Cycle Brewing's Monday (2024) – 3-Year Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Coconut & Almonds

Cycle Brewing's Monday (2024) is a three-year barrel-aged imperial stout built from specialty barrel blends and layered with toasted coconut and roasted almonds, clocking in at 12.5% ABV. Part of Cycle's acclaimed Days of the Week series, this Florida release represents the brewery's final run before closure—a swan song from one of the country's most celebrated barrel-aging programs. The extended aging program andnut-plus-coconut treatment set Monday apart from the cleaner barrel stouts flooding the Chicago market; this is pastry-forward imperial brewing at its technical ceiling. Cycle Brewing operated out of St. Petersburg, Florida, where founder Doug Dozark and his team built a reputation for aggressively flavored, high-proof barrel-aged stouts that aged gracefully and traded nationally. The Monday base beer rests for three full years in bourbon barrels before blending, then receives additions of toasted coconut and almond that integrate during final conditioning. The result is a stout that balances wood tannin, residual sweetness, and nutty complexity without crossing into cloying—a narrow target Cycle hit consistently across their Days of the Week lineup. The 2024 Monday opens with coconut cream, toasted almond, and dark chocolate on the nose, then unfolds into waves of vanilla-soaked oak, cocoa powder, and a faint bourbon warmth that never burns despite the ABV. The mouthfeel is thick but not sticky, the coconut lending a tropical richness that plays against the roasted malt backbone. Drink this next to a slice of German chocolate cake or a square of almond toffee; it's also a natural pairing for smoked brisket or aged Gouda. The stout is approachable now—silky, integrated—but the structure suggests it will cellar another five years if you can resist. Cycle Brewing's Monday (2024) is available for pickup at Off Premise Chicago, 1128 W Armitage Ave in Lincoln Park, with local Chicago delivery and nationwide shipping.