Holiday Ale Fest

Discussion in 'Pacific' started by Aestro, Dec 4, 2015.

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  1. Aestro

    Aestro Devotee (360) Nov 29, 2009 Oregon

    Is it really second day of Holiday Ale Fest without a thread? Wow.

    I made it today and was there....a long time.

    Very bummmed when around 6pm they finally brought out the "2-ticket" signs. Before then, none of the regular beers were more than 1 ticket.

    My favorites so far have been the Drake's, Full Fail, Widmer and Awesome Ales, probably in that order. The Rogue was also surprisingly good, but I just had a small sip. And I've had several good limited brews, but most people have already missed out on those. What else has everyone else enjoyed?
     
    #1 Aestro, Dec 4, 2015
  2. NWer

    NWer Pooh-Bah (2,145) Mar 10, 2009 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    Just not getting any buzz is it? I really liked the FW Ferral One (only FW they had left when I went back in the evening), the Full Sail Wheat, & Oakshire Oratz Burton. Will be going back today. Hope they have something equal to FW in the "limited" area. Also, Deschutes (Abyss vertical, Mirror Mirror) didn't seem to be getting much love. Old school?
     
    #2 NWer, Dec 4, 2015
  3. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Appreciate the thread. Unfortunately, I can't go till tomorrow. It's unfortunate, as I'm sure there will be a number of limited release/reserve beers that I'll miss out on, but that's the way it is every year. I'm sure what's available will be more than enough to keep me interested.
     
    #3 John_M, Dec 4, 2015
  4. vurt

    vurt Grand Pooh-Bah (4,504) Apr 11, 2004 Oregon
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    That Full Sail BA Wheatwine was really quite good. I also enjoyed the FW Smoked Imperial Walkers Reserve.

    The McMenamin's Lord of Misrule sequel was disappointing, simply because last year's was one of the stars of the show, and was better than most things I tried this year.
     
    #4 vurt, Dec 4, 2015
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  5. Erik-P

    Erik-P Initiate (0) Aug 19, 2013 Canada (BC)

    Bear republic will have a number of specials tapped at 3 today http://holidayale.com/the-beers-limited-release.php
     
    #5 Erik-P, Dec 4, 2015
  6. Aestro

    Aestro Devotee (360) Nov 29, 2009 Oregon

    "Full Fail" is what comes out of a keyboard when you type an Ale Fest post post-Ale Fest.

    I liked that Oakshire a lot as well. It was pretty much every other good bourbon-barrel aged stout I've ever had, but that's fine by me.

    One thing I have noticed, which may have been a problem at previous years as well, is that a lot of the kegs are very cold. It's a bummer for some of the beers that would definitely be better at room temperature.
     
    #6 Aestro, Dec 4, 2015
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  7. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yep. This is a problem every year.
     
    #7 John_M, Dec 4, 2015
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  8. Aestro

    Aestro Devotee (360) Nov 29, 2009 Oregon

    I had several of these. Ebewezener was good, which I think I remember from previous years. The Rum and the Brandy beers were both fantastic. Hope someone else here got to try them. Both were very, very forward on their respective liquors. They also reminded me of what I like about the ale fest - there are a lot of beers that are wonderful in four ounces and probably brutal for more than that.

    Ninkasi's bourbon barrel Ground Control is fantastic too. I've avoided the $17 bottle because it sounds kind of gimmicky and Ninkasi hasn't really impressed me in a long time, but this is definitely a stand-out. I don't think the normal bottle is barrel-aged, either. But it helps a lot.
     
    #8 Aestro, Dec 5, 2015
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  9. vurt

    vurt Grand Pooh-Bah (4,504) Apr 11, 2004 Oregon
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Agree completely. Rich, not too sweet, excellent mouthfeel, and well-integrated barrel character. If people got to try this beer without seeing the Ninkasi name attached to it, I think they'd be thrilled by it.
     
    #9 vurt, Dec 5, 2015
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  10. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    While certainly not a drain pour, I was less than thrilled by the BA ground control. However, lackluster though it may have been (in my book), it was WAY better than the Base Camp/Eastside distilling Triplebock (a sweet mess), Rum Tum Tumbly eisbock (that I couldn't dump quickly enough) or the Drunkle from Seven Brides (which tasted as if it was "skunked").

    Beers that I did think were really good included the FW smoked walkers reserve and both the Gargantua I and III from Eel River. Other beers that I thought were pretty decent included the Feckin Morning, Deck the Helles, Happy Marijuanica, and (much to surprise) the BA wheatwine from Full Sail and the BA chocolate stout from Rogue.

    Had a great time as always, but I have to say that I'm a bit puzzled by the $35 charge. A plastic "pint glass" mug and 12 one dollar taster tickets for $35 just struck me as a bit on the high side.
     
