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The Palate Wrecker is pretty good, they have gone through two kegs recently at Draught House. Green Flash is great except for their bottle prices.
Great stuff.
The Palate Wrecker is pretty good, they have gone through two kegs recently at Draught House. Green Flash is great except for their bottle prices.
#1238 mofos! They saved one for me at Sunrise Market
That beer there looks very trade-able.
#1238 mofos! They saved one for me at Sunrise Market
I have friends going to San Diego for Stone Sour Fest in June in a station wagon that will bring a case back to me, and I am at GABF in October in Denver. My cellar will be back in badass shape by then, I am gonna hang on to this for a year or so.
I envy everything about that.
I enjoy drinking beer. May I post in this thread?
The Big Texas Beer Fest has now come and gone, and with that comes the inevitable rehash of the day's events. You've likely already read about minor issues with venue temperature, rinsing stations, seating and the like. All are easily correctable and have already been acknowledged by organizers Chad and Nellie Montgomery, but there is one issue I will address specifically in their defense.
I urge anyone taking issue with the entry line to attend just one session of the Great American Beer Festival. I have been to festivals in multiple states, some of which have been in existence for as many as 30 years. There is always a line to get in, and it always seems a bit more daunting than it really is. In Denver, the line tends to wrap around the entire block that encompasses the downtown convention center. It takes time to work through it, but it's a beer festival and precautions must be taken (you are 21 aren't you?). The bottom line is you can't just throw open the doors and let freedom reign. The important thing is how fast the line moves, and how rewarding the experience is once you get in the door. From what I've heard, for the vast majority of attendees these last two items were not in dispute.
Now that we have that out of the way, let's focus on the positives, some things we learned and what it all means for the future.
One thing that immediately stands out is the idea of "If you build it, they will come". For me, this festival represents that sentiment on two levels. First, it's been repeated time and again that a brewery was needed in Dallas to take the local scene to the next level. Well, judging by the crowds that formed around taps belonging to Deep Ellum and the Peticolas brewing companies, we may finally be on the verge of just such a breakthrough. At the same time, equally important are events that bring people together to celebrate these brews, and while the Big Texas Beer Fest was a first-time affair, its success represents a significant milestone in helping to grow and strengthen our craft beer community.
It also is worth noting how the Big Texas Beer Fest has now taken on a leadership role in the area of festival management. Not only were they able to promote a successful event in the largest and arguably most difficult craft beer market the state, they did so while effectively setting the benchmark for festival admission price in Texas. That may seem like a bold statement, but consider that upfront costs are fairly constant from event to event. What sets them apart is what organizers choose to charge for additional drink tickets. While others may charge upwards of $10 (or more) for additional pours, this past weekend another round of a dozen samples sold for just $2.
As for items one might consider to be part of a beer festival bucket list, things like a focus on craft beer, the availability of rare brews and a celebration of local breweries can be summarily checked off. Sure, we'd like to see more breweries and more rare beers, but don't forget that this first-time event was up against complicated and restrictive state laws, as well as the stigma of failed festivals past. It is to be expected that some chose to take a wait-and-see approach rather than commit to supporting an unproven venture.
What matters most is that we now have something to build on, and while we might be tempted to think of this weekend's success in terms of baby steps, these first steps were anything but awkward, and the indelible impressions left behind represent the mark of one BIG baby.
Best of the fest: While it is my belief you cannot get a proper read on a beer from a 2 oz sample, first impressions cannot be discounted. With that in mind, the following brews certainly will warrant further attention should the opportunity present itself:
Jester King/Mikkeller Beer Geek Rodeo - A dark, y and richly complex imperial oatmeal stout brewed with chipotle peppers and Vietnamese coffee. (I tried this one and YUM. Honestly, I was a little tipsy by this time and I just told the lady "Dark!")
No Label Jalapeño Ale - Considering the inclusion of 60 lbs of jalapeño peppers in the boil this brew displayed a remarkable flavor balance, as any concerns related to an overwhelming iness were quickly laid to rest with what may have been the most refreshing beer of the day.
Peticolas Royal Scandal -This English Pale Ale with American hop influences is just further proof that Peticolas may one day be known as the Perfectly Balanced Beer Company. (Didn't try this one but I tasted Peticola's Velvet Hammer and that was tasty.)
Deep Ellum Oak-Aged Dry-Hopped IPA - My first sample of the day, dry-hopped with Apollo and others I don't recall. Whatever it was, this brew can be summed up in two words. Fresh. Hops.
http://www.examiner.com/craft-beer-i...-beer-festival
The buzz for Big Texas Beer Fest on Saturday morning was palpable miles away from Fair Park. From the Mockingbird Station where I embarked, people of all stripes, many sporting T-shirts from breweries and the bars where they're served, were packed like anchovies into the DART train. Despite the occasional befuddled passenger ing a head and wondering, sometimes aloud, where all these people came from, it was obvious we all shared a destination.
The Fairgrounds were no less crowded shortly after noon, with the line snaking all the way from the Automotive Building to the gate by the Fair Park DART stop and just a handful of ticket takers. After a few minutes of confusion, I ran into organizer Chad Montgomery and was able to retrieve my press pass without standing in line -- a huge relief. I later heard that the lines right at opening time lasted more than 45 minutes, settling to 10 to 20 minutes a few hours (and a few floated kegs) later.
The long line was the only glaring misstep I noticed that could be laid at the feet of Montgomery and his wife, Nellie. With very limited food options, the lines for a bite to eat were problematic as well, but there's little the Montgomerys could do about that: All but three of the area's food trucks inexplicably blew off a golden opportunity to get their names in front of thousands of people and earn a load of money.
Otherwise, the event looked like it was successful beyond even my most optimistic expectations. I generally expect the majority at such beer-centric events to be mainly middle-aged upper-class white dudes, but this was an interesting cross-section of Dallas and the outlying burbs. Along with the Europhiles in kilts or Premiere League jerseys, guys with mohawks, longhaired dudes in metal concert T-shirts, yuppies, hot co-eds and old farts of every color mingled, with friendly conversation between strangers of wildly different demographics the norm. Beer tends to have that effect, particularly when you're waiting in line for an in-demand brew.
And the lines inside the hangar-like Automotive Building were the surest sign that North Texas beer drinkers are becoming savvier by the pour. Booths for corporate-owned beers such as Pabst Blue Ribbon and Tecate often had no visible takers at all, and pseudo-craft beers such as Shock Top and Blue Moon must have had plenty of leftovers at the end of the fest. Even Widmer Brothers, Kona and Redhook, companies that began as independent breweries but are now part of the partially Anheuser Busch-owned Craft Brewers Alliance, had scant few takers.
Most exciting of all, Texas breweries had the longest lines of all. Jester King's looked like it was the most consistently long line, followed closely by Dallas' own Peticolas and Deep Ellum brewing companies; DEBC blew out of its dry-hopped IPA well before I even got a chance to try it. The Open the Taps table benefited from its proximity to those booths, signing up 40 new members and dozens more adding their names to the mailing list.
Entertainment seemed to be a hit as well, even if most were listening at a distance that rendered the music all but incomprehensible in the building, which was clearly not designed with pristine acoustics in mind. Fish Fry Bingo's hard-rocking bluegrass set the raucous mood early and The O's kept it going. O's singer/guitarist John Pedigo didn't mind that so few ventured close to the stage. "There's beer over there," he said pointing toward the booths a stone's throw away. "And it's free."
I tried more than 20 beers, nearly all of which were new to me or to the area. A few stood out in particular. The cask-conditioned Rahr & Sons Ugly Pug with vanilla was a twist on the brewery's standby black lager, creamy and with just a touch of vanilla that didn't overwhelm. No Label's Jalapeño Ale was great. I've never liked peppered beers, but this one -- a pale ale made with reduced hops and an addition of 60 pounds of jalapeños -- had just a touch of iness and was actually really refreshing.
Another peppered beer, the Jester King/Mikkeller collabo Beer Geek Rodeo, was a good balance of sweet, burnt coffee and subtle iness in stout form. Clown Shoes Blaecorn Unidragon was a pitch-black, thick Russian imperial stout, chocolate sweetness with a crisp, bitter espresso finished that masked an ABV of 12.5 percent. And Ballast Point served up its Big Eye IPA alongside the acclaimed Sculpin. I actually preferred the former, which I find a better balance of malty sweetness and tangy hops. Meantime was a very good English IPA, dry and very well balanced but with more welcome hoppiness than English beers typically have.
