Blue Nose, in Hodgkins, IL, was an unassuming brewery, welcoming to dogs, with many cabinet games that were pretty cheap to play. They had super reasonable prices but the crowd on our couple of visits was mostly bored late 20 somethings which is more than likely due to the sleepy suburb it was located in. The decor was clean and comfortable with bar stools or comfy chairs for a lounge vibe. Unfortunately, Blue Nose was hit hard by the pandemic and has now permanently closed despite its willingness to create new, sometimes strange, beers.
Supersoaker salted pineapple sour 6.2
The Fermentor: So it’s hard to describe this brew in standard beer description terms… So you ever had grilled pineapple in the summer finished with a bit of Tajín? You know exactly what this beer tastes like. It was fantastic, a bit boozy for a sour, and just oh so good.
Demonwitch: I thought this was an extremely solid sour that was well balanced not overwhelming. The small add of salt really rounded everything out.
Cool hair raspberry sour 7%
TF: This sour had a noticeable raspberry overtone, but overall, it did not hit the mark of a good sour for me. It was almost watery and reminded me of grandma trying to stretch out a batch of raspberry Kool-Aid. This beer was a bit of a bummer to me because it had all the makings for a beer I would love.
DW: I felt this sour came off as medicinal with a light bitter note at the end. Effectively, you are hit at the beginning with a nice fruity, berry note, but smacked in the face with an overwhelming sour bite with little to no body.
Hitbox double dry hopped hazy IPA 5.1
TF: This dry hopped hazy boy had some definite grassy notes coming through from the dry hopping process. However, it was only very lightly bitter and finished as an easy drinker you could have several pints of.
DW: They were absolutely not kidding when they said dry, but the late stage hopping didn’t cause the beer to dry out the mouth completely like some dry hops can do. I felt it was a little too harsh with the booze at the end despite being quite low in ABV for a hazy.
Mosaic Loud double dry hopped ipa 6.5
TF: This was definitely not my cup of tea (beer). I do not exaggerate when I say it tasted of lighter fluid. In my opinion, this was truly a beer only a mother could love.
DW: This double dry hopped IPA had a strong aroma, very reminiscent of weed… Imagine drinking an ipa right after finishing a bowl or worse yet, just a resin hit.
Hourly rates Cocoa, strawberry & vanilla milk stout 5.0abv
TF: This strange concoction with the flavors of the dreaded (or loved, depending on your childhood) flavors of Neapolitan ice cream was a trip. The cocoa and vanilla comes through well with the toasty warmth of this stout. However, the strawberry was MIA in flavor and aroma, which was a bummer. All chefs and brewers will tell you alike, if the flavor didn’t show up in the finished product, don’t announce it in the description or you’re preparing folks for a let down.
DW: This was a heavier style brew with great body. I got a subtle coffee note from the stout but the vanilla tones were front and center. Unlike my partner, I detected the strawberry tartness near the finish which made the aftertaste quite clean and allows it to depart quickly.
Money lord pale ale 6.5 abv
DW: This pale ale infused with green tea had a lighter and normal body, but crisp and dry. It finished easy and was really pleasantly refreshing.
TF: I thought the green tea actually came through on this pale ale through which is a feat! You could knock one after another of these back and be happy the whole time. I cannot overstate how impressed I was with the green tea notes coming through without bitter or grassy overtones.
Snake juice neipa 7.4 abv Galaxy, Zappa, simcoe
DW: This NEIPA had pleasant bitterness without grappling onto the tongue. The combination of hop strains used in this brew brought a juicy finish.
TF: This was not a win for me from the initial aroma which was skunky and off putting. However, the taste redeemed the brew a bit as it was well balanced with the bitterness only lingering a bit. Again, wildly strong IPAs are not my thing, so take this with that grain of salt.
Malt cult amber ale 5.8abv
TF: This amber ale had very nice caramel tones without being sweet. You’ll notice in many of my notes that caramel tones instantly give me a sticky or sweet overtone that I am not a fan of… I try to avoid most sweets, and the dentist as a result. However, this amber ale actually turned out to be nearly refreshing despite a focus on the malt
DW: This ale had a robust and crisp flavor that only slightly ventured into the sweet side but it’s expected based on what the brewer was going for. I thought this was a great approach to a maltier brew that made it much easier to drink than other ambers.
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