As most of you probably already know, different breweries have different vibes associated with them. Some are hipster industrial, some are classic and homey, and some are straight out of a magazine. While none of these styles is better than another, each has their specific feel and depending on the day, I could go for any one of them. Moody Tongue in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago definitely falls into that third class of magazine-like taprooms. It is a gorgeous taproom with large industrial windows, expansive bar and a fireplace complete with its own little library of brewing books.
Moody Tongue is all about the culinary brewing experience, the name Moody Tongue comes from the idea of having a distinct and ever changing palate. Following that philosophy, they craft their beers in a chef like fashion to show off the delicate flavors. All of the beers that I was able to try were absolutely fantastic, so much so that I could not bring myself to make a ranking. Instead, here are my notes on the beers I tried, in the order that I tried them.
Smoked Applewood Gold~ Right from the aroma, the smokiness of this beer is evident. It somehow combines the smell of applewood smoked bacon (duh) and a fall campfire. Honestly, I could smell this beer all day! Regardless of the smell, the flavor is not overpowering whatsoever. It is a nice touch of smoke where that applewood flavor really shines. I would absolutely love to have this beer while sitting next to a campfire in the summer!
Bruleed Banana Dunkelweizen~ I felt like this beer was a perfect marriage of the dunkelweizen and weizenbock styles. While it had qualities of a traditional dunkelweizen ( malty and chocolatey) it also brought in the traditional flavors of a weizenbock (carmelized banana). It was a beautiful combination of my two favorite things, because my only issue with Weizenbocks are that they are a bit heavy and high in alcohol.
Sliced Nectarine IPA~ One thing that I've really noticed about these beers is that they all have really great aromas. Sliced nectarine is no exception! It smells like nectarine (shocker!) as well as other summery citrus fruits. The flavor followed the aroma with nice citrus notes as well as light peach and hops. It is not overly bitter so an IPA newbie shouldn't shy away from this one!
Carmelized Chocolate Churro Baltic Porter~ Wow! This one is fantastic! The cinnamon comes through so nicely on the nose as well as the palate. I really loved that it wasn't overly sweet yet still captured the flavor profile of a churro. It had the vanilla and chocolate, with the chocolate coming through a bit more than vanilla. I loved that this beer is one that you could have more than one of and not get sick of it.
Tart Elderberry Saison~ This tart saison is part of Moody Tongue's sour series. Each week they switch up the sour that is on draft, so unfortunately it is probably gone by the time this article comes out but I'm still going to tell you about it :) This sour was absolutely perfect in my opinion. It was delicately effervescent with a jammy, berry flavor. The tart was not overpowering, instead just added a level of complexity that left you wanting more.
BBA Gingerbread Imperial Stout~ This one is a killer! At 16% it will definitely knock you on your feet, so be careful! At first smell, the aroma was tantalizing. Smelled just like a holiday morning at Grandma's house. The flavor was even better, literally like a gingerbread cookie was dipped in bourbon and then liquidized. YUM!
BBA Chocolate Barleywine~ The second BBA beer on tap, definitely not disappointing but after tasting the gingerbread stout, it just didnt even compare. Tasting profile was true to style for a barleywine, with the addition of chocolate, had toffee and caramel notes as well. My advice, like with most BBA beers is to let it warm up a bit. It really hits a nice flavor profile at a warmer temperature than served.
