Prairie Path Ale | Two Brothers Brewing Company

3.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I think I like gluten *in* my beer...

Not necessarily a memorable beer or anything to run out of the house to chase after, but certainly not something I will be keeping an eye out for moving forward, either.

It looked solid enough and was solid smelling enough but it was missing something. Maybe the bitterness, maybe the gluten or something altogether different. Whatever it was it just wasn’t anything to really be on the lookout. Though I’d be glad to give Two Bros another chance on another offering.

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3.38/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A - Pale yellow body, slight haze, moderate white head that fades quickly, leaving a thin cap and extensive lacing.

S - Mostly a nose of sour grain, a bit of honey floral sweetness.

T - Somewhat shallow hop hit, herbal and floral, with malt sweetness, and a bitter bite in the close.

F - Feel is brisk, light, and easy.

O - A bit of a disappointment. Not particularly offensive, but not all that appealing. Easy to drink, but kind of dull.

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3.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

One of the better Gluten free beers I have tried.

A - Pours a clear, golden pale color with a short and shorter-lived white head. A bit of lace.

S - The aroma is too faint, smells fruity with faint yeast, grain, and caramel.

T - Taste is fresh, juicy, surprisingly good. A great session, summer, food beer. a blend of fruity flavors and with spicy hop and yeast. Finishes with a sweet caramel core but balanced. This is what makes it best gluten free.

M - It was a bit flat, thin, but on the good side crisp and sharp. A light bodied ale for summer.

D - A nice blonde, keeps up with others, and a solid session brew.

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3.56/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden yellow.
Smell is a bready, sweet, malt with a hint of grain.
Taste starts with caramel malt then a slightly citrus finish.

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3.62/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Found in Whole Foods in NYC on my recent trip. Pours a golden colour with a white head. Aromas of malt, hay & grain. Tastes of sweet malt, grass, hay, grain & a hint of citrus. Fairly low to medium bitter finish.

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3.51/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

I have gone to this often in summer and with light meals.
I found one, forgotten in my cellar this winter.
Had it with salad and then pasta. (Better with the former.)
While they make a few hoppy beers, I find Two Bros beers generally go well with food (and that may be because they started as a brewpub.)
Prairie Path balances the hops and malts. I like balance. I liked the way this complemented the food.
But, I advise drinking their beers fresher than I just did.

1/7/17 re-tasting of a bottle with a Best Buy date of 3 weeks ago (I'm still slow cleaning out my cellar)... I should ask about this beer's gluten-removal process.... Who thinks this affects the taste ?

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3.64/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this beer on draft with some pizza. Slightly earthy taste with light notes of citrus. Nothing too memorable, but I thought it was above average overall.

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3.16/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Appears a pale yellow with a thin white head. Aroma of hops, yeast, and some spice. Very light on the taste, with a citrus hint. Feels a little thin. Overall a mediocre beer. Drinkable, but not sure I would order again.

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4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I’m drinking this from a craft beer glass 2 weeks after its best by date. L: It pours gold with a very slight haze under a 1” sudsy off-white foam collar that recedes at a moderate rate. S: Moderately low aroma of biscuit, light fruit, earthy, herbal hops character. T: Biscuit, light fruit, a touch melon and tropical fruit, traces of citrus, and a mildly bitter hop accent. F: Crisp, average carbonation, medium light body. O: A respectable, refreshing drink.

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3.63/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy amber, thin soapy white head, dots of lace down the glass. Smell: pale malt sweetness, mildly spicy, honey and husky notes. Taste: cereal grains, spicy, slightly earthy with a lemony note. Light bodied, crisp finish. Gluten free, which is cool. Pretty decent.

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3.42/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

4/18/15 (Bottle) - Bright golden pour, generous head, decent carbonation. Grass and lemon scent pleasant. Taste a nice balance of hops and malt, smooth going down. Good offering.

