Half Acre — Double Barrel Catch Hell 2025

Technical Details

Tasting Profile

The nose opens with assertive bourbon-soaked oak, dark molasses, and espresso roast, layered with vanilla extract and dark chocolate shavings. On the palate, this behemoth imperial stout delivers viscous waves of caramelized brown sugar, toasted marshmallow, and baker’s chocolate, while barrel tannins provide structure against the considerable alcohol warmth. Coffee liqueur and burnt toffee notes emerge mid-palate. The finish is long and warming, with lingering bourbon heat, dark fruit sweetness, and a pleasant roasted bitterness that balances the residual sweetness.

Food Pairing

Pair with a rich chocolate lava cake or bourbon pecan pie, where the beer’s barrel character complements the dessert’s sweetness while the roasted malt cuts through the richness. Alternatively, serve alongside aged Gruyère or smoked Gouda, allowing the cheese’s nutty complexity to mirror the beer’s caramelized malt profile while the carbonation cleanses the palate between bites.

About Half Acre Beer Company

Half Acre Beer Company was founded by Gabriel Magliaro in 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, establishing itself as a pioneering force in the city’s craft beer movement. After initially brewing their recipes at an out-of-state facility, the company opened its own brewery on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago’s North Center neighborhood in March 2009, marking a significant milestone in its evolution. The brewery’s commitment to both quality and community quickly garnered recognition, with its tap room being named Chicago’s eighth best bar by Chicago magazine in 2013. Half Acre’s approach extends beyond brewing, demonstrating environmental responsibility by partnering with Northwestern University engineering students to minimize waste and find innovative ways to reduce or reuse brewing byproducts. The company’s growth trajectory led to opening a second, larger brewhouse and pub on Balmoral Avenue in the Bowmanville neighborhood in 2015, eventually consolidating all operations there in 2021. Today, Half Acre produces six year-round beers, three seasonal offerings, and regular special releases, while maintaining strong ties to the local community through sponsorship of Half Acre Cycling since 2007.