Pipeworks Elijah’s Revival

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #293, 296) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled 01.09.2014)

Style/ABV: Wheatwine, 10.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's an Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™, and this weekend is Super Bowl weekend. I happen to be kind of-probably-most likely rooting for the Broncos, so tonight's orange-labeled beer seems appropriate and whatnot. About Pipeworks:

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. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is a "wheat wine style ale aged with orange and spices." This one is brewed with Niche (based out of Gevenva, IL), and punches in at a gentle 10%. The back of the bottle states:

"Ladies and gentlemen, step right up and take a pull of this desirable imbibable wonder! Now, I'm not hawking a ballyhoo for any old flukum. No, this prestidigitational flavor rambunction is brewed in inspired conjunction with Niche. Wegotcher orange, wegotcher Mandarina Bavaria hop, wegotcher spices, wegotcher all things nices. This ale is the best on either side of the river or my name's not Elijah (which it is) and this is not my revival (which it is)."

Pipeworks Elijah’s Revival

The beer pours into a murky and swampy dark orange color, with some dark brown and golden straw clouds floating in the haze. The beer kicks up a finger of amber/orange-tinted head, which is very Belgian-esque. In bright light the beer is a cloudy orange color with peppery dots of carbonation cascading up, there is some nice lacing, and a centimeter of creamy, sea foam head just hanging around.

The aroma is really bready and sweet...if you pull away from the beer, you start to pick up some of the orange and spice as it wafts towards you. I'm getting raisins, ginger, nutmeg, bread, candi sugar, cream, vanilla, and some wheat malts. This beer has a similar base to the Hey, Careful Man, as you get that obnoxious and loud wheat/vanilla aroma. Really big wheat and vanilla...it just grows the longer you take in the aroma. 

I'm drinking this pretty warm, which you probably should for a 10% Wheatwine. The big thing that I'm getting here is pillowy wheat, dry bready notes, dry fruit cake, raisins, alcohol, vanilla/cream/wheat, and some subtle orange and spice. There are hints of bready and cakey stone fruits in here, with hints of fruit cake. 

This beer reminds me of some sort of Egyptian ancient ale. It has a rustic edge, and I can't say I have ever had anything quite like it. It's entirely unique, and the orange and spice is a lot more toned down than I was expecting. This is just dense...like bread or cake, but dry and creamy thanks to the wheat. It's...fuckin' weird. This is medium-bodied, but drinks much more full-bodied thanks to pretty laid back carbonation and the creamy wheat malts doing their thing. Palate depth is really outstanding, where complexity is kind of like, "huh," or, "meh," or, "????" Like...I don't even know? There's the dry bready thing, the wheat, the subtle orange and spice, the general sweetness...what's going on here....up front: sweet orange, cream, vanilla, wheat, and then some dry bread, spice, raisins, hints of hops; the middle rolls into more slight bitterness, dry fruits, dry bread, wheat, spice; the back end ramps the cream/wheat/vanilla/sweet bread/cake thing back up, and the finish is malty and dense and then dry.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a ??? Light Above-Average on this...I don't know. I really don't. This is pretty enjoyable though. The 10% is completely hidden, and the beer favors sweetness and rich cream/wheat/vanilla. It's not a bad vibe, and I find myself wanting to pair this beer with fruit cake or something sweet. Speaking of sweet...I'm picking up a dash of honey and saffron in this. Seriously, this beer is like the ancient ale Dogfish Head wanted to brew but then they didn't. You can also pair this beer with SUPER SPICY FOODS, like mango habanero wings, or ghost pepper marmalade sauce. Actually, the fruity and spicy notes in the ghost pepper play off this beer in wonderful ways....Pipeworks should try making a version of this beer with some ghost peppers. But yeah, I'm really intrigued, I'll have to try this one again.

Random Thought: Ghost peppers and sweet peach/mango/marmalade. Do it. Now. I had Chinese food tonight, and the fried chicken things came with a sweet sauce...I dumped some ghost pepper sauce into the mix and walla. Success. Instant classic.

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2014 (2013 Vintage/Bottle)

Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 4.0%??? 

Reported IBUs: ?

Sigh. I'm getting a little teary-eyed here, this is the last of my stash of New Glarus beers. But worry not, faithful reader (all...three of you or whatever), for I will return to the land of cheese to buy more New Glarus beer in the future. In the meantime, we'll just have to wax nostalgia on my horrible New Glarus reviews. About New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased copper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Wisconsin Belgian Red Style is described as being a "marriage of wine and beer." This beer is brewed with whole Montmorency Cherries, Wisconsin Farmed Wheat, and Belgian Roasted Barley. The beer is lagered in oak tanks, and hopped with aged Hallertau hops. Each bottle features "over a pound of Door County Cherries." Bonus points: this beer is available year-round.

New Glarus Wisconsin Belgian Red

The beer pours into a cerise/red/cherry wood color, and kicks up two or three fingers of cherry wood-tinted head. There's some nice lacing, and the beer is hazy in low light. The beer takes on a bright red, almost orange appearance in bright light...it actually looks fairly clear and filtered. There's some fat, large carbonation bubbles drifting upwards.

The aroma here is all cherry sex all day everyday. The cherry smell is familiar, and candy-like. If you think about it long enough you'll eventually stumble upon "Cherry Jolly Ranchers," because that's pretty much the aroma encapsulated. There's some dark/caramel sugars, and big Belgian yeast and bready Belgian aromas. There's also a little bit of that wet hay and barnyard funk (BUT NOT SOUR) that you find in the New Glarus fruit beers. Long story short: cherry Jolly Ranchers. 

