Spiteful Brewing (Chicago, IL)

Got my first taste of Spiteful Brewing at The Bad Apple in Chicago. The socializing was in full swing by then, so I don't remember much about my draft of Biter Biker except that it was good enough to inspire buy a few more bottles from Binny's in Schaumburg.

Here's what I took home:

Ghost Bike Pale Ale: hazy amber, gold around the edge, with an off white head that dropped off quickly. Light hop nose with sweet caramel and malt overriding. Caramel and malty sweetness follows on the tongue with a apple cider and ripe fruit in the center before a solid bitterness lingers off the back.  Interesting beer that almost a throwback pale ale with more malt than hop, and more pleasant than the BeerAdvocate reviews. In honor of white bikes where bikers have been killed on Chicago streets.

God Damn Pigeon Porter: the slightly darker than tan head leaps up off the beer and fills the glass with a fairly easy pour over a pitch black ale with ruby highlights at the farthest edges.  Creamy head mingles with the burnt sweetness of the porter. Very good first impression but the thinness of the body lessens the impact but still a very good beer.

G.F.Y Stout: dark brown head flattens to a film quickly in spite of a hard pour over a jet black stout.  Dark malts, heavy roast, molasses, dark chocolate and a hint of spice in the nose that continues onto the tongue plus an alcoholic hotness.

Overall, all of the Spiteful brews were solid and interesting.  The stout was lacking a bit and the porter was my favorite of the bunch I took home. I remember thinking Biter Biker having a brash bitterness that reminded me of Bitter Brewer from Surly, which had some similarities with the Ghost Bike. From the website, the name of the nanobrewery comes from an childhood incident on a hockey pond that led to friendship. With their in-your-face attitude, indie vibe and passionate brewing, Spiteful I will try again at my next opportunity to see if they are going to be the next big thing in Chicago.