{"id":22486,"date":"2017-01-16T15:00:57","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T21:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/?p=22486"},"modified":"2021-08-31T12:29:39","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T17:29:39","slug":"toppling-goliath-kbbs-release-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guysdrinkingbeer.com\/toppling-goliath-kbbs-release-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"The Road to Decorah: The Toppling Goliath KBBS Release 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

We were among the lucky few at this year’s Toppling Goliath KBBS release, and man. It was worth the drive.<\/em> <\/span><\/h4>\n

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F<\/span>ive hours to Decorah, Iowa.\u00a0<\/span>For seven bottles of beer.\u00a0<\/span>Only three of which would be mine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

None of which I\u2019d ever tried before and from a brewery I wouldn\u2019t even be able to step foot in.<\/span><\/p>\n

Five hours in the car, and then we turn around and do five hours back?!<\/span><\/p>\n

When a friend was one of the 1,000 winners of Toppling<\/strong> Goliath\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> online lottery for a bottle of Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout and two bottles of Assassin – stouts regarded as two of the world\u2019s very best beers \u2013 as well as four bottles of the highly-regarded Double IPA, Sosus, I was happy for him.\u00a0<\/span>When he offered to split his haul if I\u2019d do the driving, my alarm was set for 4 a.m.<\/span><\/span> Friday<\/span><\/span>. KBBS hasn\u2019t been released in two years<\/span><\/span>, while Assassin and Sosus have been seen just once in the last year.\u00a0In fact, this local news story<\/a> says 60,000 people tried to register,<\/del> 15,000 people actually got through the registration process for just a thousand slots. (Edit: The 60k number referred to the recent Mornin’ Delight release and our reading comprehension is obviously low.) \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At that hour, the stretch from Chicago to Rockford, even to Madison, was the easy part. I\u2019d been warned by a friend of the two-lane stretches that awaited beyond that, but calling those final 150 final miles to Decorah \u201crural\u201d isn\u2019t doing it justice. It\u2019s the rural side of rural. I learned that Casey\u2019s, the string of gas stations popular in these parts, makes a mean taco pizza. But not much else.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a veteran of rare beer release days, I came prepared: multiple layers of clothing for the long line and multiple bottles from home for an impromptu bottle share in that line. Turns out, neither was necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

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That\u2019s because Toppling Goliath couldn\u2019t have handled the distribution any better. With winners divided into multiple windows (he had the 10-11:45 a.m.<\/span><\/span> slot) there were no lines, no non-winners even allowed into the brewpub (which wasn\u2019t open until 4:30pm<\/span><\/span> that day) and no need to hurry for anything. Though a picture circulated of someone freezing outside, just to be \u201cfirst\u201d to get his beer in the first time slot, it was completely unnecessary. Kudos to the TG staff for a well-run release.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what\u2019s there to say? It\u2019s the way this little town of 8,100 comes together on a day like this to support a local business and make visitors \u2013 from as far away as Brazil, Ireland and Belgium on this day \u2013 feel welcomed. And how that local business, in turn, does all it can to support them. No rivalries or animosity in Decorah \u2013 not visible, anyway. (That\u2019s the small-town way, of course.)<\/span><\/p>\n

“Toppling Goliath couldn\u2019t have handled the distribution any better.”<\/blockquote>\n
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All the way from #Brazil<\/a> #kbbs<\/a> #assassin<\/a> #visitdecorah<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/jDtuRulDoC<\/a><\/p>\n

— Toppling Goliath Brewing Company (@TGBrews) January 13, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n