First ordered was Goose Island’s Green Line Pale Ale. This quality American Pale Ale is only available at the brewpub … you will not see it in stores. It is also the flagship of Goose Island’s environmental sustainability initiative, the Green Line Project. It’s fitting that they chose an accessible, sessionable APA to bear the name: Green Line Pale Ale is a mild 30 IBUs and 5.0% ABV.

It comes in a nice clean pint glass bearing its name. I lick my lips, salivate, and embark. This time the beer is paired with a Smoked Chicken Salad and some sweet potato fries with spicy curry ketchup.

The smell is full of citrus hops, and this ale boasts Amarillo, Liberty, Columbus, and Simcoe varieties. The aroma is bright and crisp. Hue is a nice golden honey, and it pours a nice frothy head that amplifies the nose and clings to the inside of the glass as it diminishes.

With a meal, snack, or all on its own, Green Line Pale Ale is a winner. The bright hop notes are citrus through and through, and with a light biscuity malt backbone the beer is balanced to perfection. I would compare it to New Glarus’ Moon Man Pale Ale, which is my absolute favorite APA ever, but it is not quite on the same level: Green Line’s aromas and tastes are just a step below Moon Man’s. Still, this is one great beer. If you want to drink some great beers, come to Chicago.

In the last year or so, I feel like our Pale Ale/IPA offerings here in Chicago have really stepped up. Goose Island boasts the Green Line Pale Ale and their excellent English-style IPA. New kid on the block Half Acre boasts Daisy Cutter Pale Ale and Double Daisy Cutter. Two Brothers have a winner in their Resistance IPA. And there are plenty more that I have not tried…

Don’t leave Chicago without getting you some hoppy goodness!

ABV: 5.0%

Grade: B+

I’ve chilled it a bit more than my typical brew and the glass sweats, the picture of refreshment. The smell is light and airy, yeasts are prevalent and blended with a lemony citrus. Its a stingingly cool taste, yet cleansing like the warm, lemony towels they give in first class. It coats just long enough to rinse the inside of my mouth and then disappears in an easy, non-dry fashion. The carbonation keeps me from gulping, so it forces me to enjoy each sip, rather than chugging it down with the sole purpose of attacking my thirst. The lemony refreshment again blends with the yeast to form a simple, but effective mixture.

I think this brew finds its niche in a crowd where ‘craft’ brews are typically a bit too much of a palate-stretcher for the average attendee. It is well-built and a perfect choice on a hot day, while bearing a brand common enough to fit in to a barbeque without causing too much of a stir.

ABV: 5%

Grade: B

It starts off as a hazy yellow-pale brew with a substantial eggshell white head when placed on your coaster. From there you’re taken on a wonderful ride through a fruity citrus filled beer that demands respect. Using Nugget to bitter, Simcoe and Cascade to finish, then dry hopped with Amarillo and Chinook (I hope I got that right) Tim provides you with a nice range of hop aromas and flavors to explore. The malts are light, bready and give a slight hint of caramel. There is a citrus blast that comes as you waft aromas with hints of grapefruit, orange, pineapple, and tangerine. Complimenting that is a nice floral component along with a pungent piney quality that makes me think I’m standing in a NW pine forest.

This fresh and lively beer does not stop at the nose. With regards to taste it is pleasantly hoppy all the way through, but does so in a non-aggressive manner (even though it might be aggressively hopped). It is somewhat pungent allowing for a slight resinous/oily aftertaste. This only served to remind me of the citrus hop blast I first smelled yet allowed the bready pale malt backbone to come out. Basically, it had a fruity bitter blast up front, a smooth sweet middle, and a lightly piney resinous finish.

Overall, it is one of the better APAs I’ve had in my lifetime and I appreciate that it stays within the style’s range. One could consider it an IPA, but only due to its freshness that accentuates the hoppiness. I forgot to look up the ABV, but my guess: somewhere between 4.6-5.8%.

ABV: 4.6-5.8%

Grade: A

American Dream IPA

This annual release is brewed around the summertime (if I remember past years correctly). The first time I tried this beer a couple years ago I became a fan.

