FoBAB 2022: Highlights and Fantasy League Results
FoBAB is almost legal to drink its own beers. The 20th year of the Festival of Wood and Barrel-Aged Beer returned to the Credit Union 1 Arena (Go Flames!) and went off without a hitch. Breweries participating in the fest and competition climbed above 190 this year with over 350 beers poured for attendees (not counting the number poured in the sublime Lager Lounge). This year also saw the addition of the Lager category (RIP Classic Beer Styles), which was small but mighty. To see the complete rundown of medal-winners for 2022, check PorchDrinking’s awards post or peruse our comprehensive FoBAB Medal History spreadsheet.
There are two traditions we uphold each year: first, we organize a Fantasy FoBAB League with a bunch of cool beer media friends and nerd out in front of the stage with a scoresheet in hand.
Second, the day after the fest we look back over the list of beers poured and feel like we sampled approximately 2% of what was in that arena. Despite that, we were still able to come up with five highlights each.
Craig’s FoBAB Five
Paisley Cave Complex | Barrel-aged Imperial Stout with marshmallows, cacao nibs and blueberries | Bottle Logic Brewing | Anaheim, CA | 12.5% ABV
Blueberry beers are notoriously difficult to pull off well. When someone suggested I get Paisley Cave Complex, I hesitated. I was standing by the station at one point so I got a pour. Glad I did. While a bit on the sweet side, the blueberry came through loud and clear. It mingled well with the chocolate and vanilla and almost created some bizarre Pop Tart. The blueberry caused the beer to finish tart, so in comparison to things like Phase Three’s Eunoia 12, Paisley Cave Complex was an easy drinker. Glad I got a pour!
BA Arc Welder Dunkel Rye | Barrel-aged Munich dark lager | Metropolitan Brewing | Chicago, IL | 5.5% ABV
A dunkel rye aged in bourbon barrels? I remembered having Mikerphone’s Flip The Switch, so hell yeah I’ll try this! Malty with a big spice kick, the bready notes stood out and competed with the bourbon heat. Of course the bourbon won, but the balance achieved was notable. The bourbon didn’t totally dominate the beer despite it’s low ABV which really is a masterstroke. Thankfully I had this one early on in the festival so I could taste some of the nuance of the beer. I’m hoping barrel-aging beers styles like this takes off in the coming year as it’s something that’s sorely missing from taplists.
Kriek Et Rhubarbe | Blended saison with rhubarb, cherries and sea salt | Seedz Brewing | Union Pier, MI | 5.5% ABV
Seedz Brewing – known for its lagers – did not enter a beer in the lager category at FoBAB. So yeah, I had to get a pour of what they brought. While the other offering (Rise of the Haizon) was delicious, Kriek Et Rhubarbe did almost everything right. Some acidity but never too much or stacking to make it an issue finishing my pour. Lovely cherry note coming off of it. Easy to drink. The sea salt made it finish dry and gave it a hint of salinity. I compared it to a less funky Drie Fonteinen Kriek (minus the sea salt). Interesting, refreshing, and one that should be getting a release shortly.
Grow Old With You: Grand Reserve | Barrel-aged Barleywine | Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project | Loveland, CO | 14.8% ABV
Upon entering FoBAB I went straight to the barleywine area. There were at least two beers I wanted to try – one from Jukes Ale Works and this one from Verboten. I had drafted them in the second round of the fantasy draft so I felt like I should try what they brought. (Our “Drink Your Team” slogan.) I honestly don’t know how this didn’t medal. Smooth, not too sweet with a nice, assertive bourbon barrel character.and a hint of rye spiciness. It was closer to the molasses and dark fruit side of barleywines than the caramel/butterscotch side but that just kept the sweetness down and the repeated sips up. I had a few other barleywines at the fest and really none of them matched the balance and barrel character of this Verboten offering.
