Mass Brewers Guild Summerfest 2010 + Sam Adams Boston.

Inadvertently found Harpoon Corporate. Bagels everywhere.

Hurrican Earl eating some buildings.

Took a short jaunt to Boston for the Mass Brewers Guild Summerfest (turns out to be the first one) which had been renamed Earlfest in honor of the pathetic hurricane attempting to make its way to the coast. Mostly, I was disappointed by the caliber of the beer. Also, they didn't even print up programs so I had to write everything down myself. As such, I was even less inclined to keep detailed notes. Here was the lineup:

• Amherst Brewing Company
• Just Beer
• Blue Hills Brewery:
  • Watermelon Wheat: Really intense watermelon nose and taste. Way too sweet. The watermelon was overpowering, and it just seemed like they used backsweetener+flavoring. The body was ok though, still wheat-y and not "malt beverage"-like.
• Boston Beer Works: These guys brought all Belgian styles, which was cool, but I felt like they were all off.
  • Tripel: Too malty, not enough carb leaves it all feeling too heavy in the mouth. Just made me wish for a Maredsous instead.
  • Flemish Red: Also a little malty but less noticeable due to the awesome sour profile. I have to say I like Flemish reds over browns. Reminds me of cranberry.
• Cape Cod Beer
• Watch City Brewing Company: One of the better breweries there, I thought. The two I tasted aren't even listed on BA so woot.
  • Beejeezus Botanical Belgian: Does not use hops. Elderflower is used instead. I don't actually remember anything other than that it wasn't bad and seemed pretty interesting
  • Bee and Lemon Balm, Jasmine Tea: Definitely the most interesting beer there. Diverse flavor profile you can walk through in the mouth. Wouldn't mind having another shot at it.
• Rock Bottom Brewery
• Cambridge Brewing Company:
  • Heather Ale: Grassy, floral, herbal, coriander. They were all out when we went there for dinner so I was stoked to find it at the fest. Best of the three I had from them that day.
• Haverhill Brewing Company
• Opa Opa
• Wattchusett
• Gardner Ale House: tapped out @ 8:20
• Cape Ann Brewing Company:
  • Pumpkin Stout: Uneventful. Just hadn't seen a pumpkin stout before. Pumpkin wasn't really played up very well.
  • Strawberry Rhubarb Saison: Interesting blend of fruit+vegetable, haven't seen either of them used before. A little too mild. I would have like to see the combination played up a bit more, but it was refreshing nonetheless.
• Berkshire Brewing Company: tapped
• Cisco Brewing Company:
  • IPA: Super fresh floral, hop bitter finish. I liked it.
  • Stout: Espresso grounds. One of the better beers of the night, and one of the better stouts I've had.
• Cody Brewing Company:
  • IPA: Got a huge taste of tomato. Had to throw it out.
  • Belgian Stout: Fruity, flat coffee. Haven't seen a Belgian stout before, but the combination is intriguing.
• Harpoon:
  • Glacier Harvest '10 Wet Hop: Another of their 100 Barrel Series. I'm increasingly interested in Harpoon as I try more of the 100 Barrels.
• Sam Adams

We had stopped for dinner at Cambridge Brewing Company before heading to the Seaport Hotel+WTC (which was an awesome venue [event rate on the room, soap/shampoo/conditioner dispensers instead of individual things, and Keurigs] since it was right across the street and by the harbor). I had the Arquebus English barleywine (sweeter than other Englishes I've had. I don't remember much about it now, but I remember not particularly liking it in comparison) and the Three Rings Belgian pale ale (tasty style, hoppy, heavy, a bit too residual to be session-able but definitely drinkable). The food there is also quite good.

Late breakfast/lunch at the Barking Crab. We had originally been across the street but their menu didn't have raw oysters; I think they were annoyed that we left. But having had a plate of fresh oysters, a whole lobster, and a basket of onion rings and fries, it was worth causing the annoyance.

Went on the Sam Adams tour with Kale, our very funny tour guide. He says, when asked what the ingredients in beer are, that "beer" is not the right answer. "This is where we put the beer in the beer. Thanks for coming." Got to see casks of Utopia.

Determined to buy a bottle of the next release.

The tour was pretty standard, though I was surprised by how small it was. The Boston brewery is apparently the smallest of their facilities. Kale took us through the standard 4-step tasting process (which can also include "lots of high-fiving and talking about feelings") of the Boston Lager, Coastal Wheat, and Brick Red (only available on tap, only in Boston; for a red, I liked it). One of his favorite responses on nose impressions, from a little girl: "...smells like my Daddy." Also heard some interesting stories about Jim Koch having to get cut out of a wool suit after spending a day getting dunked in a tank of his own near-stale beer. They apparently buy back their own beer at market price as it nears its best-by date. Some is consumed, some is reserved for the dunk tank, but most is discarded down the drain "along with [their] hopes and dreams and tears". Pretty cool. I've always been sort of on the fence about Sam Adams. They make good beers, and they make a lot of varieties. But I would never put them in the same tier as, say, Stone. I think I have some more appreciation for them now. Along with the free tasting glass, I picked up a pint glass (which, I guess, I could have gotten for free had we taken the trolley to the bar but it would have been a late drive back) and set of the Barrel Room Collection. Not sure if I'm going to sit on it or taste it. If I find myself in Boston again (and I would go again just to eat seafood), I'll pick up another set for consumption.

Leaving Boston: DRATWATS