FoBAB ReFlections, 2023 – Guys Consuming Beer

Now that I’ve recovered, listed here are some ideas:

An enormous theme from most of the FoBAB 2023 award winners could be summed up in a single phrase:

“Who?”

That’s what many people stored saying as medals went to not well-established repeat winners with extremely regarded barrel applications, however to small brewery after small brewery from across the Midwest and past whose names we didn’t acknowledge.

Earlier than FoBAB, how many people had ever heard of Minneapolis’ Idyll Forest Artisan Ales? Of Full Mile Beer Firm & Kitchen from Solar Prairie, Wisconsin? Or Centerville, OH’s Free Ends Brewing? Or locations like False Idol, or Ever Grain, or Magnanimous?

Most years there are successful beers from small places however nothing, it appears, like this. And I feel that’s superior.

As a result of, sure — massive breweries with a lot of sources nonetheless walked away with medals for his or her barrel-aged beers. Two of these are (or have been till lately) massive A-B manufacturers: Depraved Weed scored a medal and 10 Barrel took dwelling three. Boulevard, Solar King and Firestone Walker got here away with wins of their very own.

However we additionally didn’t see any wins from dependable outfits like Werk Drive, Pollyanna or Revolution. (We sadly additionally didn’t have a earlier dependable winner within the type of Smylie Brothers. I additionally bought a real pang of emotion seeing the ultimate barrel-aged beer pouring from Oswego Brewing Firm. Alas.)

If all which means that the world of barrel-aging high quality is continuous to flatten out, I’m thrilled for it. Beer is an industrial product however placing it right into a barrel to generate a desired have an effect on requires a sure artwork, as does mixing these beers into one thing higher than the sum of its elements. Locations like FoBAB are the place you get to see the payoff of a lot of costly experimentation and funding in one thing particular, and I’m joyful to say that extra FoBAB entries than ever are genuinely good beers.

If we’ve lastly circled round to barrel-aged beer being a product that may be nice from huge barrelhouses and simply as nice from single barrels patiently ready within the nook of some small city taproom, then I’m completely pleased with that. Extra thrilling beers to probe for all of us. And any of us, wherever, would possibly have the ability to entry world-class barrel-aged beers.

I additionally nonetheless love having the occasion on the Credit score Union 1 Area — with area for beers on the mezzanine, beers on the primary ground, room exterior for the Goose Island railcar and two separate areas put aside for NA hop waters and lagers, it’s just about the right measurement for a pageant like this and nonetheless have room for folks to sit down and unfold out. For these of you who bear in mind the overwhelming noise (and, later within the occasion, the … aroma) of the wild/cider room on the earlier location, you understand what I’m speaking about.

If I might need for something, somewhat quiet area put aside for the sensory-sensitive can be good to have. Different festivals have instituted this and there have been occasions once I’ve been overwhelmed by the straightforward sound and stimuli of a fest, even impartial of alcohol consumption.

There are solely two beer festivals that I journey interstate for: GABF and FoBAB. Although costs haven’t gone up in fairly some time, $85 for a ticket to FoBAB1 is a bit expensive (even regardless of inflation) however when you think about how a lot entry you get to a complete world of fantastic, ingenious, artistic, time-consuming and total intense beers from across the nation … properly, I’m nonetheless saying it’s properly definitely worth the journey.

Different takeaways:

It was a very massive 12 months for berry beers. Quite a few stouts, barleywines and wild ales all got here loaded with raspberry, blackberry, brambleberry and marionberry flavors, which I’m going to assume is a operate of value issues from when these beers have been being put away amidst a worldwide pandemic 12, 18 or 24 months in the past.

I don’t think about {that a} unhealthy factor, although: Considered one of my favourite beers of the day was Resident Tradition’s Spontaneous Raspberry, which I believed was higher than their medal-winning Ego Dying stout with vanilla. Nonetheless, somewhat totally different from previous years the place peanut butter, Madagascar vanilla beans, unique coffees and different spices reigned supreme.