The appearance is basically similar to the Pale Ale in just about every way. It might have been a little bit darker, but not by much. The aroma was similar as well with a huge volley of citrus grapefruit and orange notes that were vivid. It also carried the similar bready malt profile, but with a bit more sweetness in the nose. I could make out a slight alcohol presence as it came in at 6.8%.

I remember Tim telling me that the hops used were similar, with the exceptions of Cascade and Chinook, but I failed to ask what the additions where and how much. Either way, it had a cleaner, drier finish than the Pale. By that I mean not as resinous/oily. At first there was a light toasty malt teaser that then gave way to an amped up fruity citrus bitterness the rest of the way. I could tell the bitterness was increased, but it lacked the piney, pungent aspects of the pale. The abv was minor, but it helped to distinguish the two beers. The floral/citrus bitter aftertaste was spicier and backed by a slight alcohol warmth. Not a bad IPA.

ABV: 6.8%

Grade: B

All that was alleviated when I was offered a sample of this collaborative brew as it cleared my sinuses, awakened my palate, and melted away my driving woes. On Half Acre’s blog they mentioned that the goal for this brew was to make it with “fewer raw materials” but do so in a big way. I think their aim was to keep it as simple as possible, yet create a power packed IPA.

I must say, that goal was achieved! First things first, the label art is ridiculous. The picture captures Spartan-looking men being weaned on the teats of a giant female wolf. A little awkward at first given the imagery, I did appreciate the detail and creativity that went into the artwork.

Pouring the initial glass from my growler brought forth a huge bouquet of hops and a golden liquid. It almost looked like Mead or a Pilsner as the color was slightly hazy gold/straw in nature. The head was fluffy and white producing a nice lacing down the glass.

I was really intrigued by the aroma. It was definitely a hop blast with tangy fruity-citrus overtones. I’d say it was almost a combination of two aromas from 3 Floyd’s Dreadnaught and Half Acre’s Daisy Cutter. There were hints of peach, lemon, grapefruit, orange, and pineapple along with an herbal mint quality that gave it some spiciness. It was grassy and very fresh. The malt profile was simple, light, and bready like a Pils. I could pick out a faint alcoholic smell from the 7.8% ABV, but it was very minor.

The flavor and drinkability of this IPA was great. It was simple, yet brilliantly crafted. There seemed to be only one malt used allowing me to focus on the hops, which while on the lighter spectrum of pungent, still come out strong. I’d say it had the classic Daisy Cutter appeal with 3 Floyds hopping handy work. Most of the hop profile hit my nose in a big way right before the sip. The opening flavor was a fruity/herbal bitterness-minty (had a mouthwash tingle). If you let it sit for a while the ABV does come out. Shewolf reminded me of Goose Island’s IPA in its approach. The minty quality might be from a piney hop used which gave an interesting dynamic to the fruity hop flavors. The light pale malts roll over the middle providing brief sweetness that eases into a bitter finish which is also herbal (minty), tingles the throat, and was drier than most IPAs I’ve had. The aftertaste has a definite hoppy quality that is somewhat resinous, but allows the minor bready malts to shine.

I really enjoyed this IPA in all its uniqueness. It was different than most out there and hope they offer it again in the near future. If you have a chance to make it out to Half Acre pick up a bomber or growler…you won’t be disappointed.

ABV: 7.8%

Grade: A

Not that I didn’t wonder about the name myself when I first picked up a bottle; I thought maybe it had something to do with gardening, or perhaps even brewing the beer with flowers. But after a little sleuthing, I found out that “Daisy Cutter” was actually a slang term used for the massive 15,000 pound bombs the U.S. dropped in Vietnam and Afghanistan to decimate forests and create huge helicopter drop zones. So…yeah. I wonder how many people bought this brew thinking it would be a pleasantly floral experience, and instead got a taste-bud-clearing hop explosion.

