Great Taste 2016 reflections

My 10th GTMW.

Thursday: Did Coopers for CBS/KBS/etc with virtually no fanfare at all, sat outside on the square choking back CBS before our reservation at Heritage Tavern.

Friday: New Glarus release, Brasserie V for lunch, Maduro, Tipsy, Lucille (1st time there - not so sure about that place; plastic cup barleywine), and Dexters (still plenty of King Sue, Suemosa, etc pouring at 5pm). In general, seemed a bit more low-key than last year, which was a pleasant surprise

Saturday: brunch at madison sourdough, coffee at bradbury's, farmers market, biked to the fest. Spent more time in the real ale tent than ever before. Really enjoyed the Livery (welcome back!), Mikerphone (until they ran out of beer at 2:55!?!?) and lots of other places that didn't have lines. Consumed zero beers from Goose Island (why bother?). Tons of glass nickel to close down the night.

Sunday: Surly bruch at a Pig in a Fur Coat; cleaned up the leftovers at Dexters and the Tipsy Cow

 

Haha, now that is what it's all about. Way to optimize your weekend!

As always, I had an awesome time at the GTOM 2016 and surrounding days.

As for myself, on Friday I went to NG release, super low key, in and out. Headed over to Maduro for some Bell's and Upper hand beer. Next stop: Dexter's. No Morning Delight, but that's fine, plenty of other good beers. I really enjoyed Suemoe, King Sue, and Chainsmoker, although I personally would have liked a touch more smoke. Then off to Funk Factory, enjoyed a nice assortment of O'so and FF, plus the delicious food trucks as a bonus.

Saturday: Volunteered at the fest, was there by 11am for my shift. I'm able to get a fair amount of drinking in while "working", but I stuck with lighter beers that piqued my interest. Drank several glass of Summit's 30th Anniv. Keller Pils. Man is that good and underrated. Searched the Cask Ale Tent for English-style ales and drank those. Not many, but enough to satisfy my craving. Headed over to 2nd Shift and drank a few Katy and variants, then near the end of my shift, 1pm, decided to get things started with a pour of Deth's Tar and Straight Jacket from Revolution.

Then the fest began, I met up with my father-in-law, bro-in-law, his brother, his sister and her husband. I drank too much to remember it all, but Dangerous Man stood out with their Sour Delorous Variants, plus the BA RIS and Peanut Butter Porter. Managed to hit up the Ardea Signis line, our only line of the day. A few other stand outs: Une Anee, Olde Peninsula had some interesting beer, Odd Side's Rye Hipster Brunch, and I even found some really good beer at Wisconsin Brewing Co., who I'm usually not a fan of

 

Optimization is key - that post was edited quite a bit for content that might be considered inappropriate or unhealthy. I think I'm finally feeling like a human again today.

 

Agreed. I waited in that line for 25 minutes for a pour of Halia. Biggest disappointment imo.

 

I half expected for GI to have 312 as one of the mystery pours. I wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry if I waited in line for that, probably both.

 

I feel for you on that one; I'd be pissed if I waited in line 25 minutes for a pour of pickle juice!

 

Before waiting in line we always just walked by the pour area to see what the beer was. Every time someone was able to tell us what it was.

 

I was in line before there was any info, and the tapping before mine was prop 14 so I was thinking prop 13, cherry rye, maybe bramble?? Nope. Just some beer I can buy in any liquor store. That was their grand finale!! WEAK!!!

 

Well, we had a blast during the Great Taste Eve. The pizza at Lucille was insanely good, & we grabbed a pour of BCS - no waiting for that or Regal Rye by 7:30 PM or so - & stood around to get a pour of Black Gold, Rye Black Gold, & the weird CW tequila beers. Then we wandered over to grab a pour of BA Darkness to cap off the evening. A good night.

We had fun at the Fest itself but, for the first year, seem to have gotten extremely unlucky in the random choices we made; we might have poured more beer into the grass than we drank. 4 Hands had simultaneously one of the best & worst beers we had (Madagascar & the obscenely awful Dakine). A lot of other stuff we had was so-so, but we sadly missed many of the things people are raving about such of Mikerphone, Transient, Odd Side, Off Color, etc.

My wife usually makes fun of my obsessive list-making to target specific breweries...but I'm going back to it next year!