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The WI Thread: FIBs stay the **** out

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Was just in Madison this weekend and was pleasantly surprised with Working Draft. A must try IMO.

Yep really appreciate this heads up as this was my favorite stop of the weekend.

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Hazy IPA, Munich Dunkel, Pilsner and they were all fantastic.

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A really nice looking 7bbl brewhouse and a 1bbl "experimental" system which allows them to keep a bunch of fun beers at any given time.

Was pretty crowded on a Friday evening, and I felt like I was on the older side of the crowd (what the **** has happened...), but a great stop for a few beers and I'd love to spend a few hours here running through the taplist around Great Taste.
 
Same trip we checked out a few other places in Madison.

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One Barrel Brewing which I hadn't been to since a trip here in 2013 / 2014 prior to Great Taste for a Goose Island blend your own Bourbon County event with John Laffler. Place was absolutely slammed when we walked in with only a single person working the bar, but we were able to get served relatively quickly and get a table in the back.

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Vienna Lager on the left and the Breakfast beer on the right, and everything was pretty tasty (although carbonation was inconsistent on a few of their offerings). Also I had never been to a place that does the throw your dollars into the ceiling which was certainly interesting (all donated on a monthly basis to a rotation group of charities).

Solid spot that I'd certainly hit up again when I'm in town.
 
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Next Door Brewing was just down the street about 3/4 of a mile or so, and as a result we checked them out as well.

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Nice variety of styles, but the quality of the beer was pretty average to worse on the things that we tried. Kind of a spots bar feel to the place as well which isn't a negative to me, but wasn't as conducive to conversation as the others spots in town.

Not a place I'm in any hurry to re-visit, although to be fair it was later on Friday evening so that may influence my opinion.
 
We stayed with a friend in Mount Horeb, so we had to check out the local institution in town.

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Drank the Troll's Gold Lager which was solid, and I really adore WI beer prices.

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Hop forward stuff was pretty mediocre, but the Erik the Red / Ol' Eagle Porter were pretty tasty. Standard bar food available, and seems like a great place to have fresh locally made beer if not a spot to go out of your way to check out.
 
Last stop of the weekend was in Whitewater, WI on the way to Alpine Valley for Dead & Company.

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Second Salem Brewing Company was another place that has a similar feel to Grumpy Troll in that the beers were mediocre to solid, Midwestern bar food, but fresh local beer that would be a great place to hang out if you lived in the area.
 
Same trip we checked out a few other places in Madison.

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One Barrel Brewing which I hadn't been to since a trip here in 2013 / 2014 prior to Great Taste for a Goose Island blend your own Bourbon County event with John Laffler. Place was absolutely slammed when we walked in with only a single person working the bar, but we were able to get served relatively quickly and get a table in the back.

36064220_2324059897605956_1314592539008827392_n.jpg


Vienna Lager on the left and the Breakfast beer on the right, and everything was pretty tasty (although carbonation was inconsistent on a few of their offerings). Also I had never been to a place that does the throw your dollars into the ceiling which was certainly interesting (all donated on a monthly basis to a rotation group of charities).

Solid spot that I'd certainly hit up again when I'm in town.
If you like throwing dollars into the ceiling, hit up Puempel's next time you're in New Glarus. I suspect this is where the idea came from.
 
Can anyone trustee for me for the FFG Framrood pickup on July 19 or 20 (assuming I get a bottle)? I normally drive up there myself, but I'll be in Alaska that week. We can meet up after July 30 when I'm back home and I can give you some thank you beers.
 
This has to be the GTMW release, right?

Would it carbonate in time? For some reason, I recall a longer bottling-to-release gap for some of the other R&D beers.

Also, if it were GTMW, that means no Vintage 2017, unless it’s with cherries.

I’d guess it’s a surprise fall release, or for next year.
 
Would it carbonate in time? For some reason, I recall a longer bottling-to-release gap for some of the other R&D beers.

Also, if it were GTMW, that means no Vintage 2017, unless it’s with cherries.

I’d guess it’s a surprise fall release, or for next year.

FWIW, on the hard hat tour in June our tour guide said he thought Vintage was going to be released in September. Which does make some sense for a release to coincide with Oktoberfest.

So if that info is correct than that leaves room for a surprise GTMW release.
 
FWIW, on the hard hat tour in June our tour guide said he thought Vintage was going to be released in September. Which does make some sense for a release to coincide with Oktoberfest.

So if that info is correct than that leaves room for a surprise GTMW release.

Well, then the employees are either spreading misinformation or they don’t *really* know.

I was told (albeit about two months ago) that the only planned R&D releases would the the 25th Anni beer and Vintage 2017. And that there would be no Oktoberfest release.
 
Well, then the employees are either spreading misinformation or they don’t *really* know.

I was told (albeit about two months ago) that the only planned R&D releases would the the 25th Anni beer and Vintage 2017. And that there would be no Oktoberfest release.

Misinformation wouldn't surprise me. I was complaining to my wife afterward that I felt our guide was purposefully avoiding answering several of the questions I asked, even after asking for clarification, etc.

The guy we had has worked their since the 90's, and from what he said is largely in charge of their sour program, so I have a hard time believing he doesn't know what's happening.
 
Hey guys,
Can anyone here trustee for the Funk Factory Framrood release next weekend? It looks like I'm going to be stuck at work both days. We can work out a way to make it worth your while.
 
Misinformation wouldn't surprise me. I was complaining to my wife afterward that I felt our guide was purposefully avoiding answering several of the questions I asked, even after asking for clarification, etc.

The guy we had has worked their since the 90's, and from what he said is largely in charge of their sour program, so I have a hard time believing he doesn't know what's happening.
I think we had the same guy, and I wouldn't say it was misinformation. He made it pretty clear when he could say something and when he couldn't (like when I asked him what's currently in the barrels from their buy back and real mash distillation program).

He also forgot the word yogurt when talking about lacto cultures, so I could see him meaning August and saying September.

This was my favorite tour I've been on. It was a bit too technical for my girlfriend, but she said she would rather have talked to Deb about names, label art, and the hilltop design. I enjoyed talking to Dan about double decoctions, step mashes, and his apples trees.
 
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Hey guys,
Can anyone here trustee for the Funk Factory Framrood release next weekend? It looks like I'm going to be stuck at work both days. We can work out a way to make it worth your while.
Hey! Welcome to TalkBeer! Seems like you don't use your account very often since you have been a member since 2016 and still don't have an avatar. People here are pretty friendly and usually willing to help out folks who participate. I recommend reading this post (you can probably skip the comments since it's a lot of rehashing the same), getting an avatar, and participating a bit in the discussion. By the next time you need help with a pick up you shouldn't have a problem.
 
Hey! Welcome to TalkBeer! Seems like you don't use your account very often since you have been a member since 2016 and still don't have an avatar. People here are pretty friendly and usually willing to help out folks who participate. I recommend reading this post (you can probably skip the comments since it's a lot of rehashing the same), getting an avatar, and participating a bit in the discussion. By the next time you need help with a pick up you shouldn't have a problem.

Yeah I get that I haven't been around here much and people don't know me. I'll totally throw in a bottle of framrood or something else good if anyone is able and willing to help out. I'm usually able to make it over to Funk Factory myself, but occasionally I'm stuck at work. Noone who has trusteed for me in the past seems to be attending this time. I'm a magnum club member so skipping this particular release wasn't really an option. There is at least one bottle there for me automatically. I came here because it's the only well trafficked forum I know of that still allows proxy requests.
 
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