First Time at Great Taste of the Midwest

[BadgerHound]

I'm pretty excited for my first Great Taste of the Midwest experience. Any suggestions on which Breweries I should hit up while still semi-sober? I plan on getting there when the gates open and head straight to the Real Ale Tent. I am also going to make an effort to get to the Dragonmead Brewery booth early as well. Heard a lot about their beer, but never had a chance to try any. Below is the program with the list of breweries/beers:

http://www.mhtg.org/sites/default/files/GT11program11_0.pdf

 

[Jayman931]

Three Floyds...Bells...for starters...

 

[DoubleAught]

+1 Three Floyds is awesome

 

[BadgerHound]

Love Bells and will definitely swing by their booth. Three Floyd's is now on my go to list!

 

[Jayman931]

Dreadnaught IPA and Alpha King by Three Floyds are two of my favorites. I have a bottle of Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Lord from this years Dark Lord Day..(arguably the best beer ever brewed...yes...I just said that)...

Not sure when I'm gonna open it...waiting for a special day..Maybe Dec 21, 2012

 

[BadgerHound]

Looks like they will be having some Dark Lord at their booth:

Special Releases:
2011 Dark Lord RIS
Barrel Aged Dark Lord
Ronaldo: Moloko Milk Stout aged in a Madeira Barrel with cherries for one year
Conquistador de Muerte Porto: Moloko Milk Stout aged in a Port barrel
for one year on brandy soaked Ancho and Guajillo chilies

 

[novafire]

Goose Island is making snow cones!

 

[xsists]

Goose Island is also having special tappings every 30 minutes, including BCS Rare.

This will be my second year and if you only drank out of the real ale tent, it would be well worth your money.

Check out Shorts as well. They normally have a pretty good list. I'm looking forward to Jolly Pumpkin and Kuhnhenn as well.

My suggestion would be to come up with a list of your top 10 beers you'd like to try and target them. Then the rest are a bonus. I tried to do a game plan last year but it just failed cause I was so overwhelmed with how large the actual event is.

 

[motobrewer]

Finally, a great taste thread!!!

i'm excited. some notables i found:

Surly Brewing:
Tea Bagged Oak Aged Furious: Limited Availability year round on cask 6.5% abv og 15°P 99 IBU Dry Hopped w/Simcoe aged on toasted MN Oak (real ale!!)
Five: 8.2% abv 100% Brettanomyces (Anomalus and Clausenii) fermented dark sour aged in used red wine barrels

Vintage Brewing:
Apple Brandy Barrel aged Dedication Abbey Dubbel: est10.5% abv. 6+ months in barrel
“The Schwarz Will Rise Again”: Schwarzbier with “Confederate Coffee” aka chicory. Approx abv 5.4% (real ale)

Goose Island:
Broad Shoulders Barleywine: ABV: 8.2, O.G. 23.4, IBU: 60. English Style Barleywine brewed with a ridiculous amount of malt “Brewer’s Choice”. (real ale!)
Pomegranate Juliet: ABV: 14.5%, O.G.: 6.7, IBU: 15. American Wild Ale with Pommegranates. American Wild Ale with Pommegranates

Milwaukee Brewing Co (aka Ale House):
Godzilla Imperial Wit: Part of our ABV series(Attitude by Volume) this beer is an Imperial Wit that we brew with a black and chamomile tea by our good friends at Rishi Tea in Milwaukee. This beer comes in at 10%

Upland:
Dantalion: Dark Wild Ale. Dantalion is the result of an experiment in thedarker regions of sour brewing. Aged in oak for approximately 18 months and bottle conditioned.
Lambics

 

[Jayman931]

Looks like they will be having some Dark Lord at their booth:

Special Releases:
2011 Dark Lord RIS
Barrel Aged Dark Lord
Ronaldo: Moloko Milk Stout aged in a Madeira Barrel with cherries for one year
Conquistador de Muerte Porto: Moloko Milk Stout aged in a Port barrel
for one year on brandy soaked Ancho and Guajillo chilies

I doubt they will have these beer at their booth (I could be wrong)...they only made under 500 bottles of each and they were all sold at the Dark Lord Day. They also fetch a heavy premium...look up prices to buy one (expect to pay above $400 per bottle)

The "regular" Dark Lord...which is exceptional and hard to find as well might be their.

