:: american craft beer fest ::

We went to the American Craft Beer Fest last night at the Seaport World Trade Center here in Boston. I sort of stuck with Belgian-style, sour, saison, and dark beer themes, and here were some of the top finds:

• White Birch Brewing (NH) - Berliner Weisse. While I am not a big wheat beer fan, this one came recommended and I was glad I tried. Less wheaty and more citrus with a great funky sour note from the Lacto Bacillius.
• Enlightenment Ales (MA) - Brut. This nano-brewery made a bière de Champagne using classic French sparkling wine techniques which definitely paid off.
• Enlightenment Ales (MA) - Illumination. A solid saison.
• Element Brewing Company (MA) - Extra Special Oak. We had just had their Red Giant last weekend out in Northampton and have enjoyed their Dark Element before. While Andrea went for their 6:56 Double Red Giant which was a sweeter, fuller version of the more bitter Red Giant, I am glad that went with the ESO which was woody, sweet, creamy, and dark with a low hops signature.
• Maine Beer Co. (ME) - Mean Old Tom. A dark, chocolatey stout aged with vanilla, but without the vanilla being all that noticeable or domineering. Also had their much touted Lunch which was decent for the style, but IPA has not been my thing lately.
• Mystic Brewery (MA) - Flor Ventus. This one also came recommended to me -- a barrel-aged wild ale with the tart notes you would expect from a Belgian lambic style.
• Prodigal Brewing (NH) - Necromancer. A doppelbock that was described as a "dark foreboding lager."
• Boulevard Brewing Co. (MO) - Tank 7. A Belgian-style farmhouse ale with fruity and citrusy notes.
• Boulevard Brewing Co. (MO) - Saison Noir. Another farmhouse ale, but unlike others, this was a dark one with earthy, caramel, chocolate, and mild sour notes.
• Lagunitas Brewing (CA) - A Little Sumpin' Wild. A Belgian geuze-style with that citrus-pine hops signature that I have come to expect from this West Coast brewery.
• DC Brau Brewing Co. (Wash DC) - The Citizen. A Belgian-style pale ale that was rather drinkable with enough intrigue added from the Belgian yeast.
• NoDa Brewing (NC) - Monk's Trunks. An earthy and slightly fruit-accented Belgian-style pale ale.
• Night Shift Brewing (MA) - Trifecta. An amber trippel Belgian strong pale ale with decent spice notes.
• Somerville Brewing Co. (MA) - Slumbrew Trekker Tripel. This Belgian-style beer impressed me a full degree more than their other offerings.
• Widmer Brothers Brewing (OR) - Marionberry Hibiscus Gose. While I went with the Kill Devil Brown Ale aged in rum casks, I was impressed by the gose that Andrea picked. Pink, floral, berry, cleansing tartness. While not what I was expecting from a gose, apparently it is traditional for goses to sometimes be laced with flavored or colored syrups like this.