Tequila Barrel-Aged Mole Stout by pFriem Family Brewers is another example of pFriem’s ability to produce fantastic stout variants. The complexity in this one not only comes from the ingredients but also from the method of aging. This one is being evaluated as a... Read More
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Joseph Formanek
Beer Judge
Joe Formanek started homebrewing in 1987 as an undergraduate in Microbiology at the University of Minnesota. He was bitten by the brewing bug after taking a tour of Summit Brewing Company within a year after they had opened in St. Paul in 1987, and he has been going ever since. Joe later went to Graduate School at the University of Illinois and helped found the Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots (BUZZ) Homebrew Club. He currently resides in Bolingbrook, IL, is a Director for a food ingredient company in Itasca, IL, and is a proud member of the Urban Knaves of Grain Homebrew Club. Joe holds a National Judge ranking with the BJCP, and is a previous Midwest Regional Rep and Vice President of the organization.
Over the years, Joe has received many honors related to homebrewing. He has won numerous BOS awards at local and regional competitions, is a 6 time winner of the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year award (1999, 2001-2004, 2007) and won the American Homebrewers Association Meadmaker of the Year award in 2004. Joe is a 2 time winner of the American Homebrewers Association Ninkasi Award (2000, 2006) for winningest brewer in the final round of judging, and was honored as being named one of the two homebrewer winners of the 2011 Sam Adams Longshot American Homebrewing Competition with his Russian Imperial Stout, which was distributed nationally in the 2012 Longshot multipack.
My reviews
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Lonely Blonde by Fulton is a relatively simple beer, as would be expected from an American Blonde Ale. This is typically an entry level style for those first approaching the craft beer world, and as such, Lonely Blonde is a good example of the style – unassuming, yet clean and refreshing with... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
300 IPA by Fulton is a Mosaic hop bomb, pure and simple. From the first whiff upon opening the bottle to the final lingering aftertaste, the expression delivered by the generous use of Mosaic hops is the star of the show, and this brew could be a wonderful learning tool for those wanting to... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
39 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
The good brewers at De Koningshoeven have taken their standard La Trappe Quadrupel, which they have brewed since 1991, and have produced special limited edition oak aged versions since 2009. Each year uses different sources of barrels which are then expertly blended together to deliver a unique... Read More
Appearance:
4 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Fire Iron by Urban Artifact is a smoothie in beer form, pure and simple. The fruit character overwhelms all. This is really pushing the envelope for beer. I was originally considering evaluating this concoction as a Category 29A Fruit Beer as per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines, but I couldn’t... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
39 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Barrel Aged Imperial Korova by Gnarly Barley Brewing Co. is an amazingly rich, complex and delicious concoction! This bourbon barrel-aged milk porter is being evaluated as a 33B Specialty Wood-Aged Beer with Baltic Porter as the base beer.
The aroma has an incredible complexity of bourbon... Read More