Goose Island - Pere Jacques (aged 5 years)

Not many people are forgetful or patient enough to age a bottle of beer for five years.  Luckily, I happen to be a little of both, no matter what my wife tells you about the whole patience thing and the new/exciting expletives I invent during video game play.  On the label of Goose Island's high(er) end beers, it is claimed to develop in the bottle for up to five years.  The bottle of Pere Jacques that I will be reviewing today has been aged for 62 months to the day, past the date it was bottled.  I have not experimented with a beer like this before so I am excited to see how it will end.  If well, that means the other aging beers in my cellar have a chance.  If not, I may have wasted a whole lot of beer money.  To say I'm a little anxious is to understate the matter.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

The label says "Belgian style ale," but it is clearly leaning more toward the tripel in aroma.  Lots of fruit present here.  Mushy, over ripe apples are present along with notes of real apple cider, though without the spice.  Bright raisins are not far behind and if I were more familiar with my dark fruits, I'm sure I could tell you if it were more fig vs something else, but all I can say at this point is that it stops short of prunes while definitely hinting at them.  Absent from the "Belgian style" is any sort of Belgian yeast notes and any spice.  I don't necessarily expect the former in a dubbel/tripel/quad, but I certainly expect a little of the latter.

Appearance 3/3

Easy points here.  It's a dusty copper shade when poured in small amounts, but larger amounts lend bright red and magenta highlights to the brew and make it pleasing to the eye.  The head on this 5-year old beer was still (surprisingly) present in a half finger's worth of tan foam that faded with a slight crackle.

Flavor 18/20

This beer takes its time to make an impression on the palate, fading straight away into its backbone of flavors and giving no introduction.  The easily found primary flavors are the dark fruits from the aroma, but without the bite or subdued acidity that the apples might have brought.  The cider character of the apples is still present and plays very well with the other fruits.  There is a notable booziness that hid itself in the aroma, but comes across as very outgoing in the flavor.  Holding the brew in the mouth allows the initial sweetness of the fruits to die down a bit and the slightly bitter, "browned apple" flavor to step forward in addition to a previously undetectable spiciness.  A welcome addition to any Belgian ale!  It pricks the tongue a bit, gives more interest to the bitter, and keeps things true to style.  A swallow quickly brings more of the bitter as well hints of a vinous, purple grape.  Ultimately, the bitter and the sugars of the dark fruits combine to give a lasting final impression of the beer.  The aftertaste is more notable for its mouthfeel than its flavors, becoming somewhat sticky in the mouth and the alcohol drying on the tongue.  Though it the acidity of the apples does reprise itself after a lengthy pause.

Mouthfeel 4/5

The body is good for the style and the spiciness does eventually show up if you hold it in your mouth long enough.  The alcohol is just right in this beer - enough to let you know it's there, but not so much that it even comes close to taking over a flavor, even a minor one.  Carbonation is adequately active, though made to seem less by the medium-heavy body is has to move through.  The spiciness is a nice addition to the finish and, with the carbonation, is another way the beer's creaminess is perceptibly diminished without effecting the body.

Overall Impression 8/10

Even for an "old" bottle, this beer is unsurprisingly tasty.  Lots of dark fruits, true to its style, and a robust version of a Belgian without trying to be too huge.  I would be more than pleased if someone purchase this beer for me in a pub.  Goose Island prints right on the label, "Develops in the bottle for up to 5 years," and by George, they're not lying.

Total  43/50

If one were to use the "grading scale" found in schools, this score would register a solid "B," but if you were to ask me personally I'd say an easy "B+."  Bottled on May Day 2009, this beer has had to wait a long time for its heyday, and it delivers with a true to style, tasty, dark fruit laden, palate-warming treat.  Furthermore, this bottle has been impeccably kept, remaining either in standard refrigerators or a special beer fridge (50 degrees Farenheit) for its entire existence.  Talk about a princess.  Such excellent storage conditions in mind, had there been any "off-putting" flavors, the beer would have no one to blame save itself.  However, with its excellence proven, it now stands to claim all the glory.  Solid work, Goose Island.  I'll be trying this experiment again.

