Purchased: 22oz bomber bought at Binny's in Illinois; 2013
Style/ABV: Bière de Garde, 5.9%
Reported IBUs: 24
To follow up with last night's random thought, I went with lubed up band-aids today. My bravery level was "comfortable nipples." Maybe 20 years from now when I look back and cringe at this horrible blog, I will happily reminisce about the days when I didn't have seven kids, when I wasn't [as] fat, and I ran so much my nipples bled. About Two Brothers:
In addition to making beer, Two Brothers are also roasting their own coffee. This is a super cool thing. Who doesn't love coffee? Some of the best beers in the world are brewed with coffee, so Two Brothers has some serious potential to turn out a home grown coffee Porter or Stout. If they throw it in a barrel (ala their J Series), well hot damn.
If you came up to me and said, "Hey, Jon. You know that great Bière de Garde that Two Brothers brew, their Domain DuPage? How awesome would it be if they infused that beer with coffee!!!!" I would look at you like you are cray-cray. There are a lot of beers that I think would benefit from the addition of coffee, and the Domain DuPage is wayyyyy down on that list.
The back of the bottle reads:
"This beer was brewed to commemorate our new café, coffee roaster, and brewery. We decided to blend two of our favorite things Domaine DuPage and coffee.
The cafe will showcase our specialty products. As we prepare you the perfect cup of coffee or freshly brewed pint, you are able to view the process in which we make our libations (right before your eyes). And of course special treats from the bakery."
Punching in at a mild 5.9% and 24 IBUs, this beer is described as a "coffee infused French Country Ale." The beer pours into a dark orange/brownish body. The color of the body actually matches the label on the bottle. The beer is transparent, and kicks up a finger or two of dense, creamy, off-white head. When held to a bright light the beer is a clear amber/orange color, and a centimeter of dense, off-white head is holding steady with some lacing. There's a light stream of small bubbles in the glass.
This smells very much like the original, only some of that caramel/kettle malt character is amped up. There's a TON of caramel and toast on the nose here, with some Bock/Lager-like cleanliness, and some subtle hints of raisin or dates. The whole aroma has a distinct funk, and there is some subtle underlying fruitiness along with some grains. I'm not getting any distinct coffee on the nose, but I see where it might be enhancing some of the malt character. I wouldn't peg it in a blind tasting.
You do pick up a bit more coffee in the taste, as it compliments the big caramel and toast flavors. I'm getting lighter coffee with creamer, stale creamer, coffee and toast, and tons of sweet malt flavors. There's also some nondescript fruitiness in here, and some hints of raisins or sugary caramel/molasses. I'm also picking up some grain. This is light, but has moments where you feel some welcomed malt density.
As this warms, you get a bit more coffee. I'm really enjoying this beer, and it reminds me of early Autumn. The coffee in here is light, but compliments the toast and caramel notes. This is a medium-light beer, supported by creamy carbonation, and a refreshing body. The body is malt-forward, with pleasant, attenuated malt sweetness. Palate depth is great, and complexity is solid. For an Amber-esque Ale punching in at 5.9%, this is quite enjoyable. You get light coffee and sweet caramel up front; that rolls into caramel and toast, coffee and creamer; the back end is lingering malts, some grain, and fade to light dryness. Subtle fruits throughout.
Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5 Untappd)
This is a Light Above-Average. The Domain DuPage is already a great session beer, and a beer I like to pick up in late August or September. It reminds me of early Autumn and those first few weeks of the football season. The addition of the coffee compliments the caramel and toast character in this beer. Bombers of this were going for around 7 or 8 dollars, which seems pretty reasonable to me. I would pair this beer with a sweat potato soup, mac and cheese casserole, cheese soup, pecan pie, or light Autumn foods.
Random Thought: I haven't been to Two Brothers in a while, I may need to head that way. Sometimes you take your local gems for granted, but I shouldn't forget that Two Brothers was one of the first local craft breweries I tried. They make good, if not sometimes underrated, beer.