The taste isn't anywhere near as Jolly Rancher artificial as the aroma...there's tons of cherries, cherry pie filling, actual cherries, cherry tannin and cherry skin, and a little Jolly Rancher cherry candy. The whole cherry sex delivery system is packaged with some hints of caramel sugar and Belgian yeast and bready malts. There's also an underlying tart/wet rain/hay/barnyard quality that suggests the oaky, spontaneous conception. 

This is a medium-bodied beer, with surprisingly light (but still dry and still champagne-like) carbonation. The beer has density, with divine palate depth and really nice complexity for what is essentialy a cherry Lambic/Cider thing. There's not a lot to hate on here. This is pretty much perfect for what it is, and it's so drinkable and enjoyable. Is it vinous or wine-like? I dunno, you decide. Up front: cherries, cherry pie filling, cherry currants, and cherry Jolly Ranchers; the middle is bready cherries, dark sugars, Belgian yeast, some hay and funk; the back end dials up some more funk, with slightly tart and acidic cherries on the finish. It finishes sweet, cherry, dry, champagne. 

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

Mother fucker. I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. I hate cherry candy, I really do. Cherry is my least favorite Jolly Rancher flavor. I'm just a strawberry and green apple kind of guy. And watermelon. I love watermelon. Cherry is kind of meh, you know? But it REALLY WORKS here. This beer is firing off on all cylinders. This beer really works the Belgian yeast, hints of caramel sugar, hints of bread, and light funk. It does it better than the Raspberry Tart, Serendipity, and Strawberry Rhubarb. It just does, and even though the Strawberry Rhubarb is maybe my favorite of the New Glarus fruit beers, this one is by far the clear winner. This is just world-class stuff to pair with steak, beef, potatoes, fruit salads, chocolate, raunchy burgers with cheese, strong cheeses, and ice cream. New Glarus lists out a bunch of food pairings that will probably work too (like lamb), but I'd stick with that medium-rare steak and chocolate cake. Just...really good. I can't not recommend this, especially at the price of $10 a bottle.

Random Thought: I hope to get up across the border within the next few months, so we will see how that goes. 

North Coast Grand Cru

Brewed By: North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California

Purchased: 500ml bottle purchased at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Strong Ale, 12.9%

Reported IBUs: ???

At 12.9%, tonight's beer is the Winter warmer I have been craving. It's also a beer I picked up a few months back that has been chilling in my fridge. It's high time we drink this thing. About North Coast:

The North Coast Brewing Company was founded in 1988 as a local brewpub in Fort Bragg, on California's Mendocino Coast. The brewery was founded by brewmaster Mark Ruedrich, president and brewmaster. Under his leadership, the brewery has won over 70 national and international awards, and has carved a definitive niche in American craft beer. For more information, check out their website here.

The North Coast Grand Cru was originally brewed as the North Coast Twentieth Anniversary Ale to commemorate the brewery's 20th anniversary. The bottle is nondescript, not even hinting at the vintage (I think this is a 2013 or 2011????). It says: "Ale brewed with agave nectar and aged in bourbon barrels." This beer features pilsner malts, and is fermented with Belgian yeast. 

North Coast Grand Cru

Whoa...I was not expecting this beer to pour out into a golden-orange/honey/amber color. The beer also produces two fingers of white head that is super soapy and thin, and quickly fades off into a white ring around the glass. Bright light confirms the radiant golden-orange body, and you can see streams of tiny carbonation rising upwards with intensity. There's some glossy legs and tight lacing as well.

The aroma on this beer is raw and boozy. It reminds me of the Two Brothers 16th Anniversary Ale and the Allagash Curieux. I'm getting coconut (shredded, toasted, bourbon, and coconut rum), vanilla, bourbon, wood and wood tannin, orange, pineapple, mango, agave, and Belgian candi sugar. I'm also getting a ton of Quad-like aromas. If you've had a really intense American Belgian Quadruple (like THIS or THIS), you'll know what I'm talking about. I'm getting Quad-like cherries, overripe stone fruits, plums, and huge bananas soaked in alcohol. You know...this beer kind of reminds me of the Sam Adams Imperial White.

The taste: interesting...this is very fruity, with tons of apples, wheat, and then HUGE bourbon and vanilla and coconut expanding on the back. I'm reminded of the aged bottles of the Schneider Weisse Tap 6 Unser Aventinus, only with bourbon and more booze. I'm getting a lot of wheat, apples, banana, cherry, Quad-like stone fruits and overripe fruits, some pineapple and tropical fruits, coconut and coconut milk, and then BAM, big blasts of vanilla, bourbon, bourbon-coconut, and some barrel. It's really a tale of two beers here, with the thinner and fruity beer up front, and the giant 12.9% bourbon-barrel aged Belgian Ale in the back. There's a sherry/raisin/oxidized thing up front as well, and some nondescript spiciness from the Belgian yeast. Really nice spice and oak.

