Robin Shepard
Each year on the second Saturday of August, the local beer world goes a little crazy over the Great Taste of the Midwest. Last Saturday, the 32nd rendition of the beer fest brought in some 200 breweries to showcase nearly 1,400 beers. Here’s a look back at a few of my most memorable finds.
Barrel-aged
Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Cherry Stout from Geneva Lake Brewing of Lake Geneva
This imperial stout was rich in bourbon and oaky sweetness and blended well with dark chocolate malts and soft cherry sweetness. Boozy at 13.5 percent ABV.
Big and bold
Imperial Pajamas from Begyle Brewing Company of Chicago
A bold imperial stout made with roasted Ipsento Wildfire espresso. Solid chocolate maltiness with a strong aromatic background of coffee.
Cask brew
Blood Orange IPA from Deer Creek Brewery of Noblesville, Indiana
The cask ale tent offered four dozen beers served under low carbonation and slightly warmer than usual. Throughout the day the tent was always packed. Deer Creek’s Blood Orange IPA offered a softer yet strong fruity edge to the brewery’s well-respected flagship Blood Orange IPA.
Robin Shepard
Next Door Brewmaster Dave Hansen serves his "glitter" version of a WIT. The beer sparkles with the addition of glitter.
Experimental brew
Key Lime gose from Backpocket Brewing of Coralville, Iowa
Part sour and part sweet, this gose is made with honey graham crackers, coriander, key lime juice, vanilla beans and sea salt. Definitely something drinkers don’t find every day.
Hoppy
Tank Scrap IIPA from Lafayette Brewing Company of Lafayette, Indiana
A bold, assertive, hoppy double IPA with dry grapefruit and a noticeable piney resiny quality. A modest malty backbone with some warmth from its 8.3 percent ABV.
Long lines
Barrel-aged Abraxas from Perennial Artisan Ales of St. Louis, Missouri
Festival attendee started lining up for the 2:00pm release of this imperial stout 30 minutes before it was tapped. With so many other good beer around with no or very short lines, those waiting were convinced it is truly a special whiskey barrel beer aged with coca nibs, ancho chilies, vanilla beans and cinnamon.
Robin Shepard
First time attendee, Ryan Kamiski, 24, of Milwaukee was among the first dozen people in line for Saturday's Great Taste of the Midwest. He turned up three hours before the gates opened. Kamiski studies the program prior to the gates being opened.
Mead
With a Baseball Bat from Misbeehavin’ Meads of Valparaiso, Indiana
A growing number of these honey-based alcoholic beverages have been appearing in recent Great Taste festivals. While there were lots of traditional meads offered, this one was definitely different from the pack. It’s made with honey and concord grapes for rich and thick flavors of peanut butter and jelly. Finished sweet with hints of the grapes and warm at 12.5 percent ABV.
New England IPA
Hypercolor IPA from One Barrel Brewing Company of Madison
Juicy, with lots of orange and grapefruit; not bitter, just drinkable and crisp.
Another New England IPA
Friends in MO Places from Missouri Beer Company of O’Fallon, Missouri, and Friendship Brewing Company of Wentzville, Missouri
A collaboration beer brewed with five different hops, rye and oats, this one was sharp, dry and citrusy.
Ones to watch for
Ash’s SMaSHes from Capital Brewery of Middleton
Brewmaster Ashley Kinart unveiled her newest line of beers all based on the single malt and single hop approach. Batch No. 1 was brought to the fest and it was an American blonde made with brewer’s malt and Amarillo hops. Look for more versions of Ash’s SMaSHes this fall, to feature different combinations of malts and hops.
Sour
Apricot Belgian golden ale from Burnt City Brewing of Chicago
My most memorable sour of the day was this Belgian golden ale that offered some sweet tones up against the mildly tart notes of Brettanomyces. This was a very approachable sour, perhaps more tame that what many sour aficionados desire, but for me it was the combination of wildness with depth and complexity that made it noteworthy.
Robin Shepard
Serving inside the Real Ale Tent.
Unexpected find
Golden Stone from Wisconsin Brewing Company of Verona
Fans of this brewery are likely to know Depth Charge, a beer made by heating hot rocks over a fire and dropping them into the wort in the tradition of a stein beer. Just for the Great Taste, the brewery had a small amount of the base beer, a non-barrel-aged golden doppelbock. The plan is for the beer to be aged in J. Henry and Sons bourbon barrels and then released for the 2019 Depth Charge event next July in 22-ounce bottles. A small amount of the base Golden Stone may go on tap for the brewery’s “Pumpkin Chuck Saturday” on September 30. This unaged Golden Stone is a beer to seek out.
Unusual and fun
Church Salad from Pulpit Rock Brewing Company of Decorah, Iowa
A Berliner weisse made with coconut, walnuts, marshmallows and pineapple juice. This seemed like a lot going on.
Robin Shepard
Working Draft Beer Company's Ryan Browne (left) and brewer Clint Lohman.
Most memorable of the day
Belgian Quad from the Brewer’s Series of Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee)
Among the many great things about attending the Great Taste is finding beers you may not find elsewhere. Lakefront rolled out its new Belgian Quad, so new and limited that the beer had not even been served in the brewery’s taproom. It was rich in sweetness and dark stone-fruit qualities. I didn’t feel guilty about having a second sample.
