Karben4 Brewing

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev -5.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I had been reading quite a bit about Karben4 so was excited to pop in and see what the fellas had done to the old Ale Asylum space.
Like mentioned in the first review, the guys we met that night were extremely willing to tell us about what they had accomplished (feeling very prideful I would say), and showed us around behind the scenes. Looks like they are making good use out of the space...A little rearranging has given them more room for growth.
The beers were very solid. The smoked porter was excellent. Mild smoke, with a good amount of roast and chocolate character, very solid. The IPA was also excellent. A very good addition to the Madison brew scene. I wish these guys well, they were very kind and the beer was good.

02-28-2013 19:34:29 | More by MarcatGSB

Litrecola

Manitoba (Canada)

4.26/5  rDev -4.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.75 | $$

Have to agree with MadTown22's review. Pretty spot on for what I thought of the place. They were very friendly and open to talks about their little place, behind the scenes, concept ideas and future beers. Looking very forward to seeing them grow into another Madison favourite. As they grow some of that may change as they might need larger staff but for now it's nice to chat with them.

Their beers are pretty solid. On their menu's they have nice descriptions of the beers available. Their session beer was pretty great and not usually something i'd go for but it stuck out. Second would have to be their Black IPA Silk Scorpion followed by their irish red which is a very nice complex flavoured beer. If you go definitely get a flight (which comes with only their flagships) and decide what you like the best. If you're there for the seasonal black IPA, definitely also get that.

Their food also stood out from what we saw. We tried the devilled eggs which were so good I could have order 2nds and 3rds, they come in 4 varieties, classic, garlic, ??? and pulled pork. Apologies for the ??? devilled egg, i remember it was sweet and heat. The preztel we saw (forget which local place provided it) looked interesting, it seemed to give an interesting take on the pretzel showing the range from the thin and chewy bits to the bulky and bread texture. One more thing was the open faced pulled pork sandwich we saw, with it's size it was hard to miss and something i definitely want to try next time i'm there!

02-08-2013 07:07:17 | More by Litrecola

MadTown22

Wisconsin

4.9/5  rDev +9.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

Been into the brewpub a couple times since the soft-opening. Can't believe the new occupants of the Ale Asylum brewery.

Everyone at Karben4 will bend over backwards to make you feel welcome. Personal tours and behind-the-scenes stories are not an anomaly.

The four buddies renovated the old space to a sleek, modern pub. They doubled the bar seating to accommodate more patrons. The old audio system was updated to distribute laid back music throughout the entire bar without being overpowering.

Currently Karben4 has six beers on tap, they are planning to rotate seasonals into the lineup to keep things fresh. These guys are filling a niche missing in Madison--great down-to-earth, face to face service with a range of malty, unique, tasty beer everyone can enjoy.

Karben4 has some of the best beer in Madison, not found at any other bar. Highly recommended.

On a side note, they partner with Underground Meat Collective, meaning all food is local and high-quality, the open-faced BBQ pulled pork is delicious with a Silk Scorpion!

01-20-2013 01:33:26 | More by MadTown22