I'm seeing a lot of dodgy reviews for this beer, and why? I dunno, I'm finding this to be a fun beer to review. This probably isn't a fun beer to drink at the bar, but this is some complex shit. This is the type of beer I daydream about when I am at work. This is a beer you want to mull over in your snifter. You know? Super complex. The palate depth and duration are good too. And this medium-bodied beer has good carbonation, and hides the 12.9% very well. Although...you do pick up some booze on the back. Let's walk through the progression of this beer one more time. Up front is huge wheat, apples, pears, cherry, Quad-like fruits, stone fruits, overripe fruits, banana, sherry/oxidized/raisin, and spicy Belgian esters; mid palate hits you up with some coconut, pineapple, tropical fruits, coconut rum, coconut milk; then the beer just fucks your face with HUGE vanilla, bourbon, coconut, light wood tannin, and dynamite barrel character. The finish is boozy and dry. I really like this.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Wow...this has to be one of the most underrated, misunderstood beers you can find. Look at these reviews on Ratebeer and Beeradvocate shit-panning this. It's possible that there is some bottle variation...it's also possible that this beer benefits from age. I'm not drinking a fresh bottle, but I don't know how old it is. Also, drink this beer warm. The bottle says to drink around 50F, and I agree. Food pairings: unless you plan to pair this beer with pineapple upside-down cake or coconut cake, don't pair it with anything. This beer deserves to be mulled over for an hour in your snifter. 

Random Thought: Are the low ratings all that surprising? This is a weird, sugary beer, with no particular style guidelines. It's good though. It's subtle and complex...unlike the Two Brothers 16th Anniversary Ale. 

Samuel Adams Rebel IPA

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2014
Style/ABV: American IPA, 6.5%

Reported IBUs: 45

I was gonna jump into a big ass Winter Warmer tonight, but the Rebel IPA has been on everyone's radar thanks to some controversy from Looganetoes founder, Tony Magee. You can read about the drama here, and here. Honestly...I don't care very much, the real question is: is the Rebel IPA any good? About Sam Adams:

The Boston Brewing Company/Sam Adams is, of course, the brain child of Jim Koch (and Harry M. Rubin and Lorenzo Lamadrid). Founded in 1984, Jim Koch got the ball rolling after college when he decided to resurrect and brew his favorite family recipe. That recipe belonged to his great-great grandfather, Louis Koch, and dates back to the 1870s (where it was brewed in a St. Louis brewery). That infamous family brew is the Sam Adams Boston Lager, of course. You can read more about the history of the Boston Brewing Company HERE, or check out their website HERE.  

The Rebel IPA is well within the threshold of an American IPA. The bottle states some totally lame bullshit, "West Coast Style Brewed For The Revolution," implying that there is some sort of west coast style or revolution. I guess the revolution is Sam Adams decided to harden the fuck up and brew an IPA? Whatever. This one is brewed with Cascade, Simcoe, Chinook, Centennial, and Amarillo hops. The American hop dream, yo. The malt base is Sam Adams two-row pale malt blend and Caramel 60, and this is fermented with Sam Adams Ale Yeast. 

Samuel Adams Rebel IPA

The beer pours into a golden/bronze/amber body, kicking up three fingers of gold-tinted head. The head is fluffy and soapy, and is hanging around nicely. As the head does fall off, you are left with tons of lacing. This beer is filtered and sort of blandly transparent with lazy carbonation. Bright light confirms the same stuff. 

The bottle art is a departure from your usual Sam Adams affair. It reminds me of BrewDog. Another departure is that this beer punches in at a formidable 6.5% ABV. That is a pretty huge departure from the large selection of Sam Adams beers that clock in between 4.0% and 5.5%. 

The stereotypical West Coast IPA features tons of tropical fruit, guava, citrus, mango, and pineapple. The Rebel IPA has aromas of pine, orange, tangerine, BIG BISCUIT and BIG CRACKER, grass, lemon grass, cereal, kumquat, and Fruity Pebbles soaking in milk. Along with the cereal and biscuit is some slight mineral edge to the water.

The taste is a lot like the nose, for better or worse. I know what my vision of a stereotypical West Coast IPA is, and this is not that. That's good news for Lagunitas, because their IPA is more in line with the stereotypical West Coast IPA. But enough about that. What you taste here: cereal, pine, lemon, resinous grapefruit and orange, bitter pine, lemon, earthy bitterness, and big biscuit/cracker. Missing is the Grateful Dead levels of dank, or the Hawaiian freeway pileup of tropical fruits. I'm not feeling that West Coast vibe at all, really, but this is a perfectly fine IPA.

Maybe the real issue is that the quintessential West Coast IPA is actually an Imperial IPA. Hmm...food for thought. This isn't a bad beer though. It's very drinkable at 6.5%, with masked alcohol. This has a medium-bodied mouthfeel, with smoothing carbonation, and good duration and palate depth. Complexity is par the course. Up front is cereal-biscuit followed by pine, guava, and nondescript orange/tangerine; that rolls into pine, with some woody stuff, earthy bitterness, grass; the back end features lingering hopes and more biscuit/cracker. Dry. Like a Pilsner. Weird but good.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this beer. Tony Magee can chill the fuck out. The Lagunitas IPA is better than this beer, and it's much more true to the West Coast stereotype. So what if Sam Adams be jacking tap lines, shit happens. When did this business become a tongue-in-your-competitor's-asshole affair? But you have to see the appeal of this beer. The Rebel IPA is cheap (less than $10 for a 6-pack, and the ABV is pretty good at 6.5%). And this beer is accessible with a pretty soft 45 IBUs, tons of biscuit/cracker malt, and yeah. I honestly wish it was a bit sweeter and more tropical. Simcoe and Chinook and Centennial hops don't mess around. Food pairings...whatever. American bar food, pizza, wings, burgers, you know the drill. 

Random Thought: This is a super solid beer, it really is. Don't even give me your bullshit about how it's manufactured and too refined, like those qualifiers mean fuck all. This beer is solid. It's a good IPA. Is it the West Coast? Not for my nostalgia preference. But it works. I'd get it again on tap, and I'm sure I will. And I think a lot of people who trust the Sam Adams brand thanks to Boston Lager and Summer Ale will also seek this out on tap. And who knows, maybe they'll convert to more niche craft brands.