Western Justice (2021) | Barrel-aged Imperial Stout | Westbound & Down Brewing Company | Lafayette, CO | 14.2% ABV
I went to the Forbidden Root pre-FoBAB party where they had something like 8 barrel-aged stouts and barleywines on. When I asked Brian Krajack what he recommended, he said the straight barrel-aged stout with no adjuncts. Yes, it’s definitely a change of pace choice and one that I was glad to partake in. Which is how I ended up with Western Justice in my glass. A blend of 4 different barrels, Western Justice gets all its flavor notes the old fashioned way – from the base stout and the barrels. Bourbon heat, some bitter chocolate notes and a slight hit of licorice, Western Justice is exactly what I want more of at FoBAB – barrel-aged stouts with no additions. Maybe next year I’ll make that my mission at FoBAB – to try all the straight barrel-aged stouts.
Ryan’s FoBAB Five
To preface my highlights, I left off both of The Lost Abbey’s offerings: Duck Duck Gooze (2022) and Peach Afternoon because they were so unfairly delicious and perfect that they are too obvious to be mentioned. But they may have been 1A and 1B for my favorite beers at the whole fest. (Maybe I’m a bit biased, as you’ll see in the league results.) There were also an unbelievable number of barrel-aging titans that I drank nothing from for some reason, including Goose Island, Half Acre, and Maplewood – so those local darlings aren’t here for that reason.
Mysterious Forces (Blend 2) | Imperial Stout blend aged in rye-finished cognac barrels, an Eagle Rare bourbon barrel, and a 15-year Pappy Van Winkle barrel for 23-24 months, conditioned on Vanuatu vanilla beans, almond, and toasted coconut | Cerebral Brewing – Congress Park | Denver, CO | 14.4% ABV – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout
As an English teacher I can tell you to do this: re-read that paragraph of description above and highlight the most ridiculous part of the process to make this beer. For me? It’s the adjuncts. Because with barrels like that, what’s the point, am I right? Drinking this one set me straight, as there certainly is a deeply complex stout with an incredible progression of barrels that come through in the flavor – that’s not lost at all here. The additions are present but are enhancing pre-existing flavors that the barrels already bring to the mix. I would love to savor a bottle of this one rather than speeding through my 2 ounce pour amidst a sea of other gigantic ABV beers.
Ace of Base | Imperial stout aged in a blend of bourbon barrels | Mikerphone Brewing | Elk Grove Village, IL | 14.72% ABV – Strong Porter/Stout
I know this isn’t the one that won a medal (I…kind of forgot to try that other one), but this one was an early stout that stopped me in my tracks. Rich in flavor and chewy in body, it’s a stout with enough flavor to make you check to make sure there were no adjuncts added. The barrel heat and flavor are slathered all over the sip and leave with just enough burn to please a whiskey lover but not alienate those that don’t.
Lucky Bamboo | Golden Ale aged in rum barrels for 4 months with pineapple, passionfruit, Sicilian lemon, & lime | MORE Brewing Company | Villa Park, IL | 6.5% ABV – Fruit Beer
This is the beer I drank the most of at the whole fest, and not just because it was situated close to the awards stage. The sweet Tiki drink-inspired flavors are so juice-forward at the front of the sip that the rum coming in with a spicy bite in the end creates the perfect flavor contrast. It’s a convincing cocktail beer that just absolutely rules.
Barrel Aged Malevolence Chocolate Caliente | Russian Imperial Stout brewed with chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla and peppers, aged in Weller bourbon barrels | Spiteful Brewing | Chicago, IL | 13% ABV – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout
Spiteful has been making this damn-near perfect beer for the better part of a decade and even has a rightful FoBAB Gold from 2015. And though beer trends have changed our palates, this beer remains incredible. Hovering between medium and thick in mouthfeel, the chocolate comes first before the rush of cinnamon and pepper spice come in and leave a little dry heat in the finish. This beer was the local Abraxas killer in its day and has likely spawned its own imitators, and I’m happy to report that it’s still absolutely worth your attention.
Terre du Sauvage Green | Dry-hopped mixed-culture Farmhouse Ale aged in neutral oak barrels | Wolf’s Ridge Brewing | Columbus, OH | 6.8% ABV – Wild Beer-Brett
This is one of my most-frequent festival pours, whether it’s been at FoBABs or GABFs previous, because it’s an absolute work of art. At FoBAB, it’s one of the hoppier things you’ll find, and that’s apparent the second you get the huge dank and citrus aroma. The beer itself is much funkier and dry without any real trace of bitter hops. It’s one of my favorite beers in the world – and I’ve only ever had it in small-ass pours, sadly. Give me a few bottles of this to dome and I’ll call off work tomorrow.
