FoBAB 2021

Oh forgot about Peak Luxury... that was good!

 

Anyone try the BCS Fourteen?

 

I got two packages to go. Annoyed to spend $5 to park to run in and out. Lol.

1.) empirical - neutronium rye stout in scotch barrels
2.) Avery - Pomona can (lol)
3.) verboten - iced frau blucher eisbock (can - 16.5%!)
4.) angry orchard - still
5.) side lot - kingston quad in rum barrels - 8 oz can
6.) more - revelatory


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1.) Ravinia - don’t hitchhike for love - 12oz bottle
2.) Oswego - Ba triple xl - 16oz can
3.) rock bottom - redemption elf - 12oz bottle
4.) Miskatonic - yuzu soubrette - bottle
5.) 4 hands - lateral lines cherry sour - 500 ml bottle
6.) goose - toasted barrel

 

I really liked Fourteen. I keep hearing “too much cinnamon” but I didn’t get that. I love cassia bark though‍♂️

 

sounds exactly like 2014….people couldn’t agree whether it was too much or too little

 

Mix them together! Mix them together!

 

Yeah, this. I saw an open urinal and moved in, only to commit a major breach of urinal etiquette.

 

I got prop 2014 and it was solid

 

You bumped into me.

 

Winners announced. Didn’t try the best in show
https://www.porchdrinking.com/artic...festival-of-wood-and-barrel-aged-beer-awards/

 

I’m about to go through this thread and read opinions, but I gotta say… this is the strongest collection of beers I’ve ever tasted at FoBab. It was an unbelievably deep field. I found like 15 beers that could easily could have won best in show. What a time to be alive

 

Illinois with a strong showing.

 

Give us your top 15

 

Cerebral Here Be Monsters. Perfect new age stout

Firestone Walker Double Barrel Parabola - perfect old school stout. Would have blown minds 8 years ago

More Revalatory was probably my favorite beer of the weekend. Had 4 pours, couldn’t stop coming back to it.

Week Force DB sleepy bear. Insane chocolate. Was not surprised by the medal at all.

Bottle Logic Somniphoria.

Half Acre Extra Double Benthic - was shocked this didn’t earn a medal.

Lua Here - these guys just get it. One of the best young breweries in the nation and I am constantly impressed. They just make beer that fits me and this was no different. Similar to More Revalotory but a little more restrained on the barrel expression. Seek out Lua beer, they are a brewery to keep an eye on

Old Irving Champurdado Krampus - best use of cinnamon. Bright spice in the front of the tongue but restrained enough to not overpower. Could have easily drank a full can or bottle. More than an impression “flight beer”

Pipeworks Phantom Unicorn - pipeworks is back. Their other entry was great as well. So exited to see this barrel program unvail new beers over the next year or two. They should return to top tier Chicago barrel program soon.

Roaring Table Sunburnt Mirth Vanilla - very much like Lua, this company just gets me. They construct beers just the way I like it. Ticks all the boxes, barrel, body, and perfectly executed adjunct

Resident Culture Sympathetic was very nice. I thought there were a few better options, but the wild categories are always a toss up. Sympathetic was bright, refreshing, and id happily drink it all the time.

Penrose boysenberry - never surprised by Penrose winning medals. They know their shit and are veterans in the game. Awesome fruit character, rounded oak character and pleasant acidity

Afterthought ZinGin - huge cask expression. Dry, crisp and refreshing acidity. Seems most people liked the fruit beer more but ZinGin was the best barrel expression I tasted of the wild beers

Backberry Farms foeder classic - if you don’t like this, you just aren’t a fan of saison and oak. Blackberry farms does no wrong. Could can drank a pitcher of this. Creamy texture. My 2nd favorite wild of the night

Rev VSOJ. DUH

Phase Three poured a special stout at 3PM. It was bonkers. Peak p3. It was too crowded to ask questions but it was stellar. Huge coconut or almond. It was up in the p3 area upstairs, bottle pour. All the best parts of p3 stouts without any of the drawbacks usually due to being overdone

Spiteful Barrel Aged Bob. Just textbook. Not VSOJ, a leaner beer but it’s just stellar execution. Always a winner.


I missed a lot of stuff, but this group of beers is crazy strong. Missed HB Stavius. Missed Hailstorm. Mikerphone was super solid, but it was tough to compete with the MoRe beer right next to them. Didn’t get to try noon whistle or modern times.


Anyone else think Other Half Quiet Space sucked? One is the few beers I happily dumped out. Maplewood entries were too much for me. Especially the cinnamon beer. That sucked. And hazels nuts smelled disgusting. I dumped before tasting. Had a rotten banana thing going on.

GOOD LORD it was good to be back at FoBAB.

 

Missed foreign exchange Clockwork as well. Anybody check that one out?