The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.

The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company

Location: Madison, WI

Rating: **** (4/5)

I found my notes from our roadtrip home from Colorado, yayy!!  I thought they were lost for good but apparently not.  So our roadtrip home consisted of leaving Denver and heading Northeast to South Dakota.  Turns out there's nothing in South Dakota but this really weird, Dr. Seuss looking landscape and pheasants that like to play Frogger with your car.  No breweries for day 1.

South Dakota

Day 2 we hit up Madison, Wisconsin which is beautifully located on Lake Monona and is home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  They have an extended street full of shops, restaurants, Starbucks and bars which could use some TLC but is quite nice.

 Lake Monona.  Check out that gnarly beard.

We had the pleasure of drinking and eating at The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Company.  This brewpub has this really sophisticated, 1940s, newspaper and reporter feel to it that's kind of hard to describe but is very unique and really cool.  Their menus are made like actual newspapers which was probably my favorite part (well played sir).

Go fetch! (yourself a sampler...):

Tri Pepper Pilsner: (****) Really spicy but not too overpowering; has a very malty yet light fragrance.

Praguer Lager: (***) German malts; sweet and fruity; light; refreshing; dark but clear amber color; crisp.

Texas Speedbump IPA: (***) Cask Conditioned; thick head; pine tasting hops; fantastic mouth feel; weak aroma; more of a British style IPA because the hop flavor isn't so strong; nice & bitter but could be a little bit more balanced between hop and malt flavors.

Black Water Scotch: (***) Sweet, smokey taste and aroma; could have a better mouth feel; smokey "bacon" taste isn't overwhelming; smooth; we say, nitro it!

Mr. Natural's Organic Nut Brown: (**) Bland; none of the flavors really grab me; super light maple flavor; little aroma; not bad but the flavors need to be more pronounced; it is an organic beer... whatever the fuck that means.

Stone of Scone Scotch: (**) Really light for a scotch; sweet, yet still has that sharp alcohol burn (but still, very light); little aroma; nothing special.

Emerald Isle Stout: (***) Light and watery; need to increase the mouth feel; really nice, buttery finish; needs bigger starting impact.

Hop Jack IPA: (****) Cascade & Chinook hops we believe; thick mouth feel; bitter (American style); strong hop aromas; bitter, lingering aftertaste; sweet, crisp malt taste.

great food... great beer... Great Dane!