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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:
5 / 6
Aroma:
21 / 24
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
15 / 20
Table Of Contents by Monday Night Brewing is an interesting concept, being a small Brett beer that is actually fermented in red wine barrels, not just aged. However, the promise of the concept does not seem fully realized. This is being evaluated as a Category 28C Wild Specialty Beer as per the... Read More
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Harpoon’s Leviathan IPA is a monster! This aroma of this massive brew is loaded with melon and citrus character with a light resinous background combined with substantial base malt notes. The appearance is outstanding, with very light carbonation delivering a fine, lingering, creamy, lacy head... Read More
Appearance:
4 / 6
Aroma:
21 / 24
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20
Terry’s Big Adventure by Bhramari Brewing Company is an experiment in the BJCP 32B Classic Style Smoke Beer, with the base being a Helles, but with the grain having been smoked using fig wood instead of the traditional beechwood. It seems that this choice of wood has delivered a somewhat... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
34 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20
Upland’s Bad Elmer’s Porter is an approachable example of an American Porter with a few minor problems. This brown-black brew with a medium cream-colored stand of head and moderate carbonation has an aroma of black malt sharpness with a background of chocolate. The flavor has an evident base... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
16 / 24
Flavor:
29 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
12 / 20
Hidi's Hester, Grapefruit Hard Seltzer by Arches Brewing is an interesting concept for a seltzer, however there are definite issues with the execution of this particular batch of product. Hopefully these issues would be addressed for the next production. This sample is... Read More
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20
Roughtail’s Everything Rhymes With Orange is a very hop flavor-centric example of the American IPA style. This slightly hazy, golden-colored brew maintains a solid creamy small head with quite attractive lacing. The assertive aroma delivers a huge citrus and Citra hop character along with a... Read More