Back on tap

Well it has been a year - a year where I contemplated transitioning over to a video blog (didn't happen) a year where I got back into the homebrew scene, and a year where I have drank more than a few fine craft beers and a year that has included a few visits to some of MT's best taprooms. I haven't however blogged - I am itching to get back into it. TO quote the great Anthony Bourdain...."and I'm hungry for more." Stay tuned.

Kettlehouse Brewing (K1)

We stood barefoot on an unoccupied porch and admired the suns resilience despite a late evening down poor. Following a long conversation about the breweries role in the community, its experimental brews, and the experimental ways of serving such brews (see Pilsner on nitro note) we ventured out, satisfied with our visit to the Kettlehouse Brewing taproom (K1), one of Missoula, MT’s finest neighborhood establishments.

One of the many benefits of living in the great state of Montana is being able to purchase quality beers, such as Ketthouse’s own Double Haul IPA and Cold Smoke Scotch Ale in supermarkets and service stations across the State. Having cracked many cans of Kettlehouse beers, we taproom travelers were giddy about the opportunity to taste the full Kettlehouse line-up straight from the source. After tackling the classics mentioned above, which tasted even better at the taproom, we sampled Hopnosis American Pale Ale, Olde Bongwater, and perhaps the best tasting pilsner either of us has ever sampled, Al’s Pilsner. Rarely does one’s to order a Pilsner; we decided to give Al’s a stab based on the suggestion of the nice guy working that night. After taking a sip the only thing I could think was: “Wow! Why is that so light, crisp, and flavorful…why does this feel almost like I am drinking cotton candy?” The answer, we soon found out, was that K1 was serving Al’s on nitro…brilliant (or other Guiness tag line).

K1 one is a neighborhood taproom, defined by its resident craft brew crowd. As is such, as they go, it goes. Located in an area where Downtown Missoula gradually transitions into surrounding neighborhoods, the chances of meeting a friend or neighbor are just as likely as coming across two random guys in town for a conference. K1 has a bike rack, plays good music, and provides tables, bar seating, and a standing area for patrons to enjoy. The taproom opens up to a nice patio space for outdoor enjoyment (rain or shine) and some fresh Montana air. The energy of the loyal customer base flows like the beer, reminiscent of you and your friends’ favorite college hangout. The difference being K1 doesn’t serve rum and Coke or host a power hour, it simply offers arguably Montana’s finest beer, supports it’s community, and provides the locals with a neighborhood gathering spot.

We finished things up in Missoula with a nightcap in a can back at the hotel - courtesy of the nearby service station and the Kettlhouse brewery. What better way to re-connect with regulars who venture out across the state? With everything said and done, the Kettlehouse Taproom tested our evaluation scheme but left us the wiser. What it lacks in amenities is made up for in a huge way by excellent beer a dedicated staff, and a strong sense of community, which we agreed is what the taproom is all about.

Scores:
Beer: 84 of 100
Atmosphere: 37 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 42 of 45
Total: 163 of 200

Blacksmith Brewing

Many Montanans’ consider Missoula the craft brew capital of the state. The Garden City after all is the home base of Montana’s more famous, dare I say commercial, craft brews. Moose Drool, Cold Smoke, and Trout Slayer all call Missoula home, as do many people who are ingrained in the craft beer culture. This balance of supply and demand has established the standard for brewers and drinkers of Montana craft beer. It was only a matter of time until the “hopsanity” drifted down the Bitterroot Valley where new kid on the block, Blacksmith Brewing, of Stevensville has emerged as a must visit for beer lovers in Montana.

After navigating through acres of rural sprawl, we arrived in Stevensville around 4:00pm on a nice Saturday afternoon. Upon entering city limits, we were greeted from afar by a super-sized chalkboard advertising the “menu” on tap. We brimmed with confidence, knowing we had reached our destination. After all, locals advise to be on the lookout for the “big black chalkboard”. Available beers included the Brickhouse Blond, Pulaski Porter, Cutthroat IPA, Blackout Stout, and the P.D. Pale Ale. Blacksmith’s variety of light, dark, malty, and hoppy beers were unique and consistently good, speaking to its quality as a brewery. The Pulaski Porter and Blackout Stout were both a hit. The Pulaski Porter is a rich, yet smooth malty masterpiece. The Blackout is equally smooth, and at 8% abv, this beer is not your dad’s Guinness style stout.

