Revolver Brewing Blood & Honey American Ale

Brewed By: Revolver Brewing, LLC in Granbury, TX  

Purchased: 12oz bottle generously gifted to me; 2015 

Style/ABV: American Wheat Ale/Fruit Beer, 7.0%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer was generously gifted to me, and I am excited to try it. This is a strong wheat beer described as an "ale brewed with blood orange peel, honey & spices. The bottle reads: "An unfiltered, deep-golden ale brewed with malted two-row barley and wheat. Finished with blood orange peel, Texas hone, and a blend of spices." 

The Revolver Brewing Company is a brewery based out of Granbury, TX. The brewery was founded by father and son, Ron and Rhett Keisler, with master brewer and cicerone, Grant Wood. The brewery uses in-house water from their own well, and incorporates seasonal ingredients into their beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website or Facebook page. 

As noted above, the Blood & Honey is an American Wheat Ale, brewed with malted two row barley and wheat. The beer is finished with Blood Orange zest, local Fall Creek Farms Honey, and other spices.

Revolver Brewing Blood & Honey American Ale

This pours into a juicy, unfiltered, orange-yellow body. It's murky and there is yeast sediment; it looks like orange juice and for all intents and purposes it might as well be. There's a firm white head that sticks around and will continue to stick around, as you'd expect with a wheat beer. It's purdy and if you like murky ass Saisons and rustic Wheat beers this is going to be right up your alley.

The aroma on this beer is overwhelmingly spice, with pretty pungent allspice, a little lavender, and maybe something in the realm of cardamom. Beneath the waves of spice is a nice dose of orange peel, which does come through on the aroma. The faint hint of malt on the nose suggests wheat beer, but it is blunted. 

I am instantly reminded of two beers: Jackie O's Paw Paw Wheat, and the Blue Moon Grand Cru. But this is better than both of those beers. For starters, it isn't a train-wreck, so it is an instant improvement upon the Blue Moon swill. Second, it is a bit lighter than the Paw Paw Wheat. I'm getting a really nice orange note, with lots of gentle spice. The spice leans towards allspice and flower/floral notes, with some cardamom in the mix. It reminds me of Blue Moon's Belgian White, and I would probably call this beer a White/Witbier if you handed it to me in a blind tasting. It's actually really nice, with orange peel and orange notes that continue to open up as you drink the beer. It's a real orange note, and I taste actual orange zest. The wheat malts ground the orange flavor, so this never drifts into a mimosa. The spice in the taste is much more mild than the spice in the aroma, which is a good thing. All things considered...I would classify this as a Witbier, and I would say it is really well executed. 

This beer is growing on me as I sip it. I'm not getting any of the mentioned 7% alcohol in the taste. This beer is medium-bodied with low carbonation that hits your tongue towards the mid palate. Palate depth is where I want it to be, and this is actually fairly complex. THIS ISN'T REFRESHING, per se. And should it be? Not at 7%...right? The carb, body weight, and heavy wheat malt finish never hint at summer beer to pound back while on the patio. I would definitely drink this in the summer, but this is truly the middle ground between something you would chug and something you would sip on. It opens up with lots of citrus peel, orange zest, and hints of grapefruit and mimosas up front; the mids roll into the spice and carbonation, dialing up some citrus zest, cardamom, tingly carbonation, champagne notes, and light allspice; the back end drops a healthy dose of wheat malts, and you get that hint of honey. The honey probably helps to weigh this beer down, and it feels like a beefed up Witbier in many respects.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd) 

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. Witbiers are not my style but this beer would certainly change my mind. It's really executed with finesse and has a refined quality about it that is hard to appreciate unless you have consumed a lot of different beers. It's clear that Revolver Brewing has a deft hand and they know how to infuse strong flavors like spices into their beer without turning it into a shit show. I would reach for this beer in the summer and treat it like a glass of sweetened iced tea. Something to sip on. I could also see this beer pairing well with a fruit salad, white fish, ceviche, and other summer foods.

Random Thought: I actually think this is a perfect "Texas" beer. It feels Texas to me.

Une Année Less Is More

Brewed By: Une Année Brewery in Chicago, Illinois  

Purchased: 500ml (1 Pint 0.9 FL OZ) bottle bought at Bottles & Cans in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: American Saison, 4.6%

Reported IBUs: ?

More Midwest shelf turds. About Une Année:

Une Année is a brewery based out of Chicago, Illinois located near the intersection of Grand and Ashland in the Kinzie Industrial Corridor (three blocks from the Goose Island Fulton St. production brewery). The brewery was founded in early 2012 by Jerry Nelson, who is "an Architect, Marine, Siebel Institute Graduate, and Chicago native who started homebrewing in 1995 while stationed in California." Currently, Jerry is the head brewer along with Dustin Zimmerman, who also attended the Siebel Institute, and previously brewed at Hamburger Mary’s Andersonville and worked at Nøgne Ø. The name "Une Année" means "one year" in French, and was chosen to reinforce the two main ideas behind the brewery: a focus on Belgian and French style beer, and an emphasis on seasonal beers. For more info, check out the brewery's website.

The Less Is More is an American-style Saison brewed with orange zest and juice. This pours into a hazy/cloudy yellow body, kicking up a couple of fingers of white head. The head retention is good, with lots of active carb, maybe overly so, and tons of lacing. This is radiant and bright...and it has good aromas.

Une Année Less Is More

This smells the part of an American Saison. The 4.6% thing means this is on the lighter side of the style, but it brings big aromas of lemons, orange juice, mimosas, wheat, white pepper, and MINIMAL yeast character. I wish this was more funky.

This isn't mind blowing, which is no real fault of Une Année. But at the same time, I've been spoiled with this style and this just seems kind of generic and streamlined, especially if juice was added. There's a lot of clean lines, bright hop notes, lemon, orange juice, citrus, some white pepper...and not much in terms of malts or yeast character. You pick up some wheat, and this hints at a bubble gum note from the wheat, but it never really takes things in the direction of the Belgian countryside. It also doesn't play up the orange juice character. It's not quite peppery enough, or mimosa-y enough. It just kind of is.

Despite being nonplussed by this beer, it does own it's 4.6% with a substantial but light medium-body. It's well-carbonated, easy to drink, and has good flavor. Palate depth and duration are middle-of-the-road, and complexity is low. Up front: lemons, mimosas light, good fruitiness, hops, wheat; the mids roll into wheat, with more lemons, orange juice, some mild white pepper; the back end rides out with juicy and clean lines. It's a bright and vibrant beer that I can't really fault except that it pretty much is what it is. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. This is really solid but I wouldn't seek it out at this price in singles. Maybe if they shoved this in a 6-pack format...I just don't think the capacity is there yet, so I do hope they can continue to grow their brand. This is not a bad beer by any means, but the Saison market is flooded with fantastic beers. Having said that, I'm excited to see where they go with these Belgian beers. And their sours. 

Random Thought: I have their Wild Ale/Sour coming up, and that I am excited for.

Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

Brewed By: Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon

Purchased: 12oz bottle bought at Binny's in Chicago, IL; 2015 

Style/ABV: White IPA, 5.6%
Reported IBUs: 55

The best part about hosting a party is being left with a fridge full of shelf turds. About Deschutes:

The Deschutes Brewing Company was founded by Gary Fish on June 27th, 1988, when they opened the doors to their Bond Street Public House pub. The brewery has since expanded, growing to be one of the top craft beer producers in America. The brewery also operates a pub in Portland, and has a dedicated brewing facility overlooking the Deschutes river. For more information, check out the brewery's website; their Facebook page; their Twitter; or Wikipedia. 

The Chainbreaker White IPA is a White IPA brewed with Pilsner, Wheat, Unmalted Wheat malts; Bravo, Citra, Centennial, and Cascade hops; and also has some sweet orange and coriander thrown into the mix.

Deschutes Chainbreaker White IPA

I love White IPAs. This is such an underrated style, so disclaimers up front, this is maybe my favorite shelf turd beer from Deschutes. The Chainbreaker pours into a hazy, unfiltered, conditioned body that is a radiant yellow-orange color, with a firm white head. There is tons of lacing, carbonation, and all that good stuff.

The aroma is a fantastic blend of Belgian yeast, spice, and tons of white pepper, black pepper, and BOLD pink peppercorns. Bright, sweet citrus comes forth, with oranges, tangerines, pineapple, peach, and some mango. The aroma also has some wheat notes, with a little Belgian funk that leans towards clove. It's just a fantastic fusion of that pink peppercorn spice with those bright citrus hops and complex Belgian yeast aromas. 

This tastes as good as the aroma, if not better. You get blasted with tons of sweet hops that dial up pineapple, sweet lemon, and bright oranges. There's a ton of black pepper in the taste, almost drawing up Saison comparisons. There's a good amount of clove funk, pink peppercorns, bold yeast character, and some biscuity/bready malts in the background. The hops are the main character, and they keep the beer bold and refreshing. The peppery spice rides the mids and back part of the beer, and help to dry everything out.

This is an impressively tight package. At 5.6%, this is super drinkable, and a lot of that is thanks to the impressive hop package. This is medium-light bodied, with good palate depth and good duration. This actually ratchets up the complexity beyond the usual 1-Dimensional Deschutes' approach. Up front: tons of delicious citrus, pineapple, bright hop notes; the mids roll into fantastic peppery spice, pink peppercorns, Belgian funk, some clove, more juicy hop goodness; the back end trials off with clean hops, lingering black pepper, and then it dries out with this Saison-like finish. It's just a well-done beer. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This is an awesome beer, and maybe the only Deschutes beer I would seek out regularly and by the 6-pack. Fantastic stuff, really. It's veering into the land of a Saison...and to me....this is better than many of the Belgian IPAs. Really though, I would pair this with some peppery chicken/turkey. Or anything rustic. 

Random Thought: Shelf turds ftw. 

Blue Moon Winter Sample Pack 2014: Blue Moon Belgian White

Brewed By: Miller Brewing Company (MillerCoors) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin   

Purchased: 12oz bottle from the Blue Moon Winter Sampler 2014 bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: Belgian White, 5.4%

Reported IBUs: 9

DAE Macro sampler packs?

Over the past few years of penning horrible blog reviews, I have never actually reviewed one of America's classic beers: Blue Moon Belgian White. I did review their god-awful Grand Cru once upon a time, but how about some of their more seminal releases? I couldn't pass up on the Winter Sampler Pack for 2014. This thing cost about $15, and comes with five unique beers. Well, five really, because who hasn't had the Belgian White? About MillerCoors aka Blue Moon:

Blue Moon was first brewed in 1995 at one of MillerCoors' R&D arms; in a sandlot, in Denver, Colorado, by Keith Villa. Keith Villa is an OG player these days. He's off judging beer, and talking about his PhD in brewing from the University of Brussels. There's a PhD for everything these days. Seriously though, it's Blue Moon. Read the Wiki. 

Blue Moon's Belgian White is the classic beer that you can find at terrible chain restaurants like Applebee's and Chili's. You might also find it at TGIFridays. This beer is literally a classic American craft staple, regardless of what people on forums like "BeersAdventures" and "RapesBeers" might say. Blue Moon is brewed with orange peel, oats/wheat malts, and the usual shit you'd find in a Belgian White. This beer is Keith Villa's pride, and Keith Villa is MillerCoors' Stepford Wife. 

Blue Moon Belgian White

For a MillerCoors' product, this beer is vibrant and orange, and hazy and unfiltered. It actually looks like a legit wheat beer, or at least until the head dies off and you are left with orange juice. Then again, this is a Witbier, not a Hefe.

The aroma is all sorts of conflicting. You get wheat, orange, and honey -- but the aroma is very thick. It smells pretty sweet, and takes a turn towards cereal, with some Fruity Pebbles, and fake spice. It's kind of how I imagine an extract batch of a Witbier would smell.

Witbiers aren't really my bag in general, and Blue Moon tends to highlight a lot of the things about the style that I don't love. For 5.4%, Blue Moon is fairly dense and heavy. It's also fairly sweet. This beer dials up the saccharine juices, and reminds me of apple juice. It tastes like something made from extract, or something that could be further fermented out. In the taste is juicy orange, Fruity Pebbles, some bubble gum, artificial clove that is cloying, and lots of wheat. The saccharine edge isn't overly enjoyable, and the fake spice goes over-the-top in ways that rival Hoegaarden. 

Despite some of the flaws that Blue Moon has, it has a full body that is pretty substantial at 5.4%. The complexity is bottom-of-the-barrel, but the saccharine orange and Fruity Pebbles sweetness is obnoxious enough to stand up to the heartburn inducing foods you might find at such chain restaurants like Chili's, Applebee's, etc. This is a fully utilitarian beer, something beyond the monotonous Pale Lagers likely to be on tap wherever you go, but not nearly as interesting as many other beers. I mean, I'd take a Sapporo over a Blue Moon Belgian White 9/10 times. This is truly a MillerCoors product...the saccharine sweetness reminds me of Miller Genuine Draft, and the relatively uneventful transition from orange/wheat, to a spicy/salty middle, to the bubblegum/wheat back end isn't impressive. And yes, Blue Moon is definitely slightly salty in its attempt to do spice. Salty like semen. Yum.

Rating: Average (2.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. Blue Moon isn't offensive enough to hit that below-average stride, and this beer actually does sort of pull off the style. It's a bit cloying on the sweetness, but the slight brine/semen/salt note that is probably supposed to be coriander spice actually adds an interesting dimension...oh shit, I'm fishing here. Or phishing. Ha, the jokes on you! Seriously though, I would never go out of my way to buy a 6-pack of Blue Moon, but this is a serviceable beer on tap. I've had this beer while out to many a shitty chain restaurant with family and friends. This is a great beer to shove an orange in, and call it a fucking day. This is my Chili's beer. 

Random Thought: The Blue Moon Grand Cru was hilariously bad. Maybe that's why I don't see it on shelves anymore. 

4 Hands Contact High

Brewed By: 4 Hands Brewing Co. in Saint Louis, Missouri

Purchased: 12oz CAN from a 6-pack bought at Whole Foods in Naperville, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: American Wheat Ale Ale, 5.0% 

Reported IBUs: ?

Even though the store shelves say otherwise, it is still Summer. About 4 Hands Brewing Co.: 

4 Hands Brewing Co. are a brewery based out of Saint Louis, Missouri. The brewery was founded in 2011 by owner/president Kevin Lemp. The brewery features a number of brewers, including ex-Goose Island guru, Will Johnston. 4 Hands is all about hand-crafted beers, and they feature a barrel-aging program that uses wine and spirit barrels. Exciting stuff. Definitely check out their website or Facebook page.

The Contact High is an American Wheat Ale brewed with "copious amounts of pacific northwest hops and dry hopping with fresh orange zest."

4 Hands Contact High

The Contact High pours into a dark yellow, deep golden body, kicking up a finger of off-white and short-lived head. Head retention exists as a faint coating, and there is short lived cling from the lacing as you swirl the beer. This has moderate carbonation. All-in-all: not a looker by any means.

The aroma, on the other hand, does catch your attention. Right up front, I'm getting HUGE orange zest. The orange zest is beefed up with big hop notes that include iced tea, crushed aspirin, honey, pine, lemon, lemon tree leaves, and huge dank citrus and citrus zest. I'm reminded a bit of Pipeworks' MariLime Law brewed in collaboration with Tired Hands. 

You get big orange zest in the taste as well, with punchy orange juice and orange zest showing up with assertive authority. This is refreshing and juicy, and reminds me of seltzer water and orange Fresca. The hops in here pull towards orange and pine, with some hints of iced tea and wet leaves. 

This is light, refreshing, and simple. At 5.0%, this is incredibly crushable. Canning this was a good idea, and reinforces the portability of this brew. It's not complex at all, and the palate depth feels a bit one-dimensional. As far as how this stacks up: orange zest up front; more orange and lime zest in the middle, with citrus juice, orange juice, and some hints of citrus hops; the back end drops some iced tea and leaves, with lingering orange juice. The bitterness here is mild. It really reminds me of orange soda. 

Rating: Light Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Decent Average on this. I'm a little conflicted...in this instance, I think the orange zest might actually detract from some of the potential hop flavors you can get out of a beer using just hops. I look at something like Zombie Dust and think to myself, "now that's a Pale Ale." Even the Akari Shogun has this one beat, with ease. It's a preference thing for me, but yeah. This works as a fruited beer though, and I love the 6-pack format. In cans nonetheless. I agree with the suggested food pairings: spicy foods that benefit from a hint of lime or citrus would pair wonderfully with this beer. So would poultry, and also fish or seafood, I think. Maybe a ceviche? I can't complain. This isn't a bad buy, not at around $10 a sixer.

Random Thought: Another year, another forgettable season of Food Network Star...

Crabbie's Spiced Orange Ginger Beer

Brewed By: John Crabbie & Company in Edinburgh, Scotland 
Purchased: Single 11.2oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at Jewel-Osco in Chicago, IL; 2014
Style/ABV: Ginger Beer, 4.8%

Reported IBUs: 45

I'm not gonna lie, I like Ginger Beer. About John Crabbie & Company:

John Crabbie & Company are based out of Edinburgh, Scotland, and were founded by the Scottish merchant, John Crabbie. Crabbie first imported ginger into the port of Leith, Edinburgh, in 1801, to make "the beverage from the Far East." The method that Crabbie used to make the ginger beer is still used today. 

