Two Brothers Atom Smasher [REDUX]

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (2014 vintage)

Style/ABV: American-Style Oktoberfest, 7.7%
Reported IBUs: 22.6

Holy shit. I can't believe my review of this beer from 2011. That's right...back in 2011, back when I thought I was hot shit, I reviewed the Atom Smasher. And at that time, I thought this beer was pretty solid. Since then, I have been seeking this beer out every year. I figured it was time to give my updated thoughts on it. About Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant. If you get the chance, swing by and check out their Roundhouse. It's an awesome joint, and needs all the love it can get. For more information, check out their about page/website.

The Atom Smasher is part of the Two Brothers' "J Series" of beers. This Oktoberfest-style beer has a unique twist: it is aged in Oak Foudres. 

You're probably wondering why I'm doing a redux review of this beer, or why I even care enough to review it twice. After all, the Oktoberfest style is one of the most boring styles of beer. Well, I'm here to tell you...this is probably the best Oktoberfest available in the Midwest. Or at least in Chicago and the state of Illinois.

Two Brothers Atom Smasher [REDUX]

I mean, just look at that dark orange/copper body. Look at that caramel head. This beer is several shades darker than most Oktoberfests, and deposits brilliant alcohol legs which hint at the 7.7% lurking beneath. 

The aroma here is equally intriguing. The oak foudres contribute very subtle notes on the nose with gentle vanilla, oak, and wood coming through in the aroma. You also get huge caramel sugars, toast, and big nuttiness. This beer is exceptionally nutty, and it does veer into weird pork/sausage aromas. The whole aroma is backed by dried berries and suggestive fruity notes. It's a complex aroma, it's sweet, it's nutty, it's fruity, it's oaky...it smells fucking amazing. And it's just an Oktoberfest!

This also tastes incredibly complex...and not just for the style. As a beer, in general, this is very complex. There are molasses, dark sugar, oak, vanilla, caramel, berries, nuts, and dried berries at work in this beer. The beer lingers for a while, driven by some bitter hops and toasted notes, and then lingers with sweet sugars and lingering barrel. The main characters here are -- of course -- sweet and malty. And there's plenty of that; big caramel, oak, vanilla, and malty sugars. There are also nice bready notes in here. But this is really a big, flavorful beer. And it better be at 7.7%.

I'd call this beer medium-full bodied. It's not quite Stout, but it is thick and it is sweet. You might not guess this is 7.7%, and you might not guess this is barrel-aged. But in terms of the style, this is "off." The barrel-aging compromises the Oktoberfest character just slightly, and for the better. The barrel adds complexity, and this beer is definitely complex. It also has great palate depth. Up front are sugar, caramel, oak, vanilla, and barrel; the mids roll into dried berries, hops, dark fruits, toast, nuttiness; the back end trails with nuttiness, lingering oak/vanilla, and sugary sweetness. If all Oktoberfest beers were this good, the style would be more popular. This is my desert island Oktoberfest.

Rating: Divine Brew (5.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is probably the best Oktoberfest I have had. It is certainly the best Oktoberfest in the Midwest, or at least in Illinois. Maybe you are thinking to yourself: "But wait! This beer is aged in oak foudres! That is cheating." Well, you know what? Fuck you. Seriously. If the Germans want to start aging their Oktoberfest in oak barrels, I support that decision. This is a style that bores me to tears, and here we find Two Brothers injecting some new life into it. This is a blissful, fantastic beer. I literally buy a 6-pack of this every Fall. This beer pairs well with cooler weather, football, and any German meal you can throw at it. I'm talking about sausage, bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzel bun sandwiches...anything. It's also cheap at around $10 a 6-pack. So good. 

Random Thought: Dear Two Brothers, please continue to make this beer forever. It is one of your best beers, by a long shot. Regards. 

Goose Island Oktoberfest

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 30JUL14 aka 7/30/14)

Style/ABV: Oktoberfest, 6.4% 

Reported IBUs: 17

I can't believe they brewed this one back in July. About Goose Island:

Goose Island is a Chicago-based brewery that began as a brewpub on Clybourn, which opened on May 1988. The actual brewery opened on 1995, and is located on the Southwest side of Chicago. The second brewpub, located in Wrigleyville by the Chicago Cubs, was opened in 1999. On March 28, 2011, Goose Island sold 58% of the brewery to Anheuser-Busch. The remaining 42% of the brewery is supposed to be acquired by A-B InBev in the future, and there has been much discussion about the brewery's takeover. On November 16th, founder and CEO, John Hall, announced he would be leaving Goose Island. On January 1st, 2013, Anheuser-Busch "veteran" Andy Goeler will take over Goose Island. Additionally, around the same time as John Hall's departure, resident barrel-program leader John Laffler also announced his departure from Goose Island. There have been many changes regarding Goose Island...so we will see what the future has in store for Goose Island. 

