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Description
At Crystal Lake Brewing we are passionate about creating world-class beers right here in McHenry County. Beers that are easy to drink and hard to put down.
We are a production brewery, which is a very different thing than a brewpub. Our focus is on brewing great beer for sale to bars, restaurants and retailers across northern Illinois. But we also have a great place to enjoy our beers here at the brewery; our tap room. Here in the tap room, we offer regular tours of the brewery, and the space is dedicated to providing our guests with a world-class, beer-centered experience. In the tap room, we offer only our beers (no wine or mixed drinks). We don’t have a kitchen, though we encourage guests to bring in their own food or order it in from one of the great local restaurants in downtown Crystal Lake.
We are a production brewery, which is a very different thing than a brewpub. Our focus is on brewing great beer for sale to bars, restaurants and retailers across northern Illinois. But we also have a great place to enjoy our beers here at the brewery; our tap room. Here in the tap room, we offer regular tours of the brewery, and the space is dedicated to providing our guests with a world-class, beer-centered experience. In the tap room, we offer only our beers (no wine or mixed drinks). We don’t have a kitchen, though we encourage guests to bring in their own food or order it in from one of the great local restaurants in downtown Crystal Lake.
7/10
Tried
on 30 Jan 2020
at 19:47
7/10
Tried
on 30 Jan 2020
at 19:42
7/10
Light, slightly hoppy, almost a floral note at the end.
Tried
on 30 Jan 2020
at 19:39
7.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 ounce can from Woodman's Lakemoor, 11/30/19. Murky bronze, large foamy tan head, good retention. Aroma of rye, grain, citrus. Taste is rye, toffee, caramel, floral hops. Medium bodied, lingering bitterness, well balanced. A little rustic in a good way.
Tried
from Can
on 01 Dec 2019
at 03:28
5.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Draft at Even Flow, Geneva. Color is almost amber in a nice tall glass. Thin head that does not go away. Smell has that "salty peanut shell" note I sometimes get with soft water German lagers. Taste is pretty well in the style, but it's a little sugary. Malt is a little richer than the regular lagers go. But I think this kind of needs to look for more hops.
Tried
from Draft
on 30 Sep 2018
at 01:53
4.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 5
Flavor 5
Texture 6
Overall 3.5
12oz can. Pretty weak offering. Rather gross aroma and flavor. I guess it approximates the worst flavor aspects of bad macro, but doesn't get the body right. The aroma is the worst part, off buttery foulness. I would be upset if I got a sixpack. This is bad, like Ukranian beer.
Tried
from Can
on 25 Sep 2018
at 06:47
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
12oz can. Unfiltered amber-copper body. Soapy off-white head. Soapy, rindy, classical hops. Medium bodied, pretty standard example of a US Amber. Good, drinkable. middle of the road.
Tried
from Can
on 04 Sep 2018
at 06:17
7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
12 ounce can into pint glass, no can dating. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy medium orange/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with good 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 lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/pepper, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and light-moderate citrus/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness/pepper, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate herbal, floral, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of lemon, orange, grapefruit, peach, pear, caramel, brown sugar, brown bread, toasted biscuit, light nuttiness, pepper, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a while. Nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and light-moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and moderately creamy/bready/grainy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol for 5.5%. Overall this is a good amber ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and light-moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the mellowly bitter/drying finish. Nicely rich malts with balanced citrus/earthy hop complexity. A nicely enjoyable offering, and classic tasting style example.
Tried
from Can
on 12 May 2018
at 23:10
7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle shared by Gretchen, thanks! Pours black with a dark brown head that dissipates slowly to the edges. Aroma has a nice combination of roasted malts and dark grains with a nice roasted malt note supporting. Flavor has strong roasted malts with dark grains and slightly smokey roasted malts.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jan 2017
at 22:20
6.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Tap at R+B. Hints of butter, but otherwise a really clean, simple lager. Nice light doughy lager nuances. OK.
Tried
from Draft
on 05 Apr 2016
at 22:16