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3.39/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

12 oz bottle into a pint glass

A - Clear golden straw in color with significant carbonation. Head is white, tall, frothy, and slow to dissipate. Head is retained as a thin froth. 4/5

S - Cereal and fresh baked white bread. Possibly a hint of corn. Grassy hops are very prevalent. 3.75/5

T - Toasted caramel malt is on the front with bitter grassy hops on the back end. Some tartness in the middle (green apple-esque). Bitterness lingers quite long. 3.25/5

M - Light and crisp with a drying astringency on the finish. Not quite as carbonated as expected based on appearance. 3/5

O - More bitter than any other blonde that I have ever had but also more full of flavor than any other blonde that I have had up until this point in time. Enjoyable but could have enjoyed even better if bitterness did not linger quite so long. Well hopped blonde but would like to have tasted more balance to the back end bitterness. Good summery beer nonetheless. 3.25/5

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3.69/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 12 oz bottle dated best by 6/23/2015.

A: Clear sunshine yellow with 1–2 finger white head. Decent retention and lacing.

S: Biscuits, bread, and a slight grassy funk.

T: Biscuit malts with some earthy notes. Some faint spices lingering around in the back.

M: Medium body with average carbonation. Very easy drinking. A nice summertime choice.

O: Enjoyable brew. Not a style that I normally frequent, but a nice departure.

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2.6/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

At the time of writing this, I've never had another blonde ale yet, but the description on this site of blonde ales is pretty spot-on with this beer. In terms of looks, it reminds me of a pale wheat ale and looks quite nice, but in terms of taste, I found it forgettable.

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3.78/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Look: gorgeous golden amber with thin foam
Smell: bready, biscuit, fresh cut grass
feel: carbonation in front, smooth in back, a bit thin for an ale but round for a lager
taste: flavor forward, crisp, slight fruit notes, nice bitter at the finish
If I think of this as a lager, it's rather nice.

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3.63/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

BBD of 01/19/15

Pours an effervescent gold with a thin beige head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Breadyness, malty sweetness, husky grainy notes & grassyness

T: Follows the nose with a little pepperyness up front. Become astringent as this warms, some pear notes as well along with grassyness & dryness. Finishes with bready sweetness, dryness & touch aspirin & grassyness

MF: Slight body, subtle carbonation. Body firms up a bit as it warms

Drank way better than I thought it would, not a bad example of the style

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4.17/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had procured this bottle at our local, up-and-coming premier bottle shop, The Friendly Greek some time back, but I set it aside in favor of other beers in the backlog. Now, thanks to the ongoing series of snow days, I am confined to quarters and am winnowing through my backlog in an orderly fashion. It is currently Two Brothers in the barrel, to be followed b collaborations and so here goes nothing.

From the bottle: "Crafted to Remove Gluten': "Belgian malts balanced by Saaz and Golding hops produce a unique, savory ale, light in color, but not in flavor"; "Product fermented from grains containing gluten and crafted to remove gluten. The gluten content of this product cannot be verified, and this product may contain gluten."; "Two Brothers is a craft brewery on the outskirts of Chicago that specializes in rare and seldom-brewed beer styles. The two of us - Jason and Jim Ebel - strive to produce the very best beers available anywhere."; "We hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!"

I was concerned that the beer was two months past its "Best By" date and so I employed a very gentle pour which resulted in just a skim of wisps in lieu of head. No problem as I then used the servers' trick and agitated it into producing a finger of foamy, eggshell-white head with good retention. Color was a deep golden-yellow (SRM = 4 -5) with NE-quality clarity and my old friends, Mammon, Croesus and Midas returned for a taste. I leaned in for a sniff and was rewarded with an odor like honey-lemon tea! No joke, the Saaz hops interacted really well with the Belgian malt to create a very mellow smell. I have been fighting a bad head cold of late and this seememed like just what the doctor ordered. My first draught was very tea-like, slightly thin on the tongue in terms of mouthfeel, but very much like drinking honey-lemon tea. I would have probably identified it as a Czech Pils or another type of lager, had they not identified it on the label as an ale. Finish was semi-dry and mellow to the point that I was driven to have a bit of a lie-down. Oh my.

