GABF

Generally I'm a wheat girl.  I like it when there's a spice or two other than hops...you can't shame me.  But I think I might have to go out of my comfort zone here and get into a few beers that have some color to say the least. 

I volunteered to pour at the Great American Beer Festival this year.  Usually I just pay the $50 (they used to be $40) and wander around with the awe of a child until my lips turn unnaturally pink-a tried and true sign I've had a bit too much.  Eh what can you do?  Did I mention there are almost 2000 beers to taste...how can you not get to that point??  Well instead of buying tickets, our friend Steve-the Yeti-talked us into giving the gift of time and now I don't think we can ever go back to paying.

 

I started at Carter's Brewing Co. of Billings, Montana.  Got to meet the owner and brew-master who named the brewery after his son, Carter.  (how sweet...too bad for any other kids that come their way...they just don't love them as much???  :)  Their big seller is their De-Railed IPA.  Not my idea of a tasty drink (hate hops).  What I did like, however, was their Saison de Carter.  I hadn't tried a saison style beer before and liked the way Carter's made it.  Enough coriander and orange peel to make a Belgian content.  Okay, so the saison doesn't hold my arguement of getting out of the box; but be patient...there's more...always more.

Still at the Carter's table was a Black Magic Porter.

  Tasty.  Nice finish.  Not too much caramel flavor or hops.  Nice all around.  At this point I had found the style I wanted to learn more about: the porter.  I must admit my naivete and tell you that I found stouts, nut browns and porters pretty similar.  If there wasn't a porter to be sampled, I just moved on to their stouts.  Again, no shame.  I don't want to bore you with ALL the gory details so here are some brews I enjoyed:

Bristol's Winter Worlock Oatmeal Stout (Colorado Springs, CO), Red Fish's Space Stout (Boulder, CO), Red Rock's Belgian Wit (Salt Lake City, UT), Nicey Spicey from some Michigan brewery up near Traverse City...it was peppery...interesting and probably tasty with a steak, and unfortunately, I can't remember specific places or titles as my libations played with the better part of my memory...sorry.

If you happen to get into town around the time of the GABF, I highly recommend getting a ticket or six.  You'll get an acrylic sampler glass (that you need to hold onto otherwise you will get booed to your next station by the throngs of people surrounding you) and the chance of a lifetime.