Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week:" Capital Brewery's "Autumnal Fire"

By Jason Baldacci in Food on Sep 21, 2012 8:20PM

We found ourselves hanging out in Ukranian Village this week and, upon stumbling into Tuman's, we were very excited to see a favorite fall seasonal on tap that usually manages to fly under the radar.

"Autumnal Fire" from Middelton, Wisc. Capital Brewery is a German-Style Doppelbock, which is a darker, heavier style of lager. We detect a juicy malt profile on the nose, with prevalent notes of naval orange that carry right through onto the palate. Along with that, we get subtle hints of baking spice, bitter toffee, and some spicy, almost floral hops on the finish. At 8.5% alcohol content, this beer is definitely big, but it still finds a way to drink satisfyingly clean. It's a really solid representation of a classic, Bavarian style that a lot of American Craft Breweries don't showcase.

Doppelbock is a richer, more full bodied style of beer, so it tends to do very well with heavier dishes. We can see Autumnal Fire standing up very well to any type of roasted meat, especially if there were apples, potatoes, and a delicious reduction sauce involved. If you haven't put your grill away for the season yet, we would also fully endorse drinking this beer with a pork chop, or even a sweeter style of sausage. We'd probably recommend avoiding spicy foods with this one, as well as delicate seafood dishes.

You can find Autumnal Fire on draft and in six-packs at Tuman's and other fine establishments around the city who serve Wisconsin beer, but it'll only be around for a limited time.