Beer

Jan 04 2015

All the beers from Destihl reviewed

(Not all of ’em. I’m not a lush.)

Still, Destihl is a small Midwestern microbrewery and restaurant. Let’s learn a little more.

On a recent trip to Central Illinois, I had the chance to sample enough of their beer to conclude that Destihl knows what the heck it is doing. While I couldn’t review all the beers from Destihl, the ones reviewed – five of them – were good enough to register four-plus stars, or at least a B+, on the Metasip scale. They have two locations, one in Normal and one in Champaign – both fine college towns, but only one with a playoff-bound football team. (Dig explained here: NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Bracket.)

So we’ll break format and waltz through five of the beers from this gastropub-slash-brewery and Bob’s your Uncle!

Normal Blonde Ale: B+

Normal IS the name of the town. Don’t poke fun – very livable city – and the state Normal School was founded there, thus the name. And thus the name of the blonde ale. 16 IBUs, 4.9% ABV, and mild in flavor. Good for those who want to have more than one – though the brewery serves 4-ounce sizes, too.

120 Schilling Scotch Ale: B+

Can’t find info online about this one, but my notes tell me it was strong – 9%+? – and had an overpowering flavor. But not a BAD overpowering flavor. Good job for a Scotch Ale, so we gave it a B+.

Nutty Brown Ale: A-

Higher in ABV at 5.6%, and higher in IBUs at 34. Right in my wheelhouse, too. The nuttiness put it over the top – we upgraded our rating from B+ to A- upon further review.

Belgian Pale Ale: A

This one also got an upgrade. Why? We helped down a growler later, then came back a few nights later and had more. Winner. Just a standout Pale Ale. I think the IBUs were probably around 40. I think the ABV was around 5. I don’t care, though, either way. This was the best beer we had in our trips there.

Sour Peach: A-

Not for everyone. Photo below – but I gotta tell ya, this was a sour beer that, really, if you’re into sour beer, wasn’t TOO peachy. And was quite tasty. I’d have it again, when I’m in the mood for sour beer – which I occasionally am – so I give this a good score.

All the Destihl beers reviewed?

Well, not all of them…but a good chunk. Well, five. Five of them.

Ever anywhere near Central Illinois, give these folks a try. You’ll be delighted.

Jan 01 2015

Bell’s Christmas Ale

Why am I drinking a Christmas Ale…on New Year’s Day?

This is a good question. Perhaps it’s because I bought too much beer for the Christmas season. I don’t know exactly why – there are no rules, really, around Christmas Ale. You drink them before Christmas, during Christmas, what’s wrong with a week after Christmas? Bell’s does good work, so why not give their Christmas Ale the week after test? Bells will still be ringing for awhile, right?

Ring some Bells for… Bell’s Christmas Ale

First of all, I don’t get into the hype around these things. In fact, first time I had one of these Holiday brews, I was all like…I ordered Sierra Nevada! But their Holiday Ale – maybe it was called “Christmas Ale,” but I’m afraid of overusing the keyword here – came in a bottle with a red label. I wanted a green label. Waaah!

Then there was the time I had the Great Lakes Christmas Ale for my post-Christmas birthday – it was a milestone birthday and, well, I got knocked out.

Anyway, this here bad boy from Bell’s had to be picked up because, well, it’s from Bell’s and their Oberon earned its stripes many years ago.

Taste

Hoppy, not too much so. They tell us on the bottle that it’s made with 100% Michigan barley malt – there’s a bit of a malty aftertaste, which I like. Not overflowing with weird, goofy spices – that’s something I don’t want out of my Christmas Ales. (Like going to Starbucks and ordering a double half-caff mochachino with two shots of gingerbread. No thanks.)

Profile

5.5% ABV. Can’t find IBU info – I’m guessing it’s somewhere in the 25-30 range – but here’s a link to the site.

Value

With any of the special series brews from any of the regional craft brewers, you’re paying more – $9-$12 for a six-pack. Is it worth it? Sure, in this case. It’s a quality beer.

Metasip Grade: B+

We couldn’t go much higher, as this one didn’t have us going batty – maybe it’s because the waters were sullied by some of the other experiences we had with holiday brews. (Watch this space for another review that still has us befuddled.)

Aug 01 2014

Bridgeport Hop Czar Imperial IPA

My notes read “way too bitter.”

