2013 American Craft Beer Fest (Boston, MA)

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BeerAdvocate©

Everyone has days they look forward to all year; for most, it is a birthday, an anniversary, Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any of a myriad of other major holidays and events.  For me, the American Craft Beer Fest is one of those days.  Sponsored by BeerAdvocate and Harpoon Brewery, this is the third year I have attended, and it has gotten bigger and better each time.  Held in the gigantic Seaport World Trade Center in Boston's Harborside, each of the three sessions, held over the course of two days, has the capacity for 5,000 guests, plus a couple hundred staff and somewhere close to 1,000 brewery workers from over 140 different craft breweries.  I went with my friend Sean, who also came with me last year.  You can find my review of last year's event here.

Last year, I was disorganized, and because of that, I missed out on a few things; this year, I planned ahead, checking out the list of beers that would be at the festival and determining which were the ones I most wanted to try.  This list consisted of 22 beers from 19 different breweries, which are located all over the country, from Maine to California.  I tasted all but two of these beers (the missing beers were the Jack's Abby Smoked Maple Lager, because I forgot what I wanted, and Stone Imperial Russian Stout, which they were out of), and when I was done with my list I found a couple more to try as well.  Overall, this was a great trip, and I had some delicious beers, as well as a few mediocre ones and even one or two that were just plain awful.  Virtually all of them were new to me beers, though I had a couple of old favorites as well.  My descriptions are going to be pretty short, just some quick observations.  Without further ado, in the order that I tried them:

Brewery Ommegang

Brewery Ommegang's Rare Vos (Belgian Pale Ale, 6.5%)--The first beer of the night, this was a light, citrusy beer packed with flavor; a great option for a warm day.

Brooklyn Brewery's Silver Anniversary Lager (Doppelbock, 9%)--A medium bodied, hoppy beer, it was drinkable but not their best.  I wish I had tried something else.

Oskar Blues Brewery's Mama's Little Yella Pils (Czech Pilsener, 5.3%)--One of my favorites of the night, this was a light, flavorful, delicious beer, perfect as a session beer or on a hot day while grilling.  This has a lot more flavor than your average Czech style pilsener.  Just what I expect from this company, a fine beer that is the equal of the previously reviewed Old Chub.  These guys are a definite leader in the movement of great beers packaged in cans rather than bottles.

Allagash Brewing Company's Interlude (Saison, 9.5%)--The first thing that hit me about the Interlude was that it smells like champagne as it first hits your nose, but this disappears as you taste it and are overwhelmed by the huge, classic flavor of this fantastic saison.  Wheaty, with a light body, this was among my favorites of the night as well.

Rogue Ales

Rogue Ales' OREgasmic Ale (American Pale Ale, 6%)--Boring.  That's the primary thought that was in my head after tasting this; it is mildly bitter, and not in a pleasant, IPA-ish fashion, and there just is not much else there.  I'm disappointed, I expect so much more from Rogue.

Victory Brewing Company's Prima Pils (German Pilsener, 5.3%)--This was another surprising disappointment, from another company I really have a lot of respect for.  The Prima Pils was too light, too fruity and citrusy, and had nothing special to offer.  The hops were too bitter, something that I would rarely say.

Maine Beer Company's Lunch (American IPA, 7%)--There really is not that much to say about the Lunch; it is the perfect IPA.  Try it and you will see, this is the best example of an incredible beer variety you will absolutely love.
 


Lagunitas Brewing Company's Imperial Stout (Russian Imperial Stout, 9.9%) and Hop Stoopid (American Double IPA, 8%)--Two very good beers from a company that has been at the forefront of California's craft beer movement for two decades.  The Imperial Stout is a spicily sweet, sharp, tart beer, with a lot of malt flavor; I absolutely loved it, but my friend Sean hated it, comparing it to a lambic, which was understandable, as the tartness was reminiscent of that.  He had the Hop Stoopid, which was a hoppily delicious IPA.

Stone Brewing Co.'s Cali-Belgique (Belgian IPA, 6.9%)--I did not write anything down for this; I'm not sure what that means.

Jack's Abby Brewery, llc.'s--Cascadian Schwarzbier (Schwarzbier, 7%)--This was a good, subtly hoppy beer, not as good as Jack's Abby's Hoponius Union, which is one of my favorite beers from Massachusetts, but this is a good option.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery's Burton Baton (American Double IPA, 10%)--This was a good beer, but yet again, I am disappointed by one of my favorite breweries.  I guess I expect something equal to the 90 Minute IPA or the WorldWide Stout every time I taste a new Dogfish beer, and this did not live up.  I did enjoy it though, and it does not taste like a 10% beer, so that's something good at least.




