FOBAB Winners and Impressions

I have finally got a bit of a breather after the Black Wednesday/Friday and before Christmas events to get in my impressions of the Festival of (Wood and) Barrel-Aged Beers. Yes, it back on November 22-23, but I do appreciate that I get some views for my news items.

Since 2003, FOBAB has been put on as a fundraiser for the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild. I was able to attend the first few fests, when it was at the former Finkl Steel place on Goose Island (the actual island), and again at the former Goose Island Wrigleyville. This was my first time at Credit Union 1 Arena: or, if you prefer, the UIC Pavilion. Organization of the event was very impressive. There were over 350 beers from 160 breweries being poured: many of them from tables set up on the court, and many more arranged around the concourse on street level. They also offered a Lager Lounge with lighter beers for those wanting a respite from heaviness, and Revolution sponsored a Super-Zero Lounge for NA tastes, but only their Super Zero hop seltzer. I got a can to try. I can see there’s a market for this, though it needs more flavor than just hop bitterness (I’ve since had the Lagunitas version, with some citrus added).

Meanwhile, outside the venue, Goose Island was sampling Original Bourbon County Stout and their Kaleidoscope Cuveé, while a neighboring trailer had tastes of Bardstown Bourbon, the collaborator in one of the BCBS varietals. Conversely, Bardstown was tasting out one of their bourbons that had aged for a time in BCBS barrels.

I had hoped to fill some “holes” in my collection of beers sampled, like the last few states whose product has not crossed my lips. But no, nobody from Mississippi, West Virginia, Wyoming or Washington DC. So I focused on trying to hit all the styles represented, and to taste product from brewers I hadn’t hit before. Well, there were familiar brewers I just had to get a taste of.

Following are the winners from the beer judging portion of FoBAB. I’ll be adding my notes on the beers I was able to sample as I go along. The additions will continue as I have time:

Best of Show

Fan Favorite

NeuroNova Brewing 1 Ceres, Chicago, IL
This was a new brewery that no one at that time had any information about. Karl at GuysDrinkingBeer revealed that its business license, at least, is held by brewer Eric Flores of Whiskey Hill Brewing.
Imperial stout aged in maple bourbon, vanilla bourbon, and bourbon barrels. 14.5% abv. Brown to black color. A very lovely Bourbon and malt nose to it. The mouthfeel is thick, like a bourbon, The taste also has a pretty solid bourbon sensation to it. This has deserved whatever medals it has received.

Strong Porter & Stout

I had: Westbound & Down Barrel Aged Double Absence (Idaho Springs, CO).
Very dark with the thick legs around the outside. Nice whiskey smell. Lovely thick beer taste. Bourbon right on the tongue. Rating: 4.6/5.0

Also had: False Idol Trespasser (North Richland Hills, TX) 15.0%. Aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels for 11 months and Eagle Rare Bourbon Barrels for 8 months.
A very lacy glass with a full nose of bourbon in it. The taste is pretty much just Bourbon and some dark malt. It hits very hard in a nice way. Some coffee to it as well which may have come from the barrels instead of the original beer. Brewver: 8.8/10

Also had: Keg Grove Brewing Area 309 Orange Chocolate. (Bloomington, IL)
17% Imperial stout with cocoa nibs, orange zest, and vanilla aged in bourbon barrels. Not much foam after the pour, but it is pretty leggy and I can smell some definite Orange to it, like an orange chocolate ball. The taste has more of the orange candy to it, while the chocolate is pretty much in the background. Finishes off quickly. Rating: 4.2/5.0.

