Holiday Ale Fest Recommendations

Well, considering the fest started at 11am I'm a wee bit late, but for those of you who haven't made the trek down yet I'd like to offer a few thoughts on beers you really need to try. Extra special thanks to Preston Weesner (GM of the fest) for inviting me down for a preview tasting last night.

My Top 5 from last night:

Hair of the Dog - Jim II: Wow. Just wow. The story behind this brew is almost as great as the beer itself. Here's the low down from Alan Sprints (via Beervana):

"This year's Jim is a blend of Adam, Fred and Doggie Claws, all barrel aged for 6 weeks. Along with the base beers I have added about 10% of a German Pilsner (Spaten), a 9 liter bottle of Val Du Trippel, 1989 Thomas Hardy's--the year I met Jim--a 1991 Rodenbach Alexander that I bought from Jim, and a 1994 Maredsous 10 that Jim enjoyed drinking. I am drinking a glass now; I smell Plums, Almonds and Oak, the Beer is a deep copper color and the lace sticks to the sides of my glass. The beer has a strong hop backbone with notes of chocolate, wood and crusty bread, a firm mouth feel and a complex finish that continues to evolve after the Beer is gone. I am guessing it is 8% abv. I made 16 kegs for the festival this year, only four last year.

Some of you may remember the frenzy caused by last year's version of Jim, hopefully the increase in production will allow the beer to make it through a couple days of the festival before blowing. Cross your fingers, and make sure to hit this one early.

Scaldis - Noel: Unless I'm mistaken, they aren't having the spendy "Big Boy Bar" this year, which means you can score a full mug of this ridiculously delicious Belgian delight for only four tickets. Just for perspective, an 8.4oz bottle retails for just under $5, making this the best value under the tent. It's incredibly nuanced and delicate for a beer that comes in at 12-14% abv, so you'll want to quaff this one before you start hitting the hop monsters.

Speaking of hop monsters, Max's Fanno Creek has sent O'Holy Hops, an aged IPA that tastes like it's fresh out of the brite tanks. I haven't had too many of Max's beers, but this is easily the best thing I've ever had from the nascent Tigard brewery. This is off the charts hoppy. So hoppy that the finish is almost minty. I don't mean mint flavor, I'm talking about the cool, refreshing feeling that hits you after eating something minty. That might not makes sense, but try the beer and I think you'll understand.

Ft. George "North": Billed as a "red wheat wine", and brewed with 11 different malts, this is a hard brew to wrap your brain (and palate) around. It's sweet, wheaty, slightly boozy, and chewy. I was suffering a bit of palate fatigue by the time I got to try this one, so I can't offer any more tasting notes, but it's far enough off the beaten path that I'd suggest getting a sample first before you commit to a full mug of this nectar. Fans of extreme experimental beers should definitely give this one a shot.

Golden Valley - Oaked Tannenbomb: I was looking forward to this one, and even though it didn't taste anything like what I was expecting, I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. The delicious roasty malt base is still there, but some of the hop presence was exchanged for a bit of oaky goodness. Seems like a good trade to me.

Stay tuned for more as we have a chance to sample them. Also be sure to check back tomorrow for a list of truly exciting new beers.