The Crabbie's Spiced Orange Ginger Beer is a mix of zesty ginger and orange. How can this not taste delicious. This pours a clear, amber-orange, ginger ale-color, and kicks up a finger or two of ginger ale-tinted head. There's actually some sustaining head, and nice carbonation in here.

The aroma is a nice blend of alcohol, ginger ale, ginger soda, spiced ginger notes, spiced notes that remind me of rum (yum), and spicy ginger-orange. It smells and looks really refined, mature, and good. 

And this actually tastes quite nice. I rolled through three of these with ease last Friday afternoon while working around the apartment, and I eventually paired this with some slow-cooked barbecued pork chops. The pairing was fantastic, and this shit is legit. You get lots of big ginger on the palate, with big orange notes as the supporting character. There's nice tingly ginger spice that burns down the back of your mouth into the depths of your throat. It's got a pretty good ginger soda kick. My only hesitation with this one is that it's kind of sweet. Again, I drank three of these in one afternoon with no problem, so maybe it tastes sweeter than it actually is.

This is a light and refreshing, and simple in terms of palate and complexity. It's basically a malt liquor. It's a good one though. There's a nice balance between ginger heat and sweet orange in here, and subtle notes of orange, vanilla, spiced rum, star anise, and curry show up in the taste. It's not something I'd buy on the regular, but this is a foodie drink that would work well in the right time at the right place. Recommended. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Above-Average here. This is a solid ginger beer, and the addition of orange adds a fun twist. It could use a little more ginger heat and a little less sweetness, but whatever. I think Stone should make a ginger beer...that is right up their alley. Food pairings here include Thai or Indian food, but I recommend pairing this with sweet barbecued pork chops. The orange and ginger provide balance that compliments the gamy pork and the sweet barbecue sauce.

Random Thought: And if you were wondering, I was on vacation! That's my excuse. RIP, liver. 

Pipeworks Brief Relief Blood Orange Red Ale

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #426/427) bought at Binny's in IL; 2014 (bottled 06.12.2014)

Style/ABV: American Amber / Red Ale, 9.0%
Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™ requires a little more explaining than usual, I think. Pipeworks has quite the lineup of weirdly named beers, but nothing tops tonight's beer and its bottle art. This "collaboration" with Harebrained Design was brewed for the Period Panties Launch Party. What are Period Panties? "Fun underwear that high-fives you for having ovaries and serves as a friendly reminder to others!" You can read more about the launch on Reddit's ChicagoBeer thread regarding the subject. 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 back of the bottle of Brief Relief reads:

"What's better than not wearing pants? Not wearing pants while enjoying a beer! So as a nod to drinking pants-less and to celebrate the insane success of period Panties by Chicago's Harebrained Design, we present to you BRIEF RELIEF.

Brief Relief is a Blood Orange Red Ale, filled with citrusy hops, designed to give some much-needed brief relief from whatever is currently cramping your style. Much like Period Panties, this beer gives ovary owners a well-deserved high five!

Check out Period Panties: www.harebraineddesign.com"

Pipeworks Brief Relief 

I had something for this...I'm drawing a blank. Anyway, this beer pours into a dark, blood-orange caramel color, kicking up two to three fingers of caramel-tinted head. This looks like an Imperial Red or an Imperial IPA, with sheets of lacing coating the glass and sticky head retention. When held to a bright light, this beer takes on a murky blood-orange color, with tiny dots of carbonation working their way up the glass. It doesn't remind me of periods or liberating underwear, but beer is the solution to all problems.

The aroma here is moderately assertive. Right up front I'm getting big hop notes, maybe Citra or Simcoe? I dunno, it's hard to say. There's big citrus on the nose, grapefruit, and dank tobacco/hemp that veers into dank citrus notes. Along with the hops is assertive citrus sweetness, including orange and grapefruit. There is also some bready and rye spice on the aroma, with big suggestive malts lurking in the back.

Aye, this is another banger from Pipeworks, and one of their better Imperial Red Ale-style brews. This is just a fun beer...and I say that in a nice way. I'm getting a lot of citrus sweetness in here, with splashes of citrus juice, sweet blood orange, sweet grapefruit juice, mimosas, grapefruit soda, and big citrus hops underpinning the whole thing. The hops are slightly dank, with big orange and grapefruit. There's some piney bitterness to play contrast to the sweeter citrus juice. Behind it all are some bready malts, with some rye spice and bread providing a nice backbone. This finishes with bread and caramel. Nice.

