C'est What Spring Festival Of Craft Breweries - May 28

[midlife crisis]

Another vote here for Great Lakes Imperial Hefe as the best of show. Loved it.

[velovampire]

The Amsterdam and Stonehammer IPAs were a bit of a let down, especially after the Smash Bomb.

Should've had them in a different order then. I saved the Smash Bomb until the end, and really enjoyed the Stonehammer, although I didn't care for the Amsterdam as much.

Yeah, I think that order clouded my opinion somewhat - the Smash Bomb was very assertive in flavour and aroma, whereas the other two IPAs seemed more subtle and mannered. I will definitely give the Stonehammer and the Amsterdam a second chance if I see them again. It will be nice to have a full pint, too, to get a better sense of what's going on with each beer. I'm going back on Wed. and hoping to find some of the beers (including these two) from the fest still on tap. Will report back what I find.

[JerCraigs]

I look forward to your rating Jer. There's nothing wrong with entering it anyway. Only if it was knowingly off or some such thing. I see it often where a rater adds a new beer that perhaps shouldn't have been due to problems with a cask, and then the rater goes on the slam the beer. It gives raters a bad name and causes undue arrgivation for our brewers.

I think the only problem with the Born Bitter was a lack of filtration which caused a ton of foaming. (He says with no actual knowledge other than watching them pour it.)

[JerCraigs]

Anyone know the story on the Neustadt Big Dog Porter Extra? Is it the same as the existing BDP? Someone said it was just aged longer? I did not get nearly the same wine character as in previous years.

[GregClow]

Anyone know the story on the Neustadt Big Dog Porter Extra? Is it the same as the existing BDP? Someone said it was just aged longer?

The pump clip specifically named it as "Big Dog Porter Extra Aged", so I assumed that aging was the only difference from versions available previously.

I did not get nearly the same wine character as in previous years.

Perhaps the aging caused the vinous flavour aspects to mellow?

[Malcolm]

I thought the staff handled it really well too. It was packed deep at the bar and the bartenders were efficient and friendly. And they turned on the ballgame when I asked!

[SteelbackGuy]

Anyone know the story on the Neustadt Big Dog Porter Extra? Is it the same as the existing BDP? Someone said it was just aged longer?

The pump clip specifically named it as "Big Dog Porter Extra Aged", so I assumed that aging was the only difference from versions available previously.

I did not get nearly the same wine character as in previous years.

Perhaps the aging caused the vinous flavour aspects to mellow?

Remember that initially this beer had added Beaujolais wine in it, which gave it a nice subtle frutiness. Then they changed the addition of Beaujolais to Pelee Island Red.
Now, I thought that it constituted a new enrty on RB because it was a new ingredient, and orignally the beers were split. (Jer you probably remember this). But then they were merged back. So who knows if the extra age will allow for a new entry?

[georgemilbrandt]

The Festival results are now posted at http://www.cestwhat.com/tasteresult/springfest2010.asp.

To answer the question about Big Dog Porter Extra: The extra is wine. Sorry to confuse you all but we used a tap clip that we made up for the brew last year. Our local brewers may be gifted at beer but not so much at graphics and labels.

[Derek]

http://www.cestwhat.com/tasteresult/springfest2010.asp