Ore-gone IPA
Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery

 

64oz Growler
$11.95
Flossmoor Station

This is the most recent IPA from Flossmoor Station and Matt Van Wyk's last as the head brewer there. The twist off of the growler cap instantly fills the room with huge Pac NW hoppy goodness, fruity to the core. A pour straight down the center of the glass creates a cascading effect with the head much like a nitro Guinness, pretty cool. My willi glass holds a mildly hazy orange liquid that glows softly like a sunset when backlit. Three fingers of dense bone white head form and recedes to two fingers at a minimum and leaves behind intricate, super glue sticky lacing.

The smell on this IPA is insane! Huge notes of apricot, pine sap, and resinous hops inundate my nasal cavity. Other notes of citrus bring up the rear with bitter pink grapefruit and tangerine in small quantities. There isn't much of a malt backbone on this one but what's there is angel food cake-like in its minor sweetness. There's a slightly spicy alcohol presence that adds even more depth. I'll tell you what, this beer has a hop profile that will make your nose hairs stand on end and your eyes water, and it's that good!

A buzzsaw of citric hoppiness tears down the middle of my tongue leaving behind apricot, grapefruit and tangerine all in that order. It's crazy but the resinous and pine sap hoppiness attacks the sides of my tongue and leaves behind a staggering bitterness that I've fallen in love with. After the swallow my entire tongue feels trampled by the West Side bitterness. The minor malty backbone meekly comes out of hiding every once in awhile.

The body of this beast is medium and there's a nice soft feel with the active carbonation. Each drink slides through velvety smooth but fairly quick with a dryness that accentuates the bitterness. As I said up above, the bitterness invades every surface of my mouth from my gums to the back of my throat. I can feel the enamel being chewed off my teeth.

Ore-Gone is off the charts drinkable for such a potent hoppy IPA. My tongue is taking a stomping but each glass I drink disappears quicker than the last. Each spit sucking sip leaves me wanting, nay, needing more.

Well, what can I say? This is one outstanding IPA! Vishnu's Vice was one of the best I've ever had and this is right up there with it. Ore-Gone is West Coast to the core and done better than most from the Wild West. I can't give enough props to Mr. Van Wyk for his incredible brewing skills and his time at Flossmoor. We'll all hate to see you go but I wish you and your family the best of luck out west.

 

 

I picked up a bomber of this at the brewery on Feb 21, 2008.

Hard pour produces medium head. But the head is thick and rich - a few big bubbles packed tight by tons of small tough bubbles. The color is a nice amber-brown and head color is a nice tan. Beautiful looking beer. Or maybe that's just me :). No real lacing - it wants to lace but not so much.

Aroma - sweet malt on the start quickly going to hopville. Citrusy chewy hops. grassy nose finish.

Taste - A touch of sweet malt but major hops. Balanced well for IPA so it's not a hopbomb (no DIPA). Citrusy chewey hops. Taste and aroma match very closely.

Mouthfeel - medium-fullness and creamy. very slight alcohol feel.

Delicious well-balanced IPA.

Note: originally reviewed on: 03-02-2009. Review moved here on/around Jan 2011 due to some BA re-organizing.

 

22 oz bomber (yellow wax) poured into an imperial pint glass.

Appearance: Hazy gold-ish copper with an orange tint. Large, frothy off-white head persists throughout and leaves beautiful sticky lacing.

Smell: Prominent hop aroma with some citrusy goodness. Floral, resinous, perfume-y hops have my mouth watering. Based on the appearance and grassy aroma, this is seemingly dry-hopped. Fruity esters of grapefruit and tangerine.

Taste: Lots of hop flavor, consistent with the smell - floral resinous and somewhat piney. High hop bitterness, but the sweet malts help to soften it. The bitterness lingers in the aftertaste but is not offensive. Malts are mostly clean save for a slight caramel twang. No diacetyl. Fruitiness is more muted than the smell would have you expect but is still present.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and smooth, which is nice considering the high hop bitterness. Not much carbonation, giving it a nice, clean finish.

Drinkability: Rather drinkable, again considering the high bitterness. Goes down pretty easy and the alcohol is well masked.

Well Flossmoor continues to rocket to the top of my favorite brewer list. I know there was a recent change in Head Brewer there, I believe this is the first item that I've had from the new brewer. Enjoyed this last night at The Map Room. I asked which one it was and the bartender said, "Puke green/yellow wax" After receiving the bottle, I called it mustard yellow/gold. After reading the other descriptions, I believe this is the proper listing. I see others listed it as mustard yellow and also the dating of these reviews lets me know this beer is available now.

Anyway, awesome IPA. Big creamy white head with nice initial structure, but then collapses on itself. Some decent lacing and a orange/amber color. Initially only a slight haze. Of course the later pour was more cloudy as I enjoyed some of the sediment...

