Victory Pale Ale

Jen picked this beer up a couple weeks ago while visiting Kim one last time (who lives in Palatine) before she headed back to Colorado. We met at Jeff's new place but forgot the beer in the fridge, along with a growler of Emmet's Red Ale (shared with everyone at the brewery, didn't get a chance to review). Weeks later I was finally able to get this beer back. Tasted July 4th after a brief run, stop at the farmers market for some Kale and pub stop. Served in a snifter.
5.8% ABV

Appearance: A rustic amber with a clear copper colored pour. In the glass, the beer takes a slight haze, but that is almost negligible. Carbonation is strong as bubbles erupt from the base of the glass in infrequent bursts, while others stream to the surface in a single file line. The head is a fine foam of only a thicker-than-film stature. Lacing is wet and largely speckled.
Aroma: A beautiful bouquet of pine and other citrus notes perfume from the surface and envelope the upper region of the snifter. Flowery and rich with a hint of biscuity caramel, but dominated by Amarillo. Hints of dark fruit and figs emerge as the beer warms, but remains predominantly pine-based and tropical.

Taste: Up front, the palate is sweetened by a typical 2-row malt bill with rich notes of crystal (30-45-65) giving it a carameled complexity. The middle begins to introduce some of the very enticing hop qualities of pine and fruits, reminiscent of plums, grapes and figs, with a little bit of pineapple mixed in. Finally the end results in a full fledged dose of Amarillo that is paired well with the ever remaining malt base to carry it through. The finish is earthy with a fruit sweetness and pine bitterness left long on the palate. However, well after the beer is gone, I still get a residual grassy bitterness in the back of the mouth.
Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a soft and very well complimented carbonation to frothen up the texture. The finish isn't overly dry and a gluttonous cloy sticks to the roof of the mouth
Overall Impression: Man, this is a phenomenal Pale ale. One that is matched by few. I'd say, if you're in Chicago and Binny's has it, it's a pale you can't go wrong with. Better yet hit up their brewery with multiple locations in Wes Dundee, Downers Grove and Palatine! The Amarillo in this beer really kicks the palate and propagates flavor with every sip.

Weekend/Day Beer Adventures

I'm going to try a new line of posts for this blog that will typically revolve around my weekend activities and how they relate to beer. More often than not, these posts will be composed in a "Brewery Review" but for the days when I hit multiple breweries/bars/drinks, I cannot post on them all. So, my "Weekend Beer Adventures" will take the form of everything I did/drank/ate/who-I-met/how-I-got-there kind of heading, compiled with pictures too. These posts are meant to log down some of the fun I have, to retain some good memories and for you to relate to. Enjoy!

Friday (6/8/12): I got off work around 4:00 and headed home to pack. With only 25 minutes before my bus (Indian Trails) left for Chicago, I figured that was enough time to get in a quick post (See: Bedlam). Done. I walked the half mile to the bus with a nice buzz and arrived 4 hours later at the Greyhound Station on the South-Central side of Chicago. After several minutes of figuring out where I was, arranging a ride and seeing who else was in town, I figured I'd walk to Rock Bottom. Definitely a difficult 2 mile walk carrying a backpack full of beer! I got there and started with their Brown ale ( I forgot the name, though it started with "Amazingly") standing at 4.0% ABV. I recognized some of the bartenders there too. Oh, and I didn't mention this, but I was wearing my New Holland Long sleeve work shirt...for an extra credential. I talked with a lady about beer and running a bit. Tasted RB's Wit, and both IPA's. The normal one was a bit grassy, while the Belgian, well, I got a pint of that soon after too. I was there a bit over an hour until Jeff came and picked me up and we headed back to Lincoln park. Discussion of going out for another pint commenced, but I was too tired.
Saturday (6/9/12): Woke up early, downed 3 cups of tea and packed Jeff's car. We were heading to Evanston to move the remainder of his belongings into the new apartment. Didn't take very long, and I got a measly workout in carrying stuff up and down the stairs. Upon finishing, I decided to test out the foot and go for a run (My foot has been hurting for about a month and a half from my work boots). It was about 85 degrees and humid. Got in 7 though and a quick 6:15/mile clip. Rounded out the run with cracking open the growler of New Holland's Sundog though for some replenishing recovery.
A couple hours later Jen arrives with a $17 Growler (ridiculous) of Emmett's Red Ale and a couple bottles of Pale Ale. Here we contemplated our next stop. The decision landed on Half Acre, my favorite brewery in Chicago. We got there and waited for the tour to finish, whereupon Adam enthusiastically showed us around. I've been to HA a couple times and each time it is slightly different - something you can expect with all microbreweries these days. They had renovated their back room to become their production area, while it made room for the new 60 bbl fermenters that were to arrive in the next couple weeks. We were served pints of their new Shogun Wheat and talked to a couple of the remaining tour participants. I wish I had brought some beer to give them, but as we headed back to their tasting room, Adam handed me a case of lowfills of the New wheat! (It was shared with the NH crew, which was held in high regard). Down the street was "Chicago Ribfest" but it was already 3:30 and we needed to head to my sisters.
We arrived, unpacked, shared the rest of the Sundog growler with Monte, who just moved back from Colorado Springs, CO. He was gracious enough to let me borrow his bicycle so Jen and I could bike the town the rest of the weekend. The plan for the evening was to have our final destination in Andersonville for dinner at the Ethiopian Diamond with Jeff and April. We still had time, however so we took off and headed to Goose Island on Clybourn.

