As always, this brewfest was held to benefit Kentuckians for the Commonwealth. They're well-intentioned folk, but there's no need to miss out on the tasty brews and good fun if you don't fully agree with their principles. The event is primarily about tasting and sharing some of the great beers being crafted by the growing number of talented breweries right here in Kentucky, and all the politicking is corralled onto a couple tiny little tables way off in the corner.
Tickets were only $25 ($20 if you caught the early bird special!) and you got a nice commemorative tasting glass and 20 tickets you can trade for beers. If your politics lean that way, you can use your admission ticket as your annual membership dues for Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, so you will get their newspaper and emails about issues that may interest you.
As in previous years, this year's event was held at the Grand Reserve near Manchester Music Hall (formerly Buster's.) The fest this year included additional room with many of the brewers moved to the Speakeasy. This made things look a little empty at first, but certainly eased crowding as the fest progressed.
As always, ALL the breweries were from right here in Kentucky, 22 total this year. One of the things that really impressed me about this year's fest was how many of the breweries brought newer brews or new variations on their more popular beers. With all the breweries being local, many attendees might have been disappointed by offerings of "the usual suspects," but there were many surprising new tastes available! (I just can't emphasize this enough: Absolutely fantastic job from all the breweries involved on bringing new and interesting offerings!!!)
All the brewers had some great beers available, but just a few shout outs are definitely called for:
I was really pleased to see Falls City stepping into more adventuresome styles and look forward to tasting more soon.
Country Boy Brewing brought a very nice variation on their Ghost Gose: the guava was a nice touch!
Both of Alltech's offerings were exceptional, with this year's Honey Barrel Brown Ale being surprisingly delightful.
What really surprised me was my favorite of the night: West Sixth's variations of their Pay It Forward Cocoa Porter aged on red chiles in Four Roses bourbon barrels. Tasty stuff indeed!
There were many, many other delightful beers at this fest, and I only had the opportunity to taste 20 and space and time here to only mention a few. Friend me on Untappd if ya'll feel the need for a more complete and timely update on every beer sampled. ;-)
It was peak season at Amzn when I started this post, so it's taken me a spell to get this post out. Hopefully, I'll get my "best brews of 2016" post up in a much more timely fashion...or not. LOL In addition to the annual best of post, I hope to get brewing a maple/bacon version of my Choctaw Bingo recipe using two pounds of Cascade Maple & Smoked Bacon Beer Candi Syrup from MoreBeer.com that recently arrived. If it turns into the bacony heaven I'm hoping for, you'll soon be hearing about Pork Soda!
Till we meet again, faithful readers, happy trails and a merry brew year!
Till we meet again, faithful readers, happy trails and a merry brew year!
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