The 4th Annual ABV Chicago Fantasy FoBAB League Results
This year saw some of our highest individual score totals ever, even as the number of breweries in the competition grew over the previous few. It’s also crazy to see the Fantasy teams here that didn’t score a single point which seems impossible when you see the list of breweries on each squad. But the story this year is how, inexplicably Ryan I. and his Barleywinners from this here podcast/website won the whole thing with 15 points, surviving Mike Zoller and his Sextuple Barrel or Nothing team’s absolute barrage of medals (mostly courtesy of Sun King) to rack up 14 points.
Here are how the teams fared, in draft order. Each number preceding the brewery represents their overall pick number. (And all multiple location breweries have been combined, as is explained in our fantasy league draft post.)
Scoring Reminder: The scoring works like this: a gold medal is worth 3 points, a silver is worth 2 points, and a bronze medal is worth 1 point. If the brewery wins Best of Show or Runner-Up, that will be an additional 3 points or 2 points respectively.
Team: Small Town Beer Writers Consortium
Team Manager: Joshua Riley
Twitter: @brewdudek3
Instagram: @brewdudek3
1. Revolution Brewing (Chicago, IL)
22. Noon Whistle Brewing (Lombard, IL & Naperville, IL)++
23. Bottle Logic Brewing (Anaheim, CA)
44. Short Fuse Brewing Company (Schiller Park, IL)
- Bronze – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout: WHAT THE NIGHT BRINGS
45. Blackbird Meadery (Vandalia, OH)
66. Breakside Brewery (Portland, OR)
Total Points: 1
Team: Sugar Water Syndicate
Team Manager: Craig G.
Twitter: @ABVChicago
Instagram: @abvchicago
2. Pollyanna Brewing Company (Lemont, St. Charles, & Roselle, IL)+++
- Silver – Other Dark Beer: Orenda Volume 02
21. Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project (Loveland, CO)
24. Taxman Brewing Company (Bargersville, IN)
43. Metropolitan Brewing (Chicago, IL)
- Silver – Lagers: BA Generator Doppelbock
46. Angry Orchard (Walden, NY)
65. Weldwerks Brewing Co. (Greeley, CO)
Total Points: 4
Team: Fantasy FoBAB-er OF THE NORTH
Team Manager: Karl Klockars
Twitter: @karlklockars
3. Off Color Brewing – Mousetrap & Production (Chicago, IL)++
- Bronze – Other Pale Beer: BA Beer for Tacos
20. Resident Culture Brewing Company (Charlotte, NC)
25. Misbeehavin’ Meads (Valparaiso, IN)
- Bronze – Cider/Mead/Perry: Barrel-Aged Caramel Apple Cider
42. Art History Brewing (Geneva, IL)
47. Hailstorm Brewing Co. (Tinley Park, IL)
64. Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts (Charlotte, NC)
Total Points: 2
Team: Fluffy & Fine Squad
Team Manager: Chalonda White
Twitter: @afrobeerchick
Instagram: @afro.beer.chick
4. Whiskey Hill Brewing (Westmont, IL)
19. Goose Island Beer Co. (Chicago, IL)
26. Black Horizon Brewing Company (Willowbrook, IL)
41. Duneyrr Fermenta Brewery (Chicago, IL)
48. Rabid Brewing (Homewood, IL)
63. Will County Brewing Company (Shorewood, IL)
Total Points: 0
Team: Sextuple Barrel or Nothing
Team Manager: Mike Zoller
Twitter: @mikezoller
Instagram: @chicagobeer
5. Werk Force Brewing Co. (Plainfield, IL)
- Silver – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout: Barrel-aged Chocolate Vanilla Rye Sleepy Bear
18. Sun King Brewery (Indianapolis, IN)++
- Bronze – Specialty/Experimental: Soul Shakedown Party
- Silver – Specialty/Experimental: Wicker Swordfish
- Gold – Fruit Beer: Caramel Apple Tripel
- Bronze – Other Dark Beer: Barrel-Aged Churrolicious
- Best of Show Runner-Up: Caramel Apple Tripel
27. Superstition Meadery (Prescott, AZ)
- Gold – Cider/Perry/Mead: Vermouth Barrel-Aged Aphrodisia
40. Temperance Beer Co.(Evanston, IL)
49. Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending (Durham, NC)
62. Seventh Son Brewing Co. (Columbus, OH)
Total Points: 14
Team: The Recovering Rep
Team Manager: Tom White
6. Wolf’s Ridge Brewing (Columbus, OH)++
17. Phase Three Brewing (Lake Zurich, IL)
28. Spiteful Brewing (Chicago, IL)
39. Seedz Brewery (Union Pier, MI)
50. Unpossible Mead (Dwight, IL)
61. Hacienda Beer Co. (Baileys Harbor, WI)
Total Points: 0
Team: The BarleyWinners
Team Manager: Ryan I.
