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Joe Formanek started homebrewing in 1987 as an undergraduate in Microbiology at the University of Minnesota. He was bitten by the brewing bug after taking a tour of Summit Brewing Company within a year after they had opened in St. Paul in 1987, and he has been going ever since. Joe later went to Graduate School at the University of Illinois and helped found the Boneyard Union of Zymurgical Zealots (BUZZ) Homebrew Club. He currently resides in Bolingbrook, IL, is a Director for a food ingredient company in Itasca, IL, and is a proud member of the Urban Knaves of Grain Homebrew Club. Joe holds a National Judge ranking with the BJCP, and is a previous Midwest Regional Rep and Vice President of the organization.
Over the years, Joe has received many honors related to homebrewing. He has won numerous BOS awards at local and regional competitions, is a 6 time winner of the Midwest Homebrewer of the Year award (1999, 2001-2004, 2007) and won the American Homebrewers Association Meadmaker of the Year award in 2004. Joe is a 2 time winner of the American Homebrewers Association Ninkasi Award (2000, 2006) for winningest brewer in the final round of judging, and was honored as being named one of the two homebrewer winners of the 2011 Sam Adams Longshot American Homebrewing Competition with his Russian Imperial Stout, which was distributed nationally in the 2012 Longshot multipack.
Fat Tire Belgian White is a good example of the Belgian Wit (Cat 24A in the 2015 BJCP Guidelines). A Wit is a perfect Summer ale if you are looking for a refreshing light yet flavorful brew that is not a hop bomb. Unfortunately, this example has a few flaws that impact these qualities.
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Pan a Flores by SouthNorte Beer Co is a full-flavored holiday treat for your senses. While there are a few quibbles, this brew delivers Holiday cheer quite admirably. This beer is being evaluated as a Category 30A Spice Herb and Vegetable beer as per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines with “Porter”... Read More
The Bluprint by Birds Fly South Ale Project is an extremely dank rendition of the BJCP 21A American IPA style. There is an indication that guava is being used to a certain level in this recipe, however as it might be at background level, it will not be evaluated as a Cat. 29A Fruit Beer. While... Read More
Takeout Rye IPA is a well-crafted example of a mild rye-based ale, but is a bit too subtle to be considered a truly exemplary Rye IPA.
This brilliantly clear, amber-colored brew with a somewhat fleeting white head starts out with a touch of woody hop aroma with a background rye spicy note... Read More
Lemon Blueberry Blonde by Low Road Brewing is a surprisingly approachable offering in the Category 29A Fruit Beer as per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines with the base beer being a Blond Ale. While the balance between the fruits/berries used is perhaps not ideal, the... Read More
Hellaweizen by Miel Brewery & Taproom is a near-flawless offering in the BJCP 10A German Hefeweizen/Weissbier style. It delivers a lot of what you are looking for in a traditional German hefeweizen without having to be shipped across the ocean with the unavoidable... Read More
