GABF 2017 - What beers or breweries should I try?

[Colorado]

This squared.

Verboten out of Loveland has some great beers as well - Killer Boots Caramel Port is my goto

Zwei from Fort Collins is another. - Bill Nye Session IPA is worthy

McClellans is a new brewery in FC - genuine scottish ales if you like those, takes a bit of getting used to as they are served with an engine not CO2 - Kilt Tilter is a great place to start

Left Hand is my heaven on earth, there aren't many from them I don't like. Milk Stout is the probably the gold standard for Milk Stouts. Black Jack Porter is one you should try, don't know if that will have it at GABF but Wake Up Dead Nitro is an in your face Imperial Stout that will change your life!

Have fun!

Quoting when I'm mostly drunk

 

[Colorado]

Maxline from Fort Collins is also solid. Huge fan of Liquid Mechanics in Lafayette too.

Apologies to Living the Dream - haven't seen it yet in Fort Collins to try it.

if you like NE IPA or the hazy IPA's - Odd13 in Lafayette and Weldwerks in Greeley are amazing.

Breweries to try in Denver - I liked Jagged Mountain a lot and shouldn't be too far, but maybe far enough.

but if you live in colorado - you may know all this already.....

I don't think Living the Dream distributes that far away. They're a mile form my house so if you make it down, let me know. Great ISU alum running the joint.

Also, loving everything from Weld Werks. Juicy Bits and Alpha Bits are two of my GOAT beers

 

[Colorado]

I just can't keep up. Will have to hope for the best

 

[cyclonesurveyor]

I don't think Living the Dream distributes that far away. They're a mile form my house so if you make it down, let me know. Great ISU alum running the joint.

Also, loving everything from Weld Werks. Juicy Bits and Alpha Bits are two of my GOAT beers

IMO, Weldwerks is about to really blow up - they just added or expanded their canning line. 4 packs of Alpha Bits are now available here with JBits to follow.

Just sucks that they are in Greeley - but luckily the bike trail between Fort Collins and Greeley will be complete in the near future.

 

[Colorado]

IMO, Weldwerks is about to really blow up - they just added or expanded their canning line. 4 packs of Alpha Bits are now available here with JBits to follow.

Just sucks that they are in Greeley - but luckily the bike trail between Fort Collins and Greeley will be complete in the near future.

I agree with about Weldwerks. The only reason they haven't blown up yet is cuz Greeley.

 

[ISUTKD]

Epic Brewing - Double Barrel Big Bad Baptist
Firestone Walker - Krieky Bones
Funky Buddha -
Get Pitted
Maple Bacon Coffee Porter
No Crusts
Rum Barrel-Aged Pina Colada
Great Notion - Literally everything from them
Blueberry Muffin
Double Stack - DO NOT MISS THIS!
Juice Box
Juice Jr
Ripe IPA
Half Acre - Their taproom is one of my favorites. Their beer...meh
Holy City - I haven't had anything from them, but a lot of people in SC said they were on par with Westbrook
Iowa Brewers Guild - Hard pass. Workman's Comp is a great beer, but there is much better beer at this fest
Kane - Mexican Brunch
Sunday Brunch
Kuhnhenn - DRIPA
Melvin Brewing is out of CO but if you've never had them, they're definitely worth checking out
Mike Hess - Never had anything but I've heard nice things
Modern Times - Everything they've got
Odd13 - Same as Melvin
Off Color - Dino Smores
Olde Hickory - The Event Horizon
Rhode Island's Brewers Guild - Captain's Daughter
Russian River -
Beatification
Pliny
Sam Adams - Utopias
Single Speed - They're out of Waterloo, everything they brought is really nice
Societe - The Pupil (I'm sure they've got some others, this is the only one I've had and really liked)
South Park Brewing - Never had anything. Never heard of them. I love South Park.
Surly - If you've never had them:
Coffee Bender
Darkness
Todd the Axeman
The Lost Abbey -
Cuvee de Tomme
Duck Duck Gooze
Veritas 018
Veritas 019
Three Floyds - Zombie Dust (I'd personally skip)
Toppling Goliath - (Their line is going to be stupid I assume)
King Sue
Mornin' Delight
Pompeii
PseudoSue
Upland - Does a lot of great sours
Weldwerks - If you haven't been up to Greeley, I'd definitely stop at their stand. Everything they've got is worth trying.