Beer consistency carries a taproom only so far. Without a lively atmosphere, top-notch customer service, and staff with an exceptional beer I.Q., a taproom is destined to be average at best. Luckily for folks in the Bitterroot Valley, and anyone curious enough to take a stab at this place, the Blacksmith Brewing taproom excels in all aforementioned categories. The brewery is located in an old brick building that captures the history of “Montana’s oldest city.” The rotating collection of modern local art brings to age the historic nostalgia of the taproom. The service and care we experienced at Blacksmith was second to none as confirmed by an accompanying taster for nearly all available beers and timely delivery of snacks to our table - within a minute of sitting!

The Blacksmith Brewing taproom is a lot like the girl in high school that no one really pays attention to, but turns out to be a ten a few years later in college. All of the elements are in place –great beer, great location, awesome atmosphere, friendly and knowledgeable staff – the key is to get the word out and let people know that this is an amazing tap room within 30 miles of what many consider to be the capital of Montana’s craft brew.

Scores:
Beer: 81 of 100
Atmosphere: 37 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 41 of 45
Total: 159 of 200 – 4 Pints

Bitterroot Brewing

First things first, the area adjoining the Bitterroot Brewing facility does not claim to be a tap room, a fact that is clearly displayed by the Bitterroot Brewing Brew Pub sign affixed squarely on the roof of the establishment. I am always somewhat suspicious of “brew pubs” as they attempt to be a restaurant and a bar, often failing at both. Needless to say, we entered the brew pub skeptically. Overall, the lows outnumbered the highs, but when it was all said and done, the Bitterroot Brewing Brew Pub is a place that I would probably visit again.

The brew pub features a robust list of Bitterroot Brewing selections on tap. There are however two minor problems, 1. trying to get the attention of the overworked server behind the bar is nearly impossible, and 2. doing so in a respectable manner is nearly impossible – particularly given the neighboring competition who were a cell-phone holster and an Ed Harvey muscle shirt shy of a mid-life crisis. With a large selection of beers on tap, and the server not having time to offer meaningful suggestions, my co-pilot and I decided to tackle the 6 beer sampler - on a side note, when I see a person order the 6 (or 4 or 8 or whatever) beer sampler, I immediately think “rookie”. With sampler in hand we quickly searched for a table in a dark corner. After navigating the sampler, we decided the only beers worthy of a second round were the balanced Double IPA, crisp and refreshing Sawtooth Ale, and the citrusy RyePA (seasonal). Surprisingly, the award winning Nut Brown Ale was merely average. As pride and determination would have it, we settled on second pints of RyePA and Sawtooth ale to wash down the burnt popcorn with our dwindling expectations, keeping in mind, it’s about the whole experience, not the beer...right!

Upon entering the Bitterroot Brewing brew pub, you will be bewildered by your surroundings and wonder what’s in store. Although there is not a host stand on display (thank goodness) , it does seem more like an average restaurant than a tap room – maybe this is what defines a brew pub? There is plenty of seating away from the bar, but this space is mostly populated by people enjoying meals and overpaying for what should probably be a domestic beer. The bar area is small and right at the entry, which leads to a bit of overcrowding. A random TV displaying random extreme sports competition does little more than dampen the vibe. Equally unimpressive is the absence of a bike rack and the token outdoor space, thrown up out back, where smokers puff heaters in front of the no smoking sign . Crisp popcorn, wifi, and the fact that kids can join their parents inside scores some points in my book.

If not for the server working tirelessly at the bar area, I would have been convinced that this place was simply just another restaurant with a beer name –think a poor man’s Breckenridge brew pub for my friends in Denver. The server truly epitomized what is great about the Montana craft brew. She was friendly, knowledgeable, and even spoke highly of the Blacksmith tap room up the road in Stevensville. The beer and the space may have been average at best and the clientele unimpressive, but I left with an okay feeling about Bitterroot due in a large part to the lone server. Thus, once again I was reminded that you can never leave a tap room, especially a Montana tap room…I mean brew pub, not feeling better than when you entered.

Scores:
Beer: 63 of 100
Atmosphere: 27 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 32 of 45
Total: 122 of 200 – 3 Pints
www.bitterrootbrewing.com

Blackfoot River Brewing - Helena, MT

Blackfoot River Brewing… it’s like an amazing neighborhood coffee shop you stumble across in a new city and your favorite hole in the wall bar in your hometown thrown together and rolled out into an amazing new facility open seven days a week for your drinking and social pleasure.

After going through a couple of tasters, we settled on the Amber Ale and Steamboat Lager to start things off. This was followed by the Extreme Stout, Tartanic Scottish Ale, and the Single Malt IPA. After sharing five pints, we did not find a single disappointing beer. Blackfoot River brews a number of beers well, but Single Malt is in a league of its own. It is an aggressively hopped northwest style IPA that is both bold and refreshing. While there may be only one superstar, all pallets will leave Blackfoot River satisfied. Staff knowledge and friendliness is good but not great, but in their defense, it was a busy Friday evening and all of the staff was working very hard.

