TnDC Field Trip #17 GABF 2010 Day 2

Let the tasting begin! Now tonight we split the beer up with H2O intake and some book signings with Charlie Papazian, Sam Calagione, and Ray Daniels. The gates opened a few minutes early to start herding us in and someone with a TV camera stopped and said, "Hey, where you from?" The Scottish bagpipes were playin' and the climb up the staircases put us at eye level with the 3-story tall blue polar bear outside. The Enabler and I grabbed our plastic tasting glasses and the list that follows is as good as it can be when it comes to sampling beer like you're speed dating:

The 1st beer will always be the best and it seems fitting to be Samuel Adams Utopias 09', no surprises here, we've had it before just not out of a pitcher! Samuel Adams Stony Brook Red- nose of tart fruit, a Belgian style with toasted notes, Samuel Adams Kriek, Samuel Adams Longshot 1, 2, & 3- Rae Rae's ale, Don Tiburon (Japanese for shark) ale and Lavender Honey Brew from a girl that just brewed her first batch, by far the worst of the 3 and yet she won, go figure, Swashbuckler Brewing Co.- no pouring, Jolly Pumpkin- Bier de Mars, a "warm" beer with heavy alcohol notes, New Glarus Brewing Co. -Raspberry Tart, one of the top 3 beers in the world sought after, I loved it and I'm not that kind typical beer drinker, DFH -Bitch's Brew, a dedication to Myles Davis's great jazz album and a truly wonderful beer, imperial stout mixed with Ethopian influenced honey beer, bittered with gesho root, Il Vincino Brewing Co. -we had the Vienna, Export, St Bob's 06', 05' Old Ale and Rye PA and honestly can't remember the exacts of each but the Vienna had a great complex of malt, Humperdinks -The Enabler and both had the Chocolator, and the Überbrau, Avery - Dugana and Depuceleuce which I can't find memorable other than the 2nd beer was hard to say, Alaskan Brewing Co. -Smoked Porter 09', well worth every medal, and the ever popular (drum roll please...) BlackStone -St. Charles Porter! (another medal winner), Widmer Brothers -Shaddock IPA, eh, Bells -The Oracle DIPA, was bitterly lovely, Russian River -Temptation, can't call it, Rubicon -Winter Wheat, in relation to the QQWW I've made, it was smooze and warming! 10 Barrel -Auburn Alehouse -Not Auburn, AL (the ones playing Clemson this weekend) but Auburn, CA 95603, Gold Digga IPA, PU420 Imperial IPA (the most interesting of beers as explained by the Asian guy that explained it as a fusion beer with regards to the actual atomic process), McFord's IPA, Gold Country Pilsner, No Pressure Alt Beer, Grand Teton -Sweet Grass APA, great American beer, met one of the brewers and never made it back for a pic op, Left Hand BC -Oxymoron Hoppy Lager, thinking about selling my bottles already that I picked up at Argonaut's, yeecckk, nothing cool about this beer but the labels, RedStone Meadery -Nectar of the Hops, nicely balanced warmth of EtOH and hops, the some other mead we can't remember, Clipper City -Loose Cannon Golden Ale, a phenom beer to end the evening. We shall see thee upon the morrow.

TnDC Field Trip #17 GABF 2010 Day 2

Let Mortal Kombat begin. Today we embark on a trip over 3 years in the making. BTW, it took less time fly to Mars! Already made it to Argonaut package store and tried to empty the store currently though we are at Bull & Bush having lunch. Red partakes of a Black Coast IPA, Junk and The Enabler sip a Man Beer and I swill down some Fyfe's Highland Ale currently they have 17 beers just on tap just for GABF.
Fyfe's Highland Ale has a sweet malty smokey nose with flat head and garnet color with peat smokey taste. Red carries on by sampling Hail Brau Hefeweizen. I move onto the Black Coast IPA and The Enabler tempts the Big Ben Brown Ale. Black Coast IPA is dark translucence with nice hoppy nose. Taste has a great roasty grain and bitter hoppiness. It gets 4.5 bulls and 2 bushes on malt and hoppiness. And in just a little while we start the real fun.

TnDC Field Trip #17 GABF 2010 Day 1

Arrival was memorable. The flight even better other than the storm front we had to cut around at 50K feet just over Kansas. Had a Heineken on the flight in and a Corona for The Enabler, sponsored by my P-i-L (pop-in-law) with some drink coupons. The iPhone has sold itself as indispensable. Found the convention center, Cherry Creek running path, and a great package store with an awesome yet high priced beer selection.

Our Tastes-- BBC Professor Gesser's IPA

Professor Gesser's IPA is one of a few brews my squeeze brought back from Louisville on her last trip and one I needed to share. Not currently on their website but there are many ratings on ratebeer and beeradvocate. It pours a nice dark copper with yellowish flattening head. Characterized as an American IPA the nose seems to have a Chinook or Cascade to it. It has a strong bitter up front taste with little hop blending to it. I understand IPAs are supposed to have a bitter taste to them but this one seems to have a "bad" bitterness to it, almost astringent. No malt to mention on this one. On other reviews it has the abv at 7.1-9% which is a warming redeeming quality but then again you can get bad moonshine at 70% (from what I hear;)