Formerly the warm welcome into town; now the taste of a delicious drink to enjoy.
“It is such a surprise that the Hobson Oak is now a part of a bourbon barrel-aged imperial milk stout called ‘Hobson.’ With a really dynamic, exciting artwork on it. And today is the release date here at Solemn Oath, partnering with Hop Butcher for the World and Miskatonic Brewing. And the crowd has been lining up. In the first hour they sold over 104 four-packs of the beer,” said Mary Lou Wehrli, the secretary of the Naperville Parks Foundation.
“Hobson” is the second of two beers created using wood from the 250-year-old Hobson Oak- Naperville’s notable burr oak that was taken down in 2016 due to decay.
“It’s definitely a beer that you kind of sit down and contemplate things with. From the wood itself we really found that the woodchips imported an almost scotch, kind of smokiness to it, which we thought was really interesting. But it blended really well with the overall characteristic, it’s not overpowering but it’s a really nice accent,” explained Andrew Mason the director of brewing operations at Solemn Oath Brewery.
After being stored in the bourbon barrels for ten months, the beer was canned at Solemn Oath, and eventually released just a few days later to many happy customers.
“It’s pretty good! A little boozy, but that’s not bad. [And it’s] chocolaty,” said Naperville resident Ben Kuzmicz on trying “Hobson” for the first time.
$5 of each four-pack sold goes to the Naperville Parks Foundation.
It’s a donation that can remind those indulging in the brew where it came from.
“To do something with such a local, historical significance is really cool,” added Mason. “That tree stood for over 250 years so the beer is not going to last forever but it’s a good opportunity for people to think about that local piece of history.”
“Hobson” will be available to purchase at Solemn Oath and local grocery stores like Standard Market.
The Naperville Parks Foundation will be distributing more Hobson Oak lumber and hosting more auctions in 2019.
Naperville News 17’s Christine Lena reports.
