Todd Hubler
Good beer was never hard to find in 2017. This year marked a resurgence in local pilsners, unusual seasonal releases, interesting uses of hops and haze, blossoming sours and burgeoning barrel-aging programs.
Among my favorite new watering holes were the new Parched Eagle Taproom at 1444 East Washington Ave., the BarleyPop Tap and Shop at 2045 Atwood Ave. The lounge and terrace at the new AC Hotel, 1 N. Webster St., offered hard-to-beat views and a good craft beer list.
As for the beers themselves, the Great Dane’s Rauchbock set the stage early in 2017 for many more great brews to come. Released in January, this smoky bock emerged from the German beechwood roasted malt that gave it its subtle sweetness. It’s also a beer to look for again during bock season and at the Great Dane’s Annual Bockfest on February 10, 2018.
There was a burst in popularity in Wisconsin pilsners. A half-dozen local brewers decided it was their year to make a lager. My favorite among them was Ale Asylum’s Curl, modeled after a German kellerbier. It debuted in February and quickly found a following with its clean, crisp, light body and herbal earthiness from Hallertau hops. Like all good pilsners, it’s balanced and sessionable. Next year, watch for it from February through summer.
The Saison was a style that I couldn’t get enough of during the year. My pursuit led me to discover Lake Louie Brewing’s new take on the style with its wonderfully yeasty, spicy and crisp Midnight on the Bay. Brewmaster Tom Porter made it as a one-off, just a single 30-barrel batch; however the beer’s following has been lobbying for it to return in 2018.
Among my most memorable hoppy beers of the year was the beer formerly known as Behemoth IIPA from One Barrel Brewing. It’s been renamed due to a name conflict with 3 Floyds; it will be re-released as Intentionally Left Blank Imperial IPA. This bold double IPA is made with four hops: Centennial, Cascade, Warrior and Simcoe that combine for an estimated 100 IBUs (International Bitterness Units). It’s big, assertive yet approachable, and so robust that it shares some of the characteristics of a barleywine. It won a bronze medal in the category at this year’s Great American Beer Festival. Another unforgettable beer in the hoppy genre was Ale Asylum’s new IPA called Dr. Vennum, featuring Denali hops.
The New England or Northeast pale ale and IPA craze captured a lot of attention and shelf space here in the Midwest. One of the most noteworthy came late in 2017 from Untitled Art. Mango Milkshake is dripping with tropical notes from Citra, Galaxy and Belma hops, with lots of lactose for body and a cloudy appearance. Its thick orange appearance fits the milkshake description very well. You should still be able to find this beer in stores.
Wisconsin sours continue to be a big deal and demand for them grew in 2017. Levi Funk opened his Funk Factory Geuzeria taproom in south Madison in June. He also introduced his own Meerts, a rather obscure, if not forgotten, lambic-style of beer. Light, crisp, bubbly and bright, it serves as his brewery’s base sour. Meerts is offered straight, or blended with peaches and cherries, or other fruits . There are lots of fans of the fruited versions, however, the serious beer geek in me gives the nod of appreciation to the untainted Meerts for its genuine wild sour character.
I also paid a visit to Like Minds Brewing in Milwaukee this past year. Like Minds opened in late 2016 and is quite popular on the local scene with its barrel-aged sour program. “Robuste with Cherry,” a sour stout, stood out for me. I’m now a big admirer of this brewery and I can’t wait for what Like Minds will be offering in 2018.
Barrel-aging programs have become almost a standard component to many craft brewers’ portfolios. And so have Black Friday beer releases. The Hop Haus in Verona offered Black on Black, an imperial stout aged for seven months in either bourbon or rye whiskey barrels before it’s all blended together and bottled in bombers. Brewmaster Phil Hoechst offered just 360 bottles for the Friday-after-Thanksgiving beer release party, and the line to purchase it was solid for nearly two hours. Hoechst will be bringing a small amount to the Isthmus Beer and Cheese Fest on January 20 at the Alliant Energy Center.
I also liked the fresh wet Citra-hopped Dare Mighty Things from The Brewing Projekt. This IPA was first offered by the Eau Claire brewer in May, and brewmaster-owner Will Glass called it “a sleeper,” a beer he didn’t initially consider packaging. However, he got his hands on freshly picked Citra hops that he had flown in overnight from Yakima, Washington, to make this beer. It offered huge juicy tropical aroma and flavor and for that it rose to the top of my list in 2017. Dare Mighty Things has become a rotating offering featuring different hops, however, my pick is the Citra wet-hopped version that appears in early fall at hop harvest time.
My overall beer of the year was one that hit local shelves in the past 10 days. Potosi’s Inner Sanctum tops my inner circle of 2017 favorites. This Belgian quad is aged for nearly a year in brandy barrels. There’s nothing like the dark fruit flavors of the quad when they meld with the apple fruitiness and warmth of brandy. Inner Sanctum was last offered in 2015, so finding it recently added to the special nature of a quality rare brew. Potosi is quietly making a name for itself with barrel-aged beers and this one falls among the best you’ll find anywhere. I suggest picking up an extra bottle and aging it for the New Year ahead.