Widmer Brothers Brewing

Widmer Brothers Brewing's Omission Pale Ale (American Pale Ale/Gluten Free, 5.8%) and Hopside Down India Style Pale Lager (American Pale Lager, 5.5%)--I don't know what I was expecting with the Omission, my first gluten free beer, but I was pleasantly surprised to enjoy it. It is nothing particularly interesting, but it reminded me of Yuengling, which is never a bad thing.  The Hopside Down, which they referred to also an "IPL," was really great, one of the better beers I had all evening.


Kona Brewing Company

Kona Brewing Company's Wailua Wheat (American Pale Wheat Ale, 5.4%)--This was a bad beer, completely un-enjoyable, tasting like eating a bunch of wheat; who wants to do that?


Great Divide Brewing Company

Great Divide Brewing Company's Chocolate Oak Aged Yeti (American Double Stout, 9.5%)--This was the second best beer I had all night, just behind the Lunch.  I have some to rely on Great Divide, one of a number of spectacular Colorado breweries, for some fantastic beers, including the Claymore Scotch Ale and the Denver Pale Ale, but this is their best yet.  Smooth, chocolate-y, delicious, this heavily malted beer is incredible, and I will definitely be getting some in the future.  Great Divide is rapidly moving up my list of best breweries in the country.

The Cambridge House Brewpub's Abija Rowe IPA (English IPA, 6.9%)--This is a beer two of my coworkers have been recommending for months, so I had high expectations, and Cambridge House met them.  A wonderfully hoppy, slightly bitter beer, it is a quintessential IPA, a model beer for the variety.  It is not quite as incredible as the Lunch, or a few of Stone's offerings, but you cannot complain about anything involving this beer.

Element Brewing Company with a decent line

Element Brewing Company's 6:56 2012 Double Extra Special Oak (English Strong Ale, 15%)--At an event filled with super high ABV beers, the 6:56 was tied (with Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Stout) for the highest of all.  At three times the "normal" amount for a beer, aka Budweiser, this is not a gulping beer, but my lord, sipping it is wonderful.  Reminiscent of the WorldWide Stout, this smooth, sweet, malty, huge beer is just incredible.  Second best new beer for me, behind only the Yeti, and third best overall.  Points for Element also for walking around with a pitcher of Red Giant for people waiting in line.

Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams Tetravis (Quadrupel, 10.2%)--Sam Adams is often forgotten when talking about craft beers, partially because they no longer officially qualify, since they are a publicly listed company on the NYSE, and partially because people tend to think of them as being much, much bigger than they really are.  Most of their beers are rather mundane, with a few of their regular beers being legitimately loved and respected in the beer community, but it is their special beers that show their roots and their ability.  The Tetravis is a strong, delicious beer, and while I did not take much in the way of notes and thus do not have much specifically to say about it, I can say that one word I wrote down was "spectacular."  Kudos to a company that I, and many others, do not often give enough respect to.

Banner Beer Company's American Summer (American Blonde Ale, 3.7%)--Banner is a new local brewery specializing in low ABV session beers, a nice idea, as I will admit that I do not really want to always be drinking super high alcohol brews.  The people involved seem really, really nice, and I wanted so badly to like this beer....but it just reminds me of Budweiser, and that is never, ever a positive thing.  It was just boring, and I really hope they improve, because more breweries in the area is always a good thing, especially when the people involved are so very friendly.

Olde Burnside Brewing Company's Father Christmas Highland Ale (Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, 9.2%) and Stone of Destiny (Black and Tan, 12%)--By this point, my already poor handwriting had severely deteriorated, to the point that even I can barely read it.  This did not in any way decrease my enjoyment of the beers I was drinking, of course, but it does make my opinions slightly suspect.  That said, I thought that both of these were good beers, with the Father Christmas a nice example of a Scotch Ale; malty, slightly sweet, a good drinking beer with a nice mouth feel.  The Stone of Destiny, that rare bottled black and tan, was also a good one, a perfect example of what you're looking for in a black and tan.  This was my last scheduled stop.


Mad River Brewing Company

And on to the additional beers I tried, that were not on my original list. 

Mad River Brewing Company's Jamaica Red Ale (American Amber/Red Ale (6.5%)--I only wrote one word:  "Awful."  Cool sign though.

Otter Creek Brewing's Hop Session Ale (American Pale Ale, 4.25%)--A nice example of a session ale, light and tasty.

High Horse Brewing's Mr. White (Witbier w/ Grapefruit, 4.75%)--High Horse does some nice stuff, and this is a good witbier, with a decent, mild flavor.  Also super friendly people.  Read my review of the High Horse itself here.


