Buckledown Brewing Reviews

DiarmaidBHK	3.5 Buckledown Belt & Suspenders Draft at Uostairs at the Gwen. Pours golden with an inch of white foam. Leaves some lacing in the glass. Decent floral and pine notes on the nose and tongue but also a bit malty which I’m not feeling as much. Finished clean Saturday, March 9, 2024
ryecatcher	3.4 Buckledown Double Down Dunkel 16oz can from Evergreen Park Binny's. Dark copper color pour, frothy off-white head with decent retention. Malty nose, dried fruit, toffee, light cocoa. Mouth is medium bodied, slight sweetness balanced with an equally slight hoppy bitterness. Tastes like it smells. Decent Dunkel. Friday, March 8, 2024
DrnkMcDermott	4.2 Buckledown 10th Anniversary Barrel-Aged Rye Imperial Stout Draft at Orange & Brew. More of a baseline brown than black. Thin scrum of foam moving to the edges. It has a clean malty smell with just an edge of rye whiskey barrel. A much brighter taste than, say, a Bourbon County Stout. But there's the rye and vanilla, and a bit of strawberry on the palate. Sticky on the roof of the mouth. And now, there's kind of a Tootsie Roll impression, and the burn of a hot rye whiskey settling in. Strawberry note finally asserts itself, but not too much. Strong, yet then I think of it being milky and smooth. Wednesday, December 27, 2023
trapped	3.5 Buckledown Belt & Suspenders Can, from a gourmet shop in Chicago. Pours clear dark yellow with a small foamy whitish head, faint resinous aroma, low carbonation, medium bitter resinous malty taste with faint caramel flavor, thin smooth body, long medium bitter finish. A typical American IPA. Thursday, November 9, 2023
zibi_	3 Buckledown Party Pillow Saturday, October 14, 2023
tmoreau	3.7 Buckledown Riverside On tap at the 2023 Chicago Beer Society Umpteenth Annual Picnic as a self-served 8 oz. to clear plastic, showing a hazed, orangey/gold color, with a decent layer of soft white froth to a persistent ring & film, and dots & dashes of lacing. The nose was malt/smooth wheat, dried pit fruit, and light sweetness. Medium bodied, the taste was similar notes, with fruity, earthy, and rind-like bitterness. Monday, September 11, 2023
DrnkMcDermott	3.4 Buckledown Party Pillow 16 oz. can from Beerhead. Golden color beer pour with a thick, foamy head. A light, easy clove nose. Standard wheat beer taste. Not overdosed on Hefeweizen bubble gum or the like, just a malty and spicy wheat beer flavor, with that bit of clove behaving itself. Thursday, June 15, 2023
tjslim	3.3 Buckledown Cannonball Kölsch Wednesday, June 14, 2023
wxman	3.5 Buckledown Irish Red Ale Pours a dark reddish-brown with a nice light tan head. Nutty and buttery aroma. Taste is sweet toasted malt, maple syrup, butteriness, nuttiness, and very mild, minimal hop bitterness. Good effort. Monday, May 8, 2023
tmoreau	3.7 Buckledown Amber Ale On tap at The Beer Cellar-Glen Ellyn, IL. as a 9 oz. serving to a house snifter, showing a clear, deep amber color, with distinct ruby highlighting, a decent layer of off-white/light tan froth, and doily-like cling to the lacing. The nose was malty, light toast, a touch of caramel, dried fruit and skins. Medium bodied, the taste was as the aroma notes, with good carbonation, and earthy, rind & skins bitterness that lingered. A re-branding of Tischler's Amber? Tuesday, April 11, 2023
deyholla	3.1 Buckledown Cactus Pants On tap at Bueno Cocina. Pours a clear copper amber with a white head that dissipates to the edges and laces slightly. Aroma has light bread and grain with a bit of sweetgrass supporting. Flavor has slightly sweet grains and a bit of bread with a hint of grass in the finish. Monday, January 2, 2023
sawbuck	3.4 Buckledown Nice aroma of hot chocolate, a bit of vanilla and coffee. Redfish brown with a thin tan head. Sweet up front. Lots of Swiss miss chocolate, then coffee and tinge of vanilla. Mild bitterness with a hint of pepper. Slick mouthfeel. Finish is chocolate with cinnamon. Not bad Monday, December 5, 2022
