Items that are awesomely contained within this "Pub Pic" from May 2008 at Poor Phil's in Oak Park:
1. Tasty popcorn
2. Delicious soft-shell crab sandwich and creamed spinach
3. Two Brothers' Bare Tree (Barley Wine Style Weiss Beer) (The Glass is Full)
It was little slow here this past month of June, as far as postings go, but I was still enjoying many great beers. And I was too busy yesterday (last day of the month) to post this. Here we go with the monthly ratings.
At Home:
Weihenstephaner - Hefeweissbier Dunkel
One of my favorite beers from the world's oldest brewery. The regular hefeweissbier is awesome too. I just like the dunkel (dark) even more. That's why it was the Beer of the Month for June 2008.
My favorite pub in Chicago is not Irish. It's Duke of Perth. It's Scottish. Took this pic a while back, on April 17, 2008. I remember that not only was this a random Thursday that I fortunately decided to go out to my favorite pub in the middle of the afternoon, but it was one of the first nice/warm days of this year that we had here in Chicago. It was perfect. The pint in the photo is a Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA, which I had after a pint of Belhaven Scottish Ale. Along with the second half of the pint shown, I thoroughly enjoyed a plate full of the best fish and chips that I've had (at least in Chicago). They also have, of course, a large selection of scotch whisky. Check it out for yourself if you've never been: http://www.dukeofperth.com/
Enjoy this first edition of "Pub Pics" on Highway to Ale.
Dark Horse Raspberry Ale
Why it's weird:
Ale brewed with real raspberries.
What's up with this beer:
Back to the fruit beer this time. This Raspberry Ale comes from Dark Horse Brewery in Marshall, Michigan. In the recent past, I have enjoyed their Amber Ale and their Crooked Tree IPA. I have to say that the Raspberry Ale was pretty refreshing when served cold (so it could make a great Summer beer), but in general I just wasn't that into the flavor. It seems that I am more fond of Blueberry Ale than Raspberry Ale. Although I do like raspberries quite a bit, I don't think that they work that well with beer. There is some tartness, which is OK, but there is another taste / aftertaste that I didn't really enjoy - and I can't really explain it. Just something about the mix of flavors from real raspberries with the beer ingredients didn't work for me. Also, the amount of carbonation seemed too high to me. In general, Dark Horse is true to their word (in details below) in that their Raspberry Ale is definitely more of a real ale than just being a fruity malt beverage. But I didn't think the beer itself was that great. It's not that bad, just something I would not buy again. If I was given it for free, I would probably drink it, especially served very cold on a warm Summer day.
The label reminds of illustrations from a book that I liked when I was a child - The Giant Jam Sandwich.
Details: (from the brewery)
A lot of people have asked us "why are there Bee's on the label?” Well, we don't really have an answer for you other than they just look cool. This is a light bodied easy drinking ale. We only use real raspberries so the flavor is very mild fruit and balanced, not what you would expect from a "fruit" beer. The way we see it is we're brewers so lets make good beer, not some fruity carbonated malt beverage. Oh yeah, our motto..."beer first fruit second".
ABV 5%
My Rating:
The glass is half empty.
At Home:
Southern Tier - IPA
A solidly good IPA. A little off balance for me.
Wostyntje - Torhouts Mustard Ale
Why it's weird:
Ale brewed with mustard seeds.
What's up with this beer:
So last week we had black and green peppercorn beer. This week, we have a different spice - mustard seeds.
Picked this up from Binny's the other day. I think it was about $4. You should be able to find it in the Belgium section of beers. I also remember having this a couple years ago at Hopleaf, which has it there on the bottle menu.
The flavors are rather subtle. I think it is a pretty tasty beer, but was expecting more pronounced flavors. Specifically, from the mustard seeds, of course. It has a creaminess to it, which I've noticed seems to be a trend with beers brewed with seeds. There is some sweet fruitiness. There was also some unique bitterish and barely spicy finish, due to the hops and mustard seeds. It's interesting that is has a cloudy yellowish/orangish color, kind of a little like the color of fancy mustard, like Grey Poupon or something. Maybe it was just my tasting of it this time, but I was expecting more flavor. There are some funky little flavors going on, but again, they are slightly detectable. Overall, it is very nice quality beer, which I would expect from Belgium, but nothing to get all that excited about, and not even that "weird". It is rather light and pretty refreshing, and I could see it as being quite good to have in the summer with a bratwurst topped with mustard and sauerkraut or sweet onions. Here's what others are saying about Wostyntje on Beer Advocate.
Brouwerij De Regenboog also makes a very good and flavorful witbier called Vuuve (Flemish for "Five").
"Regenboog" is Dutch for "Rainbow".
Details: (from the brewery)
Wostyntje Torhouts Mustard Ale
Brewed & Bottle by Brouwerij De Regenboog
Brugge, Belgium
Wostyntje is a dark blonde ale brewed with 90% barley malt, 10% munich malt, 2 sorts of hops (Kent Goldings and Challenger), light and dark candy sugar, and (crushed Torhouts) mustard seeds.
7% Alc./vol.
My Rating:
The glass is half full.
Route Des Épices (Spice Route)
Why it's weird:
Rye beer brewed with black and green peppercorns.
What's up with this beer:
I almost went with another fruit beer this time but fortunately I found this one, to take us on a different route. Last time I mentioned that I really like rye ales. Well, here's one with a peppery kick! This is my first time to have a beer from the Dieu Du Ciel microbrewery from Canada. The helpful clerk at the beer store recommended this to me, saying they just got it in and that it was unique, and he was so right. It is a delightful beer and fun to drink. It is definitely a lot less hoppy and hearty as the American rye beers can be, and the pepper lingers and tingles on your tongue - fun! It poured with a great creamy white head that stuck around throughout drinking. There is some sweetness, and some real rye flavor, but the pepper dominates, which is fine by me as it is an interesting flavor that works well with this beer (and for this post!). The overall body of the beer tastes lighter than it appears and I like the amount of carbonation. Somehow, the pepper flavor intensified as I got to the last sips, and actually my tongue was slightly numb when I was done. Yeah, of course this isn't a beer that I would have all the time, but - this is Weird Beer Thursday. It is not a very strong beer, at only 5%. It is definitely worth a try if you have the chance. It's a very high quality beer. I would try their other beers too, such as their (I'm just going to use their names in English) "Mortal Sin" and "Smoke Screen". I like their beer labels too! And I haven't been to Montréal yet, but when I eventually go, I can stay in this cool apartment for rent above their brewpub!
Just as I finished writing this, there was still a little bit left in the glass, so I shot it real quick in my mouth, but it kind of went to the back of my throat. Whoa! There's that fun pepper flavor again. What can I say, I guess I like-a the fresh-a pepper.
Details: (from the brewery)
Route des épices (Spice route)
Bière de seigle au poivre - 5% alc./vol.
341 ml (11.5 fl. oz.)
Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel!
St-Jérôme and Montréal, Québec, Canada
Routes des épices (French for "Spice Route") is a rye beer brewed with both black and green peppercorns. Initially, the beer reveals flavours of fresh grain and malt, which give it notes of chocolate, caramel, and fruit. The pepper flavour and aroma is fully revealed in the finish, which leaves a pleasant, spicy, tingling sensation on the tongue.
My Rating:
The glass is full.
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