All in all, this was a great success, for me personally and for BeerAdvocate and the ACBF; the event continues to be a blast for all participants, and grows year by year.  In the future, they may have to expand to offer a fourth, or even fifth session over three days.  After only six years, this event is already the largest beer festival on the east coast, one of the largest in the country, and attracts about 15,000 people over a two day period; that is distinctly impressive.  Well done BeerAdvocate, well done Harpoon, and well done to all the brewers and attendees.  Not a single fight, argument, or even disagreement seemed to break out while I was in the area, which considering the amounts of alcohol being consumed and the number of people involved is a true testament to the respect people have for this event.

View of the giant room

Another view of the giant room

Some swag from Kona



The all important guide to the ACBF

More swag, this time from Widmer Brothers

One more shot of the room...people of all ages
were there, a great event!

Long Trail and Otter Creek; two great Vermont
breweries side by side



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Oskar Blues Brewing Company Old Chub Scotch Ale

A dark, rich amber beer, this little gem came to me via a friend who stayed with me for a couple nights and left one can upon leaving.  Oskar Blues Brewing Company, a Longmont, Colorado based brewery, is one of the many craft brewers to offer their beers in cans rather than bottles, a vastly more economical method of packaging and shipping for the company.  I'll admit, I had never heard of them, and while my friend went with a six pack of this, I grabbed a four pack of Chimay Blue Cap Grande Reserve, which served me quite well.  The Old Chub, however, is a damn fine beer, and was very nearly the equal of my Chimay.

Scotch Ales are strong, vibrant, and intense beers, the brewed equivalent of their whisky counterpart.  This beer is a good example of the style, with a hefty, and noticeable, alcohol content at 8.0%, some impressive hoppy flavor without being particularly bitter, and almost a sweetness that reminds me of Scotch whisky.  It lacks any real head, with just about a centimeter settling briefly on top before melting away into some lace around the edges of the glass, but otherwise is a nice looking in the glass.  The beer has, as I said, a little something that almost equates to sweetness, though I'd say it's not quite there; it's the sugars from the grain used and the malting process used to make it coming through, for sure, but it's not overwhelming (which to me, means any real sweetness in a beer, something I tolerate in few brews).  The beer is highly rated on BeerAdvocate, usually a pretty good sign, especially since Jason Alström, one of the founders of the site, is a big fan.  I'd highly recommend it, as a reasonably priced, high quality craft beer of a style you don't often find.

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My Favorites

It makes sense, I suppose, to start with my favorite from each category; this blog's version of the "What would you want if you were stranded on an island" game.  So here goes.

• Whisky 

I'm starting here because, quite honestly, it's the easiest decision.  As I write this, I am drinking my last half shot of BenRiach, a 20 year old single malt Speyside Scotch that I bought in England several years ago.  In a break from my normal tastes, this has almost no smoke to it, but it is even smoother than even the best blends I have had.  With a light note of vanilla, and a beautiful finish, this is the perfect Scotch, with just one problem:  I CAN'T FIND IT IN THE USA!  I have tried, and tried, and tried, but I have yet to find it, even in stores that are Scotch heavy.  I could order it, but even as good as this stuff is, I can't bring myself to spend $200+ on a single bottle to get it shipped here from England when I can drink from any of the numerous bottles of good to great Scotches on my shelf.

Honorable Mentions:  Lagavulin 16, Balvenie DoubleWood 12

• Beer

This is a tough one, but it really comes down to two breweries competing for the number one spot:  Stone Brewing Co. of Escondido, CA; and Dogfish Head Brewery of Milton, DE.  Stone's Arrogant Bastard Ale is a heavy, harsh, bitter, and delicious beer that will make fun of you as you drink it.  Seriously, it does.  This is what it says on the label and their website, www.arrogantbastard.com:

"This is an aggressive ale. You probably won’t like it. It is quite doubtful that you have the taste  or sophistication to be able to appreciate an ale of this quality and depth. We would suggest that you stick to safer and more familiar territory–maybe something with a multi-million dollar ad campaign aimed at convincing you it’s made in a little brewery, or one that implies that their tasteless fizzy yellow beverage will give you more sex appeal. Perhaps you think multi-million dollar ad campaigns make things taste better. Perhaps you’re mouthing your words as you read this."

 So, if you're of the sensitive variety, either in taste buds or personality, this is NOT the beer for you.  If you like big, strong, higher ABV beers (7.2%) this is for you.  Just remember, "You’re Not Worthy™"

As for Dogfish Head, they are my favorite brewery overall, and WorldWide Stout is the best of the best.  At a massive 18% ABV, this will literally knock you on your ass.  I tried it at the 2011 American Craft Beer Fest and it blew me away.  It was the first beer I tasted and I'm so glad, because it was by far the best I had all day and it disappeared shortly after (Stone's was already out of Arrogant Bastard by the time I arrived).  I'm not really sure how to describe this beer other than to say it reminded me of sipping a really, really good bourbon, if bourbon had a creaminess and smoothness to it that can only come from a true stout.  Despite its high alcohol content, this beer drinks really easily, but don't make the mistake of drinking it like a normal beer; it's not, it's more like drinking whisky or other high ABV spirits.

