CanFest 2010 Winners

Today (technically yesterday) I attended the trophy ceremony for CanFest 2010, the Reno International Canned Beer Festival, presented by Reno's own Buckbean Brewing Company. The awards were given in advance of CanFest's public festival, which will be held tomorrow (technically today) at 6PM at the Grand Sierra Resort's Silver State Pavilion. Over 60 (!) canned beers will be available for unlimited tasting until 9:30. Tickets are $35 at the door, but only $30 if bought in advance...like at Buckbean. I will see you there. (I wish I had a site to link you to, so here's Buckbean's site instead.)

Of those 60+ beers, 15 were awarded trophies in five categories tonight. And the awards go to:

IPA Category

• Gold: Oasis Ale, Tallgrass Brewing Co., Manhattan, KS
  
• Silver: IPA, Tallgrass Brewing Co., Manhattan, KS
  
• Bronze: Epic IPA, Mammoth Brewing Co., Mammoth Lakes, CA

Pale/Amber Ale Category

• Gold: Big Swell IPA, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, Maui, HI
  
• Silver: Dale's Pale Ale, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
  
• Bronze: Epicenter, SanTan Brewing Co., Chandler, AZ

Dark Ales Category

• Gold: Gordon Imperial Red, Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, CO
  
• Silver: Kilt Lifter Scottish Style Ale, Four Peaks Brewing, Tempe, AZ
  
• Bronze: Ale, Tallgrass Brewing Co., Manhattan, KS

Other Ales Category

• Gold: Sunbru Kölsch, Four Peaks Brewing, Tempe, AZ
  
• Silver: Trout Slayer Ale, Big Sky Brewing Co., Missoula, MT
  
• Bronze: Coconut Porter, Maui Brewing Co., Lahaina, Maui, HI

Lager Category

• Gold: Viennese Lager, Bohemian Brewery, Salt Lake City, UT
  
• Silver: Santa Fe Oktoberfest, Santa Fe Brewing Co., Santa Fe, NM
  
• Bronze: Coors Banquet, Coors Brewing Co., Golden, CO (they didn't receive much of an applause)

Best In Show

• Sunbru Kölsch, Four Peaks Brewing, Tempe, AZ
  

Congratulations to all the winners, especially Tallgrass, a newcomer this year who cleaned up with three trophies! Other big winners (i.e. multiple trophies) included Four Peaks from Arizona, Maui Brewing from Hawaii, and mainstay Oskar Blues from Colorado. I look forward to having all your beers tomorrow.

Prost!

(Special thanks to the awesome folks at Buckbean.)

Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale

Happy 232nd Birthday, America!

My wife and I had our 4th of July barbecue tonight, and of course we invited some friends over to celebrate and watch the fireworks. Because we're poor, it was BYOB, and one of our friends brought 6 cans of Buckbean Brewery's Original Orange Blossom Ale. For those not in the know, it is Reno's only microbrewery (the brewpubs Great Basin, Silver Peak, BJ's, and Brew Brothers presumably don't count because they don't bottle their beers), and it is taking Reno by storm. I went into Ben's the other day, and they were completely sold out, and at the grand opening of Reno's Whole Foods, I saw tons of people taking home 4-packs of Orange Blossom and their other beer, Black Noddy, a schwarzbier like Sam Adams' Black Lager.

As mentioned in previous posts, Buckbean was established in 2007 and just opened earlier this year. The Buckbean name comes from the Buckbean plant, an herb which grows over North America and Europe, and also in Tahoe Meadows. Apparently, Buckbean leaves have been used as a substitute for hops and also as a remedy for scurvy and stomach illnesses. Dan Kahn, the brewmaster, says he plans to use the herb in future brewing projects, and I personally can't wait to try them. Original Orange Blossom Ale was created by Dan while he was brewmaster at Riverside Brewing Company in Riverside, CA for their Orange Blossom Festival, becoming the first to use orange blossoms in the brewing process. They got to try it, but now it's all ours. (All info came from Buckbean's website, which unfortunately does not allow direct linking.)


Here come the stats:

Buckbean Original Orange Blossom Ale
BREWERY: Buckbean Brewing Co., Reno, NV, USA
STYLE: Orange blossom ale
FIRST BREWED: 2008
CALORIES/SERVING:
BITTERNESS:
ABV: 5.8%
ORIGINAL GRAVITY:
MALTS: Caramel, Munich
HOPS: "American"
SERVING TEMPERATURE:
FOODS TO PAIR WITH: Tangy, herbal or spicy foods, soft cheeses or pastries
AWARDS:

I got this information from the can, which can also be found on Buckbean's website. I will talk with the brewers to see if I can get the rest.

The beer poured a beautiful cloudy orange color, accompanied by a decent white head that did not stick around very long. The nose was unlike anything I've ever smelled in a beer before, a swirl of orange and hops; my wife noted that it smelled like a nice perfume. The taste also was unique, a light hoppiness mixed with a smooth orange flavor, best described by one of my friends as a Blue Moon Belgian White and the orange already in the bottle. The finish was crisp and clean with a delightful aftertaste that didn't wear out its welcome.

Buckbean has truly made a great beer that is one-of-a-kind and fits in with Reno's unique culture. I look forward to seeing what else they can do. For now, you can also try out Buckbean's seasonal tap-only brew, Artown Vienna Lager, in honor of Reno's own Artown festival.

Prost!

Buckbean's Grand Opening Recap

As mentioned in my previous post, Reno's own Buckbean Brewery had their official grand opening today at their brewery on 1155 Rock Blvd. Suite 490. I, like at least 100 or so of my fellow Renoites, went to check out the beer, the food, the ice cream from Tahoe Creamery, the beer, the roller derby girls, and the beer. I had the pleasure of tasting the three beers Buckbean had on tap, including their new Artown Vienna Lager, which happens to be the official beer of Artown, Reno's annual monthlong arts festival starting around July 1st. I also was able to briefly speak with Doug, the president, and Dan, the brewmaster, and express my support for Reno's only microbrewery (I don't count brewpubs like Great Basin or Brew Brothers). Sadly, because of Buckbean's size, the Artown Lager is only available on tap, so we won't be seeing their seasonals in can form for another year or two.

Below are some photos I snapped at the event.

The outside of the Buckbean Brewery in SE Reno.


All these cans of Black Noddy Lager and Orange Blossom Ale are empty. Apparently they have to buy them by the full truckload – about 2,500 cases worth at a time.


A close-up of the empty Black Noddy cans.


You don't wanna touch the cans, lest you get cursed with flat oxygenated skunky beer.


These cans have yet to receive their fate.


Hidden amongst other boxes are those of rival craft brewers like Deschutes and Buzzards Bay.


A better view of the empty cans. Time to get to drinking.


A shot of the canner and other brewing equipment, looking towards the front of the brewery.


Looking from the front of the brewery towards the back.


Dean Heller scores major points with me with this Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. Apparently Congress does do things the people like...sometimes.


The Battle Born Derby Devils show off some of their moves in Buckbean's back lot.

I look forward to keeping in contact with Dan and Doug and helping promote Reno's only microbrewery, and I give them what they most deserve: A hearty "prost!"

P.S. Buckbean and its brewers were featured in an article in the June 12th, 2008 edition of the Reno News & Review. It can also be found online.

P.P.S. The Reno Gazette-Journal had an article about Buckbean that ran on June 8th as well. Seeing as how I don't subscribe to the RGJ, that one slipped by me. However, it too can be found online.