I am a grown man with a salaried job and very little debt. Therefore I have a roommate. And my roommate's dad loves to hunt. He's killed animals in all different parts of the country, but it seems like over the past few years he has harbored a special grudge against the animals of Montana. I'm not sure what they did to him, but every few months he's packing up the truck and heading out there to settle some scores.
It's rumored that my roommate's dad was some sort of covert sniper back in '69, really out there in The Shit, and that back then he answered only to the codename Wild Boar. Having known the man for many years, I believe this is true. I also believe that he is still under contract in some sort of Blackwater alphabet soup agency mercenary troupe, and that much of the mule deer sausage I've stolen from my roommate's side of the fridge over the years has actually been made out of human flesh. Be that as it may, Wild Boar's latest trips to Montana have been rewarded with something even greater than the usual pounds of processed manburger: bottles from Big Sky Brewing Company.
Big Sky is a great microbrew with a penchant for outstanding beer names and labels. Note to wannabe brewmasters out there: it was Moose Drool's name that first caught Wild Boar's eye... and his heart. The label has a glorious illustration of exactly what you'd expect, done in a colorful retro style reminiscent of Long Trail's label art. When I first saw Moose Drool, I have to admit I didn't have very high expectations. I mean, yeah it's an ideal name for a beer, but neither my roommate nor his father are exactly beer snobs: I've seen them willingly consume Iron City. But it turns out Moose Drool's pretty good! It's not bringing anything new to the brown ale party, but it was smooth and tasty. Malt, nut, and all the typical brown ale flavors abound, plus you'll look way cooler than the average schmuck sipping a Newcastle.
Similar comments can be made of the Pig's Ass Porter, which was the clear winner of the best label contest for its well-dressed, pantless, Victorian-style pig anthromorphs crowded around an old-timey bar. I felt the porter tasted a little thin, but it was definitely drinkable. My judgment of this beer is a little jaded by my recent discovery of Troeg's Dead Reckoning porter, which my friend Nathan describes as "the Best American-Made Porter" in what might not be an overstatement. But I don't care how good Dead Reckoning is, neither the name nor the label art comes close to Pig's Ass. This beer is worth buying just for the label art, and the fact that it's tasty is pure icing on the cake.
As far as flavor goes, I found Big Sky's Troutslayer Ale to be my favorite even though the label was rather mundane. I could easily see myself knocking back a barrel of this stuff by a lake somewhere, if only it were summer and I ever went fishing. This is a beer that begs you to drink more, with a really pleasant malty wheat aftertaste that reminded me of Molson Canadian. This beer has more heft to it than Canadian, but I still think you could pound quite a few of these without feeling the bloat. It is also a considerably better beer than Molson Canadian, and it has the word 'slayer' built right into the name, which is pure metal. Although a pale ale, it tasted and felt more like a lager, and I like lagers. A lot. If you're into that bread/biscuit/delicious malted grain flavor, grab yourself a Troutslayer. Just don't grab one of Wild Boar's Troutslayer's, because you might wake up with an arrow in your chest. And then I'd probably have to eat you.
Similar comments can be made of the Pig's Ass Porter, which was the clear winner of the best label contest for its well-dressed, pantless, Victorian-style pig anthromorphs crowded around an old-timey bar. I felt the porter tasted a little thin, but it was definitely drinkable. My judgment of this beer is a little jaded by my recent discovery of Troeg's Dead Reckoning porter, which my friend Nathan describes as "the Best American-Made Porter" in what might not be an overstatement. But I don't care how good Dead Reckoning is, neither the name nor the label art comes close to Pig's Ass. This beer is worth buying just for the label art, and the fact that it's tasty is pure icing on the cake.
As far as flavor goes, I found Big Sky's Troutslayer Ale to be my favorite even though the label was rather mundane. I could easily see myself knocking back a barrel of this stuff by a lake somewhere, if only it were summer and I ever went fishing. This is a beer that begs you to drink more, with a really pleasant malty wheat aftertaste that reminded me of Molson Canadian. This beer has more heft to it than Canadian, but I still think you could pound quite a few of these without feeling the bloat. It is also a considerably better beer than Molson Canadian, and it has the word 'slayer' built right into the name, which is pure metal. Although a pale ale, it tasted and felt more like a lager, and I like lagers. A lot. If you're into that bread/biscuit/delicious malted grain flavor, grab yourself a Troutslayer. Just don't grab one of Wild Boar's Troutslayer's, because you might wake up with an arrow in your chest. And then I'd probably have to eat you.
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