Taster at Goose Island

We arrived and ordered a taster of their Dortmunder (awesome!) Summer Wheat (not great) Bitter (decent) and Greg Halls new endeavor: Virtue RedStreak Cider. We found the guest draft list to also include Dragons Milk (good to see) but tapped at $9/pint! (not good). Finishing our tasted we rounded out with a traditional pint of the Green Line (I always get this as the final beer during my visits). We learned that Todd Britt, who graduated Augustana 2 years ahead of me (and was a brewer/assistant brewer) no longer worked at the pub but had gotten a Head Brewer position at a brewery opening up sometwhere in Chicago! Nice work man.
We finished our pint (got industry discount!) and headed North to Broadway for dinner. Note: 4.5 miles is a LONG way on a thick tread mountain bike on the streets of Chicago. Travelling at a quick clip, we arrived at 7:00pm and I was drenched.

April and Jen at Hopleaf

After dinner we made our way to April's apartment, just blocks away, to set up camp. Once we were settled, and done playing with her new kitten, we left for the HopLeaf, which was only a couple blocks away. Fortunately Midsommerfest was in the works and the place was unusually empty (Yes!). We went upstairs and I got a Pale ale from some brewery I hadn't heard of, Jen got Three Floyd's Zombie Dust, and April ordered Lindmans Framboise (she hates beer). Called it a night after finishing those pints.

Haymarkets Dry-hopped Belgo-pale ale

Sunday (6/10/12): Woke up, performed the same daily routine (Downing large amounts of tea and some yoga) and we hit the streets on our bikes (following a brief look at the local organic grocery store). Jen and I attempted to check out Metropolitan, but as usual, they tend to passively shun people away by fences, closed doors and vicious attack dogs (jk about that last one). We then turned around down towards the Lakeshore bike path. Found a spot on the rocks, drank a Fat Tire, attempted to swim (too cold) and headed down the lakefront. Again, mountain bike on path = too difficult to be a practical means of transportation. We made it all the way down to Buckingham Fountain for a quick break and then found ourselves at Haymarket Brewpub. I ordered their Dryhopped Belgo-pale ale and en had the Pilsner. Haymarket is a bit on the expensive side, but with boastful alcohol and loads of Amarillo, I can understand from an industry point of view. Finishing our pints we ordered (and blew the tap) of Solemn Oaths Ultra-high-frequency Red ale, which was apparently gaining quite a reputation already around Chicago for being fantastic. I agreed. I asked for a quick look-around of the brewhouse, where Janna attended and answered any questions we had. By the way, this place has an incredibly innovative set-up for their tap system. We got on the topic of cans, and how I had never had Sunking before. Janna thought that was absurd and sent us on our way with a couple cans of Chaka: Belgian-style ale made through a collaboration between Sun King and Oskar Blues. We headed out from there and made a stop at the Green Grocer to pick up some food/dips and check out the beer selection (they have a great local one). We then went and sat on Aubrey's new patio and enjoyed lunch and some recovery from the already long day. We arranged our next plans to hit Revolution Brewery in enough time to make it back in time to meet the rest of the family for dinner. Back on the bikes!

Sunking/Oskar Blues in a CAN (like-thing)

The ride was longer than I expected, but we got there and sat down at the front bar. The place was packed for a Sunday evening. It was here that we ordered the Anti-Hero IPA and the Gold Ale. I was greeted by Matt, Revolution's first employee and now brewer whereupon he invited us to take a tour! The establishment was a lot larger than I had expected. We were shown the typical brewery equipment and process's and their barrel cellar.  We headed back up to the bar and discussed a few more things with Matt and his friends who also attended the tour with us. We ordered one more pint to try their Rosa Hibiscus Ale - which was pretty good, definitely tending away from the tea flavor, but enough to get a nice bite of floral fruit. Need I say Industry discounts are great? Thanks Matt and the Revolution!
We hopped on our bikes and headed back to Aubrey's. The ride was better, but the day of biking was beginning to tax us both - even Jen on her roadbike!
Once we were back, I made a quick trip to Green Grocer once again to pick up beer I need to buy for people back in Holland. We ate dinner, napped. Jen headed back to RI and I went back to Jeff's. Being as I work 2nd shift the upcoming week, I could afford to stay one more night.
We drove back to Holland the next morning

