Spiteful Brewing’s first principals are Brad Shaffer and Jason Klein, who followed the usual trajectory of homebrewing beer, almost constantly, until they worked their up to their own brewery. They began commercial brewing in November, 2012.
Production Brewery and taproom at 2024 W. Balmoral Ave. Snacks are available, and food can be brought in.
Canned/bottled beers
Spiteful IPA
India Pale Ale. 6.2% abv
The flagship. With bold and bright Citra and Amarillo hop aromas to remind you to drink it fresh.
There’s a fresh, piney hop smell that sometimes evades the canned IPAs. Light nose of malt and alcohol. The head is sudsy, and leaves some legs above a hazy, brassy body. The taste is clearly big on Citra and Amarillo hops: mostly resiny, just a hint of tropical fruit, a little more orange, and a lot of bitterness. Malt is there with a little toast, but it plays a supporting role to this big ol’ hop bomb. Well, I say “hop bomb,” but it’s not totally overdone. Just done to the preferred style.
Spiteful Mrs. O’Leary’s Chocolate Milk Stout with Raspberries
Chocolate Milk Stout. 7% abv
Reviewed 2020
They’ve put out at least two Chocolate Milk Stouts under the name “Mrs. O’Leary’s,” and you’d think Chicago brewers would have jumped at that name before this. Their web page is a little thin on details. Presumably the “milk” part is lactose sugar, which does not ferment, so it keeps the beer sweet. But is the “chocolate” part just chocolate roast malt, or has chocolate been added in the brew? Well, in this version I can at least be certain they’ve added raspberries. Has it only been two months since I sampled a Valentine’s Day flight of “Box of Chocolate” beers, including one with raspberry? Time for another. Unlike those brawny candy beers, this one carries a “mere” 7% alcohol by volume.
This pours with a nice Guinness-like cascade of brown bubbles down the side. A black beer body with some brown highlights.
The nose is pleasingly like a Dutch cocoa, with, indeed notes of raspberry. The taste does start out sweet and chocolatey, but there is a side of roasty malt coming in after the initial sip. There’s little alcohol in the nose, which makes it an easy drink to take down. Milk sugar gives me a milky aftertaste on top of the malt roastiness. The raspberries remain subdued, but easily accessible.
