Jadyn and I went to dinner at Christopher's in Porter Square on Tuesday night. I noticed that they had Ommegeddon on tap. It was served in a 12 oz. Ommegang glass.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: 8.00%
Serving: Tap
Style: American Wild Ale
Appearance (4.5): Pours a hazy golden. Pleasingly turbid, not so cloudy as to look murky, but enough to give a nice diffuse glow to the light passing through. A thin white head fades to a wispy film leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.0): Bananas, candi sugar, Brettanomyces funk, and a grassy tartness.
Taste (4.5): Initially sweet, with a spicy sensation coming from the tingly carbonation. Fruitiness becomes evident, bananas and something I couldn't place. The finish is a mild Brettanomyces finish: lightly bitter with an earthy tartness. The Brett isn't the strongest, but it works well here.
Mouthfeel (4.5): Light bodied, moderately carbonated, dry in the finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Crisp, tasty with a refreshing dryness in the finish.
Overall (4.45): Certainly not the "funkiest" of beers, but it's still tasty and very tasty. I think it would do well with a year in the cellar.
Labels: American Wild Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Sour Beer
The plan was to visit The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, where Abner Doubleday emphatically did not invent baseball. Win had requested a picture of Tom Seaver's plaque. I took pictures of Red Sox stuff for myself, Mets stuff for Win and Bennett took pictures of Orioles stuff. The Hall of Fame had some nice exhibits. I won't go into any detail, instead I'll just post pictures. All of these are clickable for the full sized images (huge).

Tom Seaver

Tom Seaver (do I look drunk?)

Sometimes you don't have to be good to be great

Curse Reversed

Bare-fucking-handed

Earl Weaver

Carlton Fisk

Never trust the criminally insane

The Hot Pants Patrol

A Waco boy
Red Sox Pictures:



Mets Pictures:



We briefly checked out the Merch and then caught the trolley back to the parking lot. It was 2 PM when we left Cooperstown. David, Dave and Bennett drove back to New York, and I drove back to Boston.
Labels: Beer Fests, Brewery Ommegang, Travel
Belgium Comes to Cooperstown: Saturday, Part II
Published by Unknown on Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 9:55 PM.
The weather reports predicted no rain for Saturday. It began raining intermittently after breakfast, and continued when we arrived at the brewery. We thought, erroneously, that the rain was over when the sun made a brief appearance after lunch. However, the sun disappeared and the rain began again, progressing from light to torrential. Luckily the tents kept us mostly dry, though the ground became a muddy mess. Things cleared up for good later in the evening.

Torrential rain

Things cleared up

Things cleared up
From 2 to 6 PM there were unlimited samples. Once 2 PM rolled around David, Dave and I began drinking. Bennett, being underage, and our DD saved us a table under one of the tents. This turned out to be quite nice because of the rain. We probably had around 20 samples each. The tasting notes were what limited the pace.

David

Dave

Me, sporting my new beard, Blanche de Brooklyn in hand

Bennett

David taking tasting notes

Hold Fast!
I had fourteen new beers, as well as several that I'd had before, including three or four samples of the delicious Ommegeddon. In addition to having so many great beers I also feel that I learned a bit as well. I think I can now fairly accurately pick up on characteristic Brettanomyces aromas and flavors. The Belgian yeast aroma also became very familiar. I'll post some more on this when I type out my tasting notes.
At one point I returned to the table to see Bennett talking to a guy wearing a Yellow "Staff" T-shirt. I sat down and Bennett told him that I might be able to help. He was looking for advice on how to bring the soil that he was growing marijuana in down to pH 7 from pH 8 using something "organic". Bennett and I had both suggested hydrochloric acid because the neutralization just creates water and chloride ions. He thought it was too harsh. Eventually I decided that vinegar might work, and he was happy with that suggestion. I hope it doesn't kill his pot. Apparently he had asked Bennett about the book that he was reading, somehow the conversation turned to Bennett's major. When the guy heard biochemistry he asked for advice on solving his pH problem.
There were several live bands as well. I don't remember their names, but they got people up and listening. Some people were even dancing.

