ABV Chicago Monthly Sampler: March 2023
Each month, we like to highlight twelve drinks we found personally interesting, delicious, or exciting from (mostly) local sources with the hopes of passing on our recommendations to those that are interested in reading arbitrary reviews. Some of these were reviewed on the podcast, some were for Patreon-only Low ABVs, and some are just things we bought because we love beer. Here are our highlights from the month of March 2023.
Craig’s Mixed Six
Son of Juice | Hazy IPA | Maplewood Brewing & Distillery | Chicago, IL | 6.3% ABV – listen
I love doing blind shows. We table the label (which can influence you no matter how much you try) and just taste what’s in the glass. Going into round 1 of our Flagship Hazy Battle Royale I didn’t think Son of Juice would make much noise – until the reveal at the end. Buoyed by bitterness, Son of Juice did everything I wanted in a hazy beer. Juicy fruit notes, a liquid that coats the tongue, and some sweetness did what I expected. Despite being labeled as “low-bitterness IPA,” this one popped with bitterness in a field of 4 other hazy beers. While not a 3 Floyds level of bitterness, it sure felt like it on the show. This should be regarded as one of the better hazy IPAs in the Chicago market so don’t skip it if you see it while shopping. It scratches all the itches!
English Sporting Beer | Extra Special Bitter (ESB) | Midwest Coast | Chicago, IL | 5.3% ABV – listen
Always one for an ESB, Midwest Coast nailed everything about theirs. A coating mouthfeel, lovely finishing bitterness and more than enough bread notes, English Sporting Beer stand as a great example of what an American brewery can do with the style. It never feels unbalanced, with those bready notes prevalent across the tongue and supported by some honey-like malt sweetness. The finish has that classic “elbow-bend-bitterness” that keeps you going back for more and more. And at 5.3% ABV, you can and will. My only complaint, as always, is that I’d like to try it on cask somewhere, even though it has that “casky tongue presence.” Beer on the Wall Elmhurst, let’s get this done! (Or Midwest Coast, if a cask is forthcoming.)
Lawrence | German Pilsner | Millpond Brewing | Millstadt, IL | 5.3% ABV – listen
Pilsners usually have a hard time standing out but Millpond’s Lawrence managed to steal the St. Louis, Illinois show. Big grassy notes along with some cracker ones keep it flowing, while the “side of the tongue” flavor keeps things interesting. Bitterness is there and pretty big for a pilsner but that just keeps you tipping your elbow. Some lemon and orange flavors join in with everything to produce a very enjoyable pilsner. The fact that so much is going on and those flavors are so pronounced and big really make this one standout among all the other pilsners we’ve have on the show. Time for a trip to Millstadt, IL?
Of Lochs and Monsters | Scotch Ale | Old Irving Brewing | Chicago, IL | 7.5% ABV – read
Scotch ales (or wee heavys) aren’t a style I generally reach for, even if it’s on tap or available only seasonally. Of Lochs and Monsters might be changing that for me. Big aromas, flavors, and mouthfeel make you sit up and notice this beer. Bread, toffee, and some nuttiness lead the charge while some honey-like malt sweetness adds some depth. Some bitterness shows up after warming and it appears some smoked malt was used as there’s a little smoky note running through everything (but nowhere near a smoked beer in case that’s scaring you off). This did everything I’d want out of a scotch ale; too many other ones I’ve had skimp on the flavor and mouthfeel. This is the best non-barrel-aged scotch ale made by a Chicago brewery. Here’s hoping Old Irving threw some in barrels!
Zombie Ice | Double IPA | 3 Floyds | Munster, IN | 8.5% ABV – read
I almost can’t believe it happened. While Zombie Dust is still sought after – especially by out of state travelers – the truck-following craziness of a decade ago has died down considerably. Maybe that makes it a good time to finally extend the line and release Zombie Ice? Simply put, it does exactly what you’d want out of a “double undead pale ale” bigger sibling to Zombie Dust. Citrus and tropical fruits like orange, cantaloupe, and mango join forces with some grassy bitterness that takes you back to the halcyon days of the Double IPA. The bitterness actually stacks but it’s nowhere near peak 3 Floyd’s IBU bombs from that 10 years ago period. A malt sweetness rounds everything out just as you realize you’ve finished your 12 ounce can. A rare long awaited beer that actually lives up to the hype.
AJ’s Stout #2 (2022) | Barrel-aged Imperial Stout | Triptych Brewing | Savoy, IL | 15.5% ABV – listen
Before even trying any of the 4 barrel-aged Triptych beers on the show I compared them to Half Acre as the second best barrel-aging brewery in Illinois. While that’s debatable, the rest of the show didn’t convince me otherwise, with AJ’s Stout being at the top of that list. A straight blended barrel-aged stout that could be so smooth, flavorful and complex still makes me marvel even after all these years. With very favorable comparisons to Goose Island’s Reserve Bourbon County beers, AJ’s Stout brings chocolate, vanilla, caramel, and some roast to an enjoyable package. The roast and a little bitter chocolate on the finish keep it from going overboard on sweetness. The fact that this 15.5% ABV beer drinks so easily recalls some of Revolution’s Deep Wood behemoths and makes it all the more astounding. This would be Triptych’s regular barrel-aged stout and one you can tell they’ve honed lo these last 10 years. I can’t give this beer – and the rest of Triptych’s barrel-aged lineup – a higher recommendation. Take the drive to Savoy to try or, if you’re lucky enough, buy some of their barrel-aged magic.