Aroma was fantastic and a pleasant treat knowing this was a fresh bottle. Huge citrus, floral tomes, somewhat grassy and very perfume like.

Flavor was also fantastic. Again, very citrus, grapefruit, lemon peel, slightly acidic and wonderfully bitter. The balance was fantastic, as with the other Flossmoor items I've tried. Having said that, this was the hoppiest of the flavor's I've had from them. As it warms you sense a touch more malty sweetness, but not much.

Medium body, excellent mouth feel and a slight amount of carbonation. Spot on for the style.

Wonderfully drinkable. I do with Flossmoor was available in Boston. I always welcome receiving or seeking a bottle in trade.

Excellent beer.

Thanks to hopdog for supplying the bomber for the tasting...
Appears a cloudy, hazed orange toned amber with a small white head of bubbles that slowly fades into a mild cap.
Smell is of grapefruit, citrusy, cat piss, herbal notes, tea leaves.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with an emphasis on the citrus/herbs (can't say much for the cat piss flavor, as I've never tasted it), and sourdough pretzel pulling through.
Mouthfeel is medium bodied, balanced, and crisp.

I got this 22oz bomber in a DLD trade with paco1029384756. Standard Flossmoor bottle, no indication of name but identified by dark yellow wax.

The beer is hazy bright orange color with a thick white foam and lots of lacing. Beautiful. The smell is awesome too, floral and resiny hops over a significant malt base. accents along with a bright sweet caramel backbone. The beer is really tasty, the hops are citrusy and more flavorful than bitter, the malts are sweet and play a supporting role. Like all Flossmoor IPA's this has a perfect body, solid while comprised of low carbonation, perfectly suited to casking. I'm sad every time I finish one of these bottles...

22 oz mustard yellow wax topped bomber. Poured into a pint glass. Big thanks to my Flossmoor hookup joe1510 for this. This was actually consumed by myself back in mid-March, so this was still pretty fresh at the time.

Pours a clear copper with a rigid finger of foamy off-white head. Retains with a smooth and creamy look that just drenches the sides of the glass with rings of rich lacing. The aroma is floral, herbal, spicy, and piney, all the kinds of West Coast hop love'n that you could want or ask for in an IPA. The hops are expertly balanced by an underlying thick tang of bready malts and juicy smelling tropical fruit notes. This is just pure awesomeness right up your nose!

The taste starts with a mixed blast of herbal hops and just zesty tasting citrus character, which has a spicy and resinous bitter edge to it. This is near perfectly balanced by a deep tasting backbone of roasted grains and sweet caramel malts. Damn, this overall taste is tangy as it warms and evens out! The finish is more herbal and sweet with any lingering bitterness seeming to come more from the roastiness of the toasted grains then the maybe the hops themselves. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a creamier carbonation on top of an underlying thick warmth to the body that goes along with the beefier flavors. The soft creaminess of the carbonation helps keep this very easy in the mouth, for it's size. As a matter of fact, I'm rapidly losing liquid as I review this, it's that quaffable for a bigger hoppy beer.

Wow, what an awesome IPA for head brewer Matt VanWyk to go out on! Hugely flavorful and I love how well balanced this was, with a ton of hop activity being detectable but it in no way runs over the beer. With a fantastic drinkibility on this as well, this is one of those IPAs that is just a pleasure to sit down with and enjoy.

22oz bottle, 'mustard' yellow waxed bottle acquired in trade wtih NobleSquirrel (thanks!).

Poured a medium amberish/golden color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of floral hops, Mike's cat's pee, grainy, and some citrus. Tastes of floral hops, citrus, the same grainiess, and some earthiness.

A - Pours from a difficult yellow wax bottle. Why I never end up in the emergency room, I will never know. Light murky apple cider, very white head leave to ring, some clumpy lacing.

S - Egads! Hops abound! Piney and citrus.

T - Heavy malt meets tangerine and pine. A major collision, but a pretty site.

M - Medium body, good balance, clean finish, good carb.

D - This must be a pretty high abv, but I is not discouraging.

Thanks for sharing this one, Barry.

Appearance: Caramel-colored, cloudy and somewhat turbid. Pours with a finger of off-white head that sustains fairly well.

Smell: Caramel, and lots of it. Hops? I couldn't really find any. Surprising given that this was a fresh bottle. Not really complex or appealing.

Taste & mouthfeel: Sweet and rich like caramel candy, just a hint of earthy hops in there somewhere. Bready. Medium bodied, not terribly crisp or refreshing. Not much complexity, just very malt-forward and sweet. Hops finally make an appearance in the finish, but only in the form of bitterness. This is the 2nd Flossmoor Station IPA I've tried and I'm genuinely baffled by the high marks they get; this is average at best.

