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

Pipeworks Has Done It Again…Review: Pipeworks Brewing Company Poivre Rose Saison

Brewery: Pipeworks Brewing Company
Locale: Chicago, Illinois in the Bucktown Neighborhood 
Craft Circa:  2012 
Style:  Saison (artisanal variety w/peppercorns)
ABV:  7.70%
Notables: Available in the summertime.

Label: Great label. Rustic, old world, aged parchment look with cursive script that really makes its point that this beer has peppercorns in it with the spilled jar of peppercorns.

Overall: Great Beer.  These guys have done it again.  What does Poivre mean?  From what I can tell it’s a French word (duh) that means “coated in black pepper.”  Per the label this Saison has a “hefty dose of pink peppercorns, for floral and citrus notes.”  And a “touch of tellicherry black peppercorns for a hint of spice.”  This is sounding more like a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu or a cooking demo by the illustrious Julia Child than ingredients in beer.

Click picture to watch video...

BTW Julia would’ve been 100 years old on August 15, 2012 (she got a Google Doodle for it!).  Admittedly I was both disturbed and intrigued when Yinzer gave me the task of reviewing this beer.  “Peppercorns???”  (That’s the disturbed part).  “Hmmm intriguing…” (That’s because it’s Pipeworks Brewing; these dudes are producing some quality beer and getting good press and word of mouth.  Speaking of good press see B&B’s review of Pipeworks’ Glaucus Belgian IPA posted way back in July). 


So I thought, “It has to be good.”  And they did not disappoint.  The concoctions these guys are making are VERY creative AND tasty.  While slightly darker than the typical Saison, it had all the classic elements: great floral / spicy aroma, carbonation, and head.  It had a lightly sweet bite on the palate, yet a light full bodied flavor, an almost champagne-like effervescence to it (maybe that’s the French strain of saison yeast?).  This beer started off strong and finished strong.  I kept wanting more; in fact, the only thing that slowed down the consumption was my note taking.  There was a hint of spicy aftertaste from the peppercorns.  Before my first sip I prepared for a pepper onslaught but as I drank I realized that would’ve been a bad move by Pipeworks.  Any more pepper would’ve made this beer a marinade for some fine piece of meat or a bratwurst cookout hosted by the Sausage King of Chicago himself, Abe Froman. 

Acquisition:  22oz. - $9.49.

Windfall: While there are many pepper types, two types of pepper come from India’s Malabar Coast: Malabar pepper and Tellicherry pepper. Tellicherry (one of the peppers in Pipeworks’ Poivre Rose Saison) is a pepper made from fruits from the grafted Malabar plants grown on Mount Tellicherry. (Wikipedia)   

Cheers!

~Gy