New Glarus Serendipity

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2014 (2013 Vintage/Bottle)

Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 4.0%??? 

Reported IBUs: ?

It's snowy and cold tonight, so let's be contrarian and drin a refreshing fruit beer. About New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased coper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Serendipity is a fruit beer brewed with cherries, apples, and cranberries. This fruit beer is aged in oak and spontaneously fermented. Blah blah New Glarus blah Fruit Beer blah you know the drill.

In low light, the beer pours into a murky/hazy reddish-brown color, kicking up three fingers of lofty, amber/red head. In bright light the beer takes on a darker red/orange color, and you can see some dotted carbonation rising in the hazy body. Head retention is nice, with tight lacing. Bright light confirms the reddish/orange/amber head. 

The aroma is where this beer shines. You get huge tart but not sour apples, cranberry, and big cherry. There's some pastry/pie filling, with cherry pie, apple pie, and some wet rain, wet hay, and barnyard. The fruit notes in this beer are vibrant and fresh, and the nose is inviting. This beer is like a mash up of the New Glarus Apple Ale with their Belgian Red. 

The taste: you get blasted with huge apple and cherry fruit...the whole beer has underlying tart (but not sour) barnyard funk, wet rain, and hay. There's big cherry pie filling, apple orchard and apple cider, hints of bready pastry, and underlying currants and herbal fruitiness. I'm getting freshly cut apples, and some light apple and cherry tannin. Really refreshing and good and vibrant.

This is another humdinger from the New Glarus fruit beer portfolio. This beer is medium-light bodied, with good palate depth and low complexity. There's a lot of carbonation and really enjoyable tartness. Yeah...this one is kind of sweet and one-dimensional, and it sort of rides that line of being a beer or being a cider or whatever. I don't know. I don't care...this is delicious. You get big cherry and apple up front; that explodes into sweet cherry and apple pie filling, with currants and hints of pastry, and some hay/barnyard funk; the back end dials up some lingering funk and malts, and finishes a bit abrupt and dry. The cranberry is present, as a tart character, and as cranberry-apple, crabapple, and cherry. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This absolutely nails the cherry/apple/cranberry thing, and it dials up plenty of juicy fruit sweetness, with tons of mild funk and barnyard. It's your typical New Glarus fruit beer...and it's good. Food pairings: fruit pies, fruit cakes, ice cream, pork with apple sauce, and Thanksgiving. Really solid and affordable (at around $10 a bomber), this would be perfect in the Autumn, Spring, or Summer.

Random Thought: This really isn't a Winter beer...so tomorrow night we are going to get back into beers appropriate for this shitty weather.

Maiden Rock Royal Cider Wisconsin Apple Dessert Wine

Brewed By: Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Stockholm, Wisconsin 

Purchased: 375ml bottle purchased at the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery in Maiden Rock/Stockholm, WI; 2013 

Style/ABV: Ice Cider/Perry/Wine, 18.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

I'm really excited to open this up and get some legit tasting notes...I sampled this Ice Cider/Wine/blend at the winery, and I really enjoyed it. It's cold as fuck outside and snowy, so this warming apple wine should be the perfect thing to hit the spot. About the Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery: 

Maiden Rock Winery & Cidery is a farm and orchard located in Stockholm, Wisconsin. The farm was purchased by homebrewer, Herdie Baisden, and his wife, Carol Wiersma. The apple varieties they planted included apples more typical to southwestern England, apples that are suitable for the production of cider and wine. They opened the winery/cidery in July 2008. For more information check out their website here.

The Royal Cider Apple Dessert Wine is made from locally grown Wisconsin apples, fermented into a hard cider (I'm fairly sure this is an Ice Cider/Perry), and then fortified with Wisconsin apple brandy. Fuck yes. 

Maiden Rock Royal Cider Wisconsin Apple Dessert Wine

There's not much to see in terms of the appearance...it pours out like a white wine or cider. Transparent, minimal carbonation, and the this has that wine-like yellow/melon/peach color. There's some huge, glossy alcohol legs on this. Which you obviously expect at 18.0%.

The aroma on here is boozy, warm, and has a buttery/oak edge. I'm curious if this spent any time on oak. There'a a huge apple brandy aroma on the nose, with apples and boozy alcohol dancing around. There's also a decent amount of Ice Cider/Cider on the nose...I'm picking up lots of elements of a cider, including apples, apple cider/juice, and even a little clove and cinnamon spice. There is no mistaking the booze and sweetness in the aroma.

Wow. This is ridiculously drinkable...the taste is sweet apples, saffron and sweet white wine, some brandy sweetness, and booze...and then you get that huge warming as it goes down your throat. There are kisses of apple pie in here as I let this sit on my tongue, along with apple cider, and then brandy all the way home. 

This is dangerous at 18.0%...one bottle of this stuff is like drinking four standard drinks, but that's the point. This is a "dessert wine," made out of distilled wine (brandy). You're supposed to sip on this with your apple pie, or on a cold winter day. It's really the perfect winter drink to warm you up. Just drink a bottle of this and walla. This has a moderately dense (medium-bodied) mouthfeel, with low complexity and good palate depth and duration. It's a boozy sipper, but the booze is really well-masked behind the apple cider, white wine notes, and sweetness. The brandy used in this is fantastic. You get white wine with a hint of wood/oak up front, followed by dense stuff that is almost bready; then it's all cider and booze, with apples, brandy; more apples and brandy on the back and boozy warming on the finish.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is very good for what it is, which is a Dessert Wine/Cider fortified with apple brandy. It's very simple, which it is supposed to be...I guess at 18.0% I'm looking for a little more complexity, be it some more white wine character, or maybe the addition of stronger barrel/oak flavor. I would heat this up and pour it in my mug to drink at a football game on a cold winter day. This isn't complex enough to pour into your snifter and mull over. You can definitely pair it with dessert though...anything apples. Apple pie, apple cake, bread pudding with apples, and yeah. Check this out if you are ever at Maiden Rock.