Poorly
By the time the tastings were over at 6 we were pretty drunk, especially David. He scored some Wheat Thins, Cheddar and White Cheddar Popcorn from a woman sitting next to us, by telling her that she had a cute kid. I bought another delicious Belgian waffle. The guy who sold me the waffle complimented my Neutral Milk Hotel T-shirt, making the count four or five. Once the tastings were over we broke out a cigar.

David, especially drunk

Cigar time

Dave steals my cap
Sitting at the table I saw a cop walking through the tent. I turned in the direction that he was walking and saw a shirtless guy being detained by a staff member. I'm not sure what he did, but really aren't all shirtless guys prime suspects. Incidentally the guy looked a lot like Gunther with a thicker moustache. I'm not exactly sure why he was arrested, but it probably had something to do with drunkenness.

The arrest, click for larger
We left around 7:30 or 8 and drove to Cooperstown to get dinner. We stopped and had Pizza at Sal's (I think that's the name) then we continued on to the hotel in Herkimer.
I was really surprised at how beautiful Upstate New York is. I snapped these pictures from the car on the ride back.


We returned to the hotel, changed shoes and rested for awhile. We decided to smoke the cigars that Dave had brought up, so we walked around Herkimer for awhile smoking them. We eventually found our way to a city sponsored "Block Party" went into a bar, grabbed a beer (Sam Adams), then sat around outside finishing our cigars. We returned to the hotel and finished our game of poker.
Overall Belgium Comes to Cooperstown was a great event. The beer selection was enormous, the food was good, and the surroundings were nice. The weather wasn't great, but the outdoor setting was nice. I'll definitely be back next year.
Labels: Beer Fests, Brewery Ommegang, Travel
Belgium Comes to Cooperstown: Saturday, Part I
Published by Unknown on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 at 9:30 AM.
We arrived at Glimmerglass and decided to swim despite the light rain and the "Beach Closed" signs. At around 10:55 - when the lifeguards arrived for the 11:00 beach opening - we were told by a PA announcement to get out of the water because the beach wasn't open. We showered, got dressed and headed to Brewery Ommegang.
The brewery wasn't very crowded when we arrived. There were quite a few tents up, but ours was one of the first cars to park in the field next door. We checked in and got our wristbands. Since we were early we went on a brewery tour, and I bought an Ommegang T-shirt and bottle opener. I received the first two compliments of the day on my Neutral Milk Hotel T-shirt from two of the people working the register in the brewery store.
The brewery building itself is quite attractive. It's modeled after a Belgian farmhouse, and has an open archway that separates the two halves of the brewery. The dates on the front of the brewery are 1549 and 1997. The former being the date of the first Ommegang (which means "walk about") in Brussels, and the latter being the year that Brewery Ommegang was founded.

The tour began outside in the archway of the brewery where the tour guide passed around glasses containing various ingredients used in Ommegang beers. We then went inside and saw the brewhouse.



Brewery Ommegang practices open fermentation. The fermentation room isn't open to visitors, but a window and a mirror allow a glimpse of the fermentation.


After seeing the brewhouse, we walked to the other side of the building and saw the bottling operation.


After the tour we went to the tasting room where we sampled all of Ommegang's regular offerings. Ommegang Witte, Rare Vos, Hennepin, Ommegang and Three Philosophers.

