Ale

Jun 03 2014

Hebrew The Chosen Beer Rye IPA

We don’t hand out A gradess very often. You’ve got to be rock-solid, stand the test of time, and really REALLY knock our socks off.

Hebrew The Chosen Beer Rye IPA did just that – knocked our socks off.

Part of the reason? The alcohol level: a whopping TEN PERCENT.

But, still, if you’re into that sort of thing, here you go. Time for the review of this stellar Rye IPA.

Taste

Like…drinking pure (alcohol-laden) gold. With rye and malt and hoppy goodness. And did we mention the alcohol? That, too. We sipped this like a whiskey, and that was plenty.

Technically, the name of this beer is “Bittersweet Lenny’s R.I.P.A.” The folks at Shmaltz have gotten quite a few accolades, too.

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TEN PERCENT ALCOHOL BY VOLUME. Also, take a look at all the Malt and Hops info on the website, as that will spell out more than you need to know.

Value

Here’s where this stands out – since we got it in a “Mixed-Six” at the local store, it only cost us $1.66 per bottle. We just got one, but this is more on par with the Matilda type of brew. So you’re making out in the long run.

Metasip Grade: A

A solid A. Were it not for the alcohol content, we’d drink this every day, but it would put us on the floor. So we can’t do that – but, for a every once in awhile treat, you’ll be hard pressed to do better.

Jun 02 2014

Bell’s Oberon Ale

: Bell’s Oberon Ale

There’s a reason Bell’s Oberon Ale is sometimes banned in Illinois.

That’s harsh. “Banned” is a strong word; let’s just say that a disagreement on taxes or something meant that we couldn’t get the stuff a couple summers back.

But they ironed that out – probably had our governor call their governor or something – and all was right with the world.

Because, Midwesterners, it wouldn’t be summer without Bell’s Oberon Ale.

To the review!

Bell’s Oberon Ale Review

Taste

The website – you can link to it here – talks about “mouthfeel.” Which, since this is a beer blog, we should probably start working into our posts.

Come to think of it, though, maybe that isn’t a bad idea – since I’m not typically a big fan of “wheat” beer (or, more accurately, they’re not a big fan of me and I end up with a headache after just one), I don’t actually think of this when I think of wheat beer. It’s probably the mouthfeel.

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5.8% ABV. They don’t tell you the IBUs on the Bell’s website – but it’s not as bitter as your IPA or even some of the hoppier Pale Ales (like Sierra Nevada).

Value

We don’t care. $8.99, $9.99 – we’ll pay it. And it’s worth every penny.

Metasip Grade: A

You would expect anything less from us? I mean, you’re starting to figure us out, sure…but this is one of those Midwestern staples that has earned a spot in our fridge.

May 31 2014

Sky High Rye Pale Ale

: Sky High Rye Pale Ale

What happened to the Sky High Rye Pale Ale?

Honestly, there are very few times in the history of Metasip when we’ve actually had to pour something out. This, sadly, was one of those times.

Rye, when done in an ale, can be quite effective. We’ve had Terrapin, which we found quite good. We’ve even tried the local rye ale, one from Temperance called Restless Years, and we found that one to be a solid choice.

But this one…this one failed. Time for the review of Sky High Rye Ale, from Arcadia Ales in Michigan.

Taste

Too bitter, really bitter aftertastes, and, again, we poured it out. Sorry, Sky High folks, maybe it was over-ryed or over-hopped or over-somethinged.

Actually, Dave, the website will tell you: it’s 80% English Barley Malt, and 20% Rye Malt.

Whatever it was, the citrusy taste wasn’t there for us, having been overpowered by the bitterness.

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6.0% ABV, 55 IBUs.

Value

We’re the wrong people to ask – since we paid $9.99 for a mixed-six pack, this came out to $1.66 for a bottle of a beer that we poured down the drain. However, we’ll give the benefit of the doubt – maybe it was a bad bottle (there was another bottle in the mixed-six that was, we’re CERTAIN, “skunky”) or maybe we had a bad day.

In retrospect, we learned something: the continued value of the mixed-six. Had one and it wasn’t a fit? Pour it out, try another. You’re out less than two bucks.

Metasip Grade: C+

We’ll try this again down the road, we’re sure. And, if we find out we were mistaken, we’ll update our rating accordingly. OR, even better…you can tell us we’re wrong and rate it yourself – do so in the comments.

May 29 2014

A boozy tour of Chicago craft beers

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to spend an evening than traveling from bar to bar on a trolley filled with a bunch of fans of craft beer and sampling some of Chicago’s finest craft brews.

Seriously. Take a minute and try to think of something better. I’ll wait.

See? It’s not easy. And that’s exactly how I spent the evening of May 21. The tour began at Fountainhead and made its way to five other bars before the evening ended and at each, we got to try some of the latest offerings from Chicago and Midwestern breweries. I’m not going to review them all here because it would take forever. That said, we here at Metasip have a few mini-reviews for you. Hopefully, they inspire you to go out and try some new beers. Here we go.

