DIPA March Gladness Tourney – Championship Round

The veteran Three Floyds’ Dreadnaught is matched up against the "Cinderella" Spiteful Brewing’s Bitter Biker in B&B’s 1^st Annual “March Gladness” DIPA Bomber Tourney!

Who will prevail?  Find out later today…

DIPA March Gladness Tourney

Announcing B&B’s 1st Annual “March Gladness” Double India Pale Ale (DIPA) Bomber Tourney!  

 

Who will make the cut?   

“Pāhoehoe?” More like “Pā-OH-NO”! Review of Two Brothers Brewing Company’s Pāhoehoe Coconut Ale

Brewery: Two Brothers Brewing Company
Locale: Warrenville, Illinois (30 miles west of Chicago, IL)
Craft Circa:  1997 
Style:  Ale (artisanal variety w/coconut)
ABV:  7.1%
IBU: 16.1
Notables: Limited 15^th anniversary retro release #10 of 15 (that’s 1 beer per year).

Label: Great label.  Volcano peaks erupting with what looks to be “coconut” lava.  As the label states, Two Brothers was inspired to brew Pāhoehoe after a trip to Hawaii to participate in the 2011 Kona Beer Festival on the Big Island (Hawaii).  The beer is named after a type of lava flow found at the Kilauea volcano. 

Overall: Meh.  Yes, that’s right: “meh.”  I was very intrigued, excited, and disturbed by the prospect of trying this beer.  Yinzer gave me the heads up and, lo and behold, it appeared before me as I browsed the beer aisles of a local retailer of all things alcohol.  I had to buy it.  Showtime.  I was disappointed.  The beer barely sustained a semblance of a head.  And the coconut?  The label says they used coconut water, coconut milk, and toasted coconut meat.  So you would expect some coconut flavor, right?  WRONG.  It’s almost like they forgot to put the coconut into this batch.  I mean, I wasn’t looking for a “beer-colada,” but I was looking for SOME coconut flavored notes.  The beer started off slightly sweet on the front, a bit of bite on the tongue, then nothing special going down.  There was a weird sort of “nutty” aftertaste but minus the “coco”.  Maybe I had higher expectations; should’ve gone in with low expectations.  But it’s Two Brothers!  They brew some quality beers.  I don’t know what all the fuss is about.  I mean, feature this as an anniversary beer?  Maybe we should steer clear of these Two Brothers anniversary brews.

I bet you were wondering how pāhoehoe is pronounced?  I’m going with the second one.  Kind of rhymes with this man’s phone greeting:

Acquisition:  22oz. -(Actually $8, I’m not sure you can pay with coconuts.)

Windfall: Pāhoehoe is a Hawaiian term meaning “smooth, unbroken lava.”  It is basaltic lava that has a smooth, billowy, undulating, or ropy surface.  Pāhoehoe lava flows are quite common at the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.  The term “Pāhoehoe” was first introduced as a technical term in geology by Clarence Dutton. (Wikipedia)   

Cheers!

~Gy

Review: Pipeworks Brewing Cash 4 Golden Ale

Brewery:  Pipeworks Brewing Company

Locale:  Chicago, IL

Craft Circa:  2012

Style:  Belgian Style Ale

ABV:  10%

Notables:  Batch 19

OK, back to earth Pipeworks.  We’ve been thoroughly impressed with each brew thus far, and although this beer represents another unique collaboration, this bullet misfired.  OK, maybe it grazed us…

Label:  Nice.  Clever and something so cheesy, it’s retro cool.  It’s a trendy name given the state of the economy in recent years and the relentless bombardment of jewelry stores, pawn shops, and etc. advertising “cash for your gold.”  Ironically, microbreweries have been the exception in this downturn.  With this beer, you get the sense you just got a steal from “beer hour” on the home shopping network.  It’s an artisan from Pipeworks, so good chance it is a steal. 

A batch number is hand written on the label, which you can research and discover when that batch was bottled according to their website.  As usual, nice touch. 