And really, that definition isn’t far off. Half Acre describes their signature brew as “a west coast Pale Ale chock-full of dank, aromatic hops” and touts it as “a screamer”. In terms of your run-of-the-mill APA, I think it’s pretty accurate. Daisy Cutter is a dull, almost murky looking reddish-brown beer with awesome head retention and a very “wet” hop aroma. I love the word Half Acre uses…dank. Not exactly pleasant sounding, but it’s true here. The hops are pungent, almost musty. Yet somehow, this beer is radically fresh, as if they were picked straight off the vine and plopped in right before you decided to open it. The dry hopping gives it more of a floral note in the nose, but the taste is all citrus; a bitter grapefruit explosion. And not the sweet tangy zip of red grapefruit. This is akin to taking a huge bite of white grapefruit, rind and all. It truly is chock-full of hops, and the damp/soggy yet unbelievably fresh bitterness they impart to the beer has to be tasted to be believed. IBUs aren’t listed; my guess would be between 60-75. Right on the verge of giving you that dry, filmy chalk tongue. And malts are pretty much nonexistent. But trust me, you’ll be looking forward to the next sip too much to notice (or care).

This is a truly remarkable Pale Ale from a brewery that many of us here at the PHM are lucky enough to have access to. If you’re a Chicago-area resident and want to know where to buy it, go here. And if you’re not from the Chicago-area and you find a bottle, don’t think twice about snatching it up. Also, keep an eye out for Half Acre’s new venture, Daisy Cutter in cans!

ABV: 5.2%

Grade: A

Of all Two Brothers’ year-round selections, Bitter End has to be my favorite. A tasty, well-balanced, reddish-gold colored American Pale Ale that talks a big talk but is really quite friendly to your average beer drinker (it comes in at 30 IBUs). I’ve never officially confirmed the “three classic American hop varieties” used in the beer…but with that description, there’s probably no need to. Cascade, Columbus, and Centennial would be my guess. And they really do provide a great flavor palate of bitterness; Bitter End has floral, citrus, and spicy hop notes that are at the forefront of the smell and taste. They never completely overpower the toasty, honey malt in the background…but they are the heart and soul of this beer. In my opinion, the malts add just enough flavor and body to make it fall more on the smooth, sessionable end of the APA spectrum than the “fresher”, more hop-heavy end. Carbonation is medium…right about where you’d expect it to be. And like many American Pales, it’s a great year-round brew, performing admirably at cold and warm temperatures.

In the end, it’s really a pleasantly bitter beer rather than an extremely bitter one, so don’t let the name fool you too much. But it still deserves a solid endorsement for its quality and widespread appeal. Now if only the same could be said for the website…

ABV: 5.2%

Grade: B+

Phenomenal

It poured smooth and silky into my mug producing a creamy half inch head. The hue was mixture of light (helles) orange and yellows that danced in the glass when the sun hit it. As for the aroma there was a wonderful sense of malts and hops present…surprisingly so for a lager. There was a nice cold, crisp lager characteristic both noticeable in the smell and taste. Supporting that was a toasty, bready, sweet, light Pils malt profile. Similar to Three Floyd’s fashion and Half Acre’s hoppy APA this beer incorporates their passion for this ingredient. A pronounced floral nose producing aromas of light citrus (orange), honey, fresh spring flowers, and freshly cut hay took center stage. As I sipped the 6.5% ABV became slightly evident in the aroma.

The taste was a pure delight. A very hoppy lager that was clean, crisp, and refreshing. Common of most Bocks there was a hearty malt quality, yet this style was lighter allowing for more attention to be given to the hops. Both ingredients played off of and complimented each other well. The mouthfeel is smooth and sessionable with a low-moderate carbonation level. As I sipped away at this brew a couple things stuck out to me: 1) the hopping was bold, yet was not overpowering for the style, and 2) I could easily get use to this beer being a year-round offering.

Dear Half Acre and Three Floyds,

Please make this beer again!

Thank you,

Tom

ABV 6.5%

Grade: A-

Aroma is quite surprising, pleasant, and pleasing. Chocolate, caramel, coffee candy- really quite impressive. Like the inside of a coffee or candy shop.