The Goose Island Oktoberfest is a seasonal release made available between August and September. This one is brewed with Hallertau hops, and Carapils, Munich 10, 2-Row, C-20, C-40, and C-120 malts. 

Goose Island Oktoberfest

This pours into a pretty gorgeous reddish/orange/caramel body. I swear this beer is slightly hazy, but I could be wrong. This also yields two fingers of caramel-tinted head, and there is good retention and lacing. 

The aroma here goes for those sweet malt notes...typical of the style. This isn't the most intriguing Oktoberfest in existence (I think I need to re-review Two Brother's Atom Smasher), but there is pretty ample amounts of caramel, some nuttiness, dried fruits, raisin/apple sweetness, and bready aromatics. There is a faint toastiness in here as well.

If you like sweet beer, the Oktoberfest style, or bready notes...you are in the right place. This is malty with bright and fruity caramel, raisins, dried berries, and huge bread notes. I'm talking about whole grain bread...the stuff you make sandwiches with. Only sweeter. This veers into some honey notes, with slight nuttiness, and finishes with a touch of grassy hops. It's aggressive and big.

Considering the InBev acquisition, you'd be concerned that something as simple as an Oktoberfest would be dialed down and neutered. But that's not the case here. This beer extends beyond its 6.4% in terms of body, delivering a full-bodied mouthfeel that is dense and malty. This is incredibly sweet. I mean you could probably recommend this to your non-drinking friends. The hops do make a late appearance, with caramel, dried berries, and bread up front; more bread and honey in the mids, with some hints of toast; and clean grassy hops on the back. This isn't very complex but it has good depth and duration. It's actually a fairly good take on the style.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. Fuck yeah, American Oktoberfest! This might be the second best readily available American Oktoberfest in the Chicagoland area...after Two Brother's Atom Smasher. This is fantastically constructed, with bold caramel malts and lots of interesting fruitiness that elevates this otherwise "meh" style. This is great as far as Autumn beers go...I'd pair this with football, hot soup, a stew, chili, or some traditional German food. I'm talking about wieners. 

Random Thought: Seriously...this style of beer doesn't warrant no crazy review.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Brewed By: Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Binny's in Naperville, Illinois; 2014 (Bottled on 07/07/2014)

Style/ABV: Oktoberfest/Märzen, 5.0% 

Reported IBUs: 24

I'm pretty sure that tonight's beer is not actually brewed in oak, despite its name. I'm assuming the name is a reference to Firestone's reputation for oak-aging beer, and is a coincidental and confusing pun. About Firestone: 

Tonight I'm looking at a beer from the folks at Firestone Walker Brewing. The brewery was founded by brothers-in-law Adam Firestone (son of Brooks Firestone) and David Walker (husband of Adam's sister). The brothers brewed their first beer in 1996, in a small facility rented from the Firestone Vineyard estate in Santa Barbara County. In 2001, the brothers-in-law purchased SLO Brewing Company in Paso Robles, CA, and set up camp. Despite being relatively new to craft beer, the brewery has a ton of accolades, and is known for their Reserve line and their oak barrel brewing system. You can learn more about the history of the brewery here and here. 

The Oaktoberfest is an Oktoberfest/Marzen style beer. Per Brewbound: "The name Oaktoberfest is a nod to the brewery’s hometown of Paso Robles—Spanish for “Pass of The Oaks”—as well as the longtime presence of oak barrels as a central part of the Firestone Walker brewing operation. The checkered blue and white pattern on the label echoes the Bavarian flag and pays homage to the style." This one is fermented in stainless steel, and brewed using Weyermann Pilsner, Weyermann & Vienna, Munich, Cara-Hell, and Cara-Red malts; and German Hallertau hops. Punching in at 5.0% and 24 IBUs, this one is available as a seasonal release.

This one pours into a dark golden-amber body, kicking up a finger of gold-tinged head. The head retains nicely for a Lager, and there is good carbonation. The carbonation is also persistent and lasts long for a Lager. There is some nice lacing, and a centimeter of head is hanging around for what looks to be the long haul.

On the aroma, I'm getting lots of gentle malts. There's some honey, toast, biscuit, biscuit-grain, light grassy hops, and lots of bread. It's a gentle, malt-forward nose.

This is straightforward and drinkable...this has big grainy bread, biscuit, toasted malts, some nice honey notes, and grassy hops that show up to clean things up towards the back. There's a Pilsner-like biscuit note on the back end, and this has a nicely attenuated and dry finish. If you take big mouthfulls, the malts really dominate with bread and toasted notes. It's clean, drinkable, and really very nice.

