Contact
1400 W 46th St, Chicago, IL, 60609, United States
Description
Whiner Beer Co. focuses on barrel-aged beer, a tradition common in Belgium and France that is gaining foothold in the US. Industry veterans and partners Brian Taylor and Ria Neri aim to make beers for people with a wanderlust palate, a curiosity for the strange and unknown, and those who take their beer seriously, but never themselves.
Housed in The Plant, a net-zero energy business incubator located in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, Whiner aims to promote environmentally responsible brewing. The brewery will play a major role in the operations of The Plant’s anaerobic digester. Once up and running, Whiner’s spent grain will help fuel the digester, producing energy for the entire building.
Housed in The Plant, a net-zero energy business incubator located in Chicago’s Back of the Yards neighborhood, Whiner aims to promote environmentally responsible brewing. The brewery will play a major role in the operations of The Plant’s anaerobic digester. Once up and running, Whiner’s spent grain will help fuel the digester, producing energy for the entire building.
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Ever so slightly hazy copper and orange tinted body with a thinnish, single centimetre tall just off-white head on top. Aroma of dry grain, a dose of coriander seed, a more pungent dose of curacao and full oranges and even some sweetness from fruit at the very end - but the dry malt components and yeast are stronger though towards the end. Light to Medium-bodied; Very nice and elegant effervescence with a deep coriander seed and curacao profile at first that shows the subdued yeast strain and some mellow fruit-based sugars soon afterwards with a pleasant malt backbone and some softer grain at the edges make this complex and enjoyable. Aftertaste shows the dryness first and foremost with some more elegant dry and crisp, fruity profiles, perhaps from the wine barrel aging, but showing more of a yeastiness. Overall, a very nice and super elegant beer that is dry, but shows a great flavour and even better complexity throughout. Great on a warm/hot day as the malt isn't cloying, but the flavours are nice and dry. I sampled this twelve ounce can, purchased from BeerTopia in Omaha, Nebraska on 13-February-2019 for US$9,99/six pack sampled at home in Washington on 28-April-2019.
Tried
from Can
on 29 Apr 2019
at 07:48
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
The Aromas are mild funk, straw and pale malt. Flavors are like nose, lightly tart enhanced by carbonation, touch sweet, and a bit of either apple or pear. Okay body and finish. Nothing special.
Tried
on 27 Mar 2019
at 01:33
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Keg at Stubby's Gastropub, 3/16/19. Hazy amber. Aroma of peach, berry, pale malt, mild funk. Taste is funk, oak, lemon, peach, berry. Medium bodied.
Tried
on 19 Mar 2019
at 01:54
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 10
Overall 6
Don't get a beer dah gard often! heheheh. Pour is big foaming brew, lots of co2 in the head, brew and mouth. Beer is 2 inch and foam is 10 inch. Yes, first impression is a very good well behaved beer with lots of carbonation, cutting. Its a hair darker than pale. Yes, very good palate, one of the best I've had in a while. Smells like neutral beer but taste carries this weird almost smell-able sweet perfume impact on the back of the olfactory. Yes, its like you can taste the sweet aroma yet, none is there. Impressive finish. Yea, that tasty perfumy sweet, almost unwelcome, thing hangs around for a while in the end. Not as good as Beaver Biere de Gard but better than Beaver French Teamaker De Garde, Jolly Pumpkin Bière de Mars, Beaver French Strisselspalt or even Off Color Le Woof. This comes in number 2 out of 15 de-grades I've tasted! Yes, not bad! Petty good overall beer tasting experience, thank you. And guess, what, no not king tut, its just that I want another one but don't have one! Should have bought a six pack of this stuff.
Tried
from Can
on 19 Feb 2019
at 22:24
6/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 6
Flavor 6.5
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Can from vintage. Somewhat mild lemony nose. Pour is clear pale. First impression is that its a little tasty, perhaps more than your typical saizzie. Interesting fun & smooth. Good co2 as well. Stands up well. Not bad, pretty impressed, thank you. Doesn't seem to have any of the ill effects of the typical domestic saison. It really grows on you thru the session. I wish I had another cannah this stuff, it was only $2!
Tried
from Can
from
Vintage Estate Wine and Beer
on 18 Feb 2019
at 23:44
4.4/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 3
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 4.5
Pink can from Vintage. Label is very odd. Smell is a little off. Looks like a cloudy hefe. Taste is slightly tart but then this astringent thing sets in. Yes a decently tart beer but the astringent weird thing makes it a little difficult. I guess its from the watermelons. Good for a tick but wouldn't buy it again.
