I went to Buckeye Beer Engine for the second time last night and had another good experience. The décor of the pub is cool, with the 30 tap bar taking center stage. A number of tall tables with bar stools surround the large bar. Booths line two of the walls and several stand alone tables are also scattered throughout the eating area. Almost every wall is lined with empty beer bottles and it is neat just to stroll around and take a look at the collection. The walls are also covered with a variety of craft beer signs (though I cringed a little when I spotted an aluminum Utica Club advertisement).
I started the night off with a 4 beer sampler which consisted of Weihenstephaner Original, Buckeye Aigre Bois d’Erique (made at the brewpub), Stone Smoked Porter, and Bear Republic Racer X. I started with the Weihenstephaner, which, surprisingly, I had never tried before. It proved to be a simple, yet highly drinkable German lager with hints of sweetness and bread, with a finish reminiscent of Czech Pilsner. The Aigre Bois d’Erique seemed to be Beer Engine’s attempt at a wild ale (aged in wine barrels for 10 months with the typical range of bacteria). I wasn’t overly impressed by this one, but it was decent. A little sour grape flavor led to a very dry finish with notes of hay and barnyard. This one kind of reminded me of a sour saison, it that’s possible. I moved to the Stone Smoked Porter next and was not disappointed. Nice roasted malt combined with suggestions of coffee and dark chocolate and each sip finished very smooth. I finished with Racer X. The Beer Engine menu called it a “Strong Ale,” but this beer is really a Double IPA. The sweet malt backbone presented itself upfront before quickly transitioning into a tongue tearing dose of tropical hop flavors. It was tasty overall, but perhaps a bit cloying.
For dinner I ordered the fried bologna sandwich and was really impressed. I’ve never had bologna cut half an inch thick before, but it is quite tasty. Combine that with some sautéed onions and a pretzel roll and you get a winning combination. After dinner I had a Clipper City Holy Sheet Abbey Ale. It was a respectable representation of the style, with a lot of grape flavor up front, which mixed with some other dark fruits and then transitioned into a long, dry finish. Buckeye Beer Engine is definitely a place worth checking out in you’re in the greater Cleveland area.
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