This is medium-bodied, well-carbonated, and juicy. I'm not getting any of the 9.0% ABV, and this is very drinkable. This reminds me a bit of something from the Lagunitas wheelhouse, only with that blood orange Pipeworks' twist. I really like this...and while it isn't the most complex or bold Imperial Red, it's really well made. Palate depth is on spot. Up front: sweet citrus juice, blood orange, grapefruit soda; the mids roll into the hops, with dank citrus, hemp, tobacco, and some bitter pine/guava towards the back; the back end trails off with hops and citrus and then drops some massive bread, caramel, and rye spice on your mouth. The finish is malty with lingering citrus...slight warming. Noice. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is one of the better attempts at an Imperial Red from Pipeworks. Actually...this might be their best attempt at the style. This is just an insanely drinkable and fun beer, with tons of sweet citrus popping, and nice balance from the hops and malts. This beer actually feels intentionally cohesive and thoughtful. It's just good. If you see this one on shelves or in the fridge, grab it now while it is still fresh. Food pairings here? It's hard to say, with this style. The sweet malt notes and rye notes seem like they would pair well with a pastrami sandwich on rye, deli food (anything from a Polish or Jewish deli), and maybe even German or Swedish cuisine. I'm thinking sausage and sauerkraut, or maybe some Swedish Meatballs. This beer maybe isn't hoppy enough to pair with overly spicy American food...but it might also work with sweet barbecue sauce, and maybe some sweet pork tacos. So yeah, you have a wide potential in terms of food pairings here. Slaw and BBQ? Yes.

Random Thought: I have to admit, the Period Panties are pretty awesome. And it seems like they have lots of support. Beer + Period Panties = good times. Although I don't menstruate, I can raise a glass and say "cheers" to that. 

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.

Samuel Adams White Lantern

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: Witbier/Belgian White, 5.5%

Reported IBUs: 10

Tonight I'm knocking out the rest of the new beers from the 2013 Winter Classics variety pack. 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 White Lantern is a Belgian-style Witbier/White brewed with Spalt Spalter Noble Hops, and two row pale malt, wheat malt, and Ida Pils malts. Clocking in at 5.5% ABV and 10 IBUs, this beer features the addition of tangerine and orange peel, coriander, and Grains of Paradise.  

Samuel Adams White Lantern

The beer pours into a hazy orange body, and kicks up one or two fingers of sea foam white head. In bright light, the beer is a gorgeous orange color, with jets of carbonation rocketing upwards. There's some lacing on my glass, and the bright white head is sustaining nicely. 

The aroma on this beer is very subtle, with lots of wheat, coriander and lemon, orange peel and orange, a hint of clove, a hint of the Grains of Paradise, and lots of wheat-grain wheat punch.

Ehhhh...this is shaping up to be my least favorite of the 2013 Winter Classics. You get a wash of malty wheat with some Grains of Paradise/Coriander driven spice, hints of lemon and orange, and lots of bready wheat. There's a good amount of lemon asserting itself in this beer, and some hints of grass along with the wheat. It just tastes like it is missing something...but it's not offensive and it is on point for the style.

I love my Grains of Paradise and Belgian Whites. This beer is okay. It's drinkable at 5.5%, has a nice balance of wheat malt and lemony spices, and a dash of orange peel too boot. It is the perfect vehicle for the holiday season, despite having average complexity and average palate depth. The mouthfeel is light-bodied with high levels of carbonation and creamy density. Up front: wheat and Grains of Paradise; that rolls into coriander and lemon with more wheat; back end is trailing lemon/orange peel, and the finish is malty. 

Rating: Average (3.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Light Average on this. It's not offensive, it's not amazing, it's par the course. But, definitely an appropriate Winter/holiday beer. I would pair this beer with some glazed ham or Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner. I could see this going well with sweet potatoes and pineapple. 

Random Thought: And now...the Cherry Chocolate Bock

Allagash Fluxus 2013

Brewed By: Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Binny's in IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Porter, 6.4%

Reported IBUs: ?

Tonight's beer was a random hook-up. I saw "ale brewed with blood oranges," and like orange pasties at a rave I was drawn in without checking my shit. The next morning I realized the gravity of my situation, and I did the only thing you can do when you're given oranges. Put them in your ass. About Allagash:

Allagash is a brewery based out of Portland, Maine. The company was founded in 1995 by Rob Tod, who designed a 15-barrel brewhouse, and began brewing some of the first American Belgian-style ales. Rob found success with the Allagash White, and expanded his operation. In 2001, Allagash began caging, corking, and bottle conditioning their beers. Since then, they have continued to celebrate Belgian-style beer.

