I was planning on splitting this post up and providing notes for each beer, but that seems to cause procrastination. I'll just provide a list of the beers that I had, and make note of the highlights instead.

The Belgian Beer Fest is my favorite Beer Advocate fest because Belgian beers remain some of my favorites, especially the sour ones, and the BBF provides the opportunity to taste sours that are otherwise hard or impossible to try.

1249. Allagash Avance - Allagash Brewing Company
1250. Allagash Big Little - Allagash Brewing Compay

1251. Allagash Little Big - Allagash Brewing Compay
This hazed copper beer has a malty aroma with a bit of acidity on the nose. Sweet malts and fruity esters are met with a balancing bite of sourness. The finish has a mild bit of bitterness.

1252. Old Mother Hubbard - Cambridge Brewing Company
1253. Kosmic Mother Funk - Boston Beer Company

1254. Old Lambic - Boston Beer Company
The person working the booth said that this beer was seven years old. It pours a clear copper color. The aroma is funky and acidic. This beer has a nice acidic sourness, medicinal phenols, and a surprisingly smooth finish.

1255. Belgian Pale Ale - Brewery Ommegang
1256. Brooklyn Cuvee Noir - Brooklyn Brewery
1257. Madame Rose - Goose Island Beer Co.
1258. Fleur - Goose Island Beer Co.
1259. Ename Tripel - Brouwerij Roman

1260. Kriek Pale Ale - Harpoon Brewery
I believe that this was Harpoon's IPA Kriek-ified. It poured a hazy copper with an acidic, cherry aroma. It had great sourness, and cherry flavor along with a bit of bitterness in the finish.

1261. Monstre Rouge - De Proefbrouwerij

1262. Super Friends IPA - Ithaca Beer Company
This was a great IPA conditioned with Brett. It had a nice explosion of hops, but had an Orval-like finish.

1263. Belgo IPA - New Belgium Brewing
1264. Belgian Style Blonde Ale - New Belgium Brewing
1265. Framboise de Amorosa - The Lost Abbey
1266. Sinner's Blend 2010 - The Lost Abbey
1267. Cellar Door - Stillwater Artisanal Ales
1268. Autumnal - Stillwater Artisanal Ales
1269. Grisette - Zero Gravity
1270. Emelisse Double IPA - Bierbrouwerij Grand-Café Emelisse
1271. Troubador Magma - Brouwerij De Musketiers
1272. The One - Zero Gravty
1273. Fennel Saison - Sixpoint
1274. Chinookered! - Harpoon Brewery

1275. Ruby Bruin - The Tap
This was pretty late in the fest, but I thought that this was a tasty Oud Bruin

1276. Smuttynose Gravitation - Smuttynose Brewing Company
1277. Smuttynose Winter Ale - Smuttynose Brewing Company
1278. Stone 09.09.09 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Company

1279. Bellegems Bruin - Brouwerij Bockor
Another solid Oud Bruin.

1280. Van Twee -  De Proefbrouwerij
1281. Lozen Boer - De Proefbrouwerij
1282. Hopus - Brasserie Lefèbvre SA
1283. Stone 10.10.10 Vertical Epic Ale - Stone Brewing Comany
1284. Malheur 10° - Brouwerij De Landtsheer
1285. Allagash Black - Allagash Brewing Company

Labels: Beer Fests

This is a long-overdue post from the American Craft Beer Fest back in June. Given the delays in posting that Beer Fest posts cause, I've abridged this post. In the future I'll probably talk a bit more about the fests, but for now I've just listed the beers I had, and highlighted the ones that I really liked. Hopefully in the future this will prevent the backlog of blogging that occurs after beer fests.

The American Craft Beer Fest is Beer Advocate's large format beer fest centered around American Craft beer of all types. Jason and Todd do a great job of bringing in a large variety of brewers (with a local bias) and a great variety of beers, I much prefer their smaller beer fests at the Cyclorama.

I hate to sound judgmental - one of the reasons that beer fests are fun is drinking too much with friends - but I like the crowd that the ACBF attracts much less than BA's other fests. Ostensibly the purpose of all of BA's fests is to introduce people to craft beer, and you could make the argument that the ACBF, because of the crowd that it attracts, does that better than their other fests, but it's less fun as someone likes beer. I'd rather not have to deal with meat-head douchebags laughing and trying to read my beer notebook over my shoulder while I'm taking notes.



1188. Brooklyn Sorachi Ace - Brooklyn Brewery
A very tasty, crisp, and refreshing saison.

1189. Brooklyn Dark Matter - Brooklyn Brewery
1190. Field Mouse's Farewell - Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project

1191. Ommegang Zuur - Brewery Ommegang
A well done Flanders Oud Bruin. It had the right mix of tartness, woodiness, and earthiness. I had a few samples of this over the course of the evening.

1192. Rabid Duck - The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
1193. Karnival Kolsch- Stoudts Brewing Co.
1194. Sofie - Goose Island
1195. Farmer's Tan - Southern Tier Brewing Company
1196. GestAlt - The Tap / Haverhill Brewery
1197. Samuel Adams Belgian Style IPA - Boston Beer Company
1198. Atwater Vanilla Java Porter - Atwater Block Brewery
1199. S.O.S - Cody Brewing Company
1200. Midland's XX - Earth Bread + Brewery
1201. Apathy's Reward - Martha's Exchange
1202. Worcester's Bravest - Wormtown Brewing Co.
1203. Clementine - Clown Shoes
1204. Brooklyn Buzz Bomb Ale - Brooklyn Brewery
1205. 400 Pound Monkey - Left Hand Brewing Company

1206. The End of Reason- Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
This beer was a barrel aged, sour cherry concoction. It had a nice interplay of acidic sourness, woody earthiness, and chocolate maltiness. It was a delicious sour beer that had a bit more of a malt backbone than normal. I really enjoyed it.