This is medium to light-bodied. It's clean and refreshing, with good palate depth and complexity for the style. At 5.0% you can drink lots of this. I think that's the point. Up front: sweet toasted malts, bready malts, biscuit; the mids roll into honey, toast, some grassy hops; the back end goes full biscuit, with a clean, dry, and attenuated finish. This is reminiscent of a Vienna, Pilsner, and Marzen...kinda rolled up into a nice and refined package.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is super clean and super drinkable...I'd pick this up again to pair with some football and Fall weather. It's probably not as good as Two Brothers' Atom Smasher, or Ayinger's Oktoberfest, but it should compliment your one liter glass and your sausage and pretzel dish. 

Random Thought: I bet this tastes fantastic when racked on oak. I'm still looking for that world-class Oktoberfest...

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock (brewed with Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Florida)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz CAN from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/04/14)
Style/ABV: Tropical Maibock, 7.7%

Reported IBUs: 45

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock

The Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock is a collaboration with the talented event planners at Cigar City Brewing. If you are looking to have a birthday party, cater a large event, or release a limited beer, you know who to call. My can reads: "Brewed in collaboration with Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, FL, Yonder Bock is a Latin-inspired twist on a traditional Maibock. Cigar City finds inspiration in the Cuban roots of their hometown, which is a long way from our home base in Chico, but our friends down yonder in Florida sure can brew a great beer. YOnder Bock blends a silky malt body with bright, fruity hop aromas of guava, mango and passion fruit from the use of Calypso, Azacca and experimental 366 hops as a nod to Cigar City's tropical locale."

This one pours into a hazy, dark orange body, with tons of carbonation in the form of tiny streams (courtesy of the teku). This also kicks up three fingers of big, fluffy, caramel-orange-tinted head. Head retention is good, and there's a lot of active carbonation minutes after the pour. There is good lacing as well. The body retains its deep orange color in bright light.

On the aroma: big lager spice that flirts with bread, toast, rye, and caramel sugars. Beneath that are sweet honey notes that give way to faint tropical fruits and citrus notes. I'm getting oranges, guava, pineapple, and mango.

This is incredibly enjoyable, with deep sheets of honey sweetness and bread that unravel and drop tropical fruits, honey, and rich caramel sugars. The 7.7% is completely not obvious here, but this has a boozy seduction about it. I'm getting cherries, pineapple, super sweet coconut, mango, and orange in here. There are nice honey and saffron notes, and in the back is some faint grain alcohol that is accentuated by mild hop bitterness. 

I'm a little bit at a loss here as far as how to rate this...I haven't had many Maibocks, and this one seems quite unique. This isn't an overly complex beer in general, but for a Bock there's a lot going on here. The palate depth here is great, and this is definitely a full-bodied island treat. I'm not getting any of the 7.7%, at least not in terms of alcohol heat, but some boozy seduction and grainy alcohol does show up. I'm also feeling some warming. Up front: honey and bready sweetness, with toast and Noble hop bitterness; that rolls into more saffron and honey, cherries, tropical fruits, oranges, guava, coconut, pineapple; the back end continues with sharp, quad-like fruits, and leaves some grainy alcohol and faint hop bitterness in your mouth. This could be a little bigger and rounder, otherwise it's nearly perfect.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Above-Average on this beer. This is a really interesting beer...I could see myself pairing this with an upside pineapple cake, mango salsa, white fish, and certainly on a beach somewhere. This is probably the most free-spirited application of a Bock you are going to find, and I commend Cigar City for this one. I could see myself grabbing something like this in a 6-pack. 

Random Thought: Dammit, now I want to go drink on a beach. To live in the Midwest...

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: Alt Route Altbier (brewed with Victory Brewing Company in Downingtown, Pennsylvania)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz bottle from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 06/04/14)
Style/ABV: American-style Altbier, 6.6%

Reported IBUs: 50

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

Alt Route Altbier is brewed with Victory Brewing Company. My bottle reads: "Brewers are notorious for refusing to take the easy path. Alt Route is a tribute to the stubborn spirit that drove us to dodge the status quo and build breweries of our own. Together we chased the siren song of beer with this revamped take on an antique beer style."

Alt Route Altbier 

This one pours a dark penny-copper color, producing massive, three-plus fingers of caramel-tinted head. The body is reddish-brown in bright light, with lots of lively streams of carb. The head retention is excellent, and so is the lacing.

The aroma here is a bit of a departure from the rest of the 2014 Beer Camp, with spicy bready notes and caramel sweetness. I'm getting rye, cinnamon, caramel, sweet dark fruits, toffee, Twizzlers, aged Doppelbock notes, and deep bready caramels. The aroma is nice.

This tastes amazing, with bready notes, Twizzlers, caramel sugars, spicy breads, and big spicy hops. The back end is bitter rye bread and rich pumpernickel, fruit bread, licorice, and Twizzlers. 