Goose Island - 25th Anniversary Ale

It seems a very good friend of ours is celebrating a rather special occasion.  That's right friends, while I might be late to the party there was no way that I was going to miss offering a hearty and well-deserved "Congratulations!" to Goose Island on their silver anniversary!  Twenty-five big years of holding down the craft beer scene in Chicago.  It wasn't always easy, but their persistence, dedication to quality, and determination to spread the craft beer gospel has paid off in spades.  Before I get this review started, if you haven't seen it already be sure to check out the interview with Goose Island Founder, John Hall.  It was conducted by cool guy and all around beer badass Nik from Chicago Beer Geeks.  Talk about an insane privilege!  All right, now let's see what GI has whipped for us for this festive event.  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

The first sniffs of the chilled brew are almost akin to a good German lager.  European hops are prominent with their earthiness and a delicate, fresh citrus that blends with it.  A faint but unmistakable pine note enters later as the beer warms.  The malts are barely roasted and bready with only trace amounts of caramel.  Not a powerhouse of an aroma, but they don't all have to be, do they?

Appearance 3/3

This beer absolutely sets the glass on fire with its bright reddish-coppers and orange hues.  Super high clarity and capped with a nicely contrasting ivory colored foam.  No movement from bubbles inside, but the head remains as a surface covering for some time and shows no sign of stopping.  Hold this one at arms length and look into it as you move it toward and away from a light source.  You won't be disappointed.

Flavor 17/20

A malt-driven beginning showcases some dry, crackery, and crystal malts.  Things get only a drizzle of caramel before a bitter fades in slowly as does a tart tinge.  The main backbone is a caramel/crystal malt combination with some spicy hops thrown in the mix.  Thankfully, the caramel's round, mellow sweetness increases as the beer warms in the glass.  The delicate hop citrus notes from the aroma have been made even less of a presence, but are still detectable.  Well, balanced but with an emphasis on the bitter as the style demands.  The finish actually allows the caramel to finish its say before washing it clean with a light, resinous bitter that makes the sides of the tongue tingle ever so slightly.  Aftertaste is more of the resin clinging to whatever it can.

Mouthfeel 5/5

I like this.  It's a moderate-full mouthfeel that helps you to ration out the beer and take your time.  Its lighter flavors would have you drink it more quickly and fall victim to the invisible 6.4% ABV.  In fact, the body is the only clue that you're getting anything other than a standard strength ale.  The carbonation is initially fairly aggressive, but slides deceptively into the hops' spiciness as it sits in the mouth.  It's a neat trick.  Somehow despite that nearly prickly carbonation, the beer swallows with a smooth and creamy finish.  There's a lot of neat stuff going on here if you're willing to pay attention to a characteristic that often goes unheralded.

Overall Impression 7/10

I suppose the beer does the style well: the English hops are well used in the "bittering only" capacity, the color is gorgeous and appropriate, it enjoys a caramel sweetness, and exhibits a sturdier body than expected while remaining quite drinkable (as most English styles demand).  For a reasonably priced sixer this beats out a lot of options that are available.

Total 42/50

This is not a bad beer.  It's not a knockout either.  Maybe Goose Island is brewing this as a tribute to one of their earlier beers and I don't know about it?  Note:  Upon further investigation, it is.  Click here.  I'd definitely purchase this over a lot of other beers available.  I might even use it to win over the adventurous few who are thinking of taking the leap into bitter beers, but aren't ready for stronger IPAs or American-style brews just yet.  I suppose that experiencing year after year of big ol' anniversary beers from any number of brewers I was expecting something a little more "special" from Goose Island on their 25th.  In hindsight, I appreciate the tip of the hat they are giving to their roots, and if I want something bigger I'll turn to a bottle of Big John or Bourbon County.  Also, since I haven't said it yet on the blog... big, huge, massive kudos to Goose Island for proving all the pessimists wrong and still brewing amazing beer after they were bought by AB-InBev.  If that purchase had any effects, they were all positive.  Goose Island's capabilities are expanded exponentially and AB-InBev has the ability to endlessly mimic a recipe, giving GI a consistent product even as their production happily ramps up to new levels.  I won't claim complete amnesty and say I wasn't concerned at all, but Goose Island has proved us all wrong and I've never been so glad to eat a bit of crow... er, goose.

Goose Island - Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout

Holy cow!  You guys have easily made this my best month ever despite the fact that I was gone for a week to Washington D.C. and wrote no new posts during that time (minus a pending photo spread of Port City Brewing in Alexandria, VA).  In thanks for your dedication and in apology for that pesky thing called "life" getting in the way of craft beer reviews, I'm breaking something extra special out of the cellar today!  All the good vibes I'm feeling call for no less than to break out a bottle of Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout.

