fullygoldy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fullygoldy) wrote2006-08-19 02:31 pm
fullygoldy) wrote2006-08-19 02:31 pm
Entry tags:
Real Beer Report
Yeah, last week, all I did was squee over how wonderful the Great Taste of the Midwest was, but I didn't actually talk about the #1 reason we drag our butts down there every year.
I can't wait for next year!
It's all about the Beer, Baybees!
Of course, knowing you're going to be blotto by the end of the day, you've got to be somewhat intelligent about how you're going to attempt to conduct yourself, and whether or not you'll be taking notes. Notes taken during the first hour tend to be entirely legible and understandable, but those characteristics drop off dramatically thereafter. I've managed to refine my note taking style to something that stays mostly intelligible throughout the day. On the big list of breweries, I circle the name of the brewery that impressed our party (there's gotta be a consensus or it doesn't rate a note). If a particular beer stood out at the brewery, then I write it's name down. That's it. No techno-babble about hops, mouthfeel, esters or anything else. This is what resulted in 2006:
Lake Superior Brewing Co. LLC (Duluth, MN) - Kolsch (only 2 kolsches in the entire festival)
Barley John's Brew Pub (New Brighton, MN) - IPA and Light Belgian Ale (I really liked the Belgian)
Three Floyds Brewing, Ltd. (Munster, IN) - !!! That's the note, LOL. If you're a hophead like me, you know what I mean.
Carlyle Brewing Co. (Rockford, IL)
Muskie Capital Brewery (Hayward, WI) - Fantastic APA used ahtamums hops, a strain we had no prior experience with. Badger Colish, the brewer was way cool to talk to as well.
The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. (MO) - Best of Show!
New Holland Brewing Co. (Holland, MI) - Yea! (This had to be a late-in-the-day note ::g::)
O'Fallon Brewery (O'Fallon, MO) - they served their beer with hops in the glass! Yes.
Grumpy Troll Brew Pub (Mt. Horeb, WI) - Belgian Ale. I remember this was a little too light for the style, but it tasted great, and you'd actually be able to drink more than one if you wanted to.
Flatlanders Restaurant & Brewery (Lincolnshire, IL) - Amber
Fitger's Brewhouse Brewery & Grill (Duluth, MN) - Double-hopped IPA with East Kent Goldings!! Yowza. I is ded from guh.
Ale Asylum (Madison, WI) - the new brewpub in town, with several of the MHBTG members having part-ownership, and the now-defunct Angelic Brewing's former brewer. The beer is good, and I can't wait to actually sit down there.
Special Mentions: Flossmoor Station (Flossmoor, IL) is usually our 'Best of Show' but were a little disappointing this year. I actually remember that they had an off year once before, so I'm not too worried. Tyranena Brewing Company (Lake Mills, WI) - Brewer/Owner Rob Larson is a wild man! He produces great everyday beer, and fantastic festival beer. Anything he wants to put in a bourbon barrel is fine by me. He even got me to drink and enjoy a scotch ale because it was aged in a bourbon barrel. He's got this barrel aging thing down cold. A lot of other brewers have tried it, and they all brought their babies to the fest, but Rob is the king of this genre.
Of course, knowing you're going to be blotto by the end of the day, you've got to be somewhat intelligent about how you're going to attempt to conduct yourself, and whether or not you'll be taking notes. Notes taken during the first hour tend to be entirely legible and understandable, but those characteristics drop off dramatically thereafter. I've managed to refine my note taking style to something that stays mostly intelligible throughout the day. On the big list of breweries, I circle the name of the brewery that impressed our party (there's gotta be a consensus or it doesn't rate a note). If a particular beer stood out at the brewery, then I write it's name down. That's it. No techno-babble about hops, mouthfeel, esters or anything else. This is what resulted in 2006:
Lake Superior Brewing Co. LLC (Duluth, MN) - Kolsch (only 2 kolsches in the entire festival)
Barley John's Brew Pub (New Brighton, MN) - IPA and Light Belgian Ale (I really liked the Belgian)
Three Floyds Brewing, Ltd. (Munster, IN) - !!! That's the note, LOL. If you're a hophead like me, you know what I mean.
Carlyle Brewing Co. (Rockford, IL)
Muskie Capital Brewery (Hayward, WI) - Fantastic APA used ahtamums hops, a strain we had no prior experience with. Badger Colish, the brewer was way cool to talk to as well.
The Saint Louis Brewery, Inc. (MO) - Best of Show!
New Holland Brewing Co. (Holland, MI) - Yea! (This had to be a late-in-the-day note ::g::)
O'Fallon Brewery (O'Fallon, MO) - they served their beer with hops in the glass! Yes.
Grumpy Troll Brew Pub (Mt. Horeb, WI) - Belgian Ale. I remember this was a little too light for the style, but it tasted great, and you'd actually be able to drink more than one if you wanted to.
Flatlanders Restaurant & Brewery (Lincolnshire, IL) - Amber
Fitger's Brewhouse Brewery & Grill (Duluth, MN) - Double-hopped IPA with East Kent Goldings!! Yowza. I is ded from guh.
Ale Asylum (Madison, WI) - the new brewpub in town, with several of the MHBTG members having part-ownership, and the now-defunct Angelic Brewing's former brewer. The beer is good, and I can't wait to actually sit down there.
Special Mentions: Flossmoor Station (Flossmoor, IL) is usually our 'Best of Show' but were a little disappointing this year. I actually remember that they had an off year once before, so I'm not too worried. Tyranena Brewing Company (Lake Mills, WI) - Brewer/Owner Rob Larson is a wild man! He produces great everyday beer, and fantastic festival beer. Anything he wants to put in a bourbon barrel is fine by me. He even got me to drink and enjoy a scotch ale because it was aged in a bourbon barrel. He's got this barrel aging thing down cold. A lot of other brewers have tried it, and they all brought their babies to the fest, but Rob is the king of this genre.
I can't wait for next year!
no subject
no subject