Eugene - Revolution Brewing Company - Brewpub

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a tumbler.

It's named for Gene Debs himself. Nice. Very nice. It pours a very dark sienna topped by a finger or so of tan foam. The nose comprises cocoa, mild roasted malts, brown sugar, light molasses, and a hint of cinnamon. The taste emphasizes the cocoa, even going so far as to layer a bit into milk and dark chocolate for my tongue's amusement. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a decently creamy feel. Overall, a very nice porter, indeed, something that may have supplanted Workingman Mild as my favorite Revolution brew...

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 20:55:15 | More by TMoney2591

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brewpub.A serviceable porter. Dark brown to black coloured body with a bit of head, lacey. Licorice and chocolate. Above average mouthfeel. Carbonation was right there. Decent drinkability, but I am coming out here paying good money and time to get something bold not something I could take out of the fridge for a couple of dollars.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2012 00:40:22 | More by northyorksammy

Khazadum

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bad lacing, too poofy, low sticky, thin cirrus clouds. Inky darkness.

Slight meaty nature, smoked and charred sticks, bit of burnt and roasted coffee. More char than not.

Opens pork, bits of sweet bubble gum which is weird, finishes light folgers coffee.

Expanding on that, the sweetness is caramel and sucrose, pork is blended charred wood and light hickory.

Medium body, creamy roast, nice lingering body and bitter grains. It's a decent porter.with some coffee character. Not fantastic but pretty good.

Serving type: on-tap

03-09-2012 03:16:10 | More by Khazadum

jegross2

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewing the Eugene from Revolution Brewing Company.
Score: 87

12 oz self pour from a 24 hour old growler from the Revolution Brewpub. Served in a pint glass and enjoyed on 02/24/12.

Appearance: Pours a coffee color with dark caramel colored highlights atop the glass with half a finger of tan creamy head that quickly settles into a thin ring around the glass. Below average, oily lacing with minimal retention. 3.5/5

Smell: Smooth roasted coffee, oak, caramel, roasted chocolate malt, toasted oats, a little nuttiness and an aroma I can only describe as "cream." Some marshmallow too. 4/5

Taste: Quite roasty. Rich and silky roasted chocolate malt and oak throughout. Toffee, pecan, toasted oats and a little caramel on the midpalate. There is much less caramel in the flavor than there was in the nose. There are intermittent waves of raw coffee bean flavor too. The flavors seem "soda like" and a little syrupy at points, though it's not a "thick" flavor profile. Very flavorful for a porter. 4/5

Mouthfeel: Medium-light bodied with a light, but perky, amount of carbonation. Soda-like mouthfeel. Bittersweet finish. 3.5/5

Overall: As far as everyday porters go, this one is pretty roasty and fantastic. Alas, for all the flavors, this beer seems a little too thin on the palate and a touch too sugary at moments for my tastes. Take that criticism with a grain of salt, however, because I personally prefer fuller mouthfeels for my dark and roasty beers. Not everyone else does. Without a doubt, Eugene is one of the best porters that I have ever had. This is a brew worth seeking out, especially if you like the style, and it puts beers like Guinness to shame.

Recommendation: This is a mass-appeal beer with plenty of flavor. Grab a pint of this next time you are in Chicago.

Pairings: Tea poached pears soaked in homemade chocolate sauce (courtesy of Catie Sesler).

Cost:$18 for a 64 oz growler.

Serving type: growler

02-25-2012 17:24:59 | More by jegross2

lstokes

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on-tap at The Norse. This was very dark and opaque with a nice frothy tan head. Black roasted malts, chocolate, coffee, dry finish, completely delicious with a full-bodied kind of feel and a lactic acid sweetness. Very drinkable--the boyfriend informs me that it was a "BEAUTIFUL beer," and I think I agree.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2012 05:30:23 | More by lstokes

Treebs

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Palmer Place. Served in a shaker pint.

A: Pours a dark black with a thick mocha head. Sticky lace is left down the side of the glass.

S: Smells of light cocoa and coffee fill the nose with a touch of roasted malts. There is also a hint of sweet vanilla.