Taste: I definitely get a roasted note, with a light coffee aftertaste which is really good. The middle of the sip offers a good mix of caramel and roasted barley, with a mouthfeel that is not overpowering and causes me to want more. It’s carbonated to the point where the beer feels creamy to my palate, yet I wouldn’t consider this a creamy beer at all. It just has such a soft finish, no crispness, but in this beer that works. The hops are well hidden, although present. After every sip I’m getting the roasted note and it really fits with this beer.

Overall I really enjoyed this beer. A welcome relief from the hop focused beers I’ve gravitated toward lately. I’m happy I bought this and thoroughly enjoyed this “no-name” beer. Trader Joe’s and Goose Island strike again.

ABV: 5.8% (Thanks to Claudia @ Goose Island for tracking down the brewery spec sheet to verify ABV)

Grade: B

After driving down to the brewery to pick up my 5 bombers worth I was forced to sit through awful Friday afternoon Chicago traffic. However, this only made the first sip that much more relaxing and worth the trip.

Looking at the label art you’ll notice a double headed pack mule carrying a bomb that’s about to be unleashed. It is pretty much similar in appearance to its little brother. An orange body accented by yellow hues around the edges it produced a massive head that was truly effervescent. I must say that my nose is still recovering from the Hop-bomb that went off. Wow! The smell is simply nothing I’ve ever come across before. Super fresh, very citrusy and fruity, pungent, and juicy it is more hoppy a lot of “wet” hopped beers I’ve tried. Awesome notes of just about every tropical fruit are noticeable along with a honey, herbal quality that rounds out the hoppy character.

When I took a sip I could not tell that the ABV was 8% since it was masked by a glorious hop flavors. The malts provide a ever-so-slight toasty aspect while at the same time allow the hops to shine through. At first this beer was similar to biting into or breaking apart a leaf hop. While carrying such a hoppy presence, it is still a Pale Ale in every sense of the definition. Some APAs tend to lean towards an IPA, and although it is a double APA I found it to be very drinkable.

The aroma, finish, and aftertaste are all dominated by the flavorful hop components that lightly coat your nose and mouth with the resinous flower. The middle portion of my sip had a nice hay/straw-like malt aspect to it that was rather smooth and helped the drinkability. Overall, this was an awesome beer that I wish was not just a limited release.

ABV: 8.0%

Grade: A-

However, the Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout made a believer out of this skeptic. It was a limited release in the month of April so my suggestion would be to buy a bottle if you come across one, since the 2010 vintage will be a rare product and worth cellaring for a couple years.

From the moment I opened the bottle I felt as though I was standing in a coffee roasting facility. There was a smooth coffee aroma of medium-heavy roasted beans. It was not completely overpowering, and reminded me of the lingering smell your clothes have after leaving a coffee shop. Along with the coffee what the deep burnt and bitter grains, a punch of alcohol, and intoxicating Bourbon notes. Simply put: fresh coffee, vanilla, chocolate, plums, licorice, dark malts, and hard liquor were present in one waft. To be honest aside from the roasted grains everything else smelled a lot like Utopias or a Cognac.

The appearance was a garnet/mahogany hue that had a fizzy, low head that faded quickly. It was not as thick as I expected which made for easier sipping. Glorious! A smooth warming, very nice coffee flavor rolled over my tongue. Almost like drinking a cup while sitting next to a campfire. The coffee compliments the bourbon aspect and actually adds a sweet touch to a somewhat harsh finish. I did get a sense of alcoholic strength from the beer itself, but also from the Bourbon. A little shocking at first, but your taste buds and throat get use to all the flavors and ABV. I was left with a rich coffee bean aftertaste that actually helped to cleanse the palate a little. There was a slight metallic taste to it, but overall this is a much better offering than the original BCS in my opinion. Definitely lay down a bottle for a couple years. Given my grade of the original above I would put this one at an A.

ABV: 13.0%

Grade: A