Last Saturday I went to the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest. I also went last year. The format was similar to the Belgian Beer Fest, unlimited 2 oz. pours, rather than 10 tickets for 4 oz pours. I went alone this time, so I was pretty efficient at having new stuff. I ended up having 30 new beers, plus a few others that I'd had previously. Needless to say I was pretty drunk by the end of the fest, and was hungover the next day. Word to the wise, being hungover on a brunch date the morning after a beer fest isn't fun.
The notes are shorter and really only concern appearance, smell and taste. The descriptions are also more general because it's harder to get a full picture of the beer with small samples. I'm splitting this into three posts, because I've been too busy to blog regularly.
611. Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 13.50%
Style: Eisbock, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy brown red. The aroma is woody, raspberry and vinous. The taste is a bit like sherry with sharp alcohol and a light raspberry sweetness.
612. Sixpoint Gemini
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 10.60%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
The aroma was mostly citric hops, with a bit of malt. However the taste was overly sweet and not hoppy enough. I was disappointed with this one, though a larger sample might help.
613. Stone Old Guardian Barleywine (2007)
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 11.26%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear copper, with a wonderfully fruity aroma, with hints of bananas and berries. The flavor is more malty fruitiness with a mild hop bitterness that strengthens in the aftertaste. This is surprisingly drinkable.
614. Goose Island Special Ed
Brewery: Goose Island
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: Rauchbier, BJCP Style Guide
According to the fest guide: "Imperial "Smoke-ED" Brown Goose, brewed with 60 percent Weyerman beechwood-smoked malt, and aged in Heaven Hill barrels for four months."
My Notes: Hazy brown. Bourbon, wood, vanilla and a hint of smoke in the aroma. The flavor is much the same, but with a stronger smokiness.
615. Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pils
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery
Alcohol: 8.80%%
Style: American Double Pilsner
Pours a hazy, straw color. The aroma is fruity with notes of apples, berry and pepper. The taste is the same, but the spiciness dominates, with a lingering hop bitterness in the finish as well.
616. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: American Double Stout
It's hard to get your hands on this beer in Boston, so I jumped at the chance to sample it. It pours a dark black. The aroma is strong coffee and a bit of woodiness. This actually smelled like a cup of coffee on the first sniff. The flavors are very nice, sweet chocolate, vanilla, coffee and some woodiness.
617. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Brewery: Goose Island
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: American Double Stout
Pours a dark black, with a brown head. The aroma is bourbon and dark fruit. There are roasted malt flavors, coffee, dark fruit and a light tartness in the finish. The mouthfeel is creamy and full-bodied.
618. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy copper. The smell is wonderfully hoppy and fruity. There are fruity and malty sweet flavors upfront followed by a strong citric hop bitterness in the finish. Very nice.
619. Iron Hill Framboise
Brewery: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Alcohol: 4.80%
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This was recommended to me by someone standing near the Iron Hill booth, with the warning that it was "sour." Since I love sour beer I tried it. Pours a cloudy orange-pink. The smell is spot on fruit-lambic, with raspberries, funk and acidity. The flavors are sweet raspberries, sourness through the center, and a medicinal/funky finish. This is a great attempt at the style.
620. Imperial Death March Stout
Brewery: Milly's Tavern
Alcohol: 8.80%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a dark black with a dark brown head. Light fruit, phenols and coffee in the aroma. Dark fruit sweetness, chocolate and a roasted coffee bitterness.
I'm almost a month late in getting this posted. I'm going to try to work on part two tonight, and hopefully I'll get caught up on blogging soon, though there isn't much to blog about.
The notes are shorter and really only concern appearance, smell and taste. The descriptions are also more general because it's harder to get a full picture of the beer with small samples. I'm splitting this into three posts, because I've been too busy to blog regularly.
611. Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Alcohol: 13.50%
Style: Eisbock, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy brown red. The aroma is woody, raspberry and vinous. The taste is a bit like sherry with sharp alcohol and a light raspberry sweetness.
612. Sixpoint Gemini
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 10.60%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
The aroma was mostly citric hops, with a bit of malt. However the taste was overly sweet and not hoppy enough. I was disappointed with this one, though a larger sample might help.
613. Stone Old Guardian Barleywine (2007)
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 11.26%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear copper, with a wonderfully fruity aroma, with hints of bananas and berries. The flavor is more malty fruitiness with a mild hop bitterness that strengthens in the aftertaste. This is surprisingly drinkable.
614. Goose Island Special Ed
Brewery: Goose Island
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: Rauchbier, BJCP Style Guide
According to the fest guide: "Imperial "Smoke-ED" Brown Goose, brewed with 60 percent Weyerman beechwood-smoked malt, and aged in Heaven Hill barrels for four months."
My Notes: Hazy brown. Bourbon, wood, vanilla and a hint of smoke in the aroma. The flavor is much the same, but with a stronger smokiness.
615. Rogue Morimoto Imperial Pils
Brewery: Rogue Ales Brewery
Alcohol: 8.80%%
Style: American Double Pilsner
Pours a hazy, straw color. The aroma is fruity with notes of apples, berry and pepper. The taste is the same, but the spiciness dominates, with a lingering hop bitterness in the finish as well.
616. Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: American Double Stout
It's hard to get your hands on this beer in Boston, so I jumped at the chance to sample it. It pours a dark black. The aroma is strong coffee and a bit of woodiness. This actually smelled like a cup of coffee on the first sniff. The flavors are very nice, sweet chocolate, vanilla, coffee and some woodiness.
617. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
Brewery: Goose Island
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: American Double Stout
Pours a dark black, with a brown head. The aroma is bourbon and dark fruit. There are roasted malt flavors, coffee, dark fruit and a light tartness in the finish. The mouthfeel is creamy and full-bodied.
618. Weyerbacher Double Simcoe IPA
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazy copper. The smell is wonderfully hoppy and fruity. There are fruity and malty sweet flavors upfront followed by a strong citric hop bitterness in the finish. Very nice.
619. Iron Hill Framboise
Brewery: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
Alcohol: 4.80%
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide
This was recommended to me by someone standing near the Iron Hill booth, with the warning that it was "sour." Since I love sour beer I tried it. Pours a cloudy orange-pink. The smell is spot on fruit-lambic, with raspberries, funk and acidity. The flavors are sweet raspberries, sourness through the center, and a medicinal/funky finish. This is a great attempt at the style.
620. Imperial Death March Stout
Brewery: Milly's Tavern
Alcohol: 8.80%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a dark black with a dark brown head. Light fruit, phenols and coffee in the aroma. Dark fruit sweetness, chocolate and a roasted coffee bitterness.
I'm almost a month late in getting this posted. I'm going to try to work on part two tonight, and hopefully I'll get caught up on blogging soon, though there isn't much to blog about.
Labels: American Barleywine, American Double IPA, American Double Pilsner, American Double Stout, Beer Fests, Eisbock, Rauchbier
