Rain-soaked beer
The lousy weather failed to put much of a damper on yesterday’s N.J. Brewers Guild festival aboard the Battleship New Jersey. The event was held under a tent, so while everything was a bit soggy, the turnout was very good and the beer was excellent. The biggest complaints I heard came from the brewers themselves; because they had arrived early to set-up their gear, most of them were forced to unload their trucks in a downpour.
The payoff, as I said, was tremendous beer. I always look forward to this festival because most of the breweries that attend are not local, giving me an opportunity to sample foreign brews without actually traveling. I think this year might’ve been the best, with an outstanding range of both classic styles and unusual varieties. And with all honesty, I tasted only one disappointing sample: a crappy fruit beer from a brewery whose name I’ve already forgotten. Meanwhile, here are my highlights:
- Triumph (Princeton) Sour Tripel. I had a feeling this would a good one when I saw a bunch of local beer geeks huddled near the keg. Very tart and way too easy to drink, despite its 11 percent abv.
- Pizzeria Uno (Metuchen) Porter. Served on cask, it was quite mellow and very nicely balanced.
- Harvest Moon (New Brunswick) Saison. Light, spicy, very refreshing. I haven’t visited HM’s brewpub in years; I’m going to have to stop in next time I travel I-95 in North Jersey.
- Basil T’s (Woodbridge) Smoked Pale Ale. I’m used to smoked lagers or porters, so a smoked pale ale was a first for me, and they nailed it. Not overly smoky, very enjoyable.
- Iron Hill (Maple Shade) Pig Iron Porter. IH’s new joint hasn’t cranked up the brew kettles yet (brewer Chris LaPierre told me that should happen later this week), so this was actually brewed by Larry Horwitz (I’m guessing in West Chester). What a freaking excellent beer. Rich, chocolatey, with a perfectly bittered edge. IH should send this one out to Denver for the GABF.
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