California Steam - Argus Brewery

ruckus232

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +16.1%

09-26-2012 23:45:53 | More by ruckus232

pin

Australia

2/5  rDev -38.1%

05-27-2013 04:31:21 | More by pin

bigbluebeerguy

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +8.4%

05-08-2013 01:42:26 | More by bigbluebeerguy

OGunner77

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -22.6%

04-30-2013 01:09:03 | More by OGunner77

cadaugherty

Illinois

3/5  rDev -7.1%

04-12-2013 04:19:13 | More by cadaugherty

BeerNFoodDood

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +16.1%

01-06-2013 05:01:46 | More by BeerNFoodDood

ericwilson54

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +39.3%

09-23-2012 15:42:32 | More by ericwilson54

JJFordick

Illinois

2.25/5  rDev -30.3%

09-14-2012 22:34:16 | More by JJFordick

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Thick syrupy appearance. Thick, crystalline carbonation that I really like. Solid brown in color. Similar to Anchor Steam.

Smell: Not much from what I remember. A bit of hops and a heavy maltiness.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Fermented sweetness that seemed to come from brown sugar or molasses. A bit thin in the finish.

Overall Drinkability: I would like to give this another shot.

Serving type: on-tap

09-11-2012 18:14:43 | More by tjsdomer2

nheinzie57

Illinois

3/5  rDev -7.1%

08-06-2012 16:21:22 | More by nheinzie57

Haze285

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I went to the Argus Brewery with a friend today and was given a tour of their facility and a brief history of the area. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable, and you could tell they loved what they did.

A – Nice caramel color with a light head

S – I could not discern much smell from this beer other than a light hop aroma.

T – I was very surprised by the bitterness of this beer mixed with the malts and sweetness.

M – A light bodied flavor with a nice hop bitterness

O - Very pleasant taste that made me want to drink more. I would love to try more of what this brewery has to offer.

Serving Type: On-tap

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2012 01:26:17 | More by Haze285

braynstorm

3.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I went to Argus Brewery today and got to tour the facility and meet the staff. They were all fantastic!

California Steam, as with the rest of Argus's beer, was a little surprising in its complexity. I got a lot of flavors. Mostly, however, what got me was that each of the beers I tried was a little bit on the sweet side--not so sweet as to be cloying, but certainly more sweet than one would expect from the class of beer that they are representing. Let it be known, I don't find this to be a problem, in fact, I rather approve.

California Steam really hit the nail on the head between the balance of malt and subdued bitterness.

a - Lovely deep caramel color with a rather small, light head.

s - There wasn't much smell to the beer, honestly. The aromatics were present, but they weren't there to punch you in the face. I'm generally okay with this, though.

t - The taste was really interesting. It is a rather bitter beer, but you wouldn't really guess it at first taste by the way the malts and the sweetness hit you first. The taste of the beer was smooth and the bitterness was rather intensely quiet...almost like an instrument trying to play fortissimo with an incredibly heavy mute. I approve.

m - Light, crisp, and pleasant.

o - Certainly, I would drink this again. It is a wonderful, versatile beer that represents its brewery quite well. Excellent quality, excellent taste.

Simply excellent.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2012 21:44:04 | More by braynstorm

Hopslayer88

3/5  rDev -7.1%

03-11-2012 19:35:42 | More by Hopslayer88

Lemke10

Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I got a 12oz bottle of this as part of a M&M 6pk from Everett's in South Beloit, IL for $9.99 in early 2012.

Pours a clear reddish amber color with a bubbly head. Not too much of a strong scent but there are malts and hops present. Starts off smooth and semi-bold with malty flavor but finishes dry and slightly bitter. Drinks rather smooth and fast as I found myself not wanting to make the dry after taste last long. A nice find and a slightly better than average brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 06:06:40 | More by Lemke10

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer pours a crystal clear deep bright copper body with a racing carbonation of microbubbles and a thick bubbly light beige head that turns rocky but last for a good bit.

S- The bright woody green hops of the NW coast come through with a flinty earthy quality that grows in the finish.

T- The smooth pale malt flavor has a touch off toasted malt to it and a spicy green woody hop flavor in the dry finish. There is a touch of fruity character and some dandelion greens in the hops and the hops linger a bit.

M- The medium mouthfeel has a full scrubbing fizz that is a bit overpowering but compliments the hops flavor.

O- The crisp hoppy lagered beer is very sessionable with some bright hop flavors that are nice. The fizz could be a bit softer but even with the full fizz the mouthfeel is a bit to big to be crisp and refreshing, but that is fine with me.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 15:39:16 | More by rhoadsrage

steveh

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Second beer for me from this new brewery.