Overall:   The aroma was powerful, and simply marvelous.  I cannot express this enough.  The smell was enchanting, almost as if a Belgian Ferry whisked me away to a land of craft beer lollipops, and hop drops.   The head was a fluffy white, probably as fluffy as the clouds in my imaginary beer land.  These beers get a wonderful score for appearance and smell alone.  The presentation was done so beautifully, I was eager to drink up. 

SWEET!  Not in a figurative way, but in a literal sense.  It’s almost as if this beer is loaded with saccharine, and does not let up.  It tastes as though one of the brewers dumped packets of fun dip in the vat before fermentation.  It is reasonably flavorful but the sweetness is relentless.  Any “golden” aspects are hard to come by. 

This is a bottle you may want to consider sharing with someone.  A fifth of this stuff is quite hard to consume yourself due to the sweet persistence, and maybe that was Pipeworks’ intentions. 

It’s very smooth, but almost too smooth for the amount of sweet this brew encompasses.  This brew would have been a little better with either more bittering hops, or something with bite to balance out the ale a little more.  The beer goes down extremely well, especially for a beer that clocks in at 10%.  Its sugary stamina comes from whatever mix Pipeworks used for their strain of Belgian yeast in that it simply overpowered the beer, and did not allow the malt and hop flavors to contribute to the mix. 

Maybe tone down the sweetness a bit Pipeworks, you are in Chicago, and there is only one ‘Sweetness’ in these parts.

…In my opinion, the greatest nickname in all of sports. 

Acquisition:  A Fifth - $12

~gY

Review: Limited Release of Pipeworks Brewing Something Hoppy This Way Comes IPA

Brewery:  Pipeworks Brewing Company

Locale:  Chicago, IL

Craft Circa:  2012

Style:  American Double / Imperial IPA

ABV:  10%

Notables: Very limited yield with this one; Sorachi Ace hops are very hard to come by according to Pipeworks.  B&B obtained batch #32.

Label:  Solid.  Shout out to a local artist yet again, and yet another winner.  The bottle art is by Jason Burke (Ink and Lead Designs).  We are thinking it’s a play on “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” a Ray Bradbury novel with a beautiful portrayal of a hopped up version of the carnival leader, Mr. Dark.   Oh, and the handwritten batch indicator as well.  Phenomenal Label.

Overall:   Very unique aroma smacks you in the nasal sensory once you pop the top.  Whatever hops those are, thinking the Sorachi Ace Hops -- since we were unfamiliar with this until promoted so wisely and effectively by Pipeworks on Facebook -- introduces itself nicely.  It’s an inimitable whiff of pleasantry, intoxicating, and builds excitement. 

It’s hoppy for sure. What an entertaining, complex beer to decode.  It is crisp, has a nice imperial dose of malts, and the flavor zig zags down LSD on a crotch rocket.  This is unlike any IPA we’ve had.  The hops “hop” on your tongue and present itself nicely with its full bodied flavor.  However, what gives this beer its charisma are the lemon & lime hints, the dill pickle undertones, and the bubblegum illusions of flavor?  Yes… you read correct, I’m going with bubblegum… it’s a hop carnival indeed.    

It was a short notice for a release, as many artisan brews are now these days.  B&B learned of its release and headed down to the local grocer to obtain a bottle about 20 minutes after the announcement.  B&B discovered Printers Row Wine Shop which is a nice hidden gem with a great selection in the south loop area.  Almost hate to mention it as I’m not one to share, but the service was top notch, and like I said, wonderful selection.  Upon purchasing, it was mentioned that this was bottled about 40 minutes prior to being shelved.  Bottled, distributed, consumed, and savored in a matter of 3 hours.  It’s euphoric.  That's a free market and capitalism for you.

It’s very smooth for a double, with a vast array of swirling flavors.  There is a lingering bitter presence after each sip that is rather enjoyable.  A hop carnival indeed; a spooky brew, and influenced perhaps by wizardry as well.  But this isn't "butterbeer" served at "The Three Broomsticks" or "The Hog's Head" in Hogsmeade…

Acquisition:  Two 22 ounces - $22

Windfall:  Fitting this brew made its way upon us seemingly in tribute to the works of Ray Bradbury, whom died in June of this year.  Suitable since this beer was so unique, outer space in a sense, similar to Bradbury works.  There’s an interesting, and timely piece on the significance of Ray Bradbury in pop culture here.  