David and Dave

Dave

David
After the tour we found a table under one of the tents and had burgers, fries and Belgian waffles, while waiting for the 2 PM start of sampling. The next entry will include tasting notes for the different beers that I tried, strange events, and more pictures.
Labels: Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Brewery Tours, Quadrupel, Saison, Travel, Witbier
Bennett caught a train from New Haven to Boston Friday morning, and arrived at Kendall Square at 11:45 or so. We briefly stopped off in lab and then took the T to Davis. After lunch at Anna's we picked up the rental car, stopped at Downtown Wine & Spirits for a Magic Hat mixed 12-pack, packed up the car, and were on the road at about 1:15.
406. Albany Pump House Grand Cru
We had originally planned to stop for dinner at The Albany Pump House, but since we left two hours earlier than originally anticipated we arrived in Albany at 5:00, too early for dinner. Still, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a new beer so we stopped for a quick bite.
I decided to go with the Grand Cru because it was relatively low in alcohol, and because it was on the beer list for BCTC (one less new beer to worry about at the fest. I had a picture, but I accidentally erased some of the early photos from Friday. This is what the menu says:
A unique beer made from a 3/2 blend of wheat and Munich malts and fermented with a Belgian yeast strain. The nose is complex, with notes of fruit, vanilla and malt. The flavor is much the same, with little hop character.Beer Stats:
Brewery: C.H. Evans Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.5%
Serving: Draft, 16oz.
Style: Belgian Pale Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (3.5): Pours a lightly hazy golden-orange with a thin bubbly white head that fades quickly.
Smell (4.0): Very fruity, notes of banana as well as sweet malts.
Taste (4.0): Fruity, bananas and toasty malts. The finish is lightly spicy with a hint of bitterness.
Mouthfeel (3.5): Light to medium-bodied with low carbonation.
Drinkability (4.0): Very easy to drink, refreshing and flavorful.
Overall (3.85): Nice and drinkable, not overwhelmingly complex, a good session beer.
We left Albany Pump House at 6 and called David and Dave for an update, they were still in the rental car office in Manhattan. From Albany it was an hour to our motel in Herkimer, NY. The motel was run down, but wasn't as bad as I feared.
407. Magic Hat Batch 374
After arriving at the motel Bennett and I ran into town for snacks, then had a couple beers from the Magic Hat mixed pack and watched TV until the Daves arrived. We both had Magic Hat Batch 374, the "Mystery Beer" in the 12-pack. I brought pint glasses to the hotel for the homebrew tasting so we served the beer in that.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Magic Hat Brewing Company
Alcohol: 5.90%
Serving: Bottle, 12 oz.
Style: American Amber/Red Ale, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance:
Thom (4.0): Pours a crystal clear amber with a fluffy beige head that recedes to a thin layer leaving patchy lace.
Bennett (4.0): Relatively clear, with a pleasant copper color. Head was a medium, beige froth, with a relatively long half life.
Smell:
Thom (3.5): Piney hops with sweet toffee and caramel malts.
Bennett (3.0): Herbal, strong.
Taste:
Thom (3.5): Light sweet malts in the center are dominated by a resiny hop bitterness in the finsish.
Bennett (3.0): Bitter. Aftertaste is the aroma, hops-dominated. Not a complex taste - straight and simple.
Mouthfeel:
Thom (3.5): Oily, medium-light-bodied.
Bennett (2.5): A little slimy. No texture. Inside Joke [Ward: "Add a little coconut?"]
Drinkability:
Thom (3.5): Drinkablitiy is okay, but could use some more balancing malts.
Bennett (3.5): Only flavor strength would stop you.
Overall:
Thom (3.6): A decent session beer.
Bennett (3.2)
David and Dave arrived at around 11:30. In addition to the homebrew stout that we'd brewed, David had also brewed a Witbier. We had the homebrews and then played poker.
Homebrew Stout
David, Bennett and I brewed this stout when I went to NYC for his birthday. He bottled it about a week later, and brought up 3 bottles for us to try.
Appearance:
Thom: Opaque black, hazy edges, thin beige head.
Dave (3.0): Quite dark, almost no light gets through.
David (4.0): Hoppy and Guiness-like - brown too, not all black.
Bennett (4.0):Opaque. Light, lacy head that lingers (khaki-coloured). Near-black.
Smell:
Thom: Roasty, with notes of coffee and chocolate.
Dave (2.7): Smells slightly acidic.
David (2.0): Must and a bit acidic.
Bennett (3.5): Caramel overtones to beer.
Taste:
Thom: Roasted malts, coffee, burnt sugar, with a little residual sweetness. Hoppy bitterness in the finish.
Dave (3.5): Rich, thick taste - resembles a chocolate stout, I want to say... Has a nice slightly bitter aftertaste with a nice bit of carbonation.
David (4.0): Porter - very pronounced hops and bark burntness. Lovely.
Bennett (4.0): Rich, full-bodied. Dominated by carbonation. Hints of caramel, but against a dark burnt background.
Mouthfeel:
Thom: Light-medium-bodied, vigorous carbonation.
Dave (4): Bold - enjoy the carbonation.
David (4.0): Feels like coffee - harsh, but good aftertaste.
Bennett (4.5): Light-bubbliness. Smooth. I like it.
Drinkability:
Thom: Pretty easy to drink.
Dave (4.5): Bold and smooth - could drink quite a few of these.
David (3.5): I've had some better, a lot worse.
Bennett (3): With food: yes. Without food: no.
Overall:
Thom: Pretty good, the residual sweetness worked well to balance the roasted and hoppy bitterness.
Dave (3.39)
David (3.55)
Bennett (3.85)
Stout Summary
We all liked the stout pretty well. We all liked the carbonation, and most of us thought it was very drinkable, with a pretty good taste. The smell was a little lacking.
Homebrew Witbier
David and Megan's brother brewed this a few weeks ago.

