All Beer Blog

Upland Brewing Company: Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA

Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA - Upland Brewery

I had a taste for some Upland Wheat from the Upland Brewing Company, so I inquired about their beer selection here in Chicago. I was told that they didn’t distribute anything to Illinois but was offered a free sample by mail, which I gladly accepted. Thanks!

I have reviewed a few beers from Upland Brewery here before, this is my new favorite! As you know, the Upland Brewery makes great Indiana beer; if interested, you can find a short history on my Dragonfly IPA beer review.

Komodo Dragonfly Black IPA head - Upland Brewery

Capital Brewery: Island Wheat

Capital Brewery is a Wisconsin brewery located in Middleton, just outside Madison, the capital of the state and making it yet another Midwest beer. They have been in production since 1986 and offer about 20 different beers. According to their website, “Capital Brewery was named the #1 Brewery in America at the 1998 Beverage Testing Institute’s World Beer Championships in Chicago, IL.” Pretty nice award, I can’t comment on it since I have only had one of their beers.

Island Wheat was a pretty good wheat beer, not unlike all others. Apparently it is made with wheat grown on Wisconsin’s Washington Island (hence the name). It poured a hazy yellow color with a pretty nice head. The smell was of wheat and hints of yeast or grains along with some citrus. The taste was the same with added floral characteristics, from what I don’t know.

As you can see, the head is pretty prolific for a lighter beer. It is very white and there is a good mixture of large and small bubbles. The lacing on the side of the glass was minimal. The head receded quite quickly and reduced itself to nothing.

All in all, I give this beer a 7/10! It was pretty good but it was too similar in comparison to most other wheat beers; it wanted to be more but ended up being the same. I think I bought this at my local liquor store, it is probably easy to find throughout the Chicagoland. If you like wheat beers, give it a try!

Regards!

Barley Island Brewing Company: Brass Knuckles Oatmeal Stout

Barley Island Brewing Company is another brewery located in Indiana. I couldn’t find that much information on the history of the brewery itself but from their website I gathered that they have a brewpub and about 10 beers they brew, they alternate which beers are on tap at their brewpub seasonally. Apparently they are the only brewpub in Hamilton County, Indiana. They state that the name Barley Island comes from an old 17th century name for the room in an alehouse that beer is consumed. Neat.

Brass Knuckles Oatmeal Stout was pretty good. I am starting to really like stouts and this is the first one I have chosen to review. As you can see the appearance is very dark; you can’t see through the beer at all. The smell was that of roasted malty chocolate and a little hint of oatmeal. Chocolate was definitely the dominant smell. The taste was the same, definitely tasted roasted chocolate. With an alcohol content of 4.9% alc/vol is was hard to taste; the beer itself is what you taste, not alcohol.

The head, as you can see, was not very large. It poured a darker, seemingly chocolately head. This dissapated to a thin layer that stuck around until the beer was fininshed. For a stout, this was not as heavy as I thought it was going to be and sat well in my stomach.

All in all, I give this beer a 7/10! It wasn’t the best stout I’ve ever had but it was definitely something you should try if you are interested in stouts. It wasn’t as heavy as others so it would probably be a good starter to see if you have the taste for stouts. I bought this beer in Indiana and have never seen it anywhere in Illinois (or anywhere else for that matter), so if you want it you will probably have to go to the source.

Regards!

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Frankenmuth Brewery has opened its doors again. Apparently the brewery has been closed for 3 years and will reopen under new ownership. Great!

The Scorecard Reviews has released its top 7 drinking movies. Some of my favorites on the list are Beerfest and Animal House. I know you can think of much more!  Maybe I will do some reviews of good drinking movies later on…

An Australian brewer will offer a dollar a sip of his boutique beer. Apparently this beer goes for about $38A a 24pk. That’s ridiculous if you ask me, no beer should cost that much. $1 a sip is a bit harsh I think as well. Good luck!

Upland Brewing Company: Wheat Ale

Upland Brewing Company is a local brewery located in Indiana. It is my second post of an Upland Brewing Company beer. If you are looking for a short history of Upland Brewery refer to the Upland Dragonfly post. Upland Brewing Company has become my favorite American craft brewery and it’s nice because it is located right in Indiana, but for some reason I can’t find any in Chicago. Midwest beer seems to be the best!

This beer, as you can see, pours a great clear, golden color with a small head. It smells of lemon and wheat. Smell is more fruity and sweet than anything. The taste is the same, some wheat but more lemon than anything. It is quite refreshing. It sits well in your stomach and makes you want to drink more. The carbonation is great, very fizzy. Wheat Ale is 4.5% alc/vol.

The head is minimal. It only appears for a few moments after the beer is poured into a glass, then dissipates. There is minimal lacing on the side of the glass. Like I mentioned earlier, the carbonation is great; it fizzes in your mouth. You can see that there are more larger bubbles than small, more carbonation.

All in all, I give this beer a 7/10! It was very refreshing, a wheat beer you’d want to drink on a hot summer day if it was ice cold. I had this beer over dinner, went great with a steak! If you are ever in Indiana I would definitely suggest finding some of Upland’s beers. If not the Wheat Ale, try another one, I can almost guarantee you will like it and will most likely have more than one!

Regards!