AZ Beer Week

OK, officially kicks-off tomorrow, though a few places are jumping the gun tonight.
Looking forward to the fest tomorrow--be still my beating liver!

 

I'm heading straight to BB Batch 9000...

 

Had a couple pours of BB 9000, good but super sweet. Had a great time though, wonderful turnout and crowd.

 

I didn't stay long enough for the BBA Bell's 9000, but the Marble Reserve and Imperial Stout were pretty solid BBA beers. Hopslam was my favourite hoppy beer there, went back for seconds. Sierra Nevada Narwhal and Bigfoot were outstanding as always. Good time.

 

I don't know enough of y'all in person, so you all blended into the crowd. Talked to Friar Tuck in Luck's wife and caught up with old friends and fellow geeks.

I did what I could to help get the 9000 tapped quickly..HS was certainly grreat. Agreed that Marble brought their A game (as did 4 Peaks)--the oude bruin might've been my favorite at the fest; the Imp Stout and DIPA were nice, too. Enjoyed the P'go chili beer--with a goodly amount of heat to it--that was no Cave Creek... The Petrus red was tasty but I thought too sweet.
Also nice to see the new brewers really trying. --that said, and at the risk of incurring wrath, I thought the OHSO beers were terr-i-ble.

 

So i didn't go this year...i went to California instead. I know bad for AZ reppin' but im back now...
Went to the Odell after party thing at OHSO....ppl there were wasted....

Pics of the Strong Beer make it look like it was fun..but sunny/warm/sunburny......better that the rainy year?

I saw somebody on untapped having had posted Knight Changer ....from Noble Ale Works.. at StrongBeer. Was that at the festival?

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22412/65332

It is a great beer but i didn't know we were getting it in AZ.... (have ahd in CA only)

Also did anybody get any older vintages of Hopsquatch 07? 08? 09?
Drinking those was a highlight for me last year.

I had Uwe's Chilli beer brrwed for Papago at the fest last year. Didn't know there was more. he said he didn't liek it...i loved it..

Y'all that got Bell's 9000 are lucky cause i heard it will NOT be at Hungry Monk....so i think that's the only keg of it AZ will see (the one y'all had)

About Marble: they are solid. I'm not surprised to hear good things bout whatever they brought.

What did SN bring? was there any BA Bigfoot? treatments of Ovila? One of the Anniversary blends?

 

BB Batch 9000 was fantastic, and I'm very pleased that Bell's brought it.

Marble's BA Imperial Stout was my surprise of the day. Excellent beer...wasn't expecting it to be that good. I spent a good amount of time drinking Espresso Yeti, too.

Can any of you give me some info on Hungry Monk? I very badly want to try Black Note, though it is going to be rather difficult for me to get there. Is the place usually crowded? Any idea how much BN will be on hand. With as hard as it will be for me to get there, I'm worried that I could arrive and still not get any (and I have absolutely no other reason to go there). I'm not at all familiar with the place or the type of people who will be in attendance.

 

I had a great time, first time, and maybe a little too much to drink!

The Four Peaks '08 Hopsquatch and Baltic Porter were both awesome! Sonoran did a cask Inebriator that turned out amazing! The 9000 was really good, but a bit too sweet for me as well. San Tan did bring the '10 Sex Panther, witch I loved in '10, but the age wasn't very good for it unfortunately.

I have three complaints:
First... No, SN didn't bring any BA Bigfoot or Ovila, unfortunately.
Second... I am a fan of Odell, I had Myrcenary twice yesterday, but nothing amazing.
Third... I admit, I wasn't blown away with OHSO's beers, but someone lifted one of their barrels at the end, really not cool!

 

I'm planning on going to the Monk for exactly the same reason, I really want to try some black note! On an average Friday or Saturday night they get pretty busy, but for this event I'm sure that they are going to be packed. I believe that what I heard was there is going to be one keg of Note for the event, but they aren't tapping it until 6:30. Hope this helps with your decision.

 

Thanks for the heads up on OHSO. /sigh

 

Praying Monk or Hungry Monk?

