02 Feb Winterfest 2014 Recap – the good, the great and the best
Five hours and approximately 40-50 tastings later, during our cab ride home, we reflected on what was another great Indiana Winterfest. Jay and I tried to pinpoint what made the event so great. The beers? Well, yes–there were the beers…and plenty of them. We tried every style we could–from IPA’s to Belgians to Amber Strong Ales to Bourbon Barrel Coconut Porters (no joke). The beers were as good as advertised and expected.
Was it the attendees? The attendees were great. There’s an obviously comradery among the craft beer community and the attendees were all nice and respectful despite the fact that you were sometimes cutting in line for a tasting without even realizing it (due to the massive crowd). No one got bent out of shape and no one appeared to be grossly over-served, either. We had so many great conversations with total strangers who recognized us by our IndianaOnTap t-shirts and were fans of the site. They were all quick to make recommendations of beers to try at the event and we did our best to accomodate all of their suggestions. Yes, the attendees were great–but that still wasn’t the reason the event was so special. Nope–it was the breweries. More specifically, those people from the breweries who were pouring the tastings and who were overly-friendly and more-than-helpful when it came to taking a minute to educate you on any of the beers they had on tap.
We has so many great conversations with brewery workers, the brewers and the owners themselves. It was those conversations that made the event so exceptional for us. It reminded us that Indiana not only has the best beer on tap, but also some of the best people on tap. We left the event feeling great about Indiana’s place in our nation’s craft beer revolution.
While this event wasn’t a competition, it’s still difficult not to make comparisons when you taste so many beers. With that said, there’s bound to be winners and losers when it comes to what beers stood out above the rest. While we won’t highlight our losers, we’ll happily highlight our winners…i.e. our 5 favorites. In complete fairness, I estimate we were only able to try maybe 10-15% of the beers at the event. If we had tried them all, we’d probably still be passed out and/or left for dead somewhere in the fairgrounds. Below are the 5 beers that stood out above the rest (in no particular order).
Imperial Blueberry Stout – Black Swan Brewpub (Plainfield, IN)
This stout poured dark brown with a thick tan head. The blueberry presence was minimal, to our surprise–but the blueberry we did taste was sweet in nature. It was a roasty stout that almost reminded us of a sweet wine that was infused with a classical imperial stout. It was delicious.
Scottish Ale – Bulldog Brewing Company (Whiting, IN)
We’ve got to be honest…we don’t know where Whiting, IN is–but we think this Scottish Ale could legitimately put this town on the map. It tasted almost like a barley wine in many ways. At 11.5% ABV, we didn’t got back for a second tasting, as much as we wanted to, though.
Rip Cord Double IPA – Daredevil Brewing Company (Shelbyville, IN)
We were already huge fans of Daredevil’s Lift Off IPA…so we weren’t surprised to enjoy their Rip Cord Double IPA as much as we did. It had an abundance of of citrus hop flavor and aroma. It reminded us more of many of the west coast double IPA’s we’ve personally come to love. It left a slightly dry after taste, which we appreciated.
Rudolph’s Revenge – Turoni’s Pizzery & Brewery (Evansville, IN)
Wow. Ok, we acknowledge that we’re predisposed to enjoy Belgian Style Strong Ales…but this gem from Turoni’s was one of the stars of the show for us. The aroma was malty with strong hints of candy. The beer itself was light to medium-bodied. Yes, it’s sugary and will remind you of a Belgian Tripel–but the sweetness doesn’t take away from its ability to be an every-day drinking beer (especially if you’re already a Belgian fan).
The KokoMonster – Half Moon Brewery (Kokomo, IN)
While the name itself can stir intimidation in the average drinker, the beer itself is less intimidating and far more enjoyable once you try it. This strong ale is amber in color with a slightly sweet and malty flavor. I looked up some reviews online and was surprised to see that it’s not highly rated. Despite that, it hit a nice note with us and we enjoyed how unusually smooth it was. The aroma packed both sweetness and depth for us.
Thanks again to all of the breweries who took the time to pour us tastings and talk to us about our site. We appreciated both the support and feedback we received. We’re excited to be part of Indiana’s growing craft-beer community and are already looking forward to Winterfest 2015! Until then, remember: A smarter beer drinker is a better beer drinker!
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