T: Roasted malts are complimented with a nice mocha flavor and some milk chocolate. There is a little bit of vanilla sweetness in the middle and some minimal dark fruits towards the backend.

M: Medium bodied with a full flavor. There is a little prickly carbonation to play with a tongue a bit and keep it interesting.

O: A very solid and flavorful porter. High drinkability. I recommend.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2012 15:02:31 | More by Treebs

Sean9689

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Northdown Cafe.

A - Pours a dark brown, almost black, off-white head, thin collar, spotty lace, some wisps on top.

S - Excellent notes of roast, dark chocolate, some oak, cream, and toasted nuts. The nose really got me digging this one.

T - Roast, coffee, dark chocolate, oak, cream, some toffee. Hard to find a bad thing to say about the taste on this one...just excellent. The roast, chocolate, and woody notes are wonderful.

M - Medium, good carbonation, creamy and rich, roasted finish.

O - An excellent porter, to say the least. If you're in Chicago and see this on tap, get it (if you like the style). It's really good.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2011 16:20:40 | More by Sean9689

KDawg

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this from a growler that I filled at Rev. Pours a dark chocolate color with a dark head

Pungent and rich nose of roasted coffee, chocolate, toffee and various malt tones

Full bodied with a real smooth feel. Richer, but far from boozy with mostly roasted coffee and chocolate flavors

This is a quality porter that Rev has year round. Balanced, and though it is rich it is far from boozy.

Serving type: growler

10-16-2011 19:00:02 | More by KDawg

barczar

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an almost opaque brown color with garnet highlights and a one finger milk chocolate head that dissipates to a solid ring of foam and leaves huge lace.

Aroma is roasted malt, caramel, and slight hint of chocolate boozy warmth.

Flavor follows suit with caramel sweetness leading to roasted malt and a stronger presence of chocolate and caramel. The boozy booze is more pronounced in the roasty finish.

Body is medium with low carbonation ending with an alcoholic warmth.

Overall, an excellent example of the style, albeit a bit on the sweet side. Very drinkable and will be great as a cold weather brew.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2011 20:12:12 | More by barczar

Hopfist

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's a robust porter, so it's dark brown and has fantastic chocolate and coffee notes. It's got a gorgeous brown head, and the contrast in colors between the beer and the foam make this beer look like a doberman or rottweiler but it's so sweet (not literally) it's name could be "princess". This beer was named "Best beer in Chicago" in 2010. I don't recall who named it that, but I don't necessarily disagree. I've had this on tap, on cask, and even Bourbon Barrel Aged... it just won't stop being awesome. It's 7% abv is quite well hidden (8.5% in the BBA version I believe), and if it's fairly big body wasn't there to slow you down, you could easily find yourself quite over-served after more than two or three. This is a fine beer in the summer, and one of the best around come Winter in Chicago.

Serving type: on-tap

09-20-2011 18:11:17 | More by Hopfist

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.63/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This here is a great porter. I wish Revolution Brewing would start bottling and distributing their beers across the country if only for this one (not to discount their other excellent beers).

Standard porter appearance, dark brown with an excellent head and lacing. Not an astounding smell, but good.

Flavor wise, I can't find fault with this beer. It tastes great! A perfectly balanced porter. Smooth feel.

I really, really liked this one, but at the same time I have other porters in my area that will suffice in my time away from Chicago.

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2011 03:46:43 | More by TheRealBigC

AgentZero

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown beer with a brownish head that had moderate retention and some pretty decent lacing.

S - Roasted malt, bitter chocolate, coffee.

T - Pretty full taste, focused mostly on the roasted nad bitter chocolate with hints of coffee.

M - Pretty full bodied with some moderate carbonation.

O - Pretty nice flavors, alcohol is well hidden, quite fulfilling. This one has a decent amount of heft to it, would drink again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2011 19:55:17 | More by AgentZero

JohnnyChicago

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the brewpub; served in a pint glass.

A: Nearly black with a two-finger rocky white head.

S: Smell is pretty chocolate-forward for a porter. A bit of roast and coffee in the finish.

T: Smooth and robust! The chocolate is powerful here as well. Coffee and hops round this out nicely and it finishes dry and toasty.

