David came up to Boston the weekend of October 18th. As usual, we had a weekend of drinking scheduled. David arrived at around 10 PM on Friday night, had a bite to eat at our place, and then we went to the oddly named pub, "Joe Sent Me", for a few beers.
David had found a small Beer/Mead/Wine fest in Salem on Saturday, called the
Salem Harvest Fest. We had a particularly nauseating ferry ride to Salem, but managed to walk most of it off before having lunch at Upper Crust.
The Fest itself was small. Initially it was very crowded and a bit hard to move around, but people ended up leaving relatively early and it got much better. There was pizza from Upper Crust, and some cheese and crackers for snacking. There were beer booths from Magic Hat, Harpoon, Mercury Brewing, and Fisherman's. I managed to try all of the beers that I hadn't had yet (only 9). I was particularly impressed with what Fisherman's was offering, and I'll have to try them again.
There were also several booths serving wine and a booth serving mead. There were three very nice Danish meads , one made with ginger, one made with hibiscus, and one made with caraway. We also had a bit of wine towards the end of the fest.
We also witnessed an heroic effort to get sloshed by an overweight, middle-aged, white guy. We would stand next to a booth, get a sample and quickly sip it, all the while manufacturing his best attempt at a contemplative face. After he finished the sample he would simply hold his glass out waiting for a refill. He would repeat this until he was denied service at the booth, and would move on to the next.
Rather than taking the ferry back to Boston in our inebriated states, we opted to take the much smoother commuter rail back into Boston.
899. Roxy RollesBeer Stats:
Brewery:
Magic Hat Brewing CompanyAlcohol: 5.80%
Style:
American Amber/Red Ale,
BJCP Style GuidePours a clear amber-copper. Topped by a sudsy film. The aroma is resiny hops. There's a nice toasty malt backbone and a strong hop bitterness.
900. Stone Cat OctoberfestBeer Stats:
Brewery:
Mercury Brewing CompanyAlcohol: ?
Style:
Märzen / Oktoberfest,
BJCP Style GuidePours a lightly hazed copper color. The aroma is toasty with light, sweet, caramel notes. The flavors are much the same with a bit of bitterness in the finish.
901. Ipswich Harvest Ale
Beer Stats:
Brewery:
Mercury Brewing CompanyAlcohol: 5.90%
Style:
American Amber/Red Ale,
BJCP Style GuidePours a cloudy brown with a sudsy, beige ring for a head. The aroma is toasty and bready with a bit of hops and caramel. Hoppy, with a lightly sweet backbone that's best described as bready.
902. Ipswich Oatmeal StoutBeer Stats:
Brewery:
Mercury Brewing CompanyAlcohol: 7.00%
Style:
Oatmeal Stout,
BJCP Style GuidePours an opaque black. The head is a brown ring. The aroma is very roast: notes of coffee, chocolate, and a boozy quality. The backbone is nice and roasty. Sweet chocolate upfront moves into a nice coffee bitterness.
903. Fisherman's Pumpkin StoutBeer Stats:
Brewery:
Cape Ann Brewing CompanyAlcohol: 6.75%
Style:
Pumpkin Ale,
BJCP Style GuidePours an opaque black, with a sudsy beige head. There's pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice in the aroma, over a background of roasted malts. Sweet pumpkin flesh upfront that melds well with the spices. Roastiness appears in the center along with a sharp note. The finish is lightly bitter. Very smooth. This is the first pumpkin ale that I've had that doesn't stick to the standard pale/ale, amber ale format, tasty and interesting.
904. Fisherman's Dunkelweizen
Beer Stats:
Brewery:
Cape Ann Brewing CompanyAlcohol: 7.00%
Style:
Dunkelweizen,
BJCP Style GuidePours a cloudy amber. The head is a sudsy ring. Strong notes of banana and clove in the aroma with undertones of malt and other nondescript fruit. Sweet banana with clove and peppery spice.
905. Stone Cat Pumpkin
Beer Stats:
Brewery:
Mercury Brewing CompanyAlcohol: ?
Style:
Pumpkin Ale,
BJCP Style GuidePours a reddish-brown with no head. The aroma is malty, notes of caramel, pumpkin, and a light spice. A bready character moves into sweet pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices. The finish has a light hint of roasted malts.
906. Magic Hat Odd Notion (Winter 08)Beer Stats:
Brewery:
Magic Hat Brewing CompanyAlcohol: 6.00%
Style:
BraggotPours a clear golden with a fluffy, white head. The aroma is initially grassy, followed by notes of honey, and a bit of grape fruitiness. Grassy upfront moving into a honey sweetness in the center, followed by a peppery finish.
907. Glacier Harvest '08 Wet Hop Beer (100 Barrel Series #24)Beer Stats:
Brewery:
Harpoon BreweryAlcohol: 6.00%
Style:
American Pale Ale,
BJCP Style GuidePours a clear, light copper with a sudsy head. Light caramel maltiness in the aroma with lots of floral and resiny hops. Light sweetness upfront moves through to a neutral breadiness with a surprisingly mild hop bitterness in the finish.
