Imperial Maple Oat Ale Limited Release

Peak Organic just announced that they have sent out a limited number of cask conditioned barrels of imperial maple oat ale (robust blend of malts, oats, and nice touch of maple at 9% abv) to select locations.  If you recall, the regular version of Peak's Maple Oat Ale was one of my favorite beers coming out of Binny's Beer Expo and an excellent choice for an Autumn seasonal beer.  Hopefully, some will land in Chicago.  I will keep my ears open.

A Little More on Peak Organic

I am pretty taken with Peak Organic's website and decided to write more about them.  It seems the people behind this brewery are quite committed to all things local, sustainable and Fair Trade.  Good Karma.  Also, for those who claim red wine is a 'health drink' because of antioxidants (I am one of those people), you will love the fact that they have a Pomegranate Wheat Ale with Acai.  If that isn't a health tonic, I don't know what is:)  Unfortunately, I only tried the Maple Oat Ale and none of their other beers when I had the perfect opportunity.  Maybe Dan has something to say about the others he tasted.  Here are some additional notes on the Maple Oat Ale from their website:

The Maple Oat Ale is brewed with Maine-grown organic oats from granola company GrandyOats and Vermont-produced organic maple syrup from Butternut Mountain Farms in Morrisville, Vermont. The beer is in support of Chefs Collaborative, the nation's leading culinary organization that provides its members with tools for running economically healthy, sustainable food service businesses.

The Maple Oat Ale is a copper-colored ale with a soft, dynamic mouth feel from the organic oats and a subtle hint of sweetness in the finish from the organic maple syrup.

Binny's Beer Expo Recap

We went to Binny's Beer Expo last night and just wanted to quickly recap a couple of highlights.  People were pretty irritated with the general lack of organization surrounding the event, but that isn't really relevant.  There was a good mix of beer distributors and brewers represented at the event and plenty of time to speak to the reps and taste a huge variety of beers.

Tracy from Metropolitan Brewery in Chicago was at the event, so we made a beeline for her first and were able to try the new Kolsch style beer that we had heard about when we visited their brewery in July before she ran out.  It is currently on tap at some of the more beer-serious bars around Chicago, including Map Room and Delilah's.

My favorite beer of the evening was an odd choice for me personally, as I tend toward hop heavy and "big" beers.  I absolutely fell in love with Peak Organic's Maple Oat Ale.  It was such a unique flavor and stood out from most oatmeal beers, which are usually stouts.  It was light in color and body and definitely had a nice oaty, malty flavor.  Also, the maple was subtle...not disgustingly sweet.  I have already asked Dan if he will pleeeaaase brew something similar this autumn.

Final topic of note - I spoke to the rep from Half Acre about their plans for the new Lincoln Square location.  I found out that they will be opening a tasting room in October!  I added my name to their mailing list, so I will post a note about it when it finally opens.