There were a lot of good beers there this year. There was only one bad in the whole lot from "Devil Mountain." The brewery is defunct and the keg was too. It was soured, fungal and somewhat fecal according to some. It was a total dumper. The rest were good on their own, but most seemed a little lack luster compared to just a few.
My personal favorite beer of the day was the Lost Abbey Angel Share 2006. Wow, what an oakey caramel, chocolate delight. I doubt I'll have another chance to taste that one again, though I do have 2 bottles of the 07 in storage thanks to Julian. The only possible complaint in this beer may be that it could be slightly off style according to BJCP. Oh well... it's damn near perfect the way it is. Next to that, I really enjoyed the Schooner's Barleywine. Also very oakey, vanilla and caramel and a little winey. Also possibly off style, but again, who cares?
I also enjoyed one from Lagunitas. It was very hoppy for a barleywine, but fantastic. And, back to the oakey, the Firestone Walker was top notch. Very clean and somewhat less complex than the Lost Abbey or Schooner's, but it certainly stood out.
There were a few others I really liked, but who wants to read about beer? Grab a glass if you can, or just check out the pictures if you're at work or something.
By the way, Julian Shrago brought a couple homebrews to share at the fest (see the last pic). He had a bourbon barleywine and an oaked Imperial Stout. Both of which easily stood up to the best of the beers at the fest. Watch out for that guy. He'll be opening a brewery sometime in the next few years. He's calling it "Bellwether." Good stuff.