If you forced me to pick one of these, I'd take the WorldWide Stout, but only because it's not available year round like the Arrogant Bastard.  You really can't go wrong with either, but don't pick up either one if you're looking for a refreshing beer that will be nice on a hot day.

Honorable Mention:  Geary's London Porter

This is also the time for a shout-out to Beer Advocate, the best beer rating website on the internet; these guys are AWESOME!  Seriously, check them out, you won't regret it the next time you go out and are trying to decide what kind of beer to drink.

• Food

This is even harder to decide than the beer, because I just love all kinds of food.  I won't even offer you a specific dish that is my favorite, because I won't be able to decide; rather, I'm going to talk about a few cuisines and dishes from each that I really love.  These are in no particular order.

*Korean:  Spicy heat is probably my favorite food characteristic, and Korean delivers with ease and impunity.  From real Ramen soup (which totally ruined my shameful past love of the stuff that college kids think is Ramen), which makes me grin from ear to ear as I cry spicy tears, to squid and vegetables in spicy sauce, and almost everything else I've tried for that matter, I just really love Korean cuisine.  It's really simple in a way, in that it focuses on the ingredients, not on some kind of fancy technique like French or other European cuisines (not knocking French cuisine, but it does often seem to focus more on the technique than the individual ingredients), but the flavors are tremendously complex.  The heat in my favorite dishes never overwhelm the other flavors, which is key, because so often we experience spice as being this hurdle that the eater must overcome, rather than as a simple complement.  

There is a great little restaurant in New York City called Danji that serves tapas style food using traditional Korean flavors; pretty great concept, not cheap, but worth every penny.  Try the Steak Tartare and Bulgogi Sliders; you'll thank me.

*Ethiopian:  For all the jokes that are made about East African foods (search alternate definitions for  "MRE," the Meals Ready to Eat that the military gives personnel in the field for one example), this really is an amazing group of foods.  Like in many poorer countries, Ethiopians took what they had available (spices) and used them to great effect to enhance the sometimes meager ingredients available.  Kitfo, a spiced, raw ground beef, is not for the faint of heart in the USA, where we have been taught that raw beef is evil and dangerous (it's not, at least not inherently so), but it is among the most flavorful things you could ask for.  Lamb and chicken are also heavily featured in Ethiopian cuisine, but I've been to Ethiopian restaurants with a friend who is a vegetarian and she enjoyed herself immensely (she had a lentil dish, and it was delicious).  Forks will not be found at an authentic restaurant, so be warned, if you don't like using your hands, you won't like Ethiopian, where you will be given plenty of injera, a spongy, flexible flatbread to use as a vessel.  The first time I had Ethiopian, I did not enjoy the injera on its own, finding it to have an acidic, vinegary taste that was unappealing, but since I have not had that issue, though the injera was not particularly flavorful anywhere, but I suspect its not supposed to be heavily flavored.  FYI, like with most Middle Eastern countries, Ethiopians eat with their RIGHT hands; the left is traditionally used for certain, shall we say, sanitary purposes, and so it is considered unclean.  You have to be more talented than me to avoid using your left hand at all to tear pieces of the injera off, but if you get a weird look from the staff, that's probably why.


*Japanese (Sushi, really):  I like Japanese food in general, but sushi is really where it's at.  I love fish in general, but especially raw fish, without much adornment, where you really taste the fish itself.  Toro/Otoro (fatty bluefin tuna belly), hamachi (yellowtail) and unagi (freshwater eel, not served raw) are my favorites, but I really like just about everything offered in most traditional sushi joints other than a few of the roe (fish egg) options, which just don't quite work with me for textural reasons.  The simplicity of sushi really appeals to me greatly, as most traditional sushi does not include much in the way of sauces, and if the ingredients aren't perfect you can tell; despite this simplicity, the quality of the chef is key, and if you find a good one...KEEP HIM.


So, those are my three favorite cuisines, and just like with the beers, if I had to pick one it'd be the one that I find the least often; in this case, Ethiopian.  I can find acceptable sushi and (shockingly) very good Korean in my area, despite it being very rural here, but I have to drive two hours to Boston or three to New York City to have Ethiopian.

Honorable Mentions:  Chinese (the real stuff, not what you get at "Chinese" restaurants), Bar-b-que (Eastern North Carolina style being my favorite, but any will do; gotta love smoke!), and Yucatan Mexican (a great combination of numerous different ancestral cuisines)

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