April Grades and Ranks

What a great beer month April was for me. Three things worth noting, th0ugh. I didn't tweet an Allagash White that I had while I was in Portland. It was served with a lemon and it really, really distracts from the flavor that I like. Second, the only beer that was worth talking about at the Bacon and Beer Festival was Brooklyn's Dark Matter. It was delicious for the sample that I had, but not enough for me to really credit with a grade. I would try it again, though, if I saw it around. Third, the home-brew I had at Beck's party was excellent, and even though I had enough to qualify it for a grade, I brought a bottle home and planned to drink it April, but didn't. It will be featured in May, I am sure.

If anyone wants to plan a beer-geek-out with us at Lord Hobo, we will be going soon at some point. Let us know and we will make plans.

Here is April's list. Brought to you by Allagash :)

[A]

#1 St. Bernardus Abt 12. special 60Th anniversary edition. brown malty and a touch sour. but oh so good. im drinking a big bottle. A 4:37 PM Apr 19th via txt (A, A)

This beer alone, not just the special edition, is one of my favorite beers. And when you make it something more special, which I believe was a certain hops and other ingredients, it was just the right tweak. But, seriously, this is a beer worth dropping some dollars on.

#2 Allagash Four. so good with the malts and a touch of sour that makes you come back for more. the best from the group. available too. A 6:46 PM Apr 28th via txt (A, A)

Oh Allagash, you have been so kind to me. Maybe I love this beer because it usually means that I am having a good time out with Beth, but I know it is just such a solid beer.

[A-]

#3 Allagash Interlude. french oak barrels this time. sour and Fruity. real nice. A- 8:48 PM Apr 18th via txt (A-, A)

My favorite new-to-me beer this month. Taking the tour of the Brewery made me appreciate all their beers so much more.

#4 Allagash Victor. Ale made with Red Grapes. High alcohol, nice subtle flavor with the grapes. You wouldn't think of it unless you knew it. A 8:23 PM Apr 24th via web (A, A-)

But I did not have this beer there, we found it at a store in South Boston and shared it with some of our fellow beer geeks. We have the counterpart, the Victoria in our fridge.

#5 Altenmunster Maibock. Straight from Germany, brought from a co-worker. Seriously good. Refreshing, little buttery, light and crisp. A- 7:27 PM Apr 6th via web (A-, A-)

Thank you so much to my co-worker who brought this back from Germany for me. That was super nice of her, and it ended up being a really good beer.

#6 Birra del Borgo Re Ale Extra. An IPA? I don't know what makes it extra. From EBF. Lemon, pepper, hops, and a sourness. Heavy body, yum. A- 8:16 PM Apr 13th via web (A-, A-)

This was an Extreme Beer Festival leftover. So, really, we may never have this again, but it was certainly something worth remembering. Italian beer, who knew?

#7 White Birch Barrel-Aged Barleywine Ale. Only 280 btls made. That barrel flavor hits you at first, then you get used to it. Enjoyable. A- 7:25 PM Apr 27th via web (A-, A-)

The first time we tried White Birch, it was a leftover from the Belgium Beer Fest, and it was flat and it really ruined the experience. I don't think that we drank all of it. So, we were a little reluctant to try this one. But I am glad we did. This is a good local drink.

#8 Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. This is some seriously good beer. Since it was Belgian, we had it with Waterzooi. Made it taste hoppier than before. A- 8:46 PM Apr 12th via web
The triple was great with Easter. See, you can be hoppy, yet balanced. Predominant flavors are okay. A- 8:12 AM Apr 5th via web (A-, A-)

You should knew my love of Pretty Things by now, and this is no exception. Drink it, if you haven't started.

#9 Avery Collaboration not Litigation. Nice Belgian style ale. Has a good amount of bitterness, followed with a smooth taste. Easy to drink. A- 9:40 PM Apr 7th via web (A-, A-)

At some point, I was talking to someone about this beer and I couldn't remember who this was a collaboration with. Russian River, the makers of Pliny the Younger (and Elder). I really don't give Avery enough respect. I think something about their labels throws me off.

#10 Pretty Things St. Botolph's Town. One of the best browns around. And that is saying a lot with Brooklyn, DFH, and Smutty always available. A- 1:03 PM Apr 30th via web (A-, A-)

One of the best browns around.

#11 Bear Republic Red Rocket. I paired it well with Mexican, turned out really good. I love the dark red with a great balance. Fine beer. A- 11:56 AM Apr 3rd via web (A-, A-)

Though I don't drink Bear Republic as much lately, my love affair with them still exists. They are one of the reasons that I want to go to San Francisco so much.