You would never guess this is 6.6%....it is one of those malt bombs that could go either way: higher or lower ABV. Palate depth here is the only shortcoming, with some watery moments. Otherwise, this medium-bodied banger is super complex with tons of malts and good hop support. Up front: water to malty, transitioning to big bready notes, rye, pumpernickel, Twizzlers; the mids dial up huge Scotch-Ale like breads and malts, more rye, more pumpernickel; the back is balanced with hops. This finishes with lingering bread and Twizzlers. Toasted notes are all over the place. I love this Old Ale/Scotch Ale/Bock thing. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'll go a Strong Above-Average here. I'd go higher if not for those watery moments...oh well. This was still one of my favorites from the 2014 Beer Camp. Such a fun beer with a small footprint...I guess it's not the size of the ship, right.

Random Thought: I'd pair this one with a pretzel bun burger or a pastrami on rye sandwich. Yum.

Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp 2014: CANfusion Rye Bock (brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery in Longmont, Colorado/Brevard, North Carolina)

Brewed By: Sierra Nevada Brewing Company in Chico, California 
Purchased: Single 12oz CAN from the 2014 Beer Camp bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 (PKG 05/03/14)
Style/ABV: Rye Bock, 7.2%

Reported IBUs: 45

What is Beer Camp? It is Sierra Nevada's celebration of craft beer and the numerous breweries across America that make that craft beer. For 2014, Sierra Nevada collaborated with 12 different breweries to make 12 different beers. They also have a Beer Camp Across America Beer Festival, which will stop at seven different cities and feature many different breweries and beers.

About Sierra Nevada:

Sierra Nevada are one of the big players in craft brewing, and one of the first craft breweries to arrive on the craft beer scene. If you check out their history page, you will see that founder Ken Grossman began his quest to build a brewery in 1976. In 1980, Ken Grossman and co-founder Paul Camusi brewed their first batch of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. According to Wikipedia, Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the second best selling craft beer behind Boston Lager. Sierra Nevada is the sixth largest brewing company in the United States as well, cranking out over 750,000 barrels in 2010. For more info, check out their website.

The CANfusion Rye Bock is a beer brewed with Oskar Blues Brewery. Do you like to get it in the can? My can reads: "Brewed in collaboration with Oskar Blues, the pioneers of great craft beer in a can, this partnership was a perfect fit - we're mutual members of the canned craft club and North Carolina neighbors. A dry hop rye bock, CANfusion blends features from across the brewing spectrum: spicy rye, tangy wheat and bright citrus-like hops. The complex malt body launches a peppery blast that's balanced by the fruity and floral Australian Ella hop varietal. CANfusion is a true synergy of friends and flavors." 

CANfusion Rye Bock - that's how I roll

This one pours an absolutely drop-dead gorgeous orange color, with two to three fingers of orange-tinged head. The head is hop-fueled, and leaves nice lacing. The body is a hazy orange color, with medium carbonation. The head settles into a nice cauldron effect. 

The aroma here features big tangerine, citrus spice, orange spice, rye, perfumed apricot, caramel, and intense fruity sweetness. There's also big passion fruit, papaya, mango, and tropical fruit. 

The taste here features big caramel sweetness, tropical fruits, and rye. The blast of tropical fruits goes from berries and passion fruit to caramel and Bock-malt sweetness with raisin and apple notes. Nice rye spice comes along for the ride. There's a big range of fruit notes and malt/caramel fruits: cherries, apples, orange, tropical fruits....it's complex. As this warms boozy and bready rye notes come out.

This is medium-bodied and malt driven, with a nice hoppy balance. You do get some booze here, but it's not a bad thing. Good palate depth and crazy divine complexity drives this beer. I would totally buy more of this. Up front: tropical fruits, passion fruit, rye; that rolls into apples, caramel sguars, Bock sweetness; the back end has trailing hops and sugars with fantastic coating on the palate. Wildly complex...truly original.

Rating: Above-Average (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this...almost leaning towards that divine brew. Wow, this is just an interesting hybrid beer that is uber complex. The sweeter hop notes in here would pair with lighter spicy foods, maybe a nice shrimp or fish taco. 

Random Thought: I really like the boom in craft canned beers. 

Hair of the Dog Adam

Brewed By: Hair of the Dog Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon

Purchased: 12oz bottle generously gifted to me in Chicago, IL; 2014 (Batch #91)

Style/ABV: Dortmunder Adambier / Old Ale, 10.0%

Reported IBUs: 50

I don't know what it is, but this Spring/Summer I have been on a heavy beer streak and I ain't even mad. About Hair of the Dog Brewing Company:

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Portland, Oregon. The brewery was founded in November of 1993 by Alan Sprints. Sprints, like many brewery founders, began as a home brewer through the Oregon Brew Crew. In 1991, after an inspirational trip to Belgium, Springs turned the hobby into a profession. The brewery is family owned and operated, and was one of the first breweries in America to specialize in high-alcohol and barrel-aged beers. 

