United Nations of Beer

The Brewmaster Collection by Pastoral

by Matt Morgan
(Beer Delegate, IL, USA)

It began with a phone call out of nowhere, Lauren Petersen; PR rep for Pastoral had gotten my name by contacting UNOB Towers. Fast forward the ensuing dialogue of introduction and credentials; I'm invited to review The Artisan Brewmaster Collection by Pastoral Artisan, a beer and cheese selection for the discerning palate.

Pastoral is a brick and mortar brokerage house of artisan foodstuff. Working out of two locations in Chicago, at 2945 N. Broadway in the Lakeview neighborhood and 53 E. Lake Street downtown, they provide for a variety of artisan culinary needs.

From exotic cheese, vintage wine, 72 virgin olive oil, pickled vegetables, spices and so on.

The Artisan Brewmaster cheese and beer collection comes in a round wood burned pine box. Not only is it an elegant presentation but a nice reuse of the round wooden cheese form. We invited a couple of foodie friends and my wife, Janelle, printed out review cards and put together a nice sampling plate with other accoutrements.

The Brewmaster Collection by Pastoral includes:

Holland's Family Farm Marieke Gouda from Thorp, Wisconsin: Mildly sour nutty nose, pleasing nutty-buttery flavor, very savory and creamy, light aftertaste with a mild tang.

Carr Valley Six Year Aged Cheddar from LaValle, Wisconsin: I risk understating the intense robust flavor of this cheese, XXX-sharp, very tangy. Very rich with a good texture, finishes clean.

Molinari Salametti Pork Sausage from San Fransisco, California: This sausage appears to have a natural edible but tough rind which I did my best to scale off with a chef's knife. This sausage has an old world flavor, nicely aged, firm but not tough. Good consistency chewing and not too greasy or over seasoned. A little goes a long way with most of these artisan products but especially with this sausage.

Rogue Creamery Smokey Blue from Central Point, Oregon: This is the tastiest blue cheese I've ever had; it melts in your mouth with a flavor intensity that nearly makes you pucker. The smoke flavor gives it a very sharp bite which melts away in a savory-sour wave and leaves a slightly bitter but pleasant aftertaste.

Flossmoor Station IPA and Stationmaster Wheat Ale from Flossmoor, Illinois:

The Wheat Ale offering from Flossmoor station is one of the sweeter wheat beers I can recall tasting. Not sticky or cloying, but the sweetness did make it seem a bit heavier than your typical wheat beer.

I really enjoyed the Flossmoor Station Wheat Ale. This beer has a great floral-hop aroma and refreshing flavor, good mouth feel and little to no aftertaste except a mild sweet flavor.

Instead of the Flossmoor Station IPA, I was surprised to find Flossmoor Station Pullman Brown Ale in my gift basket. Either a packing mistake or menu typo, I was very happy with this beer.

It pours like a stout-porter with a frothy head that yields heavy lacing on the glass. Flossmoor Station Pullman Brown Ale is brewed with molasses and you can taste it in the sweet and boozy flavor.

This beer has a paradoxical flavor profile in my opinion, as it has a robust flavor but a thin mouth feel and a sweet lingering aftertaste.

I have been to Flossmoor Station in the past and was very happy with the tasting flight I was served. No review will stand up to your own personal impression as every batch is slightly different, but worth the trip. Flossmoor Station is strongly recommended.

Overall the Brewmaster Collection by Pastoral is a favorable purchase for $80; its presentation is eloquent without oozing bourgeois. They have appropriate collections for all occasions you can browse the company's website, or check out either convenient Chicago location (also listed on the website).

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