Rachal Duggan
What’s new at this year’s Isthmus Beer and Cheese Festival? Among the more than 130 breweries attending, about a third will be first-timers. Ethan Kister, owner of the Bullquarian Brewhouse in Monroe that opened last May, says he’s definitely noticed that beer festival-goers faces “light up when they come across [the booth of] a new brewery.”
Other new breweries making their first appearance include 3 Floyds, Einstök Ölgerð, City Lights, Odd Side Ales, Solemn Oath, Untitled Art, Working Draft, Toppling Goliath and more.
Brewers also bring many limited-release beers and some made just for the fest. Beer hunters, in addition to checking out new breweries, you’ll want to make a list of these special beers slated to be poured at this year’s fest.
Watch for a limited amount of Blackwater Scotch Ale, a full-bodied, gluten-free beer aged on toasted oak. It finishes at 8 percent ABV.
This is the Algoma brewery’s first appearance. Among the beers on the must-try list is Brut Force, a bold 10 percent ABV Belgian ale that’s highly carbonated with notes of pear. Brewmaster Nick Calaway will also bring a blueberry stout.
One of the brewery’s most sought-after beers, the Dark Knight Returns, will be poured. This is an imperial porter aged in bourbon barrels.
The newest offering from brewmaster-owner Will Glass is a hazy IPA called Resist. Glass has also been playing around with stout recipes in his Eau Claire brewery; for the fest’s premium session he’ll be serving a milk stout called Moundz Barz.
Sour fans will want to try Bull’s Bruin sour ale, debuting at the fest. It’s made in collaboration with the Klondike Cheese Company of Monroe which supplied the yogurt that was used in the kettle souring process.
Dark Doppelbock returns after a two-year hiatus. Brewmaster Ashley Kinart is also hinting she may bring a cask version of it fermented with oak.
The brewery is holding back a one-sixth barrel of its Mexican Mocha imperial stout just for the fest. It’s made with Colombian dark roast coffee, Mexican vanilla, and chocolate.
Levi Funk always has unique sours. This year, look for Cervino-Gewürztraminer and maybe a limited amount of Cervino-Sangiovese. Funk uses “cervino” as a term referring to an amalgamation of cervisia (beer) and vino (wine).
Brewer Michael Fay is bringing Frambozen Sour Golden, a lambic-style beer made with brettanomyces and local raspberries.
Brewmaster Mark Knoebl will bring North Star 2.0, which has been on tap in the Mount Horeb brewpub this fall. It’s a Düsseldorfer-style alt beer.
This Chicago brewery has garnered a lot of attention; one of the reasons is GoneAway, an outstanding American IPA with lemon and dank flavors. It’s a standard offering from the brewery, and a beer you might overlook if you’re only going after new releases. Don’t overlook it.
Brewmaster Phil Hoechst still has some Black on Black 2017 left over from Black Friday sales and plans to offer it during the premium session. This rich barrel-aged imperial stout was one of my favorite beers of 2017.
The brewery is celebrating a milestone anniversary on Jan. 20, the same day of the fest. To mark the occasion it will serve its 5th Anniversary Winter Warmer, based on a spiced brown ale.
Anticipate a line for the special tapping of the brewery's 2016 Black Friday beer, a bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. Also, from Lakefront's My Turn Series watch for”Kristin,” an 8 percent ABV smoked maple weizenbock. The beer is named after Lakefront's executive chef Kristin Hueneke, who developed the recipe.
Plans are to bring the brewery’s newest release, a winter seasonal called Quadnado. It’s the brewery’s first Belgian quadruple.
One of the brewery’s latest, Etta Sahti, will be tapped. It’s a Finnish ale made with spruce and juniper and aged in barrels with brettanomyces for 10 months.
Look for the brewery’s newest beer, a Doppelbock called Integrator.
The Somerset brewery will bring a limited amount of Leche Dorado de Kittay, a cream ale made with lactose, vanilla, turmeric, black pepper, ginger and cinnamon.
Owner Peter Gentry and brewer Matt Gerdts will unveil their newest year-round beer: Fanny Pack IPA. It features the assertive pine of Chinook hops. The beer won’t hit local shelves until February.
O’so never disappoints at the fest, and this year it’s bringing Gift of Ida, a barrel-aged blended sour featuring red raspberries.
Fans of barrel-aged and sour beers will want to try the Templeton Rye barrel-aged Brookie’s Sour Brown Oud Bruin.
Get an early taste of Northern Method doppelbock. Inner Sanctum, my favorite beer of 2017, will also be on hand. Don’t expect it to last long.
This Waukesha Brewery has captured attention for its big, bold takes on styles, especially Belgian beers. Look for Black Walnut Belgian imperial stout.
Watch for Excessive Adjectives, a sour whiskey barrel-aged multi-grain Belgian dark strong ale, and Glowing Embers, a brandy barrel-aged version of the brewpub’s smoked hop pale ale.
Toppling Goliath Brewing Company
The popular Iowa brewery will tap a special Mosaic dry-hopped version of its PseudoSue pale ale.
Check the booth for the time hazelnut imperial stout will be served in a special tapping.
This new Madison brewery is preparing to open in February; it will preview some of its first beers at the festival. Brewer Clint Lohman will offer two versions of Pulp Culture Hazy IPA, one dry-hopped with Enigma and El Dorado hops; the other with Simcoe and Amarillo. Lohman has also teamed with John Russell of The Lone Girl to make an imperial Maibock, strong at 9 percent ABV, with all German ingredients.