 Being religiously revered by the craft beer communities (100/100 on both beeradvocate.com and Ratebeer.com) makes these bottles pretty hard to get and I consider myself lucky that I was able to snag two.  However, this may not be as much of an issue in the future as Goose Island has announced that due to a large increase in barrel-aging facilities, BCS will be available year round!!!  Such an occasion also gives me an opportunity to break out my new "sampling" glasses that I picked up while at Port City.  They have a mark on them to indicate the proper size of the pour, a nice wide body to permeate the air with its aromas, and finally a very narrow opening so that the nose may better do its duty.  Despite the aforementioned perfect ratings, I will be giving this beer the most unbiased review that I can.  Let's pour!

Aroma 12/12

OK, so those perfect scores are on to something.  The characters in this aroma (chocolate, bourbon, and coffee) are certainly not new to the craft beer world, but the way in which they mingle is unmatched.  I attribute this somewhat to the Anjilanaka coffee beans used in the brewing process, as the coffee aroma is completely unique.  The rest I attribute to the craftsmanship used when brewing this beer.  The chocolate aroma is thick, rich, and has more than a little bit of lactose behind it, implying a chocolate milk.  The bourbon is the next aroma and its tingle is unmistakeable.  Already the sweetness of the malts is harmonizing with that of the bourbon and it's very exciting.  The coffee starts out in third place, but grows in prominence as the beer warms.  It truly does the work of tying all three ingredients together.  The darkness of the coffee compliments the malt, but it bitterness also helps balance it.  Meanwhile, its bite takes a note from the bourbon's warmth and earthiness.  This is a blend of the gods.

Appearance 3/3

I'm not sure how to score this, as I feel the head is simply not up to par.  Then again, are head and its retention going to be possible in a 14.0% ABV?  Granted, it was present initially in a handsome dark brown, but only it poured a half a finger tall and fizzed down to nothing as I snapped a few photos (see above photo).  As far as the rest of the appearance, it's as black as tar and even has that slight yellowish outline when held up to light.  Pretty cool.  

Note:  I eventually scored this beer 3/3 instead of 2/3 after considering the mouthfeel.  If one does not hold a minimal carbonation content against the beer when in the mouth because of its style and high ABV, then I feel it's hardly fair to do so when in the glass.

Flavor 20/20

I'm pretty sure this just made my tastebuds each put on their favorite NCAA mascot costume and begin a violent, marathon orgy.  The beginning is a eye-closing harmony of world-class chocolate and bourbon's sweetness.  It literally made me close my eyes in a moment of requiem.  The bourbon fades away briefly to showcase the chocolate, which is an ohmygoshIjustpaidhowmuchforchocolate type chocolate that you only wish you could get for your significant other on Valentine's Day (hell, you wouldn't mind receiving it either).  With the coffee's light bitter it is simply extravagant.  The bourbon then re-enters, but this time it brings its heat and not so much its sweetness; it's not about to let this Bourbon County Stout go without its namesake, after all.  The result is a confectioner's dream of silky milk chocolate, bourbon's sweetness and warmth, and hints of coffee.  My tasting glass has definitely warmed and I'm finding the coffee to be quite understated, but the bourbon to be quite prominent.  Unless this strange type of coffee bean is helping contribute to the Godzilla-sized portions of amazing chocolate in this beer.  In that case, I can find it pretty easily.  The finish is fantastic, but probably only if you like bourbon.  It's a whole lot of alcohol warmth that spreads it wings across the chest, but does allow the coffee bitter to come through a bit more to give a "very dark" chocolate sensation.  Detecting any other flavors past those two behemoths is going to be insanely difficult.

Mouthfeel 5/5

This is a little bit thinner in the mouth than I expected after the thick pour and heavy lactose smell, but thankfully so.  Had it been as thick as one expects, the beer might border on undrinkable.  That said, the initial mouthfeel is a bit thin, but sits heavily upon the tongue as if it takes a while to realize what it is there to do.  The carbonation is minimal, but in a beer this big and alcohol laden it is not completely inappropriate nor unwelcome.

Overall Impression 10/10

Color me impressed.  You can't be mad at a beer that promises you bourbon and then delivers.  Or rather, one that delivers, but not at the expense of other flavors.  I've definitely had the products of brewers happy to blast their hard work with bourbon and call it a day.  Goose Island, while brewing a beer strong with bourbon, also gives us oodles of dripping, rich chocolate and a coffee backdrop that tops any I've tasted (although Beer Geek Brunch gives this coffee it a run for its money).  This is a monster beer that still manages to harmonize a trio of insanely delicious flavors.  You know when you've had something special and this beer certainly qualifies.

