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Last season I took at look at Triptych Brewing in Champaign. Fortunately, the the Greater Chambana area has plenty of other breweries to explore. This week we go with the swine fo Bling Pig Brewing.
120 N. Neil Street
Champaign, IL
When driving through Champaign last week to and from Iowa City I wasn’t able to stop at The Blind Pig, but I was able to stop at Jinny’s Beverage Depot, one of the best liquor store chains on earth. They had a wide selection of The Bling Pig, which has a core lineup and several seasonal offerings. Here are some of their better ones:
Columbia Street Coffee Stout - 5.4% ABV, 32 IBU - What’s better than hyper local beer? How about adding in hyper local coffee? Made with coffee from the roastery down the (Columbia) street, this beer’s coffee aroma grabs the attention, and the excellent dry stout keeps it. Ten pounds of cold-steeped coffee are added to every brew, adding extra, er... roastiness and about 1/4 cup of coffee per pint.
U of IPA - 6.5% ABV, 66 IBU - Our flagship IPA! A masterclass in IPAs that’s perfect for new and experienced IPA lovers alike. Made with pale, hi-dried and crystal malts, plus an unusual blend of several types of hops. The result is crisp, dry, with an amazing citrus hoppy aroma.
Blue Pils - 5% ABV, 32 IBU - A classic German-style Pilsner, with a generous dry-hopping of Czech Saaz Hops, resulting in a crisp, clean, dry finish. This refreshing lager shows off our brewers’ ability to make a beer with nothing to hide. And if this Blue Pils can put that big smile on our logo’s little pig, imagine what it could do for you...
Hattori Honzo Pale Ale - 5.2%, 49 IBU - Single hopped with Japanese Sorachi Ace, this Pale Ale slices through your typical pale ale expectations. It starts with lemongrass and finishes with dill. Yes, dill! A lovely accompaniment to food.
I ended up getting a single of the Hattori Honzo and it was pretty good. This is a worthy stop and I think I will visit next year when Purdue plays at Illinois.