by Brian Wall
Being a craft beer lover means that there are plenty of opportunities to find a festival for sampling a multitude of different beers. Some of these fests are designed specifically around beer and allow one to try a one to three ounce sample with the ability to buy more sample cards. This past Sunday was another beer fest with minor exception- it featured home brewers’ creations.
Labor of Love, as it is known, celebrated its second year at Deep Ellum Brewing Company. Young, old, male, female, it didn’t really who they were because they all shared the same desire to try beers that are not on the market. It is amazing to see what home brewers can develop, create and make into a brew that would knock anyone’s taste buds into a beer frenzy. Names are created for these “breweries” just as the name of the beers offered- to add a special zing. All the beers that were tasted were without a doubt exceptional.
Knowles Brothers Craft Brewing from Flower Mound, had a very elaborate corner to make one feel as if they were at a normal bar rather than a booth. The gentlemen pouring the beers were also the brewers and their beers did not fail. Hop Freakness, a black IPA, Lady in Red, an imperial IPA, Lil’ Red Rooster, a red ale were all outstanding and very flavorful and masterfully done.
Mossberg Brewing from Mansfield, offered two very notable beers- Balle de Foin, a saison and Blonde Française, a blonde made with French yeast. Both beers were light and refreshing with low levels of alcohol. These could have been drunk all day in the hot sun.
The Manhattan Project, based in Dallas, offered six beers total. The two tasted were the Half Life, an American pale ale and Edgar Sengier’s Belgican Brown Ale, a Belgian/American brown ale which won the Dark category for the competition.
Last Call Brewing, based in Red Oak, brought two beers to the fest. Lot IPA was a great IPA with very distinct hop flavor. Morning After Pale Ale was one of the most unique beers present. The scent smelled like a fresh brewed cup of coffee as did the flavor. If a taster were blind drinking this beer, they would swear it was a chilled cup of black coffee without the bitterness.
Night Owl Craft Ales from McKinney offered 2 different IPA’s, a Pumpkin and a Hatch Chili Saison. Only two were sampled, the Independent IPA which had a great hoppiness to it and won the Hop category and the Saison which had a great heat-pepper flavor.
Perception Brewery, based in Denton, served up a great brown ale that completely emphasized a brown ale. Cap and Hare Homebrewing Club from Ft. Worth had an impressive Red Rattler Rye IPA that did not have the overpowering flavor of rye. Wrinkled Wizard from Garland offered an American Brown Ale that was spot on for its flavor and scent.
All-in-all, none of the beers that were sampled were anything less than incredible. I commend every home brewer that entered the fest for their creations and look forward to the next chance to taste these libations. If all of these breweries were in mass-public production for purchase, the consumption of good, flavorful craft beer would skyrocket with a sonic boom felt in every bottle and can possible.
Sláinte.
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