Latest Community Beer Reviews

Purchased at Sicilaino’s about 8 months ago. No date on can. Pours with huge, pristine white foam. Tight bubbles. Light straw to straw in color. Slight chill haze in an otherwise clean beer - not a full can pour. No lacing. Aroma is lightly tart, lemon, and some barnyard funk. Taste is tart with a heap of funky goodness, enveloping lemon and faint cherry. Nice long finish with the tart fruit shining. Light body with a spritzy carbonation. Dries the palate but there is some juice in the corners. This is a classic wild ale for me. Light, crisp and easy to drink. Definitely would have again in spite of the price. Enjoy!

Purchased from Tavour. Received in the last couple of weeks. No date on can. Pours opaque with a picture perfect brown sugar foam that is trophy and creamy. As it slowly erodes, thick lacing abounds. Aroma is vanilla and sweet cocoa, not milk chocolate. No barrel. Rich hot chocolate mix. But I want more complexity. Taste is a bit different than the nose. The finish: wait a few seconds and blast off with a lingering sweet hot chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla and hints of the barrel. Char, brown sugar, light bourbon make up the barrel profile. Medium body, possibly the light end of medium. Light carbonation. Dries the palate. Gorgeous in the glass. The aroma needs more complexity. The taste has plenty of complexity but most of it in the finish, lingering beautifully. Bring that gusto throughout, don’t let it hide until the finish. I would have this beer again. Enjoy!

Purchased from Tavour. 2026 variant. No date on the 375 ml bottle. Pours without any head. Opaque. Viscous. Aroma is rye whiskey - fantastic rye whiskey. Charred or burnt almonds. Brown sugar without a cloying sweetness. Taste follows the aroma. Quite a bit of rye whiskey: vanilla, burnt oak, and rye. Medium to medium heavy body. Good carbonation up front. Dries the palate. This is a really nice beer. I always enjoy a rye whiskey beer. But this is not ground breaking. Sort of one noted, no real porter style beer left from the barrel. This is a tough one for me. Based on the price, I wouldn't have it again because it doesn't break any barriers. Enjoy!

Purchased at Iron & Glass, Minooka a couple of weeks ago. No date on bottle. Artwork on bottle is really cool. Poured somewhat clear with a purple/red driven foam that was chased away as it poured. No lacing. Aroma really hits my wheel house. Tart, sweet, berry medley with hay and other earthy barnyardness. The berries, tart and sweet all vie for favor on the nose, making for a fun ride. The taste is a joy. The tart hits along with the berries, early, then the middle some sweetness starts to beat back the swelling tartness, balancing with all three lingering late into the finish. Different parts of the mouth linger, each providing a different flavor to the fold. Simple, yet extremely complex. Heavier end of light body, possibly a bit more. Dries the palate, more and more as you continue to be beckoned for another taste. This is a well crafted beverage. The tart, sweet and berries compliment and balance each other on the nose and mouth. One of the better wild ales I have had in a while. It is time I start giving the style my attention again. I would easily have this again. Enjoy!

Purchased from Tavour recently. Date on bottle of 12-10-2025 with the bottle stating it is a 2026 release. Pours clear. Purple, like Barney. Limited, light purple foam with large bubbles that dissipates as quickly as it pours. No lacing. Effervescent. Aroma is sweet, acidic berry, hay, and hints of barnyard. Sweet and acidic berry delight explode the sense but are well balanced. Hints of wine on initial bottle crack. Taste is acidic throughout. Not as balanced as the aroma. Almost one-sided. Some sweetness, hay and berries find their way in the middle, parting ways into the finish with a swell of avidity. Surprisingly light body in spite of the small bubbled effervescence that is present in abundance. Dries the palate with lingering acidity framed by berry sweetness. A very interesting beer. Not as complex as I would have liked. The aroma and color are fantastic but let down some by the flavor and thin body. I would have this beer again. Enjoy!

Purchased at Iron & Glass, Minooka on Friday, 05-08-2026. Date on can of Pours with the typical haze for the style. Opaque. The straw color and the thick frothy, white foam creates a pretty sight for a thirsty beer drinkers' eye. Great retention and tons of thick, creamy lacing. Aroma is mango, sweet, peach, apricot, and hints of passion fruit. A great medley of scents. Taste is more peach forward than anything else with a very sweet finish, which lingers. Mango, passion fruit and apricot are there but are riding sidecar to the peach. Passion fruit would be the next hero of the flavor. Medium to medium-heavy body. Medium carbonation up front that mixes with the creamy, frothy foam for a well balanced mouthfeel. Dries the palate, thoroughly. I haven't had a Brothership in a while. Further, I go past the place twice a week for work. Why haven't I stopped in? I did pick up two other beers that will be reviewed this weekend. This is a really good offering that I would have again. Enjoy!

