but back to other people and their beers:
going to a fest is fun. working a fest is nutz. very much like a union job. 12 hours of manual labor straight hauling water out to the drunken horde. but got to drink on the shifts, very much like a union job...
Ill start with humans then move on to beer -
met a ton of very cool people, brewers, Brewery reps, other vols, Alstrom Bros. many cool conversations with the smaller guys. Jackie O's is an incredible brewery, read latest BA issue. thats the brewmaster on the cover. super nice. doing loco things with odd styles, incredible souring/ wild barrell lab for a brewery that size (someone said it was 7 barrels?, way too low i assume.... but maybe). explorations into aging in wine, rum and infected barrels of all kinds to get crazy flavors yet unseen. true innovators.
another vol homebrewer was also keen on the spruce beer concept as well as other funky effects. right up our alley. met peeps how came up from Atlanta, Nashville and NY just to network with people trying to get into the industry, one as a brewer's apprentice, another looking to startup a distribution co to India. crazy.
talked to Ommegang Brewer - commended him on the 21st saison. effing epic. he said it should be, they used the Dupont strain for it. makes sense. also, look for "Aphrodite" in coming months. think he said it was a raspberry? lambic/ sour wild beast. cant remember...
spoke with the brewer from Atlantic Brewing/ Bar Harbor/ Manly Men Brewing Club Brewing (of which there are apparently 5 different beers in that line, not just sea smoke, only 3 on Ba...) - El Hefe, apparently wheatwine that doest suck. also bashed NH's testing policy on beers. apparently they must run their own ABV tests on anything that is sold in state under a single label. so if you get all you shit tested by them and a strict setup, are approved, then make a mixer 12 pack using only approved beers, you have to get it all re- certified the same way again as its a new packaging. its such a pain in the ass Allegash doesnt even bother with the state, they drive their beer straight through it to Mass. Live free and fuck off New Hampshire.
ok now the boozing. it got hazy towards the end. not as many as i'd thought, just got tired as hell. here goes
Atlantic Brewing (ME) - Manly Men Sea Smoke - still beautiful and subtly smokey and old ale oxidized sweet. so nice to sip.
Blue Hills Brewery (MA) - Anti-Matter Pale Ale - crap beer. light yellow for a pale, all stale hops. got this cause I wanted a coaster. no other reason. it was also late in the night.
Boulevard Brewing (MO) - Tank 7 saison. very nice if i recall. somewhat yeasty, but lacking a tad if reference to what comes later. Dom also had the 6th Glass Quad. like it.
Brewery Ommegang - 2011 Belgian Independence Day Saison - gorgeous beer. say it again, one of the very few here in America to get Belgians dead right. so much yeast flavor, pepper, lemon, spice/ clove, ever so slight wild tinge of farmhouse to it. I'm starting a campaign to dethrone Sam Summer and plot the rise of the Jacobin People's Army of Saison. Do you Hear the People Sing?
Brooklyn - The Tonic/ The Concoction/ "The Chronic" - based on a mixed drink called "Penicillin" Lemon, ginger, something else and medicinal herbs and hops. crazy one. very very different to taste.
CBC - Saison and Hefeweizen (ok had it at the next day brunch. Alstroms picked up the tab. yet another sighting of Dann Paquette, like a God amongst men). saison was too subdued for my liking, slight citrus, slight yeast, not much else. sadface. however, the weizen was fucking perfect. let it be said, best German Style Hefe i've ever had. perfect temp served helped. banana/ bubblegum aromas, sticky like a carnival or artificial candy flavoring. rich body, only mild sour tinge of the wheat. yeasty/ earthy/ muddy and full. get this now. I plan on grabbing a growler for the next beer night.
Cisco (MA) - Pechish Woods - second in sour barreled series after raspberry which we also had a few months ago. only a spare few barrels were made and bottled for the public. before i even got to the counter he started pouring it for me. said " been a lot of you Orange (color of the staff shirt) folk asking for this today." soured as hell and wild. thin and spritzy, peach doesnt come through that well except in light aroma. like a peach sour patch kid but so much finer.
Coastal Extreme (RI) - aka Newport Storm - got a big swig of what they called a black IPA in between sessions when we werent allowed to drink but did anyway. really good black strong ale, very little hop character. boozy and thick, very rich and a nice sipper actually.
Dogfish - Robert Johnson Hellhound on my Ale - DIPA - curious one. hops present, but just full of lemon and spice. yeast was nice too.
Element (MA) - Dark Element - wasnt super impressed by this one. too much hype/ price. intense with some anise type warmth if i recall. not much more to say.
Grand Teton - The Grand Saison - like so many out there, almost gets it. aromas of yeast and pepper and kinda there, just not enough. clean saison just dont cut it, when Ommegang is around town, boy.
Harpoon Rye IPA - (from Harpoon 5 mile run a few weeks ago) - very tasty, strong rye, sharpens the hops nicely, but highly drinkable.
Jackie O's - ditto on berliner weiss, fantastic brew. so sour and clean. really like nothing else there that day. Raccoon dubbel. not so impressed with this, but like the effort/ concept. Dom also like the hopped up tripel they presented.
Lawson's finest liquids - Acer Quercus - odd name, odd beer. heavy heavy rye here and a sharp booziness to it that i didnt care for. malingering flavor on the tongue wasnt all that pleasant either. cant explain the line on this one other than their exceptionally rated DIPA.
Notch Brewing - Dark Mild - on cask - very nice to see some real ale out there. super low alc, packed with flavor. nutty, smooth yeasty and creamy. a very nice change of pace.
Odell - 90 shilling - again, not overwhelmed by this one. good sweetness to it, but lacked some sort of depth i was expecting. was also at end o the night when it all starts blending together from fatigue. Dom give big props on the Myrcenary IPA as well. epic stance.
Olde Burnside - Ten Penny Ale reserve - remember liking it. not much else. not super peaty but its there. Penny Weiss Wit - not so good. compared on the spot to Orangina.
Peak Organic - Espresso Amber - very interesting combo, and they actually made it work. powerful coffe flavor/ aroma in a like colored beer. strange stuff.
Pretty Things - Our Finest Regards Barleywine - Self explanatory. picked up aroma of grape popscicle at one point. for total complexity, his beers are unrivaled.
Prodigal Brewing (NH) - Effinghamburgherbrau - Helles Lager - not a lot of character to it, bright and clean. Misty Mountain Bock - a bit better, but not all there with full maltiness im looking for. Prognosticator Doppelbock - here they nailed it. deep and smoky malty malt. sharp finish and great for a bockbier.
Redhook - Wee Heavy - actually liked this one. little boozy, but full without sharpness or cloyingness.
Surley - Furious DIPA - a head above the others at this comp. nothing but beautiful hops laid atop the perfect bed of malts. can see why it was rated best in the country some time back.
Thomas Hooker - Liberator Doppelbock - fell well short of the style. quite dissapoining overall. not way off. just. not. good.
White Birch - Wrigian - Rye mystery - fantastic beer. rediculous rye explosion. thick and earthy. bready spice as fuck. great beer. gotta get on this one fast.
think that should do it.
cool
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