In addition, John Williams took the dialogue from the famous scene in William Shakespeare's Macbeth in which the witches are around the cauldron and wrote lyrics for "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."  One of the witches says: "By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."

~GY Collaboration

Review: Finch's Fascist Pig Ale

Brewery:  Finch’s Beer Co.

Locale:  Chicago, IL              

Craft Circa:  2009

Style:  American Amber

ABV:  8%

IBU:  72 

Label:  Clever label, would expect some radical ideology of a brew.

Overall:   Trying to learn anything about a Finch’s brew, other than one of their standard year around brews is hard to do.  I like to rely on information straight from the source, but Finch’s does not make it that easy.  If anything, you would think they would want to advertise one of their artisan brews, detailing out what’s in it, thus intriguing us beer nerds, but what do I know?

The brew has plenty of caramel, strong malt presence and a bit of rye almost.  The brew pours awesome, smells awesome, and looks awesome. 

Unfortunately, something’s coming off too scorched for me.  It’s like a great wood fired pizza with a completely burnt bottom to it.  It comes out looking amazing, the smell is amazing, and then once you bite into it, it’s soured by the burnt bottom.  Bit of a letdown.  The initial sip was promising, but the burnt crust immediately follows and over powers the ale.  If the beer was bolder and smoother, it would be a quality beer no doubt.

One upside to the beer is that it’s surprisingly high in alcohol, and impressive for a standard Amber Ale.  I enjoyed this beer more so than other Finch’s, but that isn’t saying much.  Decent ROI.

Maybe the Fascist Pig is on the label because this would make a great basting mop sauce for pulled pork.  I could definitely see that for this brew.  That would be pretty good.   What a radical ideological idea.

  Fascist Pig - warning: adult language.

Acquisition:  22 oz. - $8

Windfall:  Speaking of pizza... ever looking for great NY Style pizza in Chicago – Jimmy’s Pizza Café.  Quite good.

~gY

Review: Two Brothers Brown Fox

Brewery:  Two Brothers Brewing Company

Locale:  Warrenville, IL

Craft Circa:  1997

Style:  Brown Session Ale ~ Hybrid

ABV:  3.4%

IBUs:  14

Notables:  For Two Brothers 15^th anniversary summer long celebration, “15 Beers for 15 Years”, this Artisan brew represents #7 of 15, released in July of 2012. 

Label:   Average. Does have an English vintage feel though.

Overall:   I have missed the ball on the other anniversary brews, but the majority I have seen seem to be inappropriate for the summer.   Unappetizing if you will.  I mean I really want to try a good portion of these below, and I’m hoping some, including the Scotch Ale is still around when fall climate creeps in.  It’s tough to experiment with these when it’s 90 some degrees.  Sorry, but a Dark Mild, Coffee Porter, Black Saison are not the quenching type.

The Pahoehoe not pictured was released August 6^th 2012.  The Pahoehoe is a coconut ale.  Hmmm.

OK, back to Brown Fox.  Number 7 of the anniversary ales, comes in as a hybrid of sorts, I believe between a Brown Ale and a Session Ale.  Session Ale if you recall from our very first review, is lower in alcohol enabling you to drink more of them in a longer session of time.  It’s definitely more a Brown or Amber type of beer, but just comes off much weaker.  It’s flavorful in a sense that the malt and nut characteristics of a Brown Ale shine through beautifully, but it’s much too weak for my liking.

Brown Fox is a clever name as it is Brown Ale which is sly in the fact that it will not get you drunk.  This is a lot of beer to work on for little or no ROI.  Return on Investment you say?  Very good, but this in fact is B&B’s take on the scenario.  ROI, or the “Return on Influence” as we will call it, is the rate of return you get out of your beer using ABV, Quantity and Quality of the brew.

The beer is fine, tastes pretty good, but not enough bang for my buck.

