Gnome Brew Review – Montana Brewing Company, Billings

If you’ve been following me around lately, you can probably tell that Montana has a good number of breweries. And you already know how much we gnomes love a good local brew!

Just take a look at the Montana Brewer’s Association trail map….what a great idea….a map of trails AND beer. Genius!

Not all of the state’s breweries are part of the association though, and therefore aren’t listed. Like this one….Montana Brewing Company in Billings. Here’s what they got on tap:

-MBC Wheat
-MBC Pale Ale
-MBC Amber
-Apricot Wheat
-Single Hop Nugget IPA
-Holy Hooligan’s Double Red
-Custer’s Last Stout
-Bright Eyed & Bushy Tailed Breakfast Brown Ale

As usual, I had to try them all. Out of all the breweries I visited in Billings (yes, there were three and would have been four if the other wouldn’t have been closed…Bastards.), this one was the most high-class and family-friendly. I felt a bit too skanky to be here with my muddy boots and wind-blown hat.

Good thing I didn’t give a crap and just bellied up to the bar for some liquid courage!

My absolute favorite was the Smoked Rye, which I see they don’t even have on tap anymore. Figures. It had a wonderfully smoky taste that reminded me of being out at the campfire. Now don’t get me wrong…I’ve had my share of smoky beers.

I remember trying the Smoke beer at Against the Grain brewery in Louisville, Kentucky a few months back. That was just too freaking smoky. I couldn’t taste anything because my mouth was full of ash! Last night, I tried the scotch ale, which was supposed to be smoky, at Madison River Brewing in Belgrade, Montana. I couldn’t taste any smoke at all!

I quit cigarettes years ago, but I still like a damn good smoky beer when I find one. I picked up a growler of it at MBC and promptly finished it on the walk home.