A few people passed out on the Fairgrounds lawn notwithstanding, there didn't seem to be too many drunks leaving the fest afterward. The lines for in-demand beers forced you to pace yourself; it would have taken some work and some less picky beer-drinking to get hammered. I certainly left with a nice buzz, but I'm not sure whether it was from the alcohol or the excitement of seeing that the Dallas beer scene has truly arrived.
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/city...ruled_lets.php
Big Texas Beer Fest
Posted on April 16, 2012 by johnboots
Saturday, April 14. Exactly one week after my 27th birthday, the beer gods decided to honor my growing love by arranging for an inaugural beer festival to be held in Dallas. It would be named the Big Texas Beer Fest, in honor of the state’s unnecessary fixation on large things. As implied, BTBF was no small event.
Roughly 300 beers were made available by 80+ breweries. Some breweries were corporate powerhouses, like MolsonCoors-owned Blue Moon, and ABInBev-owned Shock Top. Others were Texas-only brands, such as Blanco’s Real Ale and Dallas’s Peticolas. In combination, the selection was surprising given Dallas’s reputation for limited distribution.
My main highlights were as follows:
1) Jester King/Mikkeller’s Beer Geek Rodeo collaboration. An imperial oatmeal stout with coffee, peppers, and smoked malt. Mikkeller fans are likely familiar with the brewer’s TX-sized fascination with peppers, as seen in variations of Chipotle Porter aka Texas Ranger. This was a big, strong beer. The oats and smoke hit first, coffee second, and pepper heat last.
2) Santa Fe’s Imperial Java Stout. Served in a minimal, brownish-copper can, this brew was surprisingly flavorful. Definitely a marker of progress for the small, New Mexican brewery. Strong aromas and flavors of well-roasted coffee beans jumped to the foreground in smells and tastes. Smoothing milk chocolate balanced out the bitterness and made this quite enjoyable. (like an idiot, I completely forgot about going and trying this one. I was too occupied with the international and texas beer. oh well...)
3) Saint Arnold’s Bitter Belgian. Deemed a Belgian pale or IPA by the brewery, this reminded me more of a few hoppy trippels I tasted in CA and Brussels. Light, crisp, and refreshing, I would be happy sessioning this new SA brew.
Aside from these three highlights, there were numerous good beers that I was fortunate to try on Saturday. TX was well represented with appearances from aforementioned Jester King, Adelbert’s, Deep Ellum, Peticolas, Saint Arnold, Real Ale, and more. Jester King seemed to be the clear winners of the day, as their line only waned as the festival was drawing to a close at 6 PM. Their Sour Black Metal and Boxer’s Revenge were both high-quality, enjoyable additions to their lineup. According to the owner/operator, Peticolas Brewing may have made an initial contact in an effort to partner with a much larger and more established craft brewery for an upcoming collaboration brew. So good things were afoot all about Fair Park.
A few things will need improvement for future festivals. First, the VIP line was unbelievably long. With the VIP designation and the 70% increase over standard admission, our party expected to walk right in at noon. Unfortunately, we, along with the other 500+ VIPs, were subject to a line. While my group only waited about 25 minutes to enter, others may well have experienced 30+ minute waits. If ticket scanners then began allowing non-VIPs to enter at the opening time of 1 PM, then the extra $25 would have been ill-spent for those at the end of the VIP line. We were able to try most, if not all, of the specially allocated brews brought to serve the VIPs, so it all ended well for us. Second, the food trucks that were scheduled to be available for hungry, drunk festival goers were nowhere to be seen. Apparently a few predicted (NASCAR race) and less-predicted (warnings of inclement weather) persuaded truck operators to park elsewhere. So food was served only by one concession stand. The operators of this small outfit were overrun with business for the duration of the festival. Their line was quite long, so we kept on sippin’ while the suckers waited for their snacks. Otherwise, things went very smoothly.