Sometimes this happens with reviews – you look at the bottle, you fall in love with the image, you start imagining things before you even try the product. Bridgeport Hop Czar Imperial IPA. The name sent my mind into a whirlwind. “Hoppy, but with a nice, clean finish. Like a really strong IPA, but not too strong that you don’t want to have the next sip.”

Sadly, the above is not a quote from my review, but the idea in my head that this was going to be a really good beer, not one that I tossed because I couldn’t finish it.

Sigh.

To the review, he says, with a whimper.

Bridgeport Hop Czar Imperial IPA

(I just figured it out: it’s the wannabe graphic designer in me that says “ooh, cool bottle, gimme!”)

Taste

From my notes: “Floral. Weird after taste. Officially not my thing.” That’s not a good sign. Plus, as I mentioned above, “way too bitter.”

Profile

According to the bottle, 7.5% ABV. You can only have one, it seems – if you get through the one. I didn’t. 87 IBUs.

To be fair, other beers that were heavy on alcohol AND bitter and hoppy – not totally my thing, as mentioned before; I like the IBU number to be around 40 – have received good ratings by me. In other words, if I think you’ll like it but it’s not up my alley, I’ll tell you.

This…my initial notes told me “B” was about right. If it’s a value…

Value

I’m fairly certain this was in my $9.99 mixed-six. So that’s about right. (Maybe even a deal if you like high-alcohol beer.)

Metasip Grade: B

I can’t go higher on this one – the Lenny Bruce beer was way better IMHO, though higher in alcohol and probably more bitter than this. You might like it; if you can get a bottle in a mixed-six pack, do it.

Aug 01 2014

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

I’m worried about this post. Will I anger someone? What if this is their favorite beer? And, did I spell “Leinenkugel” correctly?

Well, I wouldn’t be a very good critic if I was worried about angering someone. In this case, it almost seems un-American to say something negative about what has become a staple of Midwestern Summer Beer. Leinenkugel Summer Shandy is, after all, advertised on the radio 24/7, and it’s available everywhere in bottles AND cans (clap your hands!).

But…dare I say…it’s incredibly…AVERAGE.

To the review.

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy Review

To answer the question above – yes, I spelled it right. “Leinenkugel.” And their Summer Shandy is supposed to make you think SUMMER immediately, including the ALL CAPS FEELING you get every SUMMER. Except for the summer here in Chicagoland, which is more worthy of lower-case “s” and maybe my sticking my tongue out at Mother Nature.

Taste

Lager beer with lemonade added. “An adventurous taste perfect for summertime fun.” There’s nothing crisp or refreshing, or even really tangy or anything else notable about this. I don’t think summertime fun. Apologies to Dorothy Parker, but, if this drink didn’t exist, you’d have a hard time imagining it.

Profile

Cluster hops. ABV of 4.2%. IBUs: 13.5.

Value

$14 or so for a 12 pack, or maybe it was $12 for a 12 pack. Who cares, I didn’t like it so much.

Metasip Grade: C+

I revisited my initial assessment: first I thought it was a “B-” but then I remembered that I hardly had much of it, because it frankly didn’t taste very good. So it gets a C+. I don’t get invited to the Lodge, I’m sure…maybe other stuff from Jake and Dick and Steve and Irv or whatever their names are will make me reconsider this brewery. We’ll see.

Jul 23 2014

3 Sheeps Really Cool Waterslides IPA

The name is a mouthful. So is the beer.

We mean that mouthful statement in a good way – 3 Sheeps, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA, does some nice work. Or so we had heard. So we picked up some of their Really Cool Waterslides IPA at the Piggly Wiggly and are just now getting around to the review.

N.B. Wisconsin Piggly Wiggly stores, along with a couple in Illinois, are part of a different conglomerate. Here’s a link to the Piggly Wiggly that’s predominant in the South.

Speaking of animals…Enough blah blah blah, here’s the review:

3 Sheeps Really Cool Waterslides IPA

Taste

Bitter, hoppy, IPA. It tastes like an IPA should. There’s nothing crazy about it – but nothing sub-standard either. Good mouthfeel. Drinkable – in the time it takes me to post this, I have mostly finished one. Either I write quickly, or I drink quickly, or both. But it works.

Profile

6.2% ABV. 60 IBUs.

Value

We were in Sheboygan, where the brewery is, so $6.99 for a six-pack was an expected value. It’s worth it even for a couple bucks more.

Metasip Grade: A-

I’d drive across the border for more…but I don’t have to as their “Locaaaator” (clever, no?) tells me Chicagoland has this stuff. Yeeha!