Tap Handle #57: Big Sky Brewing - Trout Slayer Wheat Ale

This is probably one of the most beautiful taps I own...the painting is airbrushed and the detail and color are outstanding. It's very rare.

Click through to read more about Big Sky Brewing and their Trout Slayer Wheat Ale...

Big Sky Brewing was started by Neal Leathers, Bjorn Nabozney, and Brad Robinson in Missoula, Montana in 1995. in the 80's, Neal and Brad were students at Michigan State who would travel to Alaska during summers to work in the fishing industry. They fell in love with the microbrews they sampled in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, and took up homebrewing as a hobby. They moved to Missoula in 1990 and worked at the Sportsman Surplus and High Country Sports, where they met Bjorn. Though they would enjoy beer from the nearby Bayern Brewery, they wanted to start their own company. Brad and Neal started a local TV show called Beer Talk, which immediately set viewership records. Meanwhile, Bjorn finished his business degree and they began raising capital. They are now the largest brewer in Montana and distribute 6 beers to 32 states. In 2000 they were sued over naming a beer Moose Drool by Moosehead. As a result, Big Sky agreed not to sell Moose Drool in several Eastern states.

Trout Slayer Amber Wheat is a filtered wheat ale fermented at cool temperatures. The name was originally licensed to Bayern Brewery by Brian Beck's Company B, but when the license ran out, a new deal was struck with Big Sky. Weighted average on ratebeer.com is 2.89 out of 5.

Big Sky Brewing Official Website