Appearance:
Thom: It looks like saturated YPD. An incredibly cloudy golden.
Dave (2.7): Milky, egg-yolk haziness.
David (?): Cloudy and orange.
Bennett (2.0): YPD + E. coli (12 hours) = this beer.
Smell:
Thom: Incredibly fruity, a bit much actually. There's also a hint of graininess.
Dave (3):Thick, fruity smell.
David (4.0): Very nice - fruity, but also wheaty.
Bennett (3.0): Fruity.
Taste:
Thom: Fruitiness is present, but not nearly as overpowering as the smell. The finish is grainy, with powdery yeast and a light bitterenss.
Dave (2.9): Hearty, milky taste.
David (4.0): Crisp, rounded taste of fruit and wheat. Personally can't taste much yeast/sediment in this beer.
Bennett (3.0): Disappointingly burnt aftertaste. Complex flavors, wheat dominates though.
Mouthfeel:
Thom: Light-bodied, tingly carbonation.
Dave (3.4): Enjoy the light fruity aftertaste and slight tingle.
David (3.0): Inveterate tingly nature on tongue - especially when cold.
Bennett (3.5): Eh. No good on the taste, so this is hard to judge.
Drinkability:
Thom: A little off.
Dave (2.4): Aftertaste is kind of funky.
David (3.0): Could drink very cold on hot day. Maybe a six-pack or so.
Bennett (2.0): Not good.
Overall:
Thom: Not as good as the stout, not a great witbier.
Dave (2.86)
Bennett (2.75)
We played poker for a couple hours at a $10 buy in, and then went to bed.

Labels: American Amber/Red Ale, American Stout, Beer Fests, Belgian Pale Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Homebrew, Travel, Witbier
Labels: Beer Fests, Brewery Ommegang
The plan is for Bennett and I to meet up with David and Dave at the hotel in Herkimer (no camping for us) tomorrow night. David is bringing some of the homebrew we made a couple months ago for our enjoyment Friday night. Saturday we're rising early for breakfast and swimming at Glimmerglass State Park. Then we're headed to BCTC for the main event. Sunday we'll check out the baseball hall of fame and then head back to our respective cities.
Don't expect a blog entry until sometime next week. In the meantime here's a post at Brew Like a Monk about a Trappist beer tasting.
Labels: Beer Fests, Brewery Ommegang
I also purchased tickets for David, Bennett and I to go to Cooperstown, NY on the weekend of July 14th for the Belgium Comes to Cooperstown Festival held at Brewery Ommegang. We'll probably also visit the Baseball Hall of Fame as well.
Labels: Blog, Brewery Ommegang, Travel

