Extreme Beer '08

Extreme Beer Fest in Boston has become one of my favorite beer
fests and this is only year two I have attended. It will remain on
my "to do" each year. It's an extremely well executed event, never too crowded and Night of the Barrels is a must on Friday night.

There is always a great panel session to attend. This year, we attended the Session Two panel and the speaker was Shane Welch, Sixpoint BROOKLYN. Food is provided by Sunset Grill and Tap (included in the price of the ticket too!). Last but not least, another favorite is what you see to the right, a waffle from Waffle Haus of Vermont. It's made with fresh yeast dough and sugar and is intoxicating. So bummed for Shaun who had a cold and lost some of his taste buds. Next year!

The favorites of the weekend:
Friday Night: Night of the Barrels, where all the beer has touched wood
Sam Adams Utopias this year aged on Cacao Nibs (The only time I get to taste!) ****
Rodenbach Grand Cru ***
Boulder Beer Co. Oak- Aged Never Summer Strong Ale **
Magic Hat Brewing Co. Braggot, made with clover honey, malt, chamomile flowers **
Ithaca Beer Co. Old Habit *
Saturday Session 2:
Boston Beer Sam Adams Imperial Stout **
Boulder Beer Co. Mojo RISin' Double IPA w Amarillo Hops ***
Brewery Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence Stout **
Lagunitas Brewing Co. Hop Stoopid Imperial IPA **
Magic Hat Brewing Co. American Sour Ale *
Oskar Blues Grill & Brewery Gordon somewhere between double IPA and Imperial Red *
Rogue Ales Brew 10k brewed with Vienna, French Special Aroma and Maris Otter Pale Malts; Yakima Summit and German Saphir Hops, coastal waters and that special PacMan yeast. **
Rogue Ales Morimoto Imperial Pilsner **
Sixpoint Craft Ales Gran'dad's Nerve Tonic "GNT" ******
Southern Tier Brewing Co. Choklat Imperial Stout **
Southern Tier Brewing Co. Unearthly IPA *

Saturday night finish was at Mella Modern Indian on Tremont. Not sure if it was all the extreme beers, but I think we both thought it was the best Indian we have had to date!

Of course the yearly trip would NOT be complete without a visit to the Sam Adams Brewery which we did on Saturday. What I didn't realize is that now that the staff has come and gone, and come and gone again in the ten years since I used to work at the Brewery, "I used to work here" means nothing, I actually had to get tickets for the tour! :-0 Ah, but it used to be a place I called home...