First, the kind-of-bad news: None of the four Idaho breweries that entered their beers in this year’s Great American Beer Festival, held in Denver last weekend, won any medals.
It’s easy to forget sometimes that the GABF — the biggest, baddest, most awesome convention ever created — is a contest, where the whims and specific tastes of judges make it hard to predict exactly what makes a gold, silver or bronze medal winning beer.
For this year’s 30th anniversary GABF, judges gave out medals in 83 style categories. Competition was stiff, as 524 different breweries from across the U.S. submitted a total of 4,020 beers. That’s why medaling is such an accomplishment. It’s flat-out hard to win.
That is likely scant consolation for the brewers from The Ram, Laughing Dog, TableRock Brewpub and Grand Teton, the Idaho four who all entered world-class beers into the 2011 GABF.
Ram brewmaster Jake Schisel admitted he was a little disappointed.
“I had some high hopes, I have to admit, but there is always next year,” Schisel said Tuesday morning, back on the job in Boise. “I felt really good about our Oktoberfest. I guess the worst part for me was that it was sad to see Idaho go empty-handed. That’s difficult, because we have such great beer here.”
I agree. All four spud-state brewers brought world-class beers to the judges and the 49,000 imbibers, myself included, that filled the Denver Convention Center.
Frankly, it’s hard to really stand out because every brewery that brings beer to the GABF means serious business. I do know the Grand Teton, Ram, TableRock and Laughing Dog booths were hopping at the three sessions I attended, and lots of Americans drank a lot of Idaho beer.
(You can drink this year’s gold medal winning Big Horn Blonde at the Ram. It is one of the house beers for the Bighorn Brewing chain, which owns the Ram. It was brewed in Seattle, so it’s not an Idaho beer at all.)
The GABF is the craziest, coolest beer event ever.
Imagine being able to taste pretty much any beer you want, in every conceivable style, all brewed with unparalleled American ingenuity, with more than 10,000 like-minded people per session. Good vibes all around. I’ve been to the GABF half a dozen times and never seen an argument or fight. Every craft beer nut needs to go at least once.
Not surprisingly, the most popular styles seem to be IPA: regular, imperial, Belgian hybrids, black, etc. I noticed a ton of bourbon-barrel aged stouts and that a lot more breweries are doing both British and Belgian styles instead of the specialization we used to see.
The most memorable beers tend to be the most innovative, since they have to stand out from 2,400 others.
There were quite a few Boise beer types in Denver. I asked those folks to pick the coolest beers they tried:
• Matt Gelsthorpe, the beer buyer from the Boise Co-Op, especially liked the Urban Farmhouse Ale from Commons Brewery in Portland.
“A light and flavorful Belgian table beer that balances low alcohol with great flavor,” he says.
Gelsthorpe also liked the Marshmallow Handji from Three Floyd’s Brewing in Munster, Ind., a barrel-aged version of their Dark Lord Russian imperial stout with vanilla beans. “It was fantastic — a total dessert.”
• Schisel really enjoyed the Splashing Pumpkin Ale from the Great South Brewery in Bay Shore, N.Y., which has hints of cinnamon and clove along with pumpkin. “I don’t even like pumpkin beers, but that was just outstanding. It got me thinking we need to try one (at the Ram).” Schisel also thought the Hoppocratic Oath Imperial IPA from Great South was fantastic. “It’s a blast to discover new beers.”
• Dave Krick, local restauranteur and owner of Boise’s best beer bar, the Bittercreek Alehouse, picked The Wanderer — a barrel-aged dark sour ale, brewed with blackberries and cherries, from SoCal-based The Bruery.
It has a sublime mix of flavors, Krick said. It’s “just a splendid sour.” It won the silver medal in the wood and barrel aged sour ale category. Krick also gave high marks to the Marshmallow Handji.
• John Grizzaffi, president of Stein Distributing Co. in Boise, enjoyed San Diego-based Green Flash Brewing Co.’s Le Freak — a combination of the Belgian tripel and American IPA styles — and Little Freak Belgian Farmhouse Ale. He also got a chance to enjoy an old favorite — Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yellow Pils, which isn’t sold in Boise anymore.
For me, the best beer I had was the Peanut Butter Cup Coffee Porter from Ohio’s Willoughby Brewing Co. The chocolate, espresso and peanut butter flavors were subtle and were perfectly balanced with smooth malt. So, so good.
I really loved the Oil of Aphrodite Imperial Stout from Jackie O’s from Athens, Ohio, which is brewed with black walnuts. That nut flavor melded perfectly with the roast malt flavors.
Maybe it’s my Ohio roots, but does any brewery make a better IPA these days than Fat Heads from Cleveland? I tasted them in succession, and I have to say The Head Hunter IPA and Hop JuJu might be better than Russian River Brewing’s legendary Pliny the Elder.
I also have to say that every beer I tasted from Bend’s 10 Barrel Brewing was just fantastic. I spent some time talking to 10 Barrel’s Garret Wales, and the vision they have for the brew pub they want to put in at 9th and Bannock in Downtown Boise is awesome. Let’s hope that happens.
Patrick Orr: 373-6619.
Patrick Orr’s beer column runs the first Friday of the month.
