FoBAB 2021

The floor was packed on Friday from 6-8:30 and then "poof!" it was empty. The final 90 minutes could have been a total shit show if I hadn't run into people I knew and instead just went up and down every table and tried everything which I 100% could have done. Only the hypest of the hype stuff was kicked at that point and there was no line for anything anywhere.

 

Yeah I didn't really wait in line for anything except Goose, even when it was busiest (Saturday was my session), except maybe Eunoia, but they were pouring from multiple pitchers and having everyone come up in wild chaos pouring little sliver pours, so it wasn't really a wait.

 

I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but the onus IS on you to tell us how you accomplished this feat while plugging them into Untappd and actually attempting to get some enjoyment from each? Did you do multiple sessions?

 

I thought all of the older GI beers I tried were oxidized to some extent.

 

I know back in the day it was frowned upon to review a beer before consuming its entire 6 pack over the course of at least a week, but these are the days of spent, jiggly marshmallows.

Honestly, it's not that hard. Actually, using Untappd often helped me find whatever the fuck the beer was (because not all the signs were A. Descriptive B. Accurate), which in turn helped me take the time to enjoy the beer further instead of simply sprinting from pitcher to pitcher trying to tick as much as possible. I feel like the people who do that end up drinking more than they think they do, and way more than me. I was there for the full 4 hours, after all, and it's not like they gave me a pint of each beer. Half the time I had to circle back to get a decent taste because, like Eunoia, some breweries barely poured you enough to feel it go down your throat. Plus, some were totally dumpworthy, with Off Color's BA Beer for Bowling taking the top spot for that category, for me.

 

I have no clue how that Sun King Soul Shakedown won a silver medal, it was VILE.

 

Remember that they crammed everyone into 2 sessions this year instead of spreading it into 3. That could be fixed in the future

 

It’s won a medal both times it’s entered. Who knows

 

I mean, it was fine, just surprising for the times, and the space, and the fact that in-person tickets didn't sell out. After the past two years, an absolute mindfuck, but a fun one.

 

Anyone know which beer Other Half actually brought to the fest, in regards to Deep Orbit?

The sign said just "BA Deep Orbit." That's it.

The description on the list @Jplachy posted lists "Barrel-Aged stout conditioned on Hazelnut, Vanilla wafers, and coffee". I never found any Deep Orbit variant with those flavorings, although it does sound close but not exact to a Bubble Wrap variant.

It definitely tasted like there was a lot of sweet flavorings added to it, and a lot of people checked in to Vega, and maybe some others, as it's clear I wasn't the only one who was confused.

 

I'd be surprised if this event went back to 3 sessions. The attendance for the Saturday evening session was way down pre-COVID, and the Friday session hadn't sold out in a few years either.

The venue was definitely bigger but the way they had everything laid out, it didn't really feel that much bigger because the sours and stouts were all in the same spot as opposed to different rooms @ the Forum. If this venue sticks, the Brewer/VIP lounge probably needs to move off the main floor next year so they can move the stage back and open some more floor space down there.

 

I may have 1GB internet here at the abode, but I still do not have a mobile telephone, and thus, since there was no other way to determine which beers I actually had, I'll merely scribe I spent most of my time in the Stout/Porter and Strong Stout/Porter sections.
I went Friday night. I deliberately timed my arrival to get there just after 6:00 pm. It took eighteen minutes to get inside. I did not have my satchel. There was no attempt therefore to connect to the Internet. But I did bring my Panasonic DMC-LX3 camera.
I had Randy Mosher take a picture of me in my {former} seat at the U.I.C. Pavilion. (Before there was indoor soccer, several of the people who went on to spectating indoor soccer games were spectators in Section 104 for U.I.C. mens ice hockey.) But he has not yet sent me the photo.
["More sports! Les Grobstein!"]
As for what was outside, I was stunned to glimpse former Chicago Transit Authority rapid transit car 2347, whose last runs served the Racine | Congress "L" station, having been remodelled into a mobile beer serving unit. Think similar to Deschutes' 'Woody Wagon' .
I did not queue to have the beers, but I took those photographs. Click on the thumbnail (if it appears - I perplex as to why it would not) to glimpse the full sized image in another tab.
I have no idea where else this vehicle will appear.

 

Never change @pudgym29 . Your posts are easily the best thing about the Midwest forum. I hope Randy Mosher gets his shit together and sends you that photo.

 

So OH finally got back to me and said this was a special beer just for FOBAB they have never released, and did not provide more of a description or a different name, so I'll just add a new entry here as BA Deep Orbit - FOBAB 2021 Edition

 

Looks like someone already created an entry under https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/33510/577438. Why not just use that one as it's the name of the beer? Can put in the comments that it was brewed for FOBAB 2021.

 

Ah ha, thanks!