With 30,000 residents, Helena supported two breweries, neither of which bottles their beers. The time restrictions placed on breweries meant I had to pick. South Park Avenue appeared on the state map, so Blackfoot River won out over the Lewis & Clark Brewing.
I arrived at a little but lively commercial strip filled with restaurants and a taproom with a crowded second-story balcony. Inside, it had a healthy crowd – most tables full and ample room for solo newcomers at the bar.
By instituting a growler-only line at the bar’s end, Blackfoot River avoided the Yazoo Taproom Line Problemprevalent in Nashville. This wasn’t just an outpost for hipsters, but an community brewpub covering all ages over 21. Parents walked in with children to fill their growlers. Younger people congregated at the bar and the seniors elbowed for an upper patio seat. Like most breweries, they had the requisite Heavily Bearded Due pouring pints.
When the bartender found out about my tour, she supplied me with some information about the brews and a punch card for my three pints.
My Sept. 3 experience with Blackfoot River began at the Swiss Lounge in Many Glacier with its Organic Pale Ale. OPA had nice mellow citrus flavor and balancing hop character. This pale ale veered toward the American variation, using organic Hallertauer and Cascade hopes from New Zealand. Cascade hops are among the strong Pacific Northwest types, but the New Zealand style felt less intense and better suited for pale ale. The ale produces a little lemon and pepper on the finish, and the pale malts make it a pretty solid golden pale. I don’t know if the novelty of USDA organic status separates it from other pale ales. But it went easy and with plenty of character.
At the brewery taproom, I started with their Belgian Trippel, brewed to a intimidating 12.6 percent ABV and served only in eight-ounce pours. The Trippel leads off with a stiff bouquet of fresh coriander, the most assertive spice and the one which hides the alcohol content most effectively. The citrus is clean and trimmed, with apricot breaking from the orange and a little white grape making a cameo. Despite its spiciness, it finished with a palette-cleansing creaminess. I would sample a superior Belgian Tripel on this trip, but Blackfoot River Belgian Trippel clearly showed ingenuity and kept this strong ale drinkable.
Mindful of the 70 miles left on the journey, I switched gears to their Cream Ale, which obliterated any thoughts of the atrocious Genessee Cream Ale from my college days. Slightly hopped with Cascade that doesn’t overwhelm, the key stroke in a cream ale proved that quality ingredients and not shortcuts improve a beer immensely. Blackfoot River uses flaked maize instead of the low-grade corn that sweetens many big-brewery ales. This is a prototypical session ale, it’s a biscuity affair with lots of lemon on the finish. A lot more Cascade rounds out the finish of this triumphant cream ale, but it's never outwears its welcome.
To close my Helena stop, I went with a half-pint of Tartanic Scottish Ale. It had the standard smoke and molasses on the first pass, some tar and tobacco in the body and a creamy finish. Some chocolate emerges as well. Tartanic leaves a surprising effervescence on the rear palette. It isn’t as heavy as most Scottish ales, a characteristic I won’t mourn. Tartanic comes out better for all its intricate parts. With my quota almost met, I shoveled back to Belgrade, with the most rewarding of brewery sites up Saturday afternoon.
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