1207. Cherry Woods - Cisco Brewers
Cisco is a another regional brewery that produces a solid lineup of beers that I don't pay enough attention to. Their Indie Pale Ale is a fantastic IPA that's become a must drink before I take any flight originating in Logan Terminal B. Since I try to have every sour beer available at any given beer fest I had to give this one a try. It was a very nice stab at a kriek, with a good mix of acidity and funkiness.

1208. Bailey's Blonde Ale - Cisco Brewers
1209. Penny Weiz Ale - Olde Burnside Brewing Co.
1210. Abbot 12 - Southampton Publick House
1211. M350 - Rapscallion
1212. Peak Organic IPA - Peak Organic Brewing Co.
1213. India Pale Ale - Kennebec River Brewery
1214. 668 The Neighbor Of The Beast - New England Brewing Co.
1215. Ragged Mountain Red Ale - Flying Goose Brewpub and Grill
1216. Rhode Island IPA - Trinity Brewhouse
1217. Improper Hopper - Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Labels: Beer Fests

1136. Sinner's Blend 2009

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Year: 2009
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours an almost opaque brown color. The head is a sudsy ring. The aroma is reminiscent of a stout: notes of chocolate and roasted malts. There are also acidic notes in the aroma. The palate is much the same acidic and roasted notes.

1137. Mephistopheles' Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
Alcohol: 16.80%
Style: American Double Stout

Pours a dark black color, and is topped by a brown head. The aroma is predominantly roasty malts. Sweet chocolate notes upfront give way to a roasty finish.

1138. Solid Gold Extra Pale Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.60%
Style: English Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear golden color. The aroma is hoppy and resiny. There's a mild fruitiness upfront, and a strong resiny and citric hop finish.

1139. Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywine: Blended

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Saint Louis Brewery
Year: 2008
Alcohol: 10.20%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

This was perhaps my favorite experience of the EBF, though I unfortunately arrive later on in the fest, and was pretty drunk by this time. Schlafly brought their 2008 Oak Aged Barleywine, but they also brought samples of the beers that went into blending of this beer. There were samples of the barleywine from heavily toasted , medium+ toasted, medium toasted, and untoasted barrels. I started with the blended and went from heavily toasted to untoasted afterwards.

The blended barleywine pours a hazy amber color, and is topped by a beige head. The aroma is boozy and malty. There are notes of caramel, molasses, and booze on the palate. A very solid barleywine.

1140. Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywine: Heavy Toast

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Saint Louis Brewery
Year: 2008
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

The heavy toast version was considerably darker. It has more attenuated malts, and increaded boozy aromas and flavors.

1141. Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywine: Medium+ Toast

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Saint Louis Brewery
Year: 2008
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

The medium+ toast barley wine is somewhat lighter, but surprisingly has a very mild aroma. There are light notes of alcohol, and a bit of a bozziness that's reminiscent of dill somehow. The malts are more of s standout in this version, and the boozy notes are somewhat fainter.

1142. Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywine: Medium Toast

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Saint Louis Brewery
Year: 2008
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

This was by far my favorite of the five. The malts are at the forefront and really pop. There are slightly boozy notes with hints of caramel and molasses. There are also fruity, almost cherry-like flavors.

1143. Schlafly Reserve Oak Aged Barleywine: Untoasted

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Saint Louis Brewery
Year: 2008
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

The untoasted barleywine had a mild aroma with slightly boozy notes and very little malt. The predominant flavors were malts and a mild fruitiness.

1144. DuganA IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

This IPA pours a hazy copper color, and is topped by a sudsy head. The aroma is citric and hoppy, and the palate is more of the same.

1145. Wisp of Smoke

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Alcohol: 5.20%
Style: Rauchbier, BJCP Style Guide

This is a Czech pilsner brewed with German smoked malt. Pours a clear golden color. The aroma is slightly smokey, and it tastes like what it is, a smoked pilsener.

1146. Sierra Nevada Hellraiser

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.80%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide

This RIS is brewed with cocoa and chili peppers. This beer pours a deep black with a brown head. The aroma is predominantly chocolate and coffee. Over this roasty background are notes of spice, and an intense hoppy bitterness.

Labels: Beer Fests

1125. Peter Piper

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Wormtown Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a hazy, beige color. It's topped by a fluffy, white head. There's a strong peppery spice in the aroma. A grainy malt backbone is offset by a light sourness, and a moderate peppery spice in the finish.

1126. Idiot's Drool

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Weyerbacher Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: American Wild Ale

This is Weyerbacher's Blithering Idiot aged on American Oak for three years, and refermented with Brett. Pours a hazy brown with no head. The aroma is woody and boozy. Sweet malts upfront give way to woody, nutty flavors in the center, and an acidic finish.

1127. Wrath of Pecan!

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: American Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide

"A collaboration between the Alström brothers, Sam Calagione and Bryan Selders, brewed for EBF and named by the BeerAdvocate community. It's a brownish ale brewed w/ malt smoked over pecan wood and fermented w/ plantains and carob." Pours a clear amber color. The aroma is smoky and nutty with clear indications of pecan. Sweet malts upfront give way to notes of sugar, pecans, and smoke.

1128. Re Ale Extra

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birra Del Borgo
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy beige color, and is topped by a sudsy head. The aroma is hoppy with a grainy whiff. Sweet and sugary malts upfront move into a medicinal center, and a strong hoppy finish.

