Tag Archives: Illinois

Pipeworks Brewing Co. – Gentle Breeze – 3 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on June 2, 2023 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Well, you can taste the lavender in this beer. Pipeworks out of Chicago, Illinois put together a saison with lavender smoked malts, peaches, lemons, and lavender, and named it Gentle Breeze. And I can confirm that the lavender comes through. … Continue reading →

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Funkytown Brewing and Is/Was Brewing Collaboration – It Is What It Was Smoked Ale = 4 out of 7 Smokestacks

Posted on April 7, 2023 by SmokeBeerMinistry

I cracked this one open and and took a swig posthaste which is a little unusual given all the ceremonies that typically precede a tasting. I taste creaminess in there. Wasn’t expecting that at all. Then I was immediately confronted … Continue reading →

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Half Acre Brewing – Smoking Gull Pale Ale = 4 out of 7 honorary smokestacks

Posted on January 2, 2023 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Not a smokebeer. But why am I happy? It’s good beer! Why is there a drawing of a seagull smoking a cigarette on the can? I don’t know, but I bet there’s an employee at Half Acre with a personal … Continue reading →

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Sketchbook Brewing Company – Grodziskie – 5 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on March 3, 2022 by SmokeBeerMinistry

I smell smoke. I don’t even have to try. A carefree wisp wafts out of the glass. Such a great start after having a bit of a difficult time with the last beer from Sketchbook (nothing personal). Today’s beer, Grodziskie … Continue reading →

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Sketchbook Brewing Company – Smokey Jack – 3 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on February 4, 2022 by SmokeBeerMinistry

I’ve liked about one out of every seven pumpkin beers I’ve had and this is not one of them. This beer was hand delivered to me by my old roommate, who was committed to finding a smoked beer that had … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – Smoked Helles – 5.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on February 15, 2021 by SmokeBeerMinistry

This works! By Pipeworks, Smoked Helles. Helles means Light, according to the inebriated employee at a random Kentucky liquor store, (I don’t recall ever verifying that Helles statement). And this Smoked Helles by Pipeworks really fits the genre better than … Continue reading →

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Dovetail Brewery – Flanders Rauch X01 -5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on November 16, 2018 by SmokeBeerMinistry

This is the last review of the Dovetail Brewery tabernacle takeover month, where SmokeBeerMinistry reviewed 4 different beers from Dovetail that are all smokebeers in some capacity. And this review in particular spilled into the next month because I didn’t … Continue reading →

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Dovetail Brewery – R&R – 3 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on October 19, 2018 by SmokeBeerMinistry

One of the Rs stands for Root Beer, and the second R, well, if you can get anything out of this other than root beer, hats off to you. Its a blend of rauchbier and root beer, however, the root … Continue reading →

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Dovetail – Rauchbier – 5.5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on October 12, 2018 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Week 2 of Dovetail’s tabernacle takeover month delivers another properly named beer. Rauchbier by Dovetail Brewery is the name of this beer and Rauchbier is the name of this kind of beer, leaving no unanswered questions to customers who also … Continue reading →

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Dovetail Brewery – Grodziskie – 5 out of 7

Posted on October 5, 2018 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Another tabernacle takeover month with Dovetail Brewery this time. This crew buckled down and cranked out 4 unique smokebeers at the same time, much to SmokeBeerMinistry’s surprise. And, you gotta love the names of these beers. Calling a spade a … Continue reading →

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Off Color Brewing – Class War – 5.5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on September 14, 2018 by SmokeBeerMinistry

This beer is good. A group out of Chicago called Off Color Brewing whipped this one up and were sure to pack in all the necessary ingredients to set this off right. This beer called Class War could benefit from … Continue reading →

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Moody Tongue – Applewood Gold (bottle) – 4.4 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on November 17, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

This beer is different from the last one I had on draft about a year ago, and this is for the better. Last years Applewood Gold had flavors dissipate into the ether from what I recall, and if I were … Continue reading →

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The Blind Pig – Smoked Lager – 3.9 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on October 13, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Not to be confused with the Smoked Rye Lager that The Blind Pig made about 6 months ago, this beer, Smoked Lager, came out just behind the rye in it’s overall score. With a 3.9 smokestack rating (out of 7) … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – Smoke Break Abduction – 5.5 smokestacks

Posted on July 14, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Pipeworks Brewing Company whipped up a smoked imperial stout brewed with cherrywood, beechwood, and oak smoked malts and named it Smoke Break Abduction. This beer pours like Hershey’s syrup releasing few notes of smoke. So few that the smoke may … Continue reading →

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The Blind Pig Brewery- Smoked Rye Lager – 4.2 smokestacks (out of 7)

Posted on May 12, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Had to go on-site for this review. The Blind Pig brewery of Champaign, Illinois, made another smoked beer and I slipped in there to review it. And they delivered another positive experience no matter how you look at it. Smoked … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – Chipotle Smoked Porter – 5.5 out of 7

Posted on April 7, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

If there ever was a chance for a Pipeworks success, this was it. After delivering 3 consecutive shelf turds, Pipeworks finally stumbles across a working recipe. And my state of mind was primed to like just about anything after 10 … Continue reading →

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Marz Community Brewing Co. – marzcal kolsch – 3.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on April 1, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Gusher! This beer was a gusher. It foamed up and out of the bottle as soon as I opened it, and all over my wife’s library books, actually, I guess they are everybody’s library books. So that sucked. After half … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – The Long Hair Affair – 1.8 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on March 23, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

If you must put the word hair in the name of your beer, write it like Pipeworks has and make it illegible. The Long Hair Affair is a kolsch beer brewed with hemp seeds and mesquite honey, fermented in oak. … Continue reading →

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Big Thorn Farm – Smoked Lager – 2 out of 7

