150-170 (Great Int'l Beer Fest)

Come one, come all! This is an event to remember (if you're lucky). The Great International Beer Festival was on November 10th and really a lot of fun, despite having to stand in long lines for 2oz of beer.

The drive there was pretty uneventful but full of excitement. There was anticipation in the air. We were floored by being fleeced for $20 to park, but we had no choice. Oh, let's not forget that we had an extra ticket to sell. I (Wes) had to serve as the sales agent. I slid into the line and casually offered to save random strangers $5 by selling them my extra ticket. It's amazing how many people will pass on this offer - they must think it's illegal or something! After dropping the extra ticket and waiting in a 1/2 hour long line to get into the convention hall we had finally arrived. We walked into the hall and were immediately hit with the task of navigating this vast room filled with beer. We had only a small map, 3 two ounce cups and our spirited determination to guide us. The journey was as such:

Ipswich Winter Ale:
This is a very hoppy beer. Retha says it's "Wicked Hoppy". there are some obligatory spices there, but hops is the overwhelming taste and smell. There are some chocolaty malt hints mixed in with the hoppy aroma. 3 steins out of 5.

J.W. Dundee Pale Bock:
From the makers of Honey Brown comes this delightful beauty. Matt didn't quite think it was deserving of the bock name but Retha and I agreed that the beer seemed to be fine either way. There was a very sweet smell with stronger hops in the aroma than the taste. This somewhat fruity, slightly sour beer had none of the bitterness that it advertises - a great drinking beer. 3.75 steins out of 5.

Blue Point Toasted Lager:
Now, don't go pulling out your cream cheese, jelly and butter just yet. This toasted beer smelled surprisingly similar to peach ring candies and had a VERY fruity taste. There was a really bitter aftertaste that was "total hops" buy Matt's account. 2.75 slighty toasted steins out of 5.

Blanche De Bruxelles:
Light vanilla aroma, thin and pale but doesn't taste bad. Appeals to all of Matt's available taste buds. 3.25 Steins out of 5

Haverhill Leatherlips IPA:
The $2 hooker that leaves her mark. This was bitter to the nose, totally bitter by taste and smelled like cheap apricots. Retha sais it was bitter and fruity and the aptly named Leatherlips gets a unanimous 2.5 steins out of 5.

Cottrell Old Yankee Ale:
By far my favorite ale to date, this sweet, smooth, malty smell was matched with a grainy aftertaste. A very classic ale, this beer has all the character of an old man sitting on the veranda of his once bustling mansion telling stories of years (and beers) gone by. 4 steins out of 5.

Brookly Winter Ale:


-I'm going to bed, I'll finish this post tomorrow. It's gonna be a long one.