Total 50/50

They almost lost their perfect score in the "Appearance" category, but they pulled through to gain that elusive 50/50; only the fifth beer to do so, in over 140 reviews!  Right from the aroma, this beer is ready to knock your socks off.  My tasting glass sat at least two feet away from me and I could still smell the chocolate/milk/coffee blend emanating from its opening.  The taste is a wonderful conglomeration of flavors and any stout lover/big beer lover will be able to appreciate this beer.  Some could complain it's too boozy, but I counter that the warmth never overwhelms the other flavors.  It may knife fight them for the spotlight, but it never drowns out its partners.  In fact, to remedy this (and to help keep the beer at a more desirable temperature as a whole) I recommend small pours.  Those that find the bourbon warmth to be an issue may have let the beer warm too much.  Keeping it at a suitable drinking temperature helps to blend the bourbon with the other delicious flavors and keep this harmony strong.  Also, never give this beer a wine-tasters' slurp unless you wish to be lambasted with bourbon goodness.  Kudos to Goose Island on this AMAZING brew and best of luck on their barrel-aging endeavors!!!

Midwest Brewers Fest 2011

Quality ticket!  Even moreso than most minor league sports teams.
This is like NFL-grade tickets!

I don't how else to start out except saying that this beer fest was amazing.  It seems like everything was planned for, thought of, and somehow miraculously executed.  The devil is in the details after all...  Since it has been almost a week  since this happened all my short term memories have worn off as has the exact order of the day. All I have to go on are pictures, impressions, and notes from my complimentary beer tasting book.  It should be more than enough.

The first thing you see when you walk in are tents.  Huge, white, nicer-looking tents and they're lined up probably a good quarter mile.  These are not just tents that the brewers are under, these are tents that the brewers are centered underneath and that the samplers also get to go under to escape the ridiculously gorgeous weather.

The flow from the entrance puts you right into the tents and the day starts immediately.  My day happened to start with Stone 15th Anniversary Imperial BIPA.  It was a sign of things to come.

I had to stop and try it (despite my best judgement about not stopping at the first tent) and it did not let me down.  However, I could not dawdle.  There were amazing craft beers to be drank and I was just the man for the job.  Before I go into a ton of different beers though, allow me to talk about the different aspects of the festival and how fantastic they were.

The Grounds
This was basically set in a forest preserve.  I know it wasn't really, but you could've fooled me if it were not for its close proximity to some train tracks and the rest of the Chicago burbs.  It was a massive grassy clearing with the aforementioned white tents down the middle.

This looks toward the entrance. VIP tent on the right.  Could this
weather have been any more gorgeous?!

Enjoying the grounds with accessorized hops.

Lining the right hand border of the grounds were porta-potties about every 40 yards, each "station" even had its own hand washing station.  Sure, that seems like common sense, but I have been to events/concerts/etc that do not have them and I always appreciate them when they are there.  The left border of the grounds is a river with picnic tables stationed here and there.  Not only did they have seating, but I didn't have to bring it myself, nor pay extra for it, it was scenic and (except during midday) shaded!  I am pleased beyond words at this.

Taking full advantage of the free seating.

The Facilities
I have already discussed the abundance of porta-potties, hand-washing stations, and shade-giving white tents so I won't rehash them here even if it would have been more appropriate to list them in this section.  On thing I have not mentioned are the kegs of water.  Yes, that's what I said.  There were four kegs of water located near the corners of each tent for rinsing of tasting glasses, palates, and for hydrating on this sunny day (jokes about Miller Lite kegs were abundant).  The food tent also had plenty of room for seating and navigating.  Halfway down the river side of the festival was also a cigar tent/area manned by Burning Leaf Cigars (www.burningleafcigarsonline.com).  They were selling some really good cigars, providing all the classic cigar stores services (cuts, lights, etc), and had roped off seating for the smoking the cigars you just purchased.  Even though you were only supposed to smoke cigars in that area, people were walking around with them outside of the disgnated area (its outside, so no big deal), but the smokers never seemed to wander in the tents where others might be effected.  This theme of common courtesy and mutual amicability seemed to rule the day.  I smoked a Pinar del Rio on their recommendation and did not regret it.

