Pipeworks Harbinger of Doom

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #483/484) bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (bottled 08.15.2014)

Style/ABV: Belgian-Style Witbier, 8.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

It's Sunday night, and it is hot and humid out...so how about a "Belgian Style Wit Beer with Elderberries added." 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 bottle of this fruity Witbier reads:

"We believe this beer is a "window" - a beer marked by long periods of strange sightings, monster reports, and alien abductions of unusual persons. In each curious sip you will find sings of tart elderberry, lemon, and Hallertauer Tradition hops. The unclassifiable result is perplexingly refreshing as well as herbaceous and jammy. Allow this beer to guide you through the mist and into another dimension. While this is the Harbinger of Doom, the only thing that is "doomed" is normality. But don't believe us, the truth is out there...in your glass."

Pipeworks Harbinger of Doom

This pours into a super hazy, orange-amber body, kicking up a finger of thick, wispy, wheat-fueled head. There is a lot of carbonation here in the form of small carbonation bubbles, and head retention is fantastic as you'd expect.

On the aroma: lots of clove, vanilla, and some banana funk...this veers into straight up Hefeweizen territory, in some regards. The wheat malts in here are strong and assertive, with vibrant wheat and wheat malts, banana, banana bread, banana caramel/toffee, and light lemon and orange floral fruitiness. I would never guess there are berries in here, but this smells clean and inviting otherwise. I also might peg this as a Hefe.

I am getting some refreshing berry notes in the taste...which is a nice contrast from the nose. The taste is still dominated by that creamy wheat body, with assertive clove, vanilla, banana, Belgian funk, and heavy wheat. But through the clouds of this typical [of Pipeworks] heavy-handed Witbier is some jammy notes of berries, blueberry/blackberry compote, and jammy breakfast syrup. It all rounds out with some hints of lemon and citrus, and then bitter and floral hops. You do taste the hops, and they provide a nice counterpoint to the otherwise heavy wheat malts.

This is still typical of Pipeworks' Belgian offerings...a tad too heavy-handed, and lacking some of my preferred finesse with the style. Still, this buries the 8.5% ABV, and is delicious. The mouthfeel is expansive with great palate depth, and this has solid complexity. This is medium-full-bodied. Up front: berries, clove, bubblegum, vanilla, bananas; the mids roll into wheat and perfume funk, with some berry compote and light lemon/citrus; the back end drops into those hops with lingering wheat. It finishes nicely. All-in-all pretty damn tasty.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

This is a Strong Above-Average. I'd actually say this is an improvement in some regards to previous wheat beer offerings from Pipeworks. I do like this a lot, and I would not hesitate to pick this up at around 8 or 9 bucks a bottle. IMO, this is worth it. Food pairings here: white fish, fruit salads, and warm weather. Tonight is the perfect night for this beer.

Random Thought: Is this a Belgian Wit though? It's not as characteristically spicy as I'd expect...

Goose Island Backyard Rye Bourbon County Stout (2013)

Brewed By: Goose Island Beer Company in Chicago, Illinois

Purchased: 22oz bottle from the Sheridan 'L' Longue in Chicago, IL; 2014 (bottled on 20NOV13 aka 11/20/13, #1004)

Style/ABV: Barrel-Aged American Stout, 12.7% 

Reported IBUs: 60

Something something I did this with my French Press/Randall Jr for way cheaper, but he who ticks is an idiot...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 Backyard Rye was a limited release variation of Bourbon County that came out during the 2013 release of BCBS. This beer is brewed with mulberries, marionberries, and boysenberries; and, unlike regular Bourbon County Stout, is aged in a rye whiskey barrel. Punching in at 60 IBUs, this one has a slightly lower ABV at 12.7%, most likely due to some of the alcohol being lost in the berries that the beer ages on. This one features all the usual Bourbon County malts and hops (Willamette hops; 2-Row, Munich, Chocolate, Caramel, Roast Barley, and Debittered Black malts). Let's glass this up and see if this was worth the premium price many months later.

Goose Island Backyard Rye Bourbon County Stout (2013 Vintage)

This one pours out like your typical Bourbon County affair, only the finger of mocha-brown head quickly fizzles out. The body is opaque black, if not slightly lighter than the base Bourbon County, with shades of cola-brown. There's not much in the way of head retention, but glossy alcohol legs coat the glass. It's kind of uneventful in the presentation, but at the end of the day presentation doesn't matter that much. 

This has a rich chocolate aroma, with notes that include raspberry truffles, deep chocolate truffles, cocoa, and brownies in the pan. The berries compliment the base beer in a completely unique way, bringing out the beer's roasted character, as well as bringing out some fruity caramel sugars. I'm getting some raisins in here, along with an array of berry notes. The berry notes are sweet and sugary, and flirt with molasses and complex caramel sugars. The whole nose is tied together with that bourbon/whiskey backing, with big rye barrel standing out on the nose. This is definitely a bourbon-barrel aged stout, but there's a lot more going on under the hood than just your typical roasty RIS in a barrel. As this warms up a bit, jammy fruits really start to emerge.

