Noble Ale Works (2018)

I don't do Anniversary parties. Done a few in my past. But $50 is better than the other guys down the 91 frwy. How much are those guys charging? Is it a hundred? I don't get it. I'm sure most of us could but a lot of cans and bottles for a hundred than watching a bunch of hoodlums on haze.

 

No knock on Noble but if both Noble and Monkish's anniversary parties were on the same day, I'd go to Monkish. It costs twice as much, yes, but I'm really looking forward to those guest breweries--way, waaaaay more than any Noble beer and a bunch of Naughty Sauce variants.

Also doesn't hurt that Monkish is only 15mins away from me. The Uber savings will help offset the cost difference of tickets.

 

I chose Noble. And Monkish.

#thuglife

 

Don't let anyone at Monkish know your BA username.

 

Nice and easy online sale. Was surprised that they aren't asking for more info; guess I'm just used to Bottle Logic online sales asking for eight different forms of identification...

 

Yep, super smooth.

 

Also, saw this in the e-mail: "This charge will appear on your card statement as EB *Meet Local Singles". That is going to go over SUPER well when the next credit card statement arrives...

 

OMG that is amazing!

 

HA! Thanks, Noble, for my divorce.

 

Brilliant tactic to get you in the tasting room more often.

 

@Vito_at_Noble - when do we get info on the fest for Saturday. Seems a little weird we're less than 48 hours out and have no clue what food or beer will be there...

 

Confirmed foodtrucks will be Hoboco Pizza, Offset BBQ, Mess Hall Canteen, and Dragon Dogs.

As for beers, last year I posted an instagram story of some of the beers the day before. We generally won't know the exact list until tomorrow as we will be running a QA on every beer to ensure it is acceptable for pouring. At this point were hoping for around 40 different offerings. Wish I could give you exact details now, but I will as soon as I can.

Thanks for understanding.

 

Also, the tasting room tap list hasn’t been updated since the 23rd. Any new beers on?

 

Is there a beer list? Hoping for some leftover sloppy seconds tomorrow (kids sports getting in the way today )

 

No Fig Poppa today

 

Anyone swinging by the tasting room today? If so, any leftovers from yesterday?

 

There are like three leftovers, so barely any ... Bean Bump was the best option and worth the visit for this beer alone.

 

Doesn't look like anyone wants to leave a review on the festival here. Not sure why. What happened? Overall, had a great time with no over-crowding for beer (other than Canniversary). It felt like they ran out of time or that the event was somewhat of an afterthought. After 7 years (not sure how many festivals) and $50 a ticket, things could have been a little smoother. Just a quick outline of the event from my perspective:

- Logistics: It felt a little unorganized for several reasons. There were no social media posts on the menu. BA post from Noble gives a little color as to why nothing leading up to the event, but there was no post the day of either. All of the other festivals I've been to (Bruery, Firestone) have been able to post a list several days in advance. When I got there, the line was pretty long, but not horrible. They went through checking ID's early, which is great! But, when I got closer they had to check my ID again in order to get my wrist band. They tried to start early, but I still got in there about 10 minutes after it started. Not a big deal, but if their intent was to get us in quickly, they could tweak it a bit for next time.

- Set up: They spaced things out well and had some other vendors such as food and cold brew. Plenty of bathrooms. It would have helped if they had a map that included where to FIND the beers. That was the only "mess" I would say about this event. You had no idea where to find the list of beers that was printed on the menu. They did not even put the names of the kegs in place that was easy to see. Most festivals put it at the top front of the tent. Instead, they put the labels on the table where you had to walk to the front of the line to see it. Sound nit picky to say that, but it was really annoying to have to guess where to find things.

- Beers: Overall, very creative and they had some very nice variations. Definitely fun if you're a regular or a fan to try a fan-favorite like Naughty Sauce w/a different adjunct. I have not been in the tasting room for the last month, so not sure which ones were already on tap. The Canniversary was excellent, but that fruited version was amazing. Also, they had several BA stouts that were supposedly 12 abv+ and they were SO smooth. No noticeable heat from what I could remember. I could have popped a straw in the glass and drank until I passed out. However, I was getting a lot of diacetyl from many of the beers. A distinct butteriness that got to be a bit overwhelming after a while. Particularly in the cereal beers.

I know this review sounds a little rough. I had to rush it, but I did enjoy myself. The rain stopped and the weather was perfect. Plenty of beers with nothing noticeable that kicked. Decent food trucks. Price was appropriate. Cheese table was cool. Staff was friendly. Just felt a little rushed and last minute.

 

I dunno. Beer was excellent. Didn't get a whisper of any off-flavors. Lots of people, but the lines were short and quick. Food tasty. Only $50 for AYCD. Even the weather went from crappy to good as soon as we showed up - I had a great time. Bring on Anny #8, I say.

 

This was my biggest complaint and initially it was especially frustrating as my group and I were trying to plan our plan of attack. A map of where each beer was being poured would have been a nice touch but displaying the beer being poured where it's easily visible is a must for beer festivals.

Overall my group had a great time. The sessionable sours and BBA stout variants were the highlights for me, especially the BBA stouts. The cereal beers were interesting in extremely small amounts but I had trouble finishing a generous pour of the taster. Thanks Noble, I'll be back next year!