Heart Rock Farm Barn Dance

Soooo - I have been looking forward to this blog for quite a while. This one is going to be a little longer than usual bc it deserves to be. On Saturday, August 7th a bunch of us beer imbibers drove from Madison to Scandinavia, Wisconsin for the Heart Rock Farm Barn Dance. It was my first barn dance - and it was fabulous!!!!!

This is an annual event (sort of annual) hosted by the Peterson family. It takes place on their beautiful organic beef farm nestled in the rolling hills near Stevens Point, WI. They invite tons of friends, hire a great band, and serve yummy beverages

It is a little hard to describe how much fun this event was, but it was kind of like being at the best laid-back wedding possible. At one point the skies just opened up and it was thundering and lightning and just pouring torrential rain. Solution? Get the band playing and then this magical moment happened where all the guests, every single one of them, is in the barn dancing up a frenzy. The band (Baba Ganooj and guests from Waupaca) played covers of songs that ranged from R.E.M., John Cougar Mellencamp, Lady Gaga and Neil Young.
Beer:

It is a "Beer Blog" so I better talk some about the beer. There were 3 kegs from Central Waters Brewery (Amhearst, Wisconsin): Shine On, Mudpuppy Porter, and my favorite, the Brewhouse Coffee Stout.

I am starting off the reviews, but will be adding reviews as they come in from the numerous Madison folk that made the trek to barn dance nirvana.

Brewhouse Coffee Stout:

Me: This one had the nice warm flavor of espresso beans in a mellow stout. I think it would be hard to drink more than a pint of this, as it was a pretty heavy and flavorful beer. But it was delicious! 4 mug rating

Shine On:

Me: Shine on is an easy drinking amber. Not terribly memorable but a good keg beer. Has kind of flowery flavor that lingers. 2.5 mug rating

Mudpuppy Porter: (hmmm 2 people used phrase "not too shabby" Interesting!)

Me: smoky chocolate and it is creamy.  Not bad but not great 2.5 mug rating

Rach: Sooooooo malty and dark.  I love it. 5 mug rating

Fortney: Straightforward Porter.  Not my style by not too shabby. Better from keg at barn dance than from a tap in Madison 3 mug rating

Safar:  Chocolaty - all I can taste. 1.5 mug rating

McKinny: Not a dark beer drinker but not too shabby 3 mug rating

more pics: