Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywine Festival in Vail

This year's edition of the Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywine Festival in Vail has come and gone, and after a few days to recover, I can't look back on it without considering it a huge success. The festival has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 10 years. So much so that Laura and Bill Lodge, the sister/brother team that created the festival, had to find a larger room to host all of the brewers and beer fanatics. This year it was moved to the Gore Range Hall, essentially the area that the indoor tennis courts inhabit at the Aria Club and Spa in the Cascade Resort.

Upon walking into the room, I was struck by how open it felt. But it didn't really seem all that big until I started walking around and realized just how many breweries were represented. Over 140 breweries were in attendance this year. Think about that. Most states do not even have that many breweries, and for that many brewers to want to come to the tiny town of Vail, well more known for skiing and the outdoors than beer is just incredible! Sure the scenery is pretty special, and many in attendance had the added bonus of being able to ski, but Vail is certainly not a beer mecca, or even a big city that can boast a vibrant nightlife and lots of inhabitants to attend. No, this is more of a destination beer event, and those of us who are lucky enough to live here are even more fortunate to have this event come right to our backyard. Those that came from afar were treated to a world class event in a cozy environment, literally rubbing elbows with some of the world's greatest brewers throughout the entire weekend.

With the exception of a couple of beer dinners at local restaurants, and some tap takeovers at local bars, the majority of the event takes place at the Cascade Resort, which makes it really homey. Many of the brewers stay there. A lounge is set up where the attending breweries provide donated kegs of beer for the public to try without splurging on the ticket to the grand tasting, with the proceeds going to local charity. This provides a great gathering area throughout the weekend. There are also a number of seminars each year, adding an educational element not found at many beer events. This gives attendees a chance to hear the brewers speak on such topics as the advantages to brewing with certain types of malts or hops, barrel aging, brewing sour beers, etc. I found the seminar on winter warmer beers to be fun and informative. As experienced and knowledgeable as these folks are, the atmosphere is always light and fun.

This certainly isn't a run of the mill beer tasting. The commercial tasting on Saturday is one of a kind. The beers that are showcased are, with a few exceptions, big beers indeed. The beers you may see on a daily basis in 6 packs at your local shop generally aren't to be found here. This is an event where brewers showcase their specialty beers. The general threshold for a beer to be allowed in is 7% alcohol by volume, and many are far above that. But it isn't just about high alcohol levels. The beers here have been tweaked, torqued and twisted. Some are seasonal beers that are only brewed once a year. Others are versions of year round beers that have been enhanced in one way or another. Some have been aged in barrels that once held bourbon, rum, gin or wine. Others have been altered by the addition of wild yeast strains or certain bacteria in order to make them sour or have a funky barnyard taste. These brewers are at the cutting edge of an industry that is constantly evolving and trying new things, and the fans love it. The folks that come to this festival are here for the variety and the opportunity to try new things, and are rewarded handsomely.

I could go into many of the beers that I tried and liked, but you'd just have to take my word for it if you weren't fortunate enough to attend the event. Instead I'll give you 5 that we currently carry here at West Vail Liquor so that you can actually pick them up and try them yourselves.

Odell Friek. The Belgians are famous for their lambics, beers that are left to ferment in open vats which allow some funky yeasts to get into the beer. Some have fruit added such as framboise (raspberries) or kriek (cherries.) Odell has taken this style and put a decidedly American twist on it in their Friek, a combination of a framboise and a kriek fermented with wild yeast and aged in oak barrels. The result is a beer that is both tart and sweet, with some sourness and a dry finish. Not as big as most of the beers at the festival at 6.5% abv, it won’t knock you on your butt, but instead will leave you wanting more. It comes out once a year, and we have a few bottles left at $18.99 for 750mls.

Schmaltz Brewing's St. Lenny's. One of my favorite big beers that is available regularly in 4 packs is Schmaltz's Lenny's Rye I.P.A., a robust India Pale Ale with a spicy rye edge and strong at 10% abv. St. Lenny's is the same beer brewed with Belgian yeast, giving it a complex profile and a bit of a spicy aftertaste that compliments the big hop flavor perfectly. $9.99 for a 22oz bottle.

Bonfire Brewery's Pom Pom Sour. The local boys have begun to release some sour beers, and this one is a big hit! It is a traditional American wheat style beer with pomegranate added during fermentation. The beer is then aged in whiskey barrels and has lactobacillus added to give it a nice pucker. Again not as strong as most of the big beers at 4.5%, but it is a great example of an experimental sour beer. $15.99 for a 22oz bottle.

Avery Mephistophles. This is one of the biggest beers at the festival. It is a very complex imperial stout, with a velvety mouthfeel and notes of dark fruits, chocolate, grapes and a nice espresso finish. Coal black, rich and strong at 15%. $9.99 for a 12oz bottle.

Breckenridge Well Built ESB. This is a hard one to find, as it is generally not distributed in our area of the mountains. It is a small batch ESB (extra special bitter), an English style with pronounced maltiness and nice hop profile, which is then aged in Stranahan whiskey barrels. It has a great whiskey flavor, but is not hot or overly strong at 7.8%. $34.99 for a 750ml bottle.

So if you missed the festival, put it on your calendar for next year in early January. Check out their web site at www.bigbeersfestival.com for more information on next year's fest. And in the mean time, stop on in to West Vail Liquor and let us show you some of the beers that were at this year's fest!
Chip Bartsch
Beer Buyer