 

I went last year and as the coolkats say...it was a definite shitshow:

Super crowded totally disorganized and annoying TVs blaring with shitty classic rock music played from some douchey dj set up that was in the damn way of the door from the patio to the bar...
They let people smoke on the patio which was disgusting.

There were about 4 stations outside plus the bar inside and the Bells Beers were distributed randomly among them.
Plastic cup outside...seriously plastic cups... and nowhere to sit inside (and i go there at noon...and stayed til 7)

BN was limited and so they made it a ticketed pour....you didn't have to pay to get to the event but they made you line up to get tickets then line up to get a glass . That was probably smart.
BN didnt appear until about what? 7 pm...but they refused to say all day when they were tapping it (or at least i wasn't cool enough to get the truth)

(and by the way BN is way overrated...it just taste like a watery BA stout...but by all means find out for your self)


I'd skip it and go to Great Divide at Boulder's..

 

For those still looking for stuff to do here's a list of AZ BEERWEEK events.
I didn't make the list but ti includes some things no at the AZBEERWEEK website:

http://mouthbysouthwest.com/2013/02...-beer-week-aka-the-greatest-week-of-the-year/

 

Here's another little thing to do.
I know the world doesn't get all shook up by this beer any more and i would say it much nicer after a few years aging but if your AZ BEER WEEK would be incomplete without some Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA here;s your chance:


http://yuccatap.com/event/az-beer-week-120-minutes-of-happiness/

(Monday the 18th at Yucca tap Room for the non link clickers)

 

Very random but I am considering moving to Flagstaff or Tuscon in June and wouldn't mind getting some more info from a local BA. So hit me up if anyone feels like making conversation.

It's cool to know there's an AZ beer week!

 

+1 on 3frogs views. Ohso needs to learn that just putting a beer in a oak barrel and spiking it with liquor doesn't make the beer any better. Marble's beers were great and probably the best all around brewery showing there overall. Papago's Freakn Hot was a great change up, much better and more dimensional than Mudshark's chili beer and I liked it better than the base beer at Sun Up. I did have some Firestone Anniversary, not on tap but the rep had a bottle that he was pouring off of. Bell's 9000 and Petrus Red were both too sweet. Wasn't really impressed with 4P's Sirius Black but loved the rye wine. Things look promising for Coffee Cartel's beers based on the homebrew they had. If you thought the fest was a shitshow of drunk people you should have seen TT Roadhouse later that evening where they were giving away free beer and food.

 

The Hungry one!

 

i'll send ya a BM to talk about AZ when beer week settles down a bit

 

Yeah i had a feeling Cartel was gonna do a good job. they've been working on it for almost 18 months now.
i walk by the facility three days a week and can't wait til they start serving there.
I had no idea they were gonna have their stuff at Strong Beer

 

Sunday:

I worked but went to Boulders on Broadway after their beer fest.
They still had lots of good stuff on draft.
Casks of a Dragoon Porter and Odell Tropical IPA (that shit was awesome).
Lost Coast Imperial 8 ball...nice not overly barrelly stout
Deschutes Armory -weird
One of the incarnations of Left hand's Ambidextrous (this one was a smoked bock i think)
Great Divide Hades -very good Belgian pale thing
Cistmontane Black Dawn - nice big stout
Marble's Imperial Stout (great as mentioned above) also Cuvee Rouge and a DIPA from them
They still have Dewey's date Night that James from WF Chandler brewed...surprisingly good


Monday:

tonight i'll be at WOB (I'd go to Papago but i have had all the Stone Vert Epic except 2 and 3....)

Odell Tap Takeover

Noon to 11 p.m. Monday at World of Beer in Tempe
This Fort Collins, Colo., brewery always brings some special beers down for Beer Week, and this year they’re blowing out all the stops with a massive 20-beer tap takeover. One of the highlights will be gWOBa IPA, an imperial guava IPA brewed with the WOB staff. Other rarities: Legal Pad, Featherie, Bourbon Barrel Stout, Amuste, Tripel Threat, Wooden Elephant, and Cocoa Joe.