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!