1129. Lambdick Framboozin

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Fruit Lambic, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, reddish-orange color, and is topped by a sudsy head. The aroma has notes of raspberry, and slight funk. There's an intense lambic-like sourness that greets the palate, followed by a mellow raspberry sweetness in the finish. I really liked this one.

1130. LeBleu

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 5.50%
Style: American Wild Ale

This is Ithaca's blueberry sour ale. Pours a light pink, and is topped by a sudsy head. The aroma is earthy and funky with hints of peppery blueberries. An acidic sourness greets the palate followed by a a blueberry fruitiness in the center, and a funky and woody finish.

1131. Cherry Bomb

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Beer Works
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a hazy pink, and is topped by a sudsy pink head. The aroma is funky and earthy with acidic cherry notes. The flavors are mild overall with notes of cherry, medicinal phenols, and a light sourness.

1132. Corkubita's Gourdgeous Troika Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Watch City Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.20%
Style: Pumpkin Ale, BJCP Style Guide

"Brewed with three types of gourds: blue hubbard, buttercup and butternut." This beer is brown with a foamy head. The aroma is spicy: pepper, and capsicum. Sweet notes from the squash upfront give way to black pepper, and capsicum.

1133. Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a very light golden color, and is topped by a white head. The aroma has notes of citric and resiny hops. The palate has notes of raw sugar, mild spice, and resiny hops.

1134. Melange No. Sechs

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: American Strong Ale

This beer is brewed with beets, cocoa nibs, and rose petals. Pours a hazy, reddish-amber color, and is topped by a beige head. The aroma has notes of rose, chocolate and Belgian yeast. A chocolate sweetness upfront moves into a banana fruitiness with other Belgian yeast characteristics.

1135. Coney Island Human Blockhead

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Shmaltz Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: American Amber/Red Lager

Pours a dark, amber color with no head. There are mild caramel notes in the aroma. Caramel and other dark malts move into a slightly bitter finish.

Labels: Beer Fests

Another February, another Extreme Beer Fest. Jadyn and I went to the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest with some friends. All in all it was a good fest. The format hadn't changed much since last year, and as usual there were excellent breweries from around the country.

1114. Pliny the Younger

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pliny the Younger pours a hazed copper color with a frothy head. The aroma is intensely hoppy. There are piney, citric., and apricot aromas. A mild malty sweetness upfront moves into a strong hop bitterness with nice citric and grassy hop flavors. There's a strong lingering bitterness.

1115. Allagash Bourbon Black

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Foreign / Export Stout, BJCP Style Guide

This is Allagash's Black aged in bourbon barrels, I'm assuming the Beer Advocate entry is the one I had. It pours an opaque black with a brown head. The aroma has notes of roasted grains, chocolate, and bourbon. The flavors are much the same. Notes of sweet chocolate move into a bourbon infused center, and then into a roasty finish.

1116. Rum Barrel Aged Black Tot

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: American Double Stout

This is Avery's Black Tot aged in Gossling's "old rum" barrels. It pours a dark black, and has a sudsy brown ring for a head. The aroma is mild with hints of oatmeal and booze. Sweet notes upfront give way to a roasty, rum-infused finish.

1117. Baladin Nora Sour Edition 2005

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birrificio Le Baladin
Year: 2005
Alcohol: 6.80%
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer, BJCP Style Guide

This beer pours a cloudy, wheat color. It's topped by a fluffy head. The aroma is acidic with slightly earthy hints. There's a graininess upfront that's cut by an emerging sweetness in the center. A mild sourness comes through towards the finish.

1118. Baladin Xyauyù Fume 2006

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birrificio Le Baladin
Year: 2006
Alcohol: 14.50%
Style: English Barley Wine, BJCP Style Guide

This beer is brewed with lapsang souchong tea leaves and is oxidized through the use of a membrane and oxygen hat. It pours a reddish-amber color, and is completely devoid of a head. The aroma is earthy and slightly boozy as in a sherry or port. The beer tastes very sweet with a smoky finish. There's a lot going on in this beer, which isn't done justice by a two ounce pour.

1119. Rubus Lamboni

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Birra Del Borgo
Alcohol: 5.10%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a reddish amber with a ring of bubbles. There's an earthy, raspberry aroma. A pleasing carbonation greets the tongue, followed by a mildly grassy maltiness. The raspberries appear in the center where they contribute both sweet and tart flavors.

1120. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot (1994)

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Year: 1994
Alcohol: 9.60%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

I was excited to give this beer a try, as it's not often that one gets to try a 16 year old beer. It pours an amber color with a sudsy head. The aroma is malty with mild notes of resiny hops. Malty flavors of caramel, and raw sugar are noticeable upfront, but give way to a mild resiny hop bitterness. Surprisingly, I haven't had Bigfoot before, but I can only imagine the hops are much milder than when fresh. I think the hops have mellowed out a little too much leaving the malts to really come through in an unbalanced way.

1121. Berkshire Stuck Mash Wheat Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Berkshire Brewing Company Inc.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: American Pale Wheat Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This beer was brewed with 100% wheat malts. Pours a cloudy golden color, and is topped by a foamy white head. There are light hops in the aroma with notes of citrus, and grainy malts. There's a grainy, slightly sweet, wheat flavor upfront that moves into a citric center, and a mild hop bitterness.

1122. Xtreme Blend 2010

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Year: 2010
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a dark brown with a sudsy ring for a head. The aroma is woody and acidic with an earthy funkiness on swirling. There's an earthy woody character throughout the beer an acidic sourness that's good, but not too puckering.