Today's beer, "Adam," was generously gifted to me by an Adam. Small world. This bottle conditioned, "hearty old world ale," is described: "Adam is made with Northwest hops, Organic Pilsner malt and a variety of specialty grains. The flavors in this beer have been compared to chocolate, smoke, leather and figs. Brewed in loving memory of Adam Kerchival 11-30-69 | 01-26-05 Brewer and friend." 

If you check out Hair of the Dog's website, Adam is categorized as a recreation of historic beerstyle. This historic beer was originally brewed in Dortmunder, Germany, and is described as a dessert beer. The not-mentioned beer style is an "Adambier" or Dortmunder Altbier[?]. Ron Pattinson has a write-up on his blog about the style, noting that the traditional Dortmunder Adambier was a "strong, sourish, top-fermenting beer...9.4% ABV." The Adambier was heavily hopped, unlike other sour beers like Gose and Berliner Weisse, and acquired its sourness through a long secondary fermentation. HomeBrewTalk has a wiki on the style: they note that Adambeir was a strong, dark, sour beer, aged in wood for long periods. Unlike sour Belgian beers, the Adambier was very hoppy. Having noted all that...

Hair of the Dog Adam

Pouring this one out must have been a relief for the bottle..this one gushed out carbonation. Bottle conditioned beers do strange things. Aside from the mountain of cola-brown head that this beer produces, I'm getting a nice cola-brown body. It looks very much the part of an Old Ale...kind of raw and dark....there's some lingering head sticking around, and lots of lacing. It's not exactly a looker, but most beers in this genre aren't.

The aroma here is kind of like heaven in a glass. Wow. There's a rustic, leathery element, lots of dark fruits (cherries, figs, prunes), dark caramel, strawberries, wood, chocolate, mild soy sauce, and tons of pleasant sweetness. The aroma here is rich and pleasant...just fantastic. 

Mmm...this is blissful, if not a little young even. I'm getting a lot of nice hoppy character on the back, but up front this rides that sweet malt train with lightly smokey leather, dark fruits, prunes, figs, dates, sweet caramel, and big sugars. I'm getting woody aspects, mild soy, light licorice, and impressive burnt sugars, wood, and hops on the finish. It kind of reminds me of a Scotch Ale meets Belgian Dubbel meets Old Ale. 

This is full-bodied stuff, but the booze is surprisingly well integrated into the beer, even at this point in time. I'm not getting much of the 10%. Palate depth here is good, and complexity is not far behind. All things considered, I think this is probably Above-Average right now, but this is hoppy and malty in all the right ways. I bet this holds up nicely down the stretch. Up front: dark fruits, leather, molasses, hints of smoke, chocolate, and leather; the mids roll into more dark fruits, you get some burgeoning hops, licorice; the back end layers on the hops and finishes with nice, lingering malts. Complex, big, and likely going to age well (although I have some concerns with the carbonation issues).

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is a huge, complex, Old Ale type beer...good stuff all around, and would pair well with a cigar, some creme brulee, or in a snifter on its own. I'd love to be in Hair of the Dog's distribution net, because this seems like a fun beer to pick up regularly and lay down. I feel like this is a strong candidate for the cellar...such is life out here in the Midwest. 

Random Thought: Is it Sunday night already? Fuuuuccckkk.

Two Brothers Engine No. 1 Kölsch

Brewed By: Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Andersonville Wine & Spirits in Chicago, Illinois; 2014

Style/ABV: American-style Kölsch, 5.2%
Reported IBUs: 25

Tonight's beer is not only tasty, but it was brewed for a good cause. 100% of the proceeds are being donated to the Hundred Club of DuPage County, which is a charity that, "offers assistance to families of law enforcement and firefighting personnel who have been killed, injured, or otherwise stricken while residing or working in the county." About Two Brothers:

Two Brothers are based out of Warrenville, Illinois, a town not far from Chicago. Two brothers was founded in 1996 by brother Jason and Jim Ebel. Their brewery and Tap House Restaurant are both located in Warrenville. Their distribution and production seems to be increasing with each year, and along with their beer you can buy home brewing equipment and supplies at the Tap House Restaurant. If you get the chance, swing by and check out their Roundhouse. It's an awesome joint, and needs all the love it can get. For more information, check out their about page/website.

The Engine No. 1 Kölsch clocks in at 25 IBUs and 5.2% ABV. The back of the bottle reads:

"Two Brothers Brewing Company is dedicated to supporting the community in a number of ways. A classic German-style Kolsch was brewed in celebration of the Warrenville Fire Department's 75th Anniversary. 100% of the proceeds of this beer will be donated to the Hundred Club of DuPage County. This charity helps families of fallen and injured firefighters and police officers. A great reason to raise a glass."

