FoBAB ReFlections, 2023 – Guys Ingesting Beer

Now that I’ve recovered, listed below 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 Unfastened 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 believe that’s superior.

As a result of, sure — massive breweries with plenty of assets nonetheless walked away with medals for his or her barrel-aged beers. Two of these are (or had 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 acquired a real pang of emotion seeing the ultimate barrel-aged beer pouring from Oswego Brewing Firm. Alas.)

If all because of this the world of barrel-aging high quality is constant 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 larger than the sum of its components. Locations like FoBAB are the place you get to see the payoff of plenty of costly experimentation and funding in one thing particular, and I’m blissful 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 large barrelhouses and simply as nice from single barrels patiently ready within the nook of some small city taproom, then I’m completely proud of that. Extra thrilling beers to probe for all of us. And any of us, anyplace, may have the ability to entry world-class barrel-aged beers.

I additionally nonetheless love having the occasion on the Credit score Union 1 Enviornment — with area for beers on the mezzanine, beers on the primary flooring, 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 dimension for a pageant like this and nonetheless have room for individuals to take a seat and unfold out. For these of you who keep 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, slightly quiet area put aside for the sensory-sensitive could be good to have. Different festivals have instituted this and there have been instances once I’ve been overwhelmed by the straightforward sound and stimuli of a fest, even unbiased of alcohol consumption.

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

Different takeaways:

It was a very massive yr 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 considerations from when these beers had been being put away amidst a worldwide pandemic 12, 18 or 24 months in the past.

I don’t take into account {that a} dangerous factor, although: Certainly one of my favourite beers of the day was Resident Tradition’s Spontaneous Raspberry, which I assumed was higher than their medal-winning Ego Loss of life stout with vanilla. Nonetheless, slightly totally different from previous years the place peanut butter, Madagascar vanilla beans, unique coffees and different spices reigned supreme.

Talking of berry beers (tangentially, a minimum of), that is the place I inform you that if you happen to identify a beer Fart At The Satan: Raspberry, I’m sure by responsibility to attempt it a minimum of as soon as. I’m nonetheless not letting Niles Brewing Firm off the hook for not but sending a label for this by way of the TTB. (It was nice.)

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

Attention-grabbing 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, anyhow, ahem), you understand their artists are gifted — however after sampling their Scribbled Strains: Rene V2 I can inform you that their brewers are as nicely. This was one of many few beers I went again for one more pour of; massive vibrant bitter golden tart acidity that punched proper by way of the noise to spark plenty of taste pleasure.

Earlier than issues acquired 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 determination to drop $6 Million on the brand new Fort Wayne facility that simply broke floor this week.

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

Talking of beer kinds you don’t see loads at FoBAB, I had a pour of Dovetail’s XO7: Wild Hefe, and you understand what? I preferred it! You wouldn’t anticipate 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 may be2 one of the best Malort-barrel-aged beer I’ve ever had. Most brewers decide to only hammer you over the pinnacle with wormwood, however this one used the spirit’s pure dryness to meld superbly with the blood orange to land this blonde ale with a pleasant grapefruit-bitter end. Cherished it.

I had heard loads 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. Good things.

A remaining be aware on attendance:

This yr’s occasion appeared a bit much less populated than within the final couple years; whether or not or not that was resulting from a special configuration of beers on the ground vs on the mezzanine or fewer beers general 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 yr — the whole lot was pouring outside, which I assume added a number of further sq. toes. (And it was a good looking day to be exterior, too.) I additionally don’t know what Friday night time’s crowd regarded 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 acquired 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 yr. 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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