#12 Allagash Curieux. Triple aged in a bourbon barrel. Hops and citrus but hidden in the flavor of bourBon. Tasty but not my favorite. Still A- 6:01 PM Apr 28th via txt.
Triple. aged in jim beam barrels. smooth and spicy. nice belgian. when in maine B+ 8:06 PM Apr 18th via txt (A-, B+)

Even though this is lower than a lot of the other Allagash beers, this is a fine beer. But as for taste goes, it isn't quite right for me. Maybe not for you.

#13 DogfishHead Midas Touch. "Somewhere between wine & mead." Felt fairly modern for an old recipe. Would buy a 4-pack for home. B+ 1:02 PM Apr 30th via web (B+, A-)

This may have been my first full drink of this beer. If not, I had forgotter that it was good. I think that I will pick up a pack of it next time we are looking for a session beer. Well, a strong session beer. The best kind, right?

#14 CBC Bad Knees. Yay for barrel-aging. Nice, powerful old ale. Lost a little on the finish, but the middle of the drink was really good. A- 8:43 PM Apr 30th via web (A-, B+)

I hadn't been to Cambridge Brewing Company for quite a long time. I forget that they are really good brewers. This beer is no exception, though I feel like barrel-aging, while great, is getting a little out of control. But, stop by and try this.

#15 Bruery Saison de Lente. Nice to have this again, this time of tap. Like the subtle Brett, not too over-powering. Muted by previous beer. B+ 9:36 PM Apr 7th via web (B+, A-)

Love the Bruery. Learning to love Brett beers

#16 Ipswich Dark Ale. A little malty, very smooth, very enjoyable session beer. I had no opinion of it going in and now I want more. B+ 5:55 PM Apr 25th via web (B+, A-)

Probably the biggest surprise of the month. I thought it was just a filler beer in out party pack, but it turned out to be the best beer of the group. We need to tour their brewery.


[B+]

#17 Pretty Things Mild Ale. A young, hoppy mild. Paired it with chick pea patties. Turned out really good. Complimented the spices. B+ 7:42 PM Apr 22nd via web (B+, B+)

You know that it was a good beer month to have this beer come in at #17. I don't know if they plan to ever do this again, so if you see a bottle, pick it up and enjoy it.

#18 Rogue Dead Guy. I can't believe that I went like 9 months without drinking this, prior to this pack. Drinkable & refreshing on a hot day. B+ 7:01 PM Apr 7th via web (B+, B+)

Interesting that this is a Maibock, and comparing it to the German Maibock I had. I need to explore the whole bock family of beers.

#19 Victory Hop Devil. Would have loved this beer during my HopHead days, but over all it is still pretty good. Good mostly-hops balance. B+ 7:49 PM Apr 29th via web (B+, B+)

Seriously, this would have been my favorite beer if I had tried it in 2006. It's a great beer if you love hops, which I still do, but my taste has diversified over the last few years.

#20 Smuttynose Old Brown Dog. A nice malty ale, really classic when you don't want to drink something overly hoppy. B+ 10:32 PM Apr 10th via web (B+, B+)

I really should try this side-by-side with St. Botolph's. But Smuttynose is always dependable.

#21 Ipswich IPA. Another solid effort from a good brewery. They don't punch you in the face with hoppiness. Just enough to remind you. B+ 8:25 PM Apr 20th via web (B+, B+)

This is a good IPA if you don't want to be over-powered with hops. Beers can have flavor, but they lose so much if they are not balanced, and Ipswich understands that.

#22 Oskar Blues Ten Fidy. The awesomest canned beer. But I drank from a glass anyway. Rich, spicy, dark, coffee. Complex and good. A- 7:32 PM Apr 22nd via web (A-, B)

This may have dropped since I am little hungover from the one that I had last night. I really respect them for being passionate about canned beer, and they do deliver a good product, but there is something more aesthetic about drinking from a bottle or glass.

#23 Anchor Porter. Great, easy porter. Drink it as a session beer. Probably not the best match with hot wings, but would be great with bacon. B+ 8:20 PM Apr 24th via web (B+, B)

Another reason to go to San Francisco. This is a no frills porter, a great definition of the style.


[B]

#24 Mayflower IPA. No frills IPA. Not like DFH or Smuttynose where they try to make it into something more. This IPA is no nonsense. Good. B 8:22 PM Apr 24th via web (B, B)

#25 Ipswich Original Ale. APA. Hoppy, yeah sure, but goes well with any sort of meal that has a little spice in it, like a Turkey Joe. B 7:26 PM Apr 16th via web (B, B)

I get Mayflower and Ipswich mixed up a lot, with their nautical themes and all. But they are all good session beers, which I rarely do enjoy anymore. I drink my one or two beers with dinner, and only drink occasionally without food.

