Beer Of The Day: Short Fuse Bee-33

BOTD: Short Fuse Bee-33
Short Fuse Brewing Company (Schiller Park, IL)
( https://www.shortfusebrewing.com/ )

"Triple" IPA
11% ABV

Triple IPA? I have seen this label pop up more, recently. According to the BJCP* officially as a style...it doesn't exist./ A Double IPA"....Bigger than either an English or American IPA in both alcohol strength and overall hop level (bittering and finish). Less malty, lower body, less rich and a
greater overall hop intensity than an American Barleywine...."

So if by it's measurable and observable characteristics, why the "Triple" label? If double is 10%, wouldn't triple be 15? Shouldn't the hop nose and flavor be powerful enough to require a biohazard protocol?

Well, as in other Triple experiences, prepare for disappointment if your expectations are for a  Lupulin Overdose leading to a Transformative Hop  Experience.

That doesn't mean it's not a good beer.....

In this case, the team from Schiller Park has done a nice job on what is essentially a DIPA in a way that is unique and enjoyable.

Poured from a can into a 16 oz pint glass, the beer pours clear golden with an average white foamy head. The aroma is not particularly hoppy, and has some notes I can only ascribe to the honey component of the "malt" bill. The flavor is surprisingly light, slightly sweet, with a mildly bitter finish. Not currently listed on the Short Fuse web site, Beer Advocate says the ABV is 11%, which is either incorrect, or it hides its gravity quite well. There is no noticeable alcohol burn, and the body is light. Far from being the malt+hop bomb I expected, it is actually quite a nice thirst quenching beer with modest DIPA character. If you see it, pick up a four pack and tell me what you think. Perhaps "Lawnmower IPA" will be picked up as an official style by the BJCP.....

My Rating: 4 / 5
Untapp[d: 3.76 / 5

Prost!

*Beer Judging Certification Program, a body that trains tasters and tracks and documents "official" beer styles. Like the dictionary and new words, something that becomes common enough for long enough will eventually be adopted as "official" and its expected characteristics documented.

Beer Of The Day: Imperial Pain!

BOTD: Imperial Pain!
Imperial Oak Brewing (Willow Springs, IL)
( http://www.imperialoakbrewing.com/ )

DIPA
13.4% ABV



(Beer Advocate) " ....blend of malts and hops (equinox, Simcoe, mosaic) ... intense and strong but is surprisingly smooth and dangerously drinkable for its strength."

To celebrate National Beer Day, your intrepid Brew Review Crew headed out to beautiful, bucolic Willow Springs, Illinois (in the shadow of the overpass, across from the commuter tracks / parking lot) to sample and tour Imperial Oak Brewing. A small batch brewer specializing in double-strength, barrel-aged beers? Sign us up. (Note - they only distribute from their tap room - you need to visit to buy it)

As I c=scanned the ubiquitous Brewery Chalkboard, I spied an Imperial IPA clocking in at 13.4%. Intrigued, they poured me one...

Draft, poured into a snifter, a clear, golden brew with a modest white head. Immediate and potent citrus/hop nose. You now have my FULL attention. It sips slightly sweet, fruity, medium bodied for such a high gravity. The hop blend clearly leans to the citrus /fruit over the resin/pine side of the spectrum. Just a touch of bitterness in the finish. I have to agree with Beer Advocate on this one, it masks its High Gravity well. Enjoy it, but if you hang around for two, call Uber. A very good example of a citrus DIPA that doesn't cater to the cloudy/grapefuity New England Thing. (Not that they don't have those on tap as well..... ;-) )

If it was distributed, I''d tell you to go get it. If you're local, go try it!

My Rating: 4.75 / 5

Untappd: 3.96 / 5

Prost!

Beer Of The Day: Skull Hammer - Where On the Beer-A-Mid?

BOTD: Skull Hammer
Finch Beer Company
( https://www.finchbeer.com/ )

DIPA; 8% ABV

"...New England Style IPA that is more sweet than bitter, this head banger hammers down with the juicy blend of everyone’s favorite hops including Citra, Mosaic, & Simcoe. "

I like IPAs. I really like DIPAs. Many craft beer nerds agree, to the extent that some people are SOOOO OVER IPAs and bitterness. Yeah, whatever. Drink what you like, and ignore the trends.

So here we go with another DIPA. Where does it fall on the scale? Should I run out and buy it, hoard it, savor it, ignore it? 

Imaging if you will a Pyramid of Beers. A Beer-A-Mid, if you will.

The base is broad, and as perceived goodness goes up, the Beer-A-Mid narrows, only a rarefied few can be at the peak. In the golden age  of craft beer, many are tried but few are truly chosen. I would place this entry in the top third of the Beer-A-Mid, in good company, but not go-out-and-buy-some-amazing. Why?  Read on.....

Served from a can, chilled, poured into a snifter. Pours golden, slightly hazy, with a firm white head, good carbonation. Nice, citrusy hop nose, and a hop blend of fruity and piney in the first  and subsequent, with a slight but not unpleasant acidic tang at the back of you mouth. It finishes grapefruit-bitter. Hop-forward, light in character for a DIPA, not as citrus and cloudy as most NEIPAs, this is a solid but not "Ooh....Aah....." example entry in the DIPA Derby. I would place it in the upper third of the Beer-A-Mid. If you're into hops, give it a try. Just don't go too far out of your way to get it.

My Rating: 4.0 / 5

Untappd: 3.73 / 5

Beer Of The Day: Iron & Steel

BOTD: Iron & Steel
MyGrain Brewing (Joliet, IL)
(http://www.mygrainbrewing.com/)

"A big, bold beer named for the iron and steel workers that built Joliet into the city it is today. A generous grain bill with plenty of Munich malt and flaked wheat give this beer a pillowy mouthfeel, while the heaping portions of Azzaca, Mandarina Bavaria, and El Dorado hops throw a bomb of citrus on the back end."

Served in a snifter. Pours clear amber with a thin white head. Hops clearly evident on closer olfactory exploration, as one would expect. Hop varieties tend to the resiny/piney side of the spectrum. The first sip hits you with a tough of malt sweetness quickly overwhelmed by hoppy bitterness. Not a trend follower, this is not cloudy or citrusy - points for going their own way here. A solid if unremarkable entry in the DIPA Derby, well suited to those of us who enjoy high IBU flavors. MyGrain has hit this style profile dead-center.

Avaialable onsite (draft), and carry-out as Crowlers and Kegs. MyGrain is just getting their Chicago area distribution going, so keep an eye out or ask you stockist to get some on the shelf. Located in the Joliet Union Station building, it can be easily reached by commuter train, so take you time and try a flight. ;-) (See separate venue review for full report)

My Rating: 3.75 / 5

Untappd: 3.66 / 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: 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

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