Purchased on Friday, 05-08-2026 at Iron & Glass, Minooka (only had a half case, maybe as we don't get Anchorage often). Date on can of 04-05-2026 - about a month old. Pours opaque and dark gold in color. Huge, white foam covers. Somewhat quickly recedes back to a large bubbled ring. Aroma is a bit subdued compared to expected craziness that could come out of Strata. Sweet, orange, pine, resin, and dank. They are all there but none jump out. Melon and cannabis join late and as the beer warms. Taste is juicier than the nose; still no tropical. Orange, resin, dank, and sweet, earth, and lemon. Nothing ground breaking. Medium body, could ebb on alcohol, with a strong carbonation. Clean, juicy finish that eventually dries the back of the palate, which also fills with dank, earth, and resin that lingers, almost creating a bitterness. Not as tropical fruity as I expected. More the dank side of Strata. Muted as well on the nose. Taste brings more but seems to have fallen off in a quick month? Almost heavy and thick enough to be a barleywine, at times. Well made beer. Maybe slipping. I don't know if having this beer fresh would change my mind but I wouldn't seek it out again. I do want to try more Anchorage beers though. Enjoy!

Purchased from Tavour, received about a week ago. Can't read date on the bottom of the can. First beer from Great Notion. Pours with a huge pure, white foam that densely covers. Great stating power with thick, sporadic lacing throughout. Aroma is citrus, grass/earth, sweet, and mango. Taste is dank. Really dank. It starts on the front of the tongue, goes to the back, lingers, creating some bitterness, and through to the deep, dark lasting finish. Pine, lemon, and grapefruit seem to lend to the bitter finish. Medium big body. Light carbonation. Lots of bitterness with a touch of warmth. Since I can't read the date, I realize that this review could be skewed based on the actual age of this beer. Although, I think it is fairly fresh. Look and aroma are solid but the dankness and bitterness (possibly due to the alcohol content) are a bit much for me. At $6 retail per can, there are many things I could find that my palate appreciates more than Triple Dark Shark. Enjoy!

Purchased at Iron & Glass Minooka on 04-24-2026. Date on can of 04-21-2026. Poured into a large Tree House snifter that I picked up at the brewery. A delight on the eye. The color is a glowing yellow with almost a finger of off-white foam. Retention is okay, leaving some large bubbled lacing behind. Aroma jumps out. Sweet, mango and peach. A "green" earthiness comes about along with hints of dankness. Taste is a bit muddled. Mango and sweetness are the most distinguishable. Possibly some peach, pineapple, earth, and dankness cloud the flavor profile. Light body with a bit of carbonation on the front the tongue before becoming flat. There is a slight lingering bitterness. Based on the pour I thought this beer was going to be one of the best Hop Butcher beers since Cafe Bear back in February of this year. The aroma was good but both the mouthfeel and flavor lacked and broke me. The taste has possibly too much going on - all these big hops are too much for one simple beer. I could stare at it for hours, I just don't want to take it out on the date. Enjoy!

Purchased on 04-24-2026 at Iron & Glass Minooka. Date on can of 04-22-2026. Pours clear with ever so slight a chill haze. Straw to light gold in color. A half-finger of snow white foam covers, mostly receding quickly, but leaving behind a covering that stays throughout. Nice lacing: thick and clingy. Aroma is sweet - candy like. Dank, pine, and resin cut through the sweetness. Grapes. Taste. In the finish there is grape, pine and dank. The dank lingers. Up front some sweetness. Light body but a spritzy carbonation that gives it some weight. This beer has good flavor, body and aroma for such a light beer. If it was 80 or more degrees, alongside the abv, this would be an all day drinker. I would have this again. Enjoy!

Purchased at Iron & Glass Minooka on Friday, 04/10/2026. Date on can of 03/24/2026. About a month old which is pushing it for me in terms of how old I like to review these beers. The two week mark is typically the sweet spot. Pours opaque, as expected. Golden. A beautiful inch of snow white foam covers. Great staying power. Lacing is thick and sticky, leaving nice lacing throughout. Ripe mango jumps out as soon as the pour begins. Sweet orange. Creamy? Taste Is more orange with slight hints of mango. Unfortunately subdued. Earth and a bit of carbonation zing in the finish. Big body with ample carbonation. Bitter that lasts and lingers, building between sips. I didn't even know Dogfish Head was still pumping out beer. They don't do anything that excites me and make me seek them out. This beer follows suit. Nothing spectacular, nothing that wins me over to want it again. The bitterness in the finish is not well placed. I wouldn't have this beer again but there is nothing wrong with it. Am I becoming too much of a beer snob stating that I wouldn't want a beer I rated a 7 again? Enjoy!

