Gonna TRY to remember which ones I had, and shared as well.... (I probably forgot 2 or 3 breweries we hit.. so damn hard to remember everything I had!)
I absolutely HAD to start the night at the Backlash table. Seriously, Maggie and Helder of Backlash are amazing and the beer is out of this world! How in the hell could a beer this great be a brewery's FIRST beer!? They were true to their word too, this was even better when tapped! Check out the prior post about Groundswell!! Draught gave this beer more complexity and brought out hints of spice and pepper..poured crisper than from the bottle as well. Again, outstanding.. follow this brewery people, they're goin' places!
Wachusett - We sampled the Imperial Pumpkin (myself) and Octoberfest (Becky) A super strong pumpkin ale that hides its strength well behind a nice sweetness and caramel malts (later discovered to Belgian candied sugar) Dangerously drinkable and one to be a strong contender in this year's pumpkin showdown! The Octoberfest was a nice contribution to the traditional fall style, but lacked a little something. Just enough spice,
just enough malt to pass for the style, but falling just a bit short. Not a bad fall beer to kick back and watch the leaves fall though!
Cambridge Brewing Company - Being a glutton for the darker beers lately, the name Black Ryder drew me in instantly. A dark ale/black IPA this was super crisp and super flavorful. Tons of dark roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, dark stone fruits and strong hops. A great dark IPA style beer. Becky grabbed the Hefeweizen (no pic). Definitely a nice American take on a hefeweizen.. the nose is spot on, as well as the taste with it being a bit lighter and with hints of lemon and other citrus not predominant in the traditional style..but a great take on it for sure.
Notch - I snagged the Session Pils and Becky sampled the Saison. Being almost exclusively session beers, these are a bit lighter and less ABV than the normal counterparts, and hence, personally, seem to have lost some flavor here and there. The pils was not a bad beer, classic pilsner taste with slightly more hops than normal, giving it that unique edge over other pilsners. If you love a pils and wanna kick back a few, this should be your go-to! The saison is, again, characteristic of the style, but just lighter overall. All the key flavors are a bit more muted. Don't get me wrong, they are not watered down at all, nor is this a bad thing! The idea of this brewery IS session beers, so don't expect a huge ABV..and by doing it that way, you're gonna lose out on some of the richer, more complex flavors, but they're still great beers, spot on to their styles!
more Watch City Brewery! Becky tried out their unique pale ale - Toasted Ah Ah Pale Ale.. a Hawaiian-y take on it. Not being a fan of coconut, AT ALL, I was hesitant to try this one, but it was surprisingly good! Toasted, maybe the coconut, but for sure the malts, rather nutty and only the faintest hint of a coconut taste near the end/finish. Probably the ONLY coconut food item I'd actually consume. I got the Monkey Monk Saison... a much more full-bodied saison. Tastes of caramel malts come through as well spices with a slightly dry and barely hoppy finish.. super neat saison!
Blue Hills Brewery - Becky tried out the Watermelon Wampatauk Wheat..which I was hesitant of. Having a few watermelon beers before, and none being good.. I had low expectations. She enjoyed it, but maybe I'm too biased already. The wheat tastes are there, not bad at all, the watermelon is for sure there..but overall the effort comes off as sorta watery... verdict is still out on watermelon, as I'm told Boston Beer Works' offering is great. Maybe they're just not my thing...
I got the Antimatter Pale Ale.. tons more flavor than most pales, more complex. Way more hops, but not overpowering with spicy and fruity notes not often found in a pale. Cool take on a pale ale.
Frosty Knuckle - Frosty Knuckle Ale.. just the name alone sounded cool.. so I had to try! A cool beer.. amber maybe? Can't pick up the style, but a great malt profile, caramel, toffee, roasted and toasted, hints of fruit - cherry, plum, apple - and a nice yet complex hop profile to balance it out. Very, very nice beer! Becky, being a hop-head, finally got her IPA fix with the Frosty Knuckle IPA. A solid IPA through and through, not overly piney, earthy, citrusy..just the right balance of bitterness and hints of malt to balance it. The malt characteristics seem to be a hallmark of this brewery.. I kinda wanna try more styles, its a great malt taste!
Ipswich Ale Brewery - Becky ventured to the imperial side with the 20th Anniversary Imperial Pale Ale. Take everything you've known about a pale ale, double it, make it richer, heavier, bolder, spicier, hoppier and more malty and you get the 20th Ann. Imperial Pale Ale. It's not super balanced, but it's a great brew and fitting for an over-the-top celebration type beer. I ventured into the number realm too.. 375th Summer Barleywine Ale. No clue what to expect or what to take away from this, interesting..definitely.. complex..yup. Slightly off.. maybe? Slightly sweet and citrusy, but thicker and rich. Honey, light/sweet molasses, rich malts. Unique, but wasn't crazy about this one..again maybe just unsure of what to expect. 
Pretty Things Beer & Ale Project - Jack D'Or.. Becky got this American-style Saison.. she had tried it before, but go with whatcha like sometimes, right? An awesome saison.. slightly more crisp, dry and faintly bitter on the finish as compared to the traditional saison, but with al the flavors in excess and great balance. This was near the end of the night and the flavors weren't as distinct..trying 15-20+ beers in the span of 2 and a half hours will do that! But the Baby Tree Belgian Quad ale.. damn! Thick and luscious are what come to mind! Complex sweetness - molasses, maple syrup, plum juice - crazy malts. This had tastes of a light brandy.. gotta try this one without 15+ beers beforehand!
I ended the night with Amherst Brewing Company's
casked offering - their Wedding Wit aged with raspberries.
This, for a beer aged with fruit, was fantastic. The casking
masked the sweetness of the fruit, leaving just the essence
of the flavor along with a nice, strong Belgian white ale,
spicy, wheat, citrus. The warmth also aiding in subduing the
fruit a good amount as well. Nice way to end the fest with
a casked ale.
I CAN'T WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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