Specialty Strong Porter & Stout

I had: Flossmoor Station Barrel-Aged the Pawn & the King. (Flossmoor, IL)
The original version of this 13% Imperial stout was brewed with with cocoa nibs, orange zest, and vanilla Here they had two versions of the same beer: one aged in a Bourbon barrel and the other in a Rye barrel.
Bourbon barrel version. Brownish to black color very little foam. The smell has a bit of licorice to it. I don’t know if that’s from my rarely rinsed glass. It is rather bright in taste for a Bourbon barrel dark beer. I can’t quite describe the taste it is a little more fruity, perhaps then your average Bourbon barrel aged beer. Some more bourbon taste comes through toward the end of my tiny sample. (3.9/5.0)
Rye Barrel version, aged in Russell’s Reserve Rye Whiskey barrels: Same 13%, Same very thin ring of foam. This has kind of a Black Jack gum nose to it. The taste brings out a little more of the liquor barrel impression. For both I was getting a touch of vanillin and some of the other char perhaps. This one can be tagged a little bit higher. (4.1/5.0)

Barleywine/Wheatwine

I had: New Groove Artisan Brewery It’s a Hard Knock Life Batch #3 (Boiling Springs, SC).
15.78% abv. Aged in Willett Family Estate 10 year rye cask barrels. Pours black with just a little bit of brown showing through. Not much leg to the beer foam, although that may be from the glass having been rinsed a couple of times. The delicious smell is a straight barley wine. But the taste is a solid whomp of barley malt. No extras or adjuncts in the way, which can be nice. A great aperitif style barley wine. Opens with a great smell and keeps going. Rating: 4.6/5.0

Blended Beer

Other Pale Beer

I had: Trebel in Paradise, from Cahaba Brewing, Chicago, IL.
Description: Belgian style tripel brewed with Meadowfoam honey and aged in rum barrels.
A cheery Rose to gold color in the glass. Then a ring of foam. It does have a light smell of a lager beer with honey in it. This has some honey to the taste, but there’s also a bit of yeast to it. 8.1/10

I also had: Well Positioned, from Forbidden Root Columbus, Columbus, OH.
Description: Oak Aged Saison 6% ABV. A very pale gold color in the glass with a slight ring of foam that looks good. The foam dwindles away very quickly. Taste has the yeasty bite of saison with a little bit of coriander. Another very nice and yeasty saison in the middle of some large heavy beers.

Lager

I had: Remus, from Cahaba Brewing, Birmingham, AL.
8.6% abv. Baltic Porter aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels. A little bit more foam around the edges. Brownish to black color. Smell has some malt and a little bit of yeast to it. The taste is like a dopple bock, perhaps, with plenty of malt. And some yeast in the bite. Settles down nicely. Drinks like a lighter alcohol beer, as a matter of fact. 3.4/5.0

Other Dark Beer

I had: NPN, from Loose Ends Brewing.
Belgian Dark Strong aged in Apple Jack Brandy barrels for a long 8 months. 10.8% A bit lighter and more Brown in color. Nice silky oatmeal stout-type head. The smell has some light bourbon to it. More like a barley wine I think. But very nice. I do get a bit of apple cider in the taste, although I’m sure it’s not totally expected. Actually, The cider taste gets a little bigger as I go along. 7.9/10.0

Fruit Beer

I had: La Locura, one of the few medalists that found its way into my taster.
13% abv. A very licorice and Blackjack gum smell. Still pour, dark brown to black with a thin ring of foam. I do taste cherries in it. But mostly what I get is a licorice taste or a blackjack gum taste. It can really grow on you if you like that. Ratebeer: 4.1/5.0

Specialty & Experimental

Wild Beer – Brett

Wild Beer Mixed Culture (Acidic)

I had: Wicked Weed Silencio (Asheville, NC).
9.1% ABV. A dark Porter color, with not as much legs as my previous sampled beer. Slightly tart nose is still pretty pleasant. Not a very tart taste but the then it builds, and seems to linger. The alcohol is not very obvious, but I am sure it’s coming to hit me. Settles out like a soured lager beer. Rating: 4.6/5.0

Wild Beer Mixed Culture (Acidic) with Fruit

I had: Homewood Brewing BC Sour (My first taste of this south suburban brewer).
5.3% ABV. Brownish red color with a little rim of foam. Has a nice bit of a Brett smell, not overwhelming. The taste is a little bit tartish. Not much to grab me with here. It kind of just goes right on down. Ratebeer: 3.3/5.0

Cider/Perry/Mead