There was even had a Homebrewers tent which featured tutorials on brewing and some people's actual homebrews.  This tent was packed throughout the day and it was only toward the end of the day that I fought through the crowd so I wouldn't miss out on this neat opportunity for homebrewers and future homebrewers alike.

Remember how I mentioned the tents were plenty spacious inside, so as to give shade to the brewers AND the fest-goers?  Check it out.

Stone Brewing was in one of the very first tents.

Limestone was in a tent with TONS of other local
Chicago microbrewers.  An awesome tent!!

Some folks from Mendocino.  Frank (white polo) of Mendocino was one
of the friendliest folks manning a booth that day.

Chi-town folks were plenty chatty too!  Good work.

This booth got a TONS of buzz (pun not intended) as the
fest went continued.  They had some amazing varieties of
mead and it was EXTREMELY well made.

5 Rabbit, another Chicago microbrewer, had a very neat
passionfruit beer.  Trust me.

Head Brewer of Big Muddy Chuck Stuhrenberg manning
his own booth.  They had $10 shirts and free temporary tattoos!

Yet another Chicago microbrewery.  Awesome.

Headbrewer Pete/Pedro (beard) at the Haymarket Brewing
table.  Probably my favorite brewery at the fest!

Food
The food tent was just as spacious as the rest of the fest and had more than enough seating both in the shade of the tent itself or by the river.  Whole Foods showed up and donated a bunch of food!  They were handing it out to everyone that entered the food tent.  What were they handing out?

Just chocolate covered bacon is all.  Eventually, the chocolate must have been running low and they started just drizzling it.  Also, eventually they ran out of bacon and switched to hot dogs.  I know it sounds gross, but keep in mind the following 1) This is Whole Foods.  They don't have $0.99 hotdogs.  These are like big ol' ballpark hot dogs.  2)  How is it that different from bacon?  Either way it is sweet and salty and smoky meat.  Needless to say, we walked past a few times.  Overall, food was not expensive by any stretch but was amazing.  My vote for best food booth goes to the folks at Gilbert's Craft Sausages who were serving up sausages with clever names like "Oui-sconsin" (beef smoked sausage with bleu cheese), the Shebeergan (beer brat), and the Catalana (pork, mozzarella,chipotle, & lime).  I know the last one doesn't have a clever name, but look at all that stuff in the brat.  Not "on the brat" or "served on the side."  All those flavors were inside the sausage and it was fantastic.

The Beer
What a friggin' lineup!  For an established beer festival this would have been a great selection.  As a first-year foray into the burgeoning world of festivals, this was nothing short of spectacular.  56 different brewers and many were from the Chicago area and its surrounding suburbs.  Here is what I can testify to:

1.  5 Rabbit Cerveceria - 5 Lizard:  Aroma like a pink starburst.  Flavor is sour passionfruit with a bit of citrus.  Lots of carbonation and a sweet finish

2.  5 Rabbit Cereveceria - Golden Ale:  About as I expected.  Light.  Though I did try it much later in the day.  After a lot of bigger beers, its subtleties may have been lost on me.

3. Brickstone Brewery - Hop Sinner:  Aroma of caramel & citrus hop.  Flavor is complex and has brown sugar, rye, and a pine citrus hop.  This is nicely balanced, has a defined hop profile, a moderate bitter, and is a bit on the sweet side.  Very nice!  This beer was so tasty I felt compelled to buy one of their moderately priced glasswares.

4.  Big Muddy Brewing - Big Muddy Monster:  According to Head Brewer Chuck Stuhrenberg this beer sells so well that they're not able to distribute it like they are their other beers.  Lots of red malts and a sudden, almost coffee-ish bitter.  India Brown Ale?  Good work IL craft brewer!

5.  Chicago Beer Company - Windy City Wheat:  A lighter version of the style.  It's plenty crisp, coriander notes, and a little banana in the finish.

6.  Clown Shoes - Clementine Witbier:  Light, crisp, not overly done or syrupy in the least.  A wonderful blend of a bright tangerine and the creaminess of the witbier.

7.  Finch's Beer Co. - Sapsucker:  Another up and coming Chicago microbrewery!  This was red with a nice hop bitter.  There was no real distinct rye flavors, but this was another bright, crisp, refreshing beer on a day that suited it perfectly.

8.  Flossmoor Station - Hopfenweizen:  Aroma of banana and pine (wow!).  Flavors of dark banana, bitter notes.  Great head retention!  Really need blend of flavors that don't usually get put together.  Well done!  Of course, they're from IL.

