November: the month we set back the clocks and darkness creeps in. The weather becomes chilly, and thoughts turn to the coming winter. While some may fall into a bit of a funk this time of year, beer drinkers everywhere get excited about stouts, porters, and barrel-aged beers. And what better way to celebrate than Day of Darks at Wynkoop?!
Day of Darks 2017 was on Saturday, November 18th. I’ve attended this event for the last few years. As a stout lover, this fest is especially enjoyable to me, and I always look forward to checking out all the new dark beers as well as revisiting some of my old favorites.
Wynkoop really knows how to put on a beer fest. Day of Darks was sold out, yet I didn’t find myself waiting in lines or fighting to get through the crowds. It was just the right amount of breweries (approximately 36), beers (around 85) and attendees. Additionally, I think the duration (four hours) is perfect; there are no worries about missing out on any of the beers if you don’t get there the minute it starts, you can leisurely sip and really take in the flavors of the beers, and hang out and have fun conversations with friends without having to rush through the experience.
There were so many excellent beers this year! So what were my favorites at Day of Darks 2017?
- Triple Barrel Big Bad Baptist from Epic Brewing
- Triple Barrel Baptist is new this year. I’m a big fan of the Big Bad Baptist series, but this one blew me away. It’s aged in whiskey & rum barrels with barrel aged coffee beans and barrel aged coconut. And the coconut is very noticeable–and extremely tasty!
- Big Bad Baptista from Epic Brewing
- I was happy to see this one make its return after the initial release in 2016. Mexican coffee, vanilla, cinnamon come together to form the perfect union.
- Mexican Chocolate Ale from Blue Moon
- I was told this beer is like cold hot chocolate, and when I looked at my full glass, I could see it was true. It looked and tasted just like hot chocolate, only boozy and cold!
- Maple Pancakes Porter from Renegade
- This was the first time I’d tried Maple Pancakes Porter. The name truly speaks for itself: you know exactly what you’re getting, and the flavors are abundant.
- Strangely Epic from Strange Craft & Epic Brewing
- This has been one of the beers I’ve looked forward to for the past few years. It’s a liquid chocolate covered cherry. There is simply no other way to describe it.
Overall, it’s Epic Brewing for the win! I had lots of delicious beers, but in looking back at my list, Epic definitely came out on top as far as my taste buds are concerned. Cheers to another successful Day of Darks!
Also, mark your calendars for Day of Dorks at Wynkoop: Saturday, March 10, 2018! From 12-4 pm, 30 breweries will be pouring their best beers while attendees geek out! Wynkoop will be collecting school supplies which will be distributed to local schools, so bring along a bag of goodies for the littles.