1123. Supplication

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Russian River Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a clear amber color, and is topped by a thin, white film. The aroma is earthy and funky with acidic notes and tannic fruit skins. A brief glimmer of sweet fruitiness upfront moves into an acidic center with a dry, tannic finish.

1124. Triskelion Barleywine

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Tap / Haverhill Brewery, Inc
Year: 2007
Alcohol: 10.30%
Style: English Barley Wine, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, amber-copper color, and has no head. The aroma is intensely malty with notes of caramel and toffee. Sweet caramel malts upfront move through to a mildly hoppy finish. I thought that this beer felt too thin.

Labels: Beer Fests

Jadyn and I went to Cambridge Brewing Company's 2nd Annual Great Pumpkin Festival on Halloween. After dinner at home, we took the T back to Kendall Square and arrived at around 10 PM. There was a fairly sizable line, but turnover was brisk, and we got in about 15 or 20 minutes later.

Entry to the event was $10, but this included a GPF pint glass. They were out of them when we arrived, so we got two CBC pint glasses instead. Luckily Jadyn has good eyes, and on our way back to the T, spotted an abandoned GPF glass on a table in the courtyard of the Kendall Marriott.



Beers were purchased with tickets, which were sold at two locations at the event. Tickets were available in increments of four, and we ended up buying two sets of twelve tickets totaling $30. For most beers one ticket equaled a four ounce pour, but for stronger beers or rarer beers two tickets equaled a four ounce pour. For us it worked out to about $5.50 per pint, about standard for a pint of quality beer in the area.

The CBC had six of their pumpkin beers on tap, Great Pumpkin Ale, Olde Pumpkin Porter, Biere de Gourde, Spinal Pumpkin, Black Magic, and Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse. They also had their standard house beers on tap, as well as another non-pumpkin beer. There were also fifteen pumpkin beers available from other breweries such as Allagash, The Bruery, Dogfish Head, and Elysian to name a few. I was pleased with the variety of different styles of "pumpkin beer." In general I tried to taste the beers that weren't the standard spiced, pumpkin ale.

Jadyn and I were lame, and didn't wear costumes. However, all of the staff and the majority of the patrons were dressed up, and the bar was heavily decorated for Halloween. I thought this was a great beer event. The variety of different interpretations of pumpkin ale kept things interesting, and the food menu looked great. I'll definitely want to go next year.



I've included the description on the beer list before my tasting notes for each beer.

1086. Mr. Yuck

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.10%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale

"Brewed with pale, Munich, Cara-Hell and 150º Crystal malts and both malted and unmalted wheat, as well as wheat flour. Very lightly hopped with UK Fuggles and aged in fermentation for ten months wwith second-generation sour Belgian yeast blend (a culture we've kept alive for seven years), then in kegs for an additional four months. Pumpkin in the mash and kettle."

Mr. Yuck pours a hazy, copper golden. The aroma is pleasingly acidic with notes of funk, wet blanket, and characteristic Brett hopsack. The acidity is moderate, and the finish has Brett flavors. Nicely crisp and dry. I liked this beer, but thought it could have been a bit more sour.

1087. Heavy Seas - The Great Pumpkin

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Clipper City Brewery
Alcohol: 8.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Pumpkin Ale, BJCP Style Guide

"From our Heavy Seas line of extreme beers, our best experiment ever. The secret is in the 3 ounces of spice per barrel for this fall brew. We add the pumpkin during the mash at precisely the right time to create just the perfect balance of malt, hops, pumkin and spice. The crew at the brewery voted on their favorite recipe to bring you the best & biggest pumpkin beer you'll ever have!"

Pours a clear copper color with an off-white head. There are mild pumpkin notes and strong notes of nutmeg and cinnamon in the aroma. Sweet, sugary pumpkin up front move into a cinnamon and clove spiciness in the center and finish. There's a moderate hop bitterness in the finish.

1088. Olde Pumpkin Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.80%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide

"Olde Pumpkin Porter is our attempt at recreating the pumpkin-infused beers of colonial days. Brewed with pale and roasted malts and fresh organic sugar pumpkins, it has whiled away the past year in old bourbon barrels, where it was inoculated by Brettanomyces and Lactobacillus naturally occuring in the CBC dungeon, er, Barrel Cellar. It was then blended with cinnamon sticks and candied ginger, and finished with new oak. It's tart and roasty palate may just transport you back to 17th Century Boston"

Pours a dark black, and is topped by a brown head. The aroma has notes of bourbon, roast and a light acidity. Initially this porter is mildly sweet with roasted undertones, but moves into a boozy center, and a roasted bitterness in the finish. There are also hints of tartness and Brett earthiness in the finish. I thought this was an interesting beer, I'm always interested in attempts to make beers in a somewhat historic context.

1089. Black Magic

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 3.75%
Serving: Cask
Style: Irish Dry Stout, BJCP Style Guide

"Our Irish Dry Stout, Blackout, has been infused with fresh pumpkin, ancho and chipotle peppers, cacao nibs, and whole cinnamon sticks. No beer is safe from the pumpkin! Going one step further, this little beauty is served on cask for this event!"