Two Brothers Engine No. 1 Kölsch

The pour greets you with a pale, yellow/straw-colored beer. This one is either bottle conditioned or has some chill haze going on. The beer kicks up two fingers of clean, white head. Bright light confirms the same bits, and you can see the lazy streams of peppery carbonation rising upwards. Head retention is good, and there be lacing on this ship. It looks like a Pale Lager/Pilsner/Kölsch/etc.

As you'd expect, the aroma is super clean. I'm getting biscuit and cracker, with light floral hops that are slightly grassy (lemongrass) and medicinal/herbal. I'm also picking up a lot of grain, and I'm getting big barley. If you ever walked through a brewery...you get some of that on the nose. There's some mild fruitiness on the nose as well...it's playful and funky, with some pear and cherry-wheat notes.

This tastes light and refreshing, but with substantial flavor. I enjoy the style. I'm getting a lot of grain, some minerality, slightly hard water, and lots of grassy hops. There's a little lemon grass in here, and I'm getting some of that cherry-wheat funk with hints of pear and lemongrass. Pretty tasty.

This is medium-light bodied with good carbonation and nice attenuation. It moves along, and the 5.2% is never burdensome. This is refreshing and clean, making it a great session beer. Palate depth is really good, and the complexity isn't bad either. Up front is a lot of mildly funky cherry-wheat and fruitiness, with some grain and lemongrass hops; the mids roll into the minerality and mineral notes, with some biscuit, hard water, and big grain; the back end continues with the mineral and grain and biscuit notes, with lingering lemon grass, and a slightly nutty finish. The finish is dry and attenuated. Really tasty.

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average on this. This is riding the line between average and above-average...I'm not really sure where I fall. But I really like the mineral notes in here, the clean grains, and that slight biscuit character. This is bold but clean, flavorful but simple. It's a Kölsch, or at least an American-style take on it. I can't not recommend this, especially for the good cause. This is a beer to pair with sushi, doughy pizza, and white pasta. Good stuff, would buy again for $7 a bomber.

Random Thought: I'm ready for the weekend. 

New Glarus Back 40 Bock

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

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 6-pack bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2014 

Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 5.5% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Mmmm mmm love those trips across the border. 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 Back 40 Bock is a seasonal release (winter???), and is described as a Dunkler Bock. Or a "Wisconsin Bock." Whateva. 

This one looks the part of a Dunkler, pouring into a dark brown/amber body, with hints of orange tones. The body is clean and and quiet, not a lot of carbonation up in here. The beer produces three fingers of creamy, white/off-white head. The head reminds me a Cream Stout for some reason, and as the head drops off you get nice lacing coating the glass. It looks good.

New Glarus Back 40 Bock

The aroma is clean, malty, and moderately spicy with that Lager yeast. I'm getting caramel, bread pudding, bread, cake, fudge, and hints of banana bread. Behind the malt sweetness is some nice floral and earthy hops. The hops, little as they are, provide much needed contrast and balance to the malts.

This is really good...it's simple and quaffable, and never overbearing. There's a lot of mild toast, cake sweetness, caramel, dried berries, and light hops balancing things out. There's some mild hops providing hints of spice and bitterness. This is super clean...and it makes the stuff that Sam Adams rolls out look janky like homebrew extract nonsense. That in itself is worthy of some accolade, I think.

There's not a lot to say. This is medium-bodied, well carbonated, and features hops that turn into malt sweetness up front; the mids dial up big malt sweetness, with more hops; and the back end is malty sweet and hoppy. It's clean with good palate depth, and like most Dunklers doesn't have a ton of complexity. It's very refined and I dig that.

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this. This one is not very memorable, but it's also a really good take on the style...it's just kind of par the course, but nevertheless, I'm digging it. I would pair this with lighter dishes, maybe turkey or chicken, pizza, a stew, soups. It's not a bad beer, especially at the price, but I probably wouldn't seek this out regularly...I dunno.

Random Thought: I appreciate New Glarus' huge lineup, but this beer doesn't really differentiate itself and I wonder if it is a victim of "Bock fatigue."

Gnarly Oak Winter Bock

Brewed By: Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin  

Purchased: 22oz bomber from an $8 dollar gift set bought at Walgreens in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 5.5%

Reported IBUs: 25

The past few weeks have been busy. That's the operative word. And then to cap it all off, I came down with a nasty cold. Having a cold sucks...it makes it hard to enjoy food, beer, and life. You can't work out, and sleeping is interrupted with bouts of dry throat and blowing your nose. As if that wasn't crappy enough, the one day of warm weather in Chicago is being followed up with a 4-to-8 inch March snowstorm that is starting right now. 