Ryan’s Mixed Six
Gled Tae Meet Ye, My Name Is English-style Mild | Dark Mild | Miskatonic Brewing Company/MobCraft Beer | Darien, IL/Milwaukee, WI | 4.3% ABV – listen
There are not enough cask engines at U.S. bars and breweries, but if more people were drinking beers like this one, your average bar staff would have forearms like Olympic Shot Putters. This beer has surprising flavor for an otherwise light beer. Its aroma is light roast, sweet caramel, and dark fruits. In the flavor, big notes of toasted nuts and roasted malt take over, with a fair amount of bitter noble hop and the suggestion of other malt sweetness. It’s very dry in the finish but there’s a lingering flavor character that brings out more roast and chocolate.
7th Anniversary Imperial Stout | Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout w/ chocolate, coconut, caramel, and peanuts | The Old Bakery Beer Company | Alton, IL | 8.8% ABV – listen
Though we hadn’t known them before Don Kasak gave us this beer for the podcast, we’re glad this one lives up to the “bakery” promise as it’s a bit reminiscent of a delicious dessert pie. But where this beer really wins is in its restraint. At the core there’s a solid chocolate malt, roast, and anise base that reminds me of big stouts from two decades ago. The adjuncts and barrel here are more present as the beer warms, but none of them take the reins away from the perfectly-crafted base. It’s not an over-the-top dessert beer; rather, it’s a beer that you can drink while enjoying your dessert.
Beezer | Hazy IPA | Old Irving Brewing Co. | Chicago, IL | 6.9% ABV – listen
Yes, it’s well-known that the GABF gold medal winning Beezer is a great beer. It wasn’t a well-known beer back when it won in 2019, but now in 2023 it’s ubiquitous enough that you can find it on the shelf at many of the big grocery-store chains around Chicagoland. When we had it as a part of our Flagship Hazy IPA Blind Battle Royale, it’d been close to a year since the last time I’d opened a fresh can. But even in the context of stiff competition, we both picked out the Beezer – which we’re happy to report is still as good as it was in 2019. It’s soft and full of tropical fruit and citrus with a dank and slightly resinous bitter character in the end to keep it from getting sweet. Even if you’ve grown a bit tired of the haze, this beer will remind you what can make them such a great occasional treat.
B-43 | Brut IPA | Old Nation Brewing Co. | Williamston, MI | 7% ABV – listen (Patreon only)
Oh, what should’ve been, Brut IPA. Though it’s become shorthand for “failed attempt at new takes on an IPA”, we always thought the Brut IPA had some potential. Remove sweetness, emphasize fruitiness and let a little bitterness linger into the extremely dry finish? Sounds like a summer drinker to me. And that’s what this beer accomplishes – and it does so exceptionally well. We were just amazed Old Nation was still regularly producing a Brut, but seeing as how this is easily one of the best takes on that style we’ve encountered, we now totally understand it survived the death of a fad.
Butcher Bird | ESB | Soundgrowler Brewing Co. | Tinley Park, IL | 5% ABV – listen
Though the quality of burrito is certainly top-notch, the real reason I make a monthly stop at Soundgrowler is because they continue to make traditional styles exceedingly well. (Full confession: I bought another 4-pack of No Ice Schwarzbier this month even after having bought two 4-packs last month.) This ESB goes a bit harder on the bitterness than most, but it still carries across aromas and flavors of spicy hops, corn chips, citrus zest, and wet grass. The malt sweetness is subdued to let the assertive hops really shine. The finish is long – which is good, because 16 ounces is not enough.
Dearest Anna (2022) | Barrel-aged imperial stout w/ Intelligentsia coffee and Tahitian vanilla | Triptych Brewing | Savoy, IL | 17.7% ABV – listen
I have a feeling that some people down in Central Illinois might be a little mad at us for sharing the well-known secret that Triptych is making some of the best barrel-aged beers in the entire state, but we can’t hold it in any longer. The entirety of our four beer episode was a testament to a decade of commercial brewing experience growing with a barrel program, but the masterful matching of bases to barrels along with the perfect amount of adjuncts made the whole thing close to perfect. This beer breaks the alcohol-to-relative-drinkability formula by being a smooth sipper and not pure firewater at almost 18%, and the vanilla beans taste like the most expensive marshmallow money can buy. Though some of the coffee here has faded in the flavor, it’s all over the aroma along with this rich vanilla bean that never came off like extract. The rest of the flavor is rich and milk chocolatey, but the smooth vanilla and slight roast in the finish give it the perfect ending.