 

[IffyG]

Two Brothers: Cane and Ebel is a fantastic rye IPA (I always bring a six pack back to Nashville when I'm in the area)

Sprecher: Black Bavarian is a pretty good example of a schwarzbier if that's your kind of thing

 

[motobrewer]

I doubt they will have these beer at their booth (I could be wrong)...they only made under 500 bottles of each and they were all sold at the Dark Lord Day. They also fetch a heavy premium...look up prices to buy one (expect to pay above $400 per bottle)

The "regular" Dark Lord...which is exceptional and hard to find as well might be their.

um, if it's on the program, it'll be at the fest

utopias was there last year.

 

[BadgerHound]

Black Bavarian is a great beer.

Dark Lord is in the program as a special release, so it might be very limited.

 

[mcoakley]

Every time went to great taste had a plan of where to go and that usually gets forgotten about. This year have a few starred but usually go with the flow.

 

[xsists]

um, if it's on the program, it'll be at the fest

utopias was there last year.

It WILL be there, along with a bunch of beers that are not on the program. I know that brewers bring stuff that isn't listen and then just pop it open when they want.

I'm so damn excited, this week is going by so slow though!

 

[motobrewer]

Every time went to great taste had a plan of where to go and that usually gets forgotten about. This year have a few starred but usually go with the flow.

i have planned my first two beers. after that......????

It WILL be there, along with a bunch of beers that are not on the program. I know that brewers bring stuff that isn't listen and then just pop it open when they want.

I'm so damn excited, this week is going by so slow though!

indeed! i'm headed out there tomorrow night, fore pre-events.

 

[motobrewer]

is there an official count on number of beers?

124 breweries, if i remember. at an average of 6 per, that's 744 different beers.

 

[xsists]

I wish I was going up for the pre-parties but I am broke, have no where to stay and am busy lol.

Here is my Great Taste attire:

If you see me walkin around, stop me and say hello.

 

[Jayman931]

um, if it's on the program, it'll be at the fest

utopias was there last year.

They brewed 53 Barrels of Utopias...its far more plentiful than the small batches of Special Release Dark Lords...I have had Utopias and Bourbon Aged as well as Brandy Aged Dark Lord. Dark Lord is in a class by its self.

i hope its there and I hope you all get to enjoy it!

 

[xsists]

Have you ever been to Great Taste Jayman?

Some of these brewers pull out all the stops for Great Taste. Some beers you will have at GT you will never find again as they are brewed for the event only.

 

[motobrewer]

indeed...like some crazy hibiscus real ale that i don't remember much because it was like hour 3

 

[Jayman931]

Have you ever been to Great Taste Jayman?

Some of these brewers pull out all the stops for Great Taste. Some beers you will have at GT you will never find again as they are brewed for the event only.

I grew up in Valparaiso Indiana ...and yes...I have been there on multiple occations. I just realized the beer that I got at Dark Lord Day (as well as the other Limited Releases they had there) are different than the ones they are bringing to the Great Taste. It all makes sense....totally different batches/styles

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

I've personally had Dark Lord (there wasn't even a line for it last year, and they we're pouring freely when we arrived at FFF's tent), Vanilla Bean Aged Dark Lord and Oak Aged Dark Lord at the Great Taste in years past. Pretty much the only chance I would ever have to try them. Hope to get in on some of that BCS Rare this year...among other things of course. Also had Surly Darkness on cask last year, although I don't believe it was listed in the program.

Also, I agree with sticking to a dozen or so exceptional beers and pursuing them. Although it can be hard since a lot of brewers bring stuff that isn't listed in the program.

I just realized the beer that I got at Dark Lord Day (as well as the other Limited Releases they had there) are different than the ones they are bringing to the Great Taste. It all makes sense....totally different batches/styles

That is a false statement. You mean to tell my FFF's brews two batches of Dark Lord and it's variations? One for Dark Lord Day and one for the Great Taste? Seems pretty far fetched. Yes they are very limited release, but if anybody is bound to have enough to share at beerfests it would be the brewer himself.

 

[Jayman931]

That is a false statement. You mean to tell my FFF's brews two batches of Dark Lord and it's variations? One for Dark Lord Day and one for the Great Taste? Seems pretty far fetched. Yes they are very limited release, but if anybody is bound to have enough to share at beerfests it would be the brewer himself.

You misunderstand what I say. They make "regular" Dark Lord.....I didn't say they wouldn't have that....they make "one off" batches that are different styles...

