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. 

[Redemption] Pipeworks Blue Lady (Batch #51)

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2012 

Style/ABV: Berliner Weisse, 4.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Today: REDEMPTION

REEEDEMMMPPTIOOONN!!!!!

I didn't chisel through a wall, and crawl through a sewer full of shit, just to drink a beer that tastes like someone dropped a brick of blue cheese in a diaper full of grape drink. I'm talking about mother fucking redemption, people. As promised, I want to give Pipeworks' Blue Lady a fair shake. In case you missed my earlier review, I had a bottle of Pipeworks' Batch #31 Blue Lady. That batch was recalled; and many drains suffered. 

Evidently, Batch #31 had varying levels of "infection." Some people reported mild buttery qualities, and mild cheese/yogurt aromas and flavors. The bottle I had took the Greek Yogurt funk one step too far. Which is FINE. As I said in my earlier review, this isn't a slight against Pipeworks. I love Pipeworks, and if you're a Chicago native or someone visiting Chicago, you should check them out. Grab a few bottles of their stuff when you hit up Binny's or whatever. I'm going to be reviewing their Pastrami On Rye ale in the near future, and I'm very excited.

The thing is...brewing beers with wild yeast is a difficult thing to do. The Blue Lady starts with a sour mash (mmm...lactic goodness), and then is fermented on 150 pounds of blueberries in secondary. That's a long process, dealing with wild yeast, bacteria, fruit, two fermentations...shit happens, and I don't hold it against Pipeworks. Which is why I snagged a bottle of Batch #51, which should be a lot less funky. I hope. With that said, let me introduce Pipeworks, and get on with this review:

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

Blue Lady (Batch #51)

Before I get on with the pour...Batch #51 (which is hand written on the bottle!) features some sexy blue wax. It really is a lovely bottle, and the beer itself is gorgeous as well. 

For the most part, I prefer wax to foil. Wax is classy... foil...is what you do to binomials. Har har! Not much has changed between Batch #31 and #51 with regards to the pour. This beer is all sex and candy on the pour. I imagine this beer is what unicorn blood looks like. Really fantastic stuff...with a body that has a dark purple/reddish-pink color, and one finger of pink/purple-tinted head that doesn't hang around for very long. When held to bright light, this beer is ever so hazy...with tons of visible carbonation (tiny bubbles; very effervescent). In bright light, the head is white with hints of brilliant purple. This is just an amazing looking beer.

Waxed

I'm not going to lie, I peaked at the aroma before I poured. And PRAISE JEBUS!!! REDEMPTION!!!! REEEEDEEEMMMPPPTIOOON! This beer smells great. There's big lactic acidity, blueberries...the stuff I was looking for. There is no Greek Yogurt, or diaper, or blue ass cheese. REDDEMPPPPTIIIIOOOONNN!!!! I'm getting big currants on this, tea, blueberries, raspberries, and some nice sour lactic funk. The sour lactic funk is grounded and balanced by the fruit. Oh! What a difference aroma can make. Batch #31 did not beckon for a sip...this batch does.

Holy shit! This is some tasty goodness! This is fruity, sour, acidic, dry...and then finishes with some fruity lactic funk. The finish is reminiscent of a sour wheat beer, as per the style. You get a lot of refreshing, juicy, fruit-kick up front; it's balanced with acidic sourness, and just a bit of sweetness. Big currants, herbal blueberry and raspberry, blueberry. There's some nice tartness throughout, with just a hint of vinegar. The back end features that sour malty thing, with lingering acidic fruit, and big lactic kick. You do get that slightly milky/woody/acidic thing on the finish...but it's nothing like the horrors of Batch #31. 

This is a fun play on the Berliner Weisse, and reminds me of Dogfish Head's Festina Pêche. This is effervescent, carbonated, and has a light mouthfeel. At 4.0%, this is easy-drinking stuff. This finishes pretty dry, and has a sour finish. This is definitely sour and acidic, but I'm finding it to strike a pleasant balance. Palate depth is great, and this is fairly complex with a big lactic finish. Up front is sharp carbonation, and a balance of sweet/acidic currants and fruits; the middle rolls into some hints of vinegar, acidic fruits, and burgeoning lactic kick; the back end is sour mash, acidity, and nice woody/acidic lactic funk. Pretty spectacular.

Proof of purchase!

Rating: Divine Brew 

I gotta go with a light Divine Brew rating on this thing. I love blueberries, I love currants...this shit is striking the perfect balance between acid and fruit, lactic and sweet. This has great palate depth, it's drinkable, it's complex. But OH MY GOSH! What a difference an infection makes. Batch #31 is literally an undrinkable mess; it's overly acidic, it tastes like cheese, and smells even worse. Batch #51 smells great, and tastes great. THIS IS REALLY GOOD. Good job, Pipeworks. Food pairings: a nice garden salad, a fruit salad, a nice ceviche, earthy Mexican food (flour tortillas, mole sauce, etc), white fish, or anything that goes well with fruity wheat beer. I'd pair this with some grill food and watermelon slices. Yummm. 

Random Thought: I love Pipeworks, and I love the fact that these guys are in my backyard. I feel blessed to have the Chicago beer scene, and I look forward to a long career of drinking Pipeworks beer. Having said that: STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM BATCH #31. You were warned.