It's not all doom and gloom, though. For one, I got perspectives on the horizon. I'll talk more about those at some point. Second, the mother fucking NFL draft is coming up, AND the Blackhawks and Bulls are playing on a high level that is fun to watch. Third...I got some plans for this shitty blog. I don't know exactly what or when, but I'd like to bring Shitty Beer Tuesday back, and I'd like to mix up the review format a bit. So yeah, perspectives. 

Oh, and I also have me this $2.67 bomber of "Winter Bock." That doesn't hurt either. About Minhas: 

Minhas is the oldest continually operating brewery in the Midwest, and the second oldest brewery in the United States. As you can see from the brewery's history page, the brewery has been owned by many different people, and rebranded numerous times. The brewery began in 1845 as the Monroe Brewery when it was opened by Mr. Bissinger. In 1906, the brewery changed its name to the Blumer Brewing Company. And in 1947, the brewery was purchased by Joseph Huber and the brewery became known as the Joseph Huber Brewing Company. In 2005, the Minhas Family purchased the brewery, and in 2006 the brewery changed its name to the Minhas Craft Brewery. For more info, check out the brewery's website. 

There's no website for tonight's libation, but the bottle reads: "Premium Beer. A classic lager made in the traditional German style. It has a malty sweetness, a dark rich color and is lightly hopped. Made with select caramel and black roasted barley and a combination of Columbus, Zeus and Cascade hops."

Gnarly Oak Winter Bock

This one pours out very much like a typical bock. The beer kicks up three fingers of sandy/bready, off-white head. The head is foamy and slowly drops off into the beer's dark brown/reddish body. The body looks to be both transparent and filtered...clean like a Lager. Shining a bright light through the beer confirms the orange/red body, and reveals some fairly volatile streams of medium-sized carbonation. A pinky of head is hanging around, and there is nice lacing.

The aroma plays things pretty straight too...at least for a Dunkler. Now here is where I get to test my theory. This smells A LOT like the Gnarly Oak Chocolate Stout. Even with my lingering cold, I'm picking up aromas of cocoa, artificial sweetness ala cream soda, S'mores, ash/campfire, dried berries and fruits, and big toast and bread and bread crusts. This one dials up the toast/bread thing, which is kind of what you'd expect or want in a dark Bock. There is a light pine/maple note...maybe toffee...certainly some suggestions of Noble hop character, except this beer doesn't use any Noble hops. #YOLO

Eh...this beer is pillowy and heavy with a lot of residual sweetness. It's not at all what I was expecting for a 5.5% Dunkler Bock...it's like the janky homebrew extract kit version of the Sam Adams Chocolate Bock. I'm getting the chocolate and the cocoa, with a little fruity molasses character, and some bread/toast. There are hints of coffee in here, and some nondescript hop character shows up. There's maybe a hint of roast or the so-called "black roasted barley" in here. But yeah.

It's kind of hard to fault an inexpensive beer like this for [likely] using extracts and sugar. It really does have an extract vibe, with some serious balance issues. At 5.5% the lingering sugars and full-bodied mouthfeel are in contention with the cleaner Lager yeast and high final gravity. I mean...the bottle says the OG is 15, so the FG has to be around 4.9. I don't know, I'm not a fucking beer scientist. You're barking up the wrong blog, neckbeard. Even with the balance issues, this is drinkable. But I chug even the most cloying shit these days. I'd probably reserve this Walgreens bargain for a cold winter night like tonight. This beer is the cheerleader of one-dimensional. Complexity is low, but that expansive mouthfeel would make any football team happy. You get sugary chocolate and cocoa up front with fruity molasses; the mids have more sugary chocolate and cocoa, with hints of toffee and toast, some hops; the back end has more sugary chocolate and cocoa, with some hints of coffee/roast. The finish is sugary, with Tootsie Roll candies and that feeling you had when you were a kid and got lost at Walmart. 

Rating: Below-Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

IDGAF if this beer costs $2.67 or if it was free. This is for sure a Light Below-Average, just missing the median that is average for the style. Maybe I'm being overly harsh, but this beer makes me appreciate other Bocks that I have been somewhat critical of. It just lacks balance...and the cloying sweetness doesn't work for this style. I gave the Gnarly Oak Chocolate Stout a pass because the Dry Stout/English Stout can work with some of these fake cocoa flavors, but brewing a good Dunkler Bock is evidently harder than people think. It's probably a good lesson in "Lagers are harder to make than you give credit, you Yankee wanker." Anyway...this beer is best paired with spontaneous Walgreens purchases, ice cream, and cold winter nights like tonight. It's also a good beer to drink while you bridge the gap between being sick and not being sick. 