Posted on March 21, 2017 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Watery. The kind of water without carbonation, you know, water. This beer smelled okay at first, but those hopes were quickly dashed by the taste. I thought that the keg was getting low and would have perhaps kicked myself for … Continue reading →

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Moody Tongue – Applewood Gold (draft) – 2.5 smokestacks out of 7

Posted on October 3, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Not much to say about Moody Tongue’s Applewood Gold smoked beer. It scored ones and twos across the board. It was really set up for a win having just stumbled across it at a cool BBQ joint in Louisville, KY. … Continue reading →

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Goose Island – Bourbon County Brand Barleywine – 6 out of 7 (not a smokebeer)

Posted on September 28, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

In my travels during smokebeer hunts, I stumble across some of the more highly sought after beers. SmokeBeerMinistry’s emphasis will stick with smokebeers, but periodic investigations into all the hubbub will materialize, as seen here. This is an excellent barleywine. … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – The Roister – 2 out of 7 (not a smokebeer)

Posted on September 13, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

For starters, roasted does not = smoked. But plenty of good smokebeers come with full-on roasted tastes, plus I stumbled across the word smoke in reviews and descriptions of this beer, and even on The Roisters own label, so I … Continue reading →

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Marz Brewing – Smoak Simcoe IPA- 3 out of 7

Posted on September 8, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Smoak Simcoe by Marz Brewing of Chicago is a slightly floral, slightly short on smoke smelling, mostly skunky, less than mediocre IPA beer. A nice frothy head arose which fizzled down to what you see here, which held on for the … Continue reading →

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Pipeworks – Kwingston’s Kitty Cat INA – 2 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on August 22, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

“Kwingston’s Kitty Cat-INA A meow-Gartita inspired pale ale brewed with agave nectar, smoked wheat, lime, orange zest, and salt” is just about the dumbest thing I’ve seen printed on a bottle since someone put an image of a guy shitting himself on … Continue reading →

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5 Rabbit Brewery – 5 Vulture – 2* out of 7 (not a smokebeer)

Posted on July 6, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

So, to start this one off, please note this beer is NOT A SMOKEBEER, and therefore should not be judged against other smokebeers. Therefore this review uses the same metrics, but gives the overall score as if it were a … Continue reading →

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Goose Island – Bourbon County Brand Stout – 5 out of 7

Posted on July 2, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Anybody ever heard of this one? Well, funny story here, 6 or 7 years ago, when I held my first smokebeer tasting ever (even before SmokeBeerMinistry), I hadn’t heard of BCBS. But my friendly beer store guy heard I was … Continue reading →

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The Bling Pig Brewery – Rauchweizen – 5 out of 7

Posted on July 1, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Gotta keep this one brief… Tastes like a wheat beer with smoke down in there somewhere. You will not miss the wheat, it’s a big wheaty beer, which is just fine, pretty sweet. Rauchweizen really reminds me of Crop Circle … Continue reading →

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Marz Brewing – Smoke Wheat Everyday – 5.7 out of 7 smokestacks of happiness

Posted on June 27, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

If you know Grodziskies (Gratzers), then you’re prepared for this beer. The wheat composition and light power of alcohol compels you to rock back, slouch, and soak in the setting sun. After working all day in my yard, it’s easy … Continue reading →

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The Blind Pig – Smoked Vienna Lager – 5.8 out of 7 smokestacks

Posted on February 22, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

This works! Smells just right and with only 23% beechwood smoked malts. Oftentimes brewers use copious amounts of smoked malts and manage to muddle the flavor up so much that its hard to tell if you are even drinking beer. … Continue reading →

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Destihl Brewery – 1920 Stout Imperiale – 5 out of 7

Posted on January 3, 2016 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Yep, this beer tastes a lot like the expensive beers are tasting nowadays… the expensive barrel aged ones. At $20 a bottle Destihl really does have to deliver a product that their customer is expecting, which in this case delivers … Continue reading →

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Triptych – Smoke Me Out – 3.5 out of 7 (do-over review)

Posted on October 10, 2015 by SmokeBeerMinistry

I had to move to the garage for this one, so you may notice the unfamiliar hoodoo alter. This review is a do-over for Triptych Brewing of Savoy, Illinois. SBM offers do-overs for everyone. This do-over started with a personal … Continue reading →

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Pig Minds Brewing – Smokey Scott – 3 out of 7 smokestacks of happiness

Posted on March 30, 2015 by SmokeBeerMinistry

This is a good malty beer, but where is Smokey Scott? He seems to have given up smoking cold turkey. This is a Scottish Ale, not a Scotch Ale; yes there is a difference according to google. If I were … Continue reading →

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Triptych – Smoke Me Out (draft) – 3 out of 7

Posted on March 19, 2015 by SmokeBeerMinistry

This one earns a 3 out of 7 smokestacks. A little below a middle of the road kind of smokebeer, and an elusive one at that. I’ve only seen this once, at Big Grove Tavern, where it was for a … Continue reading →

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Flossmoor Station Brewery – Shadows in the Smoke Smoked Oktoberfest – 3 out of 7

Posted on December 7, 2014 by SmokeBeerMinistry

Not much to say about this one. It tastes and smells like a fest beer, where all the left over grain is shoveled into some alcoholic concoction… we celebrate. It’s not a bad beer. Not a lot of smoke (take … Continue reading →

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Big Muddy Brewing – 17ST Smoked Amber Ale – 4 Smokestacks (out of 7)

Posted on October 27, 2014 by SmokeBeerMinistry

It’s got a pig on the front, which is great because it reminds me of how much I liked the Charkoota Rye beer by New Holland that was in the very first smokebeer tasting that The Ministry ever held. However, … Continue reading →

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