Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
Draft at Downer’s Grove. Served with no slice in a generous wheat glass. Clean light summertime wheat beer smell. Half-inch, lacy head above a slightly hazy golden body. Firmly on the American side of the style: no banana or spicy esters; just a good light, bready malt, accented by a basic hop bitterness. Midway through the glas, I start to get just a touch of citrus from the hops, like noble Germans accented by some C&C. A little gassy, but when it is, I get a taste of freshly milled wheat and malt, plus more hops. A fine complement to the currently hot weather.
McDermottDrink (4593) reviewed Maibock from Emmetts Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Draft, at Downer’s Grove. Nice brewhouse malt smell comes from the draft pour the moment it appears. Deep spring bock brown color, slightly fizzy cola head. Taste is loaded with well-roasted German style malts, and an equal proportion of noble hoppiness. The best way I can describe this is that it’s a very "hearty" beer. A rich, dark real Bock taste, with a note of fresh yeast at this stage in its serving life.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
10 oz. snifter at Downers. Deep amber, you betcha, with a lacy, yellowish-brown head. A ’clean’ brandy smell. Dang if it doesn’t have a very hearty hop load, like a new Bigfoot. The Centennial hops don’t get much chance to show their citrus-ness, more of an excess English bitterness. Taste just has a slight alcohol burn in front of a caramel and biscuit malt roast.
McDermottDrink (4593) reviewed German Bock from Emmetts Brewing Co. 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Draft sampler at W. Dundee. Very dark, but a satisfying brown color. Has a more roasty quality than the bocks I’m familiar with (of course that includes lots of artificially-colored almost megabrewed schlock labeled as "Bock"). Mild bitterness, slightly fruity malts. Goes down very nicely.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7
Draft sampler at W. Dundee. Somewhat deeper brown than other dubbels. A slight banana smell in the glass, which was nearly last in my sampler tray, so by now it’s showing just a thin rim of foam. Taste is spices, mostly coriander, with a few more banana esters, then dark sugar ands a flourish of brandy. Once I’m attuned to the beer, I can get an idea of the lighter malts and maybe some wheat, too.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Nitro sampler pour at W. Dundee. Inky black beer under a proper thin, tan head. Big coffee taste, followed by some bitter chocolate. Suitable nitro mouthfeel that helps the taste mellow out further on. Not quite as creamy as an oatmeal stout oughtta be, but very fine.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
Draft sampler at West Dundee. Nice orangey color with a touch of haze, and a thin head. Tasty pine and citrus up front, that settles to a slightly orange aftertaste. Good northwestern hop profile, not overdone. A swell fresh hoppy smell when there’s enough room in the glass to stick my nose. I see my notes didn’t mention anything about the malts. Oh, well.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
Draft sampler at Emmett’s West Dundee. Coppery and brassy color, with a thin lacy head. Toasty caramel malts, but still with a beer-geek-ilicious hop load. Certainly a northwestern hop style, but some English to it, too. A bitterness that stands up through the end of the glass.
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
Pint-size glass mug, draft at Downers Grove. Standard light lager: straw body with a thin white head. Smell not very noticeable, just an agreeable beer aroma. First impression is that it’s definitely close to a Dortmunder. Correct confluence of light malts and noble hops, maybe with an extra hint of lemon. Some bitterness builds up after half the pint is done. There may be some rice in here, too. Actually pretty good example, but of a style that doesn’t excite me: the brewpub "light" offering. But at least refreshing, and good choice for that "just one" before heading home for the day.
McDermottDrink (4593) reviewed 1 A.M. Ale from Emmetts Brewing Co. 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 4 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Draft. U.S. Beer #14 of 31 for American Beer Month! There’s a slight banana smell here that’s a little off-putting, perhaps their yeast is pooping out. Still, nicely brown and a wee bit cloudy. Some very attentive bitterness, just enough for flavor instead of being in the way, interesting considering they’re using American hops. Good caramel malt with just a little toast to it. Bitterness increases. Smell improves, too, after a while. Comes in pretty nice.