#26 CBC Sgt. Pepper. I thought why not. It delivers, but the saison that it is in would be much better w/o. Taste like Kettle S&P chips. B 8:44 PM Apr 30th via web (B, B)

I got this because I was eating hot food and I thought that it would all go well. It accentuated the heat and made my food hotter. I think that the base of it, the saison part, was delicious, but it takes a lot of courage to drink, let alone brew, a spicy beer.

[C+]

#27 Sam Adams Noble Pils. This is a session beer that really doesn't go with food. It tastes better out of the bottle. Could use spice. C+ 10:48 PM Apr 3rd via web (C+, C)

I tried this a few times and I never got into it. But as national beers go, there will always be Sam Adams and you know they care about what they are brewing.

Boston Bacon and Beer Festival 2010 (by Beth)

Yesterday was the much-anticipated Bacon and Beer Festival put on by @eatBoston and SoWa Sundays. I think it was a great festival, and I hope it really helped to get craft beer in more people's minds. I recognized a few local "celebrities." Top Chef season 1's Tiffani (I'm not your bitch, bitch) is apparently chef at the South End's Rocca Kitchen, the ladies of We are Not Martha were in attendance, and lots of brewers, of course. I also recognized lots of Beer Advocates, especially the festival organizers/captains/volunteers.

First, a little constructive criticism:

• The line--The line to get in was long and slow-moving. We are nerds and got there early, but I had friends who came 10 minutes after it started, it took them 30 minutes to get through, and there were more people behind them in line. Ticket holders had to get their names checked off a list--there was only one table for this, despite all the names being divided into four groups (A-C, etc). If you have to check names off a list, get 4 tables for the 4 groups, and make them not have to cross path with each other to get wristbanded (actually, with tables you could have check-in one end of the table and wristbands at the end of the table).


• Programs--would have been nice. I have no idea what I missed. Or what I ate.


• Slop buckets--a place to rinse beer cups and throw any unwanted beer would have been welcome


• Recycling/composting--I actually think they did a GREAT job at this. I was never looking for a place to put my stuff away. I never saw them overfill. Once things started winding down, though, some of the labels on the barrels disappeared and I didn't know where to throw things.


• Layout--interspersing beer and food would have made for a few more surprises. Going back and forth got difficult.


• Length--I think 4 hours was a bit long. We left between 4-5, when food started running out.


• Food and beer lines--moved amazingly quickly.

So, the fest! Unfortunately, I think I need a new camera as mine kept dying...then working again...then dying again. So, you get a picture of Ben chowing down on a beignet with lardon and mustard-IPA sauce.

Beer: Most of the beers I'd had before--this is not a criticism, just why I didn't take many notes. It was about local beer, and there was awesome local beer!
A few places I hadn't heard of before (Cody Brewing? I didn't remember to try them, unfortunately). Since there were no programs, note-taking got cumbersome. I did try Brooklyn's Dark Matter for the first time--it was oaky and went well with bacon. I tried to stick to dark/smokey beers for this fest. I got to introduce my friend Lauren to Pretty Things and she was quite impressed...Dann and Martha from PT also impressed my friend and her husband as people. They're so sweet. And they liked my wing-ed squirrel t-shirt my mother-in-law gave me! Always happy to get people to try beer I LOVE made by nice, local people. Cape Ann had a Tea Party Killer barleywine that I missed out on, but I did enjoy their pumpkin stout-a good, smokey choice for a bacon festival.

We tried a bunch of our usuals...Mayflower Brewing knew that Ben was wearing a Mike Doughty T-shirt ("More Bacon than the Pan Can Handle"); tried Old Brown Dog (with Bacon) again from Smuttynose...it was really cold. Raison d'Etra from Dogfish Head. That's all I remember!

Food: The food was all excellent that I ate (apparently someone made really bad chicken wings, though). I was especially impressed with The Fireplace's large chunk of bacon over some puree with a chickpea salad...thing (see, I WANT PROGRAMS). It was soooo yummy. The beignets with lardon and IPA/mustard sauce from Gaslight were amazing, too. B.good made an awesome bacon-chocolate shake, which I thought had peanut butter in it, but it might not have. Garden at the Cellar had stellar bacon-date-goat cheese things. To die for. Also enjoyed Atwood's bacon-egg steamed rolls with candied bacon and maple syrup topping. I ate other stuff, too, but can barely remember it.

