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Rating: 4.50
Location: Geneva, IL
Founded: 2020
Last visited: July 2024
Located in a retail mall, Art History’s taproom is both comfortable and spacious. The brewing tanks and canning line are in full view when sitting at the bar. The work of local artists is on display all over the taproom. Patio seating is also available. Our bartender was very knowledgeable. There were 12 beers on tap when we visited.
BEER:
15 Minutes of Foam Kõlsch (4.00) – Golden appearance. Somewhat light bodied, crisp, refreshing. Lightly bittered, as appropriate. Bit of a dry aftertaste.
Art History Major New England IPA (4.00) – Hazy, straw-colored IPA. Hop character present in bouquet. Bitterness seems higher than 35 IBU. Solid example of style.
ARToberfest Festbier (5.00) – Light amber color. Huge, malty lager. Sweetness from malt front and center. Smooth as silk. Hop bitterness lingers in the background and provides excellent balance. A big improvement over their previous version of this beer.
Bauhaus German Pilsner (4.50) – Medium-bodied lager. Solid dose of hop bitterness. Excellent example of traditional style.
Book of Kells Dry Irish Stout (4.75) – Very dark brown appearance, almost opaque. Roasted character really stands out. Hints of coffee and chocolate detected. Dry aftertaste present, but appears subtly. Hop bitterness is low and beautifully harmonious with the malty aspects. Excellent example of style.
Butterfly Questions Cerise (4.00) – Presence of cherries is a welcome and subtle adjunct. Well balanced between sweetness and tartness. Low level of bitterness, as appropriate.
Butterfly Questions No Questions Asked Belgian Saison (4.25) – Light, refreshing ale. Clove character hits the bullseye. Low level of hop bitterness, as appropriate.
Catch the Sun Hefeweizen (4.50) – Hazy, straw colored Hefeweizen. Banana and clove flavors are prominent. Smooth, easy to drink.
Cathedral California Common (4.50) – Medium-bodied amber beer. Roasted malts evident and defining. Good balance between hop bitterness and malt sweetness. Fine example of style.
Dance Card American Brown Ale (5.00) – Deep brown color. Bold, sweet, and malty. Caramel aspects prominent, along with hints of chocolate. Bitterness definitely in the background.
Dithering Bitter English Bitter (4.50) – Big and malty amber ale. Sweetness is a prevalent characteristic. Well balanced with hop bitterness.
Fastenbier (4.50) – A more balanced version of the Rauchbier sty37.5le. Traditional smoky character present in first sip and bouquet. Smoky aspects, however, not at all overpowering. Medium-bodied ale with appropriate hop bitterness. Easy to drink.
Geneva’s Finest Saison (4.50) – Amber ale, medium body and hazy appearance. Initial impression is full of malty goodness, along with an explosion of spices. Decent level of hop bitterness.
Good Evening Vienna (4.25) – Light amber appearance. Terrific, sweet malty mouthfeel. Medium bodied. Caramel notes present. Hop bitterness properly balanced. Very nice example of Vienna Lager style.
Good Morning Munich Helles (4.25) – Clean, crisp lag/21er. Slight hint of hop bitterness in aftertaste. Highly drinkable.
Good Night Bamberg Rauchbier (4.75) – Deep, dark brown appearance. Medium-bodied and easy to drink. Smoky character evident in bouquet and on first sip, but hardly overpowering. Malt character is nice and sweet, hints of caramel. Hop bitterness sits in the background. Excellent balance among all components.
Gravitace Czech Pilsner (4.50) – Complex blend of flavors. Excellent balance of malt sweetness and hop bitterness. Saaz hops come out front and center.
Levitace Czech Style Lager (4.25) – Somewhat lighter bodied pilsner. Aggressively hopped, as expected for this style. Bitterness pleasantly lingers in aftertaste. Crisp and bold.
Machine Age Altbier (4.50) – Deep copper color. Big and bold, malt sweetness upfront. Some hints of caramel malt present, but a bigger dose would make this beer better. Highly drinkable.
Modernist Märzen (4.50) – Medium-bodied amber lager. Hint of hop bitterness, as appropriate. Significant notes of caramel, which makes this beer super.
Oatmeal Stout (4.50) – Dark brown appearance, nearly opaque. Roasted character is the dominant characteristic. Huge and malty, coffee notes evident. Dry aftertaste is expected, but tempered by the presence of oat. Oat character not a big factor. Low hop bitterness, as appropriate.
Paint The Town Dunkel (5.00) – Dark amber appearance. Hugely malty character is massive and upfront. Sweet, caramel aspects dominate. Mouthfeel is almost addictive. Collaboration with Revolution Brewing.
Shambles English Porter (4.50) – Dark amber, cloudy appearance. Big, malty mouthfeel. Coffee notes linger in the background. Smoothly drinkable. Relatively low level of hop bitterness, as appropriate. Served on cask.
St George’s Day Munich Dunkel (5.00) – Brown/amber appearance. Big, sweet and malty. Caramel malts really stand out. Low hop bitterness on target for this style.
Varitace Czech Dark Lager (4.75) – Big, roasted flavors upfront. Smooth and easy to drink. Chocolate and coffee notes dominant in flavor profile.
Verlaine Belgian Pale Ale (4.25) – Easy drinking ale, as advertised. Presence of caramel malt imparts a welcome sweetness. Fruity and clove aspects provide nice balance.
Wenceslas Dark Lager (4.75) – Big, malty, amber lager. Properly balanced between malt sweetness and hop bitterness. The perfect beer for putting your feet up and slurping.
West End English Bitter (3.75) – Easy drinking English ale. Dry hopped, so bitterness level is not over the top. An extra dose of darker malt would improve this beer.
FOOD:
Coffee and snacks are available.