After
reviewing six Oktoberfest brews with statewide distribution, I figured I would
focus on an offering from a smaller brewery with a more limited distribution. A few weeks ago, I was up in Wausau on a
business trip and enjoyed the local breweries up there. However Bull Falls
stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Fortunately they had an Oktoberfest
available in cans; so I figured what better beer to wrap up this fall’s
Oktoberfest Series than with a beer from the brewery that I had just visited.
Like
many great brewery stories, the story of Bull Falls Brewery begins with
co-founder and brewmaster Mike receiving his first homebrew kit. Mike’s kit, a gift from his wife in 1998, soon
led to medals at homebrew competitions and eventually to enrolling in an online
course from the Siebel Institute of Chicago.
Nine years later, in 2007, Mike and his father Don founded Bull Farms
Brewery on the east side of Wausau, Wisconsin.
Originally opened in a 5,000 square foot space, the Zamzows quickly
realized their small setting was going to be unable to keep up with the
increasing demand for their product. A
new, $1.5 million, 8,000 square foot expansion was completed in the summer of
2013. The expansion brought with it a
larger brew system, additional fermentation tanks, a canning line, an expanded
tasting room, and a new gift shop. Early
2013 also brought a major distribution contract with Mid-Wisconsin Beverage, a
Pepsi distributor that brought Bull Falls on as its first beer account in
generations. The move signified a shift
back to Mid-Wisconsin’s roots and an excellent business opportunity for Bull
Falls.
I will
update you all with more information on Bull Falls Brewing as I get it and I am
going to set up an interview with co-owner Mike Zamzow soon! That said, on with the review!
They Say:
The brewery's inaugural beer is
brewed with all German ingredients. Golden amber in color with a malty aroma
and flavor that contributes to a clean crisp taste.
I Say:
Bull
Falls Oktoberfest pours a crystal clear light copper with a thick, creamy ivory
head that holds moderate retention (lasting about a minute and a half), before leaving heavy lacing behind in
the glass. Biscuity malts lead the aroma,
while a prominent toasted quality balances out the middle and the back end. The aroma in this festbier is all about the
malts, with no discernable hops.
Semi-sweet,
bready malts serve as a pleasant greeting on the first sip of this Oktoberfest
with toasted malt mingling in the middle to add additional complexity. The malts definitely are strong in this one, coming
across as full and well-rounded.
Balancing out the bready malts is a very slight spicy hop flavor, and moderate
level of hop bitterness that serves to dry out the beer on the back end,
leading to a semi-dry finish with a lingering bitterness. Bull Falls Oktoberfest is very smooth with a
soft, palatable maltiness that makes it especially quaffable. With a medium body, and moderate level of
carbonation, this beer hits the marks perfectly.
I know that “drinkability” has been co-opted
by the macro-breweries to the point that it has practically become a dirty
word. That said, however, this is a
remarkably drinkable beer that should definitely be served by the liter. Bull Falls Oktoberfest is an exemplary beer that
is remarkably malty without lingering into the overt sweetness trap that many
other festbiers fall into. The hop
flavor and bitterness likewise are evident without being too prominent, mingling
well together to make this a very well-balanced beer.
Unfortunately
distribution too far outside of Wausau is a bit of an issue for Bull Falls,
although when I was up at the brewery a couple weeks ago brewmaster Mike Zamzow
mentioned that they do distribute into the Minneapolis/St. Paul market, so
those of you in northwestern Wisconsin should have some luck finding this in
stores. If you do live up north, or
happen to drive near Wausau, Bull Falls Brewery is definitely worth the stop,
and they keep a pretty decent selection of their canned beers on hand at the
brewery.
That’s
all for tonight, check back next week for the Oktoberfest Series wrap-up post,
and don’t forget Keagan’s weekend posts on Saturday and Sunday!
Prosit!
Prosit!