Appearance: This beer pours a cloudy golden color with a fingers worth of bone white head that left great lacing for the entire beer.
Smell: I could smell this beer as I poured it and I am greeted with a nose full of hops that ranged from grapefruit, orange peel, and sticky pine. The bready malt is very apparent as well and supports the hops beautifully.
Taste: A continuation of the smell with the citrus and pine flavors very bold upon first sip, but the malt comes in about halfway complimenting the hops and giving the beer a nice complexity that I think many IPA's are missing, and is much more than just hops in your face, but rather a well balanced and well crafted IPA.
Mouthfeel: My only complaint here is that the beer could have benefited from a bit more carbonation I think, but it was medium bodied and rather sticky in the mouth.
Drinkability: If you are an IPA fan this beer if for you, and I would love to be able to drink this with regularity.

Golden amber pour; great lacing, slightly murky. Looks like a winner.

Aroma is big and bold. Lots of grapefruit, grass and pine, with some floral qualities. Very fresh and zingy.

Taste is fresh, earthy and organic. Like someone went out in the garden, picked a bunch of fresh, juicy hops and squeezed the juice right in to the bottle. It's a solid combo of pine, fresh wheatgrass, and grapefruit; basically all of the qualities you normally associate with a big, earthy hop bomb Double IPA.

Throughout the smell, tasting and finish, I am continually reminded of two other beers I am very familiar with: Bell's Hopslam, and Cameltoe from the Piece Brewery (Bucktown / Chicago). It would be interesting to taste the three side by side, but simply from memory alone, the resemblance is there, from the earthy aroma to the hop blast ... it's all pretty much there.

I really love this stuff, but I can get either of the affore-mentioned cheaper. This gest huge thumbs up for freshness and vitality, but it's striking resemblance to other beers doesn't earn it high marks for originality. Still, Flossmoor absolutely rocks, so I can't see myself giving this less than an A.

Bomber from the brewpub. Into a Goose Island IPA tulip...

A - Golden with amber tints. Off white head leaves great lacing and has good retention.

S - Huge grapefruit/apricot, some banana, nectar, and bright sweet briess malt. Enjoyable, Three Floyds-esque, sweet, fruity, with grapefruit bitterness to give it some balance.

T - Good honey notes mixed in with spice that makes me wonder if they used any rye in this beer (could just be spice from the hops). Hops do dominate, with grapefruit and pine notes. Finishes big and bitter, but overall seems balanced enough.

M - Full bodied with just enough carbonation. Silky mouthfeel.

D - Don't quite find this one classic, but quite enjoyable. Good luck in Oregon Matt, and keep them comming Flossmoor.

Poured from a yellow waxed bomber.
Pours golden amber in color with a very nice inch or two of head. Smell is juicy, citrusy, wonderful hops. This is exactly what I was looking for. Taste is citrusy, mostly grapefruity hops. Plenty of bitterness in the flavor as well. Really surprised on how full the mouthfeel is. This is all around in every facet a solid IPA. Very easy drinking and enjoyable.
Another standout IPA from Flossmoor Station!

Served in a Surly pint glass.

A - Two fingers of off-white foam, with great retention & gorgeous lacing. Mostly transparent golden. Looks terrific!

S - Bitter, hoppy mixture of citrus - mostly red grapefruit and lemon - and fresh pine. Solid malt presence with some bready and toffee flavors. Potent, you can smell it a good six inches from the glass. It's very good, but I've been spoiled lately.

T - Starts with sweet citrus, then morphs into strong pine and floral hoppiness, with bitterness that persists well into the aftertaste. The malt side is present, but it's definitely not the focus of this brew.

M - Sticky, oily, and resinous. Medium bodied (bigger than the usual IPA), with moderate carbonation that provides just the right amount of tingle. There's a smooth velvety quality to this one - Dave's comment about cask-like is pretty accurate.

D - No perceptible alcohol, great mouthfeel, and solid tasty flavor. Probably too bitter for more than 22oz, but easy-drinking otherwise.

While I don't seem to love the Brewer's Whim series quite as much as some of my fellow Chicago BAs they are consistently great and all quite different. I hope the new brewmaster at Flossmoor can keep up the same standard of excellence.
Bon voyage Matt!

22oz bomber with yellow wax.

Hazy sunrise yellow pour with 1/2" of white bubbly head and spotty lacing. Looking good. Aromas of forceful, herbal dank hops. Deep citric accents along with a bright sweet caramel backbone. Super resinous. Aromas are simply intoxicating here. Awesome.

First sip brings resinous, herbal hops upfront with citric accents. Mellow caramel malt backbone that barely can stand up to the onslaught of fresh, vibrant hops. Big bitterness on the finish with hop oils all over the place.

Mouthfeel is smooth with a sturdy body. Goes down easily. A huge hop bomb of a bitter, tasty IPA. Cheers to Flossmoor and best of luck to Matt in Oregon. Sad that this is the last IPA he will brew at Flossmoor!