I purchased this at Downtown Wine & Spirits and had it last night. I let it warm and served it in one of my New Belgium snifter style glasses.
Beer Stats:
Brewery: Brewery Ommegang
Alcohol: 7.50%
Serving: 750 mL
Style: Saison, BJCP Style Guide
Appearance (5.0): Pours a lightly hazy golden with hints of amber. The clarity is good and reveals vigorous carbonation feeding a thick frothy white head. Retention is good, though the head eventually fades to a thin layer leaving patchy lace.
Smell (4.5): The aroma reminds me of a hefe-weizen. There are notes of yeast, banana and cloves. Additionally there are aromas of grain and citrus.
Taste (4.5): Tart lemony citrus and fruity flavors upfront fade into a peppery grainy and grassy finish with a nice balancing bitterness.
Mouthfeel (5.0): Smooth, mild carbonation (considering the bubbles), light oiliness with a dry finish.
Drinkability (5.0): Well balanced refreshing and incredibly easy to drink.
Overall (4.7): This is another great Ommegang beer. Incredibly tasty and refreshing.
Labels: Brewery Ommegang, Reviewing, Saison
I decided I needed to use one of my new pieces of glassware for its intended beer. I picked up a four-pack of 12 oz. Ommegang bottles at Downtown Wine and Spirits. I served this chilled, but consumed over a time frame that allowed sufficient warming.
Ommegang is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Belgian Strong Dark Ales are typically high in alcohol, with spicy and fruity flavors. The amount of hop bitterness will vary.
Appearance (4.5): Pours a dark hazy brown with hints of maroon. A fluffy orange-brown head tops the beer, but recedes to a thin layer quickly. Head reemerges readily upon swirling.
Smell (4.5): Sweet malts and fruits. Notes of caramel and raisins, with tart cherry aromas arising upon agitation.
Taste (5.0): Sweet, bready malts dominate the front of the palate. Tart fruit and spices emerge in the center. Powdery yeast is evident in the finish with a light bitterness that provides a very nice balance. This is really delicious.
Mouthfeel (4.0): Tingly carbonation tickles the tip of the tongue. The beer is medium-bodied with a dry finish.
Drinkability (4.5): The delicious flavors keep me drinking, and the beer, though high alcohol, is easy to drink.
Overall (4.65): I absolutely love this beer. It's a nice balance of sweet, spicy and bitter.
Labels: Belgian Strong Dark Ale, Brewery Ommegang, Reviews
I was feeling some palate fatigue by the end, but I think I managed to rate for smell and taste pretty well throughout. Mouthfeel and drinkability were the first criteria to suffer.

329. Brooklyn Winter Ale
Our first stop was the Brooklyn Brewery booth. Garrett Oliver wasn't at this fest, like he was at the 2004 Art of Beer Festival. I decided to try the Winter Ale. This Winter Warmer was brewed for Brooklyn's European importers to match Christmas food in Denmark. Served on tap in my 4 oz. sample cup.
Appearance: This beer pours a hazy dark amber.
Smell: This beer smells very sweet, with floral notes, fruity raisins, and a spicy cinnamon aroma.
Taste: Sweet malts dominate the front of the palate. Spices are present in the center, most notably nutmeg. There's a very low bitterness, and dryness in the finish.
Mouthfeel: This beer is smooth and light bodied. The carbonation was very tingly.
Drinkability: Nicely spiced, and smooth. Very tasty.
Overall: After waiting outside in the cold this was a great beer to start off with.
330. Allagash 10th Anniversary Ale
Next Ali and I went to the Allagash booth. I had the 10th Anniversary Ale, which is a blended Witbier, made by blending two high gravity Witbiers and aging in oak barrels. This was poured from a 750 mL bottle into my sample cup.
Appearance: This beer is a hazy golden, with a low white head.
Smell: Aromas of pepper, spices, banana, and bubblegum predominate. Upon swirling the pepper aromas become stronger, and an earthy aroma emerges.
Taste: Pepper and citrus flavors are evident in the front of the palate. Cloves and spices emerge in the center. The finish is sweet with a light bitterness and alcoholic warmth.
Mouthfeel: The beer is medium-bodied and smooth, with tingly carbonation.
Drinkability: I typically find this style to be very refreshing. This was less so than others, and is higher in alcohol.
Overall: This was a nice beer, it reminded me more of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale than a Witbier though.

