ACBF 2015: Highlights

Stoneface's RIS was by far my favorite beer of the evening by far

 

My favorites from last night:
Jack's Abbey - Cocao-nut Framinghammer
Amherst - Pistachio Cream Ale
Stoneface - RIS & IPA
Finback - Auspicious Day
Medusa - Prosperous & Zweihander
Foundation - Epiphany
Rushing Duck - Divided By Zero
Four Quarters - 4 Quaterez Mojito

 

I fully enjoyed 3 Stars - both Desolation and Above the Clouds - but I had them towards the end of the session, so I'll have to temper my expectations if I have them again. I was really hoping to try some Barreled Souls, but they were gone in the first forty minutes, which was a bummer.

 

Interesting. So they did show up? When we got there the booth was empty and there was no indication anyone had ever setup there. I wonder what happen. It's too bad, we were really hoping to try their beers as well.

Lots of great beers this year, seems like more than usual. Stoneface's RIS was incredible. As was Ebenezer's Filthy Rich, 3 Stars Desolation, and I really enjoyed Mobcraft's Sour. I forgot the name and I don't think it's on the beer list. It was a 9.5% ABV that had hints of raspberry. Really good.

And props to the BA Folks for throwing another great event. This and EBF are my two favorite events every year.

 

2 years in a row now I walk away feeling like Enlightenment Ales is the best overall booth at the fest, or most underappreciated brewery there. Top shelf beers with virtually no line whatsoever.

I also liked discovering Schilling's gose, Peak's citra saison, Ebenezer's pilsner, Rushing Duck's berliner, White Lion's pale ale.

 

Berkley Abbey Strong Ale. One of the best beers I've ever tasted.

 

Ebenezers Filthy Rich was the highlight for me by a mile. I had like 10 pours of it.

 

Stoneface - RIS
Lively - Filthy Rich
Foundation - Epiphany
Jack's Abby - Sour Barrel #4
Lawson's - Shhhhhhhhhh

 

Great fest! My highlights from Friday night.

Barreled Souls - Big Bang American barleywine

Lawson's - Triple Sunshine

Mystic - Flor Ventus

Brewmaster Jack - Hoppiness is a Warm Pun

Stoneface - DIPA

Schmaltz - She’Brew Triple IPA

Other Half - Chardonnay Barrell Aged Brett Saison

Aeronaut - Saison of the Western Ghats

Aeronaut - Session with Dr Nandu

Bear Republic. Brandy Barrell Aged Grzz

 

Stoneface - RIS
Other Half - All Green Everything
Foundation - Epiphany
Rushing Duck - Divided by Zero
Port Jeff - Overboard RIS
Humboldt - Black Xanthus
3 Stars - Desolation

I second the Barreled Souls statement from @klawburke…it was tough to tell if they even showed up for the Saturday afternoon session as their booth was completely empty. No Boomsauce from Lord Hobo was also a disappointment, as were the other two beers they had instead (Glorious, Ball & Biscuit).

Otherwise a great event overall, seemed like it was much easier getting around this year. Props to BA for another great event!

 

MARZ Jungle Boogie for sure!!!
Four Quarters Darkest heart
Rushing Duck Divided by Zero
Fiddleheads brett pale ale


Another surprise for me was Hidden Cove

 

3 Stars Desolation was awesome.
DC Brau El Hefe Speaks was a surprisingly great take on a hefe.
Other Half can do no wrong as far as I am concerned.
And also, Four Quarters is a brewery to watch out for. Had four different beers there and all were amazing.

I had Triple Sunshine and Rhubarb Basil Saison and was very disappointed in both.
Barreled Souls didn't look to me like they showed up which sucked.

 

Barreled Souls was there when I walked in for the first session, probably 6:05 when I got in. I remember seeing their banner and thinking I needed to try them, but obviously went to the Lawson's line first. Went back to their booth around 6:40 and they were about all packed up already.

 

Yeah, the Barreled Souls situation was kind of a bummer. They and Four Quarters were at the top of my "new breweries to check out" list. Fortunately, Four Quarters more than made up for it. Those guys brought over a dozen beers and put in some serious work.

 

Yep.

 

Mine too. Great stuff!

 

Bentley Brewing's Fancy Pants was really top notch for me.

 

Southampton RIS was an exciting surprise, it was one of the original highly sought after limited release stouts before things exploded. I was stoked to finally try it. A solid RIS.

As for highlights, Four Quarters really brought their A game. I had a couple of their sours and saisons, all of which were very good. Their Darkest Heart imperial stout was damned good, maybe the best stout at the fest behind Filthy Rich.

Ebenezer's/Lively Brewing also continued to impress. Dankenstein was a really good dank DIPA, Space Taxi is one of the best American versions of a Quad, and Filthy Rich might have been the best beer at the fest! Oh, and overall they nail German/English styles to!

Lawson's goes without saying. I only had SHhhhH!! Which was top notch, but they packed a punch bringing SoS and Triple Sunshine!

Fiddlehead's Second Fiddle lived up to the billing and Brett Berried Alive was really good.

Medusa's Prosperous IPA on cask at NERAX booth was a tropical juice bomb!

Honorable mentions are the Lagunitas ScareCity series: Rye Cocoa Porter and High-West-ified coffee IS. Both were very good.

Overall the quality of IPAs/DIPA was incredible. Wormtown, BrewMaster Jack's, Medusa, and Jack's Abbey all represented Mass strongly, and of course Other Half, Lawson's, and Fiddlehead knocked it out of the park. (not to forget MBC, etc!)