Overall: I think this is a great idea for a festival. I really enjoyed getting to try all the foods--I've never been to a food event like this, and I actually had already felt like I was on Top Chef BEFORE I saw Tiffani walk by me! I was even thinking "did the chefs think about what it would be like to try to eat this standing up with a spork?" (The Fireplace's was surprisingly easy to eat with a spork!).

I heard people in line talking about how they hoped to learn more about beer and the event, and I hope they did! I hope this allowed people to reach out of their comfort zones and learn something new/appreciate a new beer. I definitely found some restaurants I want to try--must say I'm already a huge fan of b.good and The Fireplace, though!

Great idea, great venue, great recycling/composting, great food and beer. AWESOME value ($25...seriously. It was a fundraiser so all the vendors must have donated. The quality of beer and food would have made a $50 price tag a bargain, although one I couldn't have probably afforded anyway). I really really enjoyed myself while I was there, and my constructive criticism is just that--meant to be constructive in hopes that they offer this event again!

Brewers Helping Neighbors Beer Fest

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect from this, and I don't think that anyone I was with did either. I was expecting just the same (big) local breweries with the same beers you can find everywhere.

But, when we hit the first table, it was Sam Adams, with a selection of beers that I had never seen before. And they were 5oz. pours, which was something that is a huge no-no for Ba. So, immediately, I was won over and hopeful for the night to come.

It has been a while since I was a patron at a beer fest. Instead of A-F grades, I give them a quick ++, +, 0, -, -- grade, based solely on first impression.

Sam Adams:
Latitude 48 (+) - Spicy and malty. Something to look for this summer.
Sam Adams Long Shot 2010 (the home brewers competition):
Lemon Pepper Saison (+) - More like lemon, less like pepper.
Old Ben (Ale?) (++) Deep in body, maltier.
Mile High Barleywine (++) - Smooth and spicy.

Ipswich Brewery:
Ipswich Original Ale (+) - Straight forward good ale.
Ipswich Oatmeal Stout (+) - Light for a stout, good oatmeal flavor.

We ended up buying an Ipswich mixer at the grocery.

Clown Shoes Brewing Company:
Hoppy Feet Black IPA (0) - Why is it black?
Brown Angel (0) - Light, smooth, spicy. Boring compared to everything else.

A note about Brown Angel, Beth was heated up about a discussion of the label on Ba. Basically, if the label is offensive to her, the she won't buy it.

Both are under Mercury Brewing. Amazing the difference.

Blue Hills Brewery:
Munich Lager (0) - At first, bullion, but then bay leaf. something stew-like.

I have not been impressed by them. Maybe it was just the pourer, but I feel like this is Annoying Rich White Guy brewing. Not to be confused with Jim Koch of Sam Adams.

Mayflower Brewing Company:
Pale Ale (++) - Refreshing, what a session beer should be.
IPA (+) - Grapefruit beer.
Porter (+) - Porters are not stouts. *can't read other note*

Mayflower was the highlight of the fest. Though we talked with Ipswich longer. I don't know why we don't buy more Mayflower.

Harpoon Brewery:
Belgian Pale Ale (0) - Taste like Harpoon doing a Belgian.

Everything else they had I have tried before. Good thing that I didn't start with them.

And, in the end, it was a great time. Thank you very much to our friend Beck for the half-price tickets.

March Grade and Ranks

Good month for beer, even if I got sick and didn't drink much. The first grade is the tweet grade (or average of grades), the second is my second opinion grade. I don't mean to go all gushy over Pretty things, but seriously, they are doing things so right.


[A]

#1 Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. nice triple. is there anything that they cant Do well? Its a must try. A- 8:07 PM Mar 19th via txt
Pretty Things Fluffy White Rabbits. This time from a bottle. Now that I knew what to expect, even more enjoyable. Love the bite w/ hops. A 7:47 PM Mar 24th via web (A, A)

Such a relaxing beer, and you should seek this out if you can.

#2 Pretty Things Mild Ale. Historic recipe. A lot hoppier/spicier than I imagined, but I didn't really read the label. DFH 90 with malt. A 8:03 PM Mar 22nd via web (A, A-)

It lost a little luster in the shadow of the Fluffy White Rabbits. Maybe I shouldn't count that against it?

[A-]

#3 Lost Abbey Lost & Found. Dubbel. Raisins and figs, extremely smooth for a Dubbel, Beth says it's more like a Brune. Also a bit sweet. A- 8:04 PM Mar 11th via web (A-, A-)

I definitely will search this one out again.

