Robin Shepard
Another edition of the Great Taste of the Midwest has come and gone.
The Great Taste of the Midwest celebrated its 30th anniversary this past weekend. More than 6,400 craft beer aficionados sampled from nearly 200 breweries and more than a thousand different beers during the five-hour event at Madison’s Olin Park. While rain was in the forecast, by 1 p.m. when the gates opened, the clouds parted. I’ve been to most of the Great Tastes over the past three decades and rain has been a serious threat in just a couple. The weather was nearly ideal. Here are my picks from this day of the best of Midwest beer.
Favorite Pre-Great Taste Party
The Farm to Table/ Hop Farm to Tap event at the Edgewater Hotel featuring fresh (wet) hops and botanical-infused beers won me over. Local breweries including One Barrel, Alt Brew, Vintage and Wisconsin Brewing picked hops earlier in the day and used them to hop up select beers. The evening culminated in the hotel’s Red Crown Club bar on the 11th floor for a beautiful sunset overlooking Lake Mendota. This was a new event this year, and the rooftop setting makes it one that brewers and drinkers will probably vie for in the future.
Biggest Beer with Flavor, Not Just Strength
The Bent Effect, Radicle Effect Brewerks (Rock Island, Illinois)
This is a collaboration beer with Bent River Brewing (Moline, Illinois) using Mississippi River Distilling Company (Le Claire, Iowa) whiskey barrels to age this brown ale. It had lots of character from chocolate and rye malt. Sweet, yet dry, with a warm alcoholic finish of 6.5% ABV.
Barrel-Aged
Old Ale, Upper Hand Brewery (Escanaba, Michigan)
I lost myself in the boozy, oaky smoothness of malt, vanilla and wood.
Robin Shepard
Steve Miller's Banned IIPA plays on the brewmaster's name. Yep! Different guy.
Bitter with Balance
Steve Miller’s Banned IIPA, SlapShot Brewing Company (Chicago)
Not really a reference to the 1970s rocker – the brewer’s name is actually Steve Miller. This American IIPA was assertive with firm citrus hoppiness – like a big ‘ol jet airliner carrying you away to hop nirvana.
Bold and Robust
Big and Sexy, Sand Creek Brewery (Black River Falls, Wisconsin)
This was described as a 2013 vintage of the brewery’s Oscar’s Double stout. However, brewmaster Todd Krueger admitted he had no idea how long this oatmeal stout had been aging in wood. “We actually forgot what was in that barrel and it had sat around at least three years, maybe longer,” he confided.
Cask Beer
Magnetron, Metropolitan Brewing (Chicago, Illinois)
A raspberry-infused schwarzbier (black lager), this one had lots of chocolate that blended well with the fruity raspberry. I tried this on a recommendation from my beer friends standing in the cask ale tent and it was a wonderful discovery.
Fruity Beer
Rubis, Brau Brothers Brewing Company (Marshall, Minnesota)
Creamy and full-bodied, with sweet chocolate maltiness and a firm background of blackberries. It was warm at 8.5% ABV.
Hops and Then Some
War Mullet, 3 Floyds Brewing Company (Hammond, Indiana)
Like many of the beers from 3 Floyds, this was full-flavored – a bit of a hop monster that left a lasting impression.
Light and Memorable
Phobophobia Patersbier, Alarmist Brewing (Chicago)
A Patersbier is Dutch for “father’s beer.” This light golden ale was dry and very bubbly. The herbal spicy hoppiness of Czech Saaz hops gave it a crispness; it came off as easy drinking. And rightfully so, at 4.8% ABV.
Robin Shepard
Patrick O'Laughlin, Wisconsin marketing manager for Sam Adams(Boston Beer Company), pours Utopia.
Rare Surprise
Utopias, Boston Beer Company (Boston, Massachusetts)
You’ve likely heard of this one – it’s one of the strongest beers made. It comes in at 28% ABV. It’s released only every other yea, and sold in 24-ounce decanters resembling a lauter tun. It proved to be sweet with lots of dark fruitiness. Warm and boozy, a 2-ounce shot of Utopias alone was worth the price of admission.
Sour
Refresher Course, O’so Brewing Company (Plover, Wisconsin)
The number of sour offerings at the Great Taste has really grown in recent years. O’so’s sour rose above many for being full of wild yeastiness, while remaining drinkable and refreshing. This is a new beer that’s just now appearing in local stores in 750 mL bottles.
Beer to Watch For
Oktoberfest, Lake Louie (Arena, Wisconsin)
Brewmaster Tom Porter came to the fest with his first commercial take on the Märzen. It’s rich in smooth maltiness and a great Oktoberfest that you’ll want to look for, as it’s now available in six-packs.
Rookie Brewery
Biloba Brewing Company (Brookfield, Wisconsin)
Among the new upstarts in Milwaukee, Biloba has a strong pedigree for brewing. It’s owned by Gordon and Jean Lane – Gordon is the president of Chilton-based Briess Malt & Ingredients Company. It was the brewery’s first time attending the Great Taste, bringing five beers. Its Smokin’ Gramma, a rich scotch ale, generated considerable buzz with festgoers.
Non-Beer Find
Mitten cider, Virtue Cider (Fernville, Michigan)
This was light, sweet, and dry. This crisp cider is aged in American bourbon barrels.
Beer/Food Combo
The Smokin’ Cantina’s pork sandwich was a wonderful pairing with Wisconsin Brewing’s DimWIT. The smokiness of the meat dominated, yet the light, clean Belgian wit’s orange crispness was a great complement.
Dessert
K’Paui coconut porter, Bent Kettle Brewing (Fort Atkinson)
This is an American porter with lots of chocolate malt and aroma from added coconut. It’s a bold, dark beer at 7% ABV. It would make a nice way to end a meal. In this case, it was my final beer of the fest, so it served as my dessert at the end of a day of enjoying so many beers.
Favorite of the Day
Howard, Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee)
This Munich helles lager is full of pilsner and sweet honey malts, with a healthy dose of Hallertau Mittlefruh hops for balance. It’s part of the brewery’s “My Turn” series, where brewery employees get a chance to design beer and have it named after them. Howard is Lakefront’s maintenance manager. This one was suited for a sunny day in Olin Park and I found myself returning to for a second glass.
