Last night (March 12) I went to one of my favorite Milwaukee beer bars, The Sugar Maple, for a very special event. Three Floyds Brewing Company took over ten of The Sugar Maple's sixty taps and showcased some rare and really great beer that normally never make it to Wisconsin. If I haven't mentioned The Sugar Maple, let me tell you a little about this great beer bar. The bar is void of electronic distractions with the exception of light music playing in the background. No televisions. No video games. A very long, curved bar sits in front of the sixty, always-rotating taps. It's a full bar that also serves up mixed cocktails as well, but The Sugar Maple is well known for its amazing beer selection. It's a destination bar for many Chicagoans and has been named one of America's Top 100 Beer Bars by Draft Magazine several years running now. Amazing place. If you come to visit me in Milwaukee, I'll take you there.
Back to the event...
Beginning at 6:00pm, patrons could sample as many of these beers as they wanted, but when they are gone, they are gone. The beers on tap were: Alpha King, Behemoth Barleywine, Gumball Head, Live a Rich Life Belgian Double IPA, Man O Awe Michigan Hop Pale Ale, Permanent Funeral, Space Station Middle Finger Pale Ale, Topless Wytch Baltic Porter, and Zombie Dust. Three Floyds happens to be one of my very favorite breweries around. Everything they make is exceptional! One thing I love about Three Floyds is that, when it comes to beer, always expect the unexpected. Here's a review of what I sampled:
Space Station Middle Finger - (American Pale Ale, Rated 92) Easy drinking pale ale at 6% abv was a good way to start this evening. Big citrus and pine notes. Bit of a sweet fruit flavor with a nice hop bite.
Live a Rich Life - (Belgian Double IPA, Rated 98) Normally I'd expect a Belgian IPA to be a fair split of the bready, fruit characteristics associated with Belgian beer with the bitter, hoppiness of an IPA. Expect the unexpected. This beer was very hop dominant with a smoothness that hid the 8+% abv very well. I definitely wasn't expecting that. Very nice!
Topless Wytch - (Baltic Porter, Rated 98) Once again, totally surprised by how great this beer was. Nice dark pour with strong coffee aromas. Tasted closer to a stout than a porter. Smooth, creamy, and loaded with coffee flavors and a 9% abv punch.
Man-O-Awe - (American Pale Ale) I decided to finish the night with Man-O-Awe, another amazing pale ale, a style that Three Floyds does so very well. After having the bigger beers (Live a Rich Life, Topless Wytch) this beer was like water. Very smooth with light hop tones.
I drank lots of water in between beers and had some great conversations with friends. After the Man-O-Awe and during one of these conversations, I discovered something very special. The Sugar Maple had a pretty rare beer on tap that wasn't on any of their beer lists, Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Coffee Stout. Had to have it! This beer is very rare and difficult to get, so you need to get it when you can. That's exactly what I did. So smooth, rich, full of flavor. Coffee, chocolate, molasses, bourbon. Such an amazing blend of flavors that compliment each other so well. Not one overpowering the other. After the first sip, I could taste the coffee and bourbon in my throat for a good minute or two. Amazing! Quite possibly the best barrel-aged coffee stout I have had yet!
These events are fun and I look forward to those I am able to attend. The Sugar Maple holds monthly beer sessions, which I have written about before. Other bars and restaurants have events too. With Milwaukee Beer Week coming in April, there are bound to be more of these kind of events in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more of my adventures.
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