Lakefront Brewery Tour

Over the weekend I was finally able to visit Lakefront Brewery which is literally just a couple of blocks from my house.  It was another cold, snowy day and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  I went early this time to ensure it didn't sell out like the weekend before!

I have to point out that this is the first tour I have ever been on where you get beer before, during, and after.  Wow!  Of course this does have its downside...people on the tour were just a little rowdy and the guide was often interrupted.  She was drinking also so in the end I would say all had a good time.

I was able to try 4 different beers that I had not tasted before which is always a treat.  Here are my thoughts:

• Big Easy Lager Beer - A blonde dopplebock brewed just for Mardi Gras.  I have to admit that I had high expectations for this beer.  A seasonal for this NOLA celebration should be full of character and flavor.  Alas this beer was more blonde than dopplebock and lacked the malt complexity I was expecting.  I quickly moved on.   
• Cattail Pale - "A lightly hopped pale ale" is what the bartender told me.  Yes...he is correct.  Again nothing special and by this point I am on the tour.  Thank goodness a mid-tour beer stop has been promised.
• Cream City Pale Ale - Jackpot!  At least compared to the other beers.  Lots of Cascade hops both in the flavor and the aroma with a good malty sweetness.  Also a touch of fruitiness from the yeast.  I think that there may also be another hop in the beer that adds to the flavor and bitterness but I have not been able to verify that yet.  The tour guide proclaimed this to be her favorite and I quickly concurred.
• Fat Abbey - This was a stronger, sweeter beer that may have been lost on me since my taste buds were destroyed by the hop loaded Cream City.  I wasn't impressed but I am willing to concede that I tasted these beers in the wrong order.  On my list to try again.

Overall the beers were good but not great.  I take that back...the Cream City was definitely worthy of buying a 12 pack every now and then.  I need to try it against some of my other favorites in the pale ale category to see how it stacks up. 

In general, I have found that the micro/craft brewers of Wisconsin to be very reserved when it comes to aggresive flavors and that they tend to favor lager beers.  Much of the Milwaukee area was settled by German immigrants in the 1800's so this preference may have survived the generations.  This is of course a generalization and I am sure there are exceptions, but I cannot help but notice after living in California where beers tend to be assertive and hop heavy.  I'll keep tasting to find those worth recommending!  Quite the sacrifice but someone has to do it!