Shut Up and Fill Your Beer Hole: Rockport, Illinois

Okay, it's been a while but we're leaving the state of Wisconsin... for now.  I brought back some bottled friends with me and there will be a sampling and a discussion and all of that.

In the meantime, I made a stop on the way back in Rockport, Illinois.  Why there?  ... ... ... There's no good reason, none.  Just one of those places that I randomly end up and that's it.  Now do as the title of this blog suggests.

Shut Up and Fill Your Beer Hole is not only the new title of my autobiography, but it's kinda the motto around the Carlyle Brewing Company... or at least they put it on T-shirts that you can buy, or on drink coasters that you can steal... preferably once you've finished the beer.

Besides a lovable tagline, the brewery boasts a kind of international flair.   The beer menu is fairly extensive and, like a taproom that boasts a horde of import brews, it lists the varieties by nation of origin.  Although since the beer is brewed on site, Area of Influence, is probably a more fitting term.

That being said, there isn't much you wouldn't find at most breweries.  They cover a cross-section of German styles, muck about with some styles from the British Isles but aside from a light Mexican-style beer, that's pretty much the end of it.  So nothing too Earth-shattering from an International perspective.  The beer itself is pretty good and the IPA, although unpronounceable, is one of the best I've had.  

Like I said, their beer menu is pretty extensive, although there's no really good way to get a sip of all their beers.  They do offer samplers, but at about half the cost of a full beer for each one... yeah, no thanks.   They are generous samples, to be sure, but basic economics starts taking hold.

So I picked a few that seemed like the most interesting from the menu and it represents a little less then half of everything they had available for my visit.

Vanilla Cream Ale:  This is pretty much as advertised.  The aroma is light but the vanilla is there.  On the malty side of the spectrum with a creamy mouth-feel and... yes, vanilla.  Not a lot of complexity, but it's pretty good.

Sampler of the Dopplebock

Dopple Bock:  Lots of dark fruit, raisin and toasted aromas on this beer.  True to style, a lot of malty flavors along with some dark cherry, raisin and caramel flavors against a backdrop of charcoal and roasted barley. 

Irish Red: This had a light, caramel aroma. The pine, herbal hops hit right at the top of the palate here, blended with the toasty malt flavors. 

Humulus Lupulus: Remember the bit about the unpronounceable IPA?  You've probably guess, and yes that is the scientific name for the hop.   The aroma is heavy with citrusy hops.  In the flavor, the hop character is prominent but not overpowering.  There's hint of malt with floral notes and a hint of peppery spice in the background.  The balance with the malt and the complexity of the flavors they managed to coax from the hops is pretty fantastic.  

Scottish Ale: Lots of nice, toasted aromas.  Even more roasty, toasty flavors mixed with a dry woody flavor.  It lacks the malt and fruit characteristics of most of the Scottish Ales I've had in the past, but it's very nice just the same.

Wee pint o' scottish.