Emmetts Brewing Co.
Brewpub
in West Dundee,
Illinois,
United States 🇺🇸
Associated with 3 Venues
Established in 1999
When it was completed in 1871, the Hunt's Block building was a relative skyscraper among the wooden structures of West Dundee. As the decades passed, Hunt's Block grew into a location worthy of its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It was home to a number of flourishing businesses, including Dundee's first bank, a dry goods store, doctors' and lawyers' offices, a billiard hall, a ballroom...but never a fine-dining establishment. That all changed in 1998 when Andrew and Matthew Burns and their father, Timothy, purchased Hunt's Block. They completely renovated the classic building and crafted it into a restaurant named after a man of honor and dignity, Timothy's father, Emmett Burns. Today, Hunt's Block is home to Dundee's first small brewery, where award-winning handcrafted beer and outstanding food is created and enjoyed every day. In the years since we opened we have also opened and operated two more restaurants in the historic downtowns of Downers Grove and Palatine. In 2004, Emmett's won the prestigious Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Landmarks Illinois Preservation Award for Adaptive Use for the work done on restoring Hunt's Block.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Sample at the Palatine brewpub. The beer pours a flat black color with a medium creamy khaki head that diminishes slowly. Rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted malt and cocoa. Medium, smooth body with flavors of malt, roasted coffee and bittersweet chocolate. The finish is sweet chocolate at first with a mildly bitter coffee aftertaste. Straightforward and an alright Stout overall.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Oktoberfest from Emmetts Brewing Co. 16 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Sample at the Palatine brewpub. This beer is a clear copper color with a compact white head that diminishes slowly. Thin rings of lacing on the glass. Aroma of roasted malt, sweet fruit and a bit of spice. Medium, clean body with a sweet caramel malt flavor underscored by wheat and hops. The finish is malty with a lingering sweetness left over. Slightly above average overall.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed McCarthy American Red from Emmetts Brewing Co. 16 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Sample at the Palatine brewpub. The beer pours a hazy reddish-brown color with a medium thin beige head that dissipates steadily. Clingy patches of lacing. Sweet caramel malt aroma with a bit of hops. Light body with flavors of bready malt, caramel and citrusy hops. The finish is sweet malt and does not last long. Slightly above average overall.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Victory Pale Ale from Emmetts Brewing Co. 16 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7.5
Sample at the Palatine brewpub. This beer is a clear copper-orange color with a medium off-white head that recedes steadily. Stringy lacing on the glass. Hoppy nose with touches of malt. Medium body with a moderately hoppy flavor with notes of toffee and malt underneath. The finish is evenly hoppy and malty with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Decent overall.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed 1 A.M. Ale from Emmetts Brewing Co. 16 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Sample at the Palatine brewpub. Pours a clear pale orange color with a medium off-white head that diminishes steadily. Rings of lacing on the glass. Bready malt aroma with an underlying fruity character. Medium, smooth body with flavors of biscuity malt, light hops and a touch of fruit. The finish is short and malty. Barely average overall.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Zwickel from Emmetts Brewing Co. 16 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Sample at the Palatine brewpub. This beer is a clear golden color with a wispy white head that disappears quickly. Aroma of mildly spiced hops and fruit. Light body with flavors of hops, tart fruit and a touch of honey. The finish is fruity with a bready malt aftertaste. Decent overall.
Dogbrick (24210) reviewed Munich Light from Emmetts Brewing Co. 16 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
Sample at the Palatine brewpub. This brew is a clear golden color with a thin white head that burns away quickly. Spotty lacing on the glass. Aroma of grassy hops and malt. Light, crisp body with flavors of mild hops and bready malt. The finish is short with a grainy malt aftertaste. Standard unimpressive brewpub gateway beer.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Draft at Downers Grove Emmett’s. Reddish brown color with a half finger of tight foam in Emmett’s "honest pint" glass. Must be a fresh batch because there’s a lot of fresh hop in the bouquet. Taste brings out a little citrus hop, and then a good pucker of noble hops. Dark crystal malt sweetness. A bit "burpy," but that helps spread the bittering to all parts of the mouth. Another solid Emmett’s beer.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Draft, Downers Grove. I seem to have a problem, either with Emmett’s German-style lagers or with the Dunkel style itself: my pint had a noticeable tang of dead yeast. I once made a Dunkel with a "no-boil" kit (that I boiled anyway) and got the same result. Well, this pours a deep brown, with red highlights and a brownish, creamy head. Dark malt smell, just a little sweet, with notes of light chocolate. Taste brings up those roast malts. Mostly pretty smooth, but again that autolysis. Yeast bite may be the cause of a slight sour cherry underlayment.
McDermottDrink (4593) reviewed 1871 Lager from Emmetts Brewing Co. 16 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 6
English pint draft at Downers Grove. Waiter tells me this edition is 6.5% abv. I don’t doubt it. Looks is light golden yellow with a thin layer of bubbles leaving some lacing, quite to style. A sweet, somewhat corny smell. Taste reminds me somehow of an amped-up Hamm’s. Not as sweet as it smelled; clearly there’s maize in it, more to get more alcohol than to keep the color pale. Hops to me tasted like the German kind, and there may have been some green hops used. They seem to be tinkering with this recipe each time, and it’s getting better.