Reported IBUs: 24
To follow up with last night's random thought, I went with lubed up band-aids today. My bravery level was "comfortable nipples." Maybe 20 years from now when I look back and cringe at this horrible blog, I will happily reminisce about the days when I didn't have seven kids, when I wasn't [as] fat, and I ran so much my nipples bled. 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.Way back in 2011 I penned my shitty thoughts on Two Brothers' Domaine DuPage. The beer is brewed in the style of a Bière de Garde, which is a French ale similar to a Saison, brewed in the early Spring for warmer weather, and featuring a more malty edge. As you can see, I'm actually a big fan of the Two Brothers' Domain DuPage, and at some point I need to critically revisit that beer.
In addition to making beer, Two Brothers are also roasting their own coffee. This is a super cool thing. Who doesn't love coffee? Some of the best beers in the world are brewed with coffee, so Two Brothers has some serious potential to turn out a home grown coffee Porter or Stout. If they throw it in a barrel (ala their J Series), well hot damn.
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| New sponsorship? |
The back of the bottle reads:
"This beer was brewed to commemorate our new café, coffee roaster, and brewery. We decided to blend two of our favorite things Domaine DuPage and coffee.
The cafe will showcase our specialty products. As we prepare you the perfect cup of coffee or freshly brewed pint, you are able to view the process in which we make our libations (right before your eyes). And of course special treats from the bakery."
Punching in at a mild 5.9% and 24 IBUs, this beer is described as a "coffee infused French Country Ale." The beer pours into a dark orange/brownish body. The color of the body actually matches the label on the bottle. The beer is transparent, and kicks up a finger or two of dense, creamy, off-white head. When held to a bright light the beer is a clear amber/orange color, and a centimeter of dense, off-white head is holding steady with some lacing. There's a light stream of small bubbles in the glass.
This smells very much like the original, only some of that caramel/kettle malt character is amped up. There's a TON of caramel and toast on the nose here, with some Bock/Lager-like cleanliness, and some subtle hints of raisin or dates. The whole aroma has a distinct funk, and there is some subtle underlying fruitiness along with some grains. I'm not getting any distinct coffee on the nose, but I see where it might be enhancing some of the malt character. I wouldn't peg it in a blind tasting.
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| Two Brothers French Press |
You do pick up a bit more coffee in the taste, as it compliments the big caramel and toast flavors. I'm getting lighter coffee with creamer, stale creamer, coffee and toast, and tons of sweet malt flavors. There's also some nondescript fruitiness in here, and some hints of raisins or sugary caramel/molasses. I'm also picking up some grain. This is light, but has moments where you feel some welcomed malt density.
As this warms, you get a bit more coffee. I'm really enjoying this beer, and it reminds me of early Autumn. The coffee in here is light, but compliments the toast and caramel notes. This is a medium-light beer, supported by creamy carbonation, and a refreshing body. The body is malt-forward, with pleasant, attenuated malt sweetness. Palate depth is great, and complexity is solid. For an Amber-esque Ale punching in at 5.9%, this is quite enjoyable. You get light coffee and sweet caramel up front; that rolls into caramel and toast, coffee and creamer; the back end is lingering malts, some grain, and fade to light dryness. Subtle fruits throughout.
Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5 Untappd)
This is a Light Above-Average. The Domain DuPage is already a great session beer, and a beer I like to pick up in late August or September. It reminds me of early Autumn and those first few weeks of the football season. The addition of the coffee compliments the caramel and toast character in this beer. Bombers of this were going for around 7 or 8 dollars, which seems pretty reasonable to me. I would pair this beer with a sweat potato soup, mac and cheese casserole, cheese soup, pecan pie, or light Autumn foods.
Random Thought: I haven't been to Two Brothers in a while, I may need to head that way. Sometimes you take your local gems for granted, but I shouldn't forget that Two Brothers was one of the first local craft breweries I tried. They make good, if not sometimes underrated, beer.