Twitter: @ABVChicago
Instagram: @abvchicago
7. The Lost Abbey (San Marcos, CA)
- Gold – Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours: Duck Duck Gooze (2022)
- Best of Show: Duck Duck Gooze (2022)
16. Cruz Blanca Brewery (Chicago, IL)
29. Mikerphone Brewing (Elk Grove Village, IL)
- Gold – Barleywine/Wheatwine: Double LP: Side B
38. Church Street Brewing Company (Itasca, IL)
51. Cerebral Brewing (Denver & Aurora, CO)+
- Gold – Lagers: Chardonnay Barrel-Aged Tactical Maneuver
- Gold – Specialty Strong Porter/Stout: Fuego Reserva
60. Jackie O’s Brewery (Athens, OH)
Total Points: 15
Team: Hotel Lobby Bottle Share
Team Manager: Nik White
Twitter: @nkosio
8. The Hopewell Brewing Company (Chicago, IL)
15. Maplewood Brewery & Distillery (Chicago, IL)
30. Haymarket Brewery (Chicago, IL & Bridgman, MI)++
37. Begyle Brewing (Chicago, IL)
52. Roaring Table Brewing Co. (Lake Zurich, IL)
59. Waypost Brewing Co. (Fennville, MI)
Total Points: 0
Team: The Old Man Lagers
Team Manager: Ryan Tracy
Twitter: @wehavegreatbeer
Instagram: @wehavegreatbeerpr & @wehavegreatbeerah & @wehavegreatbeereh
9. Half Acre Beer Co. (Chicago, IL)
14. Firestone Walker Brewing Company (Buellton & Paso Robles, CA)++
31. Perennial Artisan Ales (St. Louis, MO)
- Bronze – Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours: By and By Blend 1
36. Second City Meadery (Chicago, IL)
53. The Bruery (Placentia, CA)
58. Corporate Ladder Brewing Company (Palmetto, FL)
Total Points: 1
Team: Malt Juice
Team Manager: Jack Muldowney
Twitter: @StudioMalt
Instagram: @jackmuldowney
10. DESTIHL Brewery (Normal, IL)++
- Gold – Wild Mixed Culture Beer (Acidic) Sours with Fruit: Saint Dekkera Reserve Sour: Ronciere
13. Blackberry Farm Brewery (Maryviille, TN)
32. Virtue Cider (Fennville, MI)
- Silver – Cider/Perry/Mead: Belleau Wood
35. Penrose Brewing Co. (Geneva, IL)
54. is/was brewing (Chicago, IL)
57. Alter Brewing Company (Downers Grove, IL)
- Gold – Specialty/Experimental: Kings Port
Total Points: 8
Team: Freshie Fridays
Team Manager: Christina Rose
Twitter: @christinarose33
Instagram: @lovechristinarose
11. Dovetail Brewery (Chicago, IL)
12. More Brewing Company (Villa Park, IL & Huntley, IL)++
- Silver – Fruit Beer: Lucky Bamboo
- Gold – Strong Porter/Stout: Mehndi Special Reserve 2022
33. Old Irving Brewing Co. (Chicago, IL)
34. Solemn Oath Brewery (Naperville, IL)
55. 3 Floyds Brewing (Munster, IN)
56. middle brow beer co. (Chicago, IL)
Total Points: 5
