OBF Wrap Up (a’la Frosty)
I realize that the Oregon Brewers Festival is still going on, but if years of this even have taught me anything, its that unless you like standing shoulder to shoulder with a crush of humanity, you only really want to go on Thursday or Friday at noon. So being that it is now Saturday, I can say that the event was awesome, and for anyone who actually wants to drink beer, and not just stand in line; over.
This year, I loaded up with the carbs for breakfast, so I was able to plow through considerably more beer without feeling ill. Unfortunately, the blueberry pancakes didn’t do anything for my ability to remember what I’d had. Instead, I relied on the miracle of modern smartphone technology to help me catalogue my drunken exploits. (And I only dropped my phone in beer once!)
Special thanks go out to the Taplister guys for the free schwag and friendly conversation. Also, I would like to give props to the amazing place with the crazy nut varieties. I was too drunk to remember the name of your business, but a toast to you anyway.
Of the brews, three really stood out among the rest.
Natian Destination Red
Did you know this Portland brewery existed? Me neither. Still, the combo of the Oregon Honey into the Red Ale really made for a fun combination. Perfect for summer, and was truly the first beer at the fest that I had that was truly “good”. Keep it up Natian…whoever you are.
Moylan Pomegranate Wheat
Fruit beer is a scary concept. It is usually either awesome (Stumptown Tart) or horrible (almost everyone else). Well, whatever the magic sauce is, Moylan’s found it. The pomegranate isn’t overpowering, the wheat balances it, making it an ideal beer for a warm summer outing. Usually picky SwillJockey drank the equivalent of 5 tokens worth of the stuff, so thats saying something.
Cascade Summer Gose
Hurray for the local boys. Known for their super fruity Krieks, the Cascade Brewing guys at Racoon Lodge created a nice Belgian Sour that was the right balance between fruity, and wheat. This was probably my favorite from the whole fest. There was enough flavor to keep it interesting (unlike many watery offerings from the various tents, but still light and cool enough to be drinkable in the 80 degree sun.
So there you have it. With water in hand, I let my liver recover, and thank skylark, SwillJockey, and the OBF folks for another drunk worthy year. Prost!
SwillJockey 6:01 pm on July 23, 2010 Permalink
First taste definitely better than the second. Get’s more horsey tasting with each sip.