Two Brothers Northwind Imperial Stout
tasted 1/7/06

There's nothing like a tasty hand-pulled Imperial pint of stout. Especially Imperial Stout (the stout suits the glass in this case.) I found the Northwind Imperial Stout at the Map Room to be especially tasty. It had a fairly intense chocolate flavor with a roasted malt edge and just right mix of hops. The hops were just slightly assertive, just enough to add another dimension to this very tasty beer. I haven't had the bottled version of this year's stout, but I can definitely recommend the cask-conditioned version.

Three Floyds Black Sun Stout
tasted 1/7/06

I would be shocked if I had Three Floyds dry stout wasn't extra hoppy and the Black Sun Stout doesn't disappoint. An innocently roasty tasting stout quickly turns into a hop monster as I sipped this pint. It wasn't too long before I experienced the phenonema know as "hop burps", which is something that happens in extremely hoppy beers -- you belch and you can taste hops -- sometimes for a couple hours later, as was the case with this pint of Black Sun. This beer should be avoided by anyone who finds the citric, grapefruit taste of hops in a stout offensive, or any drinker who favors sweeter tasting stouts. However, hopheads should rejoice.

Goose Island Christmas Ale
tasted 11/17/05

A fairly hoppy winter warmer from Goose Island. The hops are the first thing I notice about this beer, other than the lively carbonation that enhances the appearance, with a slightly rocky head that leaves lacework down the sides of my glass. This supposed winter warmer, pours a light brown/dark red hue. I pick up the faint aroma of spices, perhaps nutmeg or cardamom, but I also get some fresh malt and hops. There are some caramel flavors mixing with a pleasant fruitiness and assertive hoppiness, making for a pretty flavorful brew. The finish is rather bitter, but doesn't take away from the caramel malty sweetness of this tasty ale. The bottle label says that this beer will improve over five years. This isn't that strong of a brew, so I wonder what changes would occur during that time. I guess there's only one way to find out. In the meantime, I can definitely recommend this hoppy winter warmer this season.

Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
tasted 11/4/05

This strong golden brew claims to be "an artisan golden ale produced in the Biere de Garde tradition of Northern France." I would say that's a fairly accurate statement, however, the first thing I notice about this beer (aside from the shimmering golden color and volumninous head) is its peculier milky (lactic), almost "goaty" aroma. It's a very funky aroma, but it's not off-putting enough for me to not take the first sip, which is very fruity and a bit lactic (probably from the maturation in wood that is mentioned on the botttle.) Bits of pineapple and apricots interwine with dusty hop flavors, a short-lived bitterness and tapioca root dryness at the finish. The body is medium and the mouthfeel somewhat slick, keeping this strong ale fairly drinkable. Some of the fruity and flavors and peculiar aromas could thwart many beer drinkers from appreciating this unique brew, but my recommendation is that fans of Belgian-style beers give it a try.

Berghoff Octoberfest
tasted 9/28/05

I picked this up as a single 12-oz. bottle to sample instead of buying a whole 12-pack. I expected a lighter-bodied Octoberfest from Berghoff (Huber) and that's what I got. This Octoberfest brew poured a light amber color with a quickly dissipating bright, white head. The malty aroma, tinged with tobacco leaf and banana, may be this beer's best attribute. The expected caramel Munich malt flavor asserted itself towards the finish. Otherwise, this beer has a crisp malt flavor more reminiscent of Octoberfest light, but still flavorful enough. The tasty finish saves this beer and it's what qualifies it as a 'Fest. Not a bad cheaper alternative ($8.99 a 12-pack) to pricier American and European beers.

Boulevard Bully! Porter
tasted 9/22/05

I haven't had one of these wonderful dark brews in quite awhile. I've been pining for the taste and smell of this beer Bully! Porter since it was no longer distributed in the Chicago area several years ago. First of all, the color of this beer is a very dark brown, the perfect color of porter. The aroma is simply outstanding, with a citrus-laced coffee-liqeur scent filling my nostrils. I simply want to sit and smell this beer before even sipping it. Having taken in enough of the aroma and feeling thirsty, I start to savor the wonderfully choclately malt flavors and take interest in the cocoa-like bits that seem add to the complexity of this brew. The long finish is toasty, dry and slightly warming with just the right amount of bitter hops. My only complaint with this beer is that it comes across a bit thin-bodied. Otherwise, it was one great porter, right down to the label.