BLack Magic pours an opaque black, and is topped by a thin, brown head. The aroma is a peculiar mixture of maltiness and cinnamon that gives the distinct impression of Graham Crackers. There are more subtle aromas of peppery spice and roast, but the Graham Cracker aroma was what really stuck out at me. There's a bit of chocolatey, and pumpkin sweetness upfront, but this is quickly eclipsed by the spiciness of the cinnamon, ancho, and chipotles. This spiciness finishes out the beer, leaving a strong, lingering heat. I thought this was a great beer. I really liked the heat, and thought that the slightly sweetened (pumpkin infusion) Irish Dry Stout backbone provided the perfect base for the spiciness. I wonder if this was inspired by Mayan and Aztec chocolate drinks. This was probably my favorite beer of the evening.

1090. Ich Bin Ein Kürbisweisse



Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.30%
Serving: Tap
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide

"Possibly the world's first pumpkin Berliner Weisse! Infused with autumn spices and fresh sugar pumpkin and, well, a secret ingredient to turn this beer a bright orange. Sweet upfront, tart in the finish, pumpkin-spicy in the middle."

Pours a cloudy, golden, orange color, and is topped by a light, white head. The aroma is grassy and grainy with mild spice aromatics, and a sour apple undertone. The initial maltiness leans towards sweet with hints of grassiness. The finish is pleasingly tart with a dry, and earthy character. The pumpkin pie spice is mild, but present throughout. This was another favorite of the evening.

1091. Jack O' Bite

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.40%
Serving: Tap
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide

"Brewed with pale, 77º Crystal, Munich and Cara-Hell malts, and bittered lightly with Glacier hops. Pumpkin in the mash, kettle and fermenter; aged in Jack Daniel's and wine barrels for 6 weeks, inoculated with yeast from Rodenbach."

Pours a hazed, amber-red. It's topped by an off-white head with good lace. The aroma is boozy with woody, acidic and funky notes. A pumpkin and malty sweetness upfront moves into a tart bite. The finish is dry. I thought this was an interesting blend of pumpkin, Scotch Ale, and sour.

1092. St. Alphonso

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This was the one non-pumpkin beer I had all night. It's sort of a cross between a Belgian Pale Ale and a hoppy APA. Their description:

Brewers have long held a tradition of naming beers after patron saints. We wanted to do the same, but which saint to choose?
All of the good ones being taken – St. Arnold, St. Bridgette, St. Augustine, etc., etc. – we were left with old Saint Alphonso, patron saint of church pancake breakfasts.
What’s he got to do with our newest beer? Nothing, really. Like I said, all of the good saints were taken.

Inspired once again to abuse our position and mess up the mainstream, we’ve created an “American” take on the Belgian single, or table beer. Created for consumption on a daily basis while at the meal table, as opposed to the richer and stronger doubles and triples reserved for festival times, bière de table in Belgium is a lower alcohol beer with plenty of spicy, yeasty, malty flavors.

Our spin involves our house Belgian yeast strain and bucketloads of American hops. Brewed with pale and aromatic malts, its primary flavors and aromas are big, floral, grassy and citrusy thanks to Glacier, Amarillo, and Centennial hops. Glacier hops were added at first wort, and combined with Amarillo and Centennial at the end of the boil and in the whirlpool. Additionally nearly 1.5 pounds per barrel of dryhops were added for that bit of something we call “extra.” No bittering hops were used, but the flavors and residual dryness from the hops, combined with a very well-attenuated, super-dry, light-bodied beer, create a perfect balance on the palate.
Call it a hoppy Belgian session beer if you like.
We call it St. Alphonso.

St. Alphonso pours a pale, straw color, and is topped by a white head. The aroma is primarily hoppy: lots of resin and grassy hops, and a bit of citrus. A distinct citric flavor accompanies a light, grainy maltiness upfront. This moves into resiny and leafy hop flavors in the finish, which contribute more to flavor than to bitterness. This one seems insanely drinkable.

1093. Hansel and Gretel



Beer Stats:
Brewery: Elysian Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Serving: Tap
Style: Czech Pilsener, BJCP Style Guide

"Brewed with organic pale, Weyermann Munich and Cara-Hell malts, with pumpkin added in the mash, kettle and fermenter. Spiced with peeled and pureed gresh ginger in the boil and bright tank and hopped with lots of Czech Saaz hops (otherwise it wouldn't be traditional)."

Pours a clear, golden color. Ginger and pumpkin notes beat out the Saaz in the aroma. The pumpkin contributes a distinct sweetness to the style. This sweetness moves into a ginger-spice center, and through to a nice, hoppy bitterness in the finish.

Labels: American Porter, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Berliner Weissbier, Czech Pilsener, Irish Dry Stout, Pumpkin Ale, Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy

This is the third set of write-ups from the American Craft Beer Fest. At this point my reviews are briefer and the handwriting is much worse, so take them with a grain of salt.

1051. Blue Hills IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Blue Hills Brewery
Alcohol: 6.60%
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear golden color, seems pretty light for an IPA. The aroma has notes of leafy hops. There are mildly sweet, bready malts upfront, and a leafy hop bitterness in the finish.

1052. Southbridge Ordinary Bitter (S.O.B.)

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Honest Town Brewery
Alcohol: 4.00%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, golden straw color. The aroma is disappointingly mild. This seems like a session beer: crisp maltiness, and a mild bitterness.

1053. 30th Anniversary Flashback Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boulder Beer
Alcohol: 6.88%
Style: American Brown Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear brown color. There's a bit of roastiness in the aroma that complements hints of hops, and offsets the notes of fruit. There's a fruity, chocolaty sweetness upfront that move into a roasty finish with a good hop character.

1054. The Cambridge House IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Cambridge House
Alcohol: 6.70%
Style: English India Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This is described on the website as a "New England Style IPA brewed with all English Malt and Hopped with a blend of English and American Hops. High in Strength, Bitterness and Aroma." So I've listed it as an "English IPA." Pours a hazed copper color. The aroma is wonderfully hoppy (wish I'd described it more in my notes). Toasty malts upfront with a citric hoppiness in the finish.

