I hadn't managed to go to any of the Beer Advocate Fests with any of my lab mates until this years Extreme Beer Fest. Jadyn and I went along with Jeremy, Matt, Elçin and Alfonso. The fest format has remained constant: unlimited two ounce samples and booths lining the sides of the venue as well as a row of booths in the center of the venue. I was pleased with the line up of brewers at this years fest. There was a good regional representation from brewers like Harpoon, Cambridge Brewing Company, Allagash and American Flatbread to name a few. There were also a good number of brewers whose distribution doesn't cover Massachusetts: Bell's, Three Floyds, and The Bruery. I ended up having samples of 29 beers that I hadn't previously tried. I've broken up the notes into three posts, and as usual the notes are fairly minimal and should be trusted less and less the later I am into the fest.
After the first few beers I decided the most efficient way to drink was to try what I wanted to try from one booth and then to move on to the booth next door.
961. Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition/Double Cream Blend
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a deep black with a brown head. The aroma has notes of oak, vanilla and a resiny character. There are nice flavors of chocolate and vanilla with a boozy quality contributed by the bourbon barrels. The finish is roasty.
962. Allagash Gargamel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
This beer wasn't on the Fest beer list, but the description said it was brewed with Brettanomyces so I had to give it a try. Pours a hazed copper. The aroma hints at the sourness to come and has a nice notes of the wild yeast. Acidic and sour throughout, well attenuated so there isn't a lot of residual sweetness. The finish has a nice earthy Brett characteristic. Easily one of my favorites of the fest.
963. Allagash Confluence
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.40%
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a pale, hazed golden-copper. The aroma is malty and citric with notes of acidity and Brett. Sweet overall with a sugary undertone. There's a light sourness in the center followed by earthy flavors in the finish. I'm biased towards sourness in my wild ales, so I was a bit disappointed, but that doesn't mean the beer wasn't good.
964. Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right BA Select
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide
From the fest website: "A collaboration beer brewed by Sam Calagione, Bryan Selders, and the Alström Bros at the original Rehoboth Beach Dogfish Head brewpub for the 2009 Extreme Beer Fest. Brewed with maple syrup, chestnuts, green peppercorns, Korean Corn tea (Oksusu-cha), Fawcett's Maris Otter base malt, MFP kiln coffee malt, Liberty and Vangaurd hops, and DFH's Raison D'Etra yeast strain... The name is an ode to The Konami Code (cheat code) on the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s"
Pours a clear amber brown. The aroma is redolent of chestnuts, maple syrup and roasted malts. Sweet upfront with a light roasty character. Maple syrup sweetness appears in the center along with a nutty flavor that contributes a bit of tannic huskiness in the finish. There's also a nice peppery spice in the finish.
965. Bell's HopSlam Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear copper, topped by a sheet of white foam. Notes of citrus give the malts a candy-like aroma. Sweet upfront, raw sugar malts. Citric hops in the finish with a concealed bitterness.
966. Bell's Expedition Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a dark black. Coffee and roasted malts in the aroma. Chocolate sweetness upfront, which moves into a sharp fruitiness, followed by a roasted bitterness in the finish.
967. Bell's Third Coast Old Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.20%
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed amber, with a good head, especially for a fest pour. The aroma is nice and malty, with caramel and a bit of toffee, there are also notes of hops. Malty with notes of caramel and dark fruit. The finish has a good bit of hop flavor and bitterness.
968. Samuel Adams Double Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Style: Doppelbock, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, dark copper. Malty aroma: toffee, butterscotch and boozy notes. Caramel and toffee sweetness upfront, followed by a strong and boozy finish with lots of alcoholic spice.
969. CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.40%
Style: Milk / Sweet Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a deep, dark brown. The aroma is predominantly chocolate with some nice hints of roastiness. Roasty notes upfront, but becomes increasingly sweet through the center with notes of chocolate and fruit. The finish has a nice bit of chocolate flavor.