Talking of berry beers (tangentially, at the least), that is the place I inform you that should you title a beer Fart At The Satan: Raspberry, I’m sure by obligation to attempt it at the least as soon as. I’m nonetheless not letting Niles Brewing Firm off the hook for not but sending a label for this by means of the TTB. (It was positive.)

Initially of the pageant I bumped into Eric Hobbs, COO of Solemn Oath/Hidden Hand, and we chatted a bit in regards to the entry he was gushing with satisfaction about: their Oaked Val D’Or wild brett beer. It was great to see the entire crew erupt in applause (see above) when this love letter to Orval was named not only a gold-medal winner however Greatest in Present. Particularly realizing how experiments with barrels and brett can both go very proper or very improper, you may inform they knew they nailed it and clearly the judges agreed.

Fascinating to notice that the final 4 FoBAB Greatest In Present winners have been non stout/porter/barleywine kinds. A cider, two wild blended tradition beers and now wild brett have all taken the highest spot since 2020.

If you happen to’ve seen the labels I’ve lately shared from Lupulin Brewing (Premium Subscribers have seen them, in any case, ahem), you understand their artists are proficient — however after sampling their Scribbled Traces: Rene V2 I can inform you that their brewers are as properly. This was one of many few beers I went again for one more pour of; massive vivid bitter golden tart acidity that punched proper by means of the noise to spark a whole lot of taste pleasure.

Earlier than issues bought too loopy, I hunted down a Tremendous Zero hop water from Revolution. I’ve no sturdy opinions on hop waters save to say that this one did pack a well-hopped punch to a palate that was thick with viscous stout; absolutely loved it as a break to barrel-aged beers however unsure I’m able to drop $9 for a six-pack.

I wager that successful two massive awards for his or her Mehndi 2023 bourbon-barrel-aged stout — Gold for Sturdy Porter/Stout plus Runner Up – Greatest in Present — made MORE Brewing a bit extra assured about their choice to drop $6 Million on the brand new Fort Wayne facility that simply broke floor this week.

Metropolitan Brewing gained one other award this 12 months for his or her barrel-aged Generator Doppelbock, however I had a pour of their BA Afterburner and man, I believed that beer couldn’t get tastier, but it surely did.

Talking of beer kinds you don’t see rather a lot at FoBAB, I had a pour of Dovetail’s XO7: Wild Hefe, and you understand what? I preferred it! You wouldn’t count on a mix of untamed beer to interlace fairly seamlessly with their creamy, fluffy weizen but it surely did, and I dug it.

Haymarket’s Icky Bob Thornton could be2 the perfect Malort-barrel-aged beer I’ve ever had. Most brewers decide to simply hammer you over the pinnacle with wormwood, however this one used the spirit’s pure dryness to meld fantastically with the blood orange to land this blonde ale with a pleasant grapefruit-bitter end. Liked it.

I had heard rather a lot about Brothership’s two entries so I tracked them down ASAP — the barleywine was good however that Oumuamua imperial stout with a sizzly little rye-barrel spiced end, mmm. Great things.

A closing notice on attendance:

This 12 months’s occasion appeared a bit much less populated than within the final couple years; whether or not or not that was attributable to a special configuration of beers on the ground vs on the mezzanine or fewer beers total or if there have been simply fewer attendees there. I don’t know for certain.

Goose Island has additionally had stations each inside and outdoors at previous occasions; that wasn’t the case this 12 months — all the pieces was pouring outdoor, which I assume added just a few further sq. toes. (And it was a lovely day to be exterior, too.) I additionally don’t know what Friday night time’s crowd appeared like both.

I can inform you that I undoubtedly wasn’t crowded for area for many of the day on Saturday. I do hope that the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild bought what they wanted from this annual fundraiser of a pageant, as a result of I genuinely don’t need to find yourself again on the UIC Discussion board subsequent 12 months. Fingers crossed the financials made sense.

1 Disclosure: Sure, as members of the beer media, the guild comped us our entry to FoBAB 2023.

2 It’s.

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