That's all from breweries I've heard of or beers I've had. I'm sure there are some I skipped over, but some of the best beers I've had at these fests are from breweries I've never heard of and have no line. Also, don't feel obligated to drink every pour you have or the entire pour you have. A lot of beers aren't going to live up to the hype or be worth your time. I usually treat it almost like a wine tasting, swish, maybe swallow a little, then spit. Even if you only take small samples, you'll get hammered quick trying to check off every brewery or beer on your wants list. Have fun!

Melvin is from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Its easy to mix up CO and WY. They are pretty much the same except WY has fewer Texans and posers.

 

[Cybyassociation]

Melvin is from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Its easy to mix up CO and WY. They are pretty much the same except WY has fewer Texans and posers.

That's right. I thought both Melvin and Odd13 were CO breweries.

 

[jcyclonee]

Here's a few from the Upper Midwest I'd like to mention.

1. You've probably had some Surly. However, if you haven't had Todd the Axeman, it has so much flavor that it's almost an event in itself just drinking it.

2. Fulton Mosaic 300. Fulton beers are hit and miss but this one is really good.

3. Indeed Day Tripper. A really complex mix of hops.

4. 10K Loonar Uprising. I am a bit partial because it is the closest brewery to my house. The only non-ale on my list.

Anything from Deschutes and Toppling Goliath is going to be pretty good.

I'm a bit disappointed that these breweries are there but didn't include certain beers.
Fargo Brewing (Stone's Throw Scotch Ale)
Bauhaus (Sky Five IPA)
TG (Golden Nugget)

Have fun. I'm jealous.

 

[Colorado]

Here's a few from the Upper Midwest I'd like to mention.

1. You've probably had some Surly. However, if you haven't had Todd the Axeman, it has so much flavor that it's almost an event in itself just drinking it.

2. Fulton Mosaic 300. Fulton beers are hit and miss but this one is really good.

3. Indeed Day Tripper. A really complex mix of hops.

4. 10K Loonar Uprising. I am a bit partial because it is the closest brewery to my house. The only non-ale on my list.

Anything from Deschutes and Toppling Goliath is going to be pretty good.

I'm a bit disappointed that these breweries are there but didn't include certain beers.
Fargo Brewing (Stone's Throw Scotch Ale)
Bauhaus (Sky Five IPA)
TG (Golden Nugget)

Have fun. I'm jealous.

I don't see 10K on the list

 

[jcyclonee]

I don't see 10K on the list

It's included with the Minnesota Brewer's Guild or something like that.

 

[ZJohnson]

Modern Times (CA)
Wren House (AZ)
La Cumbre (NM)
Lupulin (MN)
Drekker (ND)
Moody Tongue (IL)
Melvin (WY)
Fremont (WA)
Adroit Theory (VA)
Lord Hobo (MA)
Night Shift (MA)
Kane (NJ)

These would be my first stops.

 

[dmclone]

I can't imagine putting together a wish list for GABF. I just spent a week in Pittsburgh, which is not know for craft beer, and I had probably 20 beers on my wishlist.

 

[Colorado]

I can't imagine putting together a wish list for GABF. I just spent a week in Pittsburgh, which is not know for craft beer, and I had probably 20 beers on my wishlist.

It will probably come down to who has the shortest line. I'm not very patient

 

[ZJohnson]

It will probably come down to who has the shortest line. I'm not very patient

Did you go to night one last night? All the videos and photos I saw looked insane. Some of those lines were consistently hundreds deep.

 

[Colorado]

Did you go to night one last night? All the videos and photos I saw looked insane. Some of those lines were consistently hundreds deep.

No - going tonight and tomorrow night.

 

[EnkAMania]

The best beer I had last night was Ripe IPA by Great Notion

 

[CloniesForLife]

Funky Buddha -

Maple Bacon Coffee Porter

This sounds fantastic.

 

[ZJohnson]

The best beer I had last night was Ripe IPA by Great Notion

I have some coming my way. CANNOT WAIT to try it!

 

[Cybyassociation]

This sounds fantastic.

This year's batch was awesome. Sometimes it tastes like candles though. Funky Buddha does a lotta fun flavored stouts but usually they're flavor extracts instead of the actual flavors. This drives some away, others don't really care. I don't really care to be honest. If you like think Mornin' Delight is an awesome stout but think extracts are dumb...you're in for a world of hurt.

 

[CloniesForLife]

This year's batch was awesome. Sometimes it tastes like candles though. Funky Buddha does a lotta fun flavored stouts but usually they're flavor extracts instead of the actual flavors. This drives some away, others don't really care. I don't really care to be honest. If you like think Mornin' Delight is an awesome stout but think extracts are dumb...you're in for a world of hurt.

I went to there website And it looks like the do a lot of crazy stuff