This week brought cold weather, plenty of precipitation, and apparently 6 more weeks of winter. Fortunately, we were in Ft. Lauderdale and had plenty of beers to keep us warm back home. We’ll do a quick rundown in today’s post of our favorite beers this week. Let’s get into it!
Phase 3 Brewing- P3 Italian Style Pilsner (5.2% Italian Style Pilsner)
I have a few non-negotiables in my life. Old fashioned sweet. Always. Korbel in Wisconsin. Bourbon everywhere else. And pizza on Friday night. Always.
I always look forward to my Friday pie and almost always a fine beer. This Italian pilsner pairs well with my wood fired pizza. Pretty perfect looking, but not a ton of retained head. A very soft haze. Soft notes of fresh flower. A perfect cracker crust palate and a refreshingly crisp finish. I would highly recommend this beer as well as Will County’s Best Pizza- Big Pauly’s in Plainfield.
Phase 3 Brewing- Pressed Reserve 2022 (12% Imperial Porter)
Wow. A breakfast beer if I’ve ever had one. Pleasant dark roasty coffee notes with a nary trace of green sticky coffee as well. I even get some plum and cinnamon. Initial bitterness that just blossoms into a sweet vanilla marshmallow. Finishes coffee forward with robust flavor and traces of praline, ginger, and alcohol. One the pinnacle of the pressed offering.
Revolution Brewing- Gravedigger Billy (13.2% Barrel Aged Wee Heavy Scotch Ale)
2021-2022 has been an incredible run for Revolution’s Deep Wood Series. Gravedigger Billy is easily the coolest can of the 21-22 Deep Woods beers. Pouring like a wonderful brown ale, the oak on the nose pops immediately. It smells like a barley wine at first. As it warms, it picks up more spicy smokey notes. The palate is malt forward, very toasty roasty and yields nicely to the spicey bourbon finish. I very much enjoyed it. This is an incredibly well made beer, but I’m probably not as high on it as others.
Revolution Brewing- Very Special Old Ryeway (15.4% Double Barrel Aged Rye Wine)
The Royal Rumble was Saturday night, so naturally we busted out one of the biggest beers released so far in 2022- Very Special Old Ryeway. Pouring a well carbonated caramel brown, I get ton of hot honey heat on the nose and American oak in droves. The palate is full of spicy praline, as well as licorice and dark fruits. The liquid isn’t overly cloy, refreshingly dry, and brings caramel and some more barrel heat on the finish. Yes. Just Yes.
And just like that, another week in the books. And while we aren’t crazy about six more weeks of winter, we know that these beers will help us muddle through. Here’s to wishing you a warm weekend. Cheers!