Random Thought: Brandy is like the candy of distilled things. I'm not classy enough for that shit, and lord knows my palate is amateur hour.

Pipeworks Simcoe Ninja

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #306, 307, 322, 323) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled ??.??.2014)

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 9.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

DIPA her? I hardly know her! Tonight is Saturday, so it's Not Pipeworks Thursday™....but I had a serious Lupulin craving. About Pipeworks:

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. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

The Simcoe Ninja is is brewed with 2-row, munich, special roast, white wheat, acidulated malt, and caramel 40 malts; this one uses Chinook, falconner's flight, simcoe, and zythos hops. The back of the bottle states:

"A new clan of warriors is ready to do battle with your taste buds. A true combatant, the Simcoe's only foe is the bland. With massive notes of pine and citrus, Pipeworks Simcoe will slash at your senses and leave you thirsty for another battle."

Pipeworks Simcoe Ninja

The beer pours into a pretty typical Pipeworks IPA pour. That is....a hazy, juicy, dark orange color, with a finger of off-white head. The beer has really nice lacing, with sheets of lacing, and the head settles into sea foam and a nice cauldron effect. It's a good looking beer.

Forget the appearance though, you are here for those hops. The aroma on this beer is exploding with hops. As I was pouring this beer into the glass, I was getting tons of hops. This beer reminds me of the Arctic Panzer Wolf. I'm getting huge Simcoe and Chinook: grapefruit, catty notes, spice, BIG orange, pine, and lemon, and some crushed leaves and iced tea. The hops are wet, bright, and sharp. The hint of resin that you do get on the aroma is razor sharp...the exact opposite of drinking an Imperial IPA in a hemp field.

And the taste conveys similar...this is juicy and slightly earthy/woody, with big iced tea and crushed leaves, earthy spice, pepper, and big orange/pine/grapefruit/lemon. Simcoe is kind of aggressive, and this beer definitely has that razor sharp resinous-bitterness thing, veering towards spicy and woody and bitter and dry. It is a little harsh, but there is a blast of sweeter pine/citrus/grapefruit/orange/lemon that helps even things out. This one is pretty dry and hop-forward, I'm not getting a ton of sugar, bread, or malts. There's a hint of caramel sweetness in the back.

I love all things bitter, woody, astringent, and spicy...but it's hard to pull that off. A great example of an aggressively hoppy beer made out of an aggressive hop was the Pipeworks Centennial Ninja. That beer was fucking spectacular. This beer right here is pretty solid. It's medium to full bodied, appropriately carbonated, and nicely attenuated. Palate depth is good, and complexity is alright. The 9.5% is completely hidden. You get wet leaves, iced tea, woody/resin/bitter hops and spice up front; that rolls into more spice, peppery bitterness, coriander, catty Simcoe, PINE, big pine; the back end has a blast of sweet citrus/orange/grapefruit/lemon, and then the finish is spicy and dry. It's formidable, and pretty good for the style. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. Pretty, pretty good...not my favorite Ninja by a long shot. It's vibrant though. The aggressive Chinook and Simcoe are on full display. If you like that fuck-your-face-grapefruit assertiveness you get from Simcoe, along with the catty/woody bitter, and the spicy Chinook goodness, you'll enjoy this beer. Food pairings: peppered steak, chicken, game hen, potatoes, buffalo wings, sausage pizza, and fried chicken. This is bright and fresh, you can't beat this local IPA if you live in Chicago.

Random Thought: I can't believe I'm still finding Bourbon County just sitting on shelves. I do believe that Goose Island can turn Bourbon County into a beer that is a available year-round if they get enough supply, there seems to be a drop in demand.

Pipeworks S'More Money, S'More Problems

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #294-295) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled ??.??.2014)

Style/ABV: Imperial Stout/American Double, 10.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's an Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™, so you know the drill. I'm going to type up a crappy review for a Pipeworks beer, and complain about the weather. Seriously though, this weather is ridiculous.

This is just....fuck.

The only silver lining is that it is peak Stout/Strong Ale/Barleywine season. There are no other silver linings. About Pipeworks:

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. The goal is to release a new beer every week. You can read more about the brewery at their website HERE.

Tonight's beer is unqiue in that it was brewed with one of Pipeworks' Friends With Benefits (aka donor) members, Keith Lonergan. This beer is brewed with "copious amounts of chocolate malt, roasted barley, golden naked oats and crushed graham crackers." Cocao nibs, vanilla bean, and "marshmallow flavor" are added after primary. The back of the bottle states::

"This is about to get campy... Boys and girls scoutin' for an ale that's s'more than a feelin' for the next jamboree or just looking to mallow out with something tasty, this is s'more like it. Crafted in collaboration with Kickstarter supporter Keith Lonergan, this chocolatey stout is brewed with graham crackers, and has an in-tents marshmallow flavor. Get s'more for you and all your friends, because s'more the merrier. Only you can prevent forest fires, by drinking s'more."