Finhead	3.2 Buckledown Party Pillow Hazy, yellow pour with a white head. The aroma has clove and banana. It has a light body with soft texture. The taste is sweet and slightly watery. Saturday, November 19, 2022
edwardbass	3.4 Buckledown Clencher X Updated 2022-10-18: So I had my second one not as cold as the first (which was pretty close to ice cold - usually how I like my beer). I get a much deeper flavor now and less of the sourness. Malt balance is much better. It's decent. The flavor profile still isn't quite my favorite, but I appreciate this more now. Two cans sent by my beer buddy Ralph in Chicago. I used to live in Chicago's western burbs, and Buckledown was one of my favorites. I'm not a big fan of the Strata and Trident hops, they lend a bit too much of a wheat beer-ish sour flavor for me. It's a quality DIPA without a doubt, malt balance is great, nice mouthfeel, plenty of hops bitterness, but not overdone. Too much sour creeping in for me though. Saturday, October 8, 2022
tmoreau	3.7 Buckledown Bier On tap at Corridor Kitchen & Tap in Lombard, IL. dispensed to a shaker, showing a clear, orangey/gold color, with a decent layer of soft white froth, and wavy cling to the lacing. The nose was malty, bread & crust, with a hint of flora & dried fruit, and just a touch of caramel sweetness. Medium bodied, the taste was similar notes, with good carbonation, modest grain & earthy bitterness, and a crisp & slightly dry finish. Clean refreshment. Monday, October 3, 2022
orda	4.3 Buckledown Fritzicuffs Appearance: golden amber; inch head Taste: clean; slightly malty 6/25/22 - Brown Bag (Naperville,IL) $6 Saturday, June 25, 2022
tmoreau	3.6 Buckledown Cannonball Kölsch On tap at Ellyn's Tap & Grill in Glen Ellyn, IL. dispensed to a shaker, showing a fairly clear, golden color, with a modest layer of bubbly, soft white froth that reduced to a thin ring, and light spots of lacing. The nose was mild grain, slight dried fruit/citrus, with mild zest and some sweetness. A little less than medium bodied, the taste was similar notes, with the citrusy edge as orange, and good carbonation that had a seltzer-like feel to it. Thinned just a bit, texture-wise, finishing with a touch of grainy astringency. Fairly clean and a refreshing vehicle to battle the present hot spell. Wednesday, June 22, 2022
BlackDolphin	3 Buckledown / White Oak That Good Good Wednesday, June 8, 2022
tjslim	3.6 Buckledown Clencher X Saturday, May 21, 2022
deyholla	3.6 Buckledown Clencher X Sampled from the tap at Orange & Brew. Pours a clear yellow gold with a white head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has a good amount of grass and bitter citrus with dank mango underlying. Flavor has grass and light pine with dank citrus underlying. Saturday, May 14, 2022
tmoreau	3.7 Buckledown Good Times On tap at Ellyn's Grill & Tap in Glen Ellyn, IL. dispensed to a shaker showing a clear, brown tone, with amber highlighting, a bubbly layer of off-white froth, and web-like lacing. The nose was malty, toast, light roast, light mocha hints, with a hint of toffee. Medium bodied, the taste was similar notes, with good carbonation, and toasted & roasted bitterness. A bit darker and moderately roasted that most Irish Reds that I've tried. Almost in the Brown Ale realm, but a very good food complement, nonetheless. Tuesday, March 22, 2022
explosivedog	3.8 Buckledown Stone and Sea On tap at Bangers & Lace. Pours black. Smoke, bourbon, biscuit, earthy, chocolate, prune. Medium body. Decent. Saturday, March 19, 2022
tmoreau	3.7 Buckledown Clencher X On tap at The Beer Cellar-Glen Ellyn, IL. as a 9 oz. serving to a house snifter, showing a lightly hazed, orangey/gold color, with a fluffy layer of soft white froth, and doily-like spray as lacing. The nose was malty/grainy, a bit of toast, slightly dank & herbal, subtly woody & nutty, with a touch of dried fruit. Medium bodied, the taste was as the aroma notes, with good carbonation, decent alcohol presence, and grainy & earthy bitterness. Wednesday, March 9, 2022