Me holding the 10th Anniversary Ale.
331. Sam Adams Utopias
Given the high price and scarceness of this beer it was a must try. This beer is a monster at 25% abv. This is an American Strong Ale, which is a catch all category.
Appearance: This beer is a crystal clear orange-ruby, with no head. Appears thick and syrupy when swirled.
Smell: Very evident alcohol in the nose, smells like port. There are also strong caramel aromas. Ali described this as like a Brazil nut.
Taste: Very warm alcohol throughout. Flavors of grapes, like wine. Caramel sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and syrupy, with no carbonation.
Drinkability: Whoa! This is very strong, it's a nice sipping beer, but it's too strong to have more than a few ounces.
Overall: This was a very interesting beer. It definitely stretches the limits of what beer is.

332. Avery Twelve - Saison Ale
Next up was a Saison from Avery brewing in Colorado. According to the EBF description Twelve was brewed with "Rocky Mountain water, malted barley, imported Belgian malted wheat, sweet orange peel, lemon peel, grains of paradise, chamomile, lavender, hops, and Belgian yeast."
Appearance: This pours a slightly hazy blonde with foamy white head that diminishes to a thin layer.
Smell: I get notes of black pepper, sweet fruits like melon. This is a very nice, complex aroma.
Taste: Peppers and light malts up front, not overly sweet. Hop bitterness appears in the finish along with sweet fruits.
Mouthfeel: This is smooth and light to medium-bodied with light carbonation.
Drinkability: Light and refreshing.
Overall: I liked this Saison a lot, more complex than some of the others that I've tried.
333. Harpoon Varius Strong Ale
This beer was brewed exclusively for the Extreme Beer Fest. According to the EBF page:
Named "Harpoon Varius" because many different Harpoon brewers contributed to making this beer, which is brewed exclusively for the BeerAdvocate Extreme Beer Fest. Brewed in 10 10-gallon batches, Harpoon Varius is an experimental strong ale. Unfiltered, slightly cloudy, DANGEROUS! Rich alcohol notes mixing with earthy floral hop, thick malty sweetness in the nose. It starts off with a slight honey sweetness and transitions to a pronounced higher alcohol warmth and complex ester character. Finishes with a distinct smooth, bitter finish. Brewing with Pale Ale malt (90%), Caramel, and Victory. Hopped with Northern Brewer, East Kent Goldings, Fuggle, and Magnum. Dry-hopped with Willamette. Fermented with a Dry English Ale yeast.
Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy amberish-gold with a creamy white head.
Smell: Bananas, bubblegum and a slight sourness are obvious, with a light floral hop aroma.
Taste: There's an assertive but balanced hop bitterness throughout. I get pepper, bready malts, and banana and bubblegum. There is bitterness in the aftertaste from the hops.
Mouthfeel: Light and tingly.
Drinkability: Refreshing with a nice hoppiness.
Overall: This reminded me of a Belgian Strong Pale Ale, or a Tripel, but it was much hoppier than any of the other examples of those styles that I've had, very interesting.
334. Ommegeddon
Stopping by the Ommegang booth was a must. I decided to try Ommegeddon, an American Wild Ale. Ommegeddon is brewed with Brettanomyces, a wild yeast that gives a distinctive flavor. My experience with beers brewed with Brettanomyces is minimal, so I'm not sure what elements are distinctly "Brett".

Appearance: Pours a lightly hazy golden with a thin white head.
Smell: I got sweet aromas of bubblegum and cotton candy. I also caught a slight sourness, as well as a peculiar phenolic medicinal aroma (is this from the Brett?).
Taste: The beer is mildly bitter with sweet candy flavors, an acidic citrusy tartness, and a dry finish.
Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with medium carbonation.
Drinkability: Light and refreshing.
Overall: This is another good beer from Ommegang, I wish I had more experience with Brettanomyces fermented beers so I could be more objective.
335. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA
Having stayed with beers that weren't hugely hoppy I decided to move on to some hoppier selections. I started with Dogfish Head's 90 Minute IPA, an American Double IPA. This was the first beer that I had after Ali stopped drinking.