(although if you go to www.3floyds.com they state Dark Lord is "A demonic Russian Style Imperial Stout, brewed with Intelligensia coffee Mexican vanilla, and Indian sugar this beer defies description, available one day a year in April at the brewery, Dark Lord Day."

....Dark Lord Days they had as Special Variations
Darklord aged in Pappy Van Winkle 23 year barrels
Darklord aged in brandy barrels
Darklord aged in brandy barrels with vanilla beans
Darklord de Muerte, DL aged in bourbon barrels with ancho and guajillo peppers

It appears that at the GT they are having 2 variations of DL:
2011 Dark Lord RIS (their "Regular DL) which they brew far more of than the other Variations)
Barrel Aged Darklord

I said they wouldn't have the same Dark Lord Variations they had at Dark Lord Day at the GT....you guys need to RDWHAHB

i hope they have it and I hope you get a chance to purchase a bottle like I did...:rockin:

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

I said they wouldn't have the same Dark Lord Variations they had at Dark Lord Day at the GT....you guys need to RDWHAHB

i hope they have it and I hope you get a chance to purchase a bottle like I did...:rockin:

Ahhh, gotcha. That much is true. :cross:

 

[mcoakley]

Have you ever been to Great Taste Jayman?

Some of these brewers pull out all the stops for Great Taste. Some beers you will have at GT you will never find again as they are brewed for the event only.

I agree. Most of these guys leave thinking about what to bring next year. I know some of these are aged in barrels for 6 months and will only be tried at the great taste. Well maybe if real special they may keep a gallon or so in the keg.

 

[xsists]

Don't forget your ponchos! Looks like 60% for thunderstorms tomorrow

 

[motobrewer]

i hope they have it and I hope you get a chance to purchase a bottle like I did...:rockin:

there is no purchasing at great taste. there is only tasting...greatly.

 

[bh10]

Don't forget your ponchos! Looks like 60% for thunderstorms tomorrow

But in the mid 70's :rockin:, last year got a little to hot for my liking.

 

[xsists]

But in the mid 70's :rockin:, last year got a little to hot for my liking.

Last year was quite sticky, I agree. But I'd rather be hot than wet...

 

[motobrewer]

last year mosquitoes damn near carried me away

if it rains i'll be sad....but then i'll turn around and see 100000 firkins and i'll be happy again

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Last year was quite sticky, I agree. But I'd rather be hot than wet...

Agreed. The mud just gets too crazy out there when it rains. Oh well...beer will be flowing, so I'll be happy.

I'm interesting in trying the Bloody Mary beer from Shorts? I think. I've had tomato juice in beer before, but never tomato juice with celery salt, horsradish, peppercorns, and dill. Also, they'll have a carrot cake beer that sounds interesting.

I like to try the new things people come up with. I don't care about things like Rare or RIS. That stuff can be bought. I'm there to try the things that are new and crazy. Shorts and Kuhnhenns are two of my favorites for things like this.

 

[bh10]

if it rains i'll be sad....but then i'll turn around and see 100000 firkins and i'll be happy again

Exactly.

 

[BadgerHound]

Anyone going to a pre-party?

 

[mcoakley]

Every one ready? Time to drink some beer.

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

What a beautiful day for a beerfest. Guess i'll hafta bust out the rubber boots and rain suit.

 

[xsists]

I like to try the new things people come up with. I don't care about things like Rare or RIS. That stuff can be bought. I'm there to try the things that are new and crazy. Shorts and Kuhnhenns are two of my favorites for things like this.

While I will agree that I like the try the crazy stuff too, but I mainly go to fests to try the rare/expensive beers. I only need a taste, not a whole bottle. What if I go out and buy a $70 bottle of BCS Rare and then don't like it (not saying that I won't, just hypothetical). I'd rather dump a sample than a bottle.

What a beautiful day for a beerfest. Guess i'll hafta bust out the rubber boots and rain suit.

Yeah, tell me about it! Looks like the rain MIGHT clear out after noon though. If that happens, it should be alright.

 

[Jayman931]

Keep us updated! Maybe someone should make a thread with quick reviews on new/different beers that they try through out the day...

 

[BadgerHound]

Kuhnenn brewery Creme Bru La was easily the best beer there. Unbelievable.

 

[xsists]

Kuhnenn brewery Creme Bru La was easily the best beer there. Unbelievable.

I really wanted to try that but by the time I got there, it was gone

BCS Rare was awesome. Shorts Carrot Cake and Bloody Beer were both excellent as well.