Every November the mothership’s thermometer drops and Chicago’s barrel rooms open up. The 2026 lineup of Chicago barrel-aged stouts goes well past Black Friday. Maplewood Brewery has four new Cuppa variants, Old Irving’s Krampus Cookies returns Nov. 12, and Goose Island is holding back two Chicago-only Bourbon County beers, according to Block Club Chicago‘s season preview.
We covered the national Bourbon County lineup, Lakefront and Dark Lord in our Black Friday barrel-aged stout guide, and Revolution’s final Deep Wood drop in our Deep Wood November post. This one sticks to what’s new and local.
Maplewood Cuppa 2026: four Chicago barrel-aged stouts
Logan Square’s Maplewood Brewery, 2717 N. Maplewood Ave., started presale on its barrel-aged Cuppa imperial coffee stouts on Friday, Oct. 30, with limited draft at its Logan Square and Glen Ellyn taprooms on release day. Co-founder Adam Cieslak told Block Club the lineup includes the longest-aged beer Maplewood has ever released and the first Cuppa aged entirely in barrels from Maplewood’s own distillery.
| Beer | Barrel | Time in barrel | Extras / notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA Cuppa Cuvée | Maplewood Vibrations whiskey (incl. PX, Oloroso and Moscatel-finished) | 23 months | Blend |
| BA Cuppa Mexican Mocha | Buffalo Trace bourbon | 22 months | Hexe coffee, cinnamon, Mexican vanilla, cacao nibs |
| BA Cuppa Neat HH10 | 10-year Heaven Hill bourbon | 43 months | No adjuncts; Maplewood’s longest-aged release |
| BA Cuppa Neat Binny’s Select | Elijah Craig bourbon, picked by Binny’s | 28 months | No adjuncts; Binny’s exclusive |
Source: Block Club Chicago, Nov. 2, 2026. ABVs not published.
Maplewood also plans Cuppa diner events at its taprooms in early 2027, with one more new barrel-aged Cuppa for those.
Old Irving Krampus Cookies returns Nov. 12
Old Irving Brewing brings back Barrel-Aged Krampus Cookies on Nov. 12. The 2026 lineup hasn’t been announced. For reference, last year’s release had five variants, each 15% ABV. Still on shelves in dwindling quantities is V.S.O.I.B., a 15% stout made with Revolution for Old Irving’s 10th anniversary, aged two years in Buffalo Trace barrels and finished with toasted French oak.
Goose Island’s two Chicago-only bottles
Block Club counts seven Goose Island Bourbon County releases in Chicago on Black Friday, two of them sold only in the city:
- Bourbon County Triple Barrel Stout, 18.7%: a rye stout aged three years in three types of bourbon barrels. It’s the biggest Bourbon County stout ever released, and it’s sold only at the Goose Island taproom, 1800 W. Fulton St., and the Salt Shed Pub, 1221 W. Blackhawk St.
- Proprietor’s Stout, 14%: this year it’s a pineapple upside-down cake variant, Chicago market only.
Also on Chicago menus
- Half Acre: Benthic turns 10 with a Nov. 11 release and a Benthic Ten Party on Nov. 13 at 2050 W. Balmoral Ave.
- Cruz Blanca: about a dozen vintage barrel-aged stouts from 2020 to 2025 on its current list
- Haymarket: Indignant Raspberry Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout
Planning a Chicago stout run
If you’re hunting in person, the Chicago-only bottles are the real prizes this year. Triple Barrel is limited to two Goose Island venues, the Binny’s Cuppa is sold only at Binny’s, and Maplewood’s presale is already running. Block Club says more Krampus details are coming, and we’ll add them when they land.
Transmission complete.
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