Boulevard Pale Ale
tasted 9/18/05

This golden pale ale starts pours with plenty of carbonation and a bright white head. I can't help but noitce the hoppy, floral aroma. This beer has a good malt saltine cracker-like malt flavor, a slight fruitiness (almost like Juicy Fruit gum) with some pleasant tasting hops. The finish is bitter, but not powerfully so, with just enough hops to let you know you're drinking an American Pale Ale. Perhaps a bit thin for the style, which I suppose makes it a good pale ale for summertime quaffing. I used to drink Boulevard beer a lot starting about 12 years ago when I as a college student in Western Illinois. This is a respectable pale ale and I wish the Illinois distribution reached the Chicago area. Although the aroma reminded me a bit of Berghoff Pale Ale (which is brewed in Wisconsin and distributed in the Chicago area), I think Boulevard's pale ale is a bit more refined than the Berghoff and closer in taste and body to SNPA. The packaging is pretty refined; as this six-pack comes boxed with some nice artwork. The beer is described as bottle-conditoned, and I like that, as bottle-conditioned ales tend to have a bit more complexity than highly filtered ones. Thanks go to Ryan for bringing this back from Oklahoma.

Emmett's Patriot's Pride
tasted 8/8/05

I picked up this growler the other day from Emmett's Ale House in Downers Grove. I heard some buzz about it; that it was a very hoppy brown ale and I've since been dying to try it. I wasn't disappointed. This brown ale had a big pine cone and spicy hop aroma mixed with hints of coffee and chocolate. This beer is chestnut brown with a lush, half-inch thick head that leaves lacing down the sides of the glass. Very nice. Starts light and malt accented with notes of caramel, but gets increasingly hoppy and bitter towards the finish, which is almost too bitter, suppressing some nice coffee and chocolate notes. This is one hoppy and bitter brown ale. It's very smooth and satisfying, but almost too bitter when fresh. Highly recommended for hopheads and fans of dark, bitter brews.

Emmett's Centennial Ale
tasted 7/29/05

An amber ale served in a 20-ounce Imperial pint at Emmett's Ale House in Downers Grove, Ill. A very solid amber ale with an great balance between the hops and malt. Most amber ales posess a caramel sweetness balanced by hops. I prefer the amber ales that have a little more of an assertive hop bitterness; but no too much hop spice. Fans of Killians Red will be disappointed when trying this beer (it is more bitter), but fans of West Coast amber-red ales such as Red Seal may be pleasantly surprised. Although Emmett's Centennial Ale lacks some of the complexity of Red Seal (pretty much the definitive American amber ale in my opinion), it is worthy substitute and certainly worth trying.

American Dream IPA
tasted 7/27/05

What better to celebrate American Beer Month than with a truly American-style of beer such as Imperial IPA, like the American Dream IPA that I found on tap at the Rock Bottom brewpub in Warrenville, Ill. I tasted this beer at the pub, but also picked up a growler for further study. Sampled out of the two-day-old growler, American Dream IPA pours an orangish hue and has a floral, slightly citrusy aroma. The first sip a bit sweet and the spicy hops don't really show themselves until toward this finish, which is powerfully bitter and alcoholic. This is a brazen, simplistic interpretation of the Imperial IPA style that knocks you over the head with bitter hops and alcohol. This is not a very complex brew, but I don't think it's meant to be; rather it is a hoppy hand grenade leaving bitter hop shrapnel on the palate. I believe this beer is a special offering for American Beer Month (July) and might not be available for too much longer (until next year, perhaps.)

Oh, Brother Tripel-style Ale
tasted 7/18/05

This is a Belgian-inspired Tripel-style beer from Two Brothers Brewing Co. in Warrenville, Ill. Oh, Brother pours almost straw colored, with a small head of foam that falls to a slight ring of bubbles. I pick up bits of earthy, spicy and estery aromas and perhaps a hint of tobacco. The mouthfeel is fairly smooth, but a bit fizzy. This interpretation of Belgian-style Tripel seems to err on the side of being a little too thin-bodied. The malt flavors in this beer are juicy and laced with sugar, but lacking complexity. This finish is long, slightly acidic and hot from the high alcohol content (around 10 percent). I think this is a fine effort by the Two Brothers Brewing Co., but what this brew seems to lack is the complexity of the beers it seeks to imitate. Worth a try.

