2009 OBF Review

Beer Luvvas,

Unfortunately when enjoying the beer, and those with whom beer is consumed, takes priority over blogging about the beer; periodically details are lost. Specifically, I lost my notes from Days 2 and 3 from the 2009 Oregon Brewer's Festival.

Bummer.

So here's what I can recall off the top of my head:

Freebird's Red Challenge: Double Mountain IRA v. Hopworks Urban Brewing Organic Rise Up Red
This was an excellent clash of local brewing Titans (not to poke fun of Great Divide's Titan IPA, also a great beer present this year). The best part of this storyline is that although only one beer could "win," neither beer was a looser! The extra hops of the IRA makes for a great finish on top of the roasted malt flavor. Likewise, Rise Up hops provide a spicy note up front to coincide with the "clean and green" malts. We both preferred the IRA, but the HUB Rise Up Red may be the most flavorful organic beer I've ever tasted!

Best of Fest 2009!
This award is always tough, and I'm sure that my choices will offend others who do not share my appreciation for certain styles of beer (aka Belgians, secondarily Browns).

First I must note that I missed the Miss Spelt from Deschutes which I heard was excellent; and the Kona Coco-Loco which I at least wanted to sample.

I'm not including some of my perennial favorites that happened to be present at the 2009 OBF:

• Green Flash Imperial IPA
• Widmer KGB Russian Imperial Stout - Top 5 beers of all time (currently still on tap somewhere)
• Alameda El Torero IPA
• Double Mountain IRA

With that Best o' Fest 2009: Old Market Brew Pub's The Kraken Imperial IPA! This Imperial IPA, although with fewer IBUs than Laughing Dog's Alpha Dog, had a much more robust flavor to go along with the powerful hop punch expected from an Imperial IPA. It just felt like a much better version of this particular style of beer than the others that I encountered over the 3 days I attended this year.

Other noteworthy beers I sampled: (aka, the catch-all-good-beer category)

• Bear Republic Crazy Ivan - an excellent blend that I hope to find again in the future.
• Stone Cali-Belgique IPA - another excellent blend where there was just enough Belgian to be different, but not overpower my sensibilities.
• Astoria Brewing Bitter Bitch - an over the top USA version of the classic ESB. Mo Hops. Mo Hops!
• Bayern Brewing Dragon Breath Dark Hef - a full bodied, and flavorful hefewiezen. Who'd a thunk it?
• Laughing Dog Alpha Dog Imperial IPA - most IBUs of the fest, and generously poured by one of Freebird's coworkers!
• Oakshire Brewing Overcast Espresso Stout - espresso & stout; two words that are good together.
• Riverport Brewing Old Man River Oatmeal Stout - to the Riverport reps who cornered Freebird into a heads-up comparison w/KGB.....She lied. But Old Man River is still a good stout.
• Terminal Gravity Festivale - see previous post

Biggest OBF Surprises: Rock Bottom Eat a Bale o' Hops and McMenamins Hot for Teacher IPA! Great beers from the Starbucks (Rock Bottom) and Seattle's Best (McMenamins) of brewers.

In short, another great weekend spent on the Waterfront enjoying some great beer with great friends. Even if it was a little warm this year, nothing compares to the Oregon Brewer's Festival.

Prost to drinking with you again @ the 2010 OBF (will be my 18th straight)!