Tried
from Can
on 09 Feb 2019
at 20:21
7/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
12 ounce can from Woodman's Menomonee Falls. Slightly hazy amber, large foamy off-white head, good retention. Aroma of strong funk, bready malt, spice, cider apples, stone fruit. Taste is lemon, citrus, pale bready malt, mild funkiness. Thin. Decent.
Tried
from Can
on 14 Jan 2019
at 04:58
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2018 vintage bottling. Pours slightly hazy pale golden yellow color with a 1 finger fairly dense white head with solid retention, that reduces to a minimal spotty lace cap that lingers. Minimal spotty lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, pepper, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, strawberries, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, pepper, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness. Light-moderate fruit/Brett tartness, fruit/wine tang, and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of juicy/tart/tangy strawberries, fruit skin/seeds, lemon, lime, orange, peach, pear, pineapple, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, pepper, hay, straw, grass, wheat, cracker, white bread, light leathery/musty funk, and yeast/oak earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, strawberries, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with a great malt/tartness and tangy fruit balance, with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tartness, and fruit/wine tang. Medium carbonation and light-medium body; with a very smooth, moderately grainy/acidic/tangy, and fairly crisp/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 6.9%. Overall this is an awesome fruited sour/wild ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/funky/acidic yeast, strawberries, wine barrels, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and easy to drink with the modestly acidic/tangy/tannic/drying finish. Awesome balance of juicy strawberries and well rounded fruity/funky Brett complexity; nice wine barrel presence/integration and pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Dec 2018
at 03:07
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 12/4/2017. Pours fairly crystal clear deep golden/amber color with a 1 finger dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of big juicy/fairly tart/tangy peaches, apricot, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Damn nice aromas with great balance and complexity of fruity/spicy/funky/acidic yeast, peaches, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt notes; with great strength. Taste of big Aromas of big juicy/fairly tart/tangy peaches, apricot, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto/musty funk, and yeast earthiness. Light-moderately fruity/lactic tartness, fruit tang, and peppery yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of tart/tangy peaches, apricot, fruit skin/pits, lemon, lime, orange, pear, melon, red/green apple, white grape/wine, oak, hay, straw, grass, peppercorn, wheat, cracker, white bread, light lacto/musty funk, and yeast earthiness on the finish for a while. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/funky/acidic yeast, peaches, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; with an awesome malt/tart/spiciness and tangy fruit balance; with no puckering flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering tart/spiciness, tangy fruit, and carbonation. Medium-plus carbonation and medium body; with a very smooth, moderately bready/grainy/acidic/tangy, fairly crisp, and lightly tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol for 6.5%. Overall this is an awesome fruited wild saison! All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity/spicy/funky/acidic yeast, peaches, oak, and moderate pale/wheat malt flavors; very smooth, crisp, and pretty refreshing to drink with the modestly spicy/acidic/tangy/drying finish. Awesome balance of juicy/jammy fruit and Brett/Lacto/Saison yeast complexity; nice oak foeder presence, and pale/wheat malt backbone against acidity. Minimal residual sweetness from lingering crisp dryness. A really enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Dec 2018
at 04:22
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
500 ml bottle into tulip glass, bottled on 2/19/2018. Pours ropy fairly hazy deep reddish orange color, with a small fairly dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of lightly tart cherry, plum, berries, peach, pear, red apple, red grape, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of pepper, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity, funky, yeasty, infected feeling aromas; but not overwhelming. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruity yeast, coffee, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate bourbon barrel notes; with good strength. Taste of slightly tart cherry, plum, berries, peach, pear, red apple, red grape, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, and brown bread; with light notes of pepper, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness. Very mild herbal/roasted coffee bitterness; and yeast/oak spiciness on the finish. Lingering notes of cherry, plum, berries, peach, pear, red apple, red grape, nutty coffee, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, bourbon, toasted oak, brown bread, chocolate, cocoa, herbal, grass, and yeast/oak/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of ruity yeast, coffee, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate bourbon barrel flavors; with a solid malt/bitter/spiciness balance, and no cloying flavors after the finish. Slightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness and yeast/oak spiciness. Medium carbonation and medium-plus body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready, and slightly sticky/chalky/tannic mouthfeel that is nice. Minimal warming alcohol for 7.5%. Overall this is a very good barrel aged Belgian dark ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of fruity yeast, coffee, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate bourbon barrel flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the minimally bitter/spicy/drying finish. Other than the weird infection feeling nose, taste was fine. Well balanced Belgian yeast, fruity/nutty coffee, and malts; with solid Bourbon barrel presence. A very enjoyable offering, and nice style example otherwise. Might have some cross contamination from their sours.
Tried
from Bottle
on 26 Nov 2018
at 01:17