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3.89/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 fluid ounce bottle into a pint glass. Freshness date of 04/21/2014.

Appearance: Carbonation rushes towards the top of the glass and forms a modest sized white head. A clear golden body sits underneath. The head collapses rather fast and leaves a trace of lace.

Smell: Bready grains. Sweet fruit. Minor notes of spiced hops.

Taste: Good hit of grains up front. Sweet citric notes from the hops start to break through the malts. Herbal hops develop through the finish. The hops are somewhat unique but this is really just a straightforward blonde ale.

Mouthfeel: Light-Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Clean and crisp… goes down nicely.

Overall: Nothing extraordinary happening in this brew but it certainly would make a perfect companion on a warm and sunny afternoon.

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3.68/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass. 11/28

Pours bright sunny gold, see through, light foam ring. Grain, hay, earthy nose. Cereal grains. Taste is light, touch of sweetness, with a mild bitter close. Hint of citrus. Easy going, sweet, tasty. Honest beer, great midwest farm beer.

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2.98/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sampled at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare.

Clear golden colored ale with a small white colored head.Smells a little of aspirin, other than that this isn't really aromatic.

Tastes of soda cracker malt and medium hop bitterness. Citrus hop taste on the tongue. Fairly standard flavor for a pale ale.

Mouthfeel is decent.

Overall just a "Middle Of The Road Ale." Nothing particularly memorable about it.

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3.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle, with best by date of 01/26/2014 printed on the back label. My bottle is a bit different than the one pictured and is named Two Brothers Prairie Path Golden Ale, named after the Illinois Prairie Path which runs close to my house. My first time trying this beer from these guys, expectations are moderately high.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Pours a nice hazed golden orange colored body with some bubbles lazily floating topside. One finger of soapy white head. Looks good for what it is.

S - Smell is of wheat, grains, light corn, grass, honey, biscuit, and some faint lemon / lime zest creeping in the background. What's there is nice, but there just isn't enough of it.

T - Taste follows the nose: dry grass, grainy Belgian malt, honeyed biscuit, faint citric lemon zest, and some dirty herbal earthiness from the Saaz and Golding hops used here.

M - Feel is sticky, with light bitterness. Grassy and dry. Light-bodied with good carbonation.

Overall, a simple, yet approachable beer, with a moderate 5.10% abv. Easy drinking and all, but just not entirely too interesting. Glad to have tried it, but I probably wouldn't want it again.

Two Brothers Prairie Path Golden Ale ---3.5/5

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3.61/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Yippee. Another exciting installment of the American Blonde Ale.

Pours amber touched golden with a strong grain presence on the nose. Flavor brings a lot of the same. One dimensional, but consistent. Feel is okay. This is pretty basic. No real flair. But at least it brings a more hearty character than most of the others in its style.

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3.49/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a pretty boring unresponsive beer, as is the case with most blondes.
The golden color is nice, it's clear. The head is wimpy and fading. Carbs are almost nothing.
Aroma has a malty toasted bready smell.
Light tasting with loads of biscuits and toast. No hops.
Mouthfeel is medium in weight with an abrassive finish.
One and done.

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3.69/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A-Clear orange, not much carbonation, or head, some lacing.

S-Lots of wheat, honey, spices and lemon.

T-Grass, wheat, slight honey, tad lemon, not much bitterness at all.

M-Light some carbonation, crisp and refreshing.

O-A boring, but easy drinking, beer. Try it and then forget it.

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3.47/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into Imperial Pint.

Appearance: Clear, light gold but not as much head as hoped.

Smell: Hay, straw, quite floral.

Taste: Light bready malts with straw, grass and floral, herbal hops. Tastes fairly close to a Kolsch.

Feel: Doesn't have as strong of a mouthfeel as a standard Kolsch. It is light bodied, but not as dry or crisp as it should be.

Overall: Pretty much a gluten-free Kolsch, which would be a really good thing if the mouthfeel was better.

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