Bistro 2008 west coast barrel aged beer festival

Attended the 200 Bistro's West Coast Barrel Aged Beer Festival on Saturday. Had a real fun time sampling unique beers with friends. Good times.



The number & quality of beers was pretty phenominal. 57 different barrel aged beers from the West Coast.





Didn't get to try nearly as many as I wanted to.

Some personal favorites:

Avery's Vogelbekdieren. A blend of 3 different beers from 5 different barrels. Cabernet barrel, Chardonnay barrel, whickey barrel. The with Brettanomyces added.

Firestone Walker Parabola Imperial Stout. Aged 2 years in a bourbon barrel.

Glacier Beam Razz XXX. Triple Bock aged for 3 years in a Jim Beam barrel. Then repitched with ale yeast & raspberries.

All 3 or Port's offerings were fantastic.
2006 Angel's Share barleywine aged in a bourbin barrel. Huge toffee flavor. Awesome
2008 Older Viscosity. Bourbon barrell aged imperial stout. Huge, chewy, filling.
Veritas 002. Blended sour barrel aged beer with raspberry mead. Tart, sweet, & delicious.

Schooner's 2007 Old Woody Barleywine. Aged 10 months in an oak barrel.

Valley's Dec 12 Cuvee Speciale. Belgian style quad aged in 56 year old Gallo brandy barrel.

There was no judging. Just a people's choice award.

1st. Schooner's Vindecation. Oatmeal stout aged with cherries & funk in a brandy barrel.

2nd. Valley's Effingreat. 2 year old strong ale aged in a brandy barrel.

3rd. New Belgian's Eric's Ale. Blend of La Folie & Peche.

4th. Firehouse's OTIS imperial stout aged in bourbon barrel.

Tie for 5th.

Fifty Fifty's BART. Barley wine & oatmeal stout blend aged in Jack Daniels barrel.

Glacier's big woody barleywine.

Allagash's Curieux. Belgian triple aged in Jim Beam barrel.

Didn't know this guy. But thought it was funny.

Buffalo Bill's is right across the street. Popped in to take a breather, have some food, and a beer.

Check out both these places next time in Hayward. Both great spots for beer.

http://www.the-bistro.com/

http://www.buffalobillsbrewery.com/

Catching up with some recent Big Beers tastings. Captain Lawrence Nor Easter, Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA, Weyerbacher Thirteen

Catching up with some recent Big Beer tastings.

Captain Lawrence Brewing Company's Nor' Easter WInter Warmer 2007. From Pleasantville, New York.

This is a Belgian Strong Dark Ale aged in bourbon barrels with elder berries. That's right. This was one unique, interesting, & delicious beer. The barrel aging gives the beer a HUGE bourbon & vanilla aroma. The taste has the same qualities along with a distinct alcohol soaked raisin flavor that is AWESOME. Glad I traded for this gem. One of the best & most unique beers I've ever had. Truly. 11% ABV, but feels like much more.

http://captainlawrencebrewing.com/





Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. I love hops. This beer has some serious hops. Boiled for a full 2 hours(standard beers are boiled for about an hour) while constantly adding hops for the full time, then dry hopping during fermentation for a month, then aged on full leaf hops for another month makes....well, a hoppy beer. There is also a massive sweetness to make one hell of a beer drinking experience. This clocks in at a mammoth 20% ABV. Yowza. A 12oz bottle can be shared with a couple people. It drinks surprisingly easy for such a huge alcohol content.

Dogfish's tag line is "Off Centered Beers For Off Centered People". They make really different out of the box beers and fast becoming one of my favorites.

http://www.dogfish.com/





Weyerbacher Thirteen from Easton, Pa. Brewed to celebrate their 13th anniversay. An Imperial stout brewed with Belgian yeast. Lots of smooth chocolate like flavors, roasted/toasted maltiness, bitter coffee flavors & lacking the big hop bitterness from typical imperial stouts. A nice big flavorful brew.

http://www.weyerbacher.com/





Another Dogfish Brew. Black and Blue. A Belgian Style Strong Ale brewed with Blackberries & Blueberries. Wacky. I'm typically not a huge fruit beer fan, and I thought this was just okay. Taste was very tart and sweet. Kinda like an effervescent blackberry....drink of some sort. The malty beer character is there, but, just different. Still unique & glad I had the opportunity to sample. Wish I would have saved the 750 ML bottle to share with friends over some food.

More Big Beers upcoming. Portsmouth's Kate The Great, Three Floyd's Darklord, Smuttynose's Barleywine Style Ale & Imperial Stout, and more. Good times ahead.

Tiny

We're sad to report the passing of our wonderful cat, Tiny, on Friday September 26th. Tiny had been with Ronda & I for the 14 or so years we've been together. And with Ronda for 4 years before that. She did enjoy a very full life of 18 years & brought Ronda & I much daily happiness. Needless to say we are very sad to see her go & will miss her very much.

Here's a few pictures to celebrate her life.