Purchased this beer at Riverlands after experiencing it on tap. It is a phenomenal beer. The lack of adjuncts is what I treasure! Pours dark like used moil with a similar consistency. Very little mocha foam that doesn't fully cover. Leaves immediately. No lacing. There are some legs though. The aroma invites with complex barrel notes. Oak, blended bourbon, vanilla, dark sweetness - not quite molasses but deeper than brown sugar. The barrel character here is exquisite. Taste carries the barrel just as the aroma. The alcohol is well hidden, which is dangerous in such a big beer. Smooth and easy to drink. Bourbon, oak, molasses, sweet, slight roast, leather, and cigar (think more oaky char). There is a bit of astringency in the finish. Tastes wonderful but a bit rougher than the aroma. Body is thick and juicy, no bitterness, but a blend of flavors remains in lingers. Just like a good bourbon. Light, up-front carbonation, that quickly recedes. Exactly what is expected in a large, barrel-aged stout. This is a big beer, with no adjuncts, that hits the ground running and never stops. Bravo to someone showing off how well a bourbon barrel can be, especially without all the dumb adjuncts. Brings back memories of early Bourbon County just a bit more subdued/balanced. I would have this beer again and again. Enjoy!

Do not know where or when this beer was purchased. Date on the bottom cannot be read (even by my kids whom have much better eyes). Poured into a Hop Butcher 20oz glass. Pours like the midnight sky on a moonless night. Opaque. A small shot of mocha foam that doesn't cover the liquid and quickly leaves; no lacing. An oil slick does stay on top (not foam). Did they use real coconut? Aroma is bland at best. There isn't much there. The taste follows. No coconut. No coffee. Just blah. Bigger body. Light carbonation. Could this beer be older? It was in the alternate fridge that doesn't get much love. Based on the beer in front of me: I wouldn't have it again. Enjoy!

Purchased at Werk Force Brewing during there barrel aged stout release in late January, 2026. No date on bottle. Poured into a nonic pint glass from Lost Forty Brewing. A brief mocha, large bubbled foam covers. It scatters like the birds in the yard when a hawk is hungry. No lacing and no foam left on top. Aroma is a bit subdued. There is young and old barrel: vanilla, brown sugar that also has trailing vanilla and a more non-distinguishable sweetness. Barrel char, chocolate, and roasty. Taste is more of a roar that builds into a beautiful lingering finish of chocolate, brown sugar, barrel char, and overall goodness. Dark fruits (dark cherry and date) and a touch of alcohol too. Just a hint. Big body that has a medium carbonation on the lips that lessens the deeper the liquid makes it on the tongue. Dries. Lingering sweetness. This is a hard beer to rate for me. The taste is the All-Star. The look leaves a bit to be desired as it would be nice to see some bodacious, mocha foam lacing throughout. Nonetheless, a well balanced beer that is a pleasure to partake. I would have this again. Enjoy!

Picked up at Iron & Glass Minooka on 2026-04-10. Can’t read the date on the bottom. I think this was canned last week. Poured into an imperial pint Town Hall glass. Opaque but a beautiful golden hue. Huge amount of pure white foam covers. Lacing is sticky, thick and wonderful. Aroma of orange, sweet melon with dankness meandering in occasionally. Bright and sweet. Taste is white grape that lasts to the finish fighting back some bitterness that is oddly placed. Orange. Dank like the aroma that, at times, comes across as grassy. White grape is really strong. I like that. Lighter body than normal but a spruced up carbonation. Drying. Thoroughly. An interesting beer. Nelson Sauvin can always surprise with the profile it adds. The green grape was pleasant and comfortable in this beer. The bitterness was a bit misplaced. I would have this beer again enjoy!