1055. Ipswich (Crane's) Castle Hell Summer Barleywine

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

This was a tip from one of the volunteers. It was in the program, but not listed at the booth. You had to ask. Pours a hazed amber. The aroma is rich with notes of yeast, fruit and toffee. The flavors were similar with a strong, alcoholic spice in the finish.

1056. Mayflower IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mayflower Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, copper color. The aroma has notes of apricot, and a nice hop backing. There's the same apricot fruitiness in the flavors with a nice hop bitterness in the finish.

1057. Prohibition Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Speakeasy Ales & Lagers
Alcohol: 6.10%
Style: American Amber/Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours an amber-copper color. The aroma is pleasantly hoppy: grassy and resiny. There's a nice maltiness to start things, and a pleasant hoppiness in the finish (great description on my part...).

1058. Belgica

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Great Divide Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.20%
Style: Belgian IPA

Pours a pale, straw golden. The aroma hints more at Belgian than at IPA. There are notes of yeast, hints of graininess and a slight fruitiness. The flavors are also more Belgian than IPA. There's the typical Belgian yeast fruitiness, consisting of banana and citrus. The finish has peppery spice, alcoholic heat and a mild bitterness.

1059. Duck-Rabbit Barrel Aged Porter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 5.75%
Style: American Porter, BJCP Style Guide

This porter is aged in 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle barrels. My notes get really bad on this page of my notebook. I'll quote directly here. "Amber-black. Whiskey aroma. Porter sour with whiskey flavors." Not super descriptive, but accurate.

1060. St. Lupulin

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Odell Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

The handwriting is worse on this one. "Clear copper. Hoppy, resiny, citric aroma. Malty, caramel, toasty, citric, resiny hop finish."

1061. Odell IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Odell Brewing Company
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide

These notes are more of a scrawl. " Intense hoppy aroma. Resin citrus aroma & taste. Clear copper."

Labels: Beer Fests

This is the second set of write-ups from the American Craft Beer Fest. I apologize for the huge delay in getting these posted, but applying for jobs takes priority over beer blogging. Hopefully I'll get caught up fairly soon.

1041. Ipswich Pre-Prohibition Lager

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mercury Brewing Company
Alcohol: ?
Style: American All-Malt Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear golden. There's a mildly fruity aroma. This beer is clean and crisp. There's a crisp graininess, with a grassy bitterness in the finish.

1042. Existential: Hopwine

Beer Stats:
Brewery: New Holland Brewing Company
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear copper. The aroma is sweet and malty with notes of caramel, but not a lot of hops that I detected. There's an intense malty, caramel sweetness upfront that moves into a strong, hop finish.

1043. Duck-Rabbit Paul's Day Off

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: American Strong Ale

This is a "Farmville Black Ale aged in 23-year-old Pappy Van Winkle barrels." It pours a hazed brown. There are strong notes of whiskey in the aroma along with a good bit of maltiness. There are caramel and toffee malts upfront and a boozy character that ends with an oaky, whiskey tinged finish. I thought this was a good barrel aged beer.

1044. Ommegang Adoration Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: 10.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours an amber-copper color. The aroma has notes of banana, yeast and a mild roasted character. I written "Fruit, strong, sharp." as my description of the taste. So make of that what you will.

1045. Bitter Brewer

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Surly Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, copper color. There are herbal and peppery hop notes in the aroma. Toasty with a mild, bready sweetness upfront. The finish has a mild, herbal hop bittterness.

1046. WildDevil

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Victory Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.70%
Style: Belgian IPA

This is an interesting take on the "Belgian IPA" style. It's an IPA fermented with Brettanomyces. It pours a hazed copper in color. There's a strong Bretty, hop-sack aroma. The funky, Bretty flavors are present from start to finish in this beer. There's a caramel sweetness upfront that moves into a hoppy finish.

1047. Schmutzig Hopfen Weisse

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.80%
Style: Hefeweizen, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, straw-golden. The aroma has notes of graininess from the wheat, but the hops cover most of the fruity esters. There's a rough, grainy start to the beer, a citric center, and a good, hoppy finish. I thought that this was a good wheat-hop hybrid.

1048. Steelhead Double IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Mad River Brewing Company
Alcohol: 8.60%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed copper color. The aroma has a strong, resiny, hop presence. There's a good bit of caramel, malty sweetness upfront that moves into a strong, hoppy finish.

1049. Obsidian Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Deschutes Brewery
Alcohol: 6.40%
Style: American Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a deep, dark black in color. The aroma is dominated by roasty malts, with a good dose of coffee aromatics. Upfront, sweet malts with notes of dark fruit are dominant. In the finish roasted malts and coffee flavors are dominant.

1050. Purity of Essence

Beer Stats:
Brewery: High and Mighty Beer Co.
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Pale Lager, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a copper color. There are herbal, spicy hop notes in the aroma. There's a nice, mild, malty sweetness upfront, and a crisp, mildly hoppy finish.

Labels: Beer Fests

I missed the first American Craft Beer Fest last year, and was eager to go to this year's ACBF. Like the Extreme Beer Fest this was another multi-person event. Jadyn and I went with people from lab, other grad students and Bennett.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the larger format and venue, but in the end there were both pros and cons. The biggest advantage to the fest was by far the huge selection of beer available. I haven't counted, but the fest claimed to have 75+ brewers and 300+ beers, which was easily the case. There was a good regional representation from big name breweries like Brooklyn, and Allagash, as well as from smaller regional breweries like Honest Town and Cambridge House. The selection of breweries from other parts of the country was more limited, but still good. My guess is that 2/3 were from the northeast, and 1/3 were from other parts of the country.

