In celebration of the end of the term, Jen and I made sure to make a visit to Two Brothers Brewery following a run and dinner at her parents house. I've been here several times so this review may be a conglomeration of a variety of different beers available at one point or another throughout the year. [I had to re-write this post a 2nd time because apparently Ipads don't automatically save posts as you go]Prairie Path Ale - Ironically this is the first time I've been able to try this. Straw gold with foamed film head. Very carameled with biscuit undertones. Great balance with the grassy herbal hops. Slightly dryer than the Bitter End.
86/100
Ebel Weiss - A turbid yellow straw color. Yeasty at the nose with notes of citrus and bread. Creamy mouthfeel but the flavor is far more aggressive by most weiss beers.
70/100Golden Ale - Warmer feel to this one, but with a different yeast taste than the other ales they serve. Slightly metallic with a plain, characteristically indistinct bitterness.
80/100
The Bitter End - One of their best ales. The pinnacle of amber. Floral and Fruity bitterness at the nose. The balance within this beer for a pale ale is outstanding. Malt character holds a perfect foundation for the complexity of the alpha acids.
89/100
Domaine Dupage - Rubied amber with a stronger head. A mellow candied toffee aroma to start. Taste is phenolic and carameled with dark fruit. Hints of bourbon.
77/100
Cane & Ebel - Dark brown with a red hue. A sweet aroma of apples/champagne to complement a subtle vanilla touch from the hops. Bitterness is quite tamed by the malt profile.
85/100
Oak Aged Domaine - Strong caramel notes meld into a rich malted character. To complement there is a vanilla and nutty backbone underlying the sweetness.
83/100
Hop Juice Double IPA - Robustly hopped with aromatically complex tones of citrus and orange zest with herbal and grassy alpha acids. Malt reveals a brown sugar taste.
87/100
Resistance IPA - Light amber color. A strong off white head. There are oak notes with a complementary vanilla bean and roasted nuttiness. Zesty hops are there as a follow-up.
84/100
Long Haul Session - Smooth, but overly carbonated. Biscuit malts and pale are tasted. yet there was something slightly unfavorable about this one.
70/100
Two Brothers is located in a small industrial warehouse district off Butterfield Road in Warrenville, IL. The location is difficult to find without the assistance of GPS searches like mapquest. Nevertheless it resides within a gray warehouse structure, revealing inside a homebrew store (The Brewers-Coop) and an authentically simple restaurant. Their food is outstanding consisting of growing attempts to serve organic and local meals to the growing demands of the public. Their staff is for the most part quite knowledgeable. One of my visits, Adam Slaker and I went with my parents and the waitress, seeing my beer journal brought us a tasting sample of all ten beers they had on tap! Alternatively, the most recent attendance only got us 5 of their most basic (Prairie,Weiss, Bitter, Domain and Cane) of which I was unimpressed. That same visit we did get a pint of their Galena Hopped Heavy Handed IPA which I thought was a great beer to start with,(I had purchased a 6 pack at the Hy-Vee in Rock Island in early October). Similarly they have a great selection of rare and unique brews from across the country like Stone, Lagunitas and Bear Republic. I enjoy this brewery because their beer is consistent in quality and flavor. The atmosphere is simple, yet inviting and comfortable. I like the fact that Two Brothers, like Goose Island (though unfortunately infiltrated by Anhauser-Busch now), are helping to re-define the microbrewery industry. Specifically more towards local, organic and sustainable practices. I do however with that they would attempt darker beers more often and (though I haven't the experience with their other seasonal) attempt some further-out ales and to experiment with vegetables or herbs? In all this brewery offers a great experience and method of ideology around their beer. Always worthy of trying.
Check them out:
Brewery Experience: 46/50
I just tried the Prairie Path today. When you consider that it is a gluten-free beer, it is GREAT! It had a fresh citrusy nose, a lively carbonation, a medium fresh finish with orange peel and a slightly bitter end. I thought it had a Heineken hoppiness to it. I'd say this is the best gluten-free beer I've had.
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