Sunday, September 25, 2011

Beer Festival: Montana Brewer's Festival

The Montana Brewer's Association held their 3rd annual  Brewer's Festival in Bozeman, Montana.  Over twenty Montana Based brewers showcased over 70 beers.

And. here. we. go.

Tamarack Brewing Co.

Fire Dancing Amber:  Nice Amber color, sweet malt aroma, malty flavor with a slightly bitter finish.

Fat Polly's American Pale:  Straw color, light malt aroma, bitter all around

Neptune's Brewery

Chocolate Cream Porter: Dark brown color, nice head, chocolate aroma, coffee forward, smooth chocolate finish, with a hint of oats

Crosseyed Kitty Imperial Nut Brown:  Dark amber color, malty, nutty aroma, smooth yet strong flavor

Balckfoot River Brewing Company

Kolsch: Straw colored, nice head, mild aroma, mild flavor, a nice easy drinking beer

Blackfoot IPA:  Straw colored, floral hop aroma, pretty mild flavor, sweet slight banana taste

Blacksmith Brewing Company

Hopper Hef:  Straw colored, mild aroma, strong banana flavor with a mild finish

Black Iron Black IPA: A Cascadian Black IPA, dark amber in color, good head, strong hop aroma, all hops in terms of flavor (IPA enthusiast: Hop forward, likely dry hopped, mild malts)

The Kettlehouse

Cold Smoked Scotch Ale:  Dark amber color, decent head, malty aroma, strong malt flavor with some residual sugar

Hemptober Spliff: Golden color, slight malt aroma, sweet with bitter finish

Double Haul IPA:  Clear golden color, floral hop aroma, mild forward with a strong hop finish

Bozeman Brewing Company

Bozone Select Amber:  Golden Amber color, malty arome, bitter forward with a mild finish

2nd Virtue Belgian Dubbel:  Amber color, no head, slight malt aroma, malt forward with a smooth finish

406 Brewing Company - Bozeman's newest brewery

Simcoe Pale: Golden straw color, estery aroma, slight malt forward, with a strong bitter hop finish likely due to the use of papaya hops

Saaz IPA: Golden color, hoppy aroma, very strong hops all around (IPA enthusiast: spicy, good Saaz hop profile)

Brown Porter:  Dark brown color, chocolate aroma, coffee forward, nutty chocolate finish

Glacier Brewing Company

Cherry Wheat:  No head, straw colored, strong almond/ marzipan aroma, mild in flavor, with almond/marzipan finish

Golden Grizzly Ale: Golden color, hoppy aroma, slight soap flavor with bitter forward - not a fan of this beer

Wildhorse Island Pale: Darker golden color, slight malt aroma, with malt forward and bitter hop finish.

Lewis & Clark Brewing Company

Back Country Scottish Ale: Dark Amber in color, with a malt aroma, bitter forward with a malty finish, there is a hint of vanilla and pretty mellow all around

Tumbleweed IPA: Golden Straw color, floral hop aroma, fairly mild forward, with a strong hop finish

Fat Jack's Honey Wheat: Straw colored, good head, mild aroma, slight honey forward with a mild finish

Quarry's Open Cab Copper: Amber in color, peaty malt aroma, with a hint of spices, mild roasted malt flavor

The festival itself was very fun to attend.  They had a good selection of food and were set up pretty well so that you weren't standing in  line for too long while waiting for a tasting.  My favorites were, Neptune's Cross eyed Kitty, Neptune's Chocolate Cream Porter, Lewis and Clark's Back Country Scottish Ale, the overall winner being Bozeman's 2nd Virtue Dubbel.  My IPA consultant also enjoyed the Chocolate Cream porter, his favorites were Blacksmith's Black Iron Black IPA, and 406's Saaz IPA.

The beer lady also made a new friend, Growler Fills, go check out his blog at growlerfills.blogspot.com

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