Five For Imbibing

(I had originally started this blog in the summer after I had attended the beer festival, but I had stopped mid blog. I had forgotten about it until now hence the notes about recent beer samplings and tastings. I hope it didn't confuse you too much.)

Big ups to Beer Advocate for bringing the American Craft Beer Fest back to Boston. My girlfriend and I were much the wiser this year as we arrived early, took public transportation and attended the less crowded afternoon session. Sure, we were worse for wear afterwards, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. I shall now list a handful of notable beers amongst the 50 of so I had the pleasure of sampling.

Cisco Brewers (MA) - The Grey Lady - This Belgian wheat beer with chamomile and citrus zest reminded me of a lighter version of Harpoon's UFO. This would be the prototypical summer session beer out of the brews I shall list. (Note: I actually met one of the brewer's of this beer at a spot beer sampling in mid-October at Blanchards Liquors in Marshfield after work. I was purchasing tequila as a gift for a wedding I was attending in the near future and he was sampling their pumpkin flavoured offering along with the their unique array of beers. The brewery based in Cape Cod and guy told me a story of how he doesn't much tequila but tried some in Las Vegas at a high end tequila bar. It hit the spot so well that he went on a roller coaster something that isn't normally is his risk averse wheelhouse).

Woodstock Inn Brewery (NH) - Kanc County Maple Porter - I first discovered this brewer last summer while attending a wedding at the Mt Washington Inn at Bretton Woods. Their Pig's Ear Brown Ale can hold a candle to one of my favorite more widely available brown ale's in Newcastle. We had the delight of sipping on the maple porter at the beer fest. The maple syrup was subtle and served as a nice compliment to the breadth of the porter. The key was that it was definitely not too sweet.

Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery (NC) - Paul's Day Off - A specialty offering from this brewer, this strong style ale seemed legendary. It had limited issue written all over it. Plenty of complex aromas and flavors from this selection which can from oaken bourbon barrels. You could definitely taste the sweetness from the bourbon.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (DE) - Palo Santo Marron - The signature component of this brown ale is that it comes from a Paraguayan tree. It looked like motor oil but tasted a helluva lot better. It'll warm you up and it won't let you down. Fruity, chocolatey and malty were all the sensabilities I got from this beer. Much better than the summer offering I had recently from them called Festina Peche. This malty brew fermented from peaches was extremely tart. You could probably sip one in an entire evening if you choose. Good for a wine snob, it was a lot like Pinot Grigio.

Southern Tier Brewing Company (NY) - Imperial Cherry Saison - This brewery always tends to go big or go home in my opinion. This farmhouse ale catered to the desire for the harmonious convergence of cherry and spices. Their Pumpking, an imperial Halloween offering lived up to its hype as well when I tried this from a friend's recommendation. I thought I was tasting coconut but it was probably nutmeg, I'm glad it was because I'm not a big fan of coconut.