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jalstromer
06-15-2005, 09:23 PM
If you are going ... enjoy!

http://beeradvocate.com/fests/index/beers_0617/

Allagash Brewing Company (Portland, ME)
Allagash 10th Anniversary Ale
A blend of 2 high-gravity White beers: a sweeter batch (brewed in February of '05), and a drier batch (brewed in March of '05). By blending the 2 "different" beers, additional complexity is imparted. Further complexity, most notably expressed by the delicate vanilla notes, was gained by aging some of the beer in new Oak Barrels. 10% ABV


Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, CO)
Samuel's Ale
A caramely sweet English-style Strong Ale. 15.0% ABV


Brewery Ommegang (Cooperstown, NY)
Cave Aged Ommegang
Awakened from its seven-month slumber at the bottom of Howe Caverns, this recently resurfaced Ommegang Abbey Ale boasts big flavors of toffee, rum cake, licorice candy, and raisin bread.


Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, NY)
Brooklyn Scorcher
Golden light-bodied ale carrying a big stick of bitterness and big American hop aroma.


Cambridge Brewing Company (Cambridge, MA)
American Three Threads
As a one-time-only, ABF special beer, we harken back to the tradition of blending old, young, and sour beers. CBC's American Sour Ale, Cerise Cassée, is blended precisely with an aged Belgian-style Grand Cru and a young, roasty brown ale. Not to be missed. Don't say we didn't warn ya.


Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (Milton, DE)
Liquor de Malt
A 40-ounce, bottle-conditioned malt liquor brewed with Apache Red (red), Hickory King (white), and Taos Blue (blue) corns. The "All-American" malt liquor is packaged with a hand-stamped, Dogfish Head brown paper bag. 7.0% ABV


Great Divide Brewing Company (Denver, CO)
Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout
Aging on a blend of French and toasted oak chips infuses a subtle oak and vanilla character into the already intense chocolate, roasted coffee malt flavor and hugely assertive hop profile. 9.5% ABV; 75 IBU


Harpoon Brewery (Boston, MA)
Triticus Ale
A strong and dark Wheat Wine-style Ale crafted by Jason and Todd Alström at the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, VT. Brewed with 50% malt and 50% wheat, including German chocolate and caramel wheat and Munich malt, spiced with 4 hop varieties, and fermented clean with the Chico yeast strain. Unfiltered and dry-hopped. Deceiving light, yet tremendously flavorful. 11.5% ABV; 57 IBU

Triticus Ale (Syrah)
Barrel-aged in Syrah from Cisco, Nantucket.

Triticus Ale (Gewürztraminer)
Barrel-aged in Gewürztraminer from Sakonnet Vineyards, Rhode Island.

Triticus Ale (Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon Whiskey)
Barrel-aged in Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Franklin County, Kentucky.


Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)
B3K
Commemorative batch # 3000. 11.3% ABV


Martha's Exchange (Nashua, NH)
Vow of Silence
Aging since January, a hybrid Russian / Belgian Imperial Dubbel Stout that was brewed with grains from both beer styles as well as dark candi sugar. Hopped like a RIS, but fermented using a Belgain Abbey Ale yeast. Boasts a rich and full body that expresses qualities of both brew styles. The extra aging has allowed the beer to become mellower and show new flavors. 7.8% ABV; 75 IBU


Offshore Ale Company (Oak Bluffs, MA)
Offshore Tripel on Early Times Wood in a bed of Cape Cod Cranberries
Aged in an Early Times Whiskey Barrel (first time with beer) on cranberries for 1 month. Then removed from the fruit and transferred into a 3-time used Early Times barrel for 4 months. So subtle is the fruit. So woody is the finish. 7.0% ABV


Portsmouth Brewery (Portsmouth, NH)
Keg Bitch
From Tod Mott: "We would like to send a palate cleansing beer for all those gnarly beers brought on by so many big ass brewers! We would like to send our Keg Bitch which includes cream ale with some modified mint and apricots to help send the mung in ones mouth to the sewer!"