I have already pledged to assist with next year’s festival. Chad and Nellie Montgomery, the husband and wife super team who made this event happen, were most gracious hosts. Chad explained to me that his trips to Great American Beer Fest in Denver had led him to want something equally as good for the Texas craft beer community. Since there wasn’t anything like it in Dallas, the couple decided to devote themselves to creating a new reality. I think that this event marks an important moment in Texas’s appreciation for craft beer. Less than a year ago, the Dallas Beer Festival was cancelled only days before its first occurrence. This cancellation threatened to derail the city’s momentum in craft beer progress. But Chad and Nellie were undeterred by this last minute change of plans, and forged ahead with their plans to give Dallas the festival it needed. So they did. And, man, was it a hit!
If you’re in TX during the festival next year, I can assure you it will be worth the drive/flight to Dallas. Join me in celebrating the future of Texas craft beer!
http://stouthouse.wordpress.com/tag/craft-beer/
I just had the Lips of Faith Cocoa Mole by New Belgium and I think it's one of the strangest beers I've had... not a fan of chili beers.. but this one deserved respect. The flavor and aromas were complex.
Had this on draft today. Mighty tasty. Also had Sierra Nevada Hoptimum and Dogfish Burton Baton. Both were great but I expected a little more out of the Hoptimum. But that may have been a good thing. Heard the bitterness was off the charts but I thought it had good balance.
#1238 mofos! They saved one for me at Sunrise Market
The Hoptimum is so clean. I like the change to 4 packs, esp since Central Market has it at 9.49 in Austin.
disregard everything I said about that new HEB... and avoid it for about a month or so. I went Friday and there was a 40 minute wait line, at least that's what an employee told me and while there is like 6 people giving out samples of beer it is not the best selection at all.. but hopefully with time it gets better.
That is disappointing news. I live near there but didn't dare go in this weekend. You could tell from the outside that the place was a madhouse.
I passed up a chance to stock up at Gabriels Superstore because I was hopeful about the new HEB. I'll still check it out and see what I find there anyway.
Really looking forward to this new SA IPA. Missed the last one of these and was pretty bummed. Already got my 2 tickets.
Limited Seating. $50.
When: Thurs, May 17, 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
What: This special 6 course dinner (plus an extra course!) offers amazing pairings from the brains of our own Rob Landerman and Cruzan Catering. Bake, Broil, and Brew will host the occassion, and the dinner will also benefit Open The Taps. Special gelato will be provided from Brindles. Check out this amazing menu!
Course 1
La Bestia Aimable
Sausage ravioli with basil pesto and Pecorino Romano
Course 2
Strawberry Milk Stout
Seared Salmon with Strawberry glaze
Course 3
San Antonio IPA
Cranberry Goat Cheese Salad with an IPA-Orange Vinaigrette
Course 4
Lucky Ol’ Sun
Jalapeno Citrus Chicken with a pineapple salsa
Course 5
OPA
Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin Roulade
Course 6
Mesquite Smoked Porter
Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake
Extras
Ranger Creek .36 Texas Bourbon
Special .36 Bourbon Gelato from Brindles with Bourbon Truffle
Where: Bake, Broil, and Brew
I'm having the Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti tonight and it's AWESOME... celebrating the Spurs win, I highly recommend this beer.
i'm cracking that one open tomorrow
Damn! I forgot to step in to this thread and mention the recent San Antonio Craft Beer Week. The event that jman posted was part of that. I also did the Golden Age Of Homebrewing event that week.
For those that did not attend, one of the events is still going on. Freetail hosted a Tower Of Sour where they dedicated one of their beer towers to sour beers. Stopped by yesterday and most, if not all, of them are still on tap.
it was American Craft Beer Week tbh
True but I had wanted to post the San Antonio events here. In any case, I try to make it American Craft Beer Week every week. Judging by this thread, I'm not the only one.
I hear Indio Beer is being sold in Austin. Has anyone found it in SA?
Whaaaaaaat?!
I usually hafta bring a 12 pack w/ me across the border each time I go.
I cracked open a Stoic I had bought I guess 6-9 months ago, and man did it improve with age. Was not a huge fan initially, but glad I bought two. Excellent quad when it warmed up.
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