#4 Ommegang Three Philosophers. A fruity quad. Haven't had this since I got snookered at Thanksgiving. Deliciously rich. A- 7:32 PM Mar 27th via web (A-, A-)

This is a "knock you on your ass with a smile" beer. If you want a stiff beer that is very drinkable, this is the one.

#5 Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast. Slowly loving this brewery. Oatmeal and coffee, Beth loved the "cocoa notes" from the coffee. Tart. A- 8:07 PM Mar 1st via web (A-, A-)

The name says it all, but no Founder's KBS.

#6 Allagash White. With a lemon, and the wrong glassware? I mean, sure, I was happy it was there, but I know it could be better. B+ 8:39 PM Mar 13th via web (B+, A-)

Negative experience with a great beer, don't let it fool you.

#7 Great Divide Hibernation Ale. Does not go with thai food. Or necessarily after being sick. Too intense for tonight, but I know I love it. B 6:37 PM Mar 6th via web
Great Divide Hibernation. Seriously a delicious & strong beer. I can't believe I almost didn't buy it. Such elegant balance and taste. A- 8:32 PM Mar 30th via web (B+, A-)

Paired right, this ale will take you a long way.

#8 Bear Republic Red Rocket Ale. Supper hoppy Amber beer. A great in between beer, when you are not sure what you want. lovely color. B+ 8:49 PM Mar 25th via web (B+, A-)

Had three of these over the month. It got better each time.

#9 Avery duganA IPA. "dark and piney" IPA, really well balanced for as extremely hoppy as it was. A leftover from EBF, a show-off IPA. A- 8:05 PM Mar 1st via web (A-, B+)

Apparently it didn't leave a lasting impression (to the end of the month) with me.

[B+]


#10 Smuttynose IPA. The last of that 6-pick I have been nursing. Drank it warmer today, made it spicier. Enjoyed it immensely. B+ 8:15 PM Mar 9th via web (B+, B+)

The best of the local and easy-to-find IPAs out there.

#11 Rouge Dead Guy Ale. a lot more hops than i remember. still good. But bitter. b+ 7:20 PM Mar 20th via txt (B+, B+)

Borderline session beer. I wouldn't want to drink too many of these in a night or else I would be in pain. But it is extremely versitile in small amounts.


#12 Mayflower Golden Ale. cask. citrus and spicy. Yay for the indo having a cask. heart that they know us. b+ 7:59 PM Mar 15th via txt (B+, B)

I really am trying to branch out of my comfort zone, but it doesn't mean I will love everything that I try. I need to go back to the Indo and have another cask.

[B]

#13 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Also good this time around. I wasn't looking to be wowed or overpowered. Nice solid weis taste, enjoyable. B 7:23 PM Mar 5th via web (B, B)

Now this is a great, easily available beer. They tried something different, and they succeeded.

#14 Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. The last time I'm comparing with Smutty IPA. I want 60 to have a bigger body, to balance the hops. Or a 90. B 8:36 PM Mar 10th via web (B, B)

Other DFH IPAs are better.

#15 Great Divide Old Ruffian. Rough is right. Solid effort, but very peppery and whiskey-like. Not the best bareleywine, but I still love GD. B 8:20 PM Mar 15th via web (B, B)

Again, all about the right drink at the right time.

[B-]

Sam Adams Noble Pils. Wow, haven't had a Pils for a while. Hoppy with very summery and light taste. Good job from a large company. B- 8:25 PM Mar 28th via web (B-, C+)

Compared to everything else on the list, I just can't get into it. It is fine and you should try it, but I am always looking for something more balanced and less one-flavor.

Fluffy Bunnies and Social Media by Beth

A few weeks ago I found out on Twitter that Pretty Things Beer and Ale Project were coming out with a new beer called Fluffy White Rabbits. I was intrigued, not because of the name, but because I'm a total Pretty Things Fan Girl at this point (PTFG?). I wanted to try it, but couldn't make it to the Green Street launch party for a number of reasons, plus those kinds of things stress out this introvert to some degree.

Anywho, our favorite local bar, the Independent, posted to Facebook and Twitter that they had a keg on Friday. Oh yeah, we were so there. We actually had told them earlier in the week that they should try to get it because we were excited about the beer, so now we felt REALLY COOL that they had it. Anyhow, we went, enjoyed it, had two each, and ate some cheese (love their cheese plates, which is becoming an expensive side habit to this already expensive beer habit).