Appearance: Pours a clear amber with a thin light white head.
Smell: Floral hops and light fruit.
Taste: Hoppy throughout, though sweet and bready malts emerge in the center to provide a nice balance.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, smooth and creamy.
Drinkability: I actually found this beer really drinkable despite the massive hop character.
Overall: I was particularly impressed with how well the malts balanced the hops in this beer; it was surprisingly drinkable.
336. Double Bastard Ale
I went to the Stone Booth next, hoping to get a sample of Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard, but they had run out. Instead I got Double Bastard, an American Strong Ale.
Appearance: Pours a dark, clear ruby-amber with a beige head that thins out quickly.
Smell: Floral hops and sweet caramel malts.
Taste: There are very assertive hops throughout. There's a bready and caramel sweetness in the center, with a bitter aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, smooth and creamy. Not overly carbonated.
Drinkability: This beer is pretty hoppy and isn't as well balanced as the 90 Minute IPA, so it's a little tough to drink.
Overall: The assertive hop character makes this beer a little hard to drink, but it is pretty damn tasty.
337. Berkshire Imperial Stout
Ali was hoping to try one of the Raspberry Strong Ales at the fest. Dogfish Head was out of Fort, so I went to Berkshire Brewing to try to get the Raspberry Strong Ale, but they were out as well. I decided to try their Russian Imperial Stout instead. Ali was a little disappointed when I got back.

Appearance: Pours an opaque black with a creamy brown head that diminishes to a ring.
Smell: Dark roasted coffee with notes of bittersweet chocolate.
Taste: Espresso flavors appear upfront with a nice sweetness in the center. There's bitterness from the roasted malts in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied, smooth and creamy, with high carbonation for a stout.
Drinkability: This beer is pretty heavy, but I could have a pint or two.
Overall: A nice Imperial Stout, not the best, but pretty good.
338. Jalapeño Sunsplash Golden Ale
I saw this Chile Beer on the EBF beer list and had to try it. It has half a slice of fresh jalapeño in every can. I had intended for this to be my last beer, but the Stone Coast guy told me to keep my ticket.
Appearance: Pours a clear light golden, with a thin white head.
Smell: The only thing I can detect is jalapeño.
Taste: There are sweet malts and a light bitterness up front and in the center, with jalapeño spiciness in the center and aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, light-bodied, and a little watery.
Drinkability: Very drinkable if you can handle the heat.
Overall: I've never had a Chile Beer before. The spiciness isn't overwhelming, it's a nice focal point of the beer, but underneath there could have been some more complex malts and hops.
339. Ommegang Winter Witte
I had an unexpected ticket left after I had the Jalapeño Sunsplash so I went back to the Ommegang booth. I can't find this Witbier listed on Beer Advocate, so it may be the same as Ommegang Witte, though I'm not sure. I might send an e-mail to the brewery to see if anyone there can give me an answer.
Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden, with a thick white head that falls to a thin layer.
Smell: Fruity and spicy aromas of bananas, bubblegum and cloves.
Taste: This beer is peppery up front, with bananas and cloves in the center. The finish is dry with a low bitterness.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, with fairly high carbonation.
Drinkability: Nice flavors, refreshing and easy to drink.
Overall: I was a little too drunk to remember overall impressions of this beer.
As we were leaving I noticed that the booth for The Tap was covered with dry hops flowers, so I grabbed a few:

When we switched to the Red Line at Downtown Crossing we sat across from a man who Ali described as "an overgrown leprechaun...with huge long feet and yellow socks... and long fingernails." As we sat he gave me the slow middle finger when I looked at him. I spent the remainder of the ride trying to get a good picture of him with my cell phone. We got off at Porter and I gave him the finger; he smiled and laughed in response.

Labels: American Double IPA, American Strong Ale, American Wild Ale, Beer Fests, Brewery Ommegang, Chile Beer, Harpoon Brewery, Reviews, Russian Imperial Stout, Saison, Winter Warmer, Witbier