Monday night, Matt
and I finally trekked up to Quenchers Saloon for their Stout Fest 2010. The fest lasts all of January, and features about 20 stouts on tap,
most
of which are American imperial stouts. Check out their menu here.
Quencher's Stout Fest 2010
Quenchers Saloon
A laid-back, neighborhood beer bar on the corner of Western and Fullerton. The cozy atmosphere and list of warming stouts were just what the docter ordered for a blustery winter night.Some of the beers, most notably Hitachino Espresso Stout and Founder's
Breakfast Stout, were no longer in stock. This was a little
disapointing, but not at all suprising considering how late it is in
the month.
Monday was the "flight night" special, offering five 6 oz
pours for $15. We ordered a flight of stouts and sat down next to the
old-fashioned popcorn machine. Drinking multiple beers of the same (or
similar)
style side by side revealed a lot about these beers, even the ones we'd
had previously. Five seemed to be an appropriate number, just small
enough to not overwhelm the
palate. We
ordered:
- St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout -- An oatmeal stout from
Quebec. This was the lightest of the stouts we tried, with flavors of
licorice, roasted malt, and a hint of smoke. Served on nitro tap.
- Dark Horse Too Cream Stout -- A cream stout from Marshall, Michigan. Sweet, smooth, and creamy.
- Avery Czar -- An imperial stout from Colorado. Fruity, well-balanced, slightly dry, and extremely refreshing. This contrasted sharply with the Expedition.
- Bell's Expedition -- A huge, round, hoppy, and viscous imperial stout from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Flavors of chocolate and dark fruit, with the longest profile of any of the beers we tasted.
- Victory Storm King -- an imperial stout from Pennsylvania.
The aroma was disappointing, but the beer is very drinkable and hid
it's 9.1% abv amazingly well.
With or without Stout Fest, Quenchers is a must-visit spot for any
Chicago-area beer lover. The bar has the feel of an old-timey
neighborhood spot with the menu of a world-class beer bar. In
addition to a
great list of microbrews and imports, they also had $2.00 cans of
Genesee Cream Ale, LaCrosse Lager, and Blatz. I have a soft spot for
the old regional breweries, so I was really happy to see this. There
is also a photo-booth, a small stage in the back room, and free popcorn
(with hot sauce, if you so desire). It is considerably quieter
than some of Chicago's better known beer bars, and would be a great
place to meet on a weeknight for conversation or a game of cards. I
can definitely see Quenchers becoming one of my go-to places.
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1 Comment
bert said:
nice write-up....tks
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