Acquisition:  22 oz.  $5

~gY

Review: Revolution Brewing Cross of Gold

Brewery:  Revolution Brewing

Locale:  Logan Square, IL (Chicago)

Craft Circa:  2010

Style:  English-Style Summer Ale / Golden Ale

ABV:  5%

Notables:  2012 Gold Medal Winner at the World Beer Cup (Category 66)

Label:  Get used to seeing these fists breaking through a grocer aisle near you.  Love the reference to the speech delivered by William Jennings Bryan referencing bimetallism in place in England that stirred up politics and propelled his place for the Democratic nomination for presidency in the  (refer below for your beyond tidbit of the day).

Overall:   In case you missed it, there was a recent post about a revolution a brewing here in Chicago a couple weeks back.    Fitting that we’ve been covering the evolution of Revolution, and the word “gastropub” is being added into the Merriam-Webster dictionary for its yearly update.  The Logan Square Revolution Brewing Brewpub is the epitome of gastropubs here in Chicago, with high end quality food, to go with in my opinion even better beer. 

Ok, I’m blowing smoke up their asses, but that’s due to the fanatic status B&B has for Rev Brew…  hey, what can we say, they make quality brews.  In addition, the start of this review may be sugar coated to maybe mask the subpar feelings for Cross of Gold.  This just didn’t do it for me. An English Style Summer Ale can be compared to an American Blonde, at least portions of it.  Still though, there just wasn’t much to it.  You anticipate, you hope something more happens with this brew, but doesn’t.  You wait for a flavor note to make its way to a taste bud, strike a nerve, do something, but instead it fizzles out.  It’s a tad bitter off the bat, but nothing to steer you clear of this. 

I mean don’t get me wrong, the beer could be phenomenal for this style of beer; it won gold for Pete’s sake.   The beer is full bodied, goes down extremely smooth, pours great, I just have little experience with this type of ale, and didn’t thoroughly enjoy it.  I would be curious to taste others that have no WBC award assigned to them.  There is no sign of hops, and maybe that’s appropriate. 

Either way, when it’s all said or done, there are so many other viable options Rev Brew pours out… those are what I am sticking with. 

Acquisition:  22 ouncer - $5

Windfall (Wiki Collaboration):  Cross of Gold was a speech delivered by William Jennings Bryan, a former US congressman at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in 1896.  The speech was promoting the “free silver” policy that he believed would bring the nation prosperity.  He decried the gold standard, concluding the speech, "you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold". Bryan's address helped catapult him to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination; it is considered one of the greatest political speeches in American history.  "The gold standard has slain tens of thousands." He referred to "a struggle between 'the idle holders of idle capital’ and 'the struggling masses, who produce the wealth and pay the taxes of the country;’ and, my friends, the question we are to decide is: Upon which side will the Democratic party fight?"  The idea was that minting silver coins would flood the economy with cash and end the depression.

Although Bryan lost the election in a landslide, he did win the hearts and minds of a majority of Democrats, as shown by his re-nomination in 1900 and 1908; as late as 1924, the Democrats put his brother on their national ticket.  The victory of the Republican Party in the election of 1896 marked the start of the "Progressive Era," from 1896 to 1932, in which the Republican Party usually was dominant.

~gY

Review: Half Acre Daisy Cutter

Brewery:  Half Acre Beer Company

Locale:  North Center, Chicago, IL

Craft Circa:  2006

Style:  Pale Ale

ABV:  5.2%

Notables:  Chicago Reader “Best Local Brew” 2012

  

Label:  Wonderful name and label.  With a name like Daisy Cutter, you expect some twisted variation that will prove to be a stable and memorable beer.

Overall:   The beer smells a tad ragged, and the taste disappoints even more.  It’s rare I struggle to finish a brew, but for some reason, this one gives me a challenge.  I’ve had this beer a few times under different circumstances.  I’ve consumed this ale in a can, had it on tap, tried it with a fresh palate, as well as after multiple beers…  I just cannot find an instance that this beer is any good.  It’s a shame and there are a few close pals that will disagree with me, and order it voluntarily while out, but I do not wish this beer to reserve shelf space in my fridge.  The “No Vacancy” sign goes up. 

