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Rating: 4.50
Location: Algonquin, IL
Founded: 2014
Last visited: November 2023

Basic, functional space, square wooden bar, a few small tables, sofas, and lots of long picnic tables; low ceiling with ductwork evident; basic steel bar stools. Taproom expanded to more than double the original size. Shuffleboard game is popular, as well as board games; nice outdoor deck.

They’ve been brewing some of the best beer in the area since they opened, with distribution increasing in Northern Illinois. We had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Mike Dallas, at the Lucky Monk monthly beer tapping. He was friendly, down-to-earth, and extremely passionate about making beer. Mike sold the business in the summer of 2022.

We have visited several times, but most recently they had 14 beers on tap.

BEER:

Agent Amber English Ale (nitro) (4.50) – Smooth ale, aggressively hopped and well balanced. Serving on nitro provides a creamy, pleasant character.

Agent Black Dry Nitro Stout (4.50) – Smooth, silky, served on nitro; excellent presentation; super coffee and chocolate flavors.

Base Jumper American Style IPA (4.00) – Grapefruit and citrus flavors, fairly bitter, malty sweetness helps balance it out.

Bitter Chocolatier Chocolate Oatmeal Imperial Stout (4.50) – A tremendous stout, full of body and flavor. Chocolate and coffee notes dominate. Alcohol level not overpowering.

Blueprint Blackberry Blueberry Wheat Ale (4.25) – Infusion of berries results in a nicely balanced beer. Medium body, appropriate hint of hop bitterness. Highly refreshing.

Castaway Angel Belgian Golden Ale (4.50) – Fruity notes, medium body, buttery flavor, Peppery flavor evident.

Czech One Two Czech Pilsner (5.00) – Sparkling and crisp lager. Big hop character upfront. Hop bitterness lingers throughout, as appropriate. Ticks all the boxes for a Czech Pilsner.

Doppelbock (5.00) – Big and bold bock beer. Definitely the “velvet hammer.” Notes of sweetness and caramel. As good as any German-brewed bock.

Exiled Angel Belgian Style Golden Ale (5.00) – Best Belgian golden ale outside of Belgium.

Flipmode New England IPA (4.00) – Hazy, fruity, hoppy; grapefruit notes apparent in flavor profile; hop bitterness balances fruity character.

Gem of the Fox Kolsch (4.25) – Hazy, straw yellow appearance. Bright and crisp, but has more ale character than lager. Hop bitterness in line with style.
Slightly fruity aspects a surprising but welcome addition to flavor profile.

Hefe’n It Hefeweizen (4.00) – Classic Hefeweizen in all aspects. Hazy, straw yellow appearance, Big and malty, clove character very distinctive.

Hey Chicago Waddya Say Helles (3.50) – Little bit light with respect to body, need to beef up malt bill. Slightly citrus aftertaste. Low level of hop bitterness.

Oktoberfest (4.50) – Big, sweet and malty. Appropriate hop bitterness for style. Outstanding example of Märzen beer. Light amber appearance deceiving.

Passion Angel Belgian Golden Ale (4.75) – Passion fruit dominates flavor; solid malt character creates excellent balance; mouthfeel has a wide variety of flavors and textures.

Phoenix Tears Vienna Lager (4.25) – Full-bodied amber lager. Big, bold malt sweetness appropriately dominates. Hop bitterness nicely balanced.

Rugged Coalminer Robust Porter (4.50) – One of our favorite Porters anywhere! Huge, roasted flavor, big malty beer, smooth without residual bitterness, awesome example of style.

Saint Monty Belgian Abbey Ale (5.00) – Bold and malty Belgian ale. Lots of fruity aspects add to a complex flavor profile. It’s a beer that needs to be sipped and savored. Outstanding balance between malty character and fruity sweetness.

Schwarzbier (4.75) – Huge roasted character. Malty aspects abound. A beer that does not fool around.

Seed Money Belgian Pale Ale (4.50) – Bright, slightly fruity ale; very low hop bitterness; highly drinkable; terrific malty character.

The Afterburn Dry Irish Stout (nitro) (4.50) – Super dark appearance, nearly opaque. Nice, tight head. Big, malty, roasted character dominates. Classic dry stout aftertaste. Smooth as silk mouthfeel. Hop bitterness hidden well into the background.

The Unseen Dry Irish Stout (nitro) (4.50) – Big, dark, frothy stout. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Very low level of hop bitterness, as appropriate. Roasted malt character dominates. Larger overall malt bill would propel this beer to greatness. Head retention excellent, nice, tight bubbles.

Wunderpilz German Pilsner (3.75) – Light bodied lager. Slightly bready and sweet characteristics. Hop bitterness hiding in the background. Lacking the crisp aspect natural to a German Pilsner.

FOOD:
No food served. Food trucks visit on weekends.


TAPROOM
Open Wed-Fri 3-10pm, Sat Noon-10pm, Sun Noon-7pm.

Scorched Earth Brewing Co

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