Tasting

What does a Chicago beer taste like? Half Acre's Daisy Cutter smells of grapefruit and resin, with a smooth, slightly bready malt body coming through on the palate, while the bitterness stays pleasantly in the background. Revolution Brewing's Anti-Hero comes on stronger: more pine, more bitterness, a touch of caramel. Both beers are just examples of their style, not representative of every single batch.

Bourbon County Stout is a different experience altogether. According to the brewery and many tasters, vanilla, dark chocolate, raisins, and bourbon from the barrel dominate. It tastes sweet, thick, and warming in the throat, as any beer with that much alcohol will. It's best enjoyed in small pours, slowly, and not as a thirst-quencher.

As for glassware: the classic American size is the pint at 16 US fluid ounces (0.47 liters), often served in a straight-sided shaker glass. For an IPA, a tulip glass is worthwhile, as it concentrates aroma. A strong stout belongs in a snifter, a bulb-shaped glass with a narrower opening, poured in portions of just 3.5 to 7 fluid ounces (0.1–0.2 liters).

Temperature changes what you taste. Pale ale and IPA show their aroma best around 43–46°F (6–8°C); any colder and they go mute. An imperial stout prefers it noticeably warmer, around 50–57°F (10–14°C), which lets chocolate, vanilla, and wood notes emerge. So it's worth letting a stout sit in the glass for a few minutes after coming out of the fridge.

In Chicago, draft beer is typically poured using CO2 or a gas blend straight from the keg, the stainless steel barrel. At the taproom—the brewery's tasting room—small sample pours are common, and many breweries bottle in the standard American 12-ounce (0.355-liter) size. Pouring follows a simple rule: tilt the glass, aim the stream at the side, and straighten up toward the end until a finger's width of foam sits on top.