The Fluxus is part of Allagash's Tribute Series. Allagash donates $1.00 from every bottle sold to a different group, organization, or fund. The Fluxus is brewed every year to commemorate the anniversary of Allagash's first beer sold in July 1995. As indicated on the bottle, "fluxus" means flowing or continuous change. Every year Fluxus is brewed with a different recipe. The 2013 Fluxus is a porter brewed with 2-row, coffee, and chocolate malts, with blood orange pulp and zest. If you know me, you know that I love coffee and citrus, and think the pairing is fabulous. This beer was hopped using Perle, Tettnang, and Glacier hops. The beer is finished with Belgian Abbey yeast. Described as a full-bodied beer with chocolate, roast, and orange notes, this beer should be anything but boring. Last and most importantly, for every Fluxus 2013 sold, $1.00 goes to the Allagash Pediatric Nurses Scholarship at the Maine Medical Center. 

Allagash Fluxus 2013 

The 2013 Fluxus pours a cola-black color with one to two fingers of dark, coffee/khaki/brown head. In bright light the beer has radiant shades of ruby and red on the edges, with a brown/black center. There's a torch of carbonation exploding off the glasses' nucleation point, and a pinky of head is sustaining nicely as you might expect (thanks Belgian yeast). 

The aroma is spicy and smokey and earthy, and I'm getting some leather. There's big peppery spice, coffee, chicory, some very woody chocolate/vanilla, and faint orange fruit. 

This is pretty easy-going, with lots of peppery spice, coffee, chicory, hints of light, earthy, Noble-esque hops, a kiss of orange, and some woody roast. Some velvety chocolate comes and goes, and there are hints of anise and black licorice in the mix. The Belgian Yeast is spicy and assertive, and drops some hints of dark fruits, and the whole thing has hints of earth and smoke.

As far as Porters go, this is very nice. Certainly up there with a Stone or Firestone. This is medium-bodied with good palate depth and good complexity. The 6.4% is completely hidden, despite a few reports that this is boozy and dense. What? This has good density/body, but in the best way possible. I guess my only thought is the blood orange could be a bit more pronounced, and for the grocery list of ingredients, I'm mostly getting coffee, roast, and some wood/earth/smoke. You get roast, a kiss of orange, and coffee/chicory up front; that rolls into earth, smoke, some peppery spice and Belgian yeast, and some hop kick; the back end is smoke, anise, some dark fruits and pepper, more roast, and fade to dry. 

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

 

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. I'm a pretty tough critic regarding Porters, and this is certainly up there with the better ones. There's a nice underlying complexity here, and the Belgian yeast actually provides a nice subtle twist to this beer. I wish the orange was a bit more pronounced, but what can you do. Bottles of this were selling between 15 and 20, which is a lot. I wouldn't necessarily prioritize this, but it's worth checking out if you're looking for a good Porter. This is certainly comparable to Stone's Smoked Porter or something like that. I would pair this beer with meaty pizza, dry chocolate cake, a raunchy burger with fries, poutine, or anything playing off the chocolate/cheese thing. You could also pair this with ice cream or vanilla. 

Random Thought: I'm glad it is hump day, because I'm ready for the weekend. Is that bad? Probably. 

Pipeworks Orange Truffle Abduction

Brewed By: Pipeworks Brewing in Chicago, IL  

Purchased: 22oz bottle (Batch #145 - ORANGE Wax) bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2013

Style/ABV: Imperial IPA, 10.5%
Reported IBUs: ?

Now this is the story all about how 
An emerging Chicago brewery got turned upside down
And I'd like to take a minute to type some shit
I'll tell you how they became the #MidwestWhalez of a town called Chicago

In west Chicago born and raised 
At Bieeennnny's where they spent most of their days 
Chilling out, planking, relaxing all cool 
And all shooting some gatz on the west side of the school 
When a couple of AB InBev guys, they were up to no good 

Fresh #MidwestWhalez

Started making trouble in my neighbourhood 
They bought out Goose Island and everyone got scared
So Ratebeer said, "Pipeworks is the new hot shit, you better prepare" 

I hit up Beermenus when releases were near
Binny's said, "SOLD OUT," better luck check Twitter
If anything I could say this manager was rare
But I thought nah, forget it, yo homes to West Lakeview Liquors

I pulled up to that mom or pop shop about seven or eight 
And I yelled to the cashier, "Yo, hook me up it's Unofficial Pipeworks Thursday™!"
Looked at my #MidwestWhalez I was finally there
To sit on my throne as the prince of...ah fuck it, I don't want to deal with the inevitable trademark ass-fucking that comes with this shit. 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. 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.