Three Floyds GumballHead
tasted 6/17/05

The first time I tried this Three Floyds beer, I thought there would be some bubble gum-like flavors. I had never heard of the comic book character that inspired the naming of this beer. This is still one hoppy American Wheat beer. Tons of fresh leafy hop flavor are in this beer from start to finish. All sorts of hop flavors, too, some grassy notes hidden behind the citrusy flavors. All these hops are supported by wonderful wheat malt backdrop. I'm betting there's some other subtle spices in here, too. "Hop burps" kick in big time about half way through this pint, quaffed at the Map Room. What a pleasant effect! Highly recommended.

Emmett's Ale House Dry Stout
tasted 4/7/05

A beatiful dry stout poured off a nitro tap into a 20-ounce "Imperial" pint at Emmett's Ale House in Downers Grove, Ill. Poured with about a half-inch off-white head, this near-opaque beer had a light chocolate and roasted malt aroma enhanced with a slight chalkiness. This was a creamy stout, with a mix of chocolate and coffee flavors, and a moderately bitter finish. Towards the finish I noticed a slighter sourness that seemed to be more evident as the beer warmed up in my glass. I'm not sure if this was on purpose, to replicate the trademark sour "twang" of draft Guinness Stout, or if was something else going on -- either way, it didn't bother me. I thoroughly enjoyed this pint and would have it again.

Three Floyds Brian Boru
tasted 4/8/05

In the last month or so, I've sampled this beer both out of the bottle (a hefty $5.50 for a 22-ounce) and off the tap at the Map Room. Brian Boru pours clear and medium-red with a thick off-white head and emanating a pineapple aroma. You can definitely taste the Amarillo hops in this not-so-Irish red ale. Sure, there are some caramel malts that balance the hop flavor, and they give this beer a subtle sweetness -- but by and large this another hoppy product from Three Floyds. Quality malts are used for a terrific, smooth mouthfeel and ample body. The finish is better, more bitter than any other Irish Ale I've had, and "hop burps" are present after a few sips of this beer. Recommended, but only for hopheads -- this isn't your father's Irish Ale! Highly recommended.

Sprecher Double Bock
tasted 3/28/05

A dark dopplebock that pours somehwat still, then slowly builds a thin layer of foam. Rummy, malty, aroma. A bit thin-bodied for a double bock, and lacking mouthfeel. Good malt flavors at first, but the almost watery mouthfeel surfaces in the middle, while the finish is full of alcohol and a bit grainy. This is a potent double bock, but otherwise lacks some of the body and smooth mouthfeel that I look for in this style of beer.

Bell's Two Hearted Ale
tasted 3/26/05

I'm a pretty big fan of Bell's beer, perhaps because I'm fron Michigan, and my family has vacationed there for years. The Bell's Two Hearted Ale is one of my favorites, which is why I had to grab a pint when I saw it on tap at the Map Room this past weekend. I always look for differences between bottled and tap versions of certain beers and Two Hearted is a good example of a beer that is different on tap than out of the bottle. The bottled version can sometimes be cloudy if the beer isn't carefully decanted off of its yeast sediment. It also can have a bit of bite from the yeast, sort of pretzel-like bready character. This character was absent from the draft version, which poured crystal clear. I also noticed the remarkably fresh hop aroma, full of pineapple and citrus. As I quaffed this beer I could taste the generous additions of hops and as I belched I could taste the pineapple-citrus hops again. A well-hopped beer for sure, but balanced well pale and Munich malts, and much more quaffable than it's 6 percent alcohol would suggest.

