About
Illuminated Brew Works is a Chicago-based brewery producing beer for interesting times. From big, hazy IPAs, to yeast-driven urban farmhouses, adjunct-rich stouts and experimentally-driven sours and fruit beers, our offerings rotate seasonally to celebrate the annual cycle.
Please enjoy with people you trust.
Please enjoy with people you trust.
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
16 oz can. Aroma is pineapple, orange, lemon, Fruit Loops. Taste is moderately bitter and only slightly sweet—weird, considering the name. Flavors of citrus, pine, a hint of vegetal. It’s really good, but I expected more of a dessert IPA.
Tried
from Can
on 30 Mar 2019
at 02:05
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
12oz can shared by the bartender at Showboat. Thick, opaque body. Oaty, wheaty, yeasty, thick, floury. Seriously dry hopped. True NE IPA. Quite unique and intense. Rindy orange juice tone. Pretty solid.
Tried
from Can
on 25 Feb 2019
at 03:08
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 12/27/2018. Pours opaquely hazy/cloudy green color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and rocky off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty foamy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/zest, mint, wood, light peppercorn/pine, wheat, biscuit dough, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and bready malt notes; with great strength. Taste of huge mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/zest, mint, wood, light peppercorn/pine, wheat, biscuit dough, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness. Mild pine, citrus peel/zest, herbal, floral, woody, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of mandarin orange juice, red grapefruit, lemon, lime, peach, pear, pineapple, passion fruit, papaya, mango, honeydew melon, guava, berries, citrus peel/zest, mint, wood, light peppercorn/pine, wheat, biscuit dough, light honey, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and bready malt flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is fantastic. Slight lingering resins/rinds. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.5%. Overall this is a fantastic NEIPA. All around outstanding complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/tropical hops and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mildly bitter/drying finish. Fantastically soft feel. Amazing Motueka, Citra, Mandarina Bavaria profile. Extremely juicy, vibrant, and lightly dank/earthy hop complexity; with a perfectly balanced wheat/oat/malt backbone. Light residual sweet with lingering dryness. A highly enjoyable offering, and amazing spot on style example. Loved the hop profile as expected.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Feb 2019
at 18:04
8/10
Nice juicy creamy and rye spiced IPA. Pretty solid on all of those notes.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Dec 2018
at 22:12
8/10
Pretty sweet (bloody) barleywine. Self described as a bloody-red barley wine ale, comes off as more sweet light red ale sorta forward drink, quite unique and tasty.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Dec 2018
at 00:03
9/10
RIP bottle, salvaged what I could, huge creamy grapefruit and pineapple haze, slight creamsicle feel but also great dry hop notes and flavor.
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2018
at 08:44
9/10
Gnarly color and incredibly heartfelt message on the side. Tons of spiced flavor along with fresh blueberry. Sour beer? White stout? I wouldn't be able to tell the difference besides I poured this a little bit warmer. Almost like a homely flavor, memoir.
Tried
from Bottle
on 05 Nov 2018
at 23:04
9/10
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Oct 2018
at 01:22
7.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
750ml bottle from Tavour. Active bottle yields a milky golden pour, huge, towering fluffy head. Mild citrus aroma, grapefruit. Taste brings a smooth, creamy texture, light citrus notes. Lactose makes for a wonderful velvety feel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Sep 2018
at 02:12
8/10
Another tasty intriguing one from illuminated, 4 hops + ddh, thick and creamy, almost like a peach creamsicle but no lactose. Tons of stonefruit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Sep 2018
at 21:38