How on earth can you top the fantastic Raspberry Truffle Abduction and the possibly better Coffee Break Abduction? You probably can't...but seriously, these beers have been generating a ton of hype, and maybe for good reason. The bottle states: 

"Earth, both rich and refreshing, the bright juices of your primordial civilizations quench even the coldest desire's of deep space. Eventually you will succumb and offer us the sweet orange flesh of your humanity and the chocolate longing of your young will. Or did you think there would be someone to deliver you?"

I tried to be a badass and open the beer with the wax intact, but a big ring of wax settled around the cap, and removing the cap with the wax was likely going to compromise the beer. I have a love-hate relationship with wax, but it's much better than the glued on foil that some breweries use. 

Pipeworks Orange Truffle Abduction

Anyway...the beer pours into an aggressively black body, and kicks up a pinky's worth of tan/khaki head. The head rapidly dissolves into a cauldron effect, coating the surface of the beer. Holding the beer to a bright light doesn't change much, but there are some red/brown tones on the very edges of the beer. I guess this beer isn't as black as say...Justin Bieber's soul. As you rock the boat/gently swirl the beer, sticky brown head coats the side of the glass, followed by some alcohol legs.

The base beer is a fantastic Stout, and this has all the aromas of the Abduction, plus some mild fruit tartness and orange kick. There's big roast, chocolate truffle, coffee, coffee creamer, some ash/dirt, berries, and elusive fruit on the nose. The "elusive fruit" is obviously the orange. There's definitely that berry thing going on with the nose, but also a hint of tangerine/asparagus. All-in-all, the fruit doesn't overwhelm the strong roast/chocolate/cacao/coffee thing that the base beer has going on...but how does it taste?

As Larry David would quip...pretty...pretty...prettttyyy good. Yeah, the Abduction is a hell of a base beer. The 10.5% works to this beer's advantage, as it has a totally expansive and dense mouthfeel that coats every inch of your mouth. This beer is money...or the money shot...or whatever. You get big chocolate milkshake up front, with some vanilla/creamer, cocoa, ash, dirt, and coffee. There's big roast and cacao in the middle, and the back end trails off with coffee beans/espresso, some dark fruits (ala plums), and some boozy complexity. The orange in this is VERY subdued, and I doubt I would be able to pull it out as a flavor in a blind tasting. Having said that, you get a hint of fruit sweetness up front, and some berry/orange truffle towards mid and back palate.

For 10.5%, this is dangerously drinkable. This almost beckons some barrel-aging, if not to add complexity then to add a layer of flavor as a warning that, hey, this thing will get you drunk and then some. Again, the base beer is awesome stuff. You can't run away from the fact that Pipeworks' Abduction is a hell of a Stout. This is a dense, full-bodied, sticky beer. The booze is hidden well, but there's some boozy complexity on the back end, and warming in your throat/belly. The palate depth is approaching stuff like B.O.R.I.S., so it's damn good, and the complexity is good too. You get expansive/milkshake-like roast, chocolate, vanilla, coffee/creamer, and elusive berry/fruit up front; that rolls into ash, dirt, coffee, and hints of orange/plum and truffle; the back end dials up the orange/plum, throws in some boozy complexity, and finishes sticky/aggressive/eventually dry.

Rating: Divine Brew (4.5/5.0 Untappd)

The Abduction is a light Divine Brew, and this doesn't do anything to hurt or take away from the Abduction. In some ways it adds another layer of complexity even. Still, if I had to rank them, I'd probably go: Coffee Break > Raspberry > Orange > Base Beer. I never got a chance to try the oak-aged version with cherries, but these things sadly happen. What isn't sad is this beer. It's also priced great at around 12, maybe 13, for a bomber. I personally wouldn't pair this beer with anything...it works as a sipper, and even better as a dessert beer. But if you had to do food pairings, go all out. Pair this with rich cheese pizza, orange truffles, ice cream, or something of that sort. Calories/healthy eating be damned. Bro, do you even squat?

Random Thought: Pipeworks is in the process of getting their barrel-aging program going, which is very exciting. On the other hand, landing some of their beer is already a bit of a task, so I can only imagine how hard it will be to get their barrel-aged Abductions. I guess you don't hate the playa, hate the game.