Skot and I just moved to the Chicago area and boy do the grocery stores have a lot of beer available! Even more than Ohio, which is way more than upstate New York, or Utah, or Tennessee last I was in any of those areas. Skot no longer drinks, but when called upon he is willing to help me with my beverage decisions and experiences. It turns that even when you have to give something up, you don't suddenly hate everything about it!? Also he can smell, and I can't, and that may or may not matter (I wouldn't know).
So:
I took advantage of the increasingly-popular mix-and-match six pack option at the grocery store, to try to dive into this sea of booze without sinking a bunch of money into potentially unpalatable liquid. No one but me can drink this beer, so I need to choose wisely! (At least until I find some friends.)
On July 3rd, to celebrate the national holiday (I guess) and not having to lug any more stuff from Ohio anymore (definitely) I tried three of my six chosen bottles. Below are my very unprofessional, non-connoisseur impressions. Disclaimer: if you can't already tell, neither of us are "beer experts," which I'm sure is a thing that exists. Probably don't put much faith, if any, in our experiences.
Off Color Brewing: Scurry
Skot pointed this one out because look at that art! It includes both rats and bees, which are two of the best living things! It's got a hand drawn feel to it that is incredibly endearing! Even the name is cute! But what is the beer like, though?
On the bottle it calls itself a "dark honey ale," which reminded me of basswood and buckwheat honeys, which I greatly enjoy. However it turns out that the "dark honey" in question just means honey plus molasses, which is a little less exciting but probably way cheaper to make. In fact, the beer has so much going on that the overall effect is...kind of bland. It's a dark, but strangely lightweight, thin beer. There are "summer porters" that have this watered-down nature and I'm not much of a fan. It's 5.3% abv seems pretty average as well. The local brewery who produces this beer kindly listed all the ingredients (even the "secret" ones) and I'm no expert but it seems like there are too many. Four kinds of malts ranging from pils to chocolate, three kinds of hops, the aforementioned honey and molasses, and oats are all piled into this beverage for a cumulative effect that is reminiscent of Newcastle Brown Ale or possibly Yuengling. Skot's sniff test concurred with this assessment. Which kind of stinks. I think the good people at Off Color Brewing were shooting for more????
Bottom line: probably not going to purchase again. It's not overly sweet like some of these kinds of beers, but it didn't really stand out or taste actively great to me. Sorry, Scurry! I got another beer from this brewery though for part two of the taste test, so maybe I'll like that better?
Two Brothers: Domain DuPage
Two Brothers, another Chicago brewery, is not as interested in giving away its secrets as Off Color Brewing. I find the graphic design on all of their products pleasing, and the colors used in this label probably prepped me in some unconscious way for the warm, red tone of the beer itself. So how does this brewery describe this "French country ale"? As "food friendly," inspired by an extended visit to France, and amber in color. Thanks, Two Brothers, for that insightful information! All snark aside, though, this tasted exactly as I expected. A bit sweet, a little more boozy than Scurry (5.9% abv), overall pleasant and something I probably will drink again. Skot was no help at all with this one, as his whole reaction to it was: "It smells like beer." I may have been eating when I tried this beer so I can probably say it isn't food unfriendly but because of the sweetness it wouldn't be my first choice for many meals.
Goose Island: Honkers Ale
Uncannily similar in color to the DuPage, this beer was my favorite of the three. (And I don't think it's just because it was the last one.) I have had Goose Island before and I get the sense that it produces on a much larger scale than the other two breweries (though I have seen Two Brothers before as well). Again with the red notes on the label to possibly indicate the color of the beer. And also a goose's head in case you can't remember who made this beverage. It describes itself as an "old English style bitter," which even though I am not familiar with that type of beer is what made me want to try it, and then it throws a lot of what I would consider a grab bag of beer descriptors out there, like "fruity hop aroma" and "rich malt." I'm sure that means something to someone but Goose Island, you had me at bitter.
Skot's sniff test yielded a "bitter but very mild scent" report. On the first go it was bubbly and light, and much less sweet than the previous beer. The aftertaste hit me some moments later, and it was bitter as promised! I wish I had more to say about the flavors that could convey how enjoyable this drink was, but I can't. It wasn't even that alcoholic for a beer, clocking in at 4.3% abv. It was just pleasant as heck. So unless you have some kind of opposition to Goose Island (I think I've met at least one person who does) I think I recommend checking this one out!
To Be Continued
There are still three beers in my fridge from this week's purchase. I can't predict right now if I will do them in one batch like these or individually, but this was fun. (For me.) 'Til then, this is Chelsea signing off!
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