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Joseph Formanek
Beer Judge
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.
My articles
AB InBev unveiled a commercial during Super Bowl LIII that focused on the differences between its Bud Light and MillerCoors's Miller Lite and Coors...
In the more than 30 years I have been a homebrewer, I’ve seen remarkable progress in both the homebrewing knowledge base as well as available...
My reviews
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
15 / 20
We're Gonna Need A Bigger Pontoon by Pontoon Brewing definitely has the longest name of any beer that I have evaluated! This brew is being evaluated as a BJCP 21B Specialty IPA – New England IPA style, but it does have the strength of a Double IPA, as appears to be a... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Southbound Brewing Company’s Moondance is another one of the brewery's creative and interesting specialty beer offerings. There have been Belgian takes on a wide range of traditional beer styles by many breweries over the past few years; in this example, Southbound tried its hand at “... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Hold On Juicy by New Realm Brewing is a rather massive example of the BJCP 21B Specialty IPA – New England IPA style, having the strength of a Double IPA. As such, the alcohol is very evident and tends to amplify some of the sweet characteristics typically seen in a... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
35 / 40
Mouthfeel:
10 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Transilience is an “Imperial Berliner Weisse” fruited with Mango and Pomegranate. While the term Imperial has become quite commonplace for a number of typically moderate-alcohol beer styles, Southbound did an outstanding job delivering an “IBW” that still retains the refreshing drinkability of... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Gouden Carolus Imperial Dark by Brouwerij Het Anker is being evaluated as a Cat. 26D Belgian Dark Strong Ale, per the 2021 BJCP Guidelines. This is an impressive exercise in hiding high levels of alcohol in a brew! It is an extremely attractive beer that does meet the... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Better Life Choices IPA by Atwater Brewery is a great example of a well-crafted IPA that clearly bucks the trend against the typical “hop smackdown” IPA offerings. This is a very flavorful IPA that still delivers great balance and drinkability, and should be a definite go to brew if available... Read More