Russian River Brewing Company (Santa Rosa, CA)
Damnation
9 or 12 Liter bottles! Belgian Strong Golden Ale with an exquisite bouquet of banana, pear, and spice. Mouth filling flavors of citrus, malt, and earthy hops with a long dry finish. 7.0% ABV; 27 IBU

Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Elder's nephew and a triple IPA, hopped 3 times more than their standard IPA, and dry hopped 4 different times! 11.0% ABV; GOBS of IBU


SixPoint Craft Ales (Brooklyn, NY)
Sixpoint Express
Restrained fruity and spicy flavors, with a complex malt and ester profile. A nod to the original style, maintained by traditional ingredient selections. Hopped with traditionally aged Styrian Goldings to provide a complementary bitterness., plus a healthy dose of authentic Belgian candi sugar, pressed from sugar beets. 11.3% ABV

Righteous Ale
A blend of two yeast strains working in tandem, Spicy, phenolic flavors from Belgian yeast nicely complement the sharpness of the rye. IPA yeast ferments the beer dry, and creates a clean and massive kick to this beer. Czech Saaz for a fruity, citrusy aroma and taste balanced by a spicy, peppery bite. Chocolate rye for a sharp nuttiness. 8.3% ABV; 66 IBU


Sprecher Brewing Company (Glendale, WI)
Generation Porter
Brewed for Sprecher's 20th Anniversary. A deep brown porter brewed with Dutch cocoa and aged with pure raspberry extract for an intricate blend of flavors including chocolate, caramel, coffee and fresh raspberries. Medium body with a dry finish supported by a well-balanced hop flavor, this is definitely a brew to savor. 5.2% ABV


The TAP (Haverhill, MA)
Della Terra
This traditional Belgian farmhouse ale is made with dried fruit, honey, and spices. Starts crisp and spicy and finishes with just a hint of sweetness. 9.0% ABV

Scheherezade
This strangely beautiful beer was made using yeast and bacteria from "THE" sour red ale producer in Flanders, Belgium. Look for a deep red color, spritzy body and a satisfying sourness. 7.6% ABV


Thomas Hooker Ales & Lagers (Hartford, CT)
Liberator Doppelbock
A huge amount of imported Munich, Vienna and Moravian malts with select dark roasted malts. Subtly hopped with noble German and Czech hops and cool fermented with a Bavarian lager yeast. 8.0% ABV


Willimantic Brewing Co. (Willimantic, CT)
Beer to be announced
Info to follow ...

brewmonkey
06-15-2005, 09:26 PM
Some great beers in the lineup.

Stahlsturm
06-16-2005, 01:43 AM
*SLURP*

I wish I could go.

Lamprey
06-16-2005, 10:11 AM
Is anyone going to this? My weekend is free - I may head down.

BeerClaw
06-16-2005, 10:46 AM
>>Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Elder's nephew and a triple IPA, hopped 3 times more than their standard IPA, and dry hopped 4 different times! 11.0% ABV; GOBS of IBU

I'd drink this one just for the name! What a great name.

chazwicke
06-16-2005, 10:47 AM
I wish I could. If the Extreme Beer fest last January was any indication of their usual festivals then I would highly recommend this fest. I think Newport will be there. I hope to attend more of their fests in the future. It was worth the trip to Boston. The venue is nice and after the initial rush, the beers were easy to get to.

HogieWan
06-16-2005, 11:07 AM
I'd love to go to this. I'd love to get to go to any beer fest. The beer list sounds amazing!

newportstorm
06-16-2005, 01:25 PM
Originally posted by Lamprey
Is anyone going to this? My weekend is free - I may head down.

I'll be there for the Saturaday afternoon session. No Friday VIP session or pre-parties for me. Maybe I'll see ya there.

Cheers!

newportstorm
06-16-2005, 01:29 PM
Originally posted by HogieWan
I'd love to go to this. I'd love to get to go to any beer fest. The beer list sounds amazing!

