So in my beer trading group, there's persons around the country. Apparently a lot of people meet up while on vacation, business travel, etc, with other members in the group that live where they're travelling and share beers. Everyone seems incredibly chill and generous, so randomly meeting with essentially strangers actually doesn't seem odd at all.
A member from Portland, OR told myself and some of the other MA guys (thankfully they live very very close) that he would be in MA for business and wanted to meet up for a bottle share. For me and at least one other guy, it would be out first share with someone from the group, so we all dug fairly deep for it!
in drinking order...
Anchorage Brewing Company - The Tide and It's Takers
a 9.0% ABV Belgian Tripel brewed that is aged in French Chardonnay barrels with Brettanomyces. Terrific balance between the Belgian yeast influence and the buttery, oaky tart that came from the barrel-aging.
Backlash Beer Company - Declaration
(been there, done that! But one of the MA guys, and the OR guy definitely hadn't had it. It's my obligation and civic duty to introduce them to Backlash!)
Hill Farmstead - Clara
a 4% ABV Saison/Grisette. Hay, yeasty, dry, crisp, citrus. I can see the hype around HF now. Everything works together. I can imagine drinking this in the fields 90 or so years ago.. a perfect example of the style
De Garde - Mulligan
a 6.4$ ABV Belgian IPA spontaneously fermented with wild yeast and aged in gin barrels. The herbal, oaky characteristics imparted from the barrels is nothing shy of divine. Take the essence from you favorite gin-based drink, shove it in a hookah.. take a big ole inhale while sipping on a drying Belgian IPA with minimal hoppiness and you get Mulligan.. whoa!
Jester King - El Cedro
an 8.0% wood-aged Saison with Brett. If you couldn't tell.. it was aged on cedar. I love the Saison and funky Brett aspect to this beer, but the cedar.. all I'm missing is legit cedar splinters on my tongue.. like chewing on cedar floor boards..
Night Shift - Crusader
an 8.5% Belgian IPA aged in Chardonnay barrels. A bit underwhelming, not a ton of hops, mellowed by the wine barrel sweetness and a juice-like body.
Ale Apothecary - Spencer
a 13% ABV dry-hopped, fruited, barrel-aged Wild Ale brewed with Brett. Seriously.. just fucking wow. There's no words... fucking world class
Allagash - Ghoulschip
a 6.9% Wild Ale brewed with pumpkin, pumpkin seed and molasses. Holds up amazingly being from 2011, pumpkin is incredibly subtle, great sour presence
Olde Hickory - Event Horizon (2011)
an 8.5 BB Imperial Stout with honey. Low ABV for the style, but the taste is fucking phenomenal, honey sweetness, bourbon/vanilla notes, chocolate, coffee. The lower ABV fits it perfectly.. any higher and the thickness/booze would probably take over. The final beer and the star of the show..
People - you gotta make trading friends in other cities.. and drink with them! You may come across some unbelievable beers!
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