9.  Emmett's Brewing Co. - Pale Ale:  Classic.  Bitter.  Refreshing.  Flavorful. Representing IL.

10.  Goose Island - Marisol:  Previously only available at the Frontera Grill (despite rumors of future bottling).  This smells of Belgian yeast, strong florals, and vanilla.  Body is lighter than expected and beer is well-carbonated.  Flavor is citrus, apples, and Belgian yeast with a finish of lemon and oak.

11.  Haymarket - Mathias Imperial IPA:  This brewery has been open 7-8 months after their Brewmaster Pete started his own brewery after working at another.  If these beers are any indication, these guys are going to be huge.  This beer was argued by many to be the "Best of Show."  This beer was amazingly rich, with caramel malt and a hoppy pine that flowed seamlessly back and forth between each other.  They were perfect compliments and this was a superior beer. IL owned and operated

12.  Haymarket - BUK:  This is a black rye bock full of dark cocoa, dark roast malt (with a slightly lighter body than expected for the color), and a lite rye that wasn't tangy, but a neat bitter/sweet blend.

13. Limestone Brewing Co. - Springbrook Honey Heather Ale: Honey & floral flavors (duh), but with woody notes and fairly crisp.  A heavier body contrasting the lighter flavors, but not in an unpleasant way.  More IL goodness.

14.  Mendocino Brewing - Imperial IPA:  Not too big with a nice balance.

Frank broke this out for us from behind the table.
I was glad that he did.

15.  Mendocino Brewing - White Hawk IPA:  Apples, soapy head, cracker malt, and citrus.

16.  Brewery Ommegang - BPA:  Very interesting.  Maybe not my cup of tea, but classic elements of each are easily discernible.

17.  Revolution Brewing Co. - Eugene:  Helluva porter.  Not a heavy version of the style, but lots of muddy chocolate and a drying finish.  Extra brownie points for bad ass tap handles and being from Chicago.

18.  Stone Brewing Co. - 15th Anniversary BIPA:  Grapefruit, bitter, coffee, and a delicious dark brown head.  This was easily a top 5 beer of the fest.  These guys were also cool enough to take out a growler of BPA from underneath the table, but I neglected to take notes on it because I was geeking out with some fellow bloggers about it.

19.  Two Brothers Brewing Co. - Robust Porter:  Chocolate, smokey, and smooth.  A suburban favorite brewer.

20.  Uinta Brewing Co. - Punk'n:  Not as sweet as other pumpkin varieties.  Lots of balance and carbonation.  Lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.

21.  Wild Onion Brewing Co. - Jack Stout:  Brownie points for being distributed in cans.  Lots of sweet malt, chocolate, toffee with a molasses finish and a lighter bitter for the style.  Finally distributing on the west side of IL.

22.  B. Nektar Meadery - Barrel Aged Dry Cyser:  I don't get much experience with meads, but after this I may have to seriously rethink that.  This drink was mature, honey, light tannins, and a finish of vanilla oak.  My brief notes, literally say "WOW!"  Plus the selection that they brough along was ridiculous!  He had no less than 8 varieties of his wares.  Please see the picture of this guy pouring it up in the "Facilities" section of this post.  He was talking it up, educating drinkers (including myself), and I'm pretty sure soaking up the excitement that his product was generating.  Toward the end you could barely approach this table because of the crowd!

The People
I saved the best for last.  Thankfully, I was able to attend with good friends and fortunate to make some new ones.  In an impromptu fashion, a meeting was arranged in the Twitterverse between several bloggers.  Around 3:30 we all agreed to meet up with Jason of TGBOAT at the Craft Beer 101 tent to meet in real life for the first time.  What a cool sensation to finally meet some of the people behind the avatars and website banners!  Lots of warm greetings, introductions, hand shaking, and laughs were shared.  It was like meeting old friends despite them being only the newest kind.  I don't know how I didn't cross paths with some (I'm looking at you theperfectlyhappyman, and Lance!), but the ones I did have the pleasure of meeting made the last half the fest truly memorable.  Nik of Chicago Beer Geeks,Wes from TGBOAT, and I definitely made the most of the last few hours of the fest laughing like idiots, trying to use up copious amounts of drink tickets, sharing beer opinions, and soaking up the last few drops of a beautiful day.

My l337 craft beer drinking crew for the day.

Craft Beer 101 tent

People meeting more people IRL.