The venue was much larger than the Cyclorama. This allowed more brewers, but also more people. It seemed about as crowded as the smaller fests, but the lines seemed much longer. Though the line to get on seemed to move much more quickly. The lack of tables at the venue was another inconvenience. I didn't have any food at this fest, but Jadyn said the choices were much more limited and of lower quality than at the Cyclorama. She speculated that the choice of food and vendors was dictated by the venue. The bathrooms were another big negative; there was only a long row of portable toilets outside the venue.

Overall I prefer the smaller fests held at the cyclorama. The beer selection is more limited, but the venue and food are much nicer. I'll go back to the ACBF next year, but I'll appreciate the fests at the Cyclorama more.

As usual, my notes are abbreviated and probably inaccurate, especially towards the end of the fest.

1030. Sour Wench Blackberry Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ballast Point Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.40%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide

I love sour beers, so I looked through the beer list ahead of time to pick out the sour beers that I wanted to try. This was the only one that looked promising. It poured a clear, reddish purple, and was topped by a pinkish head. The aroma was fruity with notes of blackberry and a mild graininess. The berry fruitiness was the dominant element in this beer with a mild grainy backbone. The sourness was only limited to that contributed by the blackberries. I was disappointed, mainly since I expected a much more sour beer.

1031. Brew Free! or Die IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: 21st Amendment Brewery
Alcohol: 7.20%
Style: American IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy copper color. The aroma has a mild resiny hop character. There's a breadyness to the malt backbone upfront that's met by a good, resiny, hop bitterness.

1032. Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

Beer Stats:
Brewery: 21st Amendment Brewery
Alcohol: 5.20%
Style: Fruit Beer, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a pale straw color. The smell is grainy with subtle notes of watermelon. There's a little bit of a sour kick initially, followed by strong watermelon fruitiness, and a grainy finish.

1033. Allagash Victoria Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Allagash Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a pale, golden straw color. The aroma was yeasty with a grape fruitiness to it. Mildly sweet malts and a sharp, grape fruitiness in the finish.

1034. Imperial Skibsøl

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Cambridge Brewing Company
Alcohol: 6.30%
Style: Smoked Beer, BJCP Style Guide

This beer is an "Imperial Smoked Lager" brewed collaboratively by teh CBC and a Danish brewery. It pours a clear brown, with an orange tinted head. An initial malty, caramel sweetness moves quickly into a very strong, smokey finish. The sample was almost too much to finish, I can't imagine being able to finish a pint of this stuff.

1035. Confounded Mr. Sisyphus

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, golden, straw color. The aroma is fruity, with predominant notes of banana. There's a mildly sweet, bready maltiness, as well as a good bit of banana fruitiness. The cherries seem to be a minor component of the overall flavor.

1036. JuJu Ginger Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Left Hand Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.00%
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, copper-tinted golden. The aroma is a nice mixture of caramel malts and ginger spiciness. A mild malty sweetness upfront moves into a strong, ginger spice.

1037. Sierra Nevada Brown Saison

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 7.85%
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear, brown color. The aroma has strong roasted notes with a hint of fruitiness. There's a nice strong fruitiness with a roasty finish. I thought this was a nice beer.

1038. Northern Lights

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Sixpoint Craft Ales
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Saison / Farmhouse Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy copper. The aroma is mildly fruity, with hints of graininess and a mild phenolic character. There are initial grainy flavors, which moves into a mildy fruity center with a sharp finish.

1039. Brooklyn Cuvée de Cardoz

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 8.50%
Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide

This beer is spiced with ginger, tamarind, mace, black pepper, coriander, fennel, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, chilies, toasted coconut. This beer pours a clear, straw color. The aroma is a mix of sweet fruitiness and a strong spiciness. There's a nice coconut sweetness that melds with an intensely spicy finish. Given the list of spices, I was surprised that this was as tasty as it was.

1040. Brooklyn Intensified Coffee Stout

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brooklyn Brewery
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Double Stout

Pours a deep black. The aroma of coffee is dominant. A sweet chocolate flavor upfront moves into a roasted, chocolate and coffee finish.

Labels: Beer Fests

This is the final set of beers that I tasted at the 2009 Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest.

Overall I thought the fest was fun. Going with friends from lab was a different experience, more focused on drunkeness than times I've been with David and Win.

981. Cuvee de Castleton

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.00%
Style: American Wild Ale

Pours a cloudy, straw golden. The aroma is acidic and sour with a light graininess and citric hints. There's a nice sour backbone running throughout the beer with notes of citrus and grape fruitiness. The finish has a nice dry character.

982. Tröegs Mad Elf

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Tröegs Brewing Company
Alcohol: 11.00%
Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, dark amber. Topped by fizzy, soda-like carbonation. Sweet malts in the aroma: toffee and candi sugar. The taste is much like the aroma with a spicy alcohol in the finish.

983. Magic Hat Wild Ginger

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.00%
Style: Herbed/Spiced Beer, BJCP Style Guide

Ginger was added to this beer once during primary fermentation and once after fermentation was complete. It poured a dark copper. The aroma was dominated by ginger. There were mild caramel malts before the spiciness of the ginger took over.

984. Rosso e Marrone

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Alcohol: ?
Style: Flanders Oud Bruin, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a cloudy, reddish amber. The aroma is acidic and hints at the sourness to come. There's a nice tart acidity throughout over a backbone of fruity characters.

