As per my tradition, I attended Beerfest again in the first week of September. I went with a friend on the Friday. It rained SO MUCH and I was poorly dressed for that. At least I had my hat.
So this year it seemed that everywhere I turned there were sours. Most were listed as such, but a few did not indicate they were sours until I took the first sip. Many of the fruit beers were sours in disguise. I also fell out of love with stouts this year as most were pretty solidly “average”. In fact I had very few “wow, that was amazing” moments.
One of the reasons this post was delayed is that I had been waiting for my program, with all its notes, to dry out. Sadly, when it did, I realized my note-taking this year sucked. I do not have a full list of all the beers I tried. I do remember my “best of the fest” pick though: Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Blonde from Smithers Brewing. This beer was amazing with a sweet strawberry start and a tart rhubarb finish. I liked it so much it was the second beer I tried and I went back to it for my last beer.
I did take a fair number of photos and left myself clues in some of them.. so I was able to re-create some of my list:
- Foamer’s Folly: Raspberry Honey Hefe (disappointing, lacking in fruit flavour)
- Townsite: Perfect Storm Oatmeal Stout (very satisfying. best dark beer of this festival)
- Smithers: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Blonde (my overall fave of this fest)
- Bridge: Bourbon Blood Orange Wheat Ale (very bitter and underwhelming)
- Wheelhouse: Intertidal Gose (brewed with seaweed, definite salty taste)
- Brasserie Dunham: Mata Hari Gose (kefir lime made this incredibly tart and sour)
Next year I am going to get one of those waterproof notebooks. And wear a better jacket.
