Clear dark brown beer with a nice barleywine raisin aroma. Chalky malt and cardboard in taste. Light bodied. (July 31 at Indiana Microbrewers Festival)

Draft, Berghoff Cafe at O’Hare Airport. I may be overly generous in rating this, but after schlepping heavy carry-ons though Terminal 1, this is tasting pretty good. Thin head does not stay around long. Beer is a nice deep browm, red in the light. Has a good, deep malty taste with a light German hop balance. A bit gassy going down, but then again, I’m a little stressed, waiting to board three different planes to fly to freakin’ Russia. But the cafe is an excellent stopover in the distant Concourse C.
Sampled at the Billy Goat on Michigan Ave., Chicago, Dec. 20, 04. The Billy Goat has replaced Schlitz as the "Billy Goat Draft: on tap. Here it tastes pretty nice and goes well with the decor. Slightlly peaty here and darker than I remember. Nice hop finish compounded by the usual odd Berghoff yeast bite. Still a fine session beer.

2004 draft. Light brownish with some auburn tinges, lightly hazy with a decent off white head. Flavor is very light and has lots of light fruit. Raspberries, blueberries, light plums. Hint of anise as well. Very understated, but yet not thin. Still a good mouthfee, soft and creamy. Great aftertaste of lingering berries. Maybe a hint of black malt on the finish.