As far as how this tastes...first off, much like the Proprietor's, the use of the rye barrel really changes the dynamic of this beer compared to the base beer. The rye barrel and rye whiskey plays off the berries, giving this a jammy and earthy taste. I'm getting a lot of rye spice, alcohol heat, and then big jammy berries. The berry notes include your typical raspberry, blackberry, mulberry, boysenberry...and what the hell is a marionberry? I can't say I have ever had one of those. Oh: I guess I have had a marionberry. TIL marionberries are blackberries. THANKS, OBAMA. Anyway, the berries really play off the whiskey in here. I'm getting big chocolate and raspberry truffles up front, with lots of chocolate and caramel notes in the back. This detours into a raisin-whiskey note for a minute, with lots of berry-whiskey-alcohol notes that are super sweet. Complex caramel sugars emerge from the fray. The finish somehow rolls back into berry la-la land with a slightly tart, berry-like finish.

Fruit-infused Stouts are like anal sex. Some people love them, and some people have no interest in taking 6" of hard man meat up the poop-shoot. As far as fruit-infused Stouts go, I can think of very few ceilings higher than Bourbon County. The Bourbon County base is incredibly complex, and adding fruit to the mix really brings out some specific nuances you might have to really search for otherwise. First off: at 12.7% I find this to be quite drinkable. Having said that, this beer is boozy and seductive. There is some alcohol heat in this beer, and the fruit accentuates the whiskey-raisin booze. This is full-bodied, sugary-sweet stuff. Palate depth is divine and complexity isn't far behind either. I mean, all things aside, the base beer is one of the best beers in the world. As far as how this one progresses...up front it's all about the chocolate, berries, and raspberry truffles; the mids roll into that whiskey barrel, with raisin-berry-whiskey booze, tons of rye spice, jammy berries, and more chocolate/cocoa/truffles; the back end trails with whiskey, raisins, and berries, and drops some nice alcohol heat, rye spice, barrel, and warming booze. The finish is berries and alcohol. This is really delicious, and well-executed.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Divine Brew on this. This is about on par with the Proprietor's. I'm a little surprised to be saying that, but yeah. Both the Proprietor's and the Backyard Rye bring out certain nuances that you can find in the base beer if you look hard enough. The Proprietor's brings out the nutty notes, and big coconut and pie character that you can find in the base beer. The Backyard Rye brings out big sugar/caramel notes, along with tons of whiskey-raisin, and jammy berry notes. Again...this is fantastically executed, and should be paired with nothing but your snifter and some time. Maybe some fruity dessert...I dunno. 

Random Thought: Is this beer worth more than $20 a bottle? That I do not know. Then again, I'm surprised to even have stumbled upon this beer. I sincerely thought I would never get to tick this beer, and I was okay with that. 

The rye barrel and expert craftsmanship from Goose Island is beyond your Randall/French Press, but you can get close to reproducing this beer by taking some raspberries and blackberries, and putting some regular Bourbon County Stout in the mix. Let that thing sit for an hour, and BAM. You have something very similar to this beer, without the crazy trade or expense. I do recommend trying that out. 

Samuel Adams Juniper IPA

Brewed By: Boston Beer Company in Boston, Massachusetts 
Purchased: 12oz bottle from the 2013 Sam Adams Winter Classics variety pack bought at Binny's in IL; 2013
Style/ABV: India Pale Ale, 5.8%

Reported IBUs: 50

I'm not going to lie, I snagged this year's Winter Classics variety pack just to try the Cherry Chocolate Bock. I'll review that tomorrow. 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 Sam Adams Juniper IPA is a Winter Seasonal release, and part of the 2013 Winter Classics variety pack. This IPA is brewed with American hops (Columbus and Ahtanum), and finished with juniper berries. With a base malt of two-row pale malt and honey malt, this IPA punches in at 5.8% ABV and 50 IBUs. 

Samuel Adams Juniper IPA

The beer pours a transparent, amber/orange color, and kicks up one to two fingers of foamy, soapy, off-white head. The head is sustaining very well, and leaving a lot of residiual lacing as it drops off. Bright light confirms much of the same. This is a radiant, amber/orange beer, with a amber-tinted head. There's some nice carbonation in this, with mid-sized bubbles rising upwards.

As you might expect with the juniper, there's a lot of wood, pine, evergreen, and floral spice on the aroma. I'm also getting some pine, iced tea/tea, Christmas tree, wet leaves, and a little grapefruit rind. There's some biscuit and sweet malt backing the hop/juniper aroma as well.

This is pretty solid. Sam Adams isn't an iconic IPA producer, but this strikes a nice balance between citrus/pine and grains of paradise, with some herbal and woody pine, evergreen, and juniper-Christmas-spice. There's also a nice malty wash of bread, honey, and biscuit. The finish is bitter and woody, with some fruity hops that trail, and then a kiss of malt. It's actually really well crafted.

