Over the weekend, we had the pleasure of attending the Annual Saison & Farmhouse Invitational at TRiNiTY Brewing in Colorado Springs. This continues to be a fantastic event that we make a point to attend year after year. To recap the event, I’m turning the keyboard over to Matt Morris, the newest member of the Brewtally Insane Team. Please welcome him and we hope you enjoy his look back at this stellar event.
TRiNiTY Brewing hosted its Annual celebration of Saison & Farmhouse beers this past Saturday. The broad definition of the style allowed for more than 30 breweries to come out and show off their interpretations, and I’m happy to report there were plenty of gems that I would love the opportunity to sample again soon.
Aside from the wide range of amazing beers on display, quite possibly the best part of the festival is the exclusivity and the price tag. Only 120 tickets were sold and at just $35, it is an exceptional value for the quality of beer being offered.
Generous pours and stunning scenery on the outdoor patio made it easy to converse over the beers while taking in the views of snow-capped Pikes Peak in the distance.
Well done TRiNiTY, on a fantastically smooth festival that allows you to meet the brewers, chat with reps, ask questions, and get the stories behind the unique beers. Breweries came from as far away as Florida, Maryland, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.
Here are just a few of the highlights:
- 7venth Sun Brewing, Dunedin, FL – I really enjoyed the Square Peg (Red Wine Barrel Aged) and the Round Hole (White Wine Barrel Aged). So many different flavors going on from the grapes, wine must and Barrel-Aging.
- Backcounty Brewery, Frisco, CO – Funk Barrel Saison was a special treat, as Head Brewer Alan Simons took his impressive Imperial Saison and blended it with his house funk, just a few days prior to the festival. They also served Tart SaiZin.
- Black Bottle Brewery, Ft. Collins, CO – They came in with Flemish Fury, a dark saison, and Just Sayin’, a sweet Saison brewed with honey and heather tip.
- Dry Dock Brewing, Aurora, CO – Boat Drinks spent 18 mos in French Oak Red Wine Barrels with Brett. The resulting beer is rich with notes of caramel and Bretty funk.
- Elevation Beer Co., Poncha Springs, CO – Elevation brought 2 delicious brews. Raspberry Gulch is a great warm weather, refreshing beer that uses 18lbs of raspberry puree per barrel. Watch out for the 8.12% abv. They also poured the new batch of Signal de Botrange. Look for both at your local liquor store.
- Green Bench Brewing, St. Petersburg, FL – Their crew brought nearly a dozen bottled beers. The Oak Fermented Sour Farmhouse Blend #2 was a personal favorite. It is dry-hopped with Mosaic, Galaxy and Sorachi Ace, so easy to drink and tasty.
- McKenzie Brew House, Glen Mills, PA – Saison Vautour is a 3-time GABF Gold Medal Winner. It nicely balances a bold, spicy yeast character with dry hoppiness.
- Oakshire Brewing, Eugene, OR – Their Hermanne Vintage 2013 was another personal favorite of mine. It’s a Belgian ale with Muller Thurgau grapes aged in Pinot Noir barrels with Brett.
- Paradox Beer Co., Woodland Park, CO – Paradox stole the show with a firkin of Salted Mango Chili. This was a French Oak White Wine Barrel Aged Golden Ale with honey mangoes, habanero chilies and sea salt. I’m a big fan of the sweet heat kind of beer, but the addition of sea salt was pure genius.
- TRiNiTY Brewing, Colorado Springs, CO – The hosts had over 10 different offerings. Too many great beers to list, but the boozy Hopped Toddy would be a great winter warmer at 13.8%, while the silky smooth Blow Up Your TV is on the lighter side of the spectrum at just 3.8%.
- TRVE Brewing, Denver, CO – Grey Watcher is a deliciously sour Grisette-style farmhouse. TRVE never disappoints and Grey Watcher is another great offering that’s currently on tap at the brewery.
- Upslope Brewing, Boulder, CO – Wild Saison was introduced last year in Upslope’s Lee Hill Series. Lots of fruitiness from the saison yeast, enhanced by a tart punch that comes from 7 months of aging in red wine barrels with Upslope’s house sour culture.
There were so many other great beers from breweries across the country, including Yazoo, Upright, Wit’s End, Wynkoop, Twisted Pine, Strange Craft, Stillwater, Rockyard, River North, Ratio, Prairie, Platt Park, Phantom Canyon, Odd 13, Manitou, Great Divide, Free Will, Epic, and Brasserie DuPont.
Thank you to TRiNiTY Brewing for hosting this amazing afternoon of world-class beers. Also, many, many thanks to Chandra Ruiz at Funk’n Wild, and all of the volunteers and breweries for making this happen. See you next year!
Cheers!
By: Matt Morris
Photos: Patti Robinson