The big surprise is the fact that it’s advertised as “pale ale”.  Pale ales should no way be as bitter, sour, and rough as this one.  Any pale ale that would enter the party with this type of pins and needles pour should back it up with flavor, which this fails to do as well.  Help me out Chicago… I just don’t get it.  This beer was rated best local brew among a lot of great beers here in Chicago?  Is it this disturbing hipster trend of canning beer a la “PBR”?  It’s just not good, no matter the medium of delivery. 

Honestly craft lovers…. Help a reviewer out.

B&B is mystified by the recognition Daisy Cutter receives.  Help us understand, supply comments below.  As far as we are concerned this ale deserves a big ‘ol “Mr. Yuk” sticker on the label.

Acquisition:  4-pack canned ~ $9

Windfall:  Mr. Yuk is a graphic image created by the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh conceived to help children learn to avoid ingesting harmful liquids.  The concept was for parents, guardians, and caregivers to place these stickers on household items to warn children of its danger.  The original design of Mr. Yuk entailed skull and crossbones but it was soon realized that the design was not terribly helpful.  This due to the fact that there was too much of a resemblance to the local baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and their Jolly Roger flag that was flown often to symbolize fan support.

~gY

Review: Revolution Brewing Coup d'Etat

Brewery:  Revolution Brewing

Locale:  Logan Square, IL (Chicago)

Craft Circa:  2010

Style:  French Style Saison

ABV:  7.6%

IBUs: 50

 Label:  Get used to seeing these fists breaking through a grocer aisle near you.

Overall:   In case you missed it, there was breaking news on a revolution a brewing here in Chicago reported here at B&B.  Not sure if you caught it, but there’s been a Coup d'Etat; a strike against the state of the general beer drinker nation.  Coup d’Etat, the overthrow, or sudden illegal declaration of a government is such a fitting and an appropriate name of one of the first Revolution brews to be bottled and hit the streets. 

Per wiki, a Coup d'Etat is considered successful when the usurpers establish their dominance. When the coup neither fails completely nor succeeds, a civil war is a likely consequence.  Well this Saison (French for season) is in fact a disturbance.  It’s the Woody Woodpecker of French Style Saisons.  It’s a crisp brew, with a pale malty stamina, quite flavorful for the style.  It ruptures with all the Saison elements you would want to find in a brew, and possibly a tad overboard for my tastes… but for Saison lovers, this ale is right up your backstreet.  It’s lightly hopped, has an array of spices, and it seems as though there was a real Fruit Ninja standing atop this vat before it was sealed for fermentation.  Reasonably tasty.

My pour had no head whatsoever, yet there was still a moderate amount of carbonation.  I’ve been reading the opposite pertaining to the carbonation aspect of this brew’s pour, but either way there is no lack of the quality of this ale.  This would be one of my favorite offerings from Rev Brew if this style was a preference of mine.   It has quality and class for such a rebellious brew. 

Grab a bottle, this Frenchman will knock you off your feet.

Acquisition:  22 ouncer - $7

  

~gY

There's a Revolution a Brewing Here in Chicago...

Brewery:  Revolution Brewing's Kedzie Brewery Taproom

Locale:  Avondale, IL (Chicago)

Craft Circa:  2012 (Expansion of Revolution Brewing's Brewpub founded 2010 in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago)

ABV:  All over the board

*** There’s a revolution a brewing here in Chicago.  These fists of fury are out to take down the common beer drinker.  It’s an insurrection of artisan beers out to overthrow macros and micros alike.  Revolution Brewery hit the scene in 2010 and was a bustling neighborhood brew pub gem that bloomed into a regional success, prompting an expansion of a brewery and taproom. 

The reason B&B found itself in the taproom on this particular day was that Rev Brew announced that a couple of their brews were being bottled and hitting the market for the first time ever this first week of August, and were available for purchase at the taproom a week prior.  These bottled brews included a seasonal specialty Coup d’Etat; as well as a World Beer Cup gold medalist winner Cross of Gold (Category 66).  Well discovering this I dropped my day job items, and headed on over.

