More Montana Brewing Excellence, April 2010

Fortunately, one trip cannot hope to encompass all of Montana's brews, much less its breweries. With more than 20 - from the largest town (Billings) to farflung outposts like Red Lodge or Wibaux on the North Dakota border - the state has an amazing volume of brewing operations. Outside the beer festival, I kept myself busy sampling new territory. As usual, I had some parting thoughts. The Last Best Place does not lack for blue medal ales spanning the beer spectrum. As always, this is just a toe in those waters.

Steep 'N Deep Winter Ale
It's ironic - when I asked for this winter warmer at the Pour House, I expected it represented a last hurrah of winter, not a renewed conviction for snow and cold temperatures. That didn't change my enjoyment of the ale, which successfully dodged the trappings of strong winter brews. Its chocolate and roasted malt characters more than offset the high alcohol content. Crystal and caramel malts create a chocolate flavor which levels out the barleywine tendencies of the brew within. It finishes neat and nutty with a molasses trail. Nearly opaque but with surprising drinkability, this is a great choice for winter's end.

Red Lodge Glacier Ale
This brown ale came from the eastern edge of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. It tastes of chicory and sassafras plus a deep-rooted nuttiness. Think Newcastle, but immensely fresher. If you land south of Billings, hunt down this perfect session ale.

Minott's Black Star Double-Hopped Lager
For all the dynamic brews in Montana, I noticed a lack of pre-Prohibition styles. Great Northern Brewery from Whitefish finally offers an example that reminds me of an infamous lager from the East Coast. Call this Big Sky Yuengling, but it's appropriate. Black Star gives off the same low-octane hop, well-developed grainy textures and high bubble-gum flavors I expect from pre-Volstead Act beauties. They produced an easy drinking lager, very indicative of the time and unfortunately still out of place in our own.

Madison River Salmon Fly Honey Rye
This might have been the single-best ale I tasted on this trip. Brewed minutes from the airport and Jon's apartment, Madison River has lineup of potent brews, headlined by his honey-based ale. It's a perfect pairing - the rye's dryness doesn't get to overwhelm thanks to the roundness offered by the honey. The product of local bees hones and softens the ale, amping up its malt character but never letting it dominate the brew. Salmon Fly shows honey as an essential accent, one that can temper and shape an ale into bold new directions.

Big Sky Trout Slayer Ale
I had my fun with Big Sky's brews in September, but wondered why I missed this last summer - is there a better time for filtered wheat ale? But it worked at the end of winter, thanks to a florid nose and a zesty lemon finish. I detect some some tangerine and mild pepperiness, unusual for such a low alcohol content. The herbal notes include coriander, chamomile and mint mingled within the wheat grain. At 4.7 percent ABV and canned, it's a mighty package.


Red Lodge Hefeweizen
Orange-brown murk fills a pint glass at the Aleworks, a welcome sign. Bitter orange flavors pummel the palette so thoroughly I almost expect pulp in my teeth. The finish comes off lemony and bitter, with a fist of herbs to close it out. The thickness makes me believe Red Lodge pushes the wheat malt higher in the mix than most. While the bitterness generally dominates, a little sourness sneaks out near the finish.

Red Lodge Jack's 90 Shilling Ale
Nearly the opposite of Red Lodge's other offerings, the Wee Heavy comes on strong with plenty of smoke and creaminess. The nitrogen infusion prevents it from getting crushed under the weight of its own heaviness, and the velvet flourishes push it in engaging directions. there's a slight punch of reddish fruit near the finish - lichee, possibly a little plum -to further the intrigue. Scottish-style ales cover a wide spectrum, and with Jack's 90 Shilling, Red Lodge has found the nexus of complex and easy drinking, a rare combination. I wish I could place the hops on the finish, but instead I'll praise its excellent use of roasted malt. Easily the best high-gravity beer I sampled in the Last Best Place.

Blackfoot River Brewing Mainline IPA
Arlo Guthrie sat across the bar, the Montana Beer Festival awaited, but I knew Montana Aleworks had signature brews designed just for its taps. So I went against type with an IPA. Fortunately, it was my kind of IPA, with a stiff hop bouquet butting up against tangy grapefruit-orange citrus.

Bitterroot Porter
I'm somewhat thankful that Bitterroot skipped the Montana Beer Festival, since its 22-oz-only bottles set it apart in style and quality. That lets me review the final brew I've sampled from them in privacy, thanks to a sale at Heebs Downtown Grocery and the ability to transport multiple beer bottles in a suitcase. But I had to grab another Bitterroot, even if I risked the permanent staining of clothes in my suitcase.

It imparts cocoa, toffee, some mild roasting, and not a hint of heaviness. This is true porter, as the bottle explains the history of the style as if it wishes to separate itself from other porter pursuers. None of the heaviness we associate with stout bubbles up. There are all sorts of roasted flavors that rise up, with a subtle creaminess to round them all out. I get little bits of chocolate, toffee, and assorted other sweets through the flavor. None of those flavors get too dominant; the creaminess just rounds them into a dry but slightly sweet closing. Much easier-drinking than any porter I tasted in recent memory. With Bitterroot's quality, I'll get bold - it's the best porter I tasted in Montana, and its 22-oz. distribution, it can easily hold onto a mystique mass-produced porters cannot.

I hope to chase a few more of those bombers down on the next trip. Maybe there will be a new brewery or a few choice seasonals on the shelf at Heebs or on tap at the Aleworks.