Two Beer Dudes: Two regular dudes who happen to be huge fans of American craft beer.

Coral Fly

Hop Butcher For The World

American IPA - New England (NEIPA)

7.3 by scot

Purchased at the brewery, with Kaila, on 2026-02-21. Date on can of 2026-02-17. Pours opaque hay in color with hints of gold. Foam is thick and creamy. Good staying power, leaving thick traces of its former glory behind. Aroma is busy. Dank, peach, grassy, with hints of pineapple and light floral. There is a medley of sweet fruits faintly behind those more vivid scents. Taste is peach and pineapple. The middle begins the dank build up that goes into the finish and lingers, too long. Ea...read more

Overall Rating: 7.3 by 1 dude 0%

Cafe Bear

Hop Butcher For The World

American Imperial Stout

8.8 by scot

Had with my daughter while at the Hop Butcher tasting room. Only released at the brewery for Fat Tuesday. Pour is opaque and black as midnight. By the time it was served no foam. No visible lacing but a ring at liquid level. Aroma is all peanut butter and coffee. Amazing balance between the two. Taste is more of the aroma. The peanut butter is complete and throughout. The coffee is complimentary. Full body. A touch of peanut butter sweetness gives way to a lingering oiliness that I attri...read more

Overall Rating: 8.8 by 1 dude 100%

West By Northwest

Riverlands Brewing Company

American IPA - Imperial New England (INEIPA)

7.3 by scot

Purchased on 2026-02-07 at Iron & Glass, Minooka. Date on bottom of can: 01-29-2026. Pours opaque and straw in color. A good finger-and-a-half of snow white foam with tightly packed small bubbles covers. Good staying power as a layer of foam never completely leaves throughout. Some lacing. Aroma is tropical fruits towards the ripe side of their sugary goodness: pineapple and mango. There is a dankness on the backend that almost makes me think this beer had been toking up some in the r...read more

Overall Rating: 7.3 by 1 dude 100%

Silver Simcoe

Hop Butcher For The World

American India Pale Ale

5.3 by scot

Purchased at Iron & Glass Minooka on 2026-02-07. Date on bottom of can is 2026-01-28. Pours ever so slight chill haze with a heap of pure white foam that covers. Good retention, not great. Some thick lacing near liquid level. Aroma is full of disappointment. Four types of Simcoe hops aren't coming through as expected. I get faint pine resin but with a green earthy, somewhat herbal notes. Slight cereal grain. Possibly some sweetness. Taste doesn't fall far from the aroma tree. It i...read more

Overall Rating: 5.3 by 1 dude 0%

Oceanview Observatory

Hop Butcher For The World

American IPA - Imperial New England (INEIPA)

8.2 by scot

Purchased at Binnys on 2026-02-05. Date on bottom of can of 01-27-2026. A zealous pour brings upon a two inch, pure, snow white foam that has wonderful lacing and staying power. Pale gold and opaque. Good looking in the Hop Butcher glass. Orange jumps out of the glass on the initial pour. It slowly gives way to nondescript tropical fruit medley. Taste is somewhat sweet with the tropical fruit medley showing up. Subtle orange. Nonetheless a good flavor. Average mouthfeel and carbonation...read more

Overall Rating: 8.2 by 1 dude 100%

Vanilla Barrel-Aged Barleywine

Short Fuse Brewing Company

American Barleywine

8.8 by scot

First time using a book my daughter gave me for Christmas on walks and beers near Chicago. Drank at the brewery. Opaque, black and thick. Minimal mocha foam that runs away. Vanilla, bourbon, brown sugar and hints of dark fruits. No bitterness. A bit of rye spice that lingers. Taste is almost a complete copy of the nose. No alcohol is noticeable. Smooth and enjoyable. Bigger end of medium body. Light carbonation, great for the style. This is a rock star first impression of a beer from ...read more

Overall Rating: 8.8 by 1 dude 100%

Shady Days

Arvon Brewing Co.

Sour - Fruited

6.1 by scot

Purchased in October from Siciliano's. Pours opaque maroon. Reminds me of the pomegranate that I was just eating. Not quite a half inch of light maroon foam that eventually leaves for better opportunities. There is some lacing that looks like it has fruit bis. Aroma is light tart and berries. Not a distinct berry, but a berry medley. There is strong vanilla that is easily mistaken for lactose sugar. If I had to single out a berry: raspberry even though it isn't in the beer. Taste follow...read more

Overall Rating: 6.1 by 1 dude 0%

Barrel Aged Christmas Bomb

Prairie Artisan Ales Brewpub

American Imperial Stout

6.3 by scot

Purchased at Iron & Glass in Minooka. Pours dark as night that is overcast and no moon. No head. The adjuncts void out what should be a beautiful mocha foam. Aroma is one note: cinnamon. Taste follows the nose: cinnamon. Medium mouth feel. Oily in the finish. Light carbonation except for on the lips. This beer is one dimensional. For a barrel aged beer there is no hints of barrel on the nose or palate. Maybe take some lessons from Goose Island on how to barrel age. This beer falls ...read more

Overall Rating: 6.3 by 1 dude 0%

Magic Trait

Speciation Cellars

American Wild Ale

8.8 by scot

This beer was on tap at the brewery. For a 12 ounce pour it was $9.00. A pinkish red that is bold and beautiful in the glass. Not much head but that just means the glass was very close to full. Aroma has is tart with some wild funk with a touch of berry sweetness. Taste follows the nose almost perfectly. Tart in the finish, that lingers, but that is tethered back by the sweetness of the berries and currants. The mouthfeel is spot on: typical light end. No lacing. Taking away the price,...read more

Overall Rating: 8.8 by 1 dude 100%

Traveling Scientist

Hop Butcher For The World

American Pale Ale

8.7 by scot

Purchased from Iron & Glass in Minooka on 2024-09-06. Unusual for Hop Butcher, no date on bottom of can. Assuming fresh. Pours cloudy like a NEIPA but ABV takes it to the pale ale range. White foam covers but goes away leaving a mere ring around the edges. Some lacing but wispy thin. Aroma jumps out during the te pour into a Town Hall nonic pint glass. Mango, other non-distinct tropical fruits and softly dank. Taste follows the nose: mango, dank with lots of tropical fruit. Some light ...read more

Overall Rating: 8.7 by 1 dude 100%

Gummypalooza

Noon Whistle Brewing

American IPA - New England (NEIPA)

7.3 by scot

Poured from a can with date of 04-24-2024into my Russian River glass. About 10 days old. Gifted to me via Rich. It looks like a NEIPA in the glass: big head with lots of staying power and cloudy. Lacing is thick and immediate. Aroma is grapefruit, with hints of orange, mango, ripe fruit sugars, and berries. Taste is a bit subdued as compared to the nose. Late ripe fruit sugars linger softly. Not bitter. A bit crisper on the carbonation than expected. Could be tones down as it gives the ...read more

Overall Rating: 7.3 by 1 dude 100%

Goofy Boots

Penrose Brewing Company

American IPA - New England (NEIPA)

7.6 by scot

Had at the brewery with Rich. Poured cloudy with that NEIPA consistency and look. Aroma has some fresh hop burn but that is quickly squelched by pineapple, mango, green herbal, and, peach. Taste falls short of aroma. Back hit of pineapple, peach and mango. Thinner than would like for style: not because of the carbonation, just not body. Not bitter. Somewhat sweet. The abundance of green hops in the aroma and early taste bring this down slightly. Really good otherwise. I would have it a...read more

Overall Rating: 7.6 by 1 dude 100%