Beer Of The Day: Sweetwater Hatchery Series #4: Chocolate Milk Stout - "meh"

BOTD: Sweetwater Hatchery Series #4: Chocolate Milk Stout
Sweetwater Brewing (Atlanta, GA.)

( http://sweetwaterbrew.com/brews/ )

"We used lactose and flaked oats to create a silky smooth, sweet and creamy chocolate brew that will remind you of your younger days"

Served draft in a pint glass. (In fairness, it tapped out as it was poured. How this affected the overall experience can not be precisely determined)

Pours nearly black, with a light brown head. 

It sounded like a great dessert beer the wash down the last of the burger, something with enough flavor and substance to fill in the cracks and induce a nice food coma.

It did not.

I did not pick up either the chocolate or the lactose sweetness one would expect from a beer so made. A stout to be sure, with overtones of roasted malt (rather than hop) bitterness, like an espresso, but I struggled to detect more. A casualty of being literally bottom-of-the-barrel? We may never know. As served, it was ordinary. If offered, I'd pass.

It's not bad, it's just not what you'd expect.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Untappd Rating: 3.6/5

Prost!

Beer Of The Day: Warpigs' Foggy Geezer - "Danish Delight"

BOTD: Foggy Geezer
Warpigs Brewing (Copenhagen, Denmark)
(http://warpigs.com/)

"Style: A hazy, fruity and heavily dry-hopped IPA"

If you're not familiar with the story, Warpigs Brewpub in Copenhagen is a product of unnatural relations between 3 Floyds and Mikeller, and it carries the DNA of both in what it does. The upside of that relationship for those of us in The States is that we can often get some really good Danish beer here. Or is it? (Danish)...Now I'm confused.

But don't be confused about the beer. Foggy Geezer (served draft at a Bulldog Alehouse nearby - see separate review) pours hazy golden, with a light white head. Definite but not overpowering hoppy aroma. You will be hit with bitter, no sweet, no, bitter as you work your way through each sip. Hops are a mix of citrusy and piney/resiny. Fairly light in body, it does not betray it's published 8% ABV until you've finished your pint. Fruity? Maybe when freshly brewed, not now. But that's not a detractor as you can't miss what you never had. Hopheads will like it. A solid entry in a crowded field. If you see it on tap, don't be afraid to try it.

My Rating: 4.0/5
Untappd Rating: 4.0/5

Prost!

Beer Of The Day: Citra Ass Down - Mmmm Tasty

Beer Of The Day: Citra Ass Down
Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse (Louisville, KY)
http://www.atgbrewery.com/

"Double IPA?  Must....try....beer....can't ....resist..." I was in the Lupulin Tractor Beam, no choice but to take home a 4-pack and see if it was any good. For Science, of course.

(From the website) "This is a very hop forward American style IPA. Brewed with Pale, Vienna, Munich and wheat malt for a solid base for all American hops, focusing mainly on the variety “Citra.” Citra hops are a relatively new variety introduced in 2008."

Poured from a 16 oz. can

Potent but not overwhelming Citrus hop nose, pours golden with a light white head. Great for those among you who are citrus / dry hop lovers.. Both the malt character and bitterness at finish are modest for a beer of this type. At 8.2% ABV it is on the lower end of DIPAs but still worth two of your buddy's "lite" beers so proceed with caution. Scratch that. It is worth far more than a case of Milwaukee's Best Light. If you're a Hop Lover....."getcha some...."

My Rating: 4.0/5

Untappd rating: 3.94/5

Prost!

Beer Of The Day: Shotgun Wedding "I wanted to like this more"

It called to me from across the aisle...."Brown Ale Aged On Vanilla Beans"....the siren song, alas, irresistable.

Like most fever dreams, the reality falls short of expectations.

BOTD: Shotgun Wedding
Country Boy Brewing (Georgetown, Kentucky)
http://countryboybrewing.com/

(From the website) "A malty brown ale conditioned with real vanilla beans."

True confession: I waited until the second can to write this up (the first draft trapped in my LBB, until it returns, but that is another story). I thought that the thin white head had dissipated because my glass still held a hint of soap; that its flavor might have been impacted by something I had consumed prior.

But no. What we have is in effect a very sessionable brown ale, light tasting and feeling, with but a hint of something not malty (the promised Beans?) but only because I am looking for it.

Sorry, Shotgun Wedding, I gave you every chance, but you just didn't deliver.

And if I ever see you again, as an imperial, aged on oak, you know we'll dance again.

