Oregon Brewers' Festival

Okay, so this post is about 26 days after the fact, but so it goes. The Oregon trip left a huge impression-- as did the size and scope of the Brewers' Festival.Mila took this picture of me picking the brain of master brewer Corey, who is in the employ of the McMenamins operation--- more specifically brewing for Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. He was explaining to me how it is that a bock does not necessarily have to be dark and malty. He and I are sitting in the circle of chairs we adults (all friends of Bil and Carla) set up like a buffalo ring to protect our young, some of whom you can see sitting on the blankets at the bottom of the picture.

I took notes in the 70-page program that I got that day, and these I shall presently share with you below. But first I must add reference to this oddity of fortune. The official program includes of list of reputable beer blogs not only in the Pacific Northwest but in the whole nation. See if you can spot yours truly in the picture on this blog's entry for the Brewers Guild Dinner.

And now for our notes from that lovely day:

Mila--

1. Trumer Pils by Trumer Brauerei
"Good" "has Czech qualities"

2. Bayern Pilsener by Bayern Brewing
"clean, nice bite" (but later) "might taste like Coors Lite"

3. no notes

4. taste of Alaskan Summer Ale by the Alaskan Brewing Company
"fresh and clean like glacier water!"


Po--

1. Stone Levitation Ale by Stone Brewing Co.
"Fine!"
score 800 (out of 1000)

2. Bridgeport Hop Czar by Bridgeport Brewing Co.
"Great! Fresh and hoppy!)
score 800
(Note: the lines for this one grew long! prohibitively so!)

3. Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing Co.
"Excellent! Hoppy indeed, but not too bright! Carla dumped her habanero beer
when she had a sip of this!" Actually, she was about to dump it when I wrote that,
but Bil rescued it and actually liked it enough to order it at the Green Dragon a couple of nights later.
score 900

4. taster of Solar Flare Ale by Lucky Labrador Brewing Co.
"Got bcs. line was short. Not bad, but pales in the company of this fest"
score 500

5. taster of MacTarnahan's Slingshot Extra Pale Ale
"Does not seem like an extra pale ale"
score 450