OBF 2008 - The Final Roundup
I have been meaning to link to some of the commentary around the blogosphere a little earlier than a day after the event, but follow the links anyway--the edify nonetheless.
Reviews:
Rooftop Brew liked Boundary Bay and Hop Stoopid. Angelo has a nice review of the event, including beer reviews and pictures. Matt Dolman, a San Diegan, offers the out-of-towner perspective. Bill has two posts, a first look and a fuller review; he likes the Full Nelson, proving that you have to try the beers rather than trusting bloggers. Suds Sister, whose fine preview I failed to link, reminds me that I like Matilda from Goose Island a lot, too (her review's in the comments).
Something of a consensus is emerging on a few beers: Hop Stoopid, Boundary Bay, New Holland (Dragon's Milk), Rogue Glen, and of course, Pliny. A surprising amount of love was also given to the strange beers of Roots (Calypso) and Rock Bottom (Congo Queen), and I concur. (Suds Sister dissents on Roots.) Risky and successful experiments.
Pictures
John has a few nice ones, including a dandy of John Harris. Looks like he has a better camera these days, too. Also, Lighthouse Photo Art has 428 (!) pics, should you wish to get a full sense of the event.
Other Odds and Ends
I went back on Sunday for another dram of Dragon's Milk--I wanted a fresh taste--having both the mug and six tokens. I got there at noon, and there was a line of 30 people. I don't know the official word on "buzz beers," but that's gotta be in the conversation.
Also, I meant to say that I noticed one brewery had two beers at the fest, and I consider this an outrage: MacTarnahan's and Pyramid. I know that Mac's (nee Portland Brewing) was one of the founders, but it's unconscionable to give up two taps to a single brewery with two brands. I doubt it will change, and it is almost certain to worsen, as Widhook will probably get two taps next year. Nevertheless, my advice: cut it out, OBF.
My Pics
I'll download some of my pics today and post them here. I tried to do crowd shots at regular intervals to demonstrate the Friday crowd. We'll see how well they turned out.
Here they are (clear evidence only that it was super busy from midafternoon onward):
Reviews:
Rooftop Brew liked Boundary Bay and Hop Stoopid. Angelo has a nice review of the event, including beer reviews and pictures. Matt Dolman, a San Diegan, offers the out-of-towner perspective. Bill has two posts, a first look and a fuller review; he likes the Full Nelson, proving that you have to try the beers rather than trusting bloggers. Suds Sister, whose fine preview I failed to link, reminds me that I like Matilda from Goose Island a lot, too (her review's in the comments).
Something of a consensus is emerging on a few beers: Hop Stoopid, Boundary Bay, New Holland (Dragon's Milk), Rogue Glen, and of course, Pliny. A surprising amount of love was also given to the strange beers of Roots (Calypso) and Rock Bottom (Congo Queen), and I concur. (Suds Sister dissents on Roots.) Risky and successful experiments.
Pictures
John has a few nice ones, including a dandy of John Harris. Looks like he has a better camera these days, too. Also, Lighthouse Photo Art has 428 (!) pics, should you wish to get a full sense of the event.
Other Odds and Ends
I went back on Sunday for another dram of Dragon's Milk--I wanted a fresh taste--having both the mug and six tokens. I got there at noon, and there was a line of 30 people. I don't know the official word on "buzz beers," but that's gotta be in the conversation.
Also, I meant to say that I noticed one brewery had two beers at the fest, and I consider this an outrage: MacTarnahan's and Pyramid. I know that Mac's (nee Portland Brewing) was one of the founders, but it's unconscionable to give up two taps to a single brewery with two brands. I doubt it will change, and it is almost certain to worsen, as Widhook will probably get two taps next year. Nevertheless, my advice: cut it out, OBF.
My Pics
I'll download some of my pics today and post them here. I tried to do crowd shots at regular intervals to demonstrate the Friday crowd. We'll see how well they turned out.
Here they are (clear evidence only that it was super busy from midafternoon onward):
2 pm
4 pm
5:30 pm
7 pm