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Joseph Formanek

Joseph Formanek's picture
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 reviews

Concrete Dinosaur

Concrete Dinosaur by Right Brain Brewery
Judges Rating:
94
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

Concrete Dinosaur Brown Rye IPA by Right Brain Brewery is a great example of a well-crafted very flavorful Rye IPA with amazing balance and drinkability, and should be a definite go-to brew if available in your area. Due to it being a Brown Rye IPA (combination of Brown IPA and Rye IPA), this is... Read More

Flayrah

Flayrah, Upland Brewing Co.
Judges Rating:
85
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
33 / 40
Mouthfeel:
7 / 10
Overall Impression:
16 / 20

Flayrah by Upland Brewing Co. is one of their offerings in the Bourbon Barrel aged beer craze – this one is a Wee Heavy. This one does have a solid backbone, but some of the malty richness associated with the base style was reduced, presumably due to this aging process. This beer is being... Read More

C’mon Sunshine

C’mon Sunshine

South Carolina
United States
C’mon Sunshine, Birds Fly South Ale Project
Description 

A golden beauty with a Farmhouse haze and Brett-forward, fruit-centric aromatics. This is a one-month blend of our Cit-Cit Brett beer with our Petite Galaxy. The blending process provides excellent mouth-feel and highlights the Brett flavors. Strong citrus and stone fruit notes emerge thanks to the dry hop combination. Multi-Award Winner for Brett Beer at the GABF Awards: Gold (2018), Bronze (2019)

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
5.0%
IBUs: 
24
Hops: 
Citra, Galaxy

 

 


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Judges Rating:
92
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

C’mon Sunshine by Birds Fly South Ale Project is labeled as a Farmhouse Ale, but technically should be evaluated as a BJCP Category 29A Brett Beer with a Cat 25B Saison base. As such, it is a nice marriage of characters of the two styles that works quite well! 

The typical horse blanket... Read More

Hop Rising Double IPA

Squatters Hop Rising Double IPA Beer
Judges Rating:
83
Appearance:
6 / 6
Aroma:
20 / 24
Flavor:
32 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
17 / 20

Hop Rising Double IPA is a good effort, though it is lacking in certain aspects that would make it great. The aroma has a light to moderate level of woody and citrus hop aroma with a touch of background spiciness. This brilliantly clear, amber-colored brew has a solid lingering white head, but... Read More

Apple Crumble

Apple Crumble

Louisiana
United States
Apple Crumble, Miel Brewery & Taproom
Description 

Apple Crumble is a dessert gose blended with apple puree, cinnamon, and graham cracker. On the first whiff of this gose, aromas of rich apple and buttery graham cracker leap from the glass. The flavor is packed with apple and graham crackers as well, but the cinnamon adds a subtle warming flavor that keeps this beer balanced. The tart and light finish help round out this experience and never makes this beer too heavy or sweet. This beer pairs perfectly with a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
6.0%
IBUs: 
10
Served at: 
38° F
Malts: 
Two Row, Wheat, Pale, Honey
Hops: 
Cashmere

 

 


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Judges Rating:
94
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
24 / 24
Flavor:
38 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20

Apple Crumble by Miel Brewery & Taproom is being evaluated as a Category 34B Mixed-style Specialty Beer with a Category 27 Historical Beer – Gose base as per the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines.

The aroma has a moderate tart green apple character along with a... Read More

Heirloom Ale

Lazy Magnolia beer heirloom ale
Judges Rating:
90
Appearance:
5 / 6
Aroma:
22 / 24
Flavor:
37 / 40
Mouthfeel:
8 / 10
Overall Impression:
18 / 20

Lazy Magnolia’s Heirloom Ale is a complex American Sour ale aged on Pinot Noir oak chips. The wine character delivered by this aging is quite assertive, tending to overwhelm the base beer in some aspects.

This brew pours a clear reddish-amber, with a head stand that dissipates rather... Read More

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