The beer was very drinkable...I actually didn't know the ABV until today (the website hadn't listed it on Friday and it wasn't on the Indo's beer list)...it's stronger than it tastes, but I didn't feel all that much effect from it. I was well fed though. Anyway, it's very drinkable, with a real hop presence, but not in an assertive IPA/DIPA way, more in a tingly aromatic way. Great, drinkable, tripel flavor...a slight astringency, a touch of funk, lovely balance.

This beer definitely screamed SPRINGTIME, which was welcome on such a beautiful day as Friday was...especially after the Nor'easter that flooded the whole dang state earlier in the week. Really, the beer tasted like that first day when spring starts to emerge, the grass and dampness permeates, and it's time for some sun.

Loved it. Run, find it. Enjoy it. If you can't find it, drink whatever from Pretty Things you can.


Anyway, I also wanted to publicly point out how much I appreciate following my local businesses on twitter/facebook--they post their specials, what's on tap, events I'd be interested in going to...and I show up. It's just really great having the information sent to me. Okay, so my wallet and impending unemployment could do without the constant temptations, but a little beer is necessary during these tough times. So thanks to the Indo, and Emma's Pizza, for always tempting me and reminding me how much I love visiting your establishments.

February Grades and Ranks

This is a great outlet for me. I really like knowing what I have had to drink over the past month. If you are reading this, you can follow me "live" on Twitter. I am adding a few notes this month.

[A+]

#1 Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout. Had about 6-8oz. at the fest. Rich, smooth, strong, dark. You know it's good when your foam is brown. A+ 8:54 PM Feb 21st via web (A+ , A+)

I was lucky to drink as much of this as I did at the EBF. It will be hard to find a better beer.

[A]

#2 Great Divide Hibernation Ale. Old English Style Ale. Malty, robust. Peppery, too. Shared with wifey. Seriously good. A 5:57 PM Feb 10th via web (A, A)

I just got "Great Divide"... you know, the Continental Divide?

#3 Allagash White. Still awesome. So lemony and crisp, makes your mouth water for the next sip. A 6:28 PM Feb 6th via web (A, A)

#4 Allagash Four. i love my sipping beers. sour and strong. dark and delicious. a- 7:44 PM Feb 27th via txt (A-, A)

#5 Sinebrychoff Porter. baltic. no carbination. Wicked tasty for cold nights. A- 6:01 PM Feb 14th via txt (A-, A)

These last two are two wonderful beers that should be sipped. I think that this is my new favorite way to drink.

#6 Pretty Things St Botolph's Town. So dark and smooth. at red bones. waiting for potato salad. sOrry love! A 3:21 PM Feb 10th via txt (A, A-)

[A-]

#7 Mikkeller Santa's Little Helper 2009. Belgian ale w/ spices and cocoa. Nice medium body with strong hop appeal. Complex, nice flavor. A- 6:49 PM Feb 4th via web (A-, A-)

#8 Russian River Pliny the Younger. Had 6ozs. Sure, world's best beer, but I don't like 3PAs all that much. But I understand the hype. A- 8:57 PM Feb 21st via web (A-, A-)

Saying this is bad is like saying Christmas is bad. I liked it, but I didn't love it.

#9 Lagunitas Brown Sugar. A lot more hoppy than expected, but with a subtle sweetness and strong nody. And ABV. Enjoyed it a lot. A-. 8:30 PM Feb 18th via web (A-, A-)

[B+]

#10 Southampton Triple Abbey Style Ale. Citrus, coriander, peppery. Apparently I am on a Belgian kick lately Maybe a little "good" sour. B+ 7:51 PM Feb 12th via web (B+, B+)

#11 Great Divide Hades. Belgian Style Ale. Interesting to have this soon after Allagash White. Lemony, but more acidic. More body. B+ 6:35 PM Feb 9th via web (B+, B+)

#12 St. Feuillien Brune. a Fruity Brown. nice balance for now b+ 5:19 PM Feb 14th via txt (B+, B)

#13 Great divide Tripel. nice body for a tart lemon taste. yes i like body. b+ 6:54 PM Feb 27th via txt (B+, B)

#14 Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. Interesting blend of European styles, with a Hefe taste but with a heavier body. Enjoyable and different. B+ 11:51 AM Feb 27th via web (B+, B)

This truly was a different beer.

