First I wasn't going, then I was, now maybe not. As I mentioned two years ago, I have grown a little tired of the flea-market aspect of this fest. Moreover, the beer offerings seem a lot more pedestrian than they did a decade ago. (Intriguing: Laughing Dog and Lazy Boy Brewing, Roots Belgian Brown. Not intriguing: PBR, standard offerings by major breweries like Widmer Hef and Sierra Nevada Pale. We need a fest for these beers?)
But maybe I'm wrong. If you're heading down, report back and let folks know what's shaking. If I do make it tonight, I'll of course post on it.
Meantime, if you are downtown, there's a sublime IPA by Double Mountain on cask pouring at the Pilsner Room. Amazing, amazing beer.
I agree, Jeff... This festival has gone downhill and has become basically a joke. I have NO idea who tis would appeal too.... Maybe someone from the mid-west or east coast....
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing before going however there were some great beers and some SOS' as well...Hopworks 7 grain stout was amazing macke sure you check them out next week is the big opening finally!....Caloopia's Chili beer was great and I don't even like specialty beers....it tasted and smelt like a bag of Tim's Cascade Jalapeno chips.
ReplyDeleteAstoria Brewing brought their Bitter Bitch(again)....good stuff not so Amarillo'ish as last year but at least there was more on hand...little disappointed that Walking Man didn't bring something special...like their Street Walker or something like that...same with Full Sail...just the Brown and LTD....Henry Weinhards had their IPA which amazing tasted like beer....beer with hops in it in fact...actually good!
NOL' Oriole was very tasty as lt Belg.'s go. The RIS from Stone Brewing was also very tasty. Too bad they didnt bring some Old Guardian.
yeah, i agree with jw: the Caloopia's Chili beer was great. so was the Astoria Brewing Dry Hop Apricot Ale...tasty. of course, the Stone Brewing Russian Imperial Stout was a big boy.
ReplyDeleteRogue had some spirits, but i only saw rum and gin neither which i was in the mood for.
the rest was the same as i remembered. only good company saved it from being mostly a bomb.
oh yeah, and the pourers didn't know shite about the beers...the typical response to questions about the recipes was "the brewery rep hasn't come by yet".
ReplyDeletethat may be common, but it was a drag.