tmoreau	3.6 Buckledown / Skeleton Key Disaster Magnet Shared pint can poured to a snifter showing a cloudy, orangey/gold color, with a decent layer of soft white froth that reduced to a ring, light film, and spots & strands of lacing. The nose was lightly dank, citrusy lemon, pit fruit, and some grass & greenery. Medium bodied, the taste was similar notes, with okay carbonation, and rind-like & earthy bitterness. A basic Hazy, favorably without the "over the top" creamy sweetness. Tuesday, March 1, 2022
tjslim	3.6 BuckleDown Hexed Hazy Thursday, December 30, 2021
tmoreau	3.5 BuckleDown Hexed Hazy Shared pint can poured to a snifter showing a hazed, light gold/straw color, with a fair layer of soft white froth, and foamy spots of lacing. The nose was citrus, a bit of pit fruit, and some grass & greenery. A little less than medium bodied, the taste was as the aroma notes, adding light sweetness, slight creaminess, decent carbonation, and bitterness that was citrusy & rind-like. Thursday, November 11, 2021
sawbuck	3.7 Buckledown Clencher 7 Nice aroma of pine and fresh hops… some malt. Clear orange gold color, nice off white head. Nice rich sweet malt up front. Fresh caramel. Bitterness is pine with a mix of citrus tones. Medium mouth feel, rich malty backbone. Balanced finish, good Sunday, October 31, 2021
orda	3.7 Buckledown Darth Fritz Appearance: tan; creamy half-inch head Taste: malty & hint of coffee w/ a slight sour aftertaste 10/16/21 - Tapalaluna (DeKalb, IL) can Saturday, October 16, 2021
BlackBeerPG	4.4 Buckledown Stompin S'mores Taste: Complex, super sweet, marshmallows, chocolate, vanilla, Cinnamon, graham crackers. Same with the nose. Black/brown hue, mostly opaque, smaller tan head, little lace. Medium full body. S'mores in liquid form. Friday, September 24, 2021
tjslim	3.2 Buckledown Grapefruit Belt & Suspenders Friday, August 20, 2021
tjslim	3 Buckledown Abbey & Earl Wednesday, July 28, 2021
tjslim	3.4 Buckledown Luv Tap Thursday, July 1, 2021
sawbuck	3.3 Buckledown Perrito Aroma of fresh grapefruit and hint of guava. Some pine as well. Hazyish light gold with a huge white head. Sweetish malt up front. Lots of acidic citrus, grapefruit and orange. Bitterness is mild and slightly earthy with pine. Nice balance. Lighter mouthfeel with a bitter coating on tongue to finish. Ok Saturday, June 26, 2021
tmoreau	3.8 Buckledown Darth Fritz On tap at Brook's Kitchen & Tap in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. dispensed to a tulip displaying a black/brown hue, with a touch of ruby highlighting, a fluffy layer of tan froth, and wavy lacing that proceeded to show some doily-like cling. The nose was roasted, mocha notes, biscuity malt, and just a hint of caramel sweetness. Medium bodied, with okay carbonation, the taste was as the aroma notes, adding a bit of tartness & tanginess, roasted & earthy bitterness, and a pleasantly dry & dusty finish. Friday, June 11, 2021
edwardbass	2.9 Buckledown Barrel Aged Significant 12oz can from a beer buddy in Chicago. This is not terribly impressive. It's very sweet, and I get very little dark chocolate or coffee. I mostly get sweet with bourbon flavor. Thanks for the chance to try this Ralph, but it's not very good. Nice and boozy, though, which I appreciate :) Sunday, May 30, 2021
Headbanger	3.1 Buckledown Clencher 6 12 oz can 5/6/21 (Trader Joe's Batavia) 39° in shaker. Pours a cloudy orange. Aroma of citrus. Taste of citrus and floral hops. this mnedium bodied brew is well balanced and down right tasty. Friday, May 7, 2021
ryecatcher	2.9 Buckledown Hooligan Soup 16-oz can from Binny's in Evergreen Park. Pours and looks like a porter. Drinks a lot like one as this one is a bit more roast and cocoa than any other Mild I've had. Also, there's this odd iodine note to it. Overall, yeah it's drinkable. But not my favorite from Buckledown. And definitely not getting high marks stylistically. I was looking forward to trying this when I saw it and was hopeful it might be as good as the Miskatonic Mild I really like (name escapes me at the moment... Something British sounding...) Cuz ya don't see too many craft breweries in the Chicago area doing Mild, But I got to be honest I was disappointed in this one. Sunday, April 11, 2021
tjslim	3.8 Buckledown / White Oak That Good Good Sunday, April 4, 2021
tjslim	3.6 Buckledown Party Pillow Saturday, April 3, 2021
Headbanger	3.6 Buckledown Future Proof Space Raygun IPA 12 oz can 3/6/21 (Trader Joe's Batavia40° in Shaker. Pours a slightly hazy orange/amber with a small white covering for a head. Aroma of Aroma of hops and slight malt. Taste of spicy hops which I've never tasted before and it's a nice surprise. This medium bodied brew is a nice surprise and quite tasty. Sunday, March 7, 2021
ccex	3.8 Buckledown Future Proof Space Raygun IPA 12 oz can pours a slightly hazy orange/amber color with lasting white head that leaves clumps of lacing. Aroma is fairly complex, with pine resin, juicy hops, and bready malts. Taste is bitter despite some sweet flavors. A bitter finish with some warming. Body is medium with perfect carbonation and a slightly sticky mouthfeel This one drinks like an Imperial IPA. This one exceeded my expectations. Saturday, March 6, 2021
Scipio	3.1 Buckledown Hooligan Soup Pours a dark brown with a medium beige head. Nutty aroma teams with bread, toasted malt, and subtle chocolate. The taste is a bit dry. A little more toast comes through in the flavor. Along with nuts, these are the main impressions. Then light caramel, smoke, and faint chocolate. But the flavors altogether are rather light. Mild nutty aftertaste. Light in body and smooth in texture. I probably won't remember this one. Saturday, February 20, 2021
BlackDolphin	3.5 Buckledown Clencher Friday, February 12, 2021
Cuso	3.6 Buckledown Belt & Suspenders Can. Deep golden color with uge white head. Aroma of oranges, earthy notes. Taste, solid malty base followed by refresinh hops with oranges, zest, bit fruity sweetness. Light zesty finish. Medium bodied. Refreshijg beer with dangerously hidden alcohol. Saturday, January 16, 2021
tjslim	3.7 Buckledown Future Proof Space Raygun IPA Friday, January 1, 2021
DrnkMcDermott	3.6 Buckledown Clencher 5 12 ounce can from Trader Joe’s. Dated July 1. Enjoyed while grilling outside in unseasonably warm November weather. Pillowy head over a golden hazy beer with floaty particles in it. The nose has citrus and resiny hops. A slight base malt smell is perceptible. the taste has more balance between hops and malt. A bit more grained to the hop. Warming alcohol is apparent from the starting ship. Now some citrus hop, closest to lemon. I get behind double IPAD that offer balance instead of being hop bombs. Friday, November 20, 2020
tjslim	3 Buckledown 8 Corners Haze Monday, October 19, 2020
tjslim	4 Buckledown Hideout Hazy IPA Monday, October 19, 2020
RSRIZZO	3.4 Buckledown Clencher 2 12oz can courtesy of Headbanger poured into a Snifter. Color is a nice golden with good carbonation and a small tight white head. Aroma is hoppy with a bit of malt and a touch of alcohol. It has a medium body with a smooth mouthfeel that has a slight bite on the end. Flavor is citrus, pineapple and malt backed by a light bitterness. Aftertaste is more bitterness with the citrus holding on. Overall it's a good Double IPA and seems to hide the alcohol a little better then the first one. Thursday, October 15, 2020
RSRIZZO	3.4 Buckledown Clencher 1 12oz can courtesy of Headbanger poured into a Snifter. Color is a bright golden with good carbonation and a small tight white head. Aroma is hoppy with a sweet malt back note. It has a medium body with a smooth mouthfeel. Flavor comes in with a nice malt base giving it a light toffee note backed by citrus and an even bitterness. Aftertaste gives a touch of alcohol as the citrus lingers letting the bitterness build. Overall It's a good Double IPA not overpowering. Thursday, October 15, 2020