D: It has a relatively high ABV for the style, but the alcohol is completely hidden. Just great balance and a decent mouthfeel as well.

Overall: Perhaps the best of the everyday lineup from Revolution. One of the best American Porters I have had yet. Smooth, complex and incredibly tasty, just a great beer all around.

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2011 08:15:35 | More by JohnnyChicago

MarkFy

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from Growler 4-18-11 into tasting glass.

A: Dark brown

S: Faint milk chocolate and coffee aroma.

T: Nice dry coffee flavor upfront with a very slightly sweet chocolate finish.

M: Kind of flat, not bad, growler is only 2 days old, so it may be a factor.

O: Great beer from Revolution. Very good porter, will def seek out again.

Serving type: growler

04-18-2011 23:18:16 | More by MarkFy

StoneTSR

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Black with a lighter-than-usual-for-a-porter head, it was almost white and about a quarter-inch thick. The lacing was also quite impressive for a porter.

SMELL: Not much for the nose, but some hints of chocolate and smoky malt were detectable.

TASTE: Delicious, sweet, chocolatey with some bitter hops and smoky malt flavor for balance. The chocolate is certainly the dominating flavor and a very slightly sour aftertaste creeps in at the end.

MOUTHFEEL: Smooth and silky, oily, but not mouthcoating like I expected it to be. The Eugene sits a bit on the heavy side, but it isn't terribly intense. Overall, it has a nice feel.

OVERALL: After sampling a flight of six or seven of Revolution's beer two made the final cut to take home in a growler. I ended up going with the Anti-Hero IPA, but the Eugene was the other beer, so I had one more at the pub. This goes down very easy for a 7%er and I look forward to another the next time I'm at Revolution.

Serving type: on-tap

03-28-2011 18:14:25 | More by StoneTSR

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub - December 27, 2010.

Pours a dark brown color with a good tan head that leaves behind a bit of lacing and sticks around for awhile. The nose is really nice and chocolatey. Really love the level they've used. Under that, a bit of roasted malt but this was mostly about the chocolate. The taste isn't quite as nice, though the chocolate notes really still stand out. The feel was quite nice with a full body. Pretty viscous for what it is. Drinks quite well. I'm a big fan.

Serving type: on-tap

01-04-2011 01:17:06 | More by Thorpe429

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

(Served in an American pint glass)
A- This beer pours a jet black body with a thick over-the-top bubbly head of light tan that last and last. This beer is to dark to see any signs of light.
S- The creamy and roasted black malt aroma is very mellow with some chocolate malt almost coco nib qualities to it. Over all pretty smooth and clean aroma.
T- The mellow roasted black malt lingers softly in the finish with a very light hop tartness and some dark chocolate hints underneath. The finish is very mellow aswell.
M- This beer has a medium-light creamy texture and no alcohol heat noticed.
D- This beer is a gentle "hand-holding" type of porter that is easy going and soft. Not much depth or character that I would expect for a cask but easy to drink none the less.

Serving type: cask

10-28-2010 19:58:08 | More by rhoadsrage

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewpub, 10/12/10.

A-pours a beautiful deep opaque brown with a frothy mocha head and great lacing.

S-roasty with a strong chocolate malt undertone and a lactic sweetness.

T-Delicious. Sweet chocolate and milk stout notes in front, followed by medium roastiness and a mild sweet finish.

M-medium bodied with a nice lingering finish.

D-does not in any way seem like 7%. Extremely drinkable. Delicious.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2010 23:43:16 | More by sholland119

samie85

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Reviewed from notes; originally 10/07.

A-Pours a deep brown color with a cascading two and a half finger, dense brown head. This one leaves lacing to write home about.

S-Smells of roasted and chocolate malt with a little bit of a spicy hop note.

T-Rich dark chocolate and roasted notes with a spicy hop finish that delicately balances the richer aspects of the beer.

M-Lusciously rich and thick bodied with low carbonation and a thick sticky, coating mouthfeel.

D-For the complexity that you get with this one, it's also insanely drinkable. By far the best beer on cask I've had yet.

