Holiday Ale Fest in 312 words
I made a blitzkrieg stop at the Holiday Ale Fest. Sort of a preview before tomorrow's more serious visit when Sally can join me. These are my comments, in lightning-round fashion:
- Lompoc Franc'ly Brewdolph. A nice beer, and a nice demonstration of what the Ardennes yeast can do if you give it some time. I'd have liked some more depth, and maybe a sour twist at the end, but life is full of small disappointments. B+
- Deschutes Jubel 2000. In my review, I confused this with 2000 Jubelale. No. This is their special millennial beer. Sadly, I found it murky, metalic, and dissipated. The flavors had drained out of it. I heard praise here and there, but I stand by my tongue on this one. C+
- Boneyard Femme Fatale. I had the sense that this beer was soured mainly by the cranberries. It was overly sweet and one-dimensional, but with a bit of lactobacillus, it might have sung. C+
- Gilgamesh Cranberry Saison. A strange beer. It had an odd, metallic aroma and a sharp, tinny note backed up by thin wheatiness. And yet I sort of liked it. I felt like it could be a beta version of a wonderful beer--perhaps with a bit more oomph. B-
- Lucky Lab Pavlov's Stout. Ah, here we go. A massive, burly, tasty, rich, boozy, lovely imperial stout. Right in the old Alworth wheelhouse. B+
- Columbia River Paddler's Porter. Wow. I have rarely tasted a beer so un-beerlike. Toss in a few marshmallows, pop it in the microwave, and the kiddies would call it Nestle. I see why it's wildly popular, and it was beguiling, but even as I enjoyed it, I felt compromised. B