Friday Craft Brew Series
Welcome back everyone! This weeks post has a summer feel to it, all three beers are on the lighter flavor side, but super refreshing. Two of the beers I have had before and am a big fan of, one of them was brand new to me. I hope you all enjoy, so without further ado...
Now, Onto the Beers...
First up this week, Cloud Buster, a Spring Farmhouse Style Ale by Illuminated Brew Works, coming in at 6.3%. This was the one beer this week that was completely new to me. Being hotter that the devils butt here, I needed to go with a lighter flavored beer and when I walked into the store this label jumped out at me right away.
The beer has just a light smell to it, you almost wouldn't know it was beer if you were blindfolded while smelling it. You can catch a hint of lemon, but not a natural lemon smell, more like a lemon scented cleaning product. Not an overpowering cleaner smell at all though, it's actually pleasant.
The beer was a very pale yellow when I started to pour but as the sediment worked its way into the pour it became a more golden color. There was a large foamy head upon pouring that dissipated quickly.
Tasting the beer the first thing that hit my tongue was lemon, and I mean that was all that I tasted initially. I don't mean the sour, pucker your face up, lemon flavor, it's more like lemon candy, or sweet lemonade that's been added to an extremely light beer. You can taste the beer, but you have to search for it underneath all the lemon. As I drink more of it I do get a bit of a hay taste as well, but only a hint. This isn't a beer for me, it doesn't have enough "beer" flavor, just too light and lemony. There will definitely be people that love this beer though, especially during a hot summer day!
MK Beer Scale: 87/100
Next up in the review, Bottom Up Wit, a Witbier by Revolution Brewing, coming in at 5.0%. First off, Revolution is one of my favorite breweries in Chicago. Mostly because it was right up the street from my first apartment in the city, but also because they make some amazing beers! Bottom Up Wit is no exception to that either.
The smell of this beer fits the Witbier style perfectly. You are hit with the aroma of yeast and wheat immediately. Digging deeper into the scent there are hints of citrus, possibly orange.
The beer is a gorgeous foggy golden color. I get excited every time I see a beer this color and smell that yeast, it tells me I'm about to dive into one of my favorite styles of beer. There was little head on the beer, but what was there stuck around a fair amount of time.
This beer should be placed next to the definition of Witbier. You are hit with the delicious crisp flavor of wheat and yeast immediately. It's extremely refreshing. As I sip on the beer I do get hints of citrus, again probably orange if I was forced to choose. This is the perfect summer beer. The flavor doesn't last long in your mouth, but it is so good you will probably be back for another sip before you realize the flavor is gone. Just a great Witbier.
MK Beer Scale: 95/100
Last up this week, Hop Slice Summer Ale by Deschutes Brewery, coming in at 5.0%. This beer should be available pretty much everywhere craft beer is sold in the U.S. Definitely the only one of the three I think you guaranteed to find outside of Chicago, although Revolution does distribute to a handful of other states. Just like the first two beers, and as the name implies, this is a summer beer, lighter in flavor.
The first thing I get when smelling the beer is hops. Not too strong though. It definitely smells more like an IPA than any sort of Summer Ale. The smell excites me though, anything that can deliver great flavor in a lighter beer is fantastic.
The beer is a deeper amber color with a medium, frothy head that sticks around for a while. Again, all of this is adding up to what I would expect to be a great beer.
The taste is extremely refreshing, very light, but still has a hops flavor, just not the bitter flavor you would get with an IPA. It tastes just like a summer beer should, lighter, but still with enough flavor on the back end to make a beer lover really enjoy it. Initially you can feel the hops flavor on the back and sides of your tongue, but turns quickly into more of a caramel, floral flavor. This is a beer lovers dream summer beer, great flavor, crisp and refreshing, easy enough to drink, not too high in alcohol so you can keep drinking them throughout your summer day.
MK Beer Scale: 96/100
Hope you all enjoyed the beers today, I know I did! I would strongly recommend both the Bottom Up Wit and Hop Slice Summer Ale to any beer lover for their next summer weekend barbecue. Trust me they will be way better than whatever macro swill everyone else is drinking. As for the Cloud Buster if you are into lemon give it a shot, but don't expect it to really taste like a beer, probably better off for someone that isn't much of a beer drinker.
Thanks for reading everyone, stay tuned next week for more great beer reviews. I've got a couple brewery visits lined up this weekend that I can't wait to write about!
Part 6 - Bubbler, Hoptronix, La Seul X
Part 7 - Apex Predator &Margarita Gose