Random Thought: Not that I care and nor should you, but the spineless fartbox that no one cares about known as the Brewer's Association just updated their craft beer guidelines. Millions of beer nerds everywhere suddenly started to care. People LITERALLY left their Goose Island Black Friday lines, forgoing an opportunity to acquire Proprietors Bourbon County, now empowered with the knowledge that Goose Island are a bunch of InBev shills. Angels began to sing and jizz everywhere, and the president of the Brewer's Association, ....????..., made a speech that everyone listened to. Anyway, congratulations to Minhas "Craft Brewery." You guys are officially a craft brewery now. You can officially charge more than $8 for your gift set of mediocre beer. But seriously, the glass is pretty nice. 

New Glarus Uff-da Bock

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

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2013

Style/ABV: Dunkler Bock, 7.3% 

Reported IBUs: ?

More Bocks? More New Glarus? Heck yeah. 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 Uff-da Bock is a Winter Bock brewed in the tradition of the Reinheitsgebot. New Glarus describes this as complex but smooth, with deep chocolate and coffee undertones.

New Glarus Uff-da Bock

In lower light, the Uff-da pours a dark amber, almost brown/red/mahogany color. The body is transparent, and kicks up two or three fingers of amber-tinted head. Head retention is nice, and there's some nice lacing. Bright light confirms the amber/copper body, and there's quite a bit of carbonation rising upwards in this. The body looks like pennies. Dat currency color.

I'm getting a surprising amount of aged Barleywine-esque pine and pine sap on the aroma. Beneath that is some serious Brown Ale-esque cocoa and dusty chocolate. I'm getting big cocoa/chocolate aromas, hinting at toffee and molasses. If there is coffee in the aroma, it's a nutty, hazelnut variety.

This one is pretty sweet up front, with bready and sugary cocoa dustings. I'm picking up some hints of earthy/bitter hops in the mix, and along with that is some hint of coffee. There's big malts, with bread/toffee/cocoa/sugars, but the finish is clean with some Noble-hop bitterness and a hint of Lager spice. There's some pine sap and tons of nuttiness and pine nuts in the taste. It has some balance, but this is definitely a hearty, Winter-esque Bock.

This one has a medium-full to full-bodied mouthfeel, and feels substantial like a Bock should. I wouldn't butt chug this beer, and you can definitely sip on this. Palate depth is great, and this has nice complexity. You get a wash of bready malts and cocoa dustings up front; that rolls into toffee, more sweet malts, and some hop bitterness; the back end is nutty, and you get some pine nuts. It's a nicely balanced and refined beer. The finish is malty-hoppy-dry. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Above-Average beer, and something you can sip on on a cold Winter day. The balance here is very nice, with intense malt sweetness, cocoa, nuttiness, and some mild piney hops. You could pair this beer with meats and cheeses, chocolate, or hearty winter dishes. You can also sip on this, preferably by the fireplace or on a cold Winter night. Good stuff, would by again.

Random Thought: This is a great outdoor hot tub beer. 

New Glarus Cabin Fever Bock

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

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Woodman's in Kenosha, WI; 2013

Style/ABV: Maibock, 6.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Continuing with the lovely New Glarus 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 Cabin Fever is a Maibock (BJCP / German Beer Institute) brewed with honey. Dubbed a "honey bock" by New Glarus, this pale bock beer is brewed with Wisconsin two row barley and European hops. Clover Honey is added in the kettle. 

New Glarus Cabin Fever Bock

The beer pours into a dark, golden body that is almost amber or bronze. Would it be cliche to say it's a honey color? I kicked up two fingers of sticky, just off-white head. The head is sustaining nicely, and there is some nice lacing. In bright light the beer is a transparent golden color, and big carbonation bubbles are popping upwards with a stream of smaller bubbles on the side.

The aroma on this is pretty straightforward. I'm getting big bready malts, some grain/biscuit, and lots of honey sweetness. There's some big toast on the nose, with some Pils/Munich malts, and a hint of mild, floral hops. 

The taste is a good follow through of the nose, with big bready malts driving the beer. I'm picking up some honey, toast and toasty notes, a little bread/biscuit, some raw Munich/Pils malts, and some light fruity hints. I'm also getting some very mild floral/earthy hops. 

This is solid for the style, and very drinkable for the moderate to higher ABV. You don't pick up any alcohol in this, and the bready malts should appeal to all the people that can't stand hoppy beers. The beer is clean, and the mouthfeel is medium-bodied. There's a lot of carbonation to smooth things along. Palate depth is great, and complexity is okay. You get honey and bready/sweet malts up front; that rolls into some toasty notes and more sweet malts; you pick up some light hops on the back, and the beer finishes bready and sweet.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average on this, almost leaning towards a 4.0 and Above-Average. This is a notch above being just par the course, as the honey really comes out and defines this beer and makes it memorable. Really good stuff, and the shift towards that bready balance means this would pair well with Winter or early Spring, and German-style food. Good stuff, and a beer I might seek out again from New Glarus if it was available.  

Random Thought: Mmmm...Bockbier.