Serving type: cask

10-10-2010 05:28:42 | More by samie85

Jips

Kansas

4.08/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

From a cask!

Great looking beer, 2 finger thick frothy tan head and black-brown body.

Smelled great too: milk chocolate, raisins and a little roasted coffee.

Great casky mouthfeel: no carbonation, consistency of milk easily glided down my throat.

Most delicious tasting head ever, just like a chocolate milkshake. Body was fairly sweet, tasted of good pancake syrup, chocolate, molassses, toffee, and a bit of coffee. More English style than American as I understand (coffee and smokey flavors are subdued).

Best of their offerings, hope this is a mainstay. Fantastic sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2010 23:46:37 | More by Jips

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On cask, via hand pump, @ Revolution Brewing Company (Chicago, IL) on 8/7/10. Served in a pint glass.

Pours black, with about a finger of mocha colored head. This stays thick, rich, leaving a creamy cascade of lace all down the sides of the glass. Great look here! The aroma smells of burnt roast and coffee with earthy green citric tones and sticky malts pulling up the back. There's a good balance here between all of the flavors but the overall feeling of the dark malts drives this nicely.

The taste is sticky and smoky in the mouth, with a mix of chocolate, toffee, ripe earthy fruit, and a pronounced dark roasted character. There's a touch of sharp hops present but the roast and coffee notes appear to be bringing home most of the bitterness here, leading into a finish of burnt dryness and a touch of leftover sweet tang. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a smooth and creamy texture to the feel from the cask. Maybe just a smidge of warmth is present in the body but this is overall VERY drinkable for a 7% beer.

Rich and full flavored Porter here, that was made even more easy feeling and drinkable on cask. I really dug on this one and would have happily put another pint away if there weren't already so many other stellar choices available.

Serving type: cask

08-23-2010 19:35:45 | More by Kegatron

Tone

Missouri

4.03/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a black color. 2/3 inch head of a tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of roasted malt, sweet malt, hint of chocolate, and a hint of hops. Fits the style of an American Porter. Mouth feel is sharp and smooth with an average carbonation level. There is also a noticeable dryness and bitterness. Tastes of roasted malt, sweet malt, alcohol, hint of chocolate, and a hint of hops. Overall, good body, blend, and appearance with an interesting mouth feel.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2010 18:27:00 | More by Tone

bruachan

Rhode Island

4.28/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

opaque body with quality froth above it. lacing was good, though not quite as good as anticipated immediately after the pour

coffee and burnt aromas are strong, though there's enough sweet to keep things normal, and may even bump the beverage to stout territory

strong coffee and other nearly-astringent flavors. bitterness at the finish, which also clears the way for some fashionably late fruity flavors (from the darker end of the spectrum of course: plum, date)

solid mouthfeel contrasts well with the lingering bitterness

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2010 01:25:10 | More by bruachan

jrallen34

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I drank this on tap into a tasting glass.

The beer is a dark brown that is semi clear. The head is medium tan with good retention, good lacing.

The aroma is on the lighter side, mostly coffee coming through.

The taste is the same as aroma, mostly coffee, but not bitter coffee just some simple coffee.

The feel is ok, a little on the lighter side.

Serving type: on-tap

03-25-2010 20:46:13 | More by jrallen34

jvande7

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- dark brown (as one would expect from a Porter). I would have liked more head, but I'm not sure what kind of head most Porters have (I don't usually drink them).

S- roasty/chocolatey/coffee aromas (or maybe that was all in my mind?). Should have taken notes, drank too many of these 7.0% brews to recall the specifics, but it smells good and fresh. I have a nose for off-flavors/smells and dirty beer lines, and I did not detect any of that.

T- quality brew here. Tastes like it smells (roasty/malty) with hints of chocolate and coffee (or did I make that up because of the color of the brew? does it even matter?) This is one of my favorite beers by Revolution - perfect for warming up Chicago winters.

I never really got into Porters all that much, but man I really dig this brew. I must have had 5 or 6 of them while we were at the brewery. Very good beer, very drinkable, but STRONG - a dangerous combo. =)

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2010 15:59:46 | More by jvande7