Extreme Beer Fest '08
Dates: 2008.2.15 - 2008.2.16Location: 539 Tremont Street, Boston - Map it!
Website: http://beeradvocate.com/fests/ebf
Official tags: Extreme Beer Fest '08
| bryan
2007.10.28 @ 21:18 If you're looking for beer that is outside the norm, look no further. Last EBF featured some of the hoppiest, highest alcohol beers I've ever tasted. But, as they say on the site, that's not all that shows up. Many are also clearly the product of brewers' day dreams - beers normal people wouldn't imagine. I'll have to find my list from last time and post a few of the more memorable ones. |
| bryan
2008.2.14 @ 21:49 Hey - I've just gone through and tagged all of the beers that BeerAdvocate says will be at the Saturday sessions. I recommend printing out your own list to bring along. The Weekly Dig list they hand out at the door never has enough free space for note-taking. I'll probably go back and tag the Friday night list as well in just a bit, for any interested. |
| bryan
2008.2.14 @ 22:21 Okay, I've also just tagged Friday night's beers Night of the Barrels '08. Happy tasting! |
| bryan
2008.2.17 @ 22:58 Well, the BeerAdvocate guys have to be pretty proud of themselves. Not only was the beer at EBF great this year, but they had people practically beating down the door to get in. I was lucky to find someone with extra tickets (could have sworn I bought in December!), and probably five other people asked me if I had any extras while standing in line. It has to feel great to know that there are so many people anxious to indulge in the event you've set up to celebrate the thing you love. Far and away, I think I'd have to give "best of show" to Short's Brewing. I don't know that they had my favorite beer of the fest, but the sheer diversity of ingredients, I think, deserves high recognition. Peanuts, maple syrup, pecans, tomato, plums (not all in the same beer, of course) really says to me that these guys aren't afraid to break new ground. "Most surprising brewery" would have to go to Magic Hat. I've become kind of disapointed with their typical retail offerings, but they proved that they really do still have talent at EBF. Grapefuit, honey, beets - and every one of them tasty. Bring some of this stuff to market! As for the weirdest beer, I may have to call out Three Floyds Brewing's Ham on Rye. It really did smell and taste like ham! Reportedly, no pigs were harmed in the making of this beer, but you could have fooled me. Other fun beers where Cambridge Brewing's Weekapaug Gruit and Dogfish Head's Spruce Willis. With the hops shortage looming, I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing more beer brewed with alternative spices. I can't say I'm ready to switch yet, but it was fun to get a peek at what's coming. For those who are wondering why the above review doesn't mention any of the hop monsters that some consider so quintessential to the extreme beer genre, I have two reasons. First, I was actively avoiding them - last year I was hopped out half way through the fest, and I wanted to enjoy more this year. Second, I've already done my share of hop bombing. I've found some great 100+ IBU beers out there, but with so many other spices available, why stick to the same old stuff? So, was anyone else there? Anyone find something more interesting? |
| a_marie_z
2008.2.18 @ 10:01 I concur with Bryan - Extreme Beer Fest was a great way to spend a Saturday, and I'm very grateful to the person who sold us extra tickets! I tried so many things that were different, and tasty in different ways. Since we were tasting together, I didn't taste many ultra-hoppy beers either, and even though I tend to love those, it's good to stretch my palate and try something outside my comfort zone. I was pleasantly surprised by a beer I tasted early on: Tenacious Cassis from Kuhnhenn. I could definitely taste the cassis. I think it's a beer my mom would like. (This is a standard unit of measure; both of our mothers are ardent non-beer-drinkers, so if there's something either of them would like, it's a signal that it's pretty different from traditional beer, or so well-done that even they can recognize its merits!) Also high on my list were Raspberry & Rye from Weyerbacher, Veritas 003 from Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, and EisKaffee from Ithaca. In discussing our beers from the fest, it came to light that we're looking for different things. There were many beers about which we agreed: this tastes good! Those are the beers that I "like", but Bryan is choosier; he "likes" beers that he actually wants to drink by the pint. I prefer to taste. When I have the opportunity, I would much rather try 2 oz. samples of eight beers than have one pint all to myself. That's not to say that I won't drink a full pint of something I like, but rather that my "like" doesn't depend on whether I want to consume something in quantity. Another interesting thing I learned about the way I taste beer: I need to concentrate! This was the first fest at which we ran into a lot of people we knew; it was great to see them, but it was also distracting! I accidentally tried a beer twice (generally not a problem, but when I'm trying to take advantage of all the opportunities to try new things, not what I want to do). So, dear friends and acquaintances...I want to say hi, but I'm there for the beer - let's have dinner afterwards! |
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