Rue D'Floyd (Three Floyds and The Bruery Collaboration)

I was lucky enough to get my hands on both of the version of Rue D'Floyd.  However, I was unlucky enough to then find out from The Bruery that there were signs of infection in the beer.  Per their instructions, I decided to drink them before June 30th just in case.  Such are the prices you pay when you are making sweet beer at The Bruery.

Rue D'Floyd

This version is an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels with cherries, coffee, and vanilla beans.

Appearance- Opaque black with a small tan head.  The head disappears almost completely with little to no lacing.

Smell- Strong scent of oak and vanilla, almost overpowering.  Dark fruits somewhat noticeable along with the dark roasty malts and kinds of coffee.

Taste- Unsurprisingly, the vanilla and oak smack you in the face (nose?) to begin.  The cherries are distinguishable towards the middle, but becomes sickly sweet.  The end slips into a lingering roasty flavor that pairs with a rich vanilla as a hot alcohol finishes off the beer.

Mouthfeel- Full bodied with low carbonation.  Finishes with noticeable alcohol warmth.

Overall- Beer is a little too overwhelming at this point.  I think it could be helped with some aging, but unfortunately that was not much of an option this time around.

Floyd D'Rue

This version is an imperial porter aged in rum barrels with spices added

Appearance- Opaque black with a fizzy dark brown head that barely appears before it is completely gone.  Absolutely no lacing.

Smell- Much like the last version, vanilla dominates with the addition of some heavy spices that almost seem in the vein of a Christmasy/nutmeg beer.

Taste- Starts similar to the smell with a heavy dose of vanilla, but the rum barrel is more prominent.  Towards the middle some light dark fruit flavors with roasted/burnt malt, but the vanilla is overpowering.  The beer finishes with strong, hot alcohol that is paired with the burnt malt.

Mouthfeel- Thick motor oil sensation with very minimal carbonation.  Hot alcohol that could use some time to cool off.

Overall- Much like the last version, this is quite an hot beer.  Once again, no time to age so I was forced to drink this one a little too early.

Hair of the Dog - Ruth

I believe I mentioned a while ago that my friend came back from Portland bearing gifts.  This included my first chance at trying Hair of the Dog.  Unfortunately, I forgot to post this after I drank it/took notes. So sue me?

Hair of the Dog - Ruth

Appearance- Clear Straw yellow color with a small fizzy head.  Little to no lacing.

Smell- Herbal smell with lemony citrus hops.  Doughy/bready malt character with some residual sweetness.

Taste- A subdued lemon with a fairly underwhelming malt sweetness.  Crackery middle is accompanied by a very mild bitterness.  Some bitterness continues into the finish with a lingering sweetness.

Mouthfeel- Surprisingly low carbonation and a medium light body.

Overall- A bit underwhelming first try from this brewery.  Tastes like there is not much beyond some yeast esters.  Further, the lack of carbonation made this one harder to drink.

Half Acre 2023M Soft Sour Ale

I have been yelling at people for sometime that Chicago is ripe for some sour beer brewing, so I got a little excited when my friend at Half Acre threw their new sour beer my way.  Not only are they the masters of Big Hugs, but when you have wonderful employees helping you out, what more can you ask for?  A lot of things is the answer, but whatever.

Half Acre 2023M Soft Sour Ale

Appearance- A surprisingly clear orange color.  A rough pour produced a small egg shell white head, but it disappears quickly.

Smell- Distinct trpical fruits, mango and pineapple shine through most prominently. Noticeable caramel malt smell in the background.  Tart, lemony, and slight hay character apparent throughout.

Taste- Tropical fruits with the mango in front.  Surprising amount of malt sweetness.  A lemony hay character with a slight basement musty taste finishes out the beer.  Just the slightest tart character.

Mouthfeel- Medium-light body with low carbonation.  No dry finish like you would expect with a sour.

Overall: "Soft" sour is right.  Where is the sour?  The beer generally lacks any umph or really distinguishing qualities.  I know that this is not meant to be an incredibly sour beer, or maybe Half Acre is fighting back against the idea that more sour is better, and maybe I am just a tad bit biased, but its efforts come up a little short here.