I'm finding this incredibly easy-going at 5.8%. Drinkability is high. The palate depth is good, but as I drink this I'm finding the assertive malt to be a bit muddling. The bed of bread, honey, and grain that backs this beer overtakes the hops and juniper, which results in a slightly off-balance beer if you preference hops. For reference: up front is a lot of pine, fruity hops, and bread/honey; that rolls into some pine, iced tea, herbal hops, and more grain/bread; the back end is trailing bread grain, with a woody, dry finish. 

Rating: Above-Average (3.5/5 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Light Light Above-Average on this beer. I do think this is a good IPA, and the addition of the juniper adds a little fruity twist and some woody notes on the finish. The balance on this beer seems a bit malt-forward, but I could be biased by all the overkill American IPAs I've come to associate with the style. Given how light and refreshing this is, you can pair this with pretty much anything that isn't too spicy or aggressive. A leafy burger and this beer sounds pretty nice right about now. Most importantly, this beer does remind me of the Christmas/Winter season. And to that, cheers.

Random Thought: It snowed this week, and I couldn't be happier. 

Saint Somewhere/Prairie Artisan Ales Carbone Colline

Brewed By: Saint Somewhere Brewing Company in Tarpon Springs, Florida  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Saison/American Wild Ale, 8.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer is a collab between Prairie Artisan Ales and Saint Somewhere Brewing.

Saint Somewhere Brewing Company is a small brewery based out of Tarpon Springs, Florida. Founded in 2007 by Bob Sylvester, the brewery focuses on smaller batch Belgian-style Ales. 

Prairie Artisan Ales are yet another brewery that began as a Kickstarter campaign. Founded in 2012 by brothers Chase and Colin Healey, the duo have been busy making beer as Gypsy Brewers, but also have their own brew facility (complete with barrels!). You can check them out on Facebook here.

The back of the bottle reads: "Brewed in collaboration with our friends at "Prairie Artisan Ales" in Oklahoma. A rustic Farmhouse Ale brewed with blackberries and toasted pecans. Named for "Carbon Hill" Alabama which is halfway between Tarpon Springs FL and Tulsa OK." 

This beer has some carbonation issues...I unscrewed the wire on the cage, and the top exploded off, cork and all. The cork almost took my head off, and the cork and cage took flight. The beer then proceeded to gush everywhere. Even my gentle pour resulted in a glass full of carbonation, so I'm typing up this little paragraph while I wait for the beer to settle down so I can take a picture of it.

Saint Somewhere/Prairie Artisan Ales Carbone Colline

After the Hulk of a head settles down, you're left with a swampy and murky, dark, orange-brown beer. The head is a brownish color, and it's sticky and dense and has good duration. When held to a bright light, the body of this beer is a dank, murky, dark orange. The head is pulling off huge orange-brown tones, and the lacing on this is nice. You can see carbonation on the edges. I like my Saisons swampy, and this one meets that criteria.

The aroma on this beer is awesome...this beer was obviously fermented with Brett, and has that classic, cellared/aged Orval funk. The aroma features funky leather, sweat, butcher shop, horse blanket...there's also some citrus, lemony funk, and nondescript fruits/berries and sweetness. 

I'm trying hard to pull out blackberries or pecans in the taste, but this mostly lays a heavy layer of Brett-funk, yeast, bready yeast and malt thickness, and berry sweetness on your tongue. There's also a nice layer of hops, which provide some bitterness and another level of depth. There's some peppery spice in here with the Brett-funk, and some berry notes (that you wouldn't peg blind). This gets a touch earthy, with a hint of leather/ash, but it's no Fantôme.

This beer is raw in its execution, with an arid finish and tons of bitterness. It's also exceedingly funky. This is my kind of Saison, yo. The 8.0% ABV is masked completely, and this has good drinkability. The mouthfeel on this is medium-bodied, but this beer is propped up with tons of carbonation. Palate depth is outstanding, but complexity waffles. This beer can't decide if it wants to embrace the Brett/lemon/pepper funk, or celebrate the addition of the berries and nuts. All-in-all though...you get some bitter punch up front, followed by huge Brett funk with lemon/citrus goodness; that rolls into some berries, hops, presumably some of that toasted pecan, peppery Brett-funk, and more citrus/Brett funk; the back end is lingering berries and fruit, and then a blast of bitter/funky dryness. The backbone of this beer has nice malt density. Good stuff.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I gotta go with a Decent Above-Average on this. I'm really digging this...even if I don't necessarily get strong blackberry or pecans. This is just a super funky, Brett-forward Saison, and that's my bag, baby. The price was right too, at around 12 dollars for a 750ml bottle. I'm going to pair this beer with some cheese sticks...because I'm classy like that. Really though, you could pair this with strong cheeses, a cheese and onion soup, anything rustic and peppery. I'm glad I bought this.

Random Thought: I need to buy more stuff from Prairie. Fact. I should probably talk about the NFL today...but I'm still recovering from all the noon games that were decided by a final score in the last few minutes of the game. The Chicago Bears didn't look like a team that just beat two of last year's playoff teams (albeit...last year's crappy playoff teams...), but they still looked better on offense than they have in a long time. That's a start, right?