    #10 John_M, Dec 7, 2015
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  11. derftron

    derftron Pooh-Bah (1,663) Feb 8, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    yeah Ive always loved going to this event over the past few years, but the $35 entry fee kept me out this year. Especially since I could have only gone for 1 day, it really wasnt worth it. Also, the Block 15 and Barley Browns tap takeovers at Lardo East and West were more than enough for me for one weekend
     
    #11 derftron, Dec 7, 2015
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  12. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Stopped by the Lardo West spot after HAF. I was hoping that this was the BB tap takeover location, but it turned out it was the Block 15 location. Still, got a glass of Figgy Pudding that was the finest version of this beer that I can ever recall having. The dirty fries were tasty as well!
     
    #12 John_M, Dec 7, 2015
  13. derftron

    derftron Pooh-Bah (1,663) Feb 8, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    The Figgy was so much better than last years, hard to tell it was even the same beer.

    They also had the Peche lambic on the day before which was fantastic. The Alpha IPA was also really good (better than Sticky IMO)

    2011 Imagine was world class. One of the best beers I have had in a while
     
    #13 derftron, Dec 7, 2015
  14. Elendinn

    Elendinn Initiate (0) Apr 30, 2010 Oregon

    Showed up for a couple of days, as I do every year, and invariably enjoyed myself; however, this year seemed particularly busy, and, given the confusing proximity of the fest-goers to the taps, I found myself erroneously believing I was in line more often than I'd care to admit.

    Feckin's Top o' the Feckin' Morning, Full Sail's BA Wheat Wine, and Rogue's BA Double Chocolate Stout were, surprisingly, a few of highlights. Locoveza Charred was great, as well. BA Ground Control fell flat -- I definitely prefer the standard version.

    I loved Block 15's pop-up at Lardo West. Almost wish I'd devoted more time to that. Hope that's a trend that continues.
     
    #14 Elendinn, Dec 7, 2015
  15. westcoastbeergeek

    westcoastbeergeek Initiate (0) Sep 16, 2015 Canada (BC)

    It's a very nice beer, my only disappointment was that they choose style that wouldn't really show off the yeast. A bit pricey, one day I'll have to learn the dislike for Ninkasi, as a non Oregon resident I simply don't get it.
     
    #15 westcoastbeergeek, Dec 7, 2015
  16. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Dislike is a bit too strong, IMHO.

    Living down here in Eugene, I feel like I'm nearly inundated with new Ninkasi beers on a regular basis. Most are pretty decent, but they seem to make an awful lot of "mehhh" stuff. Also, maybe it's just me, but I feel like over time they've dumbed down the recipe on many of my favorite beers (Maiden the Shade, Tricerahops, etc.), in what seems like an attempt to not make anything too "out there." Then there's the "gimmicky" stuff, like Ground Control. It's an OK beer, but other than the addition of "space yeast" to the recipe, and the fancy price tag that goes with it, I wouldn't call it a standout.

    The result is that I'm hesitant to try their new stuff when they release it. If one of the staff members at the Tap and Growler hadn't recommended it, I probably wouldn't have tried the (relatively) new Noir Milk Stout, and it turned out to be excellent.

    So for me, it's really not dislike, but instead is more disappointment. They have a fabulous facility here in Eugene, they host all kinds of local events, and it would be great if they were churning out great new, innovative beers on a regular basis. However, it just doesn't seem like they ever do. At least for me, my typical reaction is to try a new beer from them, shrug, and move on to something else. After a while, I've found that I'm just not interested in trying anything new from them.
     
    #16 John_M, Dec 7, 2015
  17. westcoastbeergeek

    westcoastbeergeek Initiate (0) Sep 16, 2015 Canada (BC)

    I see, I've often viewed them as consistently good with a few really nice releases, kind of like Rogue but less pricey (other than Ground Control). So yeah, totally get the perspective of a local, every town has one of those places that just isn't all that exciting to them, but for people who see it once or twice a year it's different. Thanks!!!!
     
    #17 westcoastbeergeek, Dec 7, 2015
  18. oregonskibum

    oregonskibum Initiate (0) Mar 14, 2009 Oregon

    After drinking that Block 15 2011 Imagine, I pretty much forgot about every HAF beer I tried during three days of going to the fest. My second favorite beer of the week was Vanilla Abraxas, poured at NWIPA Wed night. So moral of the story? Watch for all the non-HAF events that occur during HAF week for the best beers.
     
    #18 oregonskibum, Dec 7, 2015
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  19. Erik-P

    Erik-P Initiate (0) Aug 19, 2013 Canada (BC)

    that was an awesome day.. spent the afternoon at the fest then headed over to NWIPA!
     
    #19 Erik-P, Dec 8, 2015
  20. Aestro

    Aestro Devotee (360) Nov 29, 2009 Oregon

    In terms of beer, I like getting to try a lot of places I might not otherwise. Last year was the first time I'd heard of Feckin, and their Top of the Feckin morning then was great. Wish I'd see more of them.

    Also wishing I'd kept my ears open for Lardo.

    I did find it odd that this was the first year I can remember that HAF didn't have any Hair of the Dog or Cascade. Major bummer - I think Gingersnaps debuted there last year and it was fantastic.
     
    #20 Aestro, Dec 8, 2015
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