Sprecher Imperial Stout
tasted 3/19/05

This is another Sprecher beer I picked up in Milwaukee a couple weeks ago. This stout, packaged in a 16-ounce bottle, pours with a voluminous light tan head. The color is opaque, with an especially roasty aroma that is laced with bits of a burnt rubber odor. The predominant flavor is of roasted malt and burnt chocolate. I also detected a hint of licorice as this beer warmed up. The mouthfeel is fairly smooth, but the seems a bit thin for an Imperial Stout. The beer finishes with cocoa-like dryness accented by bitter hops. Certainly worth trying.

Sprecher Mai Bock
tasted 1/4/05

A clear, blonde colored lager beer from Milwaukee, Wisc., that pours with fluffy white, loose head of foam. The head drops to a thin layer of foam, leaving lacework on the sides of the glass, for a very nice appearance. The aroma is laced with toasted malts and full of lightly spicy hops. Starts fairly spicy for a Maibock. Excellent toasted malt flavor! Sweet malt asserts itself towards the middle, and then a bitter and dry finish. The mouthfeel is smooth and slightly slick. This bock has a lighter body than most bocks I've sampled, and even seems lighter in body than the version in sampled in 2002. Not quite what you might expect in a Maibock, but the lightly hoppy flavors in this beer are a welcome surprise. Recommended.

Lakefront Holiday Spice Lager
tasted 1/4/05

Pours a clear reddish-amber with a fairly dense head of foam. Very complex spicy aroma of orange, cinnamon and honey. Sticky sweet honey and orange flavors up front. Cinnamon spicy notes attack the sides of my tongue, with a little cinnamon burn in the back of the throat. A medium-bodied beer with a smooth mouthfeel. There's a bit of a lingering bitterness mixed with the other spices. A very festive fruity and spicy brew with a very good finish. A spicy holiday beer that's not too sweet or cloying and not too strong. Somehow this came across better than the Great Lakes Christmas Ale. Maybe it was in better condition. Highly recommended.

Great Lakes Christmas Ale
tasted 12/23/04

Perhaps the best aspect of the 2004 edition of this beer from the Great Lakes Brewing Co. of Cleveland, Ohio, is the aroma that is released upon pouring it into a very wide-mouthed stemmed glass. The color is nice, too, a reddish-orange, and the carbonation light with very little foam (dirty glass?) The very Christmas-y aroma is full of cinnamon, cherries and honey. (These spices are easily identifiable as they are mentioned as ingredients on the bottle's label.) The spices show up on the palate, too, and mix with slighty toffee-ish malt flavors, a some bitter hops. The finish is very dry and reminiscent of a light, dry sherry. Great Lakes Christmas Ale is a very festive spiced beer that if mixed with brandy could almost be served mulled (heated with spices.) A very attenuated (dry) and interesting winter ale, that comes across as a bit of a novelty, but certainly recommended.

Goose Island Christmas Ale
tasted 12/16/04

This Christmas ale pours with a quite a bit of foam that settles to a thin layer of bubbles with some nice lacing around the sides the glass. There's a slight smokiness in the aroma and more hops than I expected in the first sip. The hops are played against some very good roasted, biscuit and caramel malt flavors, with a fairly bitter finish. I'm not sure how to classify this as anything other than a winter warmer. It's quite drinkable and doesn't appear to be too strong. There's some spiciness that tastes like something other than hops, but I can't quite pick out any individual spices; they just come across as adding complexity to the brew. The flavors are robust, but not overwhelming, resulting in a very drinkable pint. Picked up for $6.49 a six-pack. Definitely worth putting under the tree.

Bell's Best Brown Ale
tasted 10/28/04

A light brown ale with a toasted malt flavor, that is slightly fizzy on the tongue and has a dry finish. A hint of sulfur in the aroma evaporates after awhile and becomes less distracting. The mouthfeel is carbonic, the body is light, with toasted malt and slightly earthy hops as the predominant flavors. A slight coffee-tinged malt flavor surfaces as the beer warms up. This is fairly bitter for a brown ale, certainly more bitter than the famous Newscastle, or Pete's Wicked Ale. Needs more depth and little more complexity; the yeast seems too neutral. Almost drinks like an Octoberfest. Not the best Bell's beer, but certainly worth a try.