Wes from TGBOAT manning the tent.

More of the l33t crew and the one who has to tolerate
me the most.

Having a great time toward the end of the day with
friends and extraneous hand gestures.

These two random dudes came up and gave me all their
tickets as they were leaving.  Their exact words, "Well, you're
smoking a cigar and wearing a New Glarus shirt.  We
figure they're in good hands."

In case you couldn't tell, I enjoyed myself immensely at this fest and cannot wait to return in any number of subsequent years.  The organizers put on one helluva good time and if you missed it, be ready for next year.  This thing can only get bigger and better.

I'd like to make a joke about blurry vision and leaving
a beer festival, but I in no way like to joke about drunk
driving.  Sorry to pee on your corn flakes.

Pints for Pachyderms

Last Friday I was invited by some friends to attend a fundraiser at a local zoo called "Pints for Pachyderms."  Lured by the thought of mutually inebriating elephants and myself, I went and had one heckuva time.

First off, the midwest is currently in the grip of a heatwave and Friday was no different.  I don't know the exact temperature, but it was enough to give me a pronounced 'V' down the front of my shirt.  Gross, I know, but also motivating to down some cold ones.  I'll give some general narration, but then try to give as many quick beer synopses as I can.  Also, in this article if I list a beer as "did not try," it's not because I didn't want to or was playing the part of the beer snob.  They were only giving out one sample at a time though often times you could ask for two.  If it's listed as "did not try," it is because I didn't feel like waiting in line any more.

First Tent:

Wild Blue: 8% ABV.  Tastes like blueberry juice, sugar, vanilla.  Not beer.

Shocktop Raspberry Wheat:  Complimentary, non-overwhelming raspberry.  I could get behind this as a very refreshing (yet sweet) summer beer.

They also had Margaritaville drinks, but I did not have any.

This first tent also had complimentary peanuts in shell, pretzles, and potato chips.  At first I thought the peanuts were just because of the event's name, but they're also pretty standard bar chow and something to change up on the palate from one beer to the next.  Turns out they had them at every table.  Walking to the next tent we were able to walk by some primate habitats.

Primates outside the primate exhibit.

Line for second tasting.

The second tasting area was for Mexican beers.  Given the hot temps it was no surprise that the lines for this tent were a little longer as people waiting for their cool, lighter-bodied beers.  These servers were probably some the nicer ones as well.  The guy promised me, not knowing that I am into craft beer, that the beers get stronger and more "craft-like" as we go.  The girl asked me what I wanted to drink.  I looked at the beers.  She said, "Do you want this one because it's cold and in my hand?"  Me: "You're good, you."

Second Tent: Mexican Beer

Modelo: Light pilsner in a can.  About what you'd expect.

Negro Modelo:  Pretty universal.  Do I need to touch on this one?

Victoria:  Light pilsner with the slight skunk of Mexican beer.

Pacifico:  All of the above (but no can).

You can't take some people anywhere.

 The next station was rather several things all under a larger tent: Potosi table, radio DJ, pints for sale, food, Summit table, and lots of thirsty fest-goers.

Food set up was nice.  Even the plastic wear made it seem more formal!

Thank goodness these were on sale.  Those samples weren't going to hold me.

 I actually visited the Summit table first and was thirsty enough to dive into their EPA.  Not that their EPA is bad, far from it, but IPA, EPA, BPA, etc, are not usually my first choice.

(Out of order) Fourth Tent: Summit
EPA: 4/5 Stars.  Not real bitter.  Very refreshing.  I probably drank this too fast.
Red Ale:  Very hoppy for a red.  Not very malty.
Hefe:  Did not try.

The Summit selections

Hard-workin' men from Summit.

 In this tent, and strategically placed throughout the zoo, were zoo employees with some of the zoo's animals. How cool!  This bird was in the main tent.

Third Tent: Potosi
Steamboat Shandy: Lots of citrus (duh), peach, and even apple.  They ran out of this later.
Snake Hollow IPA: citrus hops with a light bitter finish.  Perfect for the day.  I bought a pint of this later.
Good old Potosi: Did not try
Pure Malt Cave Ale: Did not try

This snake was en route to the fifth tent.

 The fifth station was a true taste of the local scene.  Great River Brewery is a brewery that recently moved across Iowa to our area.  Mississippi River Distillery started in LeClaire, IA (current home of TV show "American Pickers").  Irish Dog solely makes Bloody Mary Mix that used to be concocted right in their kitchen (they inform me they have since moved out of the kitchen).