The Blackfoot River Tap Room is located right in the heart of Downtown Helena, and is easily accessible by bike, foot, car, or even the historic Helena trolley. No matter how you get to the tap room, once you have arrived, you truly have arrived. I have been in quite a few tap rooms in my day, and I am here to tell you that this is the best layout and design of any tap room I have ever been in. Bar – Check; tables –check; cool upstairs with a view of the brewery – check; amazing upstairs deck – Check. The tap room somehow combines modern elements with a traditional Montana feel, it’s cozy with a cutting edge, hip but still classic. I could go on and on, but I will just say you should probably just check this place out.

With its strong support for local events and organizations and convenient location, it is no wonder that this tap room is a local favorite. But what truly sets this place apart is the fact that the Blackfoot River tap room has something for every Taste –the bold Single Malt IPA on the same line up as the smooth and malty Double Black Extreme Stout – Style - the comfy reminders brought over from the old tap room with the sleek new design elements – or Personality – the blue collar workers rubbing elbows with government staffers, sitting with a couple of mountain bikers fresh off the trail – is what sets this shrine apart from everywhere else. No matter what you like or where you came from, this tap room is the place to be.

Scores:
Beer: 81 of 100
Atmosphere: 49 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 33 of 45
Total: 163 of 200 – 4 Pints

http://www.blackfootriverbrewing.com/

Lewis & Clark Brewing - Helena, MT

The Lewis & Clark Brewing tap room, the first stop on the first trip, the adventure begins. I’ll quickly set the scene. I just wrapped up a long week of work, its 95 degrees outside, I just drove through 90 miles of Montana summer road construction, and my brother, the honorary co-pilot for this grand inaugural adventure, is a half-hour late. By the time he finally arrives in Helena and make it to the Lewis and Clark tap room, we are both more than a little testy. And like magic, as soon as we pass through the doors of L&C, this all subsides and we are both truly like kids in a candy store.

With a line-up featuring three IPA’s, a handful of regulars, and three seasonal, L&C has a beer for every taste. Unfortunately not all beers brewed by L&C are equal and those with a taste for IPA’s will enjoy L&C much more than those who enjoy their maltier cousins. The first thing that you notice when entering L&C is the ever popular tap room chalk board o’ beers on tap. Unlike the traditional tap room chalk board o’ beers, L&C lists the keg date and IBU’s of each beer along with the name and alcohol percentage, a nice touch. The friendly staff allowed us to taste nearly every beer without ever once giving the rolled eyes “you want ANOTHER taster look” or ever mentioning price. Additionally, we were offered a couple special mixes, like the tri-PA, an interesting mix of the three IPA’s and a mix of their delicious Weizenbock and Porter. The IPA’s are definitely the stars of L&C Brewing, as was the seasonal Weizenbock. The dark beers are not good, and lighter options are just okay. L&C does IPA’s well and has wisely features multiple varieties at any one time in the tap room. The friendly & knowledgeable staff and excellent taster policy is definitely worthy of a sizable tip.

The tap room is conveniently located adjacent to the vibrant Helena’s Great Northern Town Center and across the road from the campus of Carroll College. A bike rack, plenty of parking and the downtown location make L&C accessible via multiple modes of transportation. Inside L&C is nothing special – other than the previously mentioned chalk board o’ beers. Music that is a little too loud, an oddly placed and completely unnecessary TV, and lack of outdoor space did not score any points with us, while the free popcorn, friendly staff, and the cool temp of the basement were a couple of the highlights inside. Both kids and dogs are welcome, and peanut shells are expected to be swept off the table top directly on to the floor.

We entered L&C hot, cranky, and a little tired, we left happy, comfortable, and excited for the journey we had just began. This is what a great tap room is all about. It is a place where you can go, drink a couple of really good beers, share some laughs with good people, eat some popcorn, and leave feeling much better than you might have when you arrived.

Scores:
Beer: 79 of 100
Atmosphere: 31 of 55
People (staff & clientele): 35 of 45
Total: 145 of 200 – 3.5 Pints
http://lewisandclarkbrewing.com
http://www.facebook.com/LewisandClark

Now about the beer!

It has been fun posting about myself, but the majority of the posts here are going to be all about the beer! You can expect to see reviews from Sleeping Giant and Blackfoot River in Helena, Bitteroot in Hamilton, Blacksmith in Stevinsville, and finally Kettlehouse on Myrtle Street in Missoula. The scores are in, the reviews are on the way, stay tuned!