And that's just the VIP session. Over 100+ other beers available the following day.

http://beeradvocate.com/fests/index/beers_0618/

Cheers!

ADR
06-17-2005, 12:55 PM
I'm already here, staying with my brother in Malden, MA this time...

Have a snafu for the VIP but will be pouring Avery beers all day at the fest on Saturday...

They are great festivals, anyone who can should plan to get to one...

Cheers.

BeerClaw
06-17-2005, 01:41 PM
I have never been to many beerfests - is there any advice to give? I will be at the boston fest tomorrow (sat). It seems potentially to be very expensive as it all adds up. Aside from initial tix, it appears they only offer 5 free tix and then $1 ea/ thereafter, plus food etc. etc.

Any advice from veteran fest-goers would be appreciated. Pace, choices, what to expect, etc.

I have gone to plenty of wine ones in CA - you do get soaked (no pun intended) after awhile plus the lines can be a real PITA.

newportstorm
06-17-2005, 02:14 PM
Originally posted by BeerClaw
I have never been to many beerfests - is there any advice to give? I will be at the boston fest tomorrow (sat). It seems potentially to be very expensive as it all adds up. Aside from initial tix, it appears they only offer 5 free tix and then $1 ea/ thereafter, plus food etc. etc.

Any advice from veteran fest-goers would be appreciated. Pace, choices, what to expect, etc.


It's not the cheapest fest out there, but it's still a decent deal, imo. Pre-purchasing tix online would've set you back only $22.50. You could have also pre-ordered extra sample tix at 5 for $4. With that said, you get a 6 oz. (4 oz. pour line) festival tasting cup, fest guide, access to speakers from the craft brew community, access to over 100+ craft beers (many of which are extremely new to MA or otherwise not widely available), good food offerings including cheese pairings from Formaggio Kitchen (usually killer) and the chance to meet, chat/drink with craft beer lovers.


Pace yourself! I learned that years ago. Sure the 20 oz. of beer you get with your initial tickets may not seem like much, but with some very potent brews on tap, they can sneak up on you. Don't buy tons more extra tickets when you get into the fest. Buy 5 more and play it by ear. Trust me, by the second hour, some people are sick, leaving, whatever and are giving away their beer tickets.

Hydrate! Alcohol is a diuretic and will dehydrate you quickly. I brought a CamelBak to the last fest - hold nearly a gallon of water. Yes, it's geeky, but it worked like a charm. They sell water inside cheaply ($1/bottle?). Plan on drinking at least two throughout the day. Cleanses the palate and keeps you hydrated.

Eat! Eat before, during and after the fest. Again, the beers can sneak up on you quickly. Having something in your stomach will help absorb some alcohol and mitigate what can be (and has) become an ugly post-fest scene.

Relax and have a good time. Some plan out their beers ahead of time. If you do, keep the hop bombs toward the end of the day, lest you ruin your palate early on. Some people just wing it. Nothing wrong there either. But keep your eyes and ears open as some beers are only poured at certain times (DFH is famous for this) and others can/will run out. The buzz in the crowd will alert you to certain things like this.

Keep on top of your bladder. Don't wait until you're almost ready to pop to head for the head. Though the lines aren't terribly long for the bathroom, they can be 10+ deep at times. Plan ahead.

Overall, these are some of the best-run, attended, behaved fests I've been to. Always a great time with a minimum of lines and a maximum of fun. Enjoy!

Cheers!

p.s. I'll be wearing a yellow Michigan visor. Don't be a stranger.

chazwicke
06-17-2005, 03:49 PM
Newport said it all. Very good advice. And I agree, keep the "bigger" beers till the end. Or you will spoil your taste buds for other less large beers. I often get my first beer then walk through the festival area to scope out which brewers tables I really want to hit most. Then as the day wears on I usually start hitting secondary targets or maybe go back for a second of the beer I enjoyed best so far.