The most recent festival was only a few days ago, and the drive was really not bad at all, with the mild exception of WI drivers and their desire to speed up, pass me, only to immediately exit. That aside, we arrived no worse for wear and were stunned by the size and location of the festival. It was roughly 30-40 breweries in total, but it was spread throughout an outdoor outlet mall. For those keeping score at home, yes, I did mean to type "outlet mall."
On site, the breweries were set up under small tents and the patrons were lining up for their samples. The use of those small tents is one of my only complaints about the logistics of the festival, because it is a poorly thought out festival that doesn't consider the sun/heat beating down on the consumer as they wait to sample a beer. Come on guys, we deserve some shade too!
Aside from that, the lack of a uniform system of direction or signs to indicate which brewery was where and what they had on tap would have been so much faster. Because of the poor signage, I almost missed the other half of the festival!
Still in awe at the organization of this event, I began my sampling. This festival's sampling glass was better than some other recent festivals (using pint glasses as tasting glasses in the midst of 90 degree heat still boggles my mind), opting for the 3 oz. traditional festival glass and having water scattered throughout to rinse the glass between tastings. Well done!
Another truly welcome sight was the decision for brewpubs and local food vendors to pair food to the individual beers. So little attention is paid by most, but the right beer with the right food makes the two of them vastly better. I especially liked the assortment of cheeses available, but we were in WI after all.
Now that the festival and its pros & cons are behind us, let's talk beer. The beers that jump right to my mind as being pretty good were: Lakefront's Brad Scotch Ale, Silver Creek's Imperial Maiboch, and Vintage Brewery's Hoppity Jones.
The best of the festival was a tie for me between Bulls Falls' Zwickel and Titletown's Johnny Red, which both came out and delivered on the style very well and found a way to surprise me at the same time.
Not to be outdone, Lake Louie's IPA, Hinterland's IPA, and Pearl Street's Smokin' Hemp Porter (even if they kept bashing me for my Cubs hat) all were respectable in their own rights, but they didn't stick out in my mind very much in the end. Still, I would recommend a six-pack any time and you wouldn't regret any of them.
For those people that like the unconventional, then Woodman Brewery had you covered, from a Jalapeno Blonde, a Mushroom Ale, and a Cupcake Ale. While they were different, the shock appeal is what likely kept pulling people over to their taps. They, however, did nothing for me aside from making me question the brewmaster's decisions and forcing me to pour out my samples. Kudos on thinking out of the box, however.
Overall, this festival was executed well with a ton of variety in the styles and breweries that were present. The food pairing was a delightful addition to a hot day, allowing those festival rookies (you so totally know who you are) to avoid heat stroke, dehydration, and public stupidity. I did find some beers that I expected to find, several that I didn't, and I was surprised more often than not, which is really the best part of any festival.
That wraps up the review for the Wisconsin Beer Lover's Festival.
As always, drink well and be merry. Slante!
NOTES/SCORES
Capital Brewery - Urban Fire
- Amber to reddish color
- Light head and little retention
- Syrupy, malty nose with a strong scent of bourbon
- Sweet at first, but finishes harsh
- 5/10
- Pale gold color; very clear
- No head at all
- Slightly sweet to the smell, but no strong notes
- Mild taste of sweetness, but nothing special
- 4.0/10
- Cloudy straw, goldish color
- Light head and little retention
- Good spice notes and sweetness on nose
- Very clean taste with a nice, slight bite on the aftertaste
- 7.5/10
- Golden color
- Great head with decent retention
- Slightly sweet and malty nose
- Very light sweet taste with almost no flavor
- 3.0/10
- Cloudy amber, reddish color
- Lovely head and tight head retention
- Malty and hoppy nose with some grassy notes
- Nice tartness with bittering hops, but not bitter enough for the AA
- 6.5/10
- Light straw color
- Great head retention
- Light hoppy notes on the nose
- Very clean taste, but a little weak for the style
- No aftertaste
- 6.5/10
- Amberish to red color
- Thick head with great retention
- A hint of smoke and malt notes on the nose
- Very full bodied
- Malty and sweet to the taste
- A clean tart finish
- 8.0/10
- Good amber color
- Light head with little retention
- Malty notes that come across a little muddled or watery
- A nice sweetness on the taste
- Bland overall, but matches the style
- 6.5/10
- Light straw color
- Minimal head with no retention
- Very light nose with a hint of sweetness
- Tastes more like a blonde than a pills
- 4.0/10
- Cloudy straw color
- No head with no retention
- Very sugary nose with desert-like notes
- Far too sweet; no balance
- 2.0/10
- Clear amber color
- Slight head with a little retention
- Balanced nicely on the nose between malty and hoppy
- Style is executed very well; missing a wow factor
- 8.0/10
- Black as the night
- Very little head and less retention
- Strong malty notes
- Watery and mild flavor
- Not enough profile; poor execution of the style
- 3.5/10
- Cloudy straw color moving towards a golden color
- Nice strong head and good head retention
- Malty and sweet notes on the nose
- Hit the style perfectly, but needing a bit more ABV to match the imperial title
- Clean with a fun aftertaste from the spices
- 8.0/10
- Light gold color
- Decent head with good retention
- Mildly hoppy nose, but understated
- Very good bite from the hops
- The aftertaste has the same bite, but the wow factor is not present to move it up
- 8.0/10
- Light straw to gold color
- Very light head with little retention
- Slight sweetness and hoppy notes on the nose
- Delicious taste, but not sharp enough with the hops
- Very clean and aftertaste was minimal
- 7.5/10
- Dark and milky brown color
- Nice head and good retention
- Creamy and lovely taste
- Not quite as hoppy on the nose or taste as desired for style
- 8.0/10
- Very clear straw color
- Light head with no retention
- Very hoppy, grassy nose
- Clean, refreshing taste, with a finish that satisfied perfectly
- Very little aftertaste
- Drinkable for many a session
- 9.0/10
- Black as the night
- No head at all
- Malty, roasty, coffee notes very prominent
- Watery body
- Flavor was mild and muddled
- 6.5/10
- Black as the night
- Roasty, malty notes very strong on the nose helped by some nice hop compliments
- Smooth and clean
- Mild aftertaste, but not overly harsh
- 8.0/10
- Clear and red as hell
- No head or retention
- Malty, hoppy notes overwhelm the nose in a great balance
- Smooth and clean on the palate with each sip
- Session beer for sure!
- 9.0/10
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