985. Plead the 5th

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 12.00%
Style: Russian Imperial Stout, BJCP Style Guide

Pours an opaque, dark black. The aroma is roast with notes of coffee. Dark roasted malts give a chocolate and fruity sweetness upfront, and a coffee bitterness in the finish.

986. Behemoth Blonde Barleywine

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 12.50%
Style: American Barleywine, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear copper. There are notes of citrus and fruit as well as caramel malts in the aroma. Caramel and raw sugar malt notes upfront, followed by a leafy and citric hop flavors in the finish. Overall the malts come through as only lightly sweet.

987. Samuel Adams Imperial White

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Boston Beer Company
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Witbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy golden. Standard witbier aroma: coriander, orange peel, Belgian yeast. The flavor profile is much the same with a nice spiciness in the finish.

988. Scotty Karate Scottish Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.75%
Style: Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazy, dark amber-brown. The aroma is malty: caramel, molasses. Malty throughout the palate. Notes of caramel, toffee, hints of chocolate, and a lightly bitter finish.

989. Dry-Hopped 2008 Double Bastard Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.50%
Style: American Strong Ale

Double Bastard dry-hopped with Columbus and Amarillo hops. Pours a hazed copper. Sweet malts are evident in the aroma, as well as strong resiny hops. The flavors were similar. My notes were minimal because I was pretty drunk at that point.

Labels: American Barleywine, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Flanders Oud Bruin, Herbed/Spiced Beer, Russian Imperial Stout, Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, Witbier

This is the second set of beers that I tried at the Beer Advocate Extreme Beer Fest 2009.

971. OatGoop

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 10.40%
Style: Wheat Wine (Oat Wine)

Pours a hazed copper. Floral hops and sugary malts are the strongest component of the aroma. Sweet and fruity upfront and through the center. The finish has some floral hop bitterness and a bit of sweetness.

972. Dwarven Hammer

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Three Floyds Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 6.00%
Style: Altbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed golden-copper. The aroma is light, but predominantly malty. Sweet and malty throughout with nice notes of caramel. The finish had a sugary character tat complemented the coffee flavors well.

973. Phunky Duck

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Lost Abbey
Alcohol: 7.00%
Style: Unblended Lambic, BJCP Style Guide

This beer is the base lambic for a Gueuze project that Lost Abbey is working on. It's nice to see American brewers trying for authentic lambics. Pours a hazed-straw golden. The aroma is classic lambic: acidic, earthy and funky. Very sour throughout: nice bright and acidic. There are nice grassy and citric notes as well a good, funky earthiness. An excellent rendition of the style. Another fest favorite (yes, they all tend to be sour beers).

974. Brute

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 6.50%
Style: American Wild Ale

I couldn't pass up either of Ithaca's sour beers. The Brute pours a cloudy, straw color. The aroma has a nice grainy, wheat component, fruit, mild acidity and hint of Brettanmyces. Well attenuated so there's a good amount of wheat character without a lot of malty sweetness. Sourness builds through the center, followed by a nice earthy finish. I liked this one a lot. I'll have to give it another try if I see any bottles in the area.

975. "Sour" Flower Power Bretted IPA

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Ithaca Beer Company
Alcohol: 7.50%
Style: American Wild Ale

This is Ithaca's Flower Power IPA fermented for an additional three months with Brettanomyces. Pours a cloudy golden. The aroma is a nice combination of citric hops and mild Brettanomyces. The malts are attenuated to the faintest of sugary hints. The hops remain unscathed, leaving nice hop flavors and bitterness that really relegate the usually dominant Brett to a minor role in the finish.

976. Special Holiday Ale

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Stone Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 9.00%
Style: Winter Warmer, BJCP Style Guide

This is a collaborative Winter Warmer brewed by Stone, Jolly Pumpkin and Nøgne-Ø. Pours a cloudy, dark amber color. Spices domiate the aroma: sage and juniper, but there are also malty aromas. Sweet upfront: malty and fruity. The finish is herbal and spicy with a nice bitterness.

977. Hottenroth Berliner Weisse

Beer Stats:
Brewery: The Bruery
Alcohol: 3.10%
Style: Berliner Weissbier, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a pale straw color. Notes of sour apples, hay and an earthiness in the aroma. There's a mild graininess in the backbone underneath fruity notes of apple, and a nice lactic sourness.

978. Magic Hat Bergamot Bitter

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 4.50%
Style: English Bitter, BJCP Style Guide

This is Magic Hat's Ordinary Bitter with bergamot added during conditioning. Pours a pale copper color. The aroma is dominated by the bergamot: peppery notes, reminiscent of Earl Grey tea. Lightly malty with some good breadiness and a finish that's peppery and lightly bitter.

979. Apex

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Alcohol: 8.10%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a hazed copper with a frothy head. The aroma is hoppy with notes of citrus and resin. The malt backbone is mildly sweet and provides a good counterpoint to the strong resiny and citric hop flavors.

980. Founders Double Trouble

Beer Stats:
Brewery: Founder's Brewing Company
Alcohol: 9.40%
Style: American Double IPA, BJCP Style Guide

Pours a clear golden, with a huge, white head. The aroma is resiny and herbal hops over a backbone of caramel and sugary malts. Resiny and leafy hops are evident throughout the beer over a mildly sweet malt backbone.

Labels: Altbier, American Double IPA, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Berliner Weissbier, English Bitter, Unblended Lambic, Wheat Wine, Winter Warmer

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.

Labels: American Brown Ale, American Double IPA, American Stout, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests