Beer Me! — Capital Brewery — Middleton, Wisconsin, United States

Read about our trip to Germany and Prague at
The "Beer Me" Blog!

This is not the official web site of

Capital Brewery

7734 Terrace Avenue
Middleton WI 53562
Telephone: +1 608-836-7100
Hours: Summer: Wednesday-Friday 4:00pm-9:00pm, Saturday 1:00pm-9:00pm. Winter: Thursday-Friday 4:00pm-9:00pm, Saturday 1:00pm-5:00pm.
Brewer: Ashley Kinart
[Contact] [Update]

Notes

Visited: August 7, 2009

Opened: 1986

Annual Production: 17,500 bbl

Updated: March 19, 2022

News

2014-08-07: Capital Brewery’s minority shareholders file suit against majority shareholders (Craft Brewing Business)
2011-04-12: Capital Brewery to mark 25th anniversary with new vertical beer (Wisconsin State Journal)
2008-12-10: Madison brewers team up to make biggest beer ever (Isthmus Daily Page)

Beer List

1900

American-Style Pilsener
Awards:
- Gold Medal, 2006 North American Beer Awards
Autumnal Fire

German-Style Strong Doppelbock

7.80% abv.
Awards:
- Gold Medal, 2011 Great American Beer Festival
- Gold Medal, 2008 Great American Beer Festival
- Gold Medal, 2006 Great American Beer Festival
- Gold Medal, 2004 Great American Beer Festival
- Date: December 25, 2009 (#8098)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Hy-Vee Council Bluffs, Council Bluffs IA
  
  Score: 18 points
  
  Appearance (3)
  Bright red-amber. Huge head.
  
  Aroma (3½)
  Big grainy toasty malt. Some alcohol.
  
  Mouthfeel (9)
  Big and chewy and malty. Mildly grainy and reasonably sweet and toasty. Very mildly earthy.
  
  Overall Impression (2½)
  Very tasty beer.
- Date: November 7, 2003 (#5135)
  
  Package: bottled
  
  Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI
  
  Score: 19 points
  
  Overall Impression (3½)
  Bright red. Big dense head. Smells big, malty, and spicy. Big smooth body. Huge toasty sweet Munich malt flavor. Fair bit of alcohol. Intensely malty all the way through.

Baltic Porter

Baltic-Style Porter

Date: November 7, 2008 (#7536)

Package: bottled

Place: Flanagan's Stop and Shop, Appleton WI

Score: 15½ points

Appearance (2½)
Bright deep red. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet, earthy, roasty.

Mouthfeel (8)
Big and sweet and black. Very malty. Resiny bitterness. Sweet black malty finish.

Overall Impression (2)
Thanks to Don Goen for the bottle!

Bavarian Lager

Dortmunder/European-Style Export

Awards:

Bronze Medal, 2009 Great American Beer Festival
Gold Medal, 2006 North American Beer Awards
Silver Medal, 2002 North American Beer Awards

Date: March 7, 2003 (#4732)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 13½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Golden, hazy. Thick head. Smells very sweet and malty, with spicy hops. Light body. Very sweet and very fruity.

Blonde Doppelbock

German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock

7.80% abv.

Awards:

Silver Medal, 2006 North American Beer Awards
Bronze Medal, 2006 World Beer Cup
Bronze Medal, 2003 North American Beer Awards

Date: October 20, 2001 (#3942)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Deep bright golden, thick head. Big malty aroma. Medium-big body, malty-sweet flavor, drying alcohol.

Date: March 7, 2003 (#4733)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Pale brown. High carbonation. Thick head. Spicy and sweet aromas. Medium body, fairly fizzy. Lots of sweet, grainy, caramelly malt flavor. Mildly astringent. Finishes very sweet.

Date: February 7, 1999 (#3182)

Package: draught

Place: Milwaukee Ale House Festival, Milwaukee WI

Score: 13 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Dark red brown opaque, low head. Slightly smoky aroma. Thick, diacetyl, alcohol flavors.

Date: July 23, 2003 (#4971)

Package: bottled

Place: Peabody's Ale House, Oshkosh WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden amber. High carbonation. Thick head. Mild grainy malt aroma with a hint of noble hops. Medium body. Big grainy malt flavor all the way through. Nice mild noble hop balance. Finishes a little sweet.

Date: June 28, 1998 (#2929)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber, moderate carbonation and head. Fruity, citrus aroma. Neium-light body, pretty sweet, some diacetyl. Honorable Mention, 2003 North American Beer Awards.

Date: August 7, 2009 (#7868)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 17 points

Appearance (3)
Deep red-brown. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet, caramel. Fruity hops.

Mouthfeel (9)
Big and chewy. Malty, caramel, and toast. Reasonably bitter, more so than a standard Bock, but not as much as I expected.

Overall Impression (2)
Actually pretty tasty.

Date: August 7, 2009 (#7869)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 14 points

Appearance (3)
Yellow, hazy. Moderate head.

Aroma (2)
Smoky. Grassy. Phenolic.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium-light body, low carbonation. Sweet, grassy, clean. Very clean.

Overall Impression (2)
This is their Island Wheat, fermented with a Belgian ale yeast.

Date: November 13, 2001 (#3994)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 10 points

Overall Impression (1½)
Golden, hazy, good head. Butterscotch odor. Light body, intense diacetyl flavor.

Date: June 20, 2000 (#3471)

Package: bottled

Place: World Beer Cup 2000, Milwaukee WI

Score: 19 points

Overall Impression (3½)
Yellow, hazy, moderate carbonation and head. Big clove aroma. Medium-light body, big clove flavor, fizzy.

Date: January 16, 1999 (#3152)

Package: draught

Place: Minocqua Ice-Cold Beer Fest, Minocqua WI

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Yellow, some haze, thick head. Smoky clove aroma, ketchup. Big clove flavor and finish.

Date: March 1, 2011 (#8476)

Package: bottled

Place: from the brewery

Score: 16½ points

Appearance (3)
Amber. Some haze. Moderate head.

Aroma (3)
Caramel malt, fruity esters.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium-big body, smooth and chewy. Rich toasty malt. Mild noble hop flavor, low bitterness. Toasty-sweet finish.

Overall Impression (2½)
Thanks to Bob "Nowgohaveabeer" Paolino for the bottle!

Date: April 12, 1998 (#2729)

Package: draught

Place: Map Room, Chicago IL

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber, flat, no head. Hint of sweet malt aroma. Medium body, nice big malty flavor, hint of carbonation. Sweetish malty finish.

Date: November 7, 2008 (#7535)

Package: bottled

Place: Flanagan's Stop and Shop, Appleton WI

Score: 14½ points

Appearance (3)
Bright red-brown. Dense head.

Aroma (2½)
Grassy. Toasty and sweet.

Mouthfeel (7)
Medium body, moderate carbonation. Lots of sweet toasty malt. Mild grassy hop flavor, mildly bitter.

Overall Impression (2)
Thanks to Don Goen for the bottle!

Date: April 21, 1999 (#3246)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Deep red-brown, fizzy, thick head. Very clean aroma. Light body, high carbonation, roasty start to finish.

Date: September 28, 1996 (#1795)

Package: bottled

Place: Great American Beer Festival, Denver CO

Score: 14½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Golden amber. Musty smell. Good body, bitter malty finish.

Date: April 21, 1999 (#3245)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 16½ points

Overall Impression (3½)
Golden, fizzy, moderate head. Faintly malty aroma. Medium body, big noble hop flavor, good malt balance all the way through.

Date: July 31, 1993 (#250)

Package: draught

Place: Oregon Brewers Festival, Portland OR

Score: 15 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Yellow-hazy. Very Pilsner-like in aroma and flavor.

Date: May 7, 2012 (#8797)

Place: Woodman's Food Market #16, Madison WI

Score: 13 points

Appearance (3)
Bright golden. Thick head.

Aroma (3)
Mild sweet grainy malt.

Mouthfeel (6)
Light body, low carbonation. Really sweet, with a mild graininess. Very low bitterness. Sweet finish.

Overall Impression (1)
Some may disagree with the beer's litotic slogan.

Date: May 21, 2000 (#3445)

Package: draught

Place: Wisconsin Micro-Brewers Beer Fest, Chilton WI

Score: 15½ points

Overall Impression (3)
Yellow opaque, thick head. Smoky banana aroma. Thick, big clove flavor, spicy prickly finish. Not a lot of alcohol character evident.

Date: August 7, 2009 (#7870)

Package: draught

Place: at the brewery

Score: 16 points

Appearance (3)
Amber, hazy. Dense head.

Aroma (3)
Sweet, mildly smoky.

Mouthfeel (8)
Medium body, fizzy. Sweet, toasty. Grassy. Earthy. Husky, like rice hulls or barley husks...or dry grass...

Overall Impression (2)
...or >hay. Paris says, "it's beer for your horses."

Date: March 7, 2003 (#4731)

Package: bottled

Place: Woodman's Food Market #20, Green Bay WI

Score: 13½ points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber color. High carbonation. Low head. Very fruity aroma. Medium body, fairly fizzy. Lots and lots of fruity hops. Maybe a little warming.

Date: April 22, 1999 (#3253)

Package: bottled

Place: 1st Wines and Spirits, Allouez WI

Score: 14 points

Overall Impression (2½)
Amber, low carbonation and head. Sweet-spicy-herbal aroma. Medium body, big caramel flavor, sweetish, hops show up very late.

Date: February 7, 1999 (#3183)

Package: draught

Place: Milwaukee Ale House Festival, Milwaukee WI

Score: 16 points

Overall Impression (3)
Bright amber-brown, thick head. Spicy hop aroma. Medium body, spicy hops, clean finish.