Categories
So many beers, so little time (brewfests drinking)
General Beer Discussion by FOZAPD
Usually I attend smaller brewfest with an average of 50 beers to try. Under these circumstances I can usually rule out a few and end up trying all the beers I wanted (40 usually). Now I'm faced with the fun challenge over having to drink from 150 different beers. I'm thinking I need to shoot for my top 40-50 beers. Is that usally the best strategy. I mean that is even a lot when you consider even a 4 oz (200 oz in 4 hours/50 oz per hour). Here is my top 50(not in order). Are there any must haves on here that I've missed. Beers skipped are next to brewers named. My selections are bolded under the name. There are some that I'm skipping because I've already had or the brewery is too close. Anchor Brewing Co. (Honorable mention: Porter, Liberty Ale) Steam Summer Beer Appalachian - (ESB, Water Gap Wheat) Anniversary Maibock Bells - (Oberon Ale, Amber Ale, Two Hearted Ale) Bell's Kalamazoo Stout Bell's Porter Bethlehem - (Fegley's ESB) Hefeweizen Bullfrog Brewery - (TBA) Edgar Imperial Pale Ale Church Brew Works - (Pipe Organ Pale Ale) Pious Monk Dunkel Dogfish Head (Aprihop, 60 Minute) none - too local hence rules out Duvel Moortgat - (Duvel) Rodenbach Grand Cru East End Brewing Company- (Big Hop IPA) Black Strap Stout Flying Fish - (Farmhouse, Dubbel, ESB Amber, Porter) none-too local Great Lakes - (Burning River Pale Ale) Edmund Fitzgerald Porter Elliot Ness Vienna Lager Heavyweight - (Baltus, Lunacy, Cingedhammer? ) none - too local although never heard of cingedhammer KcLingers Restaurant & Bar KcLingers Brown Ale Lake Placid Pub & Brewery -(46er Pale Ale) Ubu Ale Lancaster Malt Brewing (Strawberry Wheat,Hop Hog IPA, Milk Stout) none - tempting but I get these all the time Magic Hat (#9, Hocus Pocus, Fat Angel) Weed Rays Summer Haze - never heard of before Marzoni's Brewing Co. - (Avalanche IPA) Seasonal - TBD McKenzie's Brew House - (Saison) Abbey 8 Biergarde Merchant Du Vin East - (Sam Smith all, Orval, Ayinger weisse) One of the Lindemans (Frambroise or Peche) Westmalle Dubbel Westmalle Triple Melbourn Apricot Celebrator Dopplebock North Coast Brewing Red Seal Ale Ommegang - (abble ale, hennepin, 3 philosophers, rare vos) none - but this will be my first stop if I clear 50!! Otto's Pub and Brewery Red Mo Ale Double D IPA Penn Brewery (Pilsner, WEizen, Gold) Penn Dark Penn Oktoberfest Reinheit Importers - (Engel Gold, Leikeim Weiss) Engel Oktoberfest Leikeim X-Lager Selin's Grove - TBD! Sly Fox - (Royal Weisse) O'Reilly's Stout Southern Tier Brewing Co. (IPA, Hop Sun) Porter Extraordinary Ale Star Brand Imports (Affligem- Dubbel, Blond; Paulaner- Salvator, Pils, Hefe; Moretti, Fischer Amber, Hacker Pschorr Weiss)Affligem - Noel + Tripple Paulaner Oktoberfest Strawski Imports (Crystal- Lager, Diplomat; Okocim OK Beer Perla, Lomza Mocne, Karlovacko)] Okocim Porter Golden Pheasant Stoudts (Weizen, Double IPA, Triple) none - had all several times over at their brew fest Troeg's Brewing Hopback Amber Ale Troegenator Unibroue - (Ephmere Apple, Blache de Chambly, Trois Pistoles, Maudite, La Fin du Monde) Edition 2004 Edition 2005 Ephemere Cassis Don de Dieu La Terrible Victory Brewing (Prima Pils, HopDevil Ale, Whirlwind Wit) none- again too many times and too local Weeping Radish (Hefeweizen, Corolla Gold) Black Radish Weyerbach - (Hops Infusion) Seasonal Other imports attending(not actual brewery) -off list: Spaten Lage Spaten Oktoberfest Franiskaner DAB Original DAB LowCarb DAB Dark Clausthaler Classic Clausthaler Amber Henninger Frankfurt Beer Allagash White Allagash Summer Abita Purple Haze Abita Turbodog Chimay Tripple MArdesous 8 Rogue Red American Amber St. Rogue Red (?? ) Youngs Special London Ale Youngs Double Chocolate Stout Belhaven Scottish Ale All the woodchuck ciders (ugh)
19 years ago
50 samples in 4 hours? I could never do that. I have only been to a few large fests and never had more than 20. Fifty would be like 16 beers, and even in 4 hours I'd be puking well before that, let alone able to enjoy the flavors in the last half LOL. I think usually after about a dozen I'm not able to fairly judge anything anymore, unless you're spitting it out, and I don't think i could do that [:)] At these fests I rarely have more than one from a brewery, and often try the breweries I've never heard of before. If I see something that I know i can get locally, I'll usually pass.
I'd say the last hour is probably a little off. The problem is there are so many that I've never had before that it will be tough to pass some of these up. I have a hotel room right on site, so I figure I can have a little more than usual. 50 might be lofty but I think I can do 40. I have a decent tolerence. I can usually handle 8 in a sitting without a problem.
quote: Originally posted by Flashpro
50 samples in 4 hours? I could never do that. I have only been to a few large fests and never had more than 20. Fifty would be like 16 beers, and even in 4 hours I'd be puking well before that, let alone able to enjoy the flavors in the last half LOL. I think usually after about a dozen I'm not able to fairly judge anything anymore, unless you're spitting it out, and I don't think i could do that [:)] At these fests I rarely have more than one from a brewery, and often try the breweries I've never heard of before. If I see something that I know i can get locally, I'll usually pass.
What is this fest that you're talking about anyway? I think part of the reason I only end up drinking less than 20 samples is that I tend to pick the higher strength beers haha. Sometimes, if you're lucky, they'll have an Imperial IPA or stout that's like drinking two samples in one!
quote: Originally posted by fozapd
I have a hotel room right on site, so I figure I can have a little more than usual. 50 might be lofty but I think I can do 40. I have a decent tolerence. I can usually handle 8 in a sitting without a problem.
http://scbrewexpo.com/ It's The 8th Annual State College MicroBrewers & Import Expo Never been there before but I'm free on July 23rd and it's only 3 hours + from NJ. I was surprised that no one was going from beerpal. It sounds like a lot of beer in a rather close location to everyone. I guess the summertime weekends fill up quickly.
quote: Originally posted by Flashpro
<blockquote id="quote"><table width=90% cellpadding=10><tr><td bgcolor=FFFFCC></td></tr></table></blockquote id="quote">What is this fest that you're talking about anyway? I think part of the reason I only end up drinking less than 20 samples is that I tend to pick the higher strength beers haha. Sometimes, if you're lucky, they'll have an Imperial IPA or stout that's like drinking two samples in one!
EAGLEFAN538
69535
Foz... settle down and make sure you pick the best that are not the simplest for you to get. I guarantee that if you target 40, you won't have a clue what you drank when all is said and done. I start to get lost at 10 with or without notes. Get the ones you can't find easily in stores near you (or that you'd prefer not to buy bombers or big bucks of). Either way... enjoy!