourbon flavors it’s like you’re drinking woody maple soaked bourbon donuts.

It’s true, maple’s kind of ‘in’ right now; but this beer isn't following a trend, it's redefining one. It’s an out-of-the-box, jump into the great lake of maple kind of a beer that showcases the barrel talents of this Chicago brewhouse. Take a look at this process:

• Lake Effect uses real maple syrup produced by a small family farm located right on the banks of Lake Erie itself.
• The brewers add maple syrup to this malty Brown Ale twice: once during the boil and again during fermentation.
• The barrel aging is like someone spiked the family maple pot with a hefty splash of leathery, vanilla bourbon when no one was looking.
• With a brown base, you have a restrained maltiness that supports the maple and the bourbon, rather than muddle it. And the finish is nice and dry.

Erie is a limited release that won’t be around long. Waiting the past two months for it to arrive so I could share it with all of you has been almost painful. So, don’t just wait for your shipment, if you’re in the Chicago area and see these cans around, take advantage while you can.