HAZ’D JUICE
Brewery: Brickstone Brewery
Location: 557 William R Latham Sr. Drive Bourbonnais, IL 60914
Style: Hazy IPA ABV: 6.7%
Review: Color is dark yellow and it’s mildly cloudy. Nose is very tropical fruit like. First sip you are hit with an intense creaminess, and the fruit flavor of the hops that are backed up by the malt backbone. Hops are complex adding intense flavor with no bitterness. Mid beer the silky malts and wonderful juicy hops take over (ie. they use Huell melon hops which provide the wonderful orange, pineapple even melon back notes). Finishes with a perfect blend of juicy hops, silky malts and creamy but crisp finish. World Class Hazy IPA, Ken Grossman would be impressed.
Rating: 5.0
STRATUS
Brewery: Hailstorm Brewery
Location: 8060 186th Street Tinley Park, IL. 60487
Style: ABV: 8.0%
Review: Color is yellow-orange, very cloudy or hazy, nose is a piney hop with strong malt notes. Very creamy mouthfeel, high carbonation, piney hop flavor is blended seamlessly into a solid malt backbone with pine and resiny notes. Mid beer the hops are still the main show, but with very strong malt support and a good punch with no alcohol heat. Finishes with perfect blend of fruity and piney hops with creamy malt yet crisp finish. This is a big full flavored hazy double IPA. Excellent to World class Hazy
Rating: 4.5 to 5.0
ZOMBIE DUST
Brewery: 3 Floyds Brewing
Location: 9750 Indiana Parkway Munster, IN 46321
Style: Hazy Pale Ale. ABV: 6.5%
Review: Color Orange hue, large white head, cloudy or hazy with medium carbonation. Front end you get a blast of malts and hops, very full body flavor, with a creamy mouthfeel and background notes of pineapple or other citrus fruit. Mid beer the blend of malts and hops are very strong with malt slightly dominating but with a refreshing hop finish. The hopiness, maltitness, fruitiness and creaminess make this a world class Hazy IPA. The flavor is so exceptional is keeps you wanting more!
Rating: 4.5 mugs
SMALL WAVE CITY CLUB
Brewery: Solemn Oath Brewery
Location: 1661 Quincy Ave #179, Naperville, IL. 60540
Style: Hazy IPA ABV: 6.5%
Review: color is yellow, very cloudy or hazy, head is very full, fluffy and white. Nose is grassy like hop. First sip the hops standout and have almost a chive like taste with creaminess and malts blending well to create a very unusual but very good tasting IPA. Mid beer flavors are maintained and a slight lemon finish emerges. Finishes creamy, citricy and chivy. This is an excellent very unusual tasting IPA.
Rating: 4.5 mugs
LE JUS
Brewery: Alarmist Brewing & Taproom
Location: 4055 W Peterson Ave, Suite Rear, Chicago, IL 60646
Style: Hazy IPA ABV: 6%
Review: Color is cloudy yellow, large white fluffy head, wry citrusy nose. Initial taste a grapefruit citrusy dominates, refreshing carbonation, mild to little creaminess, clean finish. Mid beer grapefruit flavor dominates finish with a slight grapefruit like bite. Finishes with grapefruit flavor dominating and overpowering most other flavors. Overall lacks the creaminess usually associated with hazy IPAs bit still a good effort.
Rating: 4 mugs