New Glarus Staghorn Octoberfest
tasted 10/20/04

This Wisconsin Octoberfest pours a deep red color with a white, fluffy foam. The nose is malt-accented with a tinge of caramel malt aroma. Bits of spicy hops mingle with the malt flavors of this beer. The malt and hops are most balanced, with the exception of sweet flourish of malt character towards the finish, which is dry with a hint of coffee flavor (perhaps roasted grains?) I think it's these roasted grains, along with the hops, which prevent this Octoberfest from finishing too sweet. The yeast may contribute some flavor, too, as I can dectect a slight tartness in the finish. Staghorn is a smooth drinking, light to medium-bodied Octoberfest that is worth seeking out.

New Holland Red Tulip Ale
tasted 10/4/04

Red Tulip is an ale from the New Holland Brewing Co., Holland, Mich., that actually uses tulip petals as an ingredient. This beer, as no surprise, had a very flowery aroma that actually reminded me a little more of roses than tulips. It poured with a good amount of foam and a lasting head. The color was cloudy rouge. It's a light bodied beer and not very strong. I eventually detect a little bit of tannin-like powdery character, perhaps from the petals? The finish is bitter and dry with a lingering rose water flavor. A very good, easy-drinking, "red ale" with a unique twist. Recommended.

Nosferatu
tasted 10/4/04

A big beer from the Great Lakes Brewing Co., of Cleveland, and not a cheap on either at $12 a four-pack. The label is one of the best aspects of this beer. Perhaps I'll try and scan it in at some point. It is a very scary drawing of the vampire.
The label describes this beer as a strong German stock ale with lots of hops. My first impression was the strong malt character and a fruity aroma. Nosferatu has an amber color and brilliant clarity with a sustaining head of foam. The mouthfeel of this particular beer was very smooth when poured into a straight-sided pint glass. It is full-bodied beer with spicy hops that balance all the malt. It is strong at 8 percent alcohol by volume. The finish is bitter and quite long, with the level of alcohol quite hidden. I would like a little more complexity in this beer. The malt character seemed simple and lacked any toasted, biscuit or caramel malt flavors. Worth a try.

Cascade Pale Ale
tasted 8/8/2004

A new pale ale from the Point brewery in Stevens Point, Wisc., that tries to imitate the classic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It gets pretty close, but the Point beer ends up being a bit less complex and less bitter than SNPA. The hop aroma is evident, the piney Cascade hop flavor is there, but the bitterness is somewhat lacking. I can even detect some of the various caramel or crystal malts that the brewery says are used in this beer. This beer's complexity, however, is robbed by what seems like extremely tight filtration that leaves it tasting too clean for an ale. The character of this beer is also detracted somewhat by the use of adjuncts. The use of corn/maize seems to show up as a slickness towards the finish in this beer and certainly would help keep the cost down. Worth a try as a decent pale ale if you want something like a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale that costs $2 to $3 less per 12-pack.

South Shore Nut Brown Ale
tasted 7/25/04

This beer is from the South Shore Brewery in Ashland, Wisc. Poured into a straight-sided pint glass, this beer takes on a mahogany hue, with a white head of foam that falls to ring of carbonation. One of the aspects of this beer that I noticedright away are the particles floating in it. At first, I'm a bit concerned, but after checking the bottle I find out that it is bottle-conditioned -- the particles are probably clumps of yeast in suspension. This brown ale is true to its name, with a distincty nutty character that surfaces towards the finish. This is definitely an English-style brown ale, with the flavor emphasis on the malt, with just enough hops to balance the sweetness. It's a very drinkable, medium-bodied beer, with a smooth mouthfeel. The aroma is fairly neutral -- there's a slight bit of caramel malt in the nose -- but nothing that notable. Overall, a highly drinkable and fairly flavorful beer, but not neccesarily worth seeking out. A good beer to stumble across, just as my friend Ryan did while traveling through Wisconsin -- thanks Ryan!