A -- Clear, deep amber-copper color with a dense, persistent, off-white head.

S -- Spicy to mildly citrus hop character, but not overpowering. Vaguest of bready malts back.

T -- Spicy hop character up front that folds into fruit esters of peach or tangerine, then balanced by a nutty malt character and finishing bitter from hops.

M -- Mouthfeel is crisp and dry with a medium body.

O -- I wasn't expecting such a hop-forward character for a California Common. The spicy bitterness becomes a little overpowering and makes me think this beer is contending more with American Pale Ales than Steam Beers. Wish there was more malt, but certainly a drinkable beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 22:28:22 | More by steveh

scruffwhor

Illinois

2.45/5  rDev -24.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Clear, pale, and bronze in color. Quick head, no foam, and OK bubbling.

Clean hops, along with the bubbling carbonation enahnce a cracker like malt aroma of lightly toasted malts.

Tastes like lightly toasted water crackers meat very mineral rich water. There is a metallic twang I don't like. Crackers meets cut grass that was left out in the rain.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 03:10:05 | More by scruffwhor

pschul4

Illinois

1.5/5  rDev -53.6%

12-06-2011 02:28:58 | More by pschul4

match1112

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

a: clear copper body. finger of white foam sits on top, quickly settles to a thin film leaving some sticky lacing.

s: hops, grains, floral, caramel.

t: caramel malts and hops.

m: medium body with so-so carbonation. goes down easy but has a bitter burnt grain aftertaste that sorta comes out of nowhere.

o: easy drinkin decent beer. falls way short of anchor's .

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 02:38:32 | More by match1112

KC9LDB

Illinois

4/5  rDev +23.8%

11-22-2011 22:33:41 | More by KC9LDB

homebrew311

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: slightly hazy gold, some head, minimal retention

S: mild hop character up front, big time bread and caramel

T: watery and bland, faint grains, herbal hops, finish is hoppy, decent balance

Mf: light body, high carbonation

O: decent drinkability, decent amount of flavor

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 21:15:05 | More by homebrew311

Erish

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this 12 oz. bottle into a nonic pint glass. No best by date.

A: clear bronze/gold color, an aggressive pour produced a nice two-finger cram head that fell into a thick cap with decent lacing.

S: floral/fruity English yeast-like aroma, cracker-like malt with a vanilla accent, the hop aroma is faint and herbal/floral.

T: light dried fruit, vanilla, and toasty malt up front, the middle has an light woodsy character with a light peppery note, the finish has a dry floral/herbal hop character that balances the beer nicely.

M: light-bodied, watery to very lightly silky texture, moderate carbonation and a decent hop bitterness combine to create a light to moderate mineral dryness.

O: a good session beer that would go good with a wide variety of foods.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 00:36:01 | More by Erish

JonB1958

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had on tap at Cavanaugh's in Chicago.

A nice looking beer with a frothy white head on top of a medium copper body. Smells are typical of session ales, with some grass and floral, and a little bit of citrus.

Flavor is not well balanced; a strong appearance of bitter pineapple juice followed by a bit too much hoppy bitterness.

Not horrible, but not great. Reminds me of a home-brewed version of Honker's Ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 17:13:58 | More by JonB1958

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Walter Payton shaker pint glass.

Hoping this beer, unlike its two predecessors, won't sully my glass too much. It pours a clear wan bronze topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises grass, sweet flowers, light honey, wheat, and light buttery biscuits. The taste doesn't change much of this up, but the sweetness and the graininess are both increased together, making for an interesting flavor combination, not unlike lightly sweetened Corn Flakes. The body is pretty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly watery feel. Overall, an okay brew, one that doesn't impress, but also one that doesn't necessarily disappoint, either. It's a nice easy-drinker, something some might call a good lawnmower beer (I could drink anything after/during yardwork, so this term has little meaning to me).

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 01:45:30 | More by TMoney2591

emerge077

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Saturated copper orange, with a layer of white foam up top. Clarity is bright, and there's a healthy skim that remains on the surface. Some spotty sea foam lace, but nothing substantial.

Grassy, floral aroma, very soft and mild.

Mellow feel, light bodied with moderate carbonation. Grassy and floral again, some mild hop bitterness in the middle, lingering into the finish. A bit of smooth maltiness, husks and all, a simple flavor. With a bigger sip, there is more residual bitterness that builds in the aftertaste. Overall it's a simple, utilitarian session beer. Clean with no flaws, it just may not hold interest for everyone.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 00:14:05 | More by emerge077