Wow, it was hot last weekend, with temperatures over 100 degrees Friday and Saturday. But I did pace myself and samples the good, bad, and the ugly. Here's my list of winners and losers:
Big Sky Brewing Summer Honey Ale - A surprise, since I usually don't like this style. However, this one was clean, crisp, and had a nice, full flavor.
WINNERS: Boundary Bay Dry Hopped Simcoe Pale Ale - I haven't tried many beers using the Simcoe hop; this beer uses only the Simcoe hop. Nice hoppiness and not harsh at all. Overall, this beer scored the highest among our group.
E.J. Phair Pilsner - This one reminded me of a hoppy Urquell. Excellent.
Golden Valley Champagne Barrel Aged IPA Brut - Slightly sweet IPA with good balance and finish. Yum.
Morro Bay Dad's Pale Ale - Very rich pale, bordering on a strong ale.
Victory Prima Pils - I've enjoyed this one many times in the bottle. It's even better on draft.
Walking Man Black Cherry Porter - Not technically at the festival, this one was across the river at the Rose and Raindrop. Both the Black Cherry Porter and the Strong Ale at the R & R were awesome. I didn't try their beer at the fest, called Knuckle Dragger, but I'm guessing it was great.
LOSERS: Green Flash Hefeweizen - Attempt at German style Hefeweizen fizzles, maybe just fizzy.
Rockies Hazed & Infused - Cute marketing and hyped cloudiness can't hide the fact that this is weak beer with little flavor.
Walkabout Brewing Worker's Pale Ale - I really want this brewery to succeed, as it is a small Oregon brewery in the country. However, unless soap is part of the recipe, this one misses the mark. Not to be confused with Walking Man Brewing, which is truly excellent.
Because of the heat, I wasn't able to try everything. But there was plenty of other good beers, too numerous to mention. Rogue, Terminal Gravity, Lucky Labrador, Lagunitas, Big Time, and Alameda all poured good beers (as usual).