As you walk in, sit yourself down within this Hop Mecca of Chicago, you realize this is a serious drinker’s watering hole.  A building constructed not only for the production of Rev Brew crops, but also for the hardcore happy hour enthusiasts.  Upon walking in the stage was set.  There was a huge chalkboard on the wall, great indicator of any place.  There were about 12 taps for your enjoyment, with anything from tart summer ales to bourbon barrel infused concoctions.  And The Last Waltz was sounding on the speakers… only the greatest rock and roll concert documentary ever made.  Life is grand.

As I’m enjoying my Double Fist DPA, a guy walks in with a Dampf Loc Bierwerker shirt on.  Impressive, it’s a diehard crowd indeed.  There’s no food served here, even though you are allowed to order in some grub, you still recognize that the patrons are here for the brews and brews alone.  Hardcore indeed.   It’s a great atmosphere, filled with people looking to test their palates with flavorful beers.  There were people who were there out of mere curiosity, running through flights of each beer on tap.  Then there’s me, coming to simply get my hands on a couple 22 ouncers because I was too impatient to wait the following week. 

What makes this place great, among the crowd, among the atmosphere, among the barrels and barrels of beer fermenting around you is quite humbly the quality of beer. That’s what makes it when it’s all said and done.  They are consistent in each batch I’ve tasted thus far, and I think we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg for what brews are on the horizon with Rev Brew. 

A Snifter of a Review:

1.   Double Fist DPA – smooth and probably in my top 5 doubles to mind.

2.   Faustenstein – This is aged for 36 weeks in Jack Daniels and Woodford Reserve barrels.  Phenominal beer.  Quite thick for a summer day, but so happy I tried it.  In addition, the wife and I love Woodford and it’s our favorite standard bourbon.  Always a plus.  We even had a portion of our wedding events at the Woodford Reserve Distillery.  Yah, it’s that good.

3.   Bottom Up Wit – Quite refreshing after the Faustenstein.  Solid Belgian-style wheat beer.

So venture out to this hub to experience what Revolution has to offer.  Round up a caravan if you have to… 

Items to note:  The Anti-Hero IPA, Eugene Porter, and the Bottom Up Wit (their canned selections) are expected to be out on the streets about 2 to 3 weeks.  The Double Fist Double Pale Ale is scheduled to be bottled in the next week or so.  The Oktoberfest is in the making, scheduled to be released this September along with their Oktoberfest bash scheduled this fall.  There’s definitely a revolution a brewing here in Chicago.

~gY

Review: Two Brothers Dog Days Lager

Brewery:  Two Brothers Brewing Company
Locale:  Warrenville, IL

Craft Circa:  1997

Style:  Lager – Dortmunder Style

ABV:  5.1%

IBUs:  17

Notables:  Seasonal between April & August

Label:  Appropriate for dog lovers and beer lovers alike.  

Overall:   Brings back memories of my first sip of dad’s MGD way back when…. only much better.   I usually do not drink too many lagers unless it’s an Iron City during a Stillers playoff game.  The lager is a crisp, refreshing beer.  It’s full of flavor, has slight caramel, and a hint of hops… overall a very good, quality lager.  The beer has stamina, and keeps delivering the goods.  I believe Two Brothers nailed this style.   

I rarely purchase lagers, but I would definitely drink this beer under the right circumstances.  For example, if Gooner was having a bash, and had some in the cooler, I’d be enthralled to drink a few or twelve.  If there are lager drinkers who are not accustomed to branching off from their MGD’s, get them a six pack to try.  They’ll love it.

It’s the best thing to come out of Germany since Indiana and Henry Jones on a zeppelin. 

Acquisition:  6 pack - $10

Windfall:  Dortmunder means something or someone from Dortmund, Germany.  In this case, it refers to the style of Lager.  Lagers are interesting in that it is one of the few basic brews that cannot be made by the amateur home brewer because it is a type of beer that is fermented and conditioned at low temperatures, which are difficult to control and mandate for the amateur brewer.

~gY