glutton for hop punishment that i am
not only did i attend hoppapalooza yesterday,
i’m going back to the alibi for more today!
what a good deal that was
$49 for all the beer i could swill
plus delicious chili for dinner
(there were several chili choices, including the veggie one i had)
and the program!
what a great idea, and a fun read
not just a list of the beers available, its a novel about the craft beer movement in vancouver
chock full of inside jokes
and original artwork for the cover
definitely one for the archives
of the 40 some odd kegs and 5 casks
i got almost half way through trying them yesterday
(i do not hold out hope that i will finish the list tonight though – i shoulda gone with half pours yesterday)
my original plan was to start at the top of the list and work my way as far down as i could
but people kept suggesting beers i couldn’t miss, so i took their suggestions and between those went back to following the list
1. gary’s imperial roach-a-palooza, one sniff and i thank all that is holy that hops are medicinal!
2. bear republic ryevalry, which even though its a tripel, i actually enjoyed it
3. dan & matt’s rocket to russia bourbonated imperial stout, holy bourbonation batman! this is one enormous beer, with such a fabulous dark head
4. tofino brewing’s ipa, absolutely delicious!
5. elysian dragonstooth imperial stout cask, dark roasty toasty chocolatey
6. ninkasi brewing’s the believer double red ale, dry and delicious and made me very happy, which seemed to be the consensus – i think this one might have been my best in show vote
7. rogue’s xs series imperial ipa, which i didn’t enjoy – i was getting coriander and didn’t want to be
8. tariq’s wrath of khan ipa, as good as i remember from the spring sessional, contender for my best in show vote (again)
9. brooklyn brewing’s east india pale ale, poor little understated classic american ipa, not “in your face” like the northwest ones, i probably should have started with this one if i were to properly appreciate it
10. hopworks’ abominable ale, “smells ah-mazing! yes, yes, yes, yes”
11. tree’s double hophead ipa, which i just didn’t love
12. moylans’ hopsickle triple hopped imperial ipa, “so f’ng good – it tackles you but doesn’t blindside like the bottle does”
14. howe sound’s total eclipse of the hops, which i found “lovely”
15. driftwood’s fat tug ipa, at this point my notes devolve into hearts, and the tug got three
15. iain hill’s brick and beam ipa, two hearts
16. vern’s imperial ipa, two hearts
yes there are two fifteens and no thirteen on my list
apparently i can’t count very well after 12 tasters!
i returned to the roach for my final beer as everyone there endeavoured to kill the roach!
also had sips of the pike brewing douple ipa, which i want to love, but it was just too pedestrian
and the north coast beer engine red seal, which i found “okay”
and the st. bernadus abt 12 quadruppel, which i liked, go figure
could this event be improved upon?
i’m sure there’s something, but i can’t find a single thing to complain about or suggest to improve
yay vcbw organizers!
yay brewers!
lord help me tomorrow morning after yet another night of hard drinking!
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