Oh my the puns. This beer pours very much like every other opaque, inky black Imperial Stout. That is to say: thick and viscous with a black body, and producing a finger's worth of brown head. There is some tight lacing, alcohol legs, and glossy brown beer sticking to the side of the glass. In bright light the beer catches some ruby/brown tones on the very edges, but yeah.

Pipeworks S'More Money, S'More Problems

Unlike every other Stout...the aroma here is awesome and unique. This beer really does smell like S'mores, with huge cocoa and cacao nibs, chocolate, marshmallow, burnt marshmallow and sugar, and bready graham crackers and Golden Grahams. Wowza, what an aroma. I just want to park my nose in this beer. When you start to deconstruct things, you get the vanilla bean, roast, coffee/espresso/earthy, and hazelnut. The coffee/hazelnut is pretty big. What is impressive is that the graham note really comes across on the aroma. It's a really specific food/flavor, so I doubt I'd place it blind, but I don't know.

Mmmmmm...this is fantastic. Credit to Pipeworks and Keith Lonergan for nailing this. This tastes like a S'more. I'm getting tons of chocolate, marshmallow, dense graham cracker, and lingering chocolate/cacao and marshmallow on the back. The beer is thick and hearty, like a Milk Stout, and there's some serious vanilla bean dancing around in here. Along with all of the S'mores and graham cracker is some really nice hazelnut, earthy coffee, and roast. The beer has a surprising amount of bitterness.

This beer is rich and thick and sticky, and it hides the booze well. I'm not picking up any of the 10%. The mouthfeel is full-bodied, and the palate duration is long. Complexity is pretty good. It's a sweet and sticky beer, but there is some earthy stuff and bitterness in the mix. Up front is a huge blast of cocoa and vanilla bean; that rolls into the S'more with earthy roast, coffee, campfire, marshmallow, chocolate and cocoa, and graham cracker; the back end is lingering chocolate and roasted marshmallow, with some hazelnut/coffee and a sticky finish. Really solid stuff here....

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average  on this...this beer sets out to taste like S'mores, and it pretty much nails it. It's not a particularly complex or refined beer, but it's a really good Stout. And the S'mores come through big time. It's also cold as fuck outside, so the notion of drinking liquid S'mores is very appealing to me right now. Food pairings: S'mores. The Stout base here is pretty legit and earthy/coffee/roasty so you could also pair this with dry chocolate cake, ice cream, or just drink the beer for dessert itself since it's probably tipping the 615+ calorie mark (per 22oz). I hope Pipeworks puts this one on their rotation.

Random Thought: What I find particularly fascinating about this beer is that it has a long list of ingredients...it reminds me of Rogue. I could see a Voodoo Doughnut S'mores beer...and it would probably fall somewhere between "average" and "suck." You can make beers with unique ingredients taste good. It probably helps that Pipeworks has the Stout base down, but yeah. Buy this beer.

New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb

Brewed By: New Glarus Brewing Company in New Glarus, Wisconsin

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2014 (2013 Vintage/Bottle)

Style/ABV: Fruit Beer, 4.0%??? 

Reported IBUs: ?

Yup, I still have some New Glarus stuff lingering...I'm gonna try to kill it over the next few days. About New Glarus:

New Glarus is the rare, gorgeous "Midwest" brewery, founded in 1993 by Deborah Carey, the first woman to found and operate a brewery in the United States. She raised the capital for the start-up as a gift to her husband, Dan Carey, who is New Glarus' brewmaster and co-owner. Dan Carey has a long history working in the brewing industry, including an apprenticeship at a brewery near Munich, Germany and a job as the Production Supervisor for Anheuser-Busch. The brewery began as an abandoned warehouse using old brewpub equipment. In 1997, Dan Carey purchased coper kettles from a brewery in Germany. In May 2006, New Glarus opened their new (current) facility on a hilltop in the village of New Glarus. The facility looks like a Bavarian village, and is gorgeous. The expansion has allowed the brewery to continue to increase their production, and expand their operations. For more information, check out their brewery page or Wikipedia. 

The Strawberry Rhubarb is a spontaneously fermented beer brewed with strawberries and rhubarb. Suggested food pairings include butter croissant, pan fried whitefish, baked chicken, mascarpone and brie cheese, ice cream, and angel food cake.

New Glarus Strawberry Rhubarb

This is an ugly beer...it pours into a murky and swampy brown color. It looks like Wisconsin pond water, and I mean that in the best way possible. The beer does produce a lofty, dense, three fingers of khaki/light brown/sandy head. Head retention is good, and there's minimal lacing. In the brightest of light, the beer picks up orange and red tones, but it's still murky. There's some lazy carbonation.

You won't care much about how this beer looks (nor should you care much about how any beer looks, really) when you get some of that awesome aroma. This beer smells like strawberry rhubarb pie and pastries, with huge strawberry rhubarb pie filling, strawberry sweetness, strawberry Big League Chew and candy, and some doughy and pastry hints. There's a lot of strawberry and fruit sugar on the nose, but I think there's some bready, caramely malts in the mix. There's a hint of wet rain and hay funk on the nose as well, which definitely suggests something like a fruity lambic or spontaneously fermented beer.

What is there to say about this beer? It really does follow through the nose, with pretty dense, malt-driven blasts of strawberry, rhubarb, and strawberry rhubarb pie. You get lots of strawberry: currants, Big League Chew and strawberry Blow Pops, and tons of pie crust and pastry dough. The beer has hints of bready, and there's plenty of hay funk to keep things interesting. It's really good.