Purchased at Iron & Glass Minooka on 2026-04-10. Date on can of 2026-04-06. Poured into my good friend Pliny the Elder glass, perfect for these 16 ounce pours. This six day-old pours opaque, almost muddy, in the glass. Golden in color. The remainder of the 20oz glass is full of thick, snow-white foam. Good retention that leaves sticky sheets of lacing in its wake. Aroma is sweet orange. Oddly, over-sweet almost. Mango with a hint of pine lurking. A bit of subdued aroma. Taste is orange, sweet, peach, cantaloupe, and pine in the late finish. None of these flavors jumps out at you but they are intermingled like the ingredients of a way laid out recipe. Velvety mouthfeel that is big end of medium body. Medium or less carbonation. Not bitter but pine does linger. Hard to believe that almost 6 years have passed since I initially reviewed this beer. If you're willing to decode its nuances and let your mind's eye reveal the strategy behind the craft, you'll find this beer is nothing short of glorious. Well balanced and that creamy, velvety finish is the feather in the cap. Take your time with this beer to appreciate the subtle complexities contained within. I would have this again. Enjoy!

Purchased at Iron & Glass Minooka on 2026-03-31. Date on can of 2026-03-17. Poured into my Pliny the Elder glass. Pours gold and opaque. A good inch plus of white, large bubbled foam covers. Great legs as it recedes and leaves a frothy top throughout. Aroma is dank, ripe tropical fruits: mango and papaya, and sweet. There's a green burn aroma there in the backend. When I first purchased the beer it was more dominant in the aroma than it is now, making it better on the nose overall. Taste is sweet up front and lingers through the entire experience. The lingering sweetness it almost too much. Papaya is readily available. The dank and green hop burn from the taste are not found. Medium body with the lighter end of carbonation. Somewhat juicy, yet dries late. This was purchased mainly because of the pineapple on the can label. My wife is a huge fan of pineapples (and, yes, we know what they mean but that isn't us, at least that I know of). I actually bought two cans because I expected this beer to knock my socks off. It is good, not knock my socks off great. The beer has a bit too much sweetness in the taste for me while the nose has that green burn. I would have it again but there are so many Hop Butcher beers that are better. Enjoy!

Purchased on 03-21-2026 at the local Binnys. Date on can of 02-25-2026. Poured into a 20oz KBS snifter - an old glass that hasn't been broken. Pours perfectly clear with a light tan foam that covers. Foam lasts some and laces the glass with thick splotches. Aroma is citrus forward. Toffee and biscuit slide behind the citrus assault. Sweet maltiness. The malt profile really takes shape as it warms some and the volatile hop oils are dismissed. Taste early is malt forward: toffee, toasted bread, and sweet. This builds through the middle and into the finish, with a pleasant, gentle lingering. The middle picks up the hops: citrus, pine, bitter grapefruit. The hops create a lingering bitterness that is a bit put offish for the style. Yes, the style has bitterness but the type of "new world" hop bitterness conflicts with the wonderful malt backbone. Medium body with a high-end of medium carbonation. Does dry the front palate. I really like the malts in this beer. Much different than a normal Hop Butcher profile and style. I would really like to try this beer with a more classical hops. A solid backbone that is muddled by the hops here. I would have this again (but he price point does make me think twice). Enjoy!

Purchased at the local Binny’s. Can’t read date on can but believe it was released 7-9 days ago. Poured into the Pliny the Elder glass gifted to my via Rich. Pours with a slight chill haze. Golden. A good inch of snow white foam covers. Great staying power. Frothy, sticky lacing from the get go. Aroma is earthy, herbal and slightly dank. Hints of nondescript citrus and tropical fruit. Not as sensational as the can promises. More of the same in the mouth. Earthy and herbal on the front. Orange and mango but definitely some tropical fruit on the finish. But still light on those flavors. Slightly back of the throat bitter and drying late. Crisp. Medium mouthfeel. Effervescent. I would consider this more of a west coast ipa. The bitterness and dryness in the mouth make me reminisce. The hop profile here is off: I want more citrus and tropical notes. I would have it again but wouldn’t seek it out. Enjoy!

Purchased at the brewery, with Kaila, on 2026-02-21. Date on can of 2026-02-17. Pours opaque hay in color with hints of gold. Foam is thick and creamy. Good staying power, leaving thick traces of its former glory behind. Aroma is busy. Dank, peach, grassy, with hints of pineapple and light floral. There is a medley of sweet fruits faintly behind those more vivid scents. Taste is peach and pineapple. The middle begins the dank build up that goes into the finish and lingers, too long. Each sip swells this flavor. Pineapple rides the same wave but to a much lesser extent. Medium body with a zippy carbonation. More bitterness than expected. The dankness of the aroma really overshadowed the other and more delicate aromas, creating a bit of difficult sense for me as every sip began with the same dankness. Same for the taste; the dankness surrounds my senses. There is nothing wrong with this beer from a process standpoint, the outcome just isn't in my wheel house. Others may love it. I wouldn't have it again. Enjoy!