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[Big Nake]

Last month we headed out to Starved Rock State Park in Utica, IL (about 2 hours from our house) for the weekend. It ended up being really nasty, cold, windy, gray, rainy/snowy, muddy, etc. At some point, we were done with some hiking and decided to stop in at a tavern for lunch. This place was part of the big lodge in the park and they had some NCAA games on, etc. The waitress told us about something called Starved Rock Ale which is brewed exclusively for the park by Leinenkugel. She said it was a reddish-amber ale and my wife and I ordered a couple. It's a very nice beer that is neutral all the way around. A medium red-amber color, possibly just one hop addition and definitely a 1056/White Labs 01 character. I had heard that Leinie's only brews lagers but I don't know how much truth there is to that. Anyway, I made a few mental notes, formulated a recipe, brewed it and then sent it to secondary today. I will report back when it's on tap, but it's looking, smelling and tasting very nice. This is a beery beer so for you Belgian fans, avert your eyes.

Signpost American Ale

9 lbs Crisp Maris Otter
8 oz Crystal 40°L
5 oz Special B
.45 oz German Magnum 14.8% for 60 mins (about 6.5 AAU)
Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast

OG: 1.055, FG: 1.014, IBU: 27, SRM: 13, ABV: 5.3%

I know I'm in the minority, but I really like beers that are hopped once. You get the bitterness in the first taste, but the finish is malty and smooth. My fingers are crossed that this beer becomes part of my regular rotation. That day in the tavern, I was actually hungover from a crazy day the day before. But when I heard about this beer and saw someone else drinking it, I tried one (then another) and it did me up righteous! Cheers.