Chicagoist's Beer Of The Week: Three Floyd's Man-O-Awe
By Jason Baldacci in Food on Mar 28, 2014 9:30PM
With so many great beers to choose from here in Chicago, it's easy to take for granted the things that we can get that hardly go anywhere else. This week, we take a look at a special release that beer aficionados from either coast would be ecstatic to get their hands on.
Man-O-Awe is an American Pale Ale from the darlings of Munster, IN (and pretty much the entire craft beer industry), Three Floyds Brewing Co. It pours an enticing copper-orange, and you can pick up aromas of fresh cut grass from at least a foot away. On the palate those grassy notes turn to lemongrass up front, with a burst of juicy citrus in the middle and a pop of fresh herbs on the finish. There's a hint of malty sweetness, but just enough to balance the bitterness of the hops and make sure that this one doesn't come across as over the top. Three Floyds brewed this beer with hops that were grown in Michigan, so we'd be lying if we told you this one wasn't hop-forward, but like most of Three Floyd's offerings, Man-O-Awe is hoppy yet balanced. At 6% alcohol content, you can afford to knock back a big bottle all by yourself.
Some people may think that the last beer Three Floyds needs to make is another Pale Ale, but we beg to differ. Our parents and mentors always tell us to find something that we're good at and do it every day. Well, Three Floyds Brewing Co is good at making beer but they're downright fantastic when it comes to making hop-centic beers. We honestly feel like there's not a beer on their roster that we'd consider less than solid, which is saying a lot when you consider how many things they release throughout the year. While they certainly make some wonderful beers that don't necessarily revolve around the hop ingredient, we feel like their best work is with their pale ales. And no, we didn't forget about Dark Lord when we wrote that last sentence.
Man-O-Awe is available on draft and in 22-ounce bottles, so check beermenus.com to see where you can find some for yourself this weekend.