#15 Anchor Porter. Smoky, but light body. Would have been better if served warmer. Still enjoyable. B 6:50 PM Feb 5th via web (B, B+)

#16 Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. This really is a mood things between the Smuttynose and DFH. The DFH is so much sharper, but is that better? B+ 8:53 PM Feb 21st via web (B+, B)

#17 Ithaca Cascazilla. A red ale. Super hoppy, but balanced well. Nice body and taste. I thought spicy, but could have been the mustard. B+ 8:33 PM Feb 11th via web (B+, B)

#18 Smuttynose IPA. Solid stand-by. Great example of what an IPA should be. It's fun to be hoppy, but to be a good beer, you need balance. B+ 7:54 PM Feb 17th via web (B+, B)

[B]

#19 Anchor Our Special Ale 2008. Still have some holiday beer left. Really is a better session beer than with food. Like good flat soda. B 7:19 PM Feb 2nd via web (B, B)
Anchor OSA '08. After EBF, it is interesting to have something not aged in a barrel. Still super syrupy, with a little tinny-taste. Good. B+ 8:01 PM Feb 25th via web (B+, B)

Aging is still new to me. While I think that it should be good, there are new tastes that I am not sure whether or not they should be there.

[B-]

#20 Kasteel Rouge. A cherry Belgian ale. Honestly? Cough syrup, but sweet and yummy. I expected something more complex. B- 7:19 PM Feb 3rd via web (B-, C+)

Sad that this ranked as low as it did. It was one of Beth's gateway specialty beers.

#21 Middle Ages Im Paled Ale. Drinkable, yeah, but nothing exciting. It's like, "Hey, hops!" Not balanced, but does not leave a bad taste. B- 8:38 PM Feb 24th via web (B-, C+)

Beer Advocate's Extreme Beer Festival

Ben and I have attended 6 of Beer Advocate's beer festivals in the three years since we moved back to Boston. Our first festival was the 2007 Belgian beer festival (BBF), and then the American Craft Beer Festival (ACBF) in 2008. Fall 2008 we were in Belgium during the Belgian beer festival. Last spring, we decided that we really enjoyed the festivals so maybe we should help out, and we volunteered at the 2009 ACBF. Well, volunteering was awesome. So we also volunteered for BBF...and though we never had the inclination to attend one before, we volunteered for the Extreme Beer Festival last weekend. I must say, it's an awesome festival! I was always a little turned of by the amount of super-strong barrel-aged beers. Which I enjoy, but shelling out $ for 3 hours of only tasting them didn't appeal to me...I was worried about how I could stay sober and gt my money's worth. But volunteering doesn't come with that worry! You do, however, really have to stay sober when you volunteer.

Ben and I volunteered all day for the Saturday portion of the festival (the Friday night is a special "Night of the Barrels" and it's hard for me to get home from work in time to volunteer for it). Knowing that we wanted to try many of the excellent beers that would be available, we actually made lists so that we would be sure to not "waste" our sobriety on anything we weren't dying to try.
Anyway, we arrived at Cyclorama a little before 10am and got to work. We got our first session assignments and I was pouring beer for...Lost Abbey! That's really pretty cool, especially since I got to do so with Director of Brewery Operations, Tomme Arthur. He was nice, though he probably thought I was nerdy...as I was being super nerdy! Haha. So, first order of business, I had to try all of Lost Abbey's beers. I know, I know...tough life of the beer advocate volunteer. They were at the top of my list of beers to try, so I was pretty psyched with my assignment. They brought Oak-Aged Ten Commandments, Barrel-Fermented Serpent's Stout, Red Poppy Ale, Sinner's Blend 2009 (a barrel-aged blend of Serpent Stout, Ten Commandments, and Gift of the Magi), and a "secret framboise"* called Framboise de Amarosa...it was actually a double version of it. My favorite was probably the framboise, then Red Poppy. Yum, Belgian-style fruity sours. All of the beers were excellent, though. I may have tried them all twice to make sure they were still good.

My job the second session was patrol...so I wandered around asking if anyone needed me and drinking/sampling when I could.
Here are some of my thoughts (unfortunately I dropped my list at the festival, Ben found all of my papers but I just looked and the list isn't in it! At least I realized this and went through the program to mark things off)

Allagash Brewing Company
Victor Frankenstein 2008--this was awesome. Their "Victor" beer aged in a cask with grapes and "bugs"...not sure what that means. I've never had an Allagash I didn't like, and this was fruity and wonderful.

Birra del Borgo
Rubus-Lamponi--sour ale made with fresh raspberry. If I recall it was refreshing, but apparently forgettable.

