Fest Of Ale

April 29, 2006

A rainy day isn't the best time to inaugurate a new annual beer festival as Todd Antz found out last Saturday at The Keg's Fest of Ale in Clarksville. Less than 100 people braved the elements to sample beers from NABC, Upland, Barley Island, Bells, BBC, Brownings, Thirsty Dog, as well as bottled beer from 3 distributors. Tasting highlights included:

  • Barley Island Barfly IPA - Using lots of the new Summit dwarf hop variety and at 60 IBU very, very bitter. Summit gives a citric flavor that doesn't shout "grapefruit" like Cascades but still packs a punch. They say Summit gives a orange/tangerine quality but at this level that's covered up by the very bitterness (17% alpha acid) the strain was bred for.
  • Upland's Maibock - Rounded exactly to style.
  • New Albanian Cone Smoker - Excellent smokiness in this recipe. Think Spezial right from Bamburg. This is one of this report's favorites.
  • New Albanian Thunderfoot - Cherry Imperial Stout that bit on the stout with some very subtle cherry background.
  • New Albanian Hoptimus - Not overly strong in the hops as it is a British style strong ale at 8.5%.
  • BBC Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout - Rich and restrained. Sweetness is evident but well balanced. During Derby week anything in a Bourbon barrel sells like hotcakes in Louisville. (Just a thought, has anyone thought of a Mint Julep beer?)
  • Thirsty Dog Siberian Night Stout - Smoooth Imperial Stout. Good roastiness and balance. Some chocolate. Good head. - By the way, the Thirsty Dog brewpubs are now closed but the brewing goes on in Independence, OH.
  • Damm lager from Barcelona is now being imported by Bluegrass-Catalunya Intl in Louisville and is distributed in Southern Indiana. Damm Voll and Damm Bock are coming next.
  • A-B will have Spring Heat Spiced Wheat Ale out as a seasonal. Nothing special but a nice attempt.
  • The importer of Wychwood of Witney, Oxfordshire, has added Duchy Originals Organic Ale to the Hobgoblin, etc. lineup available here. Duchy's barley is grown at the Prince of Wales' home farm and a bunch of the profits go to his charitable foundation. On top of that it's a decent English Bitter with a full bitter character although there is almost no aroma.
  • OK, we didn't try it but if you're in Louisvilleland around Derby time you can find Horse Piss beer (seriously). Brewed by BBC and sold, at least, at The Keg along with BBC's Jefferson's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Stout stout in bottles.