Sharper, woodier and bolder than most Imperial pale ales, concise copper-hazed medium body allows resinous pine hop bittering to impact floral-bound orange rind, grapefruit, tangerine and peach tones. Ashen phenolic astringency increases bitter end.
GOOSE ISLAND GREEN LINE PALE ALE
On tap at Nevin’s, pleasurably predictable light-medium body brings mild piney hop bittering to floral citrus spree. Lemony yellow grapefruit, zesty blood orange and dainty white peach illusions seem a bit reluctant riding atop fresh-breaded biscuit malts . Still, effective mainstream fodder.
4 HANDS DIVIDED SKY RYE IPA
Engagingly floral fruited bouquet freshens up bitter piney hop pungency as well as spunky black-peppered spicing. Toasted rye spine deepens fruity nature, allowing lemony red and yellow grapefruit overtones to lead the way alongside ancillary sweet orange-peeled clementine, tangerine, pineapple, peach, nectarine, mango and red apple notions. A fabulous Midwestern-bound West Coast-styled India Pale Ale suitable for lighter pale ale thirsts and heartier hop heads.
LOCAL OPTION DAMPF LOC
Ambitious Medieval Bavarian forest recipe of all-barley steam beer offers honeyed cereal graining to caramel-spiced creaming and sinewy molasses sap. At the midst, nutty toffee sweetness reigns on sugared citrus and bruised banana fruiting. Tertiary brown-sugared buckwheat, spelt and oatmeal notions fill the ample backend.
PIPEWORKS THE CONTINENTAL WEE HEAVY STYLE ALE WITH WALNUTS
Splendidly ‘seductive’ adjunct Scotch Ale (with 9% ABV) layers subtle walnut buttering across mildly sugared vanilla-toffee conflux. Fenugreek-grained chestnut, praline and acorn illusions soften the subtle coffee-milked maple molasses backdrop.
OFF COLOR SCURRY DARK HONEY ALE
Ancient German-styled ‘Kottbusser’ (a porter-like brown ale with honey molasses and oats) brings dark-roasted mocha malting to musty dried fruiting and nutty chocolate reminder. Dry-honeyed rye molasses breading reinforces caramel-burnt chocolate truffle creaming, sugar cookie sweetness, toasted almond-pecan nuttiness and zippy cola-hazelnut whims above oats-flaked spelt graining. On tap, glutinous honeyed molasses rye breading, brown-sugared dark chocolate sweetness and descant coffee roast lead the way as scant raisin, date, port and cola whims flutter below.
BINNY’S BEVERAGE DEPOT
A veritable goldmine for local Chi-town craft beer and beyond, the thirty-plus BINNY’S BEVERAGE DEPOT will please any true beer geek. At this freestanding Plainfield location, I found a tremendous selection of previously untried brews during July ’14 stopover. Discount cards are also available. Bought Ale Asylum, Ale Syndicate, Baderbrau, Boulevard, Church Street, Crazy Mountain, Fireman’s, 5 Rabbits, Flesk, 4 Hands, Metropolitan, Middle Brow, Local Option, Off Color, O’so, Pipeworks, Potoso, 3 Sheeps and Urban Legend brews here.
PRAGA DARK LAGER
Sweet Czech dark lager brings caramel-burnt toffee, brown chocolate, molasses cake and creme brulee niceties to the front above light hop toasting. Honeyed pumpernickel breading and tobacco-leafed crisping sit way below mocha attributes.
(FRANCHES-MONTAGNES) CUVEE ALEX LE ROUGE
Swiss-styled Imperial Stout (with French-wined cuvee overtones) succeeds as its soured lactic mocha essence brings forth a somewhat unique flavor profile. “A crunch of bitter chocolate or a cigar” reads the label. Leathery oaken sourness infiltrates brown chocolate spicing, mild smoked mocha malting, tepid cocoa-dried bittering and wispy vanilla creaming. Earthen black tea peppers vinous grape undertones and murky dark fruiting.
THIRSTY DOG BERNESE BARLEYWINE
Complexities abound for yummy butterscotch-candied elixir (with heady 10.5% ABV turbulence and ethyl alcohol burn). Plying chewy caramel-burnt cookie dough yeast sinew to buttered rum-spiced almond, pecan and toasted almond illusions. Beneath, smoky maple molasses sap picks up sugary vanilla, toffee and black cherry subsidy to contrast remedial dry-hopped pink grapefruit bittering.
NEW BELGIUM / THREE FLOYDS LIPS OF FAITH GRATZER ALE
Interesting collaboration between Indiana and Colorado brewers. German-styled gratzer with smoked Polish dark ale roots brings oak-smoked wheat to the fore alongside bittersweet mocha nuttiness. Baker’s chocolate, cocoa powder and black coffee illusions get reinforced by sneaky peat smoked malts and latent wood-burnt char. Dry finish obtains milk-soured lactic acidity.
WIDMER ALCHEMY ALE
On tap at The Lantern in Naperville, well-rounded pale ale pushes the envelope slightly without becoming too harshly alcoholic. Profoundly embittered IPA-like fruiting protrudes above crisp bite of stylish summer session ale. Pungent piney hop resin flourishes beside juicy pineapple, grapefruit, orange and peach tang, leaving an imprint on its mild wheat-sugared biscuit malt bottom.