970. The Colonel's Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.30%
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear brown with garnet hints. Roasty malts in the aroma with a nice Brettanomyces character. There's a roasty malt backbone with fruity notes, but not a lot of residual sweetness. The finish is sour with a strong Brett finish. Another very good beer. One of my favorites from the fest.
After the first few beers I decided the most efficient way to drink was to try what I wanted to try from one booth and then to move on to the booth next door.
961. Bell's Bourbon Barrel Aged Expedition/Double Cream Blend
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a deep black with a brown head. The aroma has notes of oak, vanilla and a resiny character. There are nice flavors of chocolate and vanilla with a boozy quality contributed by the bourbon barrels. The finish is roasty.
962. Allagash Gargamel
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale
This beer wasn't on the Fest beer list, but the description said it was brewed with Brettanomyces so I had to give it a try. Pours a hazed copper. The aroma hints at the sourness to come and has a nice notes of the wild yeast. Acidic and sour throughout, well attenuated so there isn't a lot of residual sweetness. The finish has a nice earthy Brett characteristic. Easily one of my favorites of the fest.
963. Allagash Confluence
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.40%
Style: American Wild Ale
Pours a pale, hazed golden-copper. The aroma is malty and citric with notes of acidity and Brett. Sweet overall with a sugary undertone. There's a light sourness in the center followed by earthy flavors in the finish. I'm biased towards sourness in my wild ales, so I was a bit disappointed, but that doesn't mean the beer wasn't good.
964. Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right BA Select
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide
From the fest website: "A collaboration beer brewed by Sam Calagione, Bryan Selders, and the Alström Bros at the original Rehoboth Beach Dogfish Head brewpub for the 2009 Extreme Beer Fest. Brewed with maple syrup, chestnuts, green peppercorns, Korean Corn tea (Oksusu-cha), Fawcett's Maris Otter base malt, MFP kiln coffee malt, Liberty and Vangaurd hops, and DFH's Raison D'Etra yeast strain... The name is an ode to The Konami Code (cheat code) on the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 80s"
Pours a clear amber brown. The aroma is redolent of chestnuts, maple syrup and roasted malts. Sweet upfront with a light roasty character. Maple syrup sweetness appears in the center along with a nutty flavor that contributes a bit of tannic huskiness in the finish. There's also a nice peppery spice in the finish.
965. Bell's HopSlam Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear copper, topped by a sheet of white foam. Notes of citrus give the malts a candy-like aroma. Sweet upfront, raw sugar malts. Citric hops in the finish with a concealed bitterness.
966. Bell's Expedition Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a dark black. Coffee and roasted malts in the aroma. Chocolate sweetness upfront, which moves into a sharp fruitiness, followed by a roasted bitterness in the finish.
967. Bell's Third Coast Old Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bell's Brewery
Alcohol: 10.20%
Style: Old Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a hazed amber, with a good head, especially for a fest pour. The aroma is nice and malty, with caramel and a bit of toffee, there are also notes of hops. Malty with notes of caramel and dark fruit. The finish has a good bit of hop flavor and bitterness.
968. Samuel Adams Double Bock
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 9.50%
Style: Doppelbock, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear, dark copper. Malty aroma: toffee, butterscotch and boozy notes. Caramel and toffee sweetness upfront, followed by a strong and boozy finish with lots of alcoholic spice.
969. CaCow! Chocolate Milk Stout
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.40%
Style: Milk / Sweet Stout, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a deep, dark brown. The aroma is predominantly chocolate with some nice hints of roastiness. Roasty notes upfront, but becomes increasingly sweet through the center with notes of chocolate and fruit. The finish has a nice bit of chocolate flavor.
970. The Colonel's Porter
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.30%
Style: Baltic Porter, BJCP Style Guide
Pours a clear brown with garnet hints. Roasty malts in the aroma with a nice Brettanomyces character. There's a roasty malt backbone with fruity notes, but not a lot of residual sweetness. The finish is sour with a strong Brett finish. Another very good beer. One of my favorites from the fest.
Labels: American Brown Ale, American Double IPA, American Stout, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests
