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The other day, I stopped by Bangers & Lace and got the opportunity to try a new beer from a new brewery – or, at least, new to me. I knew I was going to be in the area, so I stopped by Bangers & Lace to see what might be on tap. I’d never heard of Ale Syndicate Richie, so I had to do some investigation. It turned out to be an Imperial Porter from a brewery in Chicago I didn’t know.

I used to think I was pretty knowledgeable about the beer scene in Chicago. But, given my decline in involvement over the years and the growth of the scene, I started to think that my knowledge might be dated. As I looked a bit more into Ale Syndicate, I realized that there may be other breweries in Chicago that I didn’t know. So, I did a search at my old stomping ground, Ratebeer. As it turns out, my suspicions were correct: Ratebeer lists 28 breweries in Chicago, IL. And while there are some stipulations with that number (1 is closed, one produces only cider, another only mead, two are Goose Island, and one is a restaurant that helped participate in the brewing/blending/selling of one unrateable beer), I have tried at least one beer from 12 of those 28.

Until I stopped by Bangers & Lace, that is. I had the opportunity to try Richie Imperial Porter, beer from Chicago Brewery #13, Ale Syndicate. The beer is a nice garnet color with a tight, beige head. It looks quite nice and the glassware really adds to the visual appeal. The aroma is sweet cocoa, light licorice, whole grains, mild sweetness and a hint of roasted coffee. The flavor was moderately sweet, lightly bitter and with just a hint of the 8.0% alcohol. The finish was a bit light and dropped off slightly, but by no means absent. Definitely a tasty beer and certainly something I’d drink again.

Unbeknownst to me, Ale Syndicate was having an event at Bangers & Lace that evening. So, not only did I get to try a new beer from a brewery that’s new to me, but I also got to meet a couple of the employees, including the co-founding brothers who are also the brewers. To a person, every single employee I talked to seemed genuinely excited. They all had a smile on their face and it was evident in their demeanor that they were delighted to be out meeting people and bringing their beer for people to try.

It was pleasure meeting Jesse, Samuel and the folks from Ale Syndicate. I hope I get the opportunity to run into them again. And you can be sure I’ll be keeping my eyes open for more of their beer. I hear their Municipal IPA is going to be quite nice.