My Rating: 3.75/5

Untappd Rating: 3.75/5

Prost!

So many breweries, so little time. Make your time count.

http://thehopreview.com/blog/chicago-brewery-list

Venue: Kuma's Corner (Schaumburg, IL)

Kuma's Corner (Schaumburg, IL)
(https://kumascorner.com/location/kumas-schaumburg/)
Gourmet Burger Bar

Address: 1570 E Golf Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60173
Phone: 847.240.1200

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/3BKTDVxHuW32

The suburban branch of it's Belmont Ave flagship, Kuma's has a well-deserved and wide-ranging reputation for awesome burgers, and this visit did not disappoint. A scion of the original Kuma's in Chicago, this location is perforce, larger, newer and cleaner than its namesake in the city, but the menu, meals, and beer selection do an admirable job of capturing the original. Metal music on the PA and the video screens, and tattooed servers helps convey the Kuma's KMA attitude. They are what they are, no apologies. As they so delicately put it, "come f_(#ing eat".  While not necessarily suited to younger or more sensitive restaurant patrons, Kuma's will provide a delicious gut-busting litany of entrees. For this visit, a Friday lunch visit, after being quickly seated and served,  it was a "Plague Bringer - Crushed Garlic, Housemade Hot Sauce, Pepperjack, Jalapenos, Tortilla Strips, Roasted Garlic Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion" served at the requested medium temp, juicy, spicy and sweet, accompanied by some excellent food-coma-inducing fries.

Their beer selection is quite good, and features many excellent local marques, covering 32 taps and an additional 32 bottle selections.

X-Factor - If you find the metal subculture off-putting, stay away. If you like it, or are at least willing to risk it, it will pay off handsomely. Don't plan on eating again for 12 hours or so....

Recommendation:

Dig out that black concert t-shirt, get hungry, and go f'###ing eat.  You won't regret it.

Prost!


The Scale:

- Wow! Drop everything and go. It's a Destination - plan a trip.


- Add this to your beer journeys in this region.

- Stop if you're in the neighborhood.

- Skip it.

"...Please Hold....."

I will be travelling for a few days and be away from both my technology, and beer. I have a few posts in the pipeline which will get published over the weekend.

Prost!

Beer Of The Day: Alter'd Beast

BOTD: Alter'd Beast, Alter Brewing Co. (Downer;'s Grove, IL)

(https://www.alterbrewing.com/)

Served in a snifter:


Pours clear amber with a tall white head (before I sampled it ;-) )

From Alter's website: "An Alter Brewing Company/Kuma’s Collaboration DIPA. Copper/orange in color with fruity aromas that include honey dew melon, strawberry, tangerine, and pineapple. A rich malt backbone creates a semi-dry finish with a clean and soft bitterness."

A respectable middle of the road Imperial IPA, not excessively citrus-y nor harshly bitter. No overpowering nose (better served a little warmer? Not sure where the website author got their aromas. Maybe they had just finished a fruit smoothie?...) but a solid hoppy aroma and a good balance between malt and hops (for a DIPA) with a mildly hop/bitter finish - a well executed DIPA. I get no sense that this was extensively dry hopped, promising a longer shelf life, from a flavor stability standpoint, than some others I have sampled. Definitely a should-try for hopheads, but only available at Kuma's (where you should go for a Burger, but that's another post...)

If you're not into IPAs, steer clear.

Based on this sample, a future Blog Trip to the Alter taproom would seem to be in order. For Science.

My Rating: 4.25/5

Untappd Rating: 3.93/5

Beer Of The Day: De Kleine Dood

BOTD: De Kleine Dood. Barrel-Aged Weizenbock
Central Waters Brewing (Amherst, WI) ( http://centralwaters.com/ ) Collaboration with...
Local Option Bierwerks (Chaicago, IL) ( http://localoptionbier.com/ )

Bottle; 22oz. Bomber.  Poured into a goblet.

Readily available in the WI / IL area.

Pours dark amber, slightly cloudy.  Scent of toffee / caramel, , a hint of barrel oak.

Very rich barleywine type flavor. Not picking up much wheat / barley contrast;  oak not prominent; just a hint of "booze". No noticeable hop characteristic, this is a very strong malty flavor. Would recommend serving in a snifter at cellar temps to bring out more aroma, brings out plum notes as it warms.

The stated use of Belgian yeast is not noticeable; it is overwhelmed by the smooth high-gravity barleywine/wheatwine and barrel flavors.