Fifth Tent: LOCAL BREWS!
Mississippi River Distillery: This gin was phenomenal.  It tasted more peppermint, than true juniper, but allowed for a more mellow experience.  Also elements of simple syrup with very little burn on the way down.  There was a flavor I could not place, but eventually I determined it was "that minty spice in Thai food."  A friend in the group said, "That's right!  Lemongrass!  She DID say they used lemongrass."  Tastebuds: 1, Mystery Flavor: 0  I will be buying this when looking for gin.
Irish Dog Bloddy Mary:  Wow!  This is spicy meat-a-ball-a!  Not painful, but definitely as spicy as you can make it with out that.  Damn tasty.  Heat didn't linger too bad either.  It probably just seemed longer because of the weather.  All it lacked was my customary dill pickle spear and it would have been perfect.  I will be buying this as well.
Great River Brewery - Redband Stout:  This infuses the exact taste of a coffee drink.  Very authentic tasting.  Lots of espresso in what I bet is a milk stout.  Chocolate as well.  Tasty.

There was lots I did not get to try at this table.

Paul, brewmaster of Great River, pouring with the best of them.

The husband and wife team that is Irish Dog.

Giraffe shower scene on the way to the next tent.

I christened these animals, "skunk monkeys," and the name seemed to stick with those around us.

After seeing some animals, we arrived at the sixth table stationed by Goose Island.  Before I go into that, this whole day is a really cool idea.  How many times are there brew festivals where you get to see giraffes and lions?  Not many, I bet.  It really combines two great activities (or dates, if one were so inclined) and makes both enjoyable.  On to the next table.

Sixth Tent:  Goose Island
The only bummer about this table is that I only got one tasting!  They had their good stuff out and I really would have liked to try another one.  Good thing the one I was able to try was....
Pere Jacques (2009):  Smells remind of apple cider.  Flavor is roasted malt, a little warmth, cider, and dates.  Light citrus bitter at the end.  This is the most complex beer I had all day.  I couldn't believe they were pouring a 2009!

Goose Island folks.

Me with an unamused "skunk monkey."

Right by the lions' area was the Woodchuck Cider table.  They had some chummy folks working there and were pouring some of their special reserve.  Now, some of you may not think much of the ciders or that they would even have a Special Reserve, but my good friend (and very competant beer drinker) Keith has been telling me about this for probably a month, so I had to try it.

Seventh Tent: Woodchuck
Special Reserve:  Similar to their 'Fall' variety (which is AMAZBALLS), but more crisp and without their abundance of fall spices.  It also had a light, light bitter toward the end.  Very impressive cider.
Summer:  It is supposed to be based in blueberries, but the first flavor I got was pear!  The blueberries did come though.  They tasted like fresh blueberries!  They were not tart, nor syrupy.

Our tasting group!

 We were starting to lose daylight so the rest of the tour increased its pace a bit.  Next was Dundee tent.  I'm not really familiar with Dundee so I was excited to taste their offerings.

Eighth Tent: Dundee
IPA: Aroma was piney and caramel malt.  Flavor was also caramel, but included cream and resin.  Light clean finish.
Kolsch:  Similar to a cream ale I had recently that also had a sweetness that reminds one of marshmallows.  This was only up front in this beer and makes me want to keep trying this style and discover its recent hype.
Bock:  Aroma that was smokey like Thanksgiving day roast.  My friend Jim found it "like bourbon... oaky," and he is right on the money.  Taste was a light caramel/molasses with a little bit of honey up front.  Very nice!

AHH!!  Twilight is falling upon us!  Quick get to the other tents.

Ninth Tent: Shiner
102: Aroma of lemon and crystal malt.  Flavor is the same.
Old Ale:  More like a lager than an ale.  Light pilsner without the hops.

The tenth tent was all the AB/InBev products.  However, since we are all familiar with them I won't review them here (but perhaps in an upcoming post).  Kudos to big beer for showing up at a small event (especially since their distributor is about 4 miles away).  They brought some of the good stuff too!  Bass, Stella Artois, Leffe, and Bodingtons

Is there anything more majestic than llamas in the moonlight?

That about sums it up kids.  5 hours, 6 friends, 10 tents, 21 beers, one spirit, and one bloody mary.  Not bad for a days work.  The only thing to make this better is if I win those Poison/Motley Crue tickets I signed up to win.  I'll keep you posted.