3 Sheeps Cashmere Hammer

The tour kicked off with a sample of Cashmere Hammer, a rye stout from Sheboygan, Wis.-based 3 Sheeps. It poured a rich brown with a light tan head. 3 Sheeps brewmaster Grant Pauly said this particular beer was designed to be incredibly smooth.

“It was designed for nitro,” Pauly said.

It was indeed smooth and decently bitter, which is a plus in my book. But after a couple sips, I just wasn’t into it. It was a perfectly average beer, but nothing about it stood out. Nothing popped. It was boring.

Metasip rating: 2/5 stars

Ale Syndicate du Sable Hoppy Saison

Ok, so the tour started out on a not-so-great note. But it picked up when we got to the next bar. First up, a sample of du Sable Hoppy Saison from Logan Square’s Ale Syndicate. This is not my usual style of beer. I tend to go for dark, malty and roasty as opposed to hoppy. But I was there to experiment, so I took a sample.

And oh did I make the right call. The danger with a lot of hoppy beers – IPAs and the like – is that sometimes, they’re way too hoppy, to the point of being sharp or astringent. Not so with this. The hop flavor was prevalent, but it wasn’t sharp, making for a refreshing, easy-drinking beer.

Metasip rating: 3.5/5 stars

Ale Syndicate Omega Midnight Foreign Extra Stout

This wasn’t even being offered as an official sample, but Ale Syndicate brewer Jake Williams was buying samples for whoever wanted them, so of course I was going to try it. And let me tell you, Omega Midnight was the best beer I had that night.

Admittedly, this was odd as stouts go. There was a good bit of fruit flavor in it, but it wasn’t sweet. In fact, as Williams said, it was “bone dry” with a very pleasant bitterness. It’s smooth and sessionable, which could be a problem for me, as this beer checks in at 9.5% ABV.

Metasip rating: 4/5 stars

Summit Oatmeal Stout

The night of May 21 was definitely a summery evening. So you wouldn’t necessarily think to drink an oatmeal stout. But if you’re going to drink an oatmeal stout on a summer night, you might want to consider the oatmeal stout from St. Paul, Minn.-based Summit Brewing Company.

Oatmeal stouts (which I love, by the way) tend to be somewhat heavy. This was decidedly lighter than a lot of oatmeal stouts I’ve had. I didn’t feel full after drinking it, which was nice on a warm night. It’s a very bitter beer and the bitterness definitely lingers on the tongue. But it’s also very balanced, which keeps you from being overwhelmed by the bitterness.

Metasip rating: 3.5/5 stars

Goose Island The Ogden

Later in the evening, the trolley made its way back to North Center for a stop at the Wild Goose. Once inside, we were handed samples of The Ogden, from Chicago’s own Goose Island.

I wasn’t sure what to make of this one at first. It’s a Belgian-style tripel, but it’s very hoppy, which was unexpected. However, despite the hoppiness, it wasn’t too bitter, which was quite nice. Overall, this was a solid offering, but not Goose Island’s best. I’ll drink it if it’s around, but I won’t go out of my way for it.

Metasip rating: 3/5 stars

Local Option Dampf Loc

I’ll close out this list with another Chicago beer: Dampf Loc from Chicago’s Local Option. It wasn’t my favorite offering that evening, but it was pleasant.

I’d call this a warm weather beer, but I imagine I could enjoy it year-round. It’s a very dry beer with some mild hop notes on the back end. The reason I call this a warm weather beer is because it’s light and refreshing, but it’s got a good amount of body and I think it’d make a good session beer.

Metasip rating: 3/5 stars

May 21 2014

Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale

Metasip Logo

My mother bought me my first bomber of Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale. She knew nothing about it. I knew nothing about it. I didn’t ask her to buy it. But she was in Trader Joe’s and decided to buy me a bottle. I wasn’t expecting much, honestly. But I’ll try any beer once for the sake of experimentation.

When I got the bottle, I was surprised to learn it was made for TJ’s by Canadian brewery Unibroue, which makes some pretty solid Belgian-style beers. And this one was as solid as any of them.

That chance encounter started a tradition for me. See, TJ’s gets a new version of the Vintage Ale every year and 2013’s offering is probably the best I’ve had.

Time for the Review: Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale

Taste

In true Unibroue style, this has a very prominent sweet (but not cloying) and malty flavor. A bready aroma couples with cocoa and spice notes and hints of fruit to create a very pleasant and almost dangerously easy drinking beer. At 9% ABV, it may not be the best idea to knock back a lot of this in one sitting. But be careful, because you don’t taste the alcohol much and it’s smooth enough that you can drink a lot of it quickly.

Pours a deep, rich brown with a creamy, thick head that sticks to the glass just a bit. It’s a beautiful-looking beer and is probably best served in a tulip glass.

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Style: Belgian strong dark ale.

ABV: 9%

Value

At $4.99 for a 750mL bottle, this is one of the best craft beer values out there. It’s cheap enough to be an everyday beer or to keep around to serve to unexpected guests. Heck, it wouldn’t break the bank to buy a few bombers for a party. And while supposedly, it’s only available in limited quantities around the holiday season, I had no trouble getting hold of a couple bombers in May. Trader Joe’s is like that – Vintage Ale or regular old run of the mill beer, if it’s any good, they’ll stock it.