Saturday, October 12 2013: With over 4,000 beers to choose from, the first emotion that struck me walking into the Great American Beer Festival was awe. From Thursday, October 10 through Sunday, October 13, Downtown Denver, Colorado was inundated with eager hop heads, and mellowed malt devotees. Nearly encircling the Colorado Convention Center, the crowd munched on their pretzel necklaces (though I did see bagels, candy bars, and even a baguette on one) with fervor once reserved for children on Christmas Eve. They were there for the world beverage: Beer!
Here are the highlights of the ales that I really enjoyed, those that I didn’t, and those that confused my senses and sensibilities:
The Good
Wasatch Brew Pub and Brewery: Pumpkin Ale, Park City, Utah
Style: Pumpkin/Yam Beer
4% ABV
Why: It tasted like a great pumpkin pie, but without the over spiced syrupy taste that tends to be included. It was crisp and light, but straight pumpkin.
Fate Brewing Company: Watermelon Kolsch, Boulder, Colorado
Style: Fruit/Kolsch
5% ABV
Why: Man I wish I would have had this on a hot summer day! Since Kolsch is so light it simply steps out-of-the-way of the pure sweet watermelon.
Boom Island Brewing Company: Brimstone Tripel, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Style: Belgian Tripel
9.5% ABV
Why: According to the brewery representative who poured my ale, and also may have been founder and brewer Kevin Welch, Tripels shouldn’t be sweet, rather, clean and crisp. This brew certainly was that. I couldn’t even tell the alcohol content, which makes this dangerous, but stylistically pure. I often avoid the heavy Belgians because of the overwhelming power and combination of tastes, but this one hit a clean note.
Right Brain Brewing Company: Naughty Girl Stout, Traverse City, Michigan
Style: American Stout
5.8% ABV
Why: Great take on what has turned in to a staple of American imbibery. While I wished for a little more mint on the end, the nose was full of chocolate and coffee. I would like this with a fresh chocolate cake, preferably with this stout cooked into the batter.
Darwin’s on Fourth: Charapa, Sarasota, Florida
Style: Spiced Porter
7% ABV
Why: According to the display, this beer is brewed with “Amazon Cacao, Annatto, Florida Orange Blossom Honey, and Aji Charapita Peppers,” which combined to form the most interesting ale of the night for me. It started with a sweet citrus and coffee nose and front, and then hit the middle of the tongue with the pleasant porter froth. Finally, the piece de resistance, the warmth of the pepper at the end: enough to grab attention, but not leaving you breathing heavy.
The Bad
This is a short list, as I really avoided most beers that would be less than stellar, but here goes:
Big Hurt Brewery: Big Hurt Beer, Monterey, California
Style: Malt Liquor
7% ABV
Why: Even though I got a photo with owner and former MLB slugger Frank “The Big Hurt” Thomas, this truly was not anything I would buy. I’d rather get Mickey’s or Red Dog. I will add though, this was my favorite conversation with a representative all night. When I asked Mr. Thomas why he started making beer after baseball, he responded with, “Why? Beer and baseball go together!” For that, I would buy one cup at the ballpark. Then no more.
Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company: Kentucky Kolsch, Lexington, Kentucky
Style: Bourbon-Barrel Kolsch
4% ABV
Why: This take on the Euro-classic was simply a poor combination of flavors. The LBDC makes some really great stuff, but this isn’t it.
The Strange
These aren’t necessarily nasty, maybe mediocre, possible positive. Try them and tell me what I think:
Boston Brewing Company: Utopias (2013), Boston, Massachusetts
Style: American Strong Ale
29% ABV
Why: This hurt to drink. When the reps started pouring this, all of the aficionados came a running. They were looking to the beer gods and praising their glories. I don’t get it. I’ll probably get yelled at by the holier-than-thou beer geeks, but this I just can’t palate the punch, especially when it cost 190 dollars for last year’s batch. Seriously.
Empire Brewing Company: Golden Dragon, Syracuse, New York
Style: Belgian Style Gold Ale
7.7% ABV
Why: This would make a great base to cooking Asian food. With Organic Thai Basil grown locally, this beer grabbed my attention right quick. I don’t know if I would enjoy a full pint, but the taster was striking.
Medal Winners
If you were interested in other opinions than mine, try these two links, which will explain the big winners of the 2013 GABF.
– Great American Beer Festival: Winners
The Experience
With all this in mind, here are some photos of my experience at this year’s GABF. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
Grizzly Bomb 