Phred's Black Soba Ale
tasted 7/24/04 at The Edgewater

All the drafts I tried at my first stop at The Edgewater on Chicago's far north side were very tasty, but I especially enjoyed Phred's Black Soba Ale, one of the 15th anniversary brews available around the 15th of each month at the Edgewater. According to the Rogue web site, the Black Soba "is dedicated to Phred Kaufmann, Rogue's Japan Distributor. The Black Soba is a darker and more complex version of the Morimoto Soba Ale, which is part of Rogue's Signature Series). According to the Rogue brewery, "roasted malts provide a rich nut-laced flavor, while the 3 hops blend to provide a refreshing zest. Brewed with Roasted Soba, 2-row Pale, Munich, C-15, C-60, & Weyermann Malts; Horizon, Sterling and Cascade Hops, Free-range Coastal Water and PacMan Yeast. Black Soba weighs in at 12-degrees Plato, 36-degrees Lovibond, 75.2 apparant attenuation, and 30 International Bittering Units."
I found the Black Soba Ale to be a really enjoyable dark ale with light to medium body, making it a good choice for a summertime dark ale. The buckwheat (soba) gives the beer a crisp flavor, while the Caramel and Munich malts balanced the hops nicely and contributed to the smooth body. It was indeed an unsual dark ale and I hope it goes into regular production. Highly recommended.

Summit India Pale Ale
tasted 7/21/04

Pours an amber to deep red hue with a moderate to light carbonation as in the English style, with very little foam, but with a big hop aroma. Liberal amounts of hops in this IPA blend with caramel and toasted malt flavors. Fairly thick and full bodied. A very hearty IPA with that the malt and body of a true English IPA, but with a more aggressive American-style use of hops. According to the brewery, only English hops are used with a base of American Harrington 2-Row malt along with Caramel and Special B malts. Could use more carbonation, but I think the lack of bubbles might have something to do with dirty glassware. A very hearty IPA that I can highly recommend.

Goose Island Summertime (German-style Kolsch Bier)
tasted 6/16/04

A golden ale that has a little different flavor than a true Kolsch bier. A surprisingly clear beer (I can remember when this beer was bottle conditioned) that pours with a fluffy white head and a whiff of toasted grains in the nose. This beer has a light, crisp malt flavor with just enough hops to balance the sweetness. The body is light and the mouthfeel is soft making for a very quaffable brew. Quite clean tasting. Very slightly tart towards the finish, this beer is an excellent hot weather microbrew and good for a picnic.

Pere Jacques
tasted 6/4/04

A new seasonal beer from Goose Island Brewing Co. of Chicago. I picked up a single 12-oz. bottle of this beer that is normally sold in four-packs. The bottle describes a visit to Belgium as an inspiration for brewing this Belgian-style strong ale.
Pere Jacques pours an slightly hazy amber with plenty of carbonation. Lots of fruitiness in the aroma, especially banana. The mouthfeel is very smooth and the body is firm. This beer has a delicate maltiness that is reminiscent of honey wafers. There's some caramel notes, too. The finish is a bit bitter, not very complex, but laced with vanilla notes. The alcohol content (9 percent) is noticeable, although this beer is surprisingly (and dangerously) quaffable. Overall, a pleasant strong ale that likes a bit of complexity, almost tasting something like a "double hefe-weizen" that did not leave a strong impression on me, other than that of its alcohol content. Don't go out of your way for this beer.

Consecrator Doppelbock
tasted 6/2/04

A dopplebock from Kalamazoo Brewing Co., also known as Bell's, which mostly produces ales. As far as I know, the only other lager among the Bell's offerings is the Bell's Beer (which I haven't yet tried.) This double bcok pours a dark ruby color with very little foam, but lots of carbonation. First sip of this 12-oz. bottle poured into a snifter is full of intense maltiness, caramel and fruit flavors. Almost tannic finish, which is also a bit bitter, which I kind of like in a doppelbock. I don't like a doppelbock to finish too sweet. An almost wine-like character and a similar body; a bit thin bodied for my tastes. The smooth mouthfeel that one expects from a doppelbock also is missing. Strong vanilla aroma. Vanilla bean-like flavors emerge as this beer warms up. A perilously drinkable double bock. As is the case with most Bell's beers, the high alcohol content isn't that noticeable, it doesn't hit you until your half way through your drink. Starts kind of weak but finishes with a with a burst of intense caramel/Munich malt flavor coated with just the right amount of bitter hops. The party is over quicky, though, and the finish is quite short. There are better doppelbocks to be had.
Thanks for the bottle Ryan!

Bell's Third Coast Beer
tasted 5/31/04