Pipeworks Pastrami on Rye

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #55) bought at Binny's in IL; 2012 

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable, 8.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

Batch #55

Tonight is somewhat celebratory...and I'm eating pizza. So I thought I'd take a break from the Christmas-y beers and crack something special open. And why not support the local brewery, Pipeworks, while I'm at it.

Pipeworks has humble roots. The brewery was founded in Chicago in 2011 by Beejay Oslon and Gerrit Lewis. The duo were both homebrewers that met while while working at West Lakeview Liquors. In 2011, they began to raise money for their brewery using the online Internet site, Kickstarter. Olson and Lewis were both educated at De Struise Brewery in Oostvleteren, Belgium. With that knowledge, and the money from their kickstarter, Olson and Lewis created a unique brewery that is smaller in size, and intended to brew smaller batches of beer. The company's motto is "small batches, big beers." And indeed, since the brewery has been around, they've been releasing a lot of one-offs and small batch releases. At one point - and maybe still - the goal was the release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is all sorts of ridiculous, from the bottle art, to the concept...but I love the crap out of pastrami on rye, so I have high hopes. The back of the bottle states:

"Pastrami on Rye is our tribute to the classic Kosher deli sandwich. This rich dark ale incorporates rye and smoked malts to represent smoked brisket and soft rye bread. A myriad of spices enter the boiling wort including corriander, mustard seed, carraway, allspice, and peppercorns. All of the traditional spices that go into making pastrami are used. The result is a surprisingly smooth spiced ale perfect for sipping during the colder months."  

This beer is also unfiltered...which seems to be a theme, probably indicative of the small scale, small batch, brewery/brewing process. It's not a bad thing at all...so let's put the sandwich into the beer into a glass.

Pipeworks Pastrami on Rye

The beer pours a cola-brown color in low light, and stirs up about a pinky's worth of brown/tan head. The head is thick but thin...and reminds me of the head of a Belgian Pale Ale or a Saison. The head doesn't hang around for long either....quietly dissolving into a nice cauldron effect. When held to a bright light, the beer takes on a murky cola-color, with shades of brown and red. It looks like Dr. Pepper. There's some nice carbonation, alcohol legs, and some sticky lacing.

I'm really impressed with the aroma on this...but it's a very interesting aroma that can go a few ways. For example, I'm getting some nutmeg and Belgian-esque dark fruits like plums. On a similar spectrum, I'm pulling off aromas of bready rye, pepper, and pastrami. I'm definitely getting big pink peppercorn aromas on this...and there's a hint of raw alcohol on the nose. In summary, I'm getting: nutmeg, rye, peppercorn.

WOW. This is some dense stuff...I guess at 8.5% I can't be too surprised, but yeah. And also, WOW. I'm getting smoke, big pastrami, green pickles, black pepper, peppercorn, and rye bread. You get a big blast of Belgian base beer up front, accompanied by huge nutmeg spice, a hint of Belgian yeast, and some sweet dark fruits (plums, grapes)...then the beer blasts you with salty smoke, and you get pickles, pastrami, rye bread...the kitchen sink, really. The back end is epic, even leaving lingering pastrami-pork, with tons of salty peppercorn goodness to boot. There's rye bread, rye, and smoke throughout (I'm also getting some smoke/anise). 

I'm still jaded about that Rogue beer that gushed on me...so let me take 4 seconds to say good job, Pipeworks. This beer screams, "NOVELTY!" But unlike Rogue's Bacon Maple disaster -- for example -- this beer gets the job done. Well...so long as you don't mind a little nutmeg and Belgian fruit/funk up front. Mouthfeel on this is medium-full to full, and this is quite dense. This is creamy and smooth thanks to great supporting carbonation (<-think Dark Belgian Ale), and drinks ridiculously easy for 8.5%. You know how I said I could smell some alcohol on the nose? You don't get that in the taste. Palate depth is great, complexity is high. Up front is nutmeg, Belgian base, dark fruits; this quickly rolls into pickles, salt, burgeoning pastrami, smoke, pepper; the back end is big pepper, peppercorn, rye, and pastrami. The finish dries out leaving pastrami-pork-hot dog on your palate, with lingering pepper. The nutmeg must be what drives that "pork" flavor, as you get that on the finish as well.

Rating: Above-Average

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. Damn...this is good, and not at all what I was expecting. Hell, I don't even know what I was expecting in a 8.5% beer called "Pastrami on Rye." Food pairings: pizza, sandwiches, pastrami, a grinder (mmm), hot dogs, or even some fried pickles. I have to say...22oz of this stuff might be a bit much, as I wind down to the last 8oz or so. And this beer definitely reveals its Belgian base up front...for better or worse. In some ways, it's almost like a palate cleanser to get those fruits up front. This beer is very much a novelty...but it's definitely one of the BETTER novelties. Get a bottle, and split it with some friends.

Random Thought: It's a Tuesday and I'm about to open another beer...because it's also my birthday. I feel older, but I don't feel wiser. I think there's wisdom in that realization...which is pretty fucking meta. Also, I think that says something about how I have a lot of faith in Pipeworks. I could have gone for one of the many "safe" beers I have on hand to celebrate this occassion, but here I am. What I'm trying to say is....if you live in the Chicagoland area, check out Pipeworks!!!!