My Rating: 4.0 /5
Untappd rating 3.99/5

Prost!

Beer Glasses - demystified

No, not beer goggles....beer Glasses.
Here's a good summary for reference:

https://www.truebeer.com/Beer-Glass-Types_ep_22-1.html

Does it really make the beer taste better?

That's a subject for another post....;-)

Beer Of The Day: Smaze

Smaze; Arrowhead Ales (Hazy) IPA
(http://arrowheadales.com/)

Draft, served in a nonic Pint.

Available in-house only.

Pours light amber, very cloudy. Pronounced citrus aroma. Modest head on this pour.

Hop forward, with a bitter bite, low on maltiness - not balanced. Solid rendition of the current cohort of "New England IPA"s. Not, however, a "Wow" - I prefer a little more malt to balance it out.

Good for hopheads who like it bitter and citrus-y. If you like hops and you're visiting, try one.

My Rating: 3.75/5

Untappd: 4.02/5

Prost!

Beer Of The Day: Monkeys With Arrows

Monkeys With Arrows. Arrowhead Ales (New Lenox) / Metal Monkey (Romeoville) Collaboration.
(http://arrowheadales.com/)
(http://www.metalmonkeybrewing.com/home)

Available in-house, draft and as 4-pack carry-out in cans. Limited Supply.

Double Milk Stout with Coffee.

From the Release Party information: ""Monkeys with Arrows"! A double milk stout with coffee roasted by Metal Monkey themselves. 11% abv."

Draft, served in a snifter. Pours jet black, with a substantial chocolate brown head. Roasted Malt and Dark Roast Coffee dominate. Rich, sweet, hint of smoke from either the malt or coffee. Characteristic milk stout sweetness. Rich mouthfeel. Does not betray its high abv.

Excellent example of a double/imperial stout. Coffee flavors blend very well. I only hope they have a barrel of this aging somewhere; I would stand in line to buy that!

If you like your imperial stouts, go get this while you can. Release is limited, act now! ;-)

My Rating: 4.5/5

Untappd Rating: (None yet published)

Prost!

Venue: Arrowhead Ales (New Lenox, IL)

Arrowhead Ales (http://arrowheadales.com/)
Brewpub

Address: 2101 Calistoga Dr, New Lenox, IL 60451
Phone: +1-815-717-6068

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/nZUozS77eVn

Casual sports bar atmosphere. Typical pub fare, well prepared and presented. Fine for families.

High ceilings and hard surfaces make this noisy when full, making it hard to be heard more than a seat or two away. Service was quick, friendly, and accurate. Lunch for two adults - appetizer, entrees + adult beverages ran ~$50.

X-Factor: 12 taps of beer brewed on site, a few standards and some rotating seasonals / specials. While the beers themselves will be covered under separate BOTD listings, what I will say here is that they run the gamut from pales to stouts and hit the major mileposts in between; well prepared and served in character with their styles with fresh, distinct flavors, and without odd/off flavors.


Recommendation:   
A solid entry in a delightfully crowded segment, if you are looking for a spot in this area for a bite and a brew, try it out. 

Prost!

The Scale:

- Wow! Drop everything and go. It's a Destination - plan a trip.

- Add this to your beer journeys in this region.

- Stop if you're in the neighborhood.

- Skip it.

Beer Of The Day

Beer Of The Day: King Sue. Toppling Goliath. Decorah, IA.

(from their site - https://www.tgbrews.com/beers/) "Double India Pale Ale – 8% ABV • 100+ IBU. This lusciously hazy double IPA gains its hits of mango, orange, and pineapple from the use of the delicious Citra hop."

Poured from a 22oz Bomber.

Pours very light in color, and hazy. Aroma hits you before you approach the glass. Citrusy / grapefruit overwhelms you; slightly sweet with a lingering bitterness. Modest white head, no sense of the high gravity of the beer (be careful), no alcohol burn whatsoever.

Clearly a beer for DIPA afficianados, particularly if you prefer IPAs that are citrusy and not too sweet.

Available only selectively in northern Illinois. (I have an insider in Iowa who brings me a regular selection!)

Only available in 22 oz. bombers. Find a friend and share it.

My rating: 4.25/5

Untappd rating: 4.51/5

The Journey Begins

So here begins a continuation of a journey, a documentation of a series of experiences. Each post will address a venue and/or it's products. In addition, as people ask me beer-related questions, I'll post the question and the answer, if it is relevant to a wider audience.  Prost!