Made the trek out to the north western suburbs of Chicago yesterday to check out Roaring Table a new brewery in Lake Zurich. So new that it has only been open since August! I think what most impressed me was the variety of great beers their brewer, Lane, was able to get on the taps. I was able to try most of their beers so here they are in my (completely arbitrary) ranking.
1. The Zuricher - Saison
I've had a lot of saisons and sometimes they can all taste the same. Yeasty. This saison adds so much more complexity! I found that the peppery flavor was the star followed by lemon and yeast. Overall, a clean refreshing beer with great flavor.
2. Sister Havana - Russian Imperial Stout
This is a big beer at 9.2% ABV but drinks like a 7%. Its rich and chocolatey with hints of dark fruit. This is one you definitely want to take over to their fireplace and cozy up. Its dangerous though, drink it slowly and let it warm up a bit to let the flavors really shine!
3. Lighted Windows on the Snow - Belgian Triple
Another big guy at 9.5% ABV, this one will keep you warm. It has beautiful color and great spice character. Also I heard a rumor that some of this went in a barrel to age....I cant imagine how much better it will get in the barrel!
4. Canadian Girlfriend - Schwarzbier
Don't be fooled by this beer, it pours dark like a porter but its actually a dark lager. Its a great transition beer for people who haven't had much experience with dark beers. With chocolatey flavors and low bitterness, this beer is great for anyone.
5. Tart's Desire - Fruited Kettle Sour
If you like sours, this beer is definitely for you! Its aged for 2 weeks on 250 lbs of raspberry, blackberry and boysenberry. And the best part is that you can actually pick out the different fruits, it doesn't just taste like a mush of berries.
6. Sugarbeam- NE IPA
Not your typical NE IPA. I think of it more as a middle ground between a NE IPA and a typical IPA. It has great aroma brought on by multiple dry hop additions and a hazy orange color. Still good to try, just not what I thought it would be.
7. West with the Night - American IPA
Just because this beer is in last place does NOT mean it is a bad beer. Just not as fantastic as the others. The only thing I wasn't crazy about with this one was that it was a little sweet and caramely. Just not what I am usually looking for in an IPA.
So now you know all about the beers, but you also should know that the taproom is beyond beautiful. So much care went into designing it, when I asked brewer, Lane about how it came to be, he said that they wanted it to be a space that people could come and be comfortable in. Somewhere you could take someone on a date. They really accomplished that feeling, with a cozy corner fireplace and couches as well as the overall home feel.
I am so impressed with the progress they have made in the last 4 months and so excited to see where they go. Lane is excited to venture more into sours and barrel aged beers over the next few months. I was able to taste their current sour in progress and it was already fantastic. I can only imagine what it will taste like when its done!
