Amarillo Brillo
Piece Brewery & Pizzeria

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Piece Brewery & Pizzeria
 
Illinois, United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
8.3%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
4.03 | pDev: 4.22%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
8
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 11, 2013
Added:
Feb 11, 2005
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by rhoadsrage:
Photo of rhoadsrage
Reviewed by rhoadsrage from Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
(Served in a tulip glass)

A- This beer pours a hazy light mahogany brown that is hazy but lets a little light through the edges. The thick creamy white head last and last but starts to form big bubbles after a bit. No sign of carbonation through this thick body.

S- The smell of fresh green hops is unique from the massive amounts of Amarillo hops. It doesn't have the orange citrus notes but they are more like smooth lime citrus notes to the hops. There is a faint slightly sweet malt note in the background.

T- The taste of the green hops is cool smooth and lime citrus with a hint of grassy pineapple in the background. As it warms it has more of a pine note in it. The hops are balanced by a sweet lightly toasted malt flavor with some darker roasted caramel malts. The finish has a slight alcohol taste that balances the unique hops and sweet malt.

M- The medium-light mouthfeel has a nice alcohol warmth in the finish.

D- This beer has a unique hop profile but the malt and alcohol really balance and work with the hops. It's not just another hop monster showing off a single hop flavor. Well-built and creative beer that could make a session beer even though it is above 8% ABV.
Apr 18, 2006
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by birdsellam from Indiana

Feb 11, 2013
Photo of Thorpe429
Reviewed by Thorpe429 from Illinois

3.77/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Reviewed from notes.

Pours a nice orange color with a white head. The nose brings some citrus and a bit of floral hops. Taste is slightly restrained without as much hop flavor. A bit of caramel in there as well. Bitter with a dry finish. Drinks well and is a nice brew overall.
Nov 02, 2010
Photo of DoppleJock
Reviewed by DoppleJock from Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
01/09/2010
On-tap served in a tulip glass.

I had originally ordered the Camel Toe Egyptian IPA but Piece was all out for the night. Our served recommended the Amarillo Brillo instead, so I gave it a try.

A: Orangish/Dark red color. 1 finger honey-ish head at the tip of the glass when served.

S: Moderately pine-y. Slightly floral, but you definitely pick up the Amarillo hops.

T: Haven't had too much experience w/ Double IPAs, but that may change thanks to this beer. Nicely balanced , as the blast of hops was just enough to be tasty without burning off my tongue and it wasn't too, too bitter.

M: Didn't have the hops/ bitter alcohol burn I was expecting, which makes for a nice drinking experience.

D: Didn't ruin my palate, which means I won't have wait for the end of the night to order another one of these. As mentioned before, I don't have a lot of experience in the Double IPA realm, but I liked this one more than most IPAs I've tried lately.

Ordering this one again next time I'm at Piece.
Jan 11, 2010
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I had this one on tap.

Poured a deeper and lightly hazy amber color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of floral hops, citrus, and pine. Tastes of pine, citrus, floral, and toasted caramel. I would say that the tastes were definitely on the toasty side.
Dec 09, 2008
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.12/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Served in a footed tulip glass at Piece.

A deep dark orange body, with a tightly formed head. Juicy citrus Amarillo aroma, apricot, tangerine, yum. Pale malt on the back end, and a little bit piney.

Taste has a nice level of bitterness up front, not tounge-scraping, but just right. Delicious hop notes, fruity then resiny. Slightly dry in the finish. Adequate carbonation, again not over the top, it's well balanced in the mouth. ABV is higher, but not perceived in the taste. Always recommended when it's on tap. It would be easy to have a couple at a time.

We were told by a server that they don't growler this, due to the high abv...hope the brewery expansion allows for more specialties to be available in growlers.
Dec 17, 2007
Photo of BeerBelcher
Reviewed by BeerBelcher from Ohio

3.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
I visited the Piece brewery the last time I visited Chicago. This beer wasn't on the menu, but was on the big chalk-board above the bar, and sounded a bit intriguing from our server's description.

Appearance is an opaque color the shade of milk chocolate. Not a shiny/brilliant looking beer, but inviting nonetheless.

Odor was hops, hops, and more hops. The odor was an accurate predictor of the citrus-hop taste.

Flavor was extremely hoppy, with a pleasing orange-pineapple flavor.

As I drank it, there was an abundant super-sticky head. The head didn't appear to be lacing, rather it appeared to be one giant sheet of foam hanging on the glass as I emptied it.

I bought a growler of the Worryin' Ale to take home...in retrospect, I wish I'd bought this instead.
Dec 01, 2006
Photo of silenius
Reviewed by silenius from Illinois

3.96/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The brewery calls this an Imperial Red Ale. I'm not sure what that is supposed to be. I'm listing it as an American Double IPA because that seems to fit the best. Brewed with pale and caramel malts with "an obscene amount" of Amarillo Hops. I thanked the brewmaster after drinking this beer.

Pours a gorgeous glowing yellow amber with an impressive uneven head. Beautiful!

Smell is hops out the Wazoo. A case study in Amarillo I guess. I still have trouble distinguishing them all from one another. Piney to the max with a nice malt counter punch. This is not a complex beer by any means, but fulfills the hop head fix. The bitter finish is offset somewhat by the sweetness of the malt.

A bit of a one-trick pony, but enjoyable!
Feb 11, 2005
Amarillo Brillo from Piece Brewery & Pizzeria
Beer rating: 4.03 out of 5 with 8 ratings