Brewery Review: Emmett's Brewery - Palatine, IL

I don't remember how I came across this brewery online, especially because Palatine is so close to my house, but nevertheless I'm certainly glad I did. During the first week of spring break, Jen and I were all over the West suburbs of Chicago exploring the various Brewpubs and beer bars. She conveniently got a call from her friend who wanted to have lunch with her, so taking the opportunity I suggested we check out Emmett's Brewpub. So, we drove the 45 minutes from Plainfield and met at the enormous establishment for some beer. Spent an hour an a half tasting (well I did anyway) and headed to my house. Only that evening Jen realized she left her purse on the chair, and Jeff drove us back to get it, where we got to experience the Alehouse on a different setting and order "honest pints" of their beer. This is the beer I tried:

Munich Light - Pale golden color with a foam film white head. The look was clear with uniformed rising bubbles. Sweet and malted aroma. Crisp and refreshing. Light Saaz bittered finishing hops. Almost a session lager at 4.0% (if that's possible). Light carbonation.
84/100
I Am Ale (English Ale) - Light amber. Crystal clear with a foamed white ring. Aromatic caramel and toasted malt. Taste is candied with a very interesting malt backbone. Sweet and fruit at times, with a finishing spice. Peaches and nectarines predominantly. Surprising. Medium body.
82/100
Victory Pale Ale - Pale cloudiness with still visibly rising carbonation fueling a white foam head. Aroma is pineapple and orange. Some grapefruit to taste along with a juicy pined character. Very tropical and fruit (C) hopped. Foamy carbonation and dry finish. Fantastic!
93/100
McCarthy Red - Red amber with a cream off white head. Clear and brilliant. Visible carbonation. Spiced and toasted with a finishing hoppy bitterness. Strong lacing. Somewhat estery aroma with mellow caramel foundation and dark fruit. High fizzy carbonation.
89/100
Double Barrel Stout - Jet black with an amazingly strong tan foam head. Starting with a roasted malt sweetness then finishes with over roasted grains, and burnt graininess. Warmer and lightly carbonated. Foretaste is mildly sweet. Taster is 10x different than a pint. Pint tastes extremely like a Guinness, while taster is far more complex. Some woodiness.
86/100
Pre-prohibition Lager (1871) - Light and crystaled with a sparkling element. Poor head. Looks highly carbonated. Fruitiness runs parallel to the crisp lagered profile. Interesting texture as the creamy bubbliness fizzes as you swallow it. Drying and clean.
80/100
Imperial Stout - Pitch black with a well sustained dark tan head. Aroma is chocolaty and sweetly roasted. ABV is very well incorporated into the body and flavor. Strong, but drinkable. Some fruity elements about it.
85/100
German Kolsch - White foam ring head. Color is golden and crystal clear exhibiting a brilliant appeal. A lot of pungence to the aroma than the other beers. Sweet and bready with a bit of spice to the finish. Backbone is lemony and exhibits a citrus sweet backbone.
81/100
Robust Porter - Very creamy tan head with a layered lacing. Black color. Roasty and sweet to the aroma. Taste is dry and lacking much of a malt base, but still boasting a big flavor. Some sweetness but more bittersweetness from the grains. Touches of coffee in the aroma.
86/100

The Brewpub/Ale house is a stand alone building in the center of down town Palatine. It has a generous out door patio with an above ground fire pit for evening sitting. Inside there is a glass "Atrium" like display looking down onto the brewhouse kettle/mash/HLT. To the right is the pub and the left stands a double room dining area. The whole design is modern and industrial in theme. Reminds me of Fountain Head meets suburbs. Overall the place was very accommodating, even in the evening with the night rush. The pub had giant T.V's in the corners to keep the sports fans. Food was quite expensive ( I didn't eat anything), and the Pints were a little as well ($5.00). I especially liked the round copper stand alone sink bowls in the bathroom, adding an authentic touch. The bar was small, yet there was also another in one of the smaller dining rooms. Eric was our knowledgeable server and bartender and did a great job explaining the beer (for instance that unique flavor in the 1 AM ale was Vienna malt, and perhaps some diacytl). I almost got to meet the brewmaster, which would have been nice, but he was in a hurry (thanks for trying Eric). Generally, this Brewpub had some of the best brews I've had consecutively together in one tasting from a brewery. AND I even enjoyed the fact that many of them were lower ABV allowing for a more thorough tasting. Nice work. They bottle most of their regular house beers (I'd totally get their pale beer if you see it) and they do have a good rotation of seasonal, from what I think. I look forward to getting some of their bottle beers up for review the next time I see them. Stay tuned.
Also, their McCarthy Red was in the top 10 for 2010 at Binny's Beverage Depot while I was working there.
They have two other Brewpubs located in West Dundee and Downers Grove.
Check them out:
http://www.emmettsalehouse.com/

Brewery Experience: 46/50