Portland International Beerfest

Although international beers are now far more readily available than in past years, and although PIB has lately been showing some signs of neglect, I nevertheless still look forward to this fest with great interest. Nothing beats a great, rare beer on a sunny day under the trees of the North Park Blocks. All the event details are here.

I would love to spend some serious time on a preview, but it's not in the cards this week. I've been invited to brew a beer with Ben Edmunds at Breakside* (I'm with him now as this post goes live), and later in the week I'll be in Hood River with Matt and Charlie at Kriek Kamp. However, I did spend four minutes scanning the beer selection, and these jump out (recognizing that I don't know whether they'll be one or six tokens):

• Cantillon Cuvee Saint-Gilloise (aka "Cuvée Des Champions") - two-year-old dry-hopped, unblended lambic. Draft.
  
• De Proef Brotherly Love (aka "Broederlijke Liefde") - a brett-aged collaboration with Philadelphia's Sly Fox Brewery. Draft.
• Trois Mousquetaires Kellerbier - unfiltered pale lager from Canada. Perfect sunshine beer. Bottle.
• Amager RugPorter. Danish strong rye porter. Bottle.
• Bateman's Mr. George's Ruby Porter. Got porter on my mind, and an example from an oldish English brewery seems just the thing. Bottle.
• Emelisse Double IPA. This is listed as Belgian, but it's actually a Dutch brewpub, and one that's new to me. Bottle.
• Page-23 Reserve Hildegarde Blonde. A French blonde I've never had the pleasure of meeting. Never pass up a French Blonde. Bottle.
• Aecht Schlenkerla Helles. A helles by a famous rauchbier producer. Supposedly it's residually smoky. Bottle.
• Weihenstephaner Vitus. A weizenbock by the world's oldest brewery. Many have tried it; I have not. Bottle.
• Molen Heaven and Hel (aka Hemel and Hel). Another one I've missed--a Dutch imperial stout. Bottle.

There are a few very nice American ales, including Firestone Walker Parabola and Abacus, Full Sail Black Gold, some nice barrel-aged beers from Stone, among others. Also of interest, that Xbeeriment beer is an imperial stout made by a Gypsy brewer from Denmark.

Perhaps I'll see you there.

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A grisette or petit saison, your choice, brewed with pilsner malt, wheat, spelt, a dash of rye, and the Dupont yeast. Plus one other special process I'll save for later. Target OG is, I think, 1.036.