I think even the most cynical people can appreciate the simplicity of this beer. Yeah, it's not uber complex, but the palate depth is outstanding. It's low-ABV, drinkable, and actually pretty affordable at $10 per 750ml bottle. It's a reasonably priced treat. The mouthfeel is medium-full, but drinkability is high thanks to lots of carbonation, and that slightly tart (but not sour) hay funk that hangs over the beer. It's sweet...but not aggressively so. It's sweet in a bready sort of way. Up front: tart strawberry and rhubarb, strawberry and rhubarb pie; that rolls into big strawberry, strawberry gum and candy, bready strawberry sweetness, currants, and more strawberry; the back end trails off with lingering strawberry, bready notes, sweetness, lingering hay funk, and it finishes a bit like fruity champagne. I love it.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is maybe my favorite of the New Glarus fruit beers, even though it's probably not the best. I would say this compares favorably to their Apple Ale in terms of what you are getting, which is basically a bready and dense Brown Ale type beer with the fruit trimmings and spontaneous fermentation. It's just a polished, straightforward beer. I would second the suggestion to pair this with angel food cake or strawberry short cake. You could also pair this with vanilla ice cream, strawberry rhubarb pie, buttery white fish, and definitely with pancakes or waffles and a berry fruit syrup. This beer screams breakfast pairing. Serve it in champagne glasses split up among several people. Or whatever.

Random Thought: I still have the Belgian Red and the Serendipity on deck. I might bust one out on Sunday night. 

Central Waters Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout

Brewed By: Central Waters Brewing Co. in Amherst, Wisconsin

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Capone's Liquor & Food in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2013 bottle)

Style/ABV: American Stout/Imperial Stout, 9.5%???

Reported IBUs: ?

And...for part two of tonight's twofer....something something I hope it isn't infected Central Waters. I'm just busting balls, I love most of what Central Waters does. Just not infected batches of Peruvian Morning. About Central Waters: 

Central Waters was founded in 1996 by two friends, Mike McElwain and Jerome Ebel. The two bought an old brick building in Junction City, Wisconsin. During the next two years, the two restored the building, and put in brewing equipment. A few months later, Paul Graham joined the brewery. After three years under the original ownership, the brewery was sold to brewer Paul Graham and home-brewer Clint Schultz. On the brewery's five-year anniversary, Central Waters purchased a new brew house because the old location was having issues with equipment and age. In 2006, Clint Schultz left the brewery. The brewery is currently owned and operated by Paul Graham and Anello Mollica. To read more about the brewery, check out their history page.

The Brewers Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout is obviously part of the brewers reserve series. This one is aged in used oak bourbon barrels, and is described as containing notes of bourbon, vanilla, and roast. Let's get this into a snifter and do our thang.

Central Waters Brewers Reserve BBS

The Central Waters BBW BBS pours into a mostly opaque, cola-black/brown body, and kicks up a finger of light khaki/sandy/tan head. Bright light confirms the cola-brown tones, and there is some sea foam head chilling on top of the beer. As you'd expect, there are some legs, and there's some spotty lacing as well.

I'm digging this beer's aroma...it's like Bourbon County-esque. I'm getting big sweet bourbon, oak, vanilla, light wood and barrel, chocolate, coconut/toasty nuttiness, and plenty of sweet dark fruits. Namely cherries, chocolate-dipped dates, and some boozy berries. There's some dark malt and molasses lurking in here as well, but it's sweeter than bitter or roasty.

This beer is fantastico. It's a bit bourbon-forward, with bourbon, whiskey, some wood tannin, boozy dark fruits (raisins namely), and then...the chocolate starts to pick up, and you get some of that chocolate and coconut and oak. There's some coconut and nutiness in the mix as well, maybe some faint coffee and dark fruits hanging around behind the curtain.

Say what you will about Central Waters, but they pretty much nailed this one. This is a big, boozy, bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout. I don't know for sure what the ABV is, but it feels right around 10%. You'll want to sip on this, and you can do that thanks to the medium-full bodied mouthfeel and sticky finish. There is carbonation, and the beer is smooth. It's sweet and bourbony. I'm not going to lie...it's not very complex, but the palate depth is good. You get lots of bourbon, whiskey, booze, and wood tannin up front; that rolls into oak, vanilla, coconut, chocolate, dark fruits, raisins, and faded hints of chocolate/coffee; the back end has some oak, vanilla, chocolate-dipped raisin, and the finish is sticky and dry with lingering vanilla and bourbon.

Coconut. Om nom nom.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. This is an enjoyable beer, but not my favorite from Central Waters. It's not Bourbon County, but not many beers are. Some people give Central Waters shit for the mouthfeel on their beers...I think this beer is spot on. Fuck the haters. I have also heard that this particular beer right here does not age well...so drink this one within a year. ALSO, see my random thought, because this beer absolutely works when you infuse it with toasted coconut. But yeah, this beer is cheap (4-pack range from $10 to $15), available, and delicious. Pick it up, pair it with a woody cigar, dry chocolate desserts, bread pudding, creme brluee, or drink it solo as dessert.

Random Thought: So I French Pressed/Randall'd some toasted coconut into a bottle of this beer, because I had toasted coconut laying around. The end result was fucking fantastic, putting this beer ahead of my homemade, coconut-infused BCBS, and maybe as good if not better than the huge and intense homemade, coconut-infused Founders' Imperial Stout.

This is fucking fantastic. Do it.

When you Randall some coconut into the Central Waters BBS, you get huge toasted coconut, nuttiness, and tropical coconut on the aroma. The coconut plays off the dark fruits in the beer, and you pull out raisin, chocolate, coconut, vanilla, and some bourbon. It is great.

