Robin Shepard
A can of Component's Doppelback next to a glass of it.
Milwaukee’s Component is now distributing in Madison.
It’s the height of bock season. A doppelbock from Milwaukee’s Component Brewing Company, a newcomer to the Madison market, just hit local stores.It’s medium- to full-bodied with smooth bready caramel sweetness. Component has a different take on the style: a touch of rye malt gives light spicy dryness to the finish. This is a fairly strong, warm doppelbock at 8% ABV and is available in four-packs of 16-ounce cans ($18).
Component opened in 2018 but this is the first of its beers to reach Madison. The brewery has been making quite a name for itself in Milwaukee, especially with lager styles. “We have been very passionate about lagers since opening and have put a lot of effort into that,” says brewer and co-owner Jon Kowalske. Another Component beer to watch for in Madison later this month will be the easy drinking Fűnf, a Munich dunkel. It’s a clean amber lager with floral and spicy character from Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Hersbrucker hops, finishing at 5.4% ABV.
Robin Shepard
A can of Kong's Garage Band nestled in ice.
Seasonal standout: Kong’s Garage Band from Bevy.
Another current seasonal standout is an imperial stout I discovered at the recent Madison Beer and Cheese Festival. Kong’s Garage Band is an imperial stout from Bevy Brewing of Wisconsin Dells. It’s memorable for its deep dark malty character that avoids both cloying pastry sweetness and harsh burntness from dark malts, both common in big imperials or double stouts. Brewmaster Nick Smith used huskless debittered dark malts for robust flavor. You can find Kong’s locally in four-packs of 12-ounce cans ($14). If you visit the brewery’s taproom in Wisconsin Dells, a barrel-aged version is on tap ($7/8-ounce glass).
Bevy Brewing took over the Port Huron Brewing Company space at 805 Business Park Road, beginning brewing there in 2023. It produces both ales and lagers and more recently started offering sours. Bevy, which the brewery says is short for “beverages,” is owned by Peter Tonn of Lodi. Tonn and Smith have expanded the facility to also make wines and ciders.
Starkweather Brewing Company’s second anniversary celebration, called Shout Out Stout, is a stout tap takeover Feb. 6-11. The lineup includes Starkweather beers and stouts from 10 more local breweries. “In the wintertime people love heavier beers, especially when the snow is blowing,” says Starkweather brewmaster Peter Schroder. Among Schroder’s own special brews for the event will be Triple Chocolate, a bold 9% ABV sweet imperial stout made with, you guessed it, three types of chocolate. Beers will be sold by the glass ($8.50/12-ounce pour) and in four-beer flights ($20-$25/each).
Robin Shepard
Phil Hoechst wearing a gray hoodie and holding a six pack in some sort of distribution area at the brewery.
Phil Hoechst of Hop Haus with his first Maibock.
Hop Haus Maibock is a first for brewmaster Phil Hoechst. Hoechst’s choice of Munich, Vienna and Pilsner malts balanced by Hallertau hops shows a traditional German flair. The beer has a nice bready background, soft and warm with a modest 6.5% ABV. It is available in both Fitchburg and Verona taprooms ($6/pint) and in six-packs of 12-ounce cans ($10/each).
Karben4 Brewing’s annual barleywine, Priest Prophet and King, was aged in seven different types of barrels this year; the beers from each were then blended together. Among the distinctive layers of flavor is one that comes from a barrel used to make Fireball, a Canadian whiskey with cinnamon that lends peppery and clove-like spiciness. Priest Prophet and King finishes strong at 10% ABV ($10/10-ounce glass and $20/four-packs of 12-ounce cans).
Every year in early February, Jim Goronson, brewery co-owner and brewmaster of Parched Eagle Brewpub releases a special beer for his birthday. This year he’s made a barrel-aged version of Geronimo imperial stout. The non-barrel-aged Geronimo hit the taproom a few weeks ago ($8/10-ounce glass). The non-barrel-aged version is robust, dark, and full-bodied with deep roasted chocolate maltiness and lots of warmth at 11% ABV. Goronson’s birthday version is aged for seven weeks in an Old Sugar bourbon barrel. Expect boozy sweetness and noticeable spicy warmth ($8/10-ounce glass). Last fall, Goronson announced he was looking for a buyer for his brewery. He still hasn’t reached an agreement with a prospective buyer; however, he hopes to make a decision by March and announce the future of the brewpub at that time.
