Wild Onion Drago 2Pk

Wild Onion Drago 2pk is a bourbon barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout from Lake Barrington, Illinois, sold as a two-pack and clocking in at approximately 10% ABV. Rated an impressive 4.46 out of 5 on BeerAdvocate, Drago has earned serious respect among barrel-aged stout enthusiasts in the Chicago area and beyond, making a strong showing in the Chicago Tribune's March Madness–style bracket of local barrel-aged stouts.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~10%  |  Origin: Lake Barrington, Illinois, USA  |  Style: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Wild Onion Brewing

Production & Heritage

Wild Onion Brewery operates out of Lake Barrington, Illinois, where they produce a focused lineup of craft beers. Drago is built on a foundation of massive roasted barley additions, yielding an intensely dark and viscous base beer. That base is then aged in fresh Elijah Craig bourbon barrels sourced from Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky — a deliberate choice over generic bourbon cooperage that imparts distinct vanilla, caramel, and charred oak character into the finished stout. Aging times have varied across batches, with reports of eight months to a full year in barrel depending on the vintage.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Bourbon leads the nose immediately, followed by layers of dark roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate. As the beer warms, softer notes of vanilla, molasses, and toasted coconut emerge from beneath the barrel influence.

Taste: The entry is rich and slightly sweet, with bourbon and caramel hitting first. At mid-palate, roasted barley bitterness balances the sweetness, while dark fruit, crème brûlée, and rocky road ice cream–like complexity develop. Tannins from oak and ash add structure without harshness, and the mouthfeel is velvety and full-bodied throughout.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering bourbon heat, dark chocolate, tobacco, and charred oak. A subtle stone fruit note and vanilla sweetness persist well after the last sip.

How to Drink Drago

Drago is best served at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, in a tulip glass or snifter that concentrates the barrel-driven aromatics. Pouring too cold will mute the complexity; let the beer warm slightly and it rewards patience. While this is fundamentally a sipping beer, it also works in creative cocktail-adjacent applications: a Beer Float with a scoop of high-quality vanilla ice cream amplifies the stout's dessert character; a Black Velvet variation — layered with dry sparkling wine — plays the roasted malt against bright acidity; and a Stout Flip shaken with a whole egg and a touch of maple syrup highlights Drago's inherent creaminess and bourbon backbone.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who collects barrel-aged stouts
• Sharing between two friends on a cold winter evening
• Pairing alongside a rich chocolate dessert course
• Adding to a vertical tasting flight of Illinois barrel-aged stouts

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Drago taste like? Drago delivers a rich, bourbon-soaked profile dominated by dark chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and roasted malt, with secondary notes of toasted coconut, dark fruit, and tobacco. The mouthfeel is velvety smooth despite the stout's massive body and warming barrel character.

How does Drago compare to Goose Island Bourbon County Stout? Both are Chicago-area bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts, and reviewers frequently mention them in the same breath. Drago's use of fresh Elijah Craig barrels tends to give it a more pronounced bourbon sweetness and coconut character, while Bourbon County typically presents a drier, more tannic barrel profile at a higher ABV.

Is Drago good for sipping neat? Drago is built for slow, contemplative drinking at cellar temperature. Its complexity and smooth body make it an ideal sipper, and it reveals new layers of flavor as it warms in the glass.

Where is Drago made? Drago is brewed at Wild Onion Brewery in Lake Barrington, Illinois, a small community in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The bourbon barrels used for aging come from Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky.

What foods pair well with Drago? Dark chocolate truffles complement the stout's cocoa notes; smoked brisket matches its barrel char and roasted malt; aged cheddar or Gruyère bridges the caramel sweetness; vanilla bean cheesecake echoes the bourbon barrel's vanilla tones; and espresso-rubbed short ribs mirror the roast and depth.

What sizes does Drago come in? The expression reviewed here is sold as a two-pack. Individual bottle sizes may vary by release; check the label for specific volume per bottle.

Is Drago worth the price? Drago positions as a premium craft offering within the barrel-aged imperial stout category. The use of specific Elijah Craig cooperage, extended barrel aging, and consistently high community ratings on BeerAdvocate (4.46/5) and Untappd (4.1/5) place it firmly in competitive territory with nationally recognized barrel-aged stouts at a comparable or better value.

Why Drago?

What separates Drago from the crowded field of barrel-aged imperial stouts is Wild Onion's insistence on using fresh Elijah Craig bourbon barrels rather than generic or previously used cooperage. That single decision drives the stout's distinctive sweetness, pronounced coconut and vanilla tones, and clean bourbon character. Community ratings consistently place it among the top barrel-aged stouts brewed in Illinois, and its strong performance in the Chicago Tribune's head-to-head local stout bracket confirms it holds its own against better-known names. For anyone serious about barrel-aged stouts from the Midwest, Drago is a bottle worth seeking out.