The taste? It's also fantastic. The beer is appropriately dense, with huge swaths of molasses, dark fruits, booze, bourbon, and barrel playing off toasted nut, coconut, coffee, and lingering coconut in the back. The coconut adds a layer of toasted, nutty goodness to this beer, and you should definitely try infusing this beer with coconut at home. It also adds some velvety nutty/chocolate smoothness to the mouthfeel. Om nom nom so fucking good.

Central Waters, take note, you need to get on this shit.

Engelszell Benno Trappistenbier

Brewed By: Stift Engelszell Trappistenbier-Brauerei in Engelhartszell an der Donau, Austrian

Purchased: 11.2oz/333ml bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2013 Vintage)

Style/ABV: Trappist Ale/Belgian Dubbel, 6.9%

Reported IBUs: ???

Tonight's beer is unique enough, and I was happy to find it sitting on shelves in Binny's. The beer came in one of those holiday gift packs, and the gift pack included two bottles of beer and a sexy Engelszell glass. Without further ado, let's dig into Austria's Trappist brewery. About Stift Engelszell:

Stift Engelszell is the only Trappist monastery in Austria, and was founded in 1293 by Bishop Bernard (Wernhart), and was technically settled in 1295. The abbey suffered spiritual and financial decline during the Protestant Reformation, until it started to receive support from the Wilhering Abbey from 1618 onward. In 1699, the abbey suffered a disastrous fire, and from 1720 to 1746 the abbey fell into the hands of various administrators. In 1746, Leopold Reichl, the last of Engelszell's abbots, began to rebuild the abbey. In 1786 Engelszell was dissolved by Emperor Joseph II.

According to Wikipedia, in 1925 Engelszell was re-founded as a Trappist monastery by refugee German monks who were expelled from the Oelenberg Abbey in Alsace after World War I. In 1931, Engelszell was again elevated to the rank of an abbey, but in 1939, the abbey was confiscated by the Gestapo. Four monks were sent to the Dachau Concentration Camp, and others were imprisoned or drafted. At the end of the war, only a third of the community returned to the abbey. Sine 1995, the abbot has been Marianus Hauseder, and there are nine or so monks in the community.

In May 2012, the abbey was approved by the International Trappist Association to become the 8th producer of Trappist beer. For more information, check out the abbey's website, or this lovely Wikipedia article.

The Engelszell Benno Trappistenbier is a Trappist Dubbel that punches in at 6.9% ABV, and is sold at the brewery or at their online store. Evidently it gets imported into the states as well via bottle, and I've had the Engelszell Gregorius on tap. It was tasty. The Benno (here now pronounced "Beano") is brewed with water, malted barley, honey, hops, and yeast. 

Engelszell Benno Trappistenbier 

The Benno pours into a hazy, honey-amber/dark orange/brownish body, and kicks up three fingers of orange/amber-tinted head. The head is dense and fluffy like a wheat beer, and as it departs there is some nice lacing. Head retention is great. Bright light confirms the swampy and murky but radiant orange beer. It's reminiscent of a Dubbel. There's some nice carbonation storming upwards in this.

This has a really nice, rustic aroma. The aroma is pretty raw and funky, with some dusty leather, Belgian yeast spice phenol, banana, bubblegum, clove, light cinnamon and ginger, wheat malt, some toast, and some peppery spice phenol. There is some fruit aroma lurking in here. Along with the banana, white sugar, and wheat is some cherry, peach, golden raisin, and stone fruit.  

I did pour the yeast into my glass...but I've let it settle for a bit, and I'm still getting a lot of medicinal and herbal twang. This one tastes quite peppery, with tons of peppery phenol, cinnamon, cumin, some Saison-like peppery phenol, and some nice funky leather. I'm sort of reminded of the wacky Saisons from Fantôme, and that's not a bad thing by any stretch. This one is bitter too, with good floral bitterness, bitter peach, and some citrus. The honey does show up, mostly in the back and as part of the body.

This beer is oddly complex, and again, I'm reminded of a Fantôme Saison with the bitter medicinal/herbal/peppery kick, and hints of Belgian funk and leather. This has no wild yeast or Brett in it (as far as I know or can tell). Palate depth is good, complexity is good...it drinks medium-bodied with good carbonation, and the 6.9% is hidden minus some mild warming. You get fruity peaches, Saison-like floral notes, some stone fruit and citrus, and burgeoning phenol and spice up front; the middle rolls into huge phenol and spice, with tons of herbal/medicinal, pepper, funky Belgian yeast, some leather, earthy; the back end continues with the bitter, medicinal, peppery funk...fade to dry. Honey character in the back and in the mouthfeel. Pretty unique...

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I really don't know...I'm gonna go with a Light Average, but honestly, I think I might rate this higher and I'll have to revisit this. This is an oddly compelling and unique beer...it's very earthy, spicy, herbal/medicinal, and it has that rustic and wild Fantôme funk with unchecked Belgian yeast and dusty leather. It's kind of...an ugly duckling beer, like a Rottweiler or Pitbull. This beer really does have a ton of character, and the biggest sin here is calling it a Dubbel. A Dubbel...this is not. There's no plums or brown sugar or any of that shit. Yup. I'm gonna quit now, but definitely pick this up and hey, let me know what you think if you happen to read this. Food pairings: rustic, peppery foods. Treat this like a peppery Saison. Peppery turkey, chicken, duck, potatoes, carrots, etc. This is like some Medieval times beer. Recommended. 

Random Thought: I cannot emphasize enough how intrigued I am by this beer...and the Engelszell Gregorius isn't too shabby either. I have another bottle I'm camping on, and I'll check this out again in a few months for a possible re-review.