Brewery Ommegang
Ommegeddon "Funkhouse Saison"...a little too much for me at the time I drank it

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
They had this special contraption called "randall" where the beer would filter through additives like wood chips, orange peels, additional hops leaves, or espresso beans as they poured it. Added a lot of flavor.
Burton Baton Meets Randall w/Wood Chips
This was pretty woody. I liked it.
Red & White Meets Randall w/Orange Peels
This was fruity, refreshing, but still held its own. Really enjoyed this one.
World Wide Stout Meets Randall w/Espresso Coffee Beans
Probably my 2nd favorite beer of the night. The espresso was just an amazing complement and the way the flavor was used with the Randall was just amazing. An awesome treat.
I tried a sip of Wrath of Pecan from Ben and it was nice and smokey. Enjoyable.

Founders Brewing Company
Canadian Breakfast Stout--a syrup-barrel-aged chocolate coffee stout. My favorite beer of the festival. Smooth and complex. Definitely get maple, chocolate, and coffee flavors in it. Sweet but balanced. At the end of the fest, after clean-up, the volunteers got to drink some of the leftovers of this. I could have had two glasses, just relaxing. Loved it. A+

Ithaca Beer Company
LeBleu--a blueberry sour. I enjoyed this immensely. Tart.

Russian River Brewing Company
The Much Lusted After Pliny the Younger--Triple IPA: it was good, dry, hoppy, drinkable, enjoyable. But not my favorite beer ever. I didn't dislike it, though, at all. Great beer, just not what I was looking for that evening.
Supplication--Brown ale aged in pinot noir barrels w/Brett and sour cherries-- this was a very good beer and I liked it a lot.

Short's Brewing Company
Key Lime Pie--brewed w/lime puree, graham cracker, marshmallow, and milk sugar. I would NOT have tried this if I hadn't been asking all the volunteers what their favorite beers were. This was, actually, very very good and drinkable. Sweet and tasty. It felt like you were drinking a beery key lime pie, but not disgusting like that sounds. Awesome job on that.
I tried some of Ben's Plum Rye Bock and it was okay
Turtle Stout--another very sweet beer, stout brewed with chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Really enjoyed it, very decadent.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Vintage 1994 Bigfoot Barleywine--I tried a sip of Ben's. This beer had mellowed, was really balanced and just great. A 16-year-old beer! Really impressive
Chocolate Chili Imperial Stout--stout with cocoa nibs and chipotle chills....I'd heard that most of the chili beers weren't very good, but this is exactly what I wanted. Smokey heat and chocolate. Yum.

Smuttynose Brewing Company
Bacon Brown Dog--I had really built this up in my head. 1) it was lighter in flavor and color than Brown Dog 2) The bacon flavor wasn't at the perfect level. I was disappointed in this beer, but again, I had built it up a lot in my head.
Potato Maple Porter--this was really enjoyable. Apparently I like maple flavor in beer (or, really, anything--like Starbucks Gold Coast Blend paired with maple!)

The Bruery
Mischief--still very good since the last time I had it. Very enjoyable hoppy golden strong ale.

I alluded to the fact that at the end of the night we got to drink from some of the kegs. One of the volunteers actually did a keg stand of Sam Adams' Utopias. Umm....it's like $100/bottle. But hey, he can say he did it. I tried some, and it's definitely a sipping beer. It'd be nice to try when I had time to enjoy it better. Apparently lots of the volunteers had combined Utopias and Canadian Breakfast Stout, which sounds good, but really my sample of Utopias was enough!

The next morning was the Hair of the Dog after-brunch at Cambridge Common. I had done such a good job of being social the day before that I sat by myself (Ben was working) and just people watched. The idea of chatting someone up was too much, though Candice Alstrom was super sweet to me which I appreciate, inviting me to sit with them. I just couldn't! Anyway, I had Dogfish Head's Black and Blue, which was great. And then a DFH World Wide Stout (since I'd enjoyed it so much with Randall). It was great, but way stronger than I anticipated. Being tipsy by 2pm is awesome. I wandered over to Ben's store after and he laughed at me.

Oh, and at this festival? I have never been flirted with by so many guys. Some dude even put his arm around me when I was standing next to Ben and declared me his "Canadian Breakfast Stout Girl" (well, he slurred that part). Ben was not amused. I was amused that I really did talk to so many guys! Now Ben knows what it's like when I see him being Barista McFlirtyPants. HA!

Volunteering is awesome, and soo soo worth the 13 hour day we put in. Our feet were killing us, but we were so happy and had a great time.


*I seriously told ONE person about this beer and then that's all anyone wanted. We had no signs for some reason, so no one knew where Lost Abbey was, so no lines. People who knew where we were came up, no joke, 10 times asking for the freakin' framboise. It was awesome, but